Book Review: Star Wars: Temptation of the Force

 

Temptation of the Force is a canon Star Wars novel by Tessa Gratton, published in 2024. It is set during Phase III of the High Republic, after the Starlight Beacon's destruction and the Occlusion Zone's creation by the Nihil with their Stormwall. There are several threads to the story that all intertwine. One involves two Jedi in love, Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann, who are reunited after Avar's escape from the Occlusion Zone. The second is an incursion by several Jedi into the Occlusion Zone to try and liberate Naboo from the Nihil while trying to avoid The Nameless/Levelers, the creatures with the power to kill any force-sensitive being. The third is a new threat from something called The Blight, which has the power to kill everything in the galaxy except for the most dangerous being (at the time, anyway), Marchion Ro. 

The hardcover version of the book is 425 pages and reads fairly quickly. Some of the story is a bit sappy, but overall it is a good blend of action and suspense. Yoda is included in the storyline, but the book does not fill the plot hole that was left after the Phase II novels. Namely, that the Levelers were used against the Jedi by the Path of the Open Hand 150 years prior, Yoda knew about them, and the current Jedi still seem to know little to nothing about them. Although, in this book that does start to change somewhat. My other sticking point with this book is that the character of Vernestra is more like her character in The Acolyte TV series (which is set years later when she is older) and less like she was in the books that introduced her when she was more willing to skirt or bend rules.  Even though we know that the Jedi and the Republic will eventually defeat the Nihil, this book does not foreshadow how that will happen. Ultimately, while I would not say this is one of the must-read canon novels if you are invested in the High Republic storyline of the Jedi against the Nihil, it does advance that a lot and is worth reading.