Review -- Monsters and Myth Haunt the Jedi in The High Republic: Quest for the Hidden City by George Mann

The High Republic is back! Author George Mann continues the tales set in a time of perilous hyperspace prospecting against the backdrop of two strange planets. This middle-grade reader is the second book in this second phase of the era. It focuses more on isolation in the vastness of space and what happens when hyperspace prospecting goes wrong.



Set almost four-hundred years before A New Hope, the boundaries of the known galaxy are still expanding for the Jedi and the Republic. As they push further out into the Outer Rim, the possibility to make contact with new worlds and cultures also lures prospectors looking to make their fortune. Though the dangers of pushing further into the void and to strange, new worlds sometimes aren't calculated.







Where Light of the Jedi threw readers into the state of the galaxy in a grand and expansive way. This phase of The High Republic seems to be deliberately introducing us to more granular stories. Path of Deceit by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland (read our review here) introduced the Path – a Force-worshipping group with a dubious leader – we learn very little of what's going on in the greater galaxy. The Republic is pushing for more exploration, but there's a sense of any who've taken up this hyperspace prospecting accepts the isolation that comes with it. There's no 'We are all the Republic' sentiments to be found in Path of Deceit and there's certainly none to be found in Quest for the Hidden City. Instead, we learn what happens when things go wrong in the age of exploration.



Author George Mann has a unique Star Wars bibliography, having explored several eras of Star Wars we've seen (and have yet to see) in his Myths & Fables, Dark Tales, and Life Day Treasury (co-written with fellow High Republic author Cavan Scott) collections. When his name was announced for this phase of High Republic stories I was immediately curious what kind of story he'd tell and how it would connect to the myths those in the galaxy far, far away tell each other. In Quest for the Hidden City, Mann demonstrates a fantastic balance of restraint, keeping us focused on the characters and the very confined problems they face. But, when Mann expands the scope, he does a great job widening the view while not losing sight of the story and those we come to care about.



This review will contain some mild-spoilers so tread lightly if you're looking to avoid those. I won't spell out the whole plot, but if you want to go in fresh you may want to stop reading now.



Quest for the Hidden City introduces a Jedi and Padawan duo I absolutely loved and can't wait to see more of. We also meet a prospector, Spence, and his son, Dass, who've managed to survive on a hostile world, Gloam, while just trying to stay alive in the face of futility. Jedi Master Silandra Sho and her new Padawan, Rooper Nitani, arrive at the inhabited and not-so-hostile sibling planet, Aubadas. The binary orbit of planets seems to be a theme in this new phase, as the forever war between the planets Eiram and E'ronoh are mentioned often. That story is forthcoming in Convergence by Zoraida Córdova. The Jedi have arrived to look for some of their own who went missing and make contact with the Katikoot and their vast, underground city.



The Katikoot are described as resembling bats. With the help of the Katikoot, the Jedi are able to begin looking for their lost comrades on Gloam. Once they arrive, they discover an ancient Jedi Temple, but it's been abandoned. They're reunited with their kin and join Dass and Spence, all of them trying to survive the barren Gloam. Not only are they against the elements, but it's revealed an elemental ore has a dramatic, terrible effect on the Katikoot physiology. Because Gloam has been heavily mined, the Jedi believe this ore preserved toxic, living bacteria and it became unleashed, which left the planet void of life.



The story goes from mystery to action and ends up as something of a zombie survival battle. If you're picking up the pace and plot are uneven...well...Quest for the Hidden City left me a bit tepid after the excellent Path of Deceit. My complaints are this story introduces some wonderful characters and settings but we barely get any time with them. If Mann added fifty more pages I think readers would come away much more satisfied. Other middle-grade reader books in The High Republic didn't shy away from that but it felt like Mann potentially cut a lot out of this story. There are some very good beats, though.







Rooper Nitani, the Padawan who Mann keeps central to the story, is great. She's great and one thing I'm enjoying about these new High Republic stories are the shift in ambitions among young Jedi. They're not trying to be the best because they want to be on the Jedi Council or be the youngest Jedi ever, all of which are valid desires. This age of the Jedi seems to be an even more selfless one, as these members of the Order concern themself with tuning out the noise and listening to the Force. They want to be the best Jedi because that makes them the best stewards of the Force. The dogma is still there but it's less concerned with the sanctity of the Order and more aligned with perceiving the will of the Force. Rooper embodies this and it will be interesting to see her grow. The conclusion is very specific where her travels go next and she'll be with her new friend, Dass.







Dass is another bright spot in Quest for the Hidden City. Mann effectively conveys how disconnected the galaxy is and how its beings feel. The prospect of finding new hyperspace lanes excites Dass, but he's ultimately just grateful to be with his father. He's looking for a greater connectivity and belonging in the galaxy, while wanting those same things for everyone. There's a great streak of altruism running through Dass. Mann achieves demonstrating it without making him naive, because there is a certain naivety among everyone in the galaxy when it comes to new worlds and new cultures. His story is set to continue, as well, and I'm interested where he'll end up and how he'll feel whenever he encounters the Path of the Open Hand.







What will happen when any of the surviving characters encounter the Path of the Open Hand? That's a fair question because they're completely absent from this story. If you're fresh off Path of Deceit and want to know more, you're going to have to wait a little bit longer. Unfortunately, the Path of the Open Hand are sorely missing from this story. The massive revelation regarding the Mother's intentions in the previous book will have most readers going into this story, hoping for more, but it's not there. Their name comes up but no one is aware of what they are and the threat they pose. The only person who appears is the hyperspace prospector they've utilized and his role in their plan becomes a bit clearer.







Sunshine Dobbs is introduced in Path of Deceit as another benevolent hyperspace prospector just hoping to make his fortune. By the end of that story and this one, we learn Dobbs is as ruthless as anyone in the Path of the Open Hand. He's the one who led Dass and his father to Gloam, leaving them to die once he found what he was looking for. Dobbs role in these stories is shaping up to be something of a scout for the Path of the Open Hand. Posing as a prospector, he can find lethal resources on each planet the Mother can weaponize for whatever war she intends to wage on the Jedi. Dobbs is an opportunist and he sees his fortune in joining the Path of the Open Hand. While we don't see Dobbs in this story, his actions are the catalyst for many events. I'm dreading to see what the Mother will build with the toxins of Gloam and the Leveler she's unleashed in Path of Deceit.







Silandra Sho, Jedi Master, is my favorite character of the book. She carries a shield and preaches the role of the Jedi is to protect always, never attack. Sho's mantra is tested several times during the story and she always stays true. There is a very genuine touch to her qualities. Mann writes her wonderfully, being careful not to make her (or any of the Jedi) saviors swooping in to help the helpless. Quite often, the Katikoot are the ones helping them. Sho bears a character resemblance to Qui-Gon Jinn, walk softly but carry a big lightsaber. And she does! One of the most unique, stylistic traits is the lightsaber shield she carries with her. It will be very interesting to see what she does with it in the future. There's another Jedi we meet, Rok, who has also survived on Gloam. Only he did it barricaded in an abandoned Jedi temple while the zombie-Katikoot swarmed him. By the end of the story, it's implied Rok may have become a Wayseeker and is traveling the galaxy on his own. With his dead master's lightsaber in hand, Rok is going to find his own path.



The only problem with these things I liked is I'm more excited for the possibilities of how they'll evolve in future stories than the one I'm writing about. Quest for the Hidden City didn't really give me much other than a brief introduction. This maddeningly makes it required reading for everyone who wants the full High Republic experience while being a story which bears little relevance to the big picture. In my opinion, this could have been a great Star Wars Adventures comic series rather than a novel. Mann beautifully describes the environments this story moves through and this would look great on the page. As a novel, it felt hollow, with several pages taken up just getting characters to different locations.



I'm also confused why the publishing date was pushed back by Disney Lucasfilm Press. It went from October 22nd to November 1st, the day after Halloween. This would be a great Star Wars Halloween-themed story, especially with all the caves and zombified-Katikoot running around. There are smarter marketing minds than mine and I'm sure they had their reasons, but it feels like a missed opportunity.







Though I'm critical of Quest for the Hidden City, there's no doubt George Mann wrote this book with a lot of love. The bar I'm holding for these stories is very high, especially after many strong entries in The High Republic so far. Perhaps when I'm able to re-read these all in chronological order after The High Republic is complete, Quest for the Hidden City will stand up a bit stronger. For now, it's a good story which could've been so much better with a few more chapters. The introduction of Silandra, Rooper, and Dass is worth the small amount of time you can put in reading Quest for the Hidden City, but you'll likely come away wanting more. Maybe that was the plan all along?







Despite me not being crazy about this story, I do think this next phase of The High Republic is very promising and compelling, especially the Jedi's relationship to the Force and this gathering of Force-centric religious groups on Jedha we keep hearing so much about. Don't skip Quest for the Hidden City, just temper your expectations and enjoy the ride this incredible group of authors and creators continue to send us on. And, buckle-up, because I have a feeling the Mother and her Path of the Open Hand have some very bumpy hyperlanes they'll be taking the Jedi down.


<p style='text-align: center;']RATING: 6/10</p>


Star Wars: The High Republic: Quest for the Hidden City is available where books are sold. Special thanks to Crystal McCoy and Disney Lucasfilm Press for the advanced copy used in this review.



Click HERE to check out and comment on this topic on our main site