SPOILER FREE
Rebel Rising was written by Beth Revis. It was published by Disney Lucasfilm Press. It is the third YA novel in canon.
SUMMARY: The life of Jyn Erso, it’s her prequel story to Rogue One. When the Empire splits up the Erso family, Saw Gerrera comes to her rescue. He raises her as his own, to be a warrior and a weapon against the Empire. She’s an expert when it comes to forging imperial codes. Sadly the day came when Saw abandons Jyn and she’s forced to figure out how to survive on her own at the age of 16. We meet new characters that she comes to call family. We follow her transition of working against the Empire… and with the Empire. The cat and mouse game is ever present in this entertaining biography of Jyn. The story leads up to her introduction in Rogue One.
CHARACTERS: There are several characters in the book, a few from Rogue One, most that aren’t. I’m going to talk about Jyn Erso and Hadder Ponta. I was going to mention Saw, but I’ve talked about him on previews reviews and his character has remained consistent.
Jyn: She isn’t really the person I thought she was when we meet her in Rogue One. She’s had a rough life since childhood after her parents were torn from her by the Empire. She keeps her guard up and her identity secret. She’s an exceptional fighter yet she’s pretty hesitant. Jyn’s broken, yet she’s most certainly a survivor.
Hadder Ponta: He’s the son of a cargo pilot. He’s not allowed to fly, because his mother fears he may become sick with Bloodburn. He’s a lonely teen, until Jyn shows up. He’s a good kid with good intentions. He’s a little pushy through when it comes to the flirting. He desperately wants off his home world, but with restrictions, all he can do is dream and hope for a way to get off the blasted world of Skuhl.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: This book wasn’t that bad, I enjoyed it. I believe this is the first character in Star Wars in which we have their entire life story. Jyn Erso was in Catalyst, Rebel Rising, Rogue One. Her full arch completed. I think now, after this YA novel, we won’t be getting anymore Jyn for a while. I don’t know what else they can cover with her.
I’m a little disappointed in her character though. We meet her for the first time in Rogue One, she’s an excellent fighter and doesn’t hesitate. In this book, even though she’s raised as a warrior… she can’t bring herself to do certain things involving violence. Is this to make her seem more compassionate just for some political correctness agenda? Why can’t she just be compassionate for the ones she loves? Why can’t she be cold and strong against her enemy? She doesn’t have to have compassion for everyone, I didn’t get that from Jyn in the film, or the novelization of Rogue One.
It was cool getting to see how her life did play out in her younger years. Can’t say that I’m interested in reading a novel based on the entire life of another character from the films.
RATING: I give this book a 3 out of 5.