Welcome back to Go/No-Go, Tosche Station’s regular feature where we offer our spoiler-free opinion as to whether or not you should spend your hard-earned money on a book, film, or other entertainment. Today on the launch pad: Star Wars: Guardians of the Whills. Greg Rucka’s been consistently rocking it with his Star Wars contributions which means we had high hopes for this middle grade novel focused on Chirrut and Baze. Were those hopes met? To mission control for the verdict!
Bria: I have nothing but good things to say about Guardians of the Whills. Honestly. Greg Rucka tells a lovely little story about Chirrut and Baze in the months leading up to the events of Rogue One and helps flesh out not only their characters but the complex situation on Jedha. When I first finished the book and went to rate it on Goodreads, I wavered between 4 and 5 stars before realizing that no, this book really did deserve the perfect rating. Did it blow my socks off like Bloodline did last year? No, but that wasn’t the point. This was a smaller story that perfectly did everything it set out to do therefore it gets a 5 star rating. I love how Rucka shows us more of the relationship between Chirrut and Baze and how they try and do what they can for the people of Jedha City and I also loved loved how we get to see their relationship with Saw and his Partisans. It adds ton of new meaning to the film and I can’t wait to watch it again with this history in mind. This is a genuinely great read that all ages can enjoy. Oh. And those aboard the USS Space Married Guardians? Yeah, they’re going to love this. Guardians of the Whills gets a strong GO from me.
Nanci: Guardians of the Whills starts off slow, but once Baze and Chirrut meet Saw Gerrera, everything ramps up into high gear and I had a hard time putting this book down. Rucka does a great job at writing about difficult topics for a young audience, and gives new depth to two already great characters from Rogue One. I put the book down really hating Saw Gerrera and his partisans and feeling sorry for the seemingly hopeless situation Baze and Chirrut find themselves in, not to mention the rest of the residents of Jedha. The worldbuilding in the book is also great; the book felt oppressive in all the right ways. Like Bria, I definitely recommend Guardians. It’s a fast read that offers a lot of bang for the buck. GO.
Flight Director’s Ruling: Guardians of the Whills is a GO for launch!
Note: An early review copy of this novel was provided by Disney/Lucasfilm Press
