Star Wars: A New Dawn

3.5 ★
"You were hurt by a regime. You might get vegeance against the hand that hurt you, but you wouldn't get justice. Not until everyone gets it."

Probably one of the heaviest/most laborious Star Wars novels I've gotten through so far. Not because the plot was necessarily complex, but mostly because the delivery happened in chunks of switching points of view that ended up making everything more complicated than necessary. You would get a couple paragraphs narrated by a side character, then change to the protagonist, then jump to one of the antagonists, and then another side character. It was exhausting!

But I really enjoy how the empire as a regime was handled by the narrative. Being target towards a younger audience, Star Wars show more oftentimes shies away a bit from the brutality of dictatorship, and this aspect really is a central point of this novel. It's not only the corruption and lack of care for the people, or even the somewhat graphic violence and death, that paints the context of a galaxy under the empire, but the straightforwardness and rawness in which the exploitation and decay of a population is portrayed.

Even with the ridiculous and funny moments worth of any Star Wars media (and the Kanan and Hera backstory!), what really shines in A New Dawn is the despair from consecutive chaos, devastation and tiranny that really makes you question if there's any victory at all. show less

4.5 out of 5 stars, but I'll round to 5. With the sale of Lucasfilm and the "de-canonization" of the EU there hasn't been much to get excited about in the Star Wars literature realm.

With the introduction of the new Lucasfilm Story Group canon, I, like probably many other fans, was reluctant to get involved in another Star Wars Expanded Universe. With A New Dawn being the entry point into the new canon it was hard to resist for a couple of reasons. First, John Jackson Miller, who blew me away with his last Star Wars novel, Kenobi, was the author. Second, it is set in the Dark Times era, along with the animated show, Rebels. For the longest time this era and its characters were off limits due to the now shelved Live Action Series, and show more other productions that we are now seeing or may never see. Aside from JJM's Kenobi, the Dark Times comics, and limited other media, not much has been released in this era. After reading A New Dawn, I am glad they held off. It was worth it.

We always knew the "Dark Times" as a time where the the last of the Jedi were hunted down, and the Empire's oppression spread throughout the galaxy. The former is what many fans wanted the Prequels to be, and the latter is being explored in various media now. By addressing this era now, recent real world events can better influence our understanding of how this galactic oppression could occur, and John Jackson Miller expertly weaves this all into a logical narrative.

From the Prequels we are shown how a society is willingly deceived into giving up many of its freedoms during wartime. This spawns the Empire, which during the time of A New Dawn uses surveillance and propaganda to keep its citizens in line as it exploits worlds from the core to the outer rim. These are themes, issues, or ideas that are increasingly relevant in our own world. They are incorporated into the novel by Miller as a way to logically explain the inter-workings and expansion of the Empire, rather than trying to hit the reader over the head with political messages.

The novel develops some interesting characters as well, many of which we have never seen anything like before. The story is well thought out, unpredictable, and moves along at a nice pace. I wouldn't give it an actual 5 star rating, because it is not Kenobi. It introduces new characters, who are interesting enough, but not as highly regarded as Ben. For what this book is it couldn't have been much better. We have a new hope...for Star Wars literature. show less

Spoilers below, so if you want just my review, stop after this paragraph: A perfect re-start, and a good starting place for new readers in a galaxy far, far away. Character-driven, vivid, and with an interesting mystery, this story should be quite pleasing to most.

“Star Wars: A New Dawn,” the aptly titled first entry in the canon novels, is nothing short of perfect when it comes to building up to “Star Wars Rebels” the TV show. We are introduced to the state of the galaxy under the Empire, with many in support of Palpatine's regime, and others starting to think that things were better before the Empire. Hera is introduced as a woman with a vision of a better galaxy that could be brought about by the most unthinkable of actions: show more rebellion against the government. She's searching, not rushing to become a rebel. Everyone she meets with any feelings against the Empire is a study for her. She's piecing together a team that will take years to forge. She's smart in political and street senses in ways that the TV series is starting to reveal as well.

Kanan's history is explored. A fascinating opening begins his story, in which, during the Clone Wars, Obi-wan Kenobi is forced to think about the beacon in the Jedi Temple when asked by a student – Kanan, in fact, though by his birth name of Caleb. Obi-wan's realization that the beacon could be used to send Jedi away from the temple reminds us that he sets it to do just that in “Revenge of the Sith.” We even get to read the words his message sent to survivng Jedi. A few lines that never received a follow up. Kanan/Caleb, left without a master after Order 66, is forced to forge a life for himself, deciding to ignore his life as a Jedi except for forming attachments. Kanan is described as never remaining in one place long, and his journey in this story – from worker to rebel, himself, burns slowly and precisely.

The side characters are likable, including the interesting mix of companions Hera and Kanan pick up along the way. The villains, Count Vidian and Captain Sloan, make for an interesting pair. All the time you think the latter is under Vidian's thumb, only to learn later that she is able to deceive with the Empire's best. Vidian is a Grievous/Vader-like being with a mysterious past that is exposed along the way. I thought I knew where it was going, but the turns were very exciting, and Vidian's brutal behavior, excused as an agent of the Empire, only helped to strengthen the novel overall.

A must-read! show less

I was among the many fans disappointed to find out that the Expanded Universe was ending, declared non-canon, and rebranded “Legends” by Lucasfilm/Disney. However, I was hopeful that it would truly mean what was being promised: a new, cohesive canon, where the films, shows, games, books, and comics all intertwine and reference one another.

And that promise came true. We now have a Clone Wars character in Rogue One, Thrawn in Rebels and his own upcoming novel, Rae Sloane in multiple novels and the comics… It’s a better time than ever to be a Star Wars fan, and it all starts here, with A New Dawn, the first canon novel.

The novel itself is a great read. John Jackson Miller, who I already loved for his KotOR comics and Knight Errant, show more does these characters justice in a way that’s especially impressive considering Rebels hadn’t yet begun when he wrote this book. It has adventure, heart, and sets up characters who have become incredibly important and beloved. show less

Like many Star Wars fans, I was initially disappointed by the news earlier this year that Lucasfilm has pretty much nuked most of the franchise’s Expanded Universe, declaring all of it as no longer official canon. But after some thinking, I’ve come to terms with it and now actually believe that it was a wise decision. Having ballooned into this humongous bloated entity after all these years, if anything needed a hard reset it was the Star Wars EU. And having been a long time reader of Marvel and DC comics, I’ve grown more accustomed to stuff like retcons and massive wipes by now.

Besides, I can finally give up the New Jedi Order for good without feeling guilty about stalling halfway through the series since like forever. Move over, show more old school stuff, it’s time for new stories. Time for the very aptly named A New Dawn.

As the first Star Wars novel integrating input from the Lucasfilm Story Group, A New Dawn is set in the time between the movies Episode III and IV, not long after the fall of the Republic and the legendary Jedi.

It probably also behooves me to mention that I’m currently following the new animated series Star Wars Rebels, which had a role in motivating me to pick up this book. I’m enjoying what I’ve seen so far, so it was only natural that I was interested in reading this. It serves as a prequel to the show, taking place roughly six years before the events in the first episode, and two of the lead characters are featured as protagonist in the book as well. Essentially, it tells the story of how the former Jedi Kanan Jarrus and the Twi’lek rebel Hera Syndulla first met.

That said, you don’t need to know anything about the show to read the book. In fact, I find that the two are completely different in tone and vibe. The show feels geared more towards a younger audience; being on the Disney XD channel and all, that’s perhaps not too surprising. The book, on the other hand, is more mature, and I’m guessing most people who read it will agree that John Jackson Miller did not dial anything down.

Still, I can’t describe A New Dawn as anything other than standard Star Wars fare, in terms of the quality of writing and story. This was a slight downer, given the publication significance of this book and the fact it marks a new beginning, I had hoped for something a little more…well, just MORE. But on the bright side, it should make readers of Star Wars fiction feel right at home. You have the very recognizable character types, such as the Jedi-in-exile and hotshot starship pilot. You have a ruthless villain and Imperial tyranny. You have sweeping battles in space and the spark of rebellion. So on second thought, being the same-old-same-old might not be such a bad thing.

I also loved the characters. They’re the best aspect of this book, and not just because I really like Kanan and Hera from the animated series (though that helped). John Jackson Miller goes into the background of both characters, giving us great insight into their personalities and motivations. On the show, they’re not only the leaders of their crew but almost like the father and mother figures, and I can appreciate the nature of their partnership so much more after reading this. Other supporting characters that I’ve only met for the first time in the novel were well-written as well, most notably the former Clone Wars veteran and conspiracy theorist Skelly, whose persona is as volatile as the incendiary devices he loves so much.

All told, this wasn’t a bad book, but it’s also unlikely that it’s going to end up on my shelf of favorite Star Wars novels. Still, I enjoyed it well enough. While A New Dawn had a decent story that was entertaining but not all that memorable, the strength really goes to the characters rather than plot, and that’s a huge redeeming factor. It would also make a great jumping on point for new fans, which is why I think all the more a shame that it wasn’t more special, but I think the majority of readers will like it just fine and won’t be too disappointed, which is where I’m standing. show less

An excellent Star Wars novel.
I find it very interesting that this and James Luceno's Rogue One: Catalyst are (probably) my two favorite SW novels. Like Catalyst, this is a prequel that works really well, exploring characters in a way that adds to the cinematic story. It focuses on characterization and how the characters were shaped into the ones we know.
A New Dawn has good prose, good action, likeable and interesting characters. It fits well into the larger SW universe and manages to feel fresh and like it avoids certain overused SW tropes.

After reading an article written by John Jackson Miller about his journey with Star Wars, I gained a respect for the author and decided that, despite how upset I was with Disney for rebooting Star Wars (yes, the Expanded Universe has always been canon, do your research), I would give this book an honest try to see if Disney's new universe could hold any value for me. Long story short, it doesn't. The simple fact is, I fell in love with the characters and stories set in a Galaxy Far, Far Away, not with the brand name. And this book is really Star Wars in name only. I read the whole thing, but I never cared about the characters or events at any point in the book, because they weren't consistent with the universe I love. The story just show more never drew me in. If you'd like a great story on the origin of the Rebellion that is consistent with the past 38 years of Star Wars history, check out The Force Unleashed novelization instead. show less