This has been another good year for Star Wars content. We’ve gotten plenty of great TV shows, comics, and books in 2023. As the year draws to a close, I always like to reflect on my thoughts about the books released in a given year. For my thoughts on previous years’ Star Wars releases, check out my rankings from 2021 and 2022. This year, I’ve chosen to stick strictly to YA and adult fiction releases for my ranking, with the exception of one High Republic middle grade adventure. There were also comics, manga, and other middle grade stories published this year, but I find it difficult to compare them to the books for the purpose of ranking. Without further ado, here are my rankings for the 2023 Star Wars books.
DID NOT READ (YET)
Jedi: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs, Crimson Climb by E. K. Johnston, From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi by Saladin Ahmed et al.
I’ve been seriously slacking on my Star Wars reading in 2023, and there were several new Star Wars books I didn’t manage to read this year. As such, I won’t be including these in my rankings. I am looking forward to all three of them, though. I’ve just had so much other stuff to read that I haven’t been able to get to them. I might be able to squeeze Crimson Climb in before the end of the year, and I’ll update these rankings if I do.
#7 – Quest for Planet X by Tessa Gratton
Coming in at number seven, Quest for Planet X wasn’t bad. I remember it being a great adventure with important background for the overall High Republic plot. The problem is I don’t remember any of it. At some point, I’ll have to do a re-read, but this book just didn’t stand out to me. So, it takes the last spot in the rankings.
#6 – Path of Vengeance by Cavan Scott
I enjoyed this book, but I expected to love it more than I did. Scott is one of my favorite Star Wars writers, and I’ve really liked all of the content with the Path of the Open Hand. This was a good conclusion to the story of phase two, but I think it suffered some from having to mop up all the stuff that wasn’t covered in other books. That’s the main problem I had with the latter books in phase two. They overlapped so many of the same events that it felt like important pieces were missing from each book. You can get all my thoughts in my review.
#5 – The Battle of Jedha by George Mann
This was a really great audio drama. I listened to it and read the script. I struggled with the audio a bit and had trouble following all the parts of the story. I think I’m just not much of an audio drama person. The script was great, though, and the battle felt epic in both mediums. There was also a really fantastic supporting character that stood out in this story, and his arc had me so emotional by the end. He’s definitely one of my favorite characters from this year’s releases.
#4 – Cataclysm by Lydia Kang
This was a good conclusion to the phase two adult duology. The battle in this book was intense and terrifying, and the emotional stakes were high for all of the characters. This one just suffered a bit from the same problem I had with many of the other latter phase two books. Pieces of it seemed to be missing because those overlapping events were covered in different books. I still enjoyed the ride, though, and how could I not enjoy a book with Axel in it. (my review)
#3 – The Eye of Darkness by George Mann
This was a great start to phase three of The High Republic! It really delved into the ramifications of the Starlight disaster and took the time to explore the emotional impacts on the characters. The author did a great job of making the situation seem dire and showcasing the struggle of the Jedi to hold on to hope and faith in the Force against seemingly unbeatable odds. I just wish there had been more of Marchion Ro in this book, especially since he looks so awesome on the cover. See all my thoughts in my review!
#2 – Tales of Light and Life by Zoraida Cordova et al.
I never expected this short story compilation to take the number two spot. I enjoyed how each entry gave a little more insight into important characters across all three phases of The High Republic. It’s placement in these rankings is based solely on one story, though. There’s a story that focuses on Bell, and it had me so caught up in my feelings. I was SOBBING. I’d definitely consider this collection essential reading for a number of different reasons, but that story alone made it worth it.
#1 – Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah S. Dawson
We’ve finally made it to number one, which means Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade was my favorite Star Wars book of 2023. I loved the Clone Wars content in this book. It is my favorite era of Star Wars, and I always find it interesting to see the conflict from a new perspective. Iskat was such a great character to follow. She was an outsider amongst the Jedi because of her trouble with impulsivity, and the character was a great window into the experience many neurodivergent people have at school. The story of her fall to the dark side illustrated the failings of the Jedi and how those failings left the Order and its members ripe for corruption by the dark. There was a conversation between Iskat and Palpatine that left me with chills. I do wish the story had spent a little more time exploring Iskat’s role as inquisitor and her relationship that developed toward the end of the book. Those parts felt somewhat rushed. Overall, though, I was really happy with this one and can definitely see myself re-reading it multiple times.
There you have it! My ranking of all the Star Wars books released this year. What was your favorite Star Wars book this year? Let me know in the comments!