Star Wars Rebel Rising

In Rogue One, we were introduced to Jyn Erso: the daughter of a brilliant man and a defiant woman, later raised by a terrorist, and eventually a prisoner in Imperial custody. We know how her story ends, but how did the brave girl Saw Gerrera rescued become the disillusioned prisoner recruited by the Rebels?

Rebel Rising fills in those gaps, offering glimpses of Saw as a hapless father-figure, a ruthless warrior against the Empire, and Jyn’s unlikely mentor, which really adds perspective to a relatively minor character in the film.

Revis does an impressive job of bringing Jyn’s journey to life, mixing a coming-of-age tale with elements of war stories. It honestly feels like a novel set during the rise of Nazism in Germany, as the Empire slowly takes over more and more territory and the lives of everyday people are subsumed.

Crucially, the book really reinforces the tragic figure that is Jyn Erso. Forever trapped between the Empire and the Rebellion, a lesser character would feel like a pawn, but Jyn instead comes out like a forged blade, made stronger by a hundred hammerblows. This is a tie-in novel done right, one that enhances the original yet stands on its own.