Happy Star Wars Day

Do you want to watch the adventures of the Mandalorian or read up on the early days of the Galactic Republic? Robbins Library is a convenient way to get access to stories from long ago in a galaxy far, far away. 

If you want to read something set around the time of the original Star Wars trilogy try one of these books.

  • Star wars : from a certain point of view : the empire strikes back. On May 21, 1980, Star Wars became a true saga with the release of The Empire Strikes Back. In honor of the fortieth anniversary, forty storytellers re-create an iconic scene from The Empire Strikes Back through the eyes of a supporting character, from heroes and villains, to droids and creatures.
  • Thrawn : treason by Timothy Zahn. “If I were to serve the Empire, you would command my allegiance.” Such was the promise Grand Admiral Thrawn made to Emperor Palpatine at their first meeting. Since then, Thrawn has been one of the Empire’s most effective instruments, pursuing its enemies to the very edges of the known galaxy. But as keen a weapon as Thrawn has become, the Emperor dreams of something far more destructive. Now, as Thrawn’s TIE defender program is halted in favor of Director Krennic’s secret Death Star project, he realizes that the balance of power in the Empire is measured by more than just military acumen or tactical efficiency. Even the greatest intellect can hardly compete with the power to annihilate entire planets. As Thrawn works to secure his place in the Imperial hierarchy, his former protégé Eli Vanto returns with a dire warning about Thrawn’s homeworld. Thrawn’s mastery of strategy must guide him through an impossible choice: duty to the Chiss Ascendancy, or fealty to the Empire he has sworn to serve. Even if the right choice means committing treason
  • Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher. The Empire is dead. Nearly two decades after the Battle of Endor, the tattered remnants of Palpatine’s forces have fled to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. But for the heroes of the New Republic, danger and loss are ever-present companions, even in this newly forged era of peace. Jedi Master Luke Skywalker is haunted by visions of the dark side, foretelling an ominous secret growing somewhere in the depths of space, on a dead world called Exegol. The disturbance in the Force is undeniable … and Luke’s worst fears are confirmed when his old friend Lando Calrissian comes to him with reports of a new Sith menace.
  • Star Wars. Doctor Aphra. Vol. 1, Fortune and fate by Alyssa Wong. The rogue archaeologist returns – with a new crew and a new mission! With the Rebel Alliance on the run after their defeat at the Battle of Hoth, it’s never been a more dangerous time for outlaws and scoundrels. But after a string of bad luck and near escapes, Doctor Aphra is back on the job – hunting the score of a lifetime that’s too good to pass up. To find the cursed Rings of Vaale, Aphra will need a crew of treasure hunters the likes of which the galaxy has never seen before! But Ronen Tagge, heir to the powerful Tagge family, also has his eyes on the prize. Do Aphra and her team stand a chance at fortune and glory? Or could there be a traitor in their midst?

Intrigued by the new stories set during the High Republic era of the galaxy? Pick up one of these books.

  • Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule. Long before the First Order, before the Empire, before even The Phantom Menace . . . Jedi lit the way for the galaxy in The High Republic. It is a golden age. Intrepid hyperspace scouts expand the reach of the Republic to the furthest stars, worlds flourish under the benevolent leadership of the Senate, and peace reigns, enforced by the wisdom and strength of the renowned order of Force users known as the Jedi. With the Jedi at the height of their power, the free citizens of the galaxy are confident in their ability to weather any storm. But the even brightest light can cast a shadow, and some storms defy any preparation. When a shocking catastrophe in hyperspace tears a ship to pieces, the flurry of shrapnel emerging from the disaster threatens an entire system. No sooner does the call for help go out than the Jedi race to the scene. The scope of the emergence, however, is enough to push even Jedi to their limit. As the sky breaks open and destruction rains down upon the peaceful alliance they helped to build, the Jedi must trust in the Force to see them through a day in which a single mistake could cost billions of lives. Even as the Jedi battle valiantly against calamity, something truly deadly grows beyond the boundary of the Republic. The hyperspace disaster is far more sinister than the Jedi could ever suspect. A threat hides in the darkness, far from the light of the age, and harbors a secret that could strike fear into even a Jedi’s heart
  • Convergence by Zoraida Córdova. The next adventure in the High Republic begins expanding the new era of Star Wars, with a story set generations before Light of the Jedi. It is an age of exploration. Jedi travel the galaxy, expanding their understanding of the Force and all the worlds and beings connected by it. Meanwhile, the Republic, led by its two chancellors, works to unite worlds in an ever-growing community among near and distant stars. On the close-orbiting planets of Eiram and E’ronoh, the growing pains of a galaxy with limited resources but unlimited ambition are felt keenly. The two worlds’ hatred for each other has fueled half a decade of escalating conflict and now threatens to consume surrounding systems. The last hope for peace emerges when heirs from the planets’ royal families plan to marry. Before lasting peace can be established, an assassination attempt targeting the couple tilts Eiram and E’ronoh back into all-out war. To save both worlds, Jedi Knight Gella Nattai volunteers to uncover the culprit, while Chancellor Kyong appoints her own son, Axel Greylark, to represent the Republic’s interests in the investigation. But Axel’s deep distrust of the Jedi sparks against Gella’s faith in the Force. She’s never met such a puffed-up, privileged party boy, and he’s never met a more self-serious, relentless do-gooder. The harder they work to untangle the shadowy web of the investigation, the more complicated the conspiracy appears to be. With accusations flying and potential enemies in every shadow, the pair will have to work together to have any hope of bringing the truth to light and saving both worlds.
  • Midnight horizon by Daniel José Older. Confronting the anarchistic marauders known as the Nihil, the Jedi Knights and their Padawans are put to the test, but soon discover that nothing is what it seems. After a series of losses, the Republic seems to have the villainous Nihil marauders on the run. Jedi Masters Cohmac Vitus and Kantam Sy are sent to the world of Corellia, in the Galactic Core, to investigate a suspected Nihil attack. There, Padawans Reath Silas and Ram Jomaram encounter security specialist Crash, whose friend was one of the victims of the attack. What they uncover on Corellia turns out to be part of a great plan– one that could lead the Jedi to their most stunning defeat yet.

And of course don’t forget books for the younglings.

  • A test of courage by Justina Ireland. Forced to leave behind his beloved Jedi Temple archives for a mission on the undeveloped frontier, padawan Reath Silas and his traveling companions are knocked off course by a galactic event and forced to shelter in an abandoned space station, where strange things begin to happen. Long before the Clone Wars, the Empire, or the First Order, the Jedi lit the way for the galaxy in a golden age known as the High Republic! Vernestra Rwoh is a new Jedi Knight at age sixteen, but her first real assignment feels an awful lot like babysitting. She’s been charged with supervising twelve-year old aspiring inventor Avon Starros on a cruiser headed to the dedication of a wondrous new space station called Starlight Beacon. But soon into their journey, bombs go off aboard the cruiser. While the adult Jedi try to save the ship, Vernestra, Avon, Avon’s droid J-6, a Jedi Padawan, and an ambassador’s son make it to an escape shuttle, but communications are out and supplies are low. They decide to land on a nearby moon, which offers shelter but not much more. And unbeknownst to them, danger lurks in the forest?
  • Quest for the hidden city by George Man Daring pilots chart new routes through hyperspace, while Pathfinder teams make contact with frontier worlds to invite them to join the Republic. When a Pathfinder team’s communications droid is found drifting in space, damaged and bearing a cryptic message, Jedi Knight Silandra Sho and her Padawan, Rooper Nitani, are sent to find the missing team members. Their investigation leads them to the planet Gloam, a ravaged world said to be haunted by mythical monsters. Can the Jedi find the missing Pathfinders and unravel the mystery of the monsters?
  • A Jedi you will be by Preeti Chhibber Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and learn how to use the Force in this hilarious and stylized picture book narrated by everybody’s favorite Jedi Master, Yoda!

You can find many more Star Wars books, movies and electronic content by searching the Minuteman Catalog.