The High Republic continues and this time, it’s Claudia Gray at the wheel—err… keyboard. With Into the Dark, out today, Gray introduces us to a new Good Soft Boy to love in the form of one Reath Silas and all was well in the galaxy and this was a very good book, thank you and good night! …oh wait. Did you need to know more about this book other than it has a Good Soft Boy in it? Well if you insist…
Padawan Reath Silas would be perfectly content to spend his time in the Jedi Archives but no. His Jedi Master just had to agree to a post at the Starlight Beacon which means he is headed there too. Reluctantly, Reath boards a transport along with several other Jedi only to find himself caught in the middle of the hyperspace disaster. Their (and the other nearby ships’) only hope is an abandoned space station. But there is a darkness lurking in those halls and their problems are about to multiply… and not just because of the plants.
Into the Dark has just about everything you’d expect from Claudia Gray: a good story, endearing characters, and a few lines that make you stop and contemplate life and/or the Force. This one in particular feels like it took some of the vibes from Master and Apprentice, some vibes from Lost Stars, and added in a dash of Legends Jedi in the best way possible. Much like A Test of Courage, Into the Dark uses the framework of the Great Disaster to tell a story that can mostly standalone but is still very much a part of the grander, overarching saga. If anything, it dances on the edge of horror as the Jedi and the others temporarily stranded on the station have to wonder about what darkness lingers there and why. While the Nihil are certainly an intriguing villain (and do appear here as one might expect), I think it is books like these that are ultimately going to pull a lot of readers into this era of storytelling.
As far as specific characters go, Reath Silas is a delight and I sincerely hope he and Bell Zettifar have a chance to interact in a future story that should definitely not be called 2 Good 2 Soft Boys. Affie is another standout as the story’s primary non-Force sensitive protagonist. She has her own journey of discovery to go on and I particularly loved the dynamic between her and Leox, which felt almost like a younger sister-older brother one at times. Of the other Jedi, Orla stands out the most and I hope that Wayseekers get explored more in future stories. The idea of Jedi who operate outside of the purview of the Council is fascinating and also brings up a lot of questions.
As a note, while the book doesn’t have a central romance, it does have queer representation. One of the characters in the flashback sequences is married to another woman. Leox Gyasi, the captain of Vessel is asexual which was a very pleasant surprise as we rarely get ace characters when it comes to queer representation. Leox is (to my knowledge) only the second ace character in canon and an extremely welcome addition. Star Wars books (and comics) continue to be leagues ahead with LGBTQ+ representation in the galaxy far, far away and it’s certainly appreciated.
One of the most fascinating things about this book in particular is how it shows the cracks in the Jedi Order are already starting to form. The High Republic has been marketed as the Jedi Order at the height of their power. This is their golden age and yet, we’re a mere 200 years before the start of the Skywalker Sage; something that raised a few eyebrows (mine included) when the project’s timeframe was first announced. Given what Gray shows us here, it’s starting to make a lot more sense. The Order didn’t fall into failure over night. To quote another ancient Star Wars tale, “It is such a quiet thing, to fall. But far more terrible is to admit it.”
Into the Dark is everything readers have to come to love and expect from a Star Wars book by Claudia Gray but in a brand new era and with brand new characters. While the lack of familiar characters means it does lack some of the gut punches readers have come to expect after books like Bloodline, it still gives us an intriguing, well-plotted story with characters who will stick with you long after you turn the final page.
Thank you to Disney Lucasfilm Press for providing an early copy of the book for review purposes.
