Book Review: Resistance Reborn (Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) by Rebecca Roanhorse

Resistance Reborn (Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)

by Rebecca Roanhorse

Hardcover, 295 pages

Published November 2019 by Del Rey

Rebbecca Roanhorse is an author who I enjoy following twitter but has never managed to read before for whatever reason. I meant to read one of her original novels before this but the year got away from me. As I have with the last four Star Wars movies I read this movie prequel before seeing the film.

I wanted to like this more, I felt like this didn't set the next movie like Catalyst did for Rogue One or Aftermath did Force Awakens. That said this is more about the days after Last Jedi. I really respect this book's knowledge of the canon. I not just talking about the films, this book references Clone Wars, Rebels and effectively uses very good characters Chuck Wendig introduced in the Aftermath trilogy. Sometimes this comes off a little info-dumpy, but as a person who follows the canon, I did really enjoy this aspect of the novel.

This novel was mostly focused on Leia, Poe, and Finn. It was surprising to me how in the background Rey was but at the same time, I could understand how the author would be worried about stepping on the toes of the new film. considering that we didn't get a proper ending to the Leia storyline I was hoping to get more from her storyline. I know it sounds like I am complaining. I wanted to like this book more but I think this was a super basic follow-up to Last Jedi. My favorite aspects had to do with the Aftermath characters Snap and Norra who I was surprised to see again. I was happy about that.

This doesn’t add a thing to the story of Rise of Skywalker in the slightest. One of my least favorite things about the new film is that the story of the emperor felt rushed and underdeveloped. This is not the author’s fault but the story group should have considered that this was a perfect place to plant seeds about Darth Sideous still being in the picture even in small hints. There was no reason not too as he was in all the trailers and posters.

I liked this enough that I was not bummed I read it and I really want to read this author freed of the weight of this massive franchise.