– Mild Spoiler Review –
An expansive new trilogy begins with Alexander Freed’s Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear, a gripping, sprawling political thriller which explores the nascent reactions to the new Empire and offers some sharp, prescient commentary on politics. It will be a tough act to follow and sets expectations for what will come next.
Star Wars has always been political. There should be no question of such a fact, but people always find a way to try and “Well, actually…” such a simple, indisputable truth. George Lucas has never been shy about the influences for his Saga, specifically how the Rebellion was the Viet Cong in the Vietnam War and the Empire was an allegory for real-life empires like America and Britian, while much of history, from the Romans to Richard Nixon, were his guide for where he went for the prequels as well. Even the Sequel trilogy without Lucas, while not as thematically sound, can’t help but feel prescient given its commentary on stagnancy against fascist threats and how they could blindside a complacent ruling government. What ties all these political allegories together is the recent and rather excellent The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire by historian Dr. Chris Kempshall, where the echoes of what Lucas and later contributors were trying to say come together all under one roof. Star Wars IS political, as while you can enjoy the franchise for its “pew pew” and lightsaber battles, not engaging with its deeper messages is willful ignorance. I bring this all up because Alexander Freed’s Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear isn’t subtle about its political commentary as well, to the point it’s one of the few new entries to the Saga, a list which includes Andor of course, since Disney took over which is most true to George Lucas’ own insistence of relying on history and politics to craft the story of his galaxy far, far away. But whereas Lucas was more about history and the politics of his time, Freed pulls from the much more recent past to the present, resulting in an eerie yet timely presence settling over the novel in the most fascinating way possible.
Freed pulls no punches in his commentary,* he’s doing more than posting memes or GIFs of how prognostic Lucas’ films have been, as one doesn’t need to stretch their imagination to comprehend Freed’s coverage of the Empire’s changes is an attempt to understand the current political situation rocking global politics, even the United States, and how we could’ve gotten here. It’s what makes The Mask of Fear such an effective, memorable, and immediate all-time great book, because while Freed could’ve chosen an easier path by putting Palpatine in the spotlight and making him the big bad villain he is, the easy monster in the room, instead he focused on all the small ways one slides into autocracy and dictatorships, like the mundane yet long-game bureaucracy played, of the middle-men and lapdogs desperately clinging to power via acquiescence of one’s morals to do so, and targeted propaganda rewriting history in real-time that dares the opposition to try and sway a public they spent years working on. Palpatine is the man behind the curtains pulling strings, but he didn’t do all this alone and looking at the everyday villains and their methods slowly evolves The Mask of Fear from mere commentary into a guide, as there’s a playbook to watch and learn from to prevent/hold back fascist movements…as well as what it might take to fight back.
We see the various ways the galaxy responds (and how us at home can), either via attempts to hold back the onslaught of the new regime or how to work within its new rules, through the efforts of Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Soujen, a solider made for the Separatist’s contingency plans, and even a spymaster and her apprentice, all leading to the why and how a Rebellion seems to be the best path forward in the fight. In the main plot of the book, even though we know how ineffective one character’s method for fighting the new Empire will pan out in the long run, Freed’s writing leaves us hopeful and on edge to see how it all pans out, meaning the big, rising climax of The Mask of Fear isn’t big space battles and action scenes but instead centered on the mundanity of civil service. It’s a breathtaking and thrilling moment, though the way Freed takes the wind out of readers and the characters’ sails afterwards is brutal yet necessary, as it’s far more realistic for both since it fits with what we know comes next for the burgeoning Empire, while it sums up some of the anger over participating in an election and watching those who won squander the opportunity, since they’re more concerned with losing their power too, not about what the people want, despite their claims to be for anyone and everyone. Overall, The Mask of Fear is distanced enough where you could read it without maybe realizing the subtext, despite how easy it is to replace Palpatine’s name with Trump and it wouldn’t make much of a difference or how the anger over what’s happened and trying to define how to fight back permeate its very core, but to ignore the commentary would miss the very point of the book. And of this franchise, which has always been very political. So if you’re still in the belief you’re on the side of the Rebellion, of the Resistance, and you don’t mind all the terrible, horrible, and fascist things governments do, like the Trump administration has been, may this be your wake-up call.
By focusing on characters like Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Saw Gerrera via Soujen, and the Imperial spymaster and her apprentice, Freed conveys his various points of biting political commentary via their different methods and viewpoints for dealing with what brought about the rise of the Empire and how to either start resisting it or work within its changes. Of the group, his portrayal of Mon Mothma was my favorite, especially since the tone matches her time in Andor while adding even more layers to her life and story. She’s the career politician who is concerned with working inside the law to limit what’s happening, to limit the Emperor’s new power, and it’s fascinating to watch her wheel and deal as she attempts to put together a bill to do so. Freed doesn’t shy away from Mon’s personal life, embracing it in intriguing ways, be it the windy relationship between her and her husband Perrin, her flirtatious friendship with a fellow Senator, and even the lingering trauma from being arrested and held by the Empire shortly after its ascent (due to her part in the Delegation of 2,000). In his past work, Freed has dealt with different sorts of mental health issues with realistic and well-meaning results and Mon’s bouts with anxiety receive the same treatment throughout Mask, an additional layer which both adds to the tapestry of Mon but also can speak to readers who experience something similar, no matter the situation. It felt like there’s commentary on established representatives in Mon’s part of the story, how misguided they can become about their place in the story and ways they can fight back, yet how her story ends shows how I’d hope our representatives would act when they realize the other side isn’t playing by the rules.
As for Bail, he’s hoisting the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders, regardless if anyone was asking him to or not. He considers it his place to carry on the light of the Jedi after it was extinguished so brutally, though since only a few know the truth like he does and the propaganda machine turned public sentiment against the Jedi over the past three years, Bail’s adherence to holding the Empire accountable for wiping out the Jedi marks him as a political pariah. Bail means well in his crusade, as he hopes not to pass down this burden to his new daughter, Leia, and keep his wife Breha, the Queen of Alderaan, out the regime’s spotlight, and the journey and lengths he goes to complete his crusade brings an even richer facet to the character and his role in the events to come. With Bail’s part of the story, it felt like commentary on a single-issue voter given his intense focus on proving the Empire implicit in the Jedi Order’s extinction, which grows to the point he’s caught up in a bigger mess, nearly dies, and has to square his commitments to the past and the present and which is more vital for his and the galaxy’s future. Bail’s been due for an expansion given his role in the Rebellion and this is an excellent start.
Freed’s choice with Soujen’s story is my overall favorite aspect to Mask, as his connections to the Separatists’ legacy, his unique, new culture, and how through him we see Saw Gerrera and the people who work with the revolutionary makes Soujen an instant fascination. We often think of and only really see what the Republic loses when Palpatine wins, but what about the Separatists and their people? Their prospective return to the Galactic Senate plays an important part in every character’s story, but Soujen grappling with purpose, with the added context of the history of his people and what happened to his clan since he volunteered to become a Separatist weapon, evokes empathy of the Separatist side in a way I didn’t think the Saga was ever considering. After all, they had legitimate issues with the Republic outside of the manipulation of events by the Sith and Soujen’s people’s own problems highlight the Republic’s failings (which feels even more prescient now given Trump/Elon Musk’s dismantling of the USAID), so by pairing him with Saw and his group, Soujen is wrapped up in the same conflict in a different skin and helps us see, and Saw himself, the lack of difference between what came before and what’s yet to come. It’s an interesting comparison to make and helps us see Saw in a clear light, as had this story been from his charismatic point-of-view, he’d frequently be the hero of his own story, much like his evolving speeches attempt to capture, but Soujen’s clinical interactions let us see the truth beneath. Soujen’s clan and their story also reads as symbolic of the Palestinian people, be it the genocide perpetrated against them or our planet’s reaction, or lack thereof, with their plight, as his clan faces a similar dilemma for different reasons and it’s carried out in a less visible, but just as deadly and horrific way. When we become less about helping people, no matter who they are, what have we as a country or government become? Soujen’s sections ask a lot of interesting and tough questions and I hope the Separatist mentality returns in subsequent books, as I think a comparison between what the Separatists wanted and what the Rebellion is trying to do could be quite the storyline.
Lastly, but not least at all, is the pair of Haki and Chemish. Haki was a spy for the Republic and now works for the Empire, but her old school ways and methods clash with the new establishment. Chemish is her apprentice of sorts, an informant she’s cultivating into her legacy, but they have their own wants and needs, and whereas Haki isn’t totally sold on the new leadership, Chemish finds the law and order appealing. Haki’s efforts bring her into Bail’s story and their time together, especially when they visit an ancient ecumenopolis world and intersect with Saw and his people, is where I felt the theme of grief and how those we leave behind can haunt us was its most tangible, but it permeates the entire book in memorable ways regardless. Chemish’s story has only grown more intriguing and cautionary since I first read Mask, as they get wrapped up in and start to believe in an extremist group and now there’s the absolutely dangerous pardoning of the January 6ers. There’s a clear coloration between those real-life extremist groups who initiated the worst attack on our democracy (though they might be in second place now) and the 4040’s whom Chemish infiltrates, so after reading Mask and then this harrowing and intriguing glimpse inside the real groups from ProPublica, Freed captures a frightening reality one can’t look away from. I ultimately loved both Haki and Chemish’s roles in Mask and I’ll be interested to see, given there’ll be a time jump between this first entry in the trilogy and the second one, due out early 2026, if they or some type of legacy of their roles will return.
Here are a few other things:
- The fine folks over at Youtini have a lovely interview with Alexander Freed, asking the big and small questions about the book, the process of this trilogy, the politics of it all, and more!
- January LaVoy (Dooku: Jedi Lost, The High Republic Tempest Runner, The High Republic: Tempest Breaker) reads the audio version of Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear and of course her impression of Mon Mothma is brilliant throughout. Overall, she does a great job with the immense weight of this story and its characters, while the production strikes some well-timed musical beats which only accentuate some of the bigger and more memorable moments, like making the big climatic vote just as exciting as it was when I read it!
- The chapter where Mon, Bail, and Saw all meet for the first time? Utterly compelling.
- *There is a line in Chapter 8 which has lived, and will forever live, rent free in my mind until the day I die. It’s a gruesome yet undeniable point which one might want to refute outright but there’s too much truth to it.
- There are a handful of characters we meet who aren’t named, like a friend Bail has, and I’m curious why/if maybe I’m missing the implied connection to who it is from a different canon or Legend source?
- We only meet a few of Saw’s early group, but Karama’s history as a reporter brings out some memorable lines and her final POV section is another part of Mask which will stick with me.
- The first time Padmé’s name is used…well, let’s just say it’s only in the book 22 times for a reason, and each time it’s there, it’s purposeful. She looms over the current divide between Mon and Bail and how her memory is used here builds the character’s legacy.
- The fact Padmé’s name is only in The Mask of Fear 22 times, how Chapter 8 is hard to forget (like I mentioned above), a note about who ISN’T in the book (I agree wholeheartedly about the decision), and many other facts and insights, are all from a list made by Editorial Director Tom Hoeler from Random House Worlds ahead of the book’s release. Even after reading the book, I’d say it was an insightful collection not to be missed!
- Given Freed’s Alphabet Squadron Trilogy, I’m not surprised this was so damn good, but notch another all-timer under his belt with this.
- Reign of the Empire Book 2 will be written by Rebecca Roanhorse (Resistance Reborn), out Spring 2026, while Book 3 is set for Spring 2027 and written by Fran Wilde (From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi). There will be time jumps, but Mon, Saw, and Bail will be the pillars of the series as it spans the 19 or so years between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.
Alexander Freed’s Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear doesn’t have an easy enemy for our heroes to point their fingers at, resulting in a constantly riveting, tense, and timely thriller which elevates its characters and this era into something readers won’t soon forget, especially as it might alleviate and galvanize their own reactions to what’s going on in their own world.
+ Not shying away from making a statement
+ Mon Mothma shines brightest, Bail Organa gets his due
+ New characters offer fresh, intriguing perspectives
+ No big enemy, just the slow turn of fascist oppression to further drive home how tough, and prescient, this fight is
+ Riveting despite knowing things will fail / no big action-packed climax
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on and the website on Bluesky.
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 ALEXANDER FREED
Alphabet Squadron Trilogy | From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back “The Man Who Built Cloud City” | From a Certain Point of View: Star Wars “Contingency Plan” | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Novel Adaptation) | Battlefront: Twilight Company