– Spoiler Review –
Justina Ireland ends her High Republic journey where it all began, in the pages of a middle grade entry! The High Republic: A Valiant Vow is the initiative’s final middle-grade story and it brings in some new and returning fan-favorites for another fun, intense, and interesting adventure which isn’t afraid to push the age-limit of the medium.
Set during the third and final wave of The High Republic’s Phase III, Justina Ireland’s The High Republic: A Valiant Vow sequesters itself from the larger narrative and focuses on new and old favorites as they deal with a curious situation unfolding on the Outer Rim planet of Aricho. Imri Cantaros, Vernestra Rwoh’s former Padawan turned Jedi Knight, has his newly peaceful life on Aricho disrupted when ships begin crashing by mysterious means, leading him and Jedi Knight Yacek Sparkburn into a web of deception by the government and Hutts, though two other big problems make these feel like the least of their worries! There’s a solid list of familiar characters on point-of-view duties throughout, each one picking up on lingering threads from previous stories, like what’s next for Churo the Hutt, Imri’s connection to his new home and how he plans on carrying Vernestra’s teachings forward, Zenny Greylark and family’s missing parent, and Tep Tep’s insecurities over her .
It’s also an interesting time in the galaxy, as the Stormwall is officially down, the how or why still unknown (but the only release left to depict the event would be Trials of the Jedi, so probably happens there!), so the Republic and the Jedi are rushing to the aide of the planets left inaccessible for a year and fighting the remaining Nihil, which means some of the smaller and less impacted places are left to fend for themselves, which Aricho counts itself amongst their number. This status change for the galaxy might come on a little too sudden in the story, especially when reading in release order, but it’s a refreshing change of pace for the era and really gives the book some extra momentum, as change is coming and the end must be near, so the stakes have never felt higher for characters and outcomes. A Valiant Vow allows the middle-grade stories to hit a perfect streak of leaving the story accessible to all-ages, even while Ireland digs into deeper themes like accepting the differences inside yourself, loss, grief, contentment, and even corruption. Considering Vow released the same day as The Acolyte: Wayseeker, an adult novel by Ireland set before the events of the titular show, these two books form a potent one-two punch by her and will make fans miss the author even more as she steps away from the franchise (hopefully not forever!).
Imri shares A Valiant Vow, but it feels most like his story, as the empathic Jedi, who discovered a newfound peace on Aricho and was Knighted by his Master, Vernestra Rwoh, in Defy the Storm, has one another lesson to learn. His contentment with his life on Aricho, where he can teach at his leisure and avoid the war, harkens back to his struggles in the past, like all the way back in A Test of Courage, as he lets his emotions rule him still despite his connection to others’ emotions. How he deals with the truth of his feelings as conflict finds its way to Aricho, while tuning into the emotions around him to help them and considering his legacy, results in a journey which shows the initiative’s commitment to its characters even as it provides endings, all while bringing this age-range of books, and Imri, full circle. Churo was an easy favorite after Zoraida Córdova’s Beware the Nameless, and his short story in The High Republic Adventures Phase III Annual, and Ireland’s work doesn’t disappoint! I really enjoyed how she digs into what makes Churo different from other Hutts, teaching a good lesson to readers about being who you want to be and to defy other’s expectations, while also planting a hint of Churo’s future contributions if he chooses wisely between himself or his family. It took me a moment to appreciate Zenny Greylark in Beware the Nameless but with all the hard work there, she starts in a place Ireland navigates through well, as the young girl struggles with the loss of one parent and the disinterest of another, so I was happy she not only got to share time with her sister, but be with the friends she made as well as she goes through an emotional roller coaster ride. And even Tep Tep gets some time to shine, a much-appreciated inclusion given her previous two stories are locked away in audio-only presentations, as her usual uniqueness delivers laughs and delight, while her journey takes a surprising yet fitting turn.
And returning with illustrations one last time for the final middle-grade story of the current initiative’s storytelling is Petur Antonsson! Only taking a break for one of the middle-grade entries, Antonsson has been a refreshing and delightful presence throughout the years, as his uncanny ability to capture much of the younger-aged joy but also the darker aspects of some events gives his images so much more depth. The final illustration is my favorite, as it was neat to get a visual representation of how different Churo is from his sister/aka other Hutts, while seeing favorite characters aligned to chat with her about the future of the planet and its people gives us a chance to see them all one last time. Otherwise, the second one, as everyone from Avon’s now modified nanny droid J-6 and Imri and Tep Tep, are in space, battling scary scav droids, and it looks as chaotic a battle as Ireland wrote it to be!
Here are a few other things:
- Love coffee? Chai? A really good café/coffee shop? And want some fun Star Wars themed coffee goodness for the month of May?! Well, if you happen to be in the greater Chicago area, make your way to Folklore Coffee in Lemont, IL, as one of our best friends owns Folklore and we collaborated on a special Star Wars menu for May!!! The Froth is strong with these specials!!
- If you’ve not read Wayseeker yet, there are neat little hints at what’s to come for some characters, like J-6 and Imri, while those who read it first, like me, should appreciate said easter eggs! Always enjoy good connective tissue like Ireland lays down here.
- Glenna Kip has been an interesting scientifically minded character since Ireland introduce her in Spark of the Resistance and she doesn’t disappoint in her appearances here. Hopefully another author will bring her around again for more stories one day!
- So what’s left for the High Republic? Here’s the current dates for the final releases: June 4, 2025: The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi #5; June 17, 2025: Trials of the Jedi; June 25, 2025: The High Republic Adventures #19 – Phase III; July 16, 2025: The High Republic Adventures #20 – Phase III; July 30, 2025: The High Republic: The Finale – The Beacon.
Justina Ireland’s The High Republic: A Valiant Vow manages to bring the middle-grade stories full circle and tell its own entertaining yet complex part of the finale to the current storytelling initiative.
+ Great final bits of characters like Imri, Churo, Zenny, and Tep Tep!
+ Great themes for all-ages to latch onto
+ Wonderful illustrations by Antonsson
– Throws you into a new status quo without much preamble
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him and the website on Bluesky.