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Into the Void
by Tim Lebbon
On May 7, 2013, the eve of the Disney/Lucasfilm merge which altered the Star Wars canon forever, Del Rey published Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void by Tim Lebbon. Taking place the furthest in history of any publication before it, the story centers around Lanoree Brock, a Ranger of the Je’daii (how George Lucas’ early Star Wars drafts spelled it) Order on the planet Tython. Lanoree and her late brother Dalien were raised on Tython with their Je’daii parents. While Lanoree embraced the ways of the Order and the Force, Dalien’s distaste and ultimate antagonism towards the Force is the central conflict in the novel. As it turns out, Dalien’s alive and well and part of a cult who’s determined to activate a hypergate in the depths of Tython which could expand their galactic reach but could prove deadly to the entire planet. Armed with her training, a strong connection to the Force and her sword, Brock is called upon by the Je’daii council to embark on her most personal mission yet; find and take down her flesh and blood before doom befalls everyone.
Unlike the implications of its title, Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void doesn’t delve into the creation and early days of the Jedi Order, which in all honesty threw me at first but once I got into the book I enjoyed it for what it actually is: an adventure story that shows the struggle between loyalty to family versus duty. As a protagonist, Lanoree has the perfect mixture of confidence, curiosity, and self-doubt that makes the book both entertaining and mysterious. Into the Void has a level of unpredictability that makes it wildly entertaining; aside from a few elements like the planet Tython and the Force, almost nothing else makes the book feel like Star Wars, something that works in its favor. What ended up being the most surprising about Into the Void is, like all good Star Wars stories, that it’s a story seeped in humanity and emotion. Lanoree’s mission, while it takes her to various locales, ends up being more about her emotional growth and maturity than anything else. She learns that everyone’s journeys (including her own) can be filled with heartache and joy, with failures and successes. In the end Lanoree has to make some difficult decisions about what it means to find balance in the Force, even if the consequences of doing so cause destruction.
For Star Wars fans who have been enjoying The High Republic, Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void will likely feel like a similar reading experience. Set apart from the main stories of the galaxy far, far away and dealing with themes of belief and identity, it has touches of familiarity but tells a brand new story in a largely foreign landscape. For all of this, Tim Lebbon’s writing could often do with some injections of urgency; it wasn’t until the last third of the book or so when things really started to ramp up. This book also deals with Lanoree’s past and I wish these time jumps were handled in a way that helped readers keep track of each story; smaller chapters or even just headers would have been greatly helpful.
Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void was a part of the latest wave of The Essential Legends Collection editions released in May 2023, which includes new cover art by Steph Littlebird.
Unlike the implications of its title, Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void doesn’t delve into the creation and early days of the Jedi Order, which in all honesty threw me at first but once I got into the book I enjoyed it for what it actually is: an adventure story that shows the struggle between loyalty to family versus duty. As a protagonist, Lanoree has the perfect mixture of confidence, curiosity, and self-doubt that makes the book both entertaining and mysterious. Into the Void has a level of unpredictability that makes it wildly entertaining; aside from a few elements like the planet Tython and the Force, almost nothing else makes the book feel like Star Wars, something that works in its favor. What ended up being the most surprising about Into the Void is, like all good Star Wars stories, that it’s a story seeped in humanity and emotion. Lanoree’s mission, while it takes her to various locales, ends up being more about her emotional growth and maturity than anything else. She learns that everyone’s journeys (including her own) can be filled with heartache and joy, with failures and successes. In the end Lanoree has to make some difficult decisions about what it means to find balance in the Force, even if the consequences of doing so cause destruction.
For Star Wars fans who have been enjoying The High Republic, Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void will likely feel like a similar reading experience. Set apart from the main stories of the galaxy far, far away and dealing with themes of belief and identity, it has touches of familiarity but tells a brand new story in a largely foreign landscape. For all of this, Tim Lebbon’s writing could often do with some injections of urgency; it wasn’t until the last third of the book or so when things really started to ramp up. This book also deals with Lanoree’s past and I wish these time jumps were handled in a way that helped readers keep track of each story; smaller chapters or even just headers would have been greatly helpful.
Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void was a part of the latest wave of The Essential Legends Collection editions released in May 2023, which includes new cover art by Steph Littlebird.