Seeking but Not Quite Finding

Wayseeker (Star Wars: The Acolyte)
​by Justina Ireland

Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh has spent years as a Wayseeker, going where the Force guides her and avoiding the Jedi Temple on Coruscant as much as possible. But now she is needed. Jedi Knight Indara has been chosen to retrieve her. Indara has been hiding in the archives and is reluctant to do so. The Force has a way of ensuring that certain paths meet...especially when the fate of the galaxy is at stake.

When I was watching The Acolyte, I thought "this is not Vernestra, not the one from the books", but why would she be the same a century or so later? Still, it was so jarring. Wayseeker fills some of the gaps in her characterisation (although greater gaps are notably left alone, presumably because the show was expected to continue...oops). Vernestra's portrayal makes a little more sense to me now and I admit to enjoying her interactions with Indara (who got such a raw deal on the show - one reason I nearly quit at the first episode).

I'm trying to decide if the shorter length of this book is a good or a bad thing. On the one hand, too many recent Star Wars novels have been unnecessarily bloated - but on the other hand, the plot and the ending don't feel particularly satisfying. Perhaps because the book is more of a glorified epilogue to the High Republic project? An old plot thread. Name dropping. Descendants with familiar surnames. And so on.

Ultimately, I think I'll hang onto this paperback copy (many High Republic books are on my "to donate" pile) because it's an interesting book set in a time that hasn't been covered by lots of other media. For now, anyway.

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