Midnight Horizon by Daniel José Older
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars rounded up**
The High Republic era continues with Midnight Horizon from veteran Star Wars contributing author, Daniel Jose Older.
This installment features a huge and varied cast of characters, many of whom will be familiar to Readers of previous HR books.
The main action is set on the planet of Corellia and more specifically in its capital of Coronet City. Jedi Masters Kantam Sy and Cohmac Vitus get sent there, along with Padawans Reath Silas and Ram Jamoram, to investigate a possible Nihil attack on the Core Worlds.
Known for its massive shipyards, Corellia would be a tantalizing target for the evil Nihil raiders.
It’s on Corellia that Reath and Ram run into Crash, a bold young security specialist who lost one of her close friends during the recent attack.
The young people team up and infiltrate the Coronet City night life, including a wacky ruse involving an intergalactic pop star, while the Masters pursue more mainstream channels of investigation.
This book was so packed full of action my head is still spinning. This is definitely one that I will need to read again in order to be able to pick up on all the finer points.
Older’s passion for the Star Wars galaxy is evident on every page. You can absolutely tell this is a person with vast knowledge of the world, characters and lore.
It’s not just action, however. This story is full of insights into many popular HR characters.
Since this era began, the characters we have come to know have been through so much. There’s a lot to process. I like getting the chance to go along with them on that journey.
Some of you may be wondering about my 3.5-star rating; although rounding up to a 4, it may seem low to some.
Basically, for me, I wasn’t as swept away in this installment as I have been with earlier works. I rate novels based off a comparison to other novels in the same genre that I have read. Star Wars, in my opinion, being a genre unto itself, that is what I am comparing this reading experience with.
I’ll be honest, I did get lost at times trying to keep up with all the characters and action. Additionally, I found my attention sort of waxing and waning amongst the separate lines of the plot.
With this being said, I fully accept that may be more of a me problem, than a problem with the actual book.
I respect this author’s contribution to this world so much. I think the level of content here is fantastic. I just may need to read it again in order to be able to soak it all in.
It’s really good though, so I actually wouldn’t mind…
Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney LucasFilms Press, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate it so much!!
I have absolutely adored my time spent with the new High Republic materials and definitely recommend them to any Star Wars fan.