Review: Star Wars: The Battle of Jedha Brings the High Republic Together in Phase 2s Most Ambitious Tale Yet

The new year is here, and with it, a new Star Wars adventure! Star Wars: The Battle of Jedha arrives in your audio library tomorrow with some big boots to fill. The latest Star Wars audiodrama has the job of answering questions regarding the state of Jedha in Rogue One. More importantly though, it serves as a nexus point for just about every narrative thread told so far in the High Republic's Phase 2 between Convergence, Path of Deceit, Quest for the Hidden City, and Marvel’s The High Republic series.



The Battle of Jedha by George Mann sees delegates from the planets of Eiram and E’ronoh come to the holy city to end their long-running war. Jedi Master Creighton Sun and Knight Aida Forte are present to safekeep the proceedings. Meanwhile, Jedi Master Silandra Sho comes to Jedha for another purpose. She just looks to have a nice, peaceful pilgrimage on what is considered to be a homeland of the Force, only to discover this isn't the planet she and the Jedi remember. The Convocation of the Force has hijacked the traditional Season of Light so they can have a further reach and celebrate all the various sects of Force believers on Jedha. Sounds admirable right? Well, the Path of the Open Hand has their own desires to stir the pot, and join the Convocation so their own warped beliefs can be heard.



The Path of the Open Hand makes their way to the Holy City in The Battle of Jedha by George Mann.



The Battle of Jedha is a very busy story with a lot of chefs in the kitchen, but the dish that's served resembles something of an Avengers movie from Marvel in all of its blockbuster glory. That includes all the trappings with crossovers that wow, plus an entertaining end sequence that I can see some saying borders on extremely convenient and might not emotionally resonate enough because you know it's just setting up something down the line. In saying that, if we're following the Marvel formula, I can tell you the 'post-credit scenes' are worth sticking around for.



Overall, some themes and stories ended up thriving better on their own. Mann, however, identifies the characters that are worth pairing together and finds exciting new stories and relationships that could lead to a grander payoff later. The end result is an enjoyable ride that swings for the fences with its ambition. The Battle of Jedha simply succeeds in pushing this phase of the High Republic forward in unexpected ways.



This review will contain mild spoilers, and I will do my best to dance around major ones. This will also be written with the understanding that you are mostly caught up with Phase 2, so just be warned. If you've made it this far into High Republic publishing, you know the drill at this point. The Battle of Jedha is a short listen, clocking in around 5.5 hours, and marks another piece of required content for fans.







Convergence left the story at a breaking point. Gella Nattai is carving her own journey in the Force after the betrayal of Axel Greylark, and Xiri A'lbaran and her husband Phan-tu Zenn are working to forge a new path of peace for their warring worlds. Those two relationships carried Zoraida Córdova's epic tale of love and hope, and if you were looking to see those themes come back to life in what is ostensibly its sequel: look no further than Jedi Master Creighton Sun.



Whether he means to or not, he puts the burden of two worlds and their futures on his shoulders. Every moment with him in the early goings show a man who doubts himself and his own resolve. So even though Convergence's core quartet is basically nowhere to be found, rest assured Creighton is up to the task of being the anchor. Once nothing more than a solid background player, don't be surprised if you find this Jedi becoming one of your favorite High Republic characters.



Unused Stellan Gios concept art repurposed for Creighton Sun.



Creighton is joined by Jedi Knight Aida Forte to keep the peace for the formal peace treaty signings between the ambassadors of Eiram and E'ronoh on the neutral world of Jedha. Overseeing the proceedings is Morton San Tekka, who is accompanied by Keth Cerepath, a worker at the Church of the Force.



Convergence explored the idea that not everyone wants to see the war between Eiram and E'ronoh end. Some don't believe the other is capable of peace, and there are those who find comfort in the status quo as they don't know what a life is like without fighting. Eiram's Ambassador Cerox falls firmly in one of those, but she still chooses to do what is right for her planet. E'ronoh's Ambassador Tintac is mostly just there, but that's an issue with a lot of the side characters in this book. More on that later.



With so much at stake, let's talk about Jedha. Jedi Master Silandra Sho finds out why there might not be a worse time and place to attempt to end a war when she lands and is greeted by a pair of Guardians of the Whills. At this time, the guardians are in their prime, with one named Selik sounding suspiciously like Donnie Yen's Chirrut Îmwe. I say suspiciously, but it's really just a fun nod from voice actor David Lee Huynh.



Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen)credit: Jonathan Olley/© Lucasfilm LFL 2016



Silandra arrives on Jedha to partake in the Season of Light, a pilgrimage for Jedi and other Force users on Jedha, not dissimilar to some real-world religions. However, the Convocation of the Force has slightly different plans. Instead, they decide to host a party called the Festival of Balance to celebrate all factions of Force users and believers on Jedha. If you're having trouble understanding what the big difference is between the two, good. I did too. That's one story element that wasn't drawn out to perfection. Silandra even says as much that the two really aren't that different.



While Jedha is holy ground to the Jedi, it's shown that the planet's population holds many different beliefs about the Force. Thus, the Convocation was born to give everyone a voice, but the group has kind of taken over the city in ways that some see as corrupt. This creates a lot of tension between its people and the Jedi who arrive practically uninvited. That tension is on full display when Silandra is walking through the market and comes across a little girl handing out 'gifts freely given'.



The first big crossover is between Silandra and the Path of the Open Hand's Marda Ro, who rushes in to save the little one. It goes about as well as you can expect, but what surprised me was hearing the further downturn into insanity Marda seems to be taking. In Path of Deceit, she was never going to be persuaded to turn away from the Path's beliefs, but every word she hurdles at Silandra in this scene shows that this is not the woman who once befriended and almost fell in love with a Jedi.



Quest for the Hidden City showed Silandra as the type of Jedi who listens instead of immediately going into diatribes about the Force. Silandra attempts to maintain control with an open heart and mind, but the vile nature of Marda makes it a worthless attempt. All I'll say is that somehow, the Jedi has confrontations even more tense with the Path later on.







While one may be led to believe this is Creighton and Aida's story based on the cover, The Battle of Jedha is really the Creighton and Silandra show (I'll be here all week). Soon after the Marda incident, the two Jedi Masters reunite. Their relationship is akin to that of Stellan Gios and Avar Kriss. I would include Elzar too, but there are no forbidden romance vibes here. Instead, we learn they grew up together as Padawans and earned knighthood together as well.



Having some time before the peace treaty festivities, Silandra notices Creighton is under a bit of stress and takes him on the first leg of her pilgrimage. Underneath the Dome of Deliverance lie the kyber mirrors, which essentially act as a free Force vision. What the two Jedi experience together might be my favorite moment in The Battle of Jedha, and I don't dare give away the finer details. Star Wars just simply needs more moments like this between Jedi, where the mystical side is put on the back burner. These are people, and it's refreshing to see characters treat each other as such.



Silandra Sho concept art.



I don't think it will be much of a spoiler to say that the peace talks between Eiram and E'ronoh don't quite go according to plan. Investigations get underway to find who is once again trying to overthrow a path to ending the Forever War.



One of those paths with a vested interest is none other than the Path (again, here all week) and the Mother. I'm trying to dance around major spoilers so I won't say exactly how she and the Path get involved, but shock, horror! They have schemes on Jedha besides trying to get a foothold inside the Convocation. It's at this point where you can see the ****** in the armor as we head closer towards the impending battle.



Before I dive deeper into the battle itself, which is sadly the weakest part of the story, I must give a shoutout to the production work. The sound design is top-tier, with classic and new Star Wars themes lifting every scene they appear in. Some of the top performances include Raphael Corkhill's Creighton, Catherine Ho's Silandra, and Salli Saffioti's Ambassador Cerox. Regular audiobook listeners will not be surprised to learn Marc Thompson's two alien characters Kradon (owner of the Enlightenment bar) and Mytion (member of a noteworthy Force sect called the Brothers of the Ninth Door) are both real fun to listen to.



Audiobook listeners will also not be surprised to learn that January LaVoy's Mother absolutely steals the show. She does the same thing Marc Thompson does with the Nihil leader, Marchion Ro, in that she hangs on every syllable and word adding a soft, subtle menace to everything. Like Thompson's Ro, LaVoy's Mother is the only way I want to hear that character from now on.



January Lavoy as 'the Mother' in The Battle of Jedha audiodrama.



The entire cast is strong, production value is unsurprisingly stellar, Jedha is explored in fresh ways, and the setup is superbly well-plotted with a lot to dig into for all kinds of Star Wars fans. So if you're still with me, time to get nitpicky.



The downfall of Jedha was always meant to be a tragedy. When we get the answer for how that infamous Jedi statue in the desert falls, it hits hard. Every minor character death has the proper gravitas it needs, and they feel like a big deal, which is a success story in its own right. Many of these side characters mentioned thus far serve a singular purpose and don't add anything else besides driving the plot the few moments they get. So when some meet an unfortunate fate, it's a credit once again to great production and solid voice acting to add that weight.







As for the battle itself, I could never escape the feeling that I've been on this ride before during a monumentally sad High Republic moment. The first two acts of The Battle of Jedha hang onto that dangling thread of hope and peace, and the climax squashes it. That was a tough sell in The Fallen Star during the fall of Starlight Beacon, and it is here as well. Because you feel detached emotionally, the reveals of who's behind all of the chaos just come and go. There's nothing ever inherently wrong with anything that plays out, but it just falls flat.



Adding to an earlier point, the most criminal oversight comes with the third act's use of the Path of the Open Hand. Despite being the villains of the phase, they take a backseat towards the end and don't have a whole lot of major plays to make. Marda Ro feels like a non-factor for most of the story after that moment with Silandra. The conflict between the Herald and the Mother isn't explored enough. I'll plead the fifth on the Leveler because even the High Republic's most inspired creation isn't utilized all that creatively (still terrifying as ever though when it does join the party).



The Leveler.



The fallout of the battle results in its combatants just trying to pick up the pieces. Jedha City falls, the Guardians of the Whills fall, and Jedi like Creighton Sun aren't the same. His arc finds a nice resolution though as he finds a way to save what he can of Jedha. We're left with the knowledge that this is really only the beginning. If you thought the war coming to Jedha was brutal, Dalna and what could become the Night of Sorrow is next. True Marvel post-credits fashion.



The Battle of Jedha is such a compelling listen at the start when you can feel everyone basking in the moment. No matter their walk of life, everyone fundamentally wants the same goal. Peace. That is something that looks different for everyone which makes it complicated, but it's a noble cause worth fighting for. What you can't predict is the cost of that fight.



When those good vibes were taken away, it was tough to get it back. The fact that I am conflicted and left wanting means George Mann did his job. The destruction of Jedha and its impact isn't supposed to feel good. It's meant to be a momentous occasion, and on those grounds, it's a success. The Battle of Jedha didn't accomplish everything it set out to do with its myriad of players, but when this is looked back up in the grand scheme of the High Republic, it should shine because it laid the groundwork for an incredible back half of Phase 2.


<p style='text-align: center;']RATING: 7.5/10</p>


Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha is available tomorrow, January 3rd, on online audiobook retailers. Special thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the ARC used in this review.



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