Book notes: Star Wars: The Fallen Star (The High Republic) by Claudia Gray

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Star Wars: The Fallen Star (The High Republic) by Claudia Gray

Date read / Format:

June 2026 | Audiobook

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Synopsis:

“Time and again, the vicious raiders known as the Nihil have sought to bring the golden age of the High Republic to a fiery end. Time and again, the High Republic has emerged battered and weary but victorious thanks to its Jedi protectors—and there is no monument to their cause grander than the Starlight Beacon.

Hanging like a jewel in the Outer Rim, the Beacon embodies the High Republic at the apex of its aspirations: a hub of culture and knowledge, a bright torch against the darkness of the unknown, and an extended hand of welcome to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As survivors and refugees flee the Nihil’s attacks, the Beacon and its crew stand ready to shelter and heal.

The grateful Knights and Padawans of the Jedi Order stationed there finally have a chance to recover—from the pain of their injuries and the grief of their losses. But the storm they thought had passed still rages; they are simply caught in its eye. Marchion Ro, the true mastermind of the Nihil, is preparing his most daring attack yet—one designed to snuff out the light of the Jedi.” – Audible

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Opening thoughts:

Even though the series is overall good and I’m getting more attached to the characters, I think the progression of the story so far leaves something to be desired. I think it shows that each book has a different author, which doesn’t detract from the quality of the storytelling. However, I think the lack of cohesion and forward progression—or any overall vision of where the series is headed—makes for a less than ideal experience.

It seems more like each novel is a standalone incident that only loosely connects with the previous installment. But I’m still committed to finishing the series as it’s still very entertaining. It’s also easier than picking up a new book or series and having to acclimate to the setting of a new world. Picking up a Star Wars series is easier in that the world is already familiar to me.

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Key notes:

Chapter 1

• —

Chapter 2

• —

Chapter 3

• Bell vented to his fellow Padawan Burryaga about his ongoing grief over his late master Loden Greatstorm—instead of consoling words, Burryaga’s quiet, attentive presence turned out to be the most comforting thing he could offer

• Acceptance wasn’t weakness or surrender, but rather strength—it was being able to carry the weight of what had been and what had not throughout the many days

Chapter 4

• When they dropped out of hyperspace, they accidentally landed in the middle of a Nihil battle—they came up with a plan to help civilians escape before making their own getaway

Chapter 5

• —

Chapter 6

• The Jedi on Starlight Beacon were weary from helping refugees who had taken shelter there—three of them discussed feeling off, suspecting something missing or wrong within the Force

Chapter 7

• Stellan woke from a nightmare of his friends in danger and noticed an ominous presence wedging itself between him and the Force

Chapter 8

• —

Chapter 9

• Elzar and Orla Jareni both noticed how terrible Stellan looked—he told them he was plagued with haunting dreams, and Elzar offered to take on tasks to ease the burden he was carrying

Chapter 10

• The senior Jedi on Starlight Beacon convened and decided they needed to investigate the disturbance aboard the ship that was blocking their connection to the Force

Chapter 11

• Bell was worried for his new master, Indeera, when she volunteered to investigate the disturbance—she reassured him that Jedi don’t avoid risk; they confront it, because they are able to when others cannot
• A dark, sinister force overwhelmed Indeera and Regeld

Chapter 12

• Orla Jareni reported to Stellan and the other Jedi that Indeera was unconscious—and that Regeld was dead
• The Nihil rebels aboard the ship began congregating and strategizing to free other Nihil captives

Chapter 13

• Bell and Burryaga tried to reach out through the Force together to the unconscious Indeera—with no success

Chapter 14

• Avar Kriss returned, and Stellan told her he had become the new Marshal of Starlight Beacon since she abandoned her post to chase the Nihil—and there had also been an explosion on the ship

Chapter 15

• The crew couldn’t fully control the ship and realized it was slowly being pulled toward the planet—Starlight Beacon would crash if nothing was done

Chapter 16

• The Nihil infiltrators had quietly and discreetly compromised most of the ship’s vital systems

Chapter 17

• The sinister force-draining creature claimed Orla Jareni

Chapter 18

• The independent ships realized they could call for help—communications had somehow become possible again
• Passengers were growing restless as it became clear the ship was in danger

Chapter 19

• Starlight Beacon finally split in two as the Jedi raced to do whatever they could to help

• Hope is knowing our limits, the risks, and possibilities of failure, and moving ahead anyway

Chapter 20

• If they couldn’t keep the lower half of the ship in orbit, the planet’s queen would have to shoot it down to protect the large city it was on course to strike

Chapter 21

• Chancey Yarrow and Nan tried to slice and reverse the sabotage on a couple of escape pods, hoping to use them to get off the ship
• Bell found the remains of Orla Jareni and reported it back to Stellan

Chapter 22

• They found the husk of Nib Assek—Burryaga’s master—as the force-draining creature continued its hunt
• Elsewhere, Elzar managed to get partial control of the ship’s thrusters
• Stellan was attacked by the creature but barely escaped

Chapter 23

• Bell and Burryaga reported to Elzar what had happened—Elzar resolved to step up, now understanding that the creature was specifically targeting Force users
• The senator who had been conspiring with Marchion Ro was shocked to discover his entire ship was crewed almost entirely by droids—except for Thaya, his one seemingly loyal and sentient underling

Chapter 24

• They learned that Avar Kriss had been able to rescue and evacuate people from the top half of the ship before it was destroyed
• Elzar did his best to help Stellan, then reached out through the Force to connect with Avar

Chapter 25

• Bell’s group encountered a cargo hold full of deadly tentacled creatures called Rathtars but managed to escape

Chapter 26

• The new plan was to reconfigure the inside of the ship so that ships docked within Starlight Beacon could safely maneuver out and escape

Chapter 27

• Bell’s plan to separate the medical tower from the rest of Starlight Beacon—using an explosive charge—worked, rescuing everyone inside
• As the medical tower broke away, Bell began to feel his connection to the Force grow stronger again

Chapter 28

• —

Chapter 29

• Elzar trusted himself—tapped into the Force and drew on the collective hope of all the passengers—and was able to open the escape doors, letting every docked ship fly to safety

Chapter 30

• The remaining pilots came up with a plan to use power cords left behind by abandoned vessels to power the escape pods
• Nan and Chancey Yarrow attempted to reprogram the positional thrusters to save the rest of the ship—and ran into the remaining Nihil squad who were there to make sure no one interfered with their plan

Chapter 31

• Bell made it back to Starlight Beacon to help survivors get the escape pods working
• Nan and Chancey Yarrow managed to take out the other Nihil who had stayed behind to sabotage their efforts

Chapter 32

• The ruling queen of the planet made the difficult choice to trust the Jedi to do their best, despite the risks to her own people below
• Elzar reached the area with the positional thrusters despite a close call with the force-draining creature

Chapter 33

• Leox Gyasi used a thermal detonator to manually open the bay doors, allowing all remaining ships to fly through and escape—he was blown away in the blast, apparently sacrificing himself for his crew

Chapter 34

• Elzar killed Chancey Yarrow in a rage—only to find out moments later that she and Nan had actually been trying to save the ship
• They managed to evacuate everyone on board, leaving only Stellan and Elzar remaining
• Starlight Beacon finally crashed—but safely into the ocean—and Leox Gyasi survived by using a parachute

Chapter 35

• Elzar reunited with Avar Kriss—then JJ-5145 found them and delivered the news that Stellan Gios had sacrificed himself and left his lightsaber behind for them
• Marchion Ro called all the Nihil together to celebrate their victory and feast
• The Jedi helped with relief efforts on the planet, realigning the damaged desalination plant using the Force

Epilogue

• Marchion Ro sent his message to the galaxy, revealing himself as the true leader of the Nihil and claiming responsibility for all the events that had transpired

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Closing thoughts:

While I did enjoy the action and drama of this installment, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed by a few things. One, I don’t like how Elzar is such a main focus of the series as opposed to Stellan or Avar, who are much more compelling and likable characters. In fact, Elzar’s inability to control his emotions is what led to the destruction of Starlight Beacon—it was about to be saved until his rage took over. And because of that, Stellan had to sacrifice himself, which I don’t think needed to happen, as a droid could probably have handled it—but I get that drama has to happen.

Also, it’s very strange that Avar—who is Elzar’s entire obsessive focus—only comes in at the very end of the story. It seems like her adventure into Nihil space to track down their enemies would have been a much more compelling story to follow.

It’s crazy how the powerful Jedi are essentially crippled because of this force-draining monster, which feels like a cop-out plot device. I think better storytelling would put the Jedi in more unique situations and challenges they have to overcome using their wits, intelligence, perseverance, and discipline, rather than handicapping them with some convenient plot device just to build tension and evoke drama.

I think as this series goes on, I’m getting a bit more disappointed and left feeling like it’s being dragged on, rather than offering satisfying conclusions for each installment.

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One Takeaway / Putting into practice:

My one takeaway has to do with two separate ideas and instances that occurred in the story:

• Acceptance is strength – This was a big part of Bell’s character arc for this story as he reckoned with the loss of his master, Loden Greatstorm. He had the realization that carrying grief—the weight of what has been and what has not—is not weakness or surrender, but strength and courage to keep showing up
• “Hope is knowing our limits, the risks, and possibilities of failure, and moving ahead anyway”

Both of these tie in together with the theme of perseverance despite loss, fear, risks, and failure. I think acceptance and having the courage to keep going is real strength and arguably the most admirable quality of my favorite Jedi.

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Nutshell:

The third and final adult novel of The High Republic Phase One follows the destruction of Starlight Beacon, as Nihil saboteurs and a mysterious force-draining creature bring the great station crashing down.

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Similar books:

• Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule
• The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott
• Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott
• Temptation of the Force by Tessa Gratton
• Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover

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Rating:

2.5/5

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