Star Wars Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse #BookReview

The heroes of the Resistance must fight back from the edge of the oblivion in this pivotal prequel to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
The Resistance is in ruins. In the wake of their harrowing escape from Crait, what was once an army has been reduced to a handful of wounded heroes. Finn, Poe, Rey, Rose, Chewbacca, Leia Organa — their names are famous among the oppressed worlds they fight to liberate. But names can only get you so far, and Leia’s last desperate call for aid has gone unanswered. 

From jungles of Ryloth to the shipyards of Corellia, the shadow of the First Order looms large, and those with the bravery to face the darkness are scattered and isolated. If hope is to survive, the Resistance must journey throughout the galaxy, seeking out more leaders – including those who, in days gone by, helped a nascent rebellion tripple an empire. Battles will be fought, alliances will be forged, and the Resistance will be reborn.

Title: Star Wars Resistance Reborn | Author: Rebecca Roanhorse | Series: Journey to Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker #1 | Publisher: Del Rey | Pub. Date: 5th November 2019 | Pages: 295 | ISBN: 9780593128428 | Genre: Science Fiction | Language: English | Starred Review: No | Source: Self-purchased

Star Wars Resistance Reborn Review

Right from the start, ‘Star Wars’ was as much about the gaps as it was the movies. As a kid I remember being wowed by George Lucas’s audacity in starting the series with Episode 4, although the release of the prequel films years later revealed that it was just a common sense decision. Fans and creators have been filling those gaps for decades now, sometimes more successfully than others. International money-making machine Disney have of course latched on to the gaps and are doing a pretty good job of generating content in between the main movies. There are a staggering 131 episodes of the ‘Clone Wars’ cartoon between ‘Attack of the Clones’ and ‘Revenge of the Sith’ and the series has a significantly higher IMDB rating than either of the movies.
‘Resistance Reborn’ takes place in the gap between the second and third instalments of the newest trilogy. It picks up where ‘The Last Jedi’ left off, with the Resistance decimated after the battle of Crait. The novel covers the efforts of Leia, Poe Dameron and Finn to rebuild their forces sufficiently to take on the evil First Order again. If the preceding three sentences make no sense to you, this book isn’t for you. If they do, then it just might be.
Events in the book are pretty much what you’d expect. Leia broods about the Resistance’s failures whilst Poe Dameron jets around the galaxy recruiting rebels (including Wedge Antilles from the original trilogy). Nothing too dramatic happens, but it does give an insight into the lives of the characters. In fact one of my favourite things about the book was the little details about everyday life in the Star Wars galaxy. There’s a particularly nice scene between Wedge and his wife where there mutual affection is charmingly apparent as they discuss Poe Dameron’s hair. As well as the heroes we get to see the experience of low-ranking officials in the First Order. In keeping with the ethos of the newer films the book is pleasingly even handed. There is evil here, but there are also just people struggling to make a living.
The writing is good throughout. There’s a great rousing speech from Poe to the ragtag resistance fighters and a genuinely exciting third act with the heroes embarking on three separate missions simultaneously
It’s not a book that’s going to convert people who don’t like ‘Star Wars’ already, but if you do it’s a pleasing diversion. Now that Disney+ has (finally) launched in the UK my house has gone ‘Star Wars’ mad and I found It a fun and enjoyable read between episodes of ‘The Mandalorian’.

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