Happy May the 4th!

Jon Solo Sebastian 05/04/2024:

Welcome to my personal top five list of Star Wars books. I recommend them not just because they’re great, but because I love them and appreciate the stories written by these brilliant authors. Feel free to reach out to share your favorites, or what you like or dislike about any of these in my list. My emails are always open. May the Force be with You!

I recently wrote a piece on Star Wars Heir to the Empire and how it helped mold me into the Star Wars fan I am today. I feel every Star Wars fan should read that book along with its two sequels; Dark Force Rising and The Last Command. Here’s a little behind the curtain story for you: that particular piece started out as a “Top 5 Books” piece I was working on, but that book is so beloved, and I felt it needed its own article along with its relation to me becoming a huge fan of Star Wars.

Today I’m sharing my top five books or series of books that I feel all Star Wars fans should read and/or listen to. If you’ve not read my piece on Heir to the Empire, you can find it here.

1. Kenobi written by John Jackson Miller (2013).

Obi-Wan is one of my favorite Star Wars characters, but this book wasn’t on my radar at the time of its release. When Lucasfilm finally broke the news about an Obi-Wan Kenobi series starring Ewan McGregor, would be coming to Disney Plus in 2022, this novel started popping up in conversations, and I felt it was time to read it. I’m glad I did.

A Jedi can only hide from his duty for so long: “Known to locals only as “Ben,” the bearded and robed offworlder is an enigmatic stranger who keeps to himself, shares nothing of his past, and goes to great pains to remain an outsider. But as tensions escalate between the farmers and a tribe of Sand People led by a ruthless war chief, Ben finds himself drawn into the fight, endangering the very mission that brought him to Tatooine.”

While the novel takes a much different approach than the streaming series took, it covers all the Star Wars tropes we’ve become accustomed to, and perfectly blends the Samurai, Old West, and Sci-fi elements into it. One thing about Obi-Wan is he can’t stay out of the fight, and it’s no different in this story. He tries to hide who he is, but in the end, a hero is a hero and it’s in his blood to help the helpless.

2. Dark Disciple written by Christie Golden (2015).

This story was originally meant to be an eight episode arc in the animated series: The Clone Wars before the series was canceled. It was instead brought to life starring some of my favorite characters like, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku, Boba Fett, Quinlan Vos, and many more. If you’re a fan of the characters I’ve mentioned, and/or a fan of The Clone Wars series, then you must read this book; or listen to the audio book, which feels like listening to episodes of The Clone Wars.

“The only way to bring down the dark side’s most dangerous warrior may be for Jedi and Sith to join forces.” Assassination is not the way of the Jedi, but they’re running out of options, and this war is taking a terrible toll on the entire galaxy. The Jedi Council come to an agreement that Count Dooku is too dangerous to be kept alive. They recruit Quinlan Vos who is known for his undercover work, and for taking on the seedier missions for the council. He teams up with Dooku’s former apprentice and now bounty hunter, Asajj Ventress. Knowing it won’t be easy, they set their plan in motion, and things take off in a rollercoaster of some of the best Star Wars storytelling to date. It has everything you’d want— thick storytelling, suspense, character building, action, betrayal, and a love story to remember.

3. Darth Bane Trilogy: Path of Destruction written by Drew Karpyshyn (2006).

I’m being a little sneaky with my top five books because the story of Darth Bane takes place over three books, and they’re all must-read! Read the physical media, or listen to Jonathan Davis narrate the trilogy in this order: Path of Destruction, Rule of Two, and Dynasty of Evil.

Darth Bane is a powerful and determined man who brought the Sith Order to its knees, destroyed it all, and rebuilt it in his image. We first hear about the rule of two in Episode I: The Phantom Menace, but Darth Bane is where it begun. I’m not certain Lucasfilm canonized that bit of history, but Darth Bane makes a brief appearance in season six of The Clone Wars where he is voiced by Mark Hamill; which means the character is canon; at least.

He starts his path of destruction as Des, a miner in the Outer Rim, and then becomes a Sith soldier where he gains notice of the Sith Masters due to his unrivaled skills on the battlefield, and his astounding connection to the force. He’s sent to Korriban (the home planet of the Sith) to train and hone his dark side abilities. In time, he discovers the weaknesses of the Sith and how they’ve lost their way. Using manipulation and plotting, he sets in motion the destruction of the Sith Order. If there’s a movie adaptation burning a hole in Lucasfilm’s pockets, they need to look no further. With The Acolyte coming to Disney Plus this year (2024), I feel it’s possible for Lucasfilm to make a Sith-centric film for sure. Whether a movie based on Darth Bane ever happens or not, I cannot recommend these books enough!

4. Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader written by James Luceno (2005).

This book is dubbed as the “must-read sequel to Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.” While it’s no longer canon, it still fits nicely in that slot especially if you’re doing a Legends read through. The story takes place during Order 66, and it mostly follows Jedi Masters Roan Shryne, Bol Chatak, and Padawan Olee Starstone. Escaping execution is always a good thing… unless the result is being hunted by Darth Vader. Shryne, Starstone, and Chatak find out very quickly that the worst has yet to come. “The deadliest threat rests in the hideously swift and lethal crimson lightsaber of Darth Vader behind whose brooding mask lies a shattered heart, a poisoned soul, and a cunning, twisted mind hell-bent on vengeance.” Would you want all that coming after you? While the story features less Darth Vader moments, his presence is felt throughout the entirety of the story; especially during the epilogue. Don’t sleep on this novel. Roan Shryne and Olee Starstone are a fun and likeable pair of heroes, and as I’ve stated, Darth Vader’s presence is chilling throughout the story.

5. Dooku: Jedi Lost written by Cavan Scott (2019).

Dooku: Jedi Lost is an audio drama that has since been released as an eBook and in paperback form. I’ve only listened to the audio drama (three times), so that’s what my recommendation is based on. A full cast of brilliant voice actors who have all narrated Star Wars audio books bring this story to life. Who was Count Dooku before he became the leader of the Separatists, and before he became Darth Tyranus? This story is an in-depth character study that answers those questions by taking readers/listeners on an adventure that goes all the way back to when he was training to be a Jedi. It doesn’t take long for the story to drop into the darkness, and similarly to Anakin Skywalker, Dooku seemed to never have a chance at staying on the path of the light. “Delve into the history of the sinister Count Dooku in this audio original set in a galaxy far, far away….”

That’ll wrap up my top five Star Wars books! As I mentioned at the beginning, let me know what your top five books are, or even just your overall favorite Star Wars book. Until next time, May the Force be with You!