871: High Republic Phase 3 started with a bang!
In this episode, I make my return to the High Republic
Friends, friends, friends.
Welcome back to Teatime Reading where there are books in progress.
It is a truly strange feeling to realize that you have no backlog of books to write about, but that is the position I found myself in after reading the Demigods Academy books.
Now, technically, I had started the comic runs of High Republic Phase 3, but since they have just started their stories, I couldn’t review them just yet, however, I was reading the first novel in Phase 3: The Eye of Darkness. Suffice it to say, I am very curious about the directions that the main High Republic run and the High Republic Adventures run are both going.
But today, it is about The Eye of Darkness. After the violence and the triumph of the Nihil in Phase 1, I seriously considered skipping Phase 2 entirely since I wanted to just get to the next part in the Nihil story. I have discussed how happy I was that I took my friend’s advice and checked out some select titles before starting The Eye of Darkness, but I will reiterate it here.
This novel was stunning. In phase 1, Vernestra was easily my favorite character, but here, I found myself empathizing and connecting with so many of the characters featured here. The legendary Jedi Avar Kriss and Porter Engle both stole the show, and the emotional connections between Avar and Elzar Mann really moved me. I was fascinated with Marchion Ro in Phase 1, and after seeing some of the preludes to the Nihil in Phase 2, we were reunited with Ro and the Nihil in Phase 3 where he’s successfully achieved several of his goals.
The Nihil seemed even more deadly than they had in previous appearances, and there were several jaw-dropping moments in this book. In many ways, the phase 3 crawl set the tone with its description. Put simply, the Nihil took the Fall of the Starlight Beacon and created an Occlusion Zone that the Republic couldn’t enter. That Nihil space was a no-go zone where chaos and mayhem reigned supreme.
The tension between former Republic Senator Ghirra Starros and Marchion Ro was fascinating, as were several other power struggles.
The Eye of Darkness was intense, dramatic and, in many ways, poignant. I cannot wait to see where Phase 3 goes from here.
The High Republic is a fascinating adventure and I recommend it wholeheartedly. It’s an undertaking, but I’m really enjoying being back in the time period.
Until next time, keep your bookmarks close.
Peace, Love, Pages.
Note: As Always, Affiliate Links are here for your convenience at no cost to you. All reading was at my own expense.