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STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC

PATH OF VENGEANCE

From the Star Wars: The High Republic series

A Force-powered series entry fans will enjoy.

Stirred by the provocations of a cult, violence erupts on Jedha, the religious epicenter of the galaxy.

Marda Ro, Guide of the Path of the Open Hand, believes in her people’s mission: “the Force will be free.” Her plan to peacefully join the Convocation, a council of Force religions, crumbles when Werth Plouth, the Path’s Herald, incites a riot that spreads throughout the city. Yana Ro warned her naïve cousin about the awaiting danger on Jedha, but Marda doesn’t recognize their leader’s true priority, which is to acquire the Rod of Daybreak. This artifact can control the Leveler, a monster that feeds on Force users, making it the Path’s ultimate weapon against the Jedi. Matty Cathley, a Jedi Padawan, spent most of her life on Jedha, but when her master is killed during the conflict, her new master sends her on a secret mission to Dalna with another Jedi Knight to investigate the origins of the Path of the Open Hand. This new installment in the High Republic series blasts off with high action and suspense driven by emotional stakes and elements of horror. Chapters alternate between the Ro cousins (two gray-skinned Evereni) and Matty (a Twi’lek with red skin). All three main characters, while distinct in their values and personalities, grapple with grief and belonging. The novel reflects the diversity in the galaxy around them, including casual queer representation.

A Force-powered series entry fans will enjoy. (Science fiction. 13-18)

Pub Date: May 2, 2023

ISBN: 9781368082884

Page Count: 528

Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm

Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023

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POWERLESS

From the Powerless Trilogy series , Vol. 1

A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.

The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.

Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.

A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)

Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023

ISBN: 9798987380406

Page Count: 538

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023

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THE SURVIVOR WANTS TO DIE AT THE END

Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.

When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.

In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.

Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: May 6, 2025

ISBN: 9780063240858

Page Count: 720

Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025

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