Anytime Lucasfilm announces that Claudia Gray is set to pen a new Star Wars novel, everyone knows that something great is coming our way. As the third book in the new High Republic era of Star Wars following Charles Soule’s Light of the Jedi and Justina Ireland’s A Test of Courage, Gray had the responsibility of following up two great stories, and she absolutely delivered. Into The Dark is a lot of fun.
Gray introduces us to Jedi Master Cohman Vitus, Jedi Knights Orla Jareni and Dez Rydan, and Jedi Padawan Reath Silas. With the cargo vessel The Vessel piloted by the trio of Leox Gyasi, Affie Hollow, and Geode, the Jedi get temporarily stranded at a long-abandoned Amaxine space station that we first saw in Soule’s The Rise of Kylo Ren comic… set nearly 250 years in the future.
Reath is our main character throughout the the book, and we get glimpses of the life of a Jedi Padawan experiencing multiple traumas in a short period. Reath is reeling from the death of his master, Jora Malli, which we saw in Light of the Jedi, and now he must go through trials on the space station.
The Nihil have a surprising-yet-minimal presence in this book, and that’s ok! While they’re the main antagonists of this era, it makes sense that we’re not going to be beat over the head with that in every single book or comic. I was honestly shocked at their appearance in this one.
We also got out first glimpse at the horrifying Drengir. If I had my way, I would’ve had Lucasfilm wait until after the release of Into The Dark before releasing information about the carnivorous plant-like species. Knowing that they were coming made their appearance less shocking that it could’ve been.
However, while I loved a lot of things about this book, nothing reaches my love for the crew of The Vessel. Gray described Leox as “1990s Matthew McVaughey with a spaceship” (I’m quoting from memory here at I don’t feel like looking up a YouTube video from January.), and he’s terrific. Since the late 1970s, so many people just trying to create Diet Han Solo instead of creating something unique and different, and Gray nailed him. I’m excited to see if/when Affie shows back up. And, last but not least, all praise goes to the new Star Wars legend Geode. That character was just rock solid throughout.
We’re blessed to have someone like Claudia Gray writing regularly in Star Wars. Whether it’s her adult novels (Bloodline; Master & Apprentice) or YA novels (Lost Stars; Leia, Princess of Alderaan; Into the Dark), Gray has proven time and again that she gets Star Wars.
(original written March 2021)
