If I had to describe Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse in one gif, it would be this one:
Resistance Reborn picks up mere days after The Last Jedi ends. The Resistance is in shambles and able to fit entirely upon the Millennium Falcon plus a few starfighters. No one responded to Leia’s call for help but hope still remains. She’s been fighting for freedom for a long time and there are still some favors she can call in. The First Order hasn’t won yet and Leia Freaking Organa’s not about to let them.
Leia may be the easiest character to name when summarizing the book but it’s truly an ensemble cast. However, Poe Dameron is probably the character who has the biggest arc. He’s still struggling to come to terms with his mutiny against Holdo. Leia may have repromoted him but his confidence isn’t back quite yet. Once upon time, the Empire needed children and now, the Resistance needs leaders. Poe is one of the few they have left.
Speaking of characters, this book is such satisfying pay off for those of us who’ve read (and played) widely across the new canon. If you’ve played Battlefront II or read Bloodline, Aftermath, or the Poe Dameron comic, expect to see some familiar faces such as Zay, Shriv, Wedge Antilles, and the rest of Black Squadron. It’s the sort of interconnection that we haven’t felt nearly often enough in the new canon. At the same time, it’s not nearly as in accessible to new readers as parts of Legends were. Roanhorse strikes a delicate balance between the two. In a perfect world, hopefully some readers might even be inspired to look up the media from where a character whom catches their interest originated.
Another thing that Roanhorse does well is balance the established characters with the new ones, making sure that all them get a chance to shine and to have their moments. I particularly liked Imperial officer turned warlord-gladiator Teza Nasz. She’s a departure from the other former Imperials we’ve met and fun to see interact with people who have every reason to hate the woman she used to be. I also liked the look into people like Bratt and Yama who became a part of the First Order recently. Again, it’s very much a change from others who were raised within the First Order and subjected to its propaganda machine from such a young age.
Plot-wise, this is the sort of book that I wish was the first in a trilogy, which is both a testament to how many stories could be told in this year timeframe and also to Roanhorse’s writing. Although she’s definitely got an excellent grip on so many key characters and the book tells a complete story, Resistance Reborn also feels like set up for what comes next. The Resistance now has the bones of what it needs to become something more and they have more than just hope: they have some allies. Sure, I’m biased and am always in desperate want of more stories about Zay and Shriv but I also need more books about Rey, Rose, Finn, and Poe interacting and all working together as a team. Yes, we’ve got other stories from other creators as a part of the Journey to the Rise of Skywalker but I’d love to see what else Roanhorse did with them if given the opportunity.
To bring it back to the sentiment (okay, fine: gif) from the beginning of this review, a strong theme of the Rebellion and the Resistance has always been that of found family. Often times, blood isn’t what binds these people together. It’s love, hope, and the inherent need to make the galaxy a better place. This book is the story of people who have been brought together by circumstance, a summons from a friend, and a desire to help. Yes, the Resistance is little and they’ve been broken but they’re still committed to being a force for good. Rebecca Roanhorse did a fantastic job with bringing the Resistance back together in Resistance Reborn and we fans would be very lucky to get to see her write another story in the galaxy far, far away.
Thank you to Del Rey for providing an early copy of the book for review purposes.
