– Non-Spoiler Review –
Connecting to the previous Phase II middle grade book with some familiar faces, The High Republic – Quest for Planet X by Tessa Gratton doesn’t just share characters, it also delivers an entertaining and layered story where the characters take precedence over the plot.
Tessa Gratton’s Quest for Planet X takes place roughly at the same time as Lydia Kang’s Cataclysm, which sees the repercussions from The Battle of Jedha being dealt with. Whereas Cataclysm is focused on resolving the bigger story threads, this weaves through those to focus on the main characters of Jedi Padawan Rooper Nitani, Dass Leffbruk, and Sky Graf, and even overlaps, revealing what happened in a key moment of the other novel (much like Race to Crashpoint Tower did for The Rising Storm in Phase I). The suggestion is to read Planet X before Cataclysm, but this novel sort of spoils the ending of the other (but we already technically know how both end), so the choice is yours, but I read the adult novel first and then this and it was a great experience (neither way will be a bad time!). As for Planet X’s story, it finds Padawan Rooper Nitani getting roped into a hyperspace prospecting race along kids her age, Dass and Sky, who all have their own reasons to hunt for elusive planet. Along the way, they learn the underlying reasons for their adventure, and they all come to terms with maturing, growing friendships, and striking out on their own in a story which both addresses the larger plot of the era and yet lets these young characters (and young readers) grow.
When we last left Rooper in Quest for the Hidden City, Padawan to Jedi Master Silandra Sho (my favorite character of Phase II so far), the two were splitting, with Silandra going to Jedha to meditate over the loss of her last Padawan and Rooper to Batuu to spend time in its archives. Due to the Battle of Jedha, and the still building communication systems of Phase II’s High Republic, Rooper is concerned for her Master, unsure of her fate, and when she’s caught up in Dass and Sky’s adventure, she’s left questioning if she’s listening to the Force correctly or not. While I didn’t find this arc as good as the one in Hidden City, it’s still an important one for both the character and younger readers (and maybe some older readers too), as Rooper begins to explore confidence in herself and her own interpretation of the Force instead of relying on her Master’s guidance and advice in all things. A lot of the tension for Rooper comes from both wondering if she really should be going on a frivolous adventure on the whims of her friends and when their group arrests Fel Ix (who we first met in Path of Deceit), a member of the Path of the Open Hand, the Force cult group which believes the Force should be free and the Jedi “abuse” the Force when they use it. Readers really get to see Rooper mature before their eyes in the scenes with Fel Ix, as their discussion on their beliefs on the Force and how they ultimately resolve those differences, show a handling of the situation more Jedi need to take.
Dass Leffbruk is eager to join Sky on the search for the mysterious planet because he and his dad Spence were there once, though their ship was left behind after fellow hyperspace prospector Sunshine Dobbs (also in PoD) betrayed them and left them dead on the spooky planet Gloam (Hidden City), so Dass wants to retrieve it and his dad is far to cautious now to do so. Since Sky has their own ship, Dass takes the opportunity to help his new friend also search for the planet, though they have their own reasons, in hopes he can prove he’s ready when his father doesn’t think he is. I quite enjoyed Dass journey here, as it builds off what happened in Hidden City, while watching his confidence grow, and yet his understanding of his dad’s feelings/intentions grow as well, leads to some great lessons for all types of readers.
Sky Graf might be new, but they are my favorite character in the novel. Part of it stems from the impressive, heartwarming, and honestly simple LGBTQIA+ representation Tessa Gratton builds into the character. It’s only in a paragraph, but it’s enough and clear how easy meaningful representation can be presented, especially when hiring marginalized creatives like Tessa, herself non-binary (I double checked her pronoun preference on her site). What a moment like this could mean to so many younger readers, normalizing something inherit to the human condition, is incalculable but important for stories to share, even more so in a day and age where there are constant attacks on the rights of LGBTQIA+ identifying individuals everywhere. But this is only one small aspect of Sky which doesn’t really affect how they act as the events of Planet X play out. Sky’s father was the one who understood them most, though he’s gone missing since he also went looking for Planet X and they have taken it upon themselves to find him when the rest of the Graf family gave up on him. Being a Graf adds an unknown element to Sky, as the family is all about self advancement and profit for profit’s sake, no matter who it comes from, so Sky is often struggling with being friends to their new shipmates Rooper and Dass and their family instincts. Their ultimate choices by the end of Planet X feel earned and hard won, and I hope we’ll get to see them again one day as it feels like they are just getting started.
Petur Antonsson returns for not only the cover, but interior illustrations once again. It’s always fun to see different parts of these books brought to life and it only makes me wish every age level of book had a few images like what’s provided here. At least there’s the Art of books to enjoy, which I’m sure we’ll see again for Phase II!
Here are a few other things:
- Kids will be kids and often the core three felt like them, especially in their interactions throughout, though it’s easy to chart their growth from the beginning of novel to the end, as they certainly feel different, though still kids, by the book’s final pages.
- As I mentioned early, Silandra Sho is my favorite character of Phase II so of course I was hoping for more of her in Planet X, but what we do get shows how The Battle of Jedha changed her a little, while seeing her just be a Master and not caught up in action scenes or unraveling a mystery was a nice change of pace and helped provide an even more well-rounded look at the character.
- I was surprised how much Silandra and Rooper learn about the Namless and the Great Leveler, especially considering both how Phase I Jedi have no record of the creatures and how Cataclysm sort of shows how that happened.
- While I don’t know if Rooper or Silandra will be in Path of Vengeance, they do have another appearance coming up! The High Republic Panel at Celebration Europe 2023 revealed which characters star in which story for the upcoming anthology book, Tales of Light and Life! It also reveals tons about Phase III and a surprise series character jumping to live-action in The Acolyte in 2024!
The High Republic – Quest for Planet X by Tessa Gratton is delightful, all-ages adventures where its main cast shines, while it manages to feel important to the larger story of the era at the same time.
+ Sky Graf and their journey (and the representation!)
+ Next stop, maturity!
+ Characters over plot
– Didn’t feel like Rooper’s arc was a strong this round
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.