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Best Star Wars Novels To Read in 2020
To make sure you don’t miss the Force after watching Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, we suggest some books that any Star Wars fan should read.
Until a few years ago I never felt like reading books about Star Wars, until one day I came across an enthusiastic review of “Lost Stars” and knew I had to try it. And then… one chapter and I was addicted! Since then, some other books have moved to my shelf, which I present to you a little today. They’re organized chronologically. This list also includes the books that will be released in 2020 and are already on my shopping list!
There are Jedis, masters on the Dark Side of the Force, Stormtroopers, Ewoks, robots, battles with spacecraft, lightsabers, planets with fantastic creatures, an interplanetary parliament…. It’s impossible not to love the Star Wars expanded universe once you get to know it.
Your favorite might not be on here, and that’s okay. You might have different choices, and that’s okay, too. Feel free to make your own list.
We hope you enjoy exploring the official Star Wars story!
Title: Star Wars: Master & Apprentice
Author: Claudia Grey
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: April 16, 2019
Hardcover: 352 pages
Era: Age of Republic
Year: 39 BBY
While on mission for the Jedi Order, an unexpected proposal is testing the ties between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi.The most important duty of a Jedi is to pass on what he has learned. However, despite his long experience, nothing has ever frightened Qui-Gon Jinn more than the thought of disappointing his Padawan.
Obi-Wan has a lot of respect for his Master, but struggles to understand him. Why does he not always take into account the laws of the Order? Why is he attracted to ancient prophecies? And why didn’t anyone tell him that Qui-Gon had been invited to join the Council, when it might end their partnership?
When the Jedi Rael Averross, Dooku’s former apprentice, requests their assistance in a political matter, Jinn and Kenobi go to the royal court of Pijal for what could be their last mission together…
4,8 (our rating)
Title: Star Wars Queen's Peril
Author: E. K. Johnston
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Release Date: May 5, 2020
Hardcover: 352 pages
Era: Age of Republic
Year: 33 BBY
After we got an insight into the world of Padmé and her companions at the beginning of 2019, another novel was announced: Queen’s Peril will again be written by E.K. Johnston and will be published on May 5, 2020. This is all about the prehistory of Amidala, which means that the book is set before Queen’s Shadow #ad.
Title: Star Wars: Dark Disciple
Author: Christie Golden
Publisher: Del Rey; 1st Printing edition
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Hardcover: 336 pages
Era: Age of Republic
Year: 19 BBY
The book tells the story of an undercover mission by Bounty Hunter/Ex-Sith student Asajj Ventress and Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos to kill separatist leader Count Dooku. What follows is a dark mix of betrayal, secrets, desperate love, good and evil – and the related question of who you can trust.
Clone wars have been going on for years and under the leadership of the dreaded Sith-Lord Count Dooku the separatists are responsible for countless atrocities and acts of violence. The Jedi, once known throughout the galaxy as the guardians of peace, find themselves increasingly pushed to their limits in this situation, and have little to do to resist the ruthless activity of Count Dooku, which is why the Jedi Council is thinking of having to take more harsh measures to stop the Sith. And so they decide to send Jedi Master Quinlan Vos on a mission to form an alliance with Asajj Ventress, a former Count student who has tried to kill him twice but has failed so far.
The difficulty with the mission, however, is that Vos has to gain the trust of Asajj on the one hand, but on the other hand has to keep her in the dark about his origin and real goals, because the renegade is considered a dubious ally…
4,5 (our rating)
Title: Tarkin: Star Wars
Author: James Luceno
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Hardcover: 288 pages
Era: Age of Republic
Year: 14 BBY
“Tarkin”, the name of one of the Imperials with the least screen time in A New Hope, but which everyone remembers because he ordered Alderaan’ s destruction under Princess Leia’s amazed eyes.
Five years have passed since the Galactic Republic came to an end and the former chancellor Palpatine has become emperor. One of his most loyal and long-time followers, Wilhuff Tarkin, who has now been promoted to Moff, is sent to a remote sentinel base on the Emperor’s orders
The main story takes place on the Outer Rim, where Tarkin works hard on a space station, a secret project that promises to be the Empire’s final weapon that could change the history of the galaxy forever. The Moff is alarmed when an attack is forged and he is called to Coruscant. The Emperor himself requires his presence and puts Tarkin and Vader in a kind of test in which the two most deadly members of the empire fight a small group of dissidents.
Meanwhile, there is more behind this mission than both Tarkin and Vader suspect…
4,5 (our rating)
Title: Star Wars Most Wanted
Author: Rae Carson
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Release Date: May 25, 2018
Hardcover: 352 pages
Era: Age of Republic
Year: 13 BBY
With Star Wars: Most Wanted, Rae Carson launches a fun and entertaining adventure novel dedicated to young Han and his colleague Qi’ra shortly before the start of the Solo movie. While the story may be relatively compact and small, it offers the two characters an ample opportunity to shine in an action-packed story.
The eighteen-year-old Han lives – as does the Qi’ra of the same age as part of the “White Worms” in the canal network under Coronet, Corellia’s capital. And even though life is hard under the yoke of the Grindalid Lady Proxima, it is better to be part of a gang than to have to fight your way through on your own, especially since the post of undertaker has recently become vacant and attracts with extra food rations. So it’s actually quite convenient for Han when Lady Proxima selects him for a precarious job and in return offers him the prospect of the post in question, but Qi’ra is also sent on a dubious secret mission by her.
Han and Qi’ra still don’t suspect that their missions are connected, nor that they will soon get into trouble and from now on not only the “White Worms”, but also the collected Kaldana syndicate and the imperial troops will hunt them down. Good for both, that Qi’ra is born tactician, Han born improviser…
4,7 (our rating)
Title: Star Wars Rebel Rising
Author: Beth Revis
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Hardcover: 416 pages
Era: Age of Republic
Year: 13 BBY – 0
The book covers the time between the novel The Catalyst by James Luceno and Rogue One. It describes the story of Jyn Erso and how she became a resistance fighter and ended up in prison on Wobani.
After her mother has been murdered and her father has been forced into the service of the Empire, Jyn, just eight years old, hides in the hope of rescue, which then appears in the form of Saw Gerrera, who reluctantly takes her in and is undoubtedly overburdened with the upbringing of the girl. What seems to be going better for him is to train Jyn in martial arts and use her talent to forge imperial codes and releases, so that Jyn grows more and more into a member of his resistance group. But as Saw manages to gather more people around him, so does his paranoia, especially with regard to his fear that someone might find out whose daughter Jyn really is.
For better or for worse, Jyn has to realize that she can only rely on herself when it comes to defying the galaxy’s adversities…
4,2 (our rating)
Title: Star Wars: The Ascendancy Trilogy: Chaos Rising
Author: Timothy Zahn
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: May 5, 2020
Hardcover: 336 pages
Era: Age of Republic
Year: Before Thrawn
This novel by Timothy Zahn is scheduled for release on May 5, 2020 and will be entitled Chaos Rising. So far we know little about the content except that the story is set before Thrawn’s journey to the Empire and the Chiss Ascendancy in the Unknown Regions.
Title: Star Wars: Thrawn
Author: Timothy Zahn
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: April 11, 2017
Hardcover: 448 pages
Era: Age of Republic
Year: 11 – 2 BBY
Thrawn, the first volume of a trilogy, marks the return of best-selling author Timothy Zahn to the Star Wars universe during the Disney era. Thrawn’s action takes place in the emerging Galactic Empire a few years after the end of the Clone War: Thrawn is collected by imperials on an isolated planet, and the plot focuses around his ascension into the hierarchy of the prestigious Imperial Navy.
In Thrawn we meet the journey of one of the most admired characters in the Star Wars universe and, if in doubt, one of the brightest military strategists in the entire galaxy. The work is a dive into the dark depths of the Empire and the evil caused by it. There are no good guys in Thrawn, no confrontations between Jedis and Siths or anything like that.
There are games of interest, betrayals and political machinations – and all this happens within the imperial spheres. Thrawn, already known to those who saw the Rebel animation series and/or read Timothy Zahn’s trilogy, remains surprising and one of the most interesting characters in the franchise. He is cold and reckless. As a chess player, he calculates every move he makes, and thinks about the next possible moves long before the moment comes…
4,3 (our rating)
Title: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Lost Stars
Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Release Date: September 4, 2015
Hardcover: 560 pages
Era: Age of Republic
Year: 11 BBY – 5 ABY
Ciena Ree and Thane Kyrell met in childhood and grew up with the same dream: to fly the Empire’s spaceships. During adolescence, their friendship gradually turns into something more, but political differences take their paths away: Thane joins the Rebel Alliance and Ciena remains loyal to the emperor. Now on opposite sides of the war, will they be able to stay together? Through Ciena and Thane perspectives, you will follow the major events from the Rebellion’s emergence to the Empire’s fall in an absolutely original and engaging way
5 (our rating)
Title: Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi Leia, Princess of Alderaan
Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Release Date: September 1, 2017
Hardcover: 416 pages
Era: Age of Republic
Year: 3 BBY
In the novel, we experience first-hand how Leia herself first learns about the rebellion in the galaxy against the Empire and how it then becomes part of it. The novel begins with Leia Organa, the adopted daughter of Queen Breha and King Bail Organa of Alderaan, on the threshold of adulthood. In the Alderaan monarchy, the crown is not simply presented to you – especially when you were adopted – but you have to earn the title and the associated positions and duties. In the course of this rite, Leia chooses her own tasks, with which she can prove herself worthy of the crown.
Claudia Gray once again succeeds in giving the character of Princess Leia even more depth. Thus she shows in a comprehensible way how a girl adopted into a royal house becomes a selfless leader who puts the well-being of many above her own! Great power follows great responsibility – nobody lives this motto as much as Princess Leia of Alderaan!
4,6 (our rating)
Title: Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron
Author: Alexander Freed
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: June 11, 2019
Hardcover: 416 pages
Era: Age of Rebellion
Year: 4 ABY
Does anyone remember the old X-Wing novels? When rebel and imperial pilots were the stars of the show? Yap.. the good old days. And that’s exactly what Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron revives. The story follows the events of Episode XI and revolves around pilot aces of the New Republic who hunt Imperial survivors. For Battlefront fans, there are some connections between the story of Iden Versio and the dreaded Operation Cinder..
X, U, A, Y, and B. Put it all together and we have the new Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron, Alexander Freed’s new book that will start a trilogy of stories after the Return of the Jedi.
In Alphabet Squadron, a new New Republic general called Hera Syndulla (I think you know who we’re talking about) brings together five pilots who will hunt a mysterious Imperial group called Shadow Wing. The first recruit is Yrica Quell, an Imperial pilot who deserted after the Battle of Endor, and will pilot an X-Wing. How about meeting the full team?
4,2 (our rating)
Title: Catalyst (Star Wars): A Rogue One Novel
Author: James Luceno
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: November 15, 2016
Hardcover: 416 pages
Era: Age of Rebellion
Year: 4 ABY
4,1 (our rating)
Catalyst is a prequel to Rogue One, where the reader is introduced to the most important actors from the film, Jyn and Galen Erso as well as Orson Krennic. However, the plot doesn’t start right before Rogue One, but transports us back to Jyn’s childhood. The story begins when Galen’s wife Lyra Erso is pregnant with Jyn and ends when Jyn is at kindergarten age. The narrated time of the book also includes the Republic to Empire transition.
What is Catalyst? – Galen Erso is a much sought-after scientist in the field of energy research. In particular, he deals with the mysterious cybernetic crystals. As Galen is a convinced pacifist, but at the same time researches in an extremely important field for weapons production and the war industry, he is always caught between the fronts. When Galen and his pregnant wife fall into the hands of the Separatists, his old friend Lieutenant Commander Orson Krennic, whom he knows from a sponsorship program, is suddenly there to help them. But of course Krennic’s help is not altruistic, as the ambitious young officer tries to recruit his childhood friend for a secret project in which he is involved: the Death Star construction…
Title: Star Wars: Shadow Fall - An Alphabet Squadron Novel
Author: Alexander Freed
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: June 23, 2020
Hardcover: 320 pages
Era: Age of Rebellion
Year: 4 ABY
An Alphabet Squadron Novel by Alexander Freed will be released in spring 2020. It’s the second part of the Alphabet Squad trilogy, set right after the events in The Return of the Jedi. It will show how the alphabetical squad pilots and General Hera Syndulla will face the imperial TIE squadron “Shadow Wing”.
Title: Bloodline (Star Wars)
Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Hardcover: 352 pages
Era: Age of Resistance
Year: 28 ABY
When the Rebel Alliance overthrew the Empire, Princess Leia believed that a long period of peace would begin. But what followed were decades of endless fights and political feuds in the New Republic Senate. Read, now an influential senator, is losing faith in politics as she watches her colleagues in the senate, desperate for change, take steps that can destroy the newly created egalitarian government. Alderaan’s last princess becomes the only hope for democracy in its most fragile moment, but the past and the future with the dark side of the Force persecute her. Her son Ben’s Jedi training worries her, especially after he and Luke stop texting her, and one of the family’s greatest secrets may come to light and put her credibility in check…
4,7 (our rating)
Title: Phasma (Star Wars): Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Author: Delilah S. Dawson
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: September 1, 2017
Hardcover: 400 pages
Era: Age of Resistance
Year: 28–34 ABY
One of the most cunning officers of the First Order, Captain Phasma has the approval of her superiors, the respect of her colleagues and the terror of her enemies. However, despite this, Phasma remains as enigmatic as the impassive expression of his shiny chrome helmet.
In this book, the character, who was introduced to the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens and appeared again in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, will face an opponent determined to unearth his mysterious origin – and expose a secret that she keeps with the same zeal and brutality with which she serves her masters.
What the mysterious enemy wants is Phasma’s past – and, with it, any obstacle, betrayal, or long-buried private trauma that could be used against the hated rival that threatens his power and privilege in the ranks of the First Order.
4,5 (our rating)
Title: Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Force Collector
Author: Kevin Shinick
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Release Date: November 19, 2019
Hardcover: 384 pages
Era: Age of Resistance
Year: 32 ABY
Karr Nuq Sin is a teenager like everyone else – sometimes on warpath with his family and school, sometimes absorbed in his hobbies (Jedi artifacts and droids), sometimes quite sociable. But he suffers from a problem: if he touches certain objects, he has – like Jedi master Quinlan Vos – visions of past events, in which this object was present. These are so overwhelming that he faints regularly. He believes he has the power, as the Jedi once did – but no one else believes in his existence.
Following the instructions of his late grandmother, he and his rebel schoolmate Maize Raynshi embark on a journey through the galaxy to find out more about the Jedi with the help of his abilities…..
4,1 (our rating)
Title: Resistance Reborn (Star Wars): Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Author: Rebecca Roanhorse
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Paperback: 320 pages
Era: Age of Resistance
Year: 34 ABY
This book gives us information about resistance recovery after the devastating Battle of Crait. The main focus is on Poe Dameron and the Black Squadron, who were commissioned by Leia to find old allies. They actually appear in the form of Wedge Antilles, Norra Wexley and other lesser-known faces. Meanwhile, Maz Kanata provides the Resistance with important information: there is supposed to be a sinister First Order list of wanted individuals as well as prisoners who have become strong against the First Order.
Leia and her loyal allies will do everything they can to get this list and release the prisoners. Among them is an important person from Leia’s past…
4,6 (our rating)
Title: Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire (Star Wars)
Author: Delilah S. Dawson
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: August 27, 2019
Hardcover: 400 pages
Era: Age of Resistance
Year: 35 ABY
Vi Moradi and Captain Cardinal are back! Those who have read the Phasma novel already know them already. Vi is a tough resistance spy and Captain Cardinal is a First Order officer in his iconic red armor.
Since then, the Cardinal has taken back his middle class name, Archex, and was welcomed by the resistance. Now he is sent on a mission by Leia Organa along with Vi Moradi: The two must build a resistance base in Batuu and recruit new members. But Vi and Archex fall uncontrollably on the planet and, to make matters worse, all their equipment is stolen by a local gang.
With no means of communicating with the resistance, Vi and Archex have to start all over again and, at the same time, learn to get along well. But with the prehistory they share, that’s easier said than done, because both still suffer from physical injuries and mental trauma from the previous novel……..
4,1 (our rating)
Title: Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spark of the Resistance
Author: Justina Ireland
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Release Date: October 4, 2019
Hardcover: 224 pages
Era: Age of Resistance
Year: 35 ABY
It’s the Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker series first title. The book covers resistance reconstruction after the Battle of Crait and follows Rey, Rose, Poe and BB-8 on a rescue mission to the remote planet of Minfar.
Rey, Poe, Rose and BB-8 are on their way back from a routine mission when they receive a desperate distress call from the planet Minfar. Although her order is to return to the base of the Resistance immediately, they decide to get to the bottom of it. They face an entire First Order battalion, ghastly winged monsters and a weapon that could decide the war’ s outcome…
4,2 (our rating)
Title: The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition
Author: Rae Carson
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: March 3, 2020
Hardcover: 288 pages
Era: Age of Resistance
Year: 36 ABY
Less than a month before the The Rise of Skywalker premiere, news about the film novel should of course not be missed. Author Rey Carson published the novel’s cover on Twitter. But we still have to wait a bit until the novel is released. It won’t be released until 3 March next year. It will again be called Expanded Edition, which means that it will also contain additional scenes not shown in the film.
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5 thoughts on “Best Star Wars Novels To Read in 2020”
ThaNk you so much for the awesome post!! I really enjoyed reading it and I have to say I love the star wars series! It has some amazing books. I have not read Dark Disciple and I’m not sure how I missed that one! I’ll check it out today. Thanks for all these book suggestions!
Great review of the upcoming publications, with suggestions of where to purchase some of them. Showed that a lot of research went into writing the post. I’ve watched some of the movies but I personally haven’t read any Star Wars books. I might venture into that as a result of the compelling reviews. Thanks for explaining what expanded edition means … I’ve often wondered. Just one question – why oh why wasn’t there any with a release date in 2020 of May The Force? 🙂
I love the Star Wars movies and have been thinking about reading the books for some time but am heavy into self-help books and keep putting it off. Is there a recommendation of one of these books that build more of the back story than the others or should I seek something outside of this library to begin my quest?
This is rather an interesting listing of the very best star wars books that can keep anyone busy in 2019. This is really great to see here and I fancy it a lot. Though I have seen some out of them that I have read before but then, it would still be fun to read them aga
Wow, this is a very good post and I have really enjoyed the books that you have showed here in the collection. I have to sya that it is a very good thing to see that there are a number of very beautiful characters in the series. I have always been all over the trend of star wars for years but I have never read nay of the novels. I should want to buy a couple. Thanks!