Marda and Yana Ro’s choices shape the future of the Republic in Star Wars: The High Republic Path of Vengeance by Cavan Scott
It’s time to return to the galaxy far, far away for the last adventure from THE HIGH REPUBLIC. But is Cavan Scott’s latest addition to Star Wars literature one with the Force? Let’s find out.
The Path of the Open Hand heads to Jedha to sow discord at the Convocation of the Force. But when things don’t go completely to plan, they abandon the mission and return to Dalna leaving the Herald behind. Marda has grown increasingly devoted to the cause, blind to the Mother’s manipulations of her and the Path. Yana is sent to retrieve the Rod of Daybreak from Jedha. Instead frees the Herald and teams up with him to free the Path from the Mother’s influence.
Marda’s path takes her to Planet X to retrieve more Nameless for their fight against Force users. But she is fascinated by the planet and disgusted as it activates latent Force abilities in her companions. Meanwhile, Jedi Oliviah Zeveron grows suspicious of the Path after catching a glimpse of the Mother on Jedha and goes to Dalna to investigate with Padawan Matty. What they find shocks them both and will change the fate of the galaxy.
MARDA’S RADICALIZATION
Marda and Yana’s paths diverge more and more as the story goes on. Marda becomes increasingly radicalized as yet another love interest, the Ovissian Bokana, and the pilot known as Shea show Force abilities brought on by proximity to the planet. While Yana becomes more determined to get herself and Marda out as she sees the destruction and manipulations the Path has wrought. When faced with the truth about the Mother and the Path, rather than join her cousin and Shea as the Path breaks up, she goes off on her own taking the Gaze Electric and vowing to destroy the Jedi and all Force users once and for all.
The two couldn’t be more different. I love that I initially predicted it would be the other way around since it was Yana who was a member of the Children. but the author pulled the old bait and switch.
RAMIFICATIONS
Marda tells everyone that the Nameless are all dead and she lost one of the rods. But it’s revealed in the final pages that she lied. The Great Leveler survived. She uses it and the rod in her possession to destroy the Mother, sparing Oliviah. It’s also revealed that Yana has the other rod, hiding it away as she leaves with Shea and the Herald’s sick wife, vowing to take care of the older woman to honor Kor.
During the escape from Planet X, Shea makes impossible Hyperspace calculations in her head. Shea reveals herself to be pregnant, and that if the child is a girl she plans to name her Mari, and that that is her real name. It begs the question of whether the unborn child is Mari San Tekka. Shea’s temporary ability is eerily similar to what Mari San Tekka can do, And since Marda knows Shea/Mari can do this, it makes sense she’d seek them out eventually to use them for her ends.
It seems that despite Matty, Oliviah, and Azlin Rell’s testimony of what they saw and uncovered, they are either not believed or the knowledge of the events is suppressed. The Jedi of the later High Republic has no knowledge of the Leveler when it appears. Nor are they aware of the history that transpired on Dalna. This ends up having consequences for the Jedi and the Republic later. It will help to shape the galaxy moving forward.
VERDICT
As a whole though, I can’t help thinking that while this YA duology does help to tell us how the Nihil came to be, I didn’t like any of the characters. And the story plodded on. It had its exciting moments, but I kept waiting for it to get to the point I guess. It’s just mediocre in my opinion compared to the other YA outings of Phase 1.
It’s all backstory and only acts as an explanation of how the galaxy got to the point we see at the beginning of Phase 1. It doesn’t bring anything new or impact anything other than the immediate storyline and connecting the phases. I give it only Three Stars.
STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC – PATH OF VENGEANCE by Cavan Scott is available to buy now. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter at the top of our homepage for all the latest news and reviews from Future of the Force.
I’m Mina, the Jedi Librarian. I’m a Program Specialist Librarian, lover of all the books, and a lifelong Star Wars fan. I’m also secretly a Jedi.
