|
|
|
![[A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away...]](../../images/banner.jpg) |
Events that occur
before Episode IV: A New Hope. |
|
|
|
 |
A New Dawn |
BOOK STORY |
John Jackson Miller |
Del Rey |
|
Story published as:
Hardback Book (2014) Paperback Book [Promotional
Advanced Reader's Edition] (2014) e-Book (2014) Audio Book (2014)
Trade Paperback Book (2015) |
|
Rating:
If you have read this book, please
rate it:
|
 |
Reviews:
2 reviews [Review
score: 4 / 5] |
|
Synopsis:
For a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights brought
peace and order to the Galactic Republic, aided by their
connection to the mystical energy field known as the
Force. But they were betrayed and the entire galaxy has
paid the price. It is the Age of the Empire. Now
Emperor Palpatine, once Chancellor of the Republic and
secretly a Sith follower of the dark side of the Force,
has brought his own peace and order to the galaxy. Peace
through brutal repression, and order through increasing
control of his subjects’ lives. But even as the
Emperor tightens his iron grip, others have begun to
question his means and motives. And still others, whose
lives were destroyed by Palpatine’s machinations, lay
scattered about the galaxy like unexploded bombs,
waiting to go off... The stage is set for the coming Rebellion against the
Empire: Kanan is a Jedi survivor of Order 66. Refusing
to wield his lightsaber ever again, he makes a living as
a freelance pilot, keeping his head down to avoid any
Imperial attention. But when the beautiful Hera Syndulla
sweeps into his life at the same time his friends and
his livelihood are being threatened by an Imperial plot,
he faces the biggest choice of his life: keep hiding…or
or make a stand and risk the wrath of the Empire.
|
|
Chronology:
This story occurs approximately 11 years before
Episode IV: A New Hope (6 years prior to Star Wars
Rebels). |
|
Related Stories (in
chronological order):
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reviews: |
Review by Darth Kondorr, Poland,
2016: |
 |
Despite
a slightly tedious middle section, when all character moments are
set aside for plot progression, this was once again more than just
some cheap set up for the TV Show. The obvious highlights were the
cover characters, while Count Vader... I mean Darth Dooku... no...
Count Vidian was a slightly inconsistent and unsurprising villain.
The guy was once described as super smart only to suddenly lose all
footing to become cheesy sadistic. It is no secret I did not care
for yet another imperial cyborg with delusions of grandeur. He
simply was your typical caricature. The plot itself was
interesting, but at its heart were the characters that shined
brightest and super glued me to this book. I really did not feel,
like this is a prequel to something, so it stands very well on its
own. Quite interesting was also yet another appearance of Sloane,
who appeared here and there in earlier short stories. I like how we
get an imp-character, that we can (maybe) root for on the side of
the baddies. I am genuine interested to see where she is going.
Throughout reading the book I had one thought though, would it not
have been much more interesting, if they scrapped Vidian and put
Tarkin in his place. A demonic cyber-villain is very cliché, but if
the antagonist would have been a military master mind, the very
definition of a soulless bureaucrat - a human monster - that would
be much more threatening. But I guess this is the dark times, when
evil cyborgs rule supreme… but I do hope we will see less and less
of such characters, they kind off undermine Vader’s uniqueness.
|
Rating:
4
/ 5 |
|
 |
Review by Ewan, Star Wars
Books & Comics, 2014: |
 |
As the
first novel of Lucasfilm Story Group's new canon, there has been
high expectations for this novel. So, I'll state right out of the
box that this is not Heir to the Empire 2.0. Neither is it a
re-invention of the Expanded Universe, rather A New Dawn continues
in the same style of Star Wars storytelling that we have all grown
used to over the past twenty-three years: both of our story's heroes
and villains are clearly defined within the Star Wars mythos. A New Dawn is
as instantly recognizeable as being Star Wars as Heir to the Empire
was. Miller takes a small, tight cast of characters, who for
differing reasons, find themselves together in a single location
trying to reslove what, from the outset, would appear to be nothing
than a minor local issue, but actually has ramifications for the
whole galaxy should the "wrong side" succeed. Thus, our rather
unlikely heroes, Kanan and Hera, are brought together as they assist
a mining colony who find themselves being brought under the heel of
an Imperial jackboot. And this particular jackboot is worn by one of
the most sadistic and vile Star Wars characters ever created. Yet Miller
takes time to explore this character's motives: loyal to Palpatine's
Galactic Empire and some-one who clearly believes that the ends
justify the means. On the otherhand, Miller also gives us Captain
Sloane, a more idealistic Imperial while Kanan and Hera are
partnered by a former Imperial surveillance operative who has had
their "eyes opened" to Imperial methods. With Miller having a
Master's Degree in comparative politics, readers will see parallels
between Miller's depiction of the formative years of Palpatine's
Empire and comparable times in 20th Century dictatorships, in
particular Hitler's Nazi Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union. Yet
however grim the situation appears for our characters, Miller
subtely diffuses the difficulty, for both character and reader, with
an injection of humour at just the right moment making A New
Dawn an altogether pleasurable read. Comparisons to Miller's
last Star Wars offering, the award-winning Kenobi, are
inevitable. While this book is not quite on the same par as
Kenobi, perhaps due to the fact that in that book Miller
captured the character of Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi so brilliantly (a
characterization he repeats in A New Dawn's prologue), we
have not had enough time to get to know Kanan and Hera in the same
vein as we know Obi-Wan. But, as an introduction to two of Star Wars
Rebels leading characters, and as the first novel in a new
storytelling approach to the Star Wars universe, and as a Star Wars
novel, A New Dawn is an enjoyable, entertaining and
pleasurable read.
|
Rating:
4
/ 5 |
|
 |
Do you agree or disagree with these
reviews? Do you think that they have missed the point? Then why not
review this story yourself? Click
here. |

 |
|
advertisement
|
|
 |
|
|