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blancwene 's review for:
Race To Crashpoint Tower
by Daniel José Older
Some History:
Daniel Jose Older’s Han Solo-centric novel, [b:Last Shot|38602136|Last Shot A Han and Lando Novel (Star Wars)|Daniel José Older|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518834314l/38602136._SY75_.jpg|60209238] was definitely intended for adult audiences, but his original fiction runs the gambit from adult and young adult urban fantasy ([b:Half-Resurrection Blues|22393174|Half-Resurrection Blues (Bone Street Rumba, #1)|Daniel José Older|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1401879207l/22393174._SY75_.jpg|41813786] & [b:Shadowshaper|22295304|Shadowshaper (Shadowshaper, #1)|Daniel José Older|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1416429594l/22295304._SX50_.jpg|41683308]) to middle grade alternate history novels featuring dinosaurs ([b:Dactyl Hill Squad|38276982|Dactyl Hill Squad (Dactyl Hill Squad, #1)|Daniel José Older|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518631327l/38276982._SY75_.jpg|59947382]). Race to Crashpoint Tower is the second middle grade novel within the High Republic series, and shows readers another side of the Nihil attack on the Republic Fair. Race to Crashpoint Tower made it to number four on the New York Times children's middle grade hardcover bestseller list for the week of July 18, 2021.
Summary:
The Republic Fair is coming to Valo! But when a security alarm goes off on nearby Crashpoint Peak, Padawan Ram Jomaram discovers that someone has knocked out Valo's communications tower—a frightening sign that Valo and the Republic Fair are in danger. Luckily, he's about to get some help from unexpected new friends…
The Good:
—I really liked Ram Jomaram. I love when we get characters unlike the stereotypical Jedi, and Ram reminded me a lot of Anakin Solo from the old Expanded Universe: he’s very mechanically adept, and he’s good at seeing how things work together. He struggles with the combat side of his Jedi training, but his skills end up benefiting everyone around him. He’s able to get the communications tower up and running, but he’s also able to disable Nihil vessels specifically because of his innate mechanical skills.
—I also liked how we were able to fill in some of [b:The Rising Storm|55644027|The Rising Storm (Star Wars The High Republic)|Cavan Scott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607094743l/55644027._SY75_.jpg|86770586]’s gaps, in particular how and why Ram ended up in jail at the same time as Ty Yorrick. (He found out that Crashpoint Tower was offline, so he tried to alert the Jedi and send a message to Starlight Station, only for the Valo Security Forces to disbelieve him and throw him in jail.)
The Bad:
—Unfortunately, Race to Crashpoint Tower reiterates to me how interconnected the High Republic books and comics are...sometimes to their detriment. Our other main POV character is Padawan Lula Talisola, who was first introduced in the High Republic Adventures comic. (I know the first five issues are on the Hoopla library app, but I haven’t read them yet!) While Older gives us the basics of her character and what she’s recently encountered, she and her Master Sy and her friend Zeen are completely new to the reader. I felt like the beginning of her plotline relied too heavily on the reader being knowledgeable about that comic.
—Likewise, I felt like the Nihil’s attack on the Fair relied too much on information and events from The Rising Storm. We have the Nihil’s gas attack, Ram and Lula wandering into the zoo and the animals running amok--which you can follow, but it’s probably easier to follow if you’ve read The Rising Storm. And since that’s an adult novel, I’m not sure how well child readers will be able to follow along with these events.
—And finally, the tone was a little silly, which I think was entirely intentional. (When you read a middle grade book as an adult, you have to admit that this kind of book isn’t written for you, it’s written for a child between the ages of 8 and 12.) So while I appreciated that the Drengir scenes were not too scary, there was some tonal disconnect for me because their previous appearances in the adult and YA novels has been pretty darn frightening! While they’re a threat to our young hero and heroines, they’re much more comedic relief than I expected. Sometimes the dialogue of our main characters felt too much like 21st century Earth slang to me; but again, I’m not the target audience here.
My Verdict:
Race to Crashpoint Tower is an exciting kid-friendly look at the Nihil attack on the Republic Fair. We meet a new mechanically-minded Padawan, and we’re also reintroduced to some interesting characters from the High Republic Adventures comic. I do question how well a child reader would be able to follow along with the events of the story, though, as it relies heavily on information given in [b:The Rising Storm|55644027|The Rising Storm (Star Wars The High Republic)|Cavan Scott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607094743l/55644027._SY75_.jpg|86770586], a novel for adult audiences. I wish that Race to Crashpoint Tower stood on its own a little more.
My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/Xn9AUgtp990
Illustrations by Petur Antonsson: https://imgur.com/a/YwEUufh
“I’m just trying to make myself laugh - Daniel Jose Older on infusing humor into Star Wars: The High Republic”: https://www.starwars.com/news/daniel-jose-older-race-to-crashpoint-tower-interview
Daniel Jose Older’s Han Solo-centric novel, [b:Last Shot|38602136|Last Shot A Han and Lando Novel (Star Wars)|Daniel José Older|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518834314l/38602136._SY75_.jpg|60209238] was definitely intended for adult audiences, but his original fiction runs the gambit from adult and young adult urban fantasy ([b:Half-Resurrection Blues|22393174|Half-Resurrection Blues (Bone Street Rumba, #1)|Daniel José Older|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1401879207l/22393174._SY75_.jpg|41813786] & [b:Shadowshaper|22295304|Shadowshaper (Shadowshaper, #1)|Daniel José Older|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1416429594l/22295304._SX50_.jpg|41683308]) to middle grade alternate history novels featuring dinosaurs ([b:Dactyl Hill Squad|38276982|Dactyl Hill Squad (Dactyl Hill Squad, #1)|Daniel José Older|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518631327l/38276982._SY75_.jpg|59947382]). Race to Crashpoint Tower is the second middle grade novel within the High Republic series, and shows readers another side of the Nihil attack on the Republic Fair. Race to Crashpoint Tower made it to number four on the New York Times children's middle grade hardcover bestseller list for the week of July 18, 2021.
Summary:
The Republic Fair is coming to Valo! But when a security alarm goes off on nearby Crashpoint Peak, Padawan Ram Jomaram discovers that someone has knocked out Valo's communications tower—a frightening sign that Valo and the Republic Fair are in danger. Luckily, he's about to get some help from unexpected new friends…
The Good:
—I really liked Ram Jomaram. I love when we get characters unlike the stereotypical Jedi, and Ram reminded me a lot of Anakin Solo from the old Expanded Universe: he’s very mechanically adept, and he’s good at seeing how things work together. He struggles with the combat side of his Jedi training, but his skills end up benefiting everyone around him. He’s able to get the communications tower up and running, but he’s also able to disable Nihil vessels specifically because of his innate mechanical skills.
—I also liked how we were able to fill in some of [b:The Rising Storm|55644027|The Rising Storm (Star Wars The High Republic)|Cavan Scott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607094743l/55644027._SY75_.jpg|86770586]’s gaps, in particular how and why Ram ended up in jail at the same time as Ty Yorrick. (He found out that Crashpoint Tower was offline, so he tried to alert the Jedi and send a message to Starlight Station, only for the Valo Security Forces to disbelieve him and throw him in jail.)
The Bad:
—Unfortunately, Race to Crashpoint Tower reiterates to me how interconnected the High Republic books and comics are...sometimes to their detriment. Our other main POV character is Padawan Lula Talisola, who was first introduced in the High Republic Adventures comic. (I know the first five issues are on the Hoopla library app, but I haven’t read them yet!) While Older gives us the basics of her character and what she’s recently encountered, she and her Master Sy and her friend Zeen are completely new to the reader. I felt like the beginning of her plotline relied too heavily on the reader being knowledgeable about that comic.
—Likewise, I felt like the Nihil’s attack on the Fair relied too much on information and events from The Rising Storm. We have the Nihil’s gas attack, Ram and Lula wandering into the zoo and the animals running amok--which you can follow, but it’s probably easier to follow if you’ve read The Rising Storm. And since that’s an adult novel, I’m not sure how well child readers will be able to follow along with these events.
—And finally, the tone was a little silly, which I think was entirely intentional. (When you read a middle grade book as an adult, you have to admit that this kind of book isn’t written for you, it’s written for a child between the ages of 8 and 12.) So while I appreciated that the Drengir scenes were not too scary, there was some tonal disconnect for me because their previous appearances in the adult and YA novels has been pretty darn frightening! While they’re a threat to our young hero and heroines, they’re much more comedic relief than I expected. Sometimes the dialogue of our main characters felt too much like 21st century Earth slang to me; but again, I’m not the target audience here.
My Verdict:
Race to Crashpoint Tower is an exciting kid-friendly look at the Nihil attack on the Republic Fair. We meet a new mechanically-minded Padawan, and we’re also reintroduced to some interesting characters from the High Republic Adventures comic. I do question how well a child reader would be able to follow along with the events of the story, though, as it relies heavily on information given in [b:The Rising Storm|55644027|The Rising Storm (Star Wars The High Republic)|Cavan Scott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607094743l/55644027._SY75_.jpg|86770586], a novel for adult audiences. I wish that Race to Crashpoint Tower stood on its own a little more.
My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/Xn9AUgtp990
Illustrations by Petur Antonsson: https://imgur.com/a/YwEUufh
“I’m just trying to make myself laugh - Daniel Jose Older on infusing humor into Star Wars: The High Republic”: https://www.starwars.com/news/daniel-jose-older-race-to-crashpoint-tower-interview