Star Wars‘ New Book Trilogy Explores the Politics Behind the Rise of the Rebellion

The 20 twelvemonth play between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope has go 1 of the astir documented eras of the Star Wars timeline. We person aggregate TV series, movies, books, comics, and games that person wrestled with conscionable however the postulation of the prequels gave mode to the beingness we met successful the archetypal Star Wars. But if 1 of those stories has stood retired among the assemblage recently, it’s Andor–and the adjacent Star Wars caller bid wants to transportation its tone backmost to the earliest days of the Galactic Empire.

Although we got to perceive astir a batch of the aboriginal of Star Wars publishing astatine San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend, io9 has your exclusive archetypal look astatine a Star Wars communicative that was near untold there: Reign of the Empire, a caller trilogy of novels that volition illustration the emergence of absorption against the Imperial authorities from the precise archetypal twelvemonth after Revenge of the Sith, each the mode passim the 2 decades that saw the enactment of the Rebel Alliance and the opening of the Galactic Civil War.

© Marko Menev/Penguin Random House

As you tin archer by the screen of the archetypal caller successful the series, The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed (writer of the absolutely incredible Alphabet Squadron series) Reign of the Empire volition analyse the conflict against the Empire done the eyes of immoderate acquainted faces. Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Saw Gerrera–all with their ain differing perspectives connected what indispensable beryllium done to halt Palpatine–play cardinal roles successful the trilogy, alongside a caller formed of archetypal characters arsenic the postulation begins to reckon with the grip of the Empire. Here’s the authoritative logline for The Mask of Fear:

Before the Rebellion, the Empire reigned.

“In bid to guarantee the information and continuing stability, the Republic volition beryllium reorganized into the
first Galactic Empire! For a harmless and unafraid society!”

With 1 speech, and thunderous applause, Chancellor Palpatine brought the epoch of the Republic crashing down. In its spot roseate the Galactic Empire. Across the galaxy, radical rejoiced and celebrated the extremity to war—and the promises of tomorrow. But that time was a lie. Instead the postulation became twisted by the cruelty and fearfulness of the Emperor’s rule.

During that terrifying archetypal twelvemonth of tyranny, Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and Bail Organa look the encroaching darkness. One day, they volition beryllium 3 architects of the Rebel Alliance. But first, each indispensable find intent and absorption successful a changing galaxy, portion harboring their ain secrets, fears, and hopes for a aboriginal that whitethorn ne'er come, unless they act.

The Mask of Fear volition beryllium followed by 2 much novels: the archetypal written by Resistance Reborn‘s Rebecca Roanhorse, and the 2nd by Fran Wilde, marking her full Star Wars caller debut aft penning for the From a Certain Point of View anthology celebrating Return of the Jedi‘s 40th anniversary. While the archetypal caller volition beryllium acceptable successful the precise archetypal twelvemonth of the Empire’s rule, Roanhorse and Wilde’s books volition leap guardant successful the Star Wars timeline by respective years to research cardinal turning points successful the myriad increasing movements of rebellion crossed the galaxy.

“I’m enormously excited to beryllium a portion of this task and research an epoch of Star Wars particularly affluent with the nuanced stories of ‘ordinary’ citizens–people surviving wrong the machinery of the Empire, inactive figuring retired what’s happened to their authorities and successful convulsive disagreement implicit ideas of democracy, resistance, revolution, and complicity,” Freed said successful a connection provided to io9. “It’s a accidental to constitute a governmental thriller and spy play and sweeping humanities epic each astatine once, arsenic good arsenic spotlight Mon Mothma–a quality I’ve been passionate astir for ages. I tin lone anticipation the extremity effect does justness to the expansive themes of the prequel films, and manages a akin blend of timelessness and relevance.”

The Mask of Fear volition merchandise February 25, 2025, and is available to pre-order now. Books 2 and 3 successful the Reign of the Empire trilogy are scheduled to merchandise successful Spring 2026 and Spring 2027, respectively.

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