Review: Tales of Light and Life

By Alberto Calderón

Spoilers!

With stories centered on the Jedi, their adversaries, soon-to-be scoundrels, and unlikely heroes, Tales of Light and Life is a great way to ease fans back into the chaos that was the end of Phase 1, slowly exit Phase 2, and sets the stage for what’s to come in Phase 3 of The High Republic.

With nine anthology stories (ten if you get the Barnes and Noble edition which includes an extra story by Alyssa Wong) set before, during, and after the High Republic Phases 1 and 2, the luminous authors gave fans a wide breadth of stories to sink their closed fist into and latch unto familiar characters and new favorites.

Story: 3.75 out of 5 Probe Droids

Axel Greylark is dying. These four words are the start of Zoraida Córdova’s The Queen’s Bloom, the short story which kick-starts the anthology series, and the tale told is a great reintroduction to the character, which showed his playfulness, penchant for trouble, and overall happy-go-lucky nature. With The Queen’s Bloom taking place before the events of Phase 2, we see an Axel who has a positive relationship with his father, Lexxir Greylark, and his first encounter with a group of thieves, led by a certain Elecia who loved his chaotic nature.

I loved that Zoraida gave us a story with familiar characters but in a point in their lives which was ripe for exploring and a great set-up for their relationship as we know it. As excited as I am for Phase 3, I’m glad that the authors took their time in getting to the events following the fall of Starlight Beacon and we were able to see a Jedi from Phase 2 complete their Jedi Trials and become a Knight (Shield of the Jedi by George Mann), the younger group of Phase 1 Padawans take the time to uplift their friends (Daniel José Older’s The Lonely Traveler is Home) and how the Path of the Open Hand, or the Closed Fist, transition from the cult they were under the influence of The Mother and shift closer to the Nihil under the leadership of a confident and self-reliant Marda Ro (A Closed Fist Has No Claws by Tessa Gratton).

“Remember this, Axel. I will always be proud of you.”

Lexxir Greylark

Although I had high hopes for some stories and unfortunately they weren’t always able to reach those expectations, the seeds that were planted for what awaits us in Phase 3, aptly titled Trials of the Jedi, is something that has me more excited for how the Jedi and the Republic will rise to the challenge posed by Marchion Ro.

Ease of Reading: 4.5 out of 5 Probe Droids

With most stories ranging between twenty five and thirty pages they are long enough to tell a full story without feeling rushed (if they were ten pages shorter) or droned out (if they were around the fifty pages mark). Each story has enough”breaks” where you can stop and pick right back up after a short rest and engaging enough that you might not want to take those breaks.

The only reason it’s not getting a perfect score is that you’ll need to be caught up with all The High Republic story lines in order to fully enjoy it. Readers that have taken the time to read as much High Republic as possible will dive right in while new readers will miss out on a lot of the context of the stories.

“In haste we lose our way; in patience we find truth.”

P3-7A

Characters: 5 out of 5 Probe Droids

The High Republic thrives on its characters and getting to spend a bit of time with a wide range of them gave me a “Chewie, we are home” feeling. Seeing Vernestra Rowh cope with the death of her former master Stellan Gios, in Justina Ireland’s The Force Provides, and decide that her path in the Force needed to be separated from the path of the Jedi Council was a surprise but she will thrive as a Wayseeker.

Claudia Gray’s After the Fall reunites us with fan-favorite The Vessel crew, Affie Hollow, Leox Gyasi, and Geode as they pick up the pieces one day, one week, and one month after the events of The Fallen Star. How do you rebuild and find purpose after a tragedy?

A new Master/Padawan relationship was introduced with Jedi Master Mirro Lox and Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo in The Call of Coruscant (Lydia Kang) and I am already fearing for their fate in Phase 3. Coruscant became a character in this short story almost like New York City is in the best romcoms. Amadeo, a young Jedi that longs to call a place home and make actual friends spends a night in the ecumenopolis after meeting a young crowd outside the Jedi Temple and starts to doubt if life as a Jedi should be the life for him.

“The Force is my anchor. It’s my roots. It’s my connection to everyone, and everything.”

Amadeo Azzazzo

But it all boils down to Bell Zettifar and his search for Burryaga in All Jedi Walk Their Own Path by Charles Soule. Remembering a lesson he had learned years earlier from Loden Greatstorm, Bell decides he will not give up hope for his friend and joins a fishing crew on a month long journey across the sea of Eiram which leads to the discovery of a very alive Wookiee. I only wish that Burry’s fate had been kept a secret and not revealed during an episode of The High Republic Show weeks before the book’s release.

Canon Connections: 5 out of 5 Probe Droids

As mentioned earlier, Tales of Light and Life excels by connecting stories and characters we’ve met in the previous years. If you fell in love with Keeve Trennis during her Padawan to Knight journey, well seeing her as a fully fledged Jedi Master in Light in the Darkness (Cavan Scott) as she brings hope and light to a village in despair will warm your heart.

The Jedi can’t save everyone. The Jedi can make sure that wherever they are, the light is protected.

Silandra Sho returns to guide her Padawan Rooper Nitani during her Jedi Trials and we learn the history of her Jedi shield and how it has been passed down from Master to Knight for generations.

Expand Star Wars: 4 out of 5 Probe Droids

One of my favorite aspects of Tales of Light and Life is how it sets up Phase 3 of The High Republic but not in an obvious way by having the Jedi and Republic plan their next moves or seeing the Nihil take over more territory. Marda Ro’s story as she searches for more Evereni, building up her crew, and doing all of it as she narrates the action to the ones that will come after and complete her story was a great throughline for Marchion and his motivations.

Several other stories have regular folk understand the weight of Starlight Beacon falling and realizing that the Jedi and Republic won’t be able to do it all alone and starting to form their own plans on how to combat the Nihil and try to reignite their lives.

“In a time of darkness, you turned toward the light.”

Avar Kriss

Overall: 4 out of 5 Probe Droids

For fans of The High Republic this book is a must-not-miss as it sets the stage for Phase 3 and answers some lingering questions along the way. The type of stories that are explored range from finding/defining your own path to taking little moments to celebrate each other in the middle of the chaos. We are reunited with old friends and mourn with them as we relieve the lives lost during the fall of Starlight Beacon, but in the wise words of Affie Hollow “We’re only powerless when we’re alone,” Affie murmured. “And we are not alone.”