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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
As I do with all Star Wars novels, I listened to the audiobook while doing chores/exercises. The central character of Ram Jomaram was kind of bland, he goes through a very similar character arc as Reath Silas in the young adult Star Wars High Republic novel Into the dark. The fact is, Jedi characters in general can't help but be bland, and you need a novelist of immense talent to breath life into such characters. I am not sure any Star Wars novelist is really up to that. Older's High Republic comic book series is a bit more successful, and I was glad to see some of the characters in this novel.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
super good!!! takes place at the same time as the rising storm, so im glad i read it after, sheds some more light on the drengir on valo and the different jedi padiwans and what they were up to, it also highlights vernestra rowh again and she is gangster so im always happy when shes in a book. i think the next one (out of the shadows) is her and imri and maybe avon? who knows, im excited to dive into it.
Star Wars: The High Republic - Race to Crashpoint Tower by Daniel José Older is the second middle-grade novel in the sprawling High Republic publishing franchise. It takes place in the second wave of storytelling, concurrently with the adult novel The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott, and is as much an extension of Older's own ongoing comic series, IDW's The High Republic Adventures, as it is a sequel to the previous middle-grade novel, A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland.
As in The Rising Storm, characters and plot threads from all of the existing High Republic material come into play here, from the aforementioned works to Marvel's ongoing High Republic comic series by Cavan Scott, Charles Soule's adult novel Light of the Jedi, and the YA novel Into the Dark by Claudia Gray. This interconnectivity is immensely satisfying to somebody like me who is keeping up with all of the stories as they're released, but I think each is well-suited to its medium and intended audience, and could be enjoyed on its own merits.
So, Race to Crashpoint Tower follows all-new character Ram Jamoram, a Padawan on the planet Valo, and another Padawan, Lula Talisola, one of the two leads from Older's Adventures comics. Ram is a welcome oddity in the Jedi Order, an awkward young kid who is much more at home working on engines or droids than he is training with his lightsaber, or interfacing with other people. Introducing Jedi who fall outside the mold set by the Prequels is an ongoing thing in the High Republic stories, and not only do I love most of these oddball characters personally, but I find that it is both a wonderful message for younger readers especially, but also a bittersweet foreshadowing of the Clone Wars era-- SOMETHING must happen to the Jedi that they're all so similar, and so dogmatic, two centuries after the High Republic. In Crashpoint Tower, Ram needs to step outside his comfort zone to warn the Jedi, and the galaxy at large, about an imminent threat from the dastardly Nihil.
Lula, meanwhile, is very much the young Jedi we know from Adventures: highly capable but full of self-doubt nonetheless. Again, this is a perfect character for younger readers, showing that no matter how confident somebody may appear, it's just as likely they're very unsure of themselves. It's dedication and perseverance that matter, not just raw talent.
This book rollicks along at a breakneck pace, right alongside the events of The Rising Storm. The Republic Fair on Valo is under siege by the Nihil, and Older wastes very little time getting into the action. I found that the pacing kept me wanting to read more, and the weaving in of plot threads and characters from other High Republic books (like the Drengir from Into the Dark and the Marvel comics, Vernestra Rwoh from A Test of Courage, Ty Yorrick from The Rising Storm, and so on) was all done organically, and, again, felt very satisfying in how it painted a fuller picture of the Republic Fair, and fleshed out new and existing characters in simple but meaningful ways.
This is the eleventh Star Wars middle grade novel I've read in the new canon (shoutout to the Jedi Apprentice series by Jude Watson!), after the four Journey to the Force Awakens tie-ins (Smuggler's Run, The Weapon of a Jedi, Moving Target, and Before the Awakening), The Last Jedi: Cobalt Squadron, The Mighty Chewbacca in the Forest of Fear, Guardians of the Whills, The Legends of Luke Skywalker, Spark of the Resistance, and of course A Test of Courage. I have to say, this is far and away the best one. It felt like it had the most meaningful story, the most engaging characters, and it was actually very genuinely funny, eliciting several laughs out loud throughout. Most of those books are just fine, but quite forgettable, perhaps with the exceptions of Mighty Chewbacca (because it's Chewie, and it felt a lot like an Indiana Jones adventure) and Legends of Luke Skywalker (because that was an anthology with a few very interesting stories).
Both A Test of Courage and Race to Crashpoint Tower feel like important parts of a larger picture, not inconsequential tie-ins with frustratingly low stakes. (Again, to be fair, none of these were awful books, but the two High Republic books prove that you can tell an engaging and meaningful story within this age range.)
Having been disappointed by some of Older's Star Wars work in the past, I've been incredibly pleasantly surprised with his ongoing comic, and now this middle-grade book. I would highly recommend Race to Crashpoint Tower to anybody interested in the High Republic series, and I would suggest reading it AFTER The Rising Storm (if you're reading that one).
As in The Rising Storm, characters and plot threads from all of the existing High Republic material come into play here, from the aforementioned works to Marvel's ongoing High Republic comic series by Cavan Scott, Charles Soule's adult novel Light of the Jedi, and the YA novel Into the Dark by Claudia Gray. This interconnectivity is immensely satisfying to somebody like me who is keeping up with all of the stories as they're released, but I think each is well-suited to its medium and intended audience, and could be enjoyed on its own merits.
So, Race to Crashpoint Tower follows all-new character Ram Jamoram, a Padawan on the planet Valo, and another Padawan, Lula Talisola, one of the two leads from Older's Adventures comics. Ram is a welcome oddity in the Jedi Order, an awkward young kid who is much more at home working on engines or droids than he is training with his lightsaber, or interfacing with other people. Introducing Jedi who fall outside the mold set by the Prequels is an ongoing thing in the High Republic stories, and not only do I love most of these oddball characters personally, but I find that it is both a wonderful message for younger readers especially, but also a bittersweet foreshadowing of the Clone Wars era-- SOMETHING must happen to the Jedi that they're all so similar, and so dogmatic, two centuries after the High Republic. In Crashpoint Tower, Ram needs to step outside his comfort zone to warn the Jedi, and the galaxy at large, about an imminent threat from the dastardly Nihil.
Lula, meanwhile, is very much the young Jedi we know from Adventures: highly capable but full of self-doubt nonetheless. Again, this is a perfect character for younger readers, showing that no matter how confident somebody may appear, it's just as likely they're very unsure of themselves. It's dedication and perseverance that matter, not just raw talent.
This book rollicks along at a breakneck pace, right alongside the events of The Rising Storm. The Republic Fair on Valo is under siege by the Nihil, and Older wastes very little time getting into the action. I found that the pacing kept me wanting to read more, and the weaving in of plot threads and characters from other High Republic books (like the Drengir from Into the Dark and the Marvel comics, Vernestra Rwoh from A Test of Courage, Ty Yorrick from The Rising Storm, and so on) was all done organically, and, again, felt very satisfying in how it painted a fuller picture of the Republic Fair, and fleshed out new and existing characters in simple but meaningful ways.
This is the eleventh Star Wars middle grade novel I've read in the new canon (shoutout to the Jedi Apprentice series by Jude Watson!), after the four Journey to the Force Awakens tie-ins (Smuggler's Run, The Weapon of a Jedi, Moving Target, and Before the Awakening), The Last Jedi: Cobalt Squadron, The Mighty Chewbacca in the Forest of Fear, Guardians of the Whills, The Legends of Luke Skywalker, Spark of the Resistance, and of course A Test of Courage. I have to say, this is far and away the best one. It felt like it had the most meaningful story, the most engaging characters, and it was actually very genuinely funny, eliciting several laughs out loud throughout. Most of those books are just fine, but quite forgettable, perhaps with the exceptions of Mighty Chewbacca (because it's Chewie, and it felt a lot like an Indiana Jones adventure) and Legends of Luke Skywalker (because that was an anthology with a few very interesting stories).
Both A Test of Courage and Race to Crashpoint Tower feel like important parts of a larger picture, not inconsequential tie-ins with frustratingly low stakes. (Again, to be fair, none of these were awful books, but the two High Republic books prove that you can tell an engaging and meaningful story within this age range.)
Having been disappointed by some of Older's Star Wars work in the past, I've been incredibly pleasantly surprised with his ongoing comic, and now this middle-grade book. I would highly recommend Race to Crashpoint Tower to anybody interested in the High Republic series, and I would suggest reading it AFTER The Rising Storm (if you're reading that one).
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book does a great job of covering the events of Valo from the Padawon's perspective, connecting seamlessly with the Adult books and comics. It does it in a way that is emotional, but still digestible for younger readers. Jam is a great addition to the series and Star Wars universe, and I love his unique experience with the force.