Star Wars’ The Eye of Darkness Searches for Hope in the Darkest of Times (Review)

Warning: The following about Star Wars‘ The Eye of Darkness searching for hope in the darkest of times contains mild spoilers.

Starlight Beacon has been destroyed. Marchion Ro and the Nihil have dealt a near-fatal blow to the Republic and the Jedi. George Mann’s The Eye of Darkness kicks off Phase 3 of The High Republic with characters searching for hope and meaning in the darkest of times.

Phase Three of The High Republic kicks off one year after the events of The Fallen Star ended Phase One. Phase Two is actually a prequel, taking place 150 years prior to Phase One. For context, Phase One takes place 232 years prior to the Battle of Yavin in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

Phase 3 Kicks Off With The Eye of Darkness

The Eye of Darkness is a solid Star Wars novel. George Mann, a veteran Star Wars author, tells a tale full of action and intrigue with compelling characters. Yet, The Eye of Darkness is the most disappointing High Republic novel to date for me. The story told in The Eye of Darkness is strong, but the way it is told — especially in the first half of the book — diminishes the stakes and cliffhanger nature of The Fallen Star.

Claudia Gray’s conclusion to Phase I found the Jedi desperately trying to save those around them. Acts of heroism and sacrifice were found everywhere on Starlight Beacon in response to the brutality of the Nihil. The book ended with many cliffhangers — the fate of many characters unknown when the last page was turned. I was excited to finally see what happened to Burryaga after the fall of Starlight and how the Jedi, in general, would respond to the Nihil. Instead, the fate of many characters has been solved off-screen, and they’re all in position to start the action in Phase 3 when The Eye of Darkness begins. It’s clearly a storytelling choice and not anything to do with the quality of Mann’s writing. Still, I felt a little cheated after the emotional investment asked of fans in Phase 1.

There are two major themes at play in The Eye of Darkness. Like with other High Republic novels, many parallels can be drawn to our world today. Finding hope in a world full of despair is challenging for anyone. The Jedi failed at Starlight Beacon, but the damage didn’t stop there. The Nihil have constructed the Stormwall, a barrier keeping everything behind it under Nihil control.

Fight or Flight?

By the way, Star Wars has never been all that good at subtlety, and that trend continues here. The Stormwall is a literal wall in space – in the event that that rings any bells. The use of something so recent only amplifies the core struggle, though. Seeing the characters fight to remain hopeful and focused is something many can relate to.

The second major theme in The Eye of Darkness is the idea of appeasement and when it is right to fight instead. The Republic and the Jedi order face a dilemma throughout the book. Do they fight the Nihil, knowing their adversary holds the advantage and a secret, deadly weapon that neutralizes the Jedi? Or do they recognize the Nihil as a legitimate government entity and bring them into the Republic?

The Jedi Suffer Great Losses

What they learn, of course, is that either option comes with a severe cost. Fighting costs lives and results in the expansion of the Stormwall. Appeasement legitimizes the Nihil’s terroristic actions and allows Marchion Ro to declare victory. Ultimately, the Republic and the Jedi realize that victory will come at great cost no matter what – but they must hold to their ideals and not give in to the Nihil.

If the Jedi and Republic government on Coruscant represent the fight against an oppressive regime from outside its borders, the Jedi trapped behind the Stormwall represent the plight of people living in an oppressive regime. There, the struggle is different but equally dire. The Jedi face the threat of being hunted by the Nihil behind the Stormwall, but the suffering of citizens everywhere drives them to want to act. In one poignant sequence, Avar Kriss risks her life to deliver food to citizens whose village has been destroyed, only to realize that the gesture will barely make any difference. She is depressed from her failure to cause real change but must accept that she can create small victories.

Related: What Is a Sith in Star Wars, Answered

The Force Isn’t as Strong With This One

Phases 1 and 2 of The High Republic shined because they knew what they were and leaned into it. Phase 1 excelled because it was fast-paced and driven by urgency in the adult novels. That urgency revealed the quality of the characters involved. Phase 2 was extremely character-focused. The investment in characters like Marda Ro, Phan-Tu, Xiri, and Axel Greylark makes readers care more about the events taking place around them. In The Eye of Darkness, Mann tries to do a bit of both, and the result is that neither really lands with readers.

Events are consequential and will drive the story in future novels. Unfortunately, they don’t feel as earned because we join the story in progress. Too many things happened off-screen to make most readers truly feel the plight of the characters or the weight of the events taking place. In Light of the Jedi, we kick off the story with the Great Hyperspace Disaster. We’re along for the ride from the moment the conflict begins. That just isn’t the case in The Eye of Darkness.

A Fun Start to Phase 3

Readers shouldn’t let a decision likely made in the name of time and strategy prevent them from enjoying this book, though. George Mann is an excellent writer, and his care for Star Wars and the High Republic is evident throughout. His task here isn’t easy; he’s kicking off a story fans have been greatly anticipating. Pleasing everyone is going to be almost impossible—especially until fans see how the story unfolds from here. However, from a technical standpoint, The Eye of Darkness is strong. The pace flows along well, and characters (with the exception of Marchion Ro) get what feels like the right amount of screen time.

The Eye of Darkness is an enjoyable story and will likely age well as the events of Phase 3 unfold. Fans of the High Republic will like it, but they might not love it. However, The Eye of Darkness is a solid start to Phase 3. The biggest drawback is that it leaves me more excited about what’s to come than what I just read.