There are a lot of Star Wars books in canon. I would know. I've read all of them (except for The Vow of Silver Dawn because the English translation is hard to come by) it and am in the process of re-reading some. If you haven't been keeping up with them, it can definitely be intimidating to get into them if you feel like picking one up. Will you need to have read other ones? How do you know which one to start with? Will you even really like this story?
Well don't fret, because that's what I'm here for! Here's a few questions to guide you for doing a little bit of research and starting to find the right Star Wars book for you.
How long of a read do you want?
This should be your first question, because it will narrow down your choices the most. Are you looking for a light, junior level read? Then maybe look into books like Ezra's Gamble, or the Adventures in Wildspace series. On the other end of the spectrum, you have hefty trilogies like Alphabet Squadron or Aftermath, or the big set of two trilogies that is Thrawn and Thrawn Ascendancy. But those extremes aren't the only option. There's E. K. Johnston's trilogy of YA novels about Padmé, or one-off adult-level books like Lords of the Sith and Resistance Reborn. And if you want something more segmented, you can pick up a book of short stories like Aliens or From a Certain Point of View. Star Wars has a wide range of stories of different lengths and reading levels, and you should take into consideration how much reading (or listening) you're willing to take on for a Star Wars story.
What kind of Star Wars stories draw you in the most?
This is the second most important question to ask. When you watch movies like the ones in the Skywalker Saga with multiple plots going at once, which ones tend to be your favorite? Do you like Luke Skywalker training to be a Jedi on Dagobah, or did you prefer the hijinks Leia and Han were getting up to running from the rebellion? When you watch The Clone Wars, do prefer the episodes about groups of clones toughing it out on the battlefield, or ones with Padmé getting into political dramas? Figuring out what parts of Star Wars interest you the most is a great way to narrow yourself down into a particular book. If you're looking for explorations of Jedi, then books like Dark Disciple are a good way to start. Or, if you prefer nitty-gritty war stories, then try the Battlefront books. Do you like political dramas? Give Catalyst a try. Criminal underworld? Read Most Wanted. Anything you love about Star Wars- there's probably a book for it.
Do you want to meet new characters, or hang out with ones you know?
This can be an overlooked, but still important question to ask. While any book will introduce new characters to you, and most of them will have at least a cameo from someone we see on-screen, it's up to you to decide if you'd rather get a new story with entirely new characters, or get exploration of someone you already know. There are a lot of characters with their own books. Tarkin has one, Jyn Erso has one, and Leia has a few. These books are a great way to really explore a particular character you like and get in their head, or at least learn a little about their background or what they get up to between movies. Alternatively, there are a lot of books where almost no characters you would recognize turn up. The High Republic heroes are completely off screen, and the books A Crash of Fate or Force Collector is entirely original characters. A lot of books land somewhere in between- Last Shot prominently features Han and Lando, but we get introduced to a host of original characters as well. Ultimately, it's on you to decide which kinds of stories would interest you more.
If you want some more help with finding books, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook at @swgeekgirl or Star Wars Geek Girl, or me on Instagram or Tiktok, @spectre_five!
Great article! ♥️