When an act of violence orchestrated by Saw Gerrera goes awry and one of his own is captured before he can kill her, he must move quickly. He enlists the aid of Senator Bail Organa, who still naively believes that justice can be done inside the Empire. Meanwhile, Mon Mothma is dealing with a more insidious threat - pop idol propaganda aimed at youth, including her very own daughter. There are many ways to fight an Empire; there are fewer ways to win.

I love Rebecca Roanhorse's work, both inside and outside this particular IP, and her writing always draws me in so quickly. It has such a good rhythm. Additionally, she made this instalment so much less of a slog than the previous one from Alexander Freed - and this book actually fits the <i>Andor</i> vibe much better. Possibly due to the later position in the timeline. But it isn't without its problems... various characters from other Star Wars media don't quite fit into the narrative (Jyn was poorly handled) and Mon Mothma didn't seem to have much to do, albeit act somewhat out of character. But honestly? This didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book as much as it could have. It's certainly one of the better Disney canon books we've had lately. I'd like to see Roanhorse utilised more often.

Right after the Battle of Endor, the discovery of a message pod intended for the Emperor sends Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie and the droids to far-flung Bakura, an Imperial territory that is under siege by aliens who use human souls to run their tech. Leia hopes that a truce with the Empire will be the first step towards something greater. But if they all end up dead, it'll be for naught.

Back in 2023, I - for some reason - took it upon myself to read every novel Kathy Tyers released in the 1980s and 1990s, so I have become well versed in her style from that period. I found myself noticing the usual elements she favoured back then, which frankly became repetitive in her original work, but here she does a decent job of adapting them to the nascent Expanded Universe (this book was published in 1994, just as the EU kicked into overdrive). The only exception is Gaeriel, who is not unique to Tyers' writing or particularly interesting. Ignoring that issue, I'd say the weakest element of this book was the battle sequence at the end. It felt a bit muddled.

As a kid, who hadn't yet discovered Firebird et al, I adored this book. The corners on the cover of my copy have fairly worn away. Even now I have to admit that Tyers' style does make it stand out among the others of its era. It's memorable. Interestingly, her use of an invading alien force is revisited later in Legends, while the concept of a religion where using the Force is seen to harm the galaxy has cropped up in Disney's High Republic project.

She was either ahead of the curve or extremely influential. That kind of wins my respect, regardless of the quality of this book.