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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
John Jackson Miller strikes again. After the success of Kenobi , Miller brings two beloved Star Wars: Rebels characters to life in a way that completely surpassed my expectations. What could have been a traditional tale of unlikely allies joined by common principles, is instead a fascinating study of how an oppressive intergalactic regime affects different sorts of people in different ways and effectively brings them together. Miller makes sure to present more than an extremely satisfying Rebels prequel, and offers an engaging, character driven adventure that combines a controlled pace with deeply diversified characters. Isn't that what I said about Kenobi ? I’m seeing a pattern for success here.
Kanan is simply brilliantly written and hilarious. It’s wonderfully rewarding to finally get an eye into his backstory as well as the beginning of his relationship with Hera (who is still my hero after this book, by the way). No one can tell me that Kanan and Hera aren’t undeniably in love. I was also delighted by the other shining female characters - once again - and interesting, important role they have to play in the narrative. Special mentions go to Sloane and especially Zaluna, who is so different to what i’m used to seeing in terms of personality and terms of her ties to the Empire. I could go on for paragraphs about her, her story, her job, but getting to discover it all as the pages go is where the real fun begins. Meanwhile, Vidian is ruthless and refreshing villain, who surprisingly manages to distinguish himself for the already impressive roster of iconic Star Wars antagonists. Although the book is not a galaxy wide adventure and is concentrated on the planets Cynda and Gorse, they both make for two great novel locations. If I was nitpicking, the only minuses that I could find are the slightly slower twenty first pages of exposition, and Skelly for two thirds of the book. Like Kanan, you will almost certainly feel the strong desire to punch his idiot face repeatedly. Just know you’re not the only one. Otherwise A New Dawn is excellent, pick it up.
Kanan is simply brilliantly written and hilarious. It’s wonderfully rewarding to finally get an eye into his backstory as well as the beginning of his relationship with Hera (who is still my hero after this book, by the way). No one can tell me that Kanan and Hera aren’t undeniably in love. I was also delighted by the other shining female characters - once again - and interesting, important role they have to play in the narrative. Special mentions go to Sloane and especially Zaluna, who is so different to what i’m used to seeing in terms of personality and terms of her ties to the Empire. I could go on for paragraphs about her, her story, her job, but getting to discover it all as the pages go is where the real fun begins. Meanwhile, Vidian is ruthless and refreshing villain, who surprisingly manages to distinguish himself for the already impressive roster of iconic Star Wars antagonists. Although the book is not a galaxy wide adventure and is concentrated on the planets Cynda and Gorse, they both make for two great novel locations. If I was nitpicking, the only minuses that I could find are the slightly slower twenty first pages of exposition, and Skelly for two thirds of the book. Like Kanan, you will almost certainly feel the strong desire to punch his idiot face repeatedly. Just know you’re not the only one. Otherwise A New Dawn is excellent, pick it up.
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story of what became of the Jedi after the rise of the Galactic Empire in the Star Wars Saga is an interesting aspect of the mythology. After the events of “Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith” the Emperor and Darth Vader hunt down and murder the Jedi Knights they find. Jedi are branded as outlaws. Some manage to escape the Empire. We know Yoda hid on Dagobah and Obi-Wan hides himself on Tatooine under the name of Ben Kenobi. They were not the only Jedi who survived the Empire’s purge.
A new era of Star Wars begins in the pages of “Star Wars: A New Dawn” by John Jackson Miller exploring the post “Sith” adventures of one of the last Jedi, Kanan Jarrus. The novel is the first look into the next stage of Star Wars in the time set between episodes the first two trilogies. The book provides a look into the beginning of the new Disney XD series “Star Wars: Rebels” which will debut in October.
Kanan Jarrus had not finished his apprenticeship in the Jedi order when the Empire began its systematic culling of the Jedi Knights. He escaped even as his master did not. This is where “Star Wars: A New Dawn” brings us in to a life of one whose entire existence had been training in one direction but now is a life of hiding and masking his connection to the Force.
Miller paints the picture of what a Jedi must do to survive and avoid direction of the-powers-that-be that have criminalized the Jedi Order and brought about the destruction of those connected to the Force. Kanan comes off as a mix of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, a good guy with a sarcastic devil-may-care attitude. He is a likable rogue who acts like he does not care while he secretly helping people even when he would prefer to just disappear.
The Jedi instincts are always there despite his reluctance to access the Force. It is this reluctance that Miller uses to create suspense to when Kanan will reveal himself to his new friends and if he will accept his destiny in time to stop the destruction of the mining world of Gorse and its moon Cynda.
On Gorse, Miller shows the evils of the Empire. It is government that exists only to feed itself. The Emperor wants all in his infinite greed and he could care less about the pawns that get in his way. The only thing that matters is the growth of the Empire.
The Rebellion has not begun yet, people aren’t sure yet what to think of the Empire. Their lives have not been affected too much, but it is the changes that are coming one by one add up to an oppressive society where freedom is forgone and service to the Empire is everything.
It just happens that Kanan finds himself in the center of the Empire’s power grab while working for the mining community. He may have made his escape if not for the appearance of a green-skinned Twi-lek named Hera. She is a cunning hero who may be forming the building blocks for the Rebellion but is starting out by finding just how big the Empire has gotten and its affect on the galaxy.
Hera is a leader possessing the skills of a master pilot and a super spy. She has a greater understanding of the Empire but she is reluctant to bring more people to her cause. She just wants to find out the facts to see where the real trouble is in the galaxy.
The story shows Miller’s strong affections to the Star Wars Universe. The writer clearly has a firm understanding of the transformation this Galaxy was undergoing as the reach of the Empire spread out over the Republic worlds and a the rule through fear was taking hold. The pace of the story is quick and the characters keep everything in perpetual motion. Even with the quick pace the story is well rounded and the characters are explored in depth to make them identifiable even as they are all new to the mythology.
“Star Wars: A New Dawn” is a great lead in to the “Star Wars: Rebels” series by giving the origin of the first meeting of Kanan and Hera and how the two of them set out to take on an Empire.
A new era of Star Wars begins in the pages of “Star Wars: A New Dawn” by John Jackson Miller exploring the post “Sith” adventures of one of the last Jedi, Kanan Jarrus. The novel is the first look into the next stage of Star Wars in the time set between episodes the first two trilogies. The book provides a look into the beginning of the new Disney XD series “Star Wars: Rebels” which will debut in October.
Kanan Jarrus had not finished his apprenticeship in the Jedi order when the Empire began its systematic culling of the Jedi Knights. He escaped even as his master did not. This is where “Star Wars: A New Dawn” brings us in to a life of one whose entire existence had been training in one direction but now is a life of hiding and masking his connection to the Force.
Miller paints the picture of what a Jedi must do to survive and avoid direction of the-powers-that-be that have criminalized the Jedi Order and brought about the destruction of those connected to the Force. Kanan comes off as a mix of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, a good guy with a sarcastic devil-may-care attitude. He is a likable rogue who acts like he does not care while he secretly helping people even when he would prefer to just disappear.
The Jedi instincts are always there despite his reluctance to access the Force. It is this reluctance that Miller uses to create suspense to when Kanan will reveal himself to his new friends and if he will accept his destiny in time to stop the destruction of the mining world of Gorse and its moon Cynda.
On Gorse, Miller shows the evils of the Empire. It is government that exists only to feed itself. The Emperor wants all in his infinite greed and he could care less about the pawns that get in his way. The only thing that matters is the growth of the Empire.
The Rebellion has not begun yet, people aren’t sure yet what to think of the Empire. Their lives have not been affected too much, but it is the changes that are coming one by one add up to an oppressive society where freedom is forgone and service to the Empire is everything.
It just happens that Kanan finds himself in the center of the Empire’s power grab while working for the mining community. He may have made his escape if not for the appearance of a green-skinned Twi-lek named Hera. She is a cunning hero who may be forming the building blocks for the Rebellion but is starting out by finding just how big the Empire has gotten and its affect on the galaxy.
Hera is a leader possessing the skills of a master pilot and a super spy. She has a greater understanding of the Empire but she is reluctant to bring more people to her cause. She just wants to find out the facts to see where the real trouble is in the galaxy.
The story shows Miller’s strong affections to the Star Wars Universe. The writer clearly has a firm understanding of the transformation this Galaxy was undergoing as the reach of the Empire spread out over the Republic worlds and a the rule through fear was taking hold. The pace of the story is quick and the characters keep everything in perpetual motion. Even with the quick pace the story is well rounded and the characters are explored in depth to make them identifiable even as they are all new to the mythology.
“Star Wars: A New Dawn” is a great lead in to the “Star Wars: Rebels” series by giving the origin of the first meeting of Kanan and Hera and how the two of them set out to take on an Empire.
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-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
Ce livre est la premier du nouvel univers étendu de Star Wars. C'est aussi un prequel à la fameuse série Rebels. L'histoire raconte la venue d'un administrateur qui veut détruire une planète pour exploiter les ressources minières plus facilement.
C'est n'est pas la meilleure histoire de Star Wars que j'ai lu mais ça commence quand même bien le nouvel univers canon de la saga.
C'est n'est pas la meilleure histoire de Star Wars que j'ai lu mais ça commence quand même bien le nouvel univers canon de la saga.
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Like many Star Wars fans, I have become enamored of the new Disney XD series Star Wars Rebels. It's a great animated series about a ragtag band of burgeoning Rebels in the years between Episode III and Episode IV. What I didn't know is that there is a novel that came out last fall all about how two of the main characters in Rebels met. Those characters are Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla. And their story is pretty interesting.
Ten years after the extermination of the Jedi by Order 66 and six years before the events of Star Wars Rebels, Kanan Jarrus is living life on the down low. He works as a pilot and excavator on the planet of Gorse and its orbitting moon Cynda collecting Thorilide for the Empire to use in construction of Star Destroyers. This is one of many jobs that Kanan has had in the last decade as he carries out his otherwise nomadic existence with no ties anywhere.
Until he meets Hera, a beautiful and mysterious Twi'lek who he declares he'd follow anywhere. What he doesn't know is that following her, one of the early Rebels, brings him square in the crosshairs of the Empire. Oh yeah, did I mention that 10 years prior to this book, Kanan's name was Caleb Dume and he was an apprentice to Jedi Master Depa Billaba and watched as Clone Troopers, who once fought alongside them, turned their guns on the two of them? Caleb narrowly avoided assassination while Master Billaba covered his escape.
It's a pretty interesting story of the early stages of the Rebel Alliance and how characters played into the deepening rift between the Empire and the people of the galaxy. But it's also, oddly, a book about business and ethics that you just have to read to believe.
Give it a shot.
I listened to the Audible book and, while the narrator did a good job with most voices, actually sounding like Freddie Prinze Jr. (who lends his voice to Kanan on the TV series), he was utterly annoying trying to do Hera's voice. Why couldn't they have gotten Vanessa Marshall to do it?
Ten years after the extermination of the Jedi by Order 66 and six years before the events of Star Wars Rebels, Kanan Jarrus is living life on the down low. He works as a pilot and excavator on the planet of Gorse and its orbitting moon Cynda collecting Thorilide for the Empire to use in construction of Star Destroyers. This is one of many jobs that Kanan has had in the last decade as he carries out his otherwise nomadic existence with no ties anywhere.
Until he meets Hera, a beautiful and mysterious Twi'lek who he declares he'd follow anywhere. What he doesn't know is that following her, one of the early Rebels, brings him square in the crosshairs of the Empire. Oh yeah, did I mention that 10 years prior to this book, Kanan's name was Caleb Dume and he was an apprentice to Jedi Master Depa Billaba and watched as Clone Troopers, who once fought alongside them, turned their guns on the two of them? Caleb narrowly avoided assassination while Master Billaba covered his escape.
It's a pretty interesting story of the early stages of the Rebel Alliance and how characters played into the deepening rift between the Empire and the people of the galaxy. But it's also, oddly, a book about business and ethics that you just have to read to believe.
Give it a shot.
I listened to the Audible book and, while the narrator did a good job with most voices, actually sounding like Freddie Prinze Jr. (who lends his voice to Kanan on the TV series), he was utterly annoying trying to do Hera's voice. Why couldn't they have gotten Vanessa Marshall to do it?
I enjoyed this book immensely (despite the distracting sound effects included in the audio book). I adore Hera Syndulla and I think Kanan Jarrus is one of my favorite Jedi in the whole Star Wars universe. It was a thrill to learn how they met and started traveling together and fighting the Empire. I’m sad to leave it behind. Time to watch Rebels again. ❤️