– Minor Spoiler Review –
It’s been 10 years since John Jackson Miller wrote a new Star Wars novel, but he hasn’t missed a beat with his return, The Living Force, a riveting romp of a book which takes full advantage of its expansive cast and the era it’s set in to explore the themes and foundations of the prequel trilogy.
Set a year before The Phantom Menace, The Living Force finds Qui-Gon Jinn, who alongside his Padawan learner Obi-Wan Kenobi, encountering the repercussions of their closures of the Jedi outposts, which leads them to make a request to the Jedi Council to address their worryingly frequent withdrawal from the galaxy to their gilded towers on Coruscant. After some convincing amongst themselves, the Jedi Council rises to the challenge, heading to Kwenn’s Jedi Outpost, built during the planet’s restoration as part of the Great Works of the High Republic era, to celebrate its bicentennial and meet Jinn’s simple mandate: help one person. It sounds simple but, naturally, is far more complicated than expected, as the situation on Kwenn, and indeed the Outer Rim itself as the Jedi and Republic seemingly withdraw their focus and criminal elements fill the space, is not what any on the Jedi Council quite expect from the Republic’s reports detailing more of the economic impact and not the personal impact of their choices. And lucky for us it’s far more complicated, as John Jackson Miller weaves an absolutely entertaining tale which takes full advantage of each member of the Jedi Council, as they all find ways their specific talents can be used on Kwenn and the unfolding situation, though it’s often not clear how their actions will help until the exciting and enjoyable climax. Some are featured more than others, though this is Depa Billaba’s novel the most and for good reason, but it’s so refreshing to see each one’s distinct personalities come into play, from Saesee Tiin’s gruff demeanor, Even Piell’s more brash yet youthful ideas, Yarael Poof’s gut-busting humor, to even Yoda’s syntax, as each part is vital to see Kwenn’s many problems, and a growing pirate incursion in the area, solved.
Considering Miller’s forte has largely been lone Jedi, cut off/without/or defying the Jedi Council, with critiques of the Council itself sprinkled in his works, which he admits to in The Living Force‘s Acknowledgements section, it’s big change of pace for the author and he rises to the challenge admirably. He manages to say something along the way about the Council’s strength while also pointing out its flaws, all while making every character one exciting to follow and explore. It’s a true thrill to see it all unfold, and even the main antagonist is worth loving to hate so much, I had a joyous smile across my face the entire way through, as Miller often plays with characters exactly as you’d expect but also in surprising ways which deepen them in meaningful context and yet digs at the problems with the Order in this era. With such a large cast, Miller ensures there’s plenty of women and people of color who take the forefront, especially those who are the leads of the book, so the diversity and parity are there in important ways. My minor quibble with representation was the lack of LGBTQIA+, a disappointment to some degree as it felt strange considering how much more inclusive the Saga has become in the 10 years since Miller last wrote, as canon/High Republic have pushed it in big, important ways. I’m not saying every story needs to have it, but after reading so many novels which have been more inclusive, it just felt strange at first. My only other issue was the initial way I felt most non-humans were presented, especially a specific group I took to calling the Three Stooges (a loving nickname by the end), but thankfully it doesn’t take long for the tone to change, especially considering most of the cast and those they meet aren’t human, Miller manages to balance out the “non-humans are the bad beings” issue the novel starts with. There’s a reason I would reread Kenobi 2-3 times a year for quite some time or reread A New Dawn several times in the decade since, as Miller manages characters and their motivations in such a way it’s always a delight to see them cause what’s unfolding in the story and see again the way he explores their motivations and The Living Force is no exception, as it will be my next must reread, especially once The High Republic wraps up Phase III and The Acolyte is out, all building towards this and the prequels.
As I mentioned earlier, The Living Force is all about the Jedi Council, but the novel’s central member of the group is Depa Billaba in a role that, considering Miller wrote one part of her Padawan’s journey, feels long overdue and exactly what she needed at the same time. As far as I can ever recall, Depa’s never had top billing in a story before, but The Living Force is better for it, as her investigation into a Jedi initiate’s death embroils her in the middle of a larger plot by the book’s main antagonist, Zilastra, all while she comes to terms with her commitment to the Order, its tenants like non-attachments, her own history prior to being in the Order, and having had Mace Windu as her former Master, now her peer. Her struggles with the tenants of attachments and squaring that with wanting to do the right thing was a compelling throughline for her, especially in the rare scenes she has with Mace (which are packed with some great honesty), as it stems both from her trying to pull an enthusiastic young initiative in Zilastra’s Riftwalker pirate gang out of the leader’s thrall as well as her own history with pirates and growing up in the area. I certainly left TLF wanting more of every character, even the antagonist given her backstory, but Depa’s journey, and how much adversity she overcomes to see the outcome she wants, left me anxious for more of her story the most. While there’s always room for more, there’s a finality to what Miller covers here however, her arc in TLF is a complete and totally satisfying one, leading to the Depa who will become Caleb Dume aka Kanan Jarrus’s Master, so even if it’s a long time before she gets such a big role again, this comes off as a great way to cover her development in this timeframe.
Zilastra, the leader of the Riftwalkers pirate gang, was an easy favorite in the novel, because as much as you want to hate her, you can’t help but love her spiraling larger schemes, resourcefulness, and ruthlessness. There’s an aspect to her backstory I felt TLF did better with than a villain from Phase II of The High Republic, as it’s seeded earlier and is more directly addressed before the novel ends (and speaks to the larger story of the prequels at the same time), and Miller does a fantastic job of funneling that anger into a character whose actions feel born from her own decisions, not that of the plot, especially the more grandiose her designs become as things get personal. Honestly, it was infectious to watch her plot schemes, as her initial set of plans and the way Miller spreads out the details on them kept me guessing but as the scene plays out where it’s all revealed, all the hints along the way clicked, marking one of the more deadly and ingenious ideas by a gang leader. Miller has a knack for coming up with compelling and interesting antagonists, just look at Kenobi and A New Dawn’s non-Force wielding ones, as while she is technically the villain, and does some rather despicable things, she comes off as the victim of her circumstances, though of course she didn’t have to go down the dark path like she choose, but you can almost understand why she did and that’s what makes her so endlessly compelling. Kylah (who reminded me of Newt in Aliens but far more outspoken), a young human who can sneak around the bowels of spaceships since she’s smaller and is integral in Zilastra’s early plans, is the girl Depa is trying to remove from Zilastra’s influence, and I love the way the push/pull of Depa and Zilastra over her reflects more on the two adults. For Zilastra, it addresses what happened in her past and how, despite her feelings about it, her actions make her no better than the one who did something similar to her in the past, even though this was her chance to do different. For Depa, it awakens in her something that’ll lead to her fateful time with Caleb/Kanan. In the end, Zilastra was a delight to read, keeping me on my toes even against all these plot armored characters!
All the Jedi Council members feature in significant ways across the events of The Living Force and it was incredible how well Miller was able to balance them all, still tell this story, and give a great focus on Depa and Zilastra. In big ways and small ways, each one goes on a journey to end up fulfilling Qui-Gon’s mission of helping one person, and I appreciated how it was something tailored to their talents. I’ll go over each member briefly and what I thought about their time in TLF: Yarael Poof’s humor left me with a pained side due to how much I laughed, as even he goes there with how his name sounds, while his long-life perspective reasoning for being the way he is now was a cool way to deal with longer living characters, so overall he almost stole the show out of all the Council members; Eeth Koth has quite the experience in TLF, which starts out with a hoarding situation I never thought about happening in a galaxy far, far away but glad we finally saw something like it, and ends on something touching and a little surprising, with hints of his life post-Order 66; Even Piell gets wrapped up with the children of Kwenn for some fun shenanigans, but it’s his overall gruff demeanor and feelings of being misunderstood that made me eager for more stories with him; Adi Gallia might be the one who overall has the shortest appearances, but her parts are impactful and did a lot for her character, especially as Yoda and her talk through some choices; Saesee Tiin and Plo Koon were teamed up for most of TLF and they worked even better together than expected, as they even out each other’s more peculiar skills and stoic mindsets; Oppo Rancisis, who was the main architect of Kwenn’s renewal some 200 years before, connects to the planet again in surprising and delightful ways, and I’m glad he’s finally gotten such a big part of a story, while I loved how free he gets to be in the water; Yaddle, who recently delighted in The High Republic: Cataclysm, does so again as she becomes, surprisingly enough, the public face of the Jedi’s efforts on Kwenn; Yoda’s sections include one of the most beautiful scenes in the novel, mimicking a fateful moment yet to come in his life, that left me absolutely dripping with tears; Mace Windu finds himself aboard a ship conscripted by the Republic for Depa’s mission, where his interactions with the ship’s ornery captain gives him a better idea of the morale of those stuck helping the Republic keep the peace without a formal military, and offers a prescient glimpse of the Jedi Order’s ease at becoming part the eventual Republic forces; Ki-Adi-Mundi has a haughty air to him and I love how much Miller plays into that, but also finds ways to humble him, like pairing him up with Yarael and his jokes or when he ends up being picked to go undercover with a gang called the Staved Skulls, and you won’t be disappointed if you’re already imagining what that means for the Cerean; Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s parts fit so well with their rapport in The Phantom Menace, and make Obi-Wan’s line about picking up more lifeforms all the more hilarious given their interactions with the Three Stooges, while I liked how Miller still sneaks in some of the disconnect between the two as well. I was worried such a large cast would drown out certain members, but each character here goes on a journey readers, or the characters themselves, won’t soon forget.
Be mindful of the living force…and of spoilers because,
if you click below, you’ll find some. Beware!
Here are a few other things:
- All copies of the book come with a black and white version of a map of Kwenn, though the Barnes & Noble edition has a more detailed version, seen above, alongside more artwork of the Jedi Council, also seen above!
- Kwenn’s Great Renewal happened during the High Republic era, some 200 years prior to the prequels, which has been the subject of a publishing since 2021. There’s a bunch of fun little references to the era, though you won’t feel left out if you haven’t read any of it or aren’t all caught up, but I hope this inspires you if you haven’t enjoyed the era yet! Also, one reference seems like it’s connected more to the upcoming live-action TV show The Acolyte, which is set 100 years before the prequels aka the waning days of the High Republic era, as a ship is supposed to be from said era but we haven’t seen or heard about it yet in any of the books/comics.
- I’ve never read Cloak of Deception, Legends’ direct prequel to The Phantom Menace, but from what I know of it thanks to our own Chris’ Legendary Adventures post, it still theoretically could happen after the events of this novel.
- There’s a sly reference to Knight Errant, which I almost didn’t catch at first, which basically canonizes it without actually doing so.
- There’s a certain account on Star Wars Twitter that’s well-known to many that I can’t wait to WATCH and see react to this novel.
- I’m lucky enough to share the great state of Wisconsin with JJM and I’ve had the honor of seeing him for some past events, one for a Star Wars Reads Day event in 2013 and another for A New Dawn’s launch event in 2014, and I’ll be heading to one of the Wisconsin set signings for The Living Force, so check back for some coverage after April 19!
The Living Force by John Jackson Miller is an excellent reminder of what makes the author a celebrated one, as he goes against his normal grain and offers up an expansive cast, humbling ideas about the Order and the Prequel era, gives Depa Billaba her due, and crafts a memorable villain, to name a few things that add up to a vastly readable (again and again) experience.
+ Depa gets her due, and then some
+ Fantastic usage of every Jedi Council member
+ Zilastra is one you’ll love to hate, can’t help to admire
+ Kween’s details and sense of place
+ Learning to let go, levels of attachment, the Jedi’s role in the galaxy during this era and more themes explored
– Lots of good rep, but missing LGBTQIA+
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Bluesky, Twitter @MynockManor, and Instagram @mynockmanor.
DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher at no charge in order to provide an early review. However, this did not affect the overall review content. All opinions are my own.
ALSO BY JOHN JACKSON MILLER:
“Lord Vader Will See You Now” From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back (Novel) | A New Dawn (Novel) | “Rites” – From a Certain Point of View: Star Wars (Novel) | “The Ride” Canto Bight (Novel) | “Mind Your Manners” – Star Wars Adventures Annual 2018 (Comic) | Kenobi (Legends Novel) | Knight Errant (Legends Novel) | Lost Tribe of the Sith (Legends Novel)