Review – ‘The High Republic: Temptation of the Force’ Is a Sensational Masterpiece From Tessa Gratton
Temptation of the Force is a Star Wars novel sensation. Tessa Gratton has written a Star Wars masterpiece. Within the pages of this book are some of the most difficult Star Wars anyone has had to write. She must weave together threads from a dozen different characters that fans are incredibly familiar with by now, and she does it in such a way that allows a new fan to enter without feeling overwhelmed.
The High Republic doesn’t shy away from romance, but the romance between Elzar and Avar finally taking center stage must be the toughest to put together. Gratton writes it perfectly. It’s a persistent tale of hope, but not naive enough to let you believe everything is going to be perfectly fine in a masterclass of pacing. If you love stories that expand the lore of Star Wars and the Force itself, place this book atop your shelf. Climactic moments involving our favorite Force users are some truly all-time Star Wars storytelling.
There are only a handful of stories in this massive era of storytelling that I feel comfortable and led to push into the “best Star Wars grouping of all time” category. The cream of the crop is reserved only for a select few. Temptation of the Force belongs in this group.
Tessa Gratton writes a truly bold narrative. From bone-chilling plot points to a romance we’ve all been craving more of acting like a volcano about to erupt, this story from Gratton hits every single level of thematic Star Wars storytelling. Rarely am I so captivated by a Star Wars novel because of what the incredible villains are doing while also equally giddy about a romance I refuse to stop believing in. The best part is that Gratton doesn’t overwhelm you with too much from the two main story threads, those being what Marchion Ro is up to and each of Elzar and Avar’s paths. No, she leaves you craving more with the turn of each new chapter because of the great weight placed on the other characters in play. Characters like Burryaga and Bell have a tremendous part to play.
Vernestra Rwoh gets her moments. Porter Engle and General Viess are locked in a generation-long struggle. Chancellor Soh and Ghirra Starros engage in some wonderfully written political battles. Even little Avon has a massive role to play as well. This book threads together so many characters and numerous plot threads, but never fails to maintain its purpose or lose sight of the overall narrative. With that being said, the Avar and Elzar moments are the GREATEST part of the book.
To continue, I want to dive into something you’ll think about quite often as you read this book. What is love? This is something both Elzar Mann and Avar Kriss have struggled with regarding their feelings for one another for several years and throughout this entire series. Now reunited after the events of The Eye of Darkness, those feelings and this complicated, but fierce relationship are at the forefront of the entirety of Temptation of the Force.
For Elzar, he is so unsure of himself. Having given into the dark side before, lashing out in anger and acting out of fear, he worries about losing himself in his love for Avar. What if he can’t control his impulses? What if he can’t let her go if he needs to? There are simply so many battles raging in his head. This is fitting, seeing as he perceives the Force as a raging ocean, waves crashing all around him. The fear of letting the worst of those waves crash over him in a way he can’t control is his greatest. He’s always wanted to be with Avar. Too much, in fact. However, Elzar is a different man now. There’s been growth, reflection, and maturation. His struggle is so relatable, though. Someone who is terrified of what they may do, how they might mess up, and who they might hurt if they do. The oppression of comparison weighs him down. He needs an anchor. There’s a brief, but wonderful conversation he has with Yoda about love. I can’t wait for you to read it.
Enter Avar. She’s finally ready to be with Elzar. She’s no longer afraid or unsure of what her love for him is. It’s pure. It’s not this attachment that she should be fearful of, but rather a part of her that makes her whole: a pure and untainted love. Avar is sure her song in the Force rings true when she is with and connected to Elzar. Long has she felt that her love for Elzar didn’t match with the Jedi code. Her time in the Nihil Occlusion Zone changed all of that.
They need each other. Together, they are at their best. Together, they are unstoppable. It’s not a selfish attachment. It’s something far greater and beyond any of that. As readers, we have all been cheering for this romance to happen. The two are still at different places emotionally throughout this novel, and Gratton knows just how to keep us vigorously turning the pages. I’m convinced more than ever that Avar is the heartbeat of the entire High Republic series.
Beyond the two’s relationship, they are both heavily involved and eager to end the Nihil’s reign of tyranny in the Occlusion Zone and extinguish their threat to the Republic, the Jedi, and the people they serve. They are not together throughout the entirety of the book. Each still has their path and hard choices they must make, but every time they share a page, it’s pure electricity.
Of course, we can’t talk about Temptation of the Force without mentioning the sinister Marchion Ro. After reading this book, I couldn’t help but think to myself, what can’t this guy get away with at this point? The dude has a lightsaber stash, is determined to control this new blight ravaging planets across the galaxy, and controls a horde of Force-eating Nameless — along with the Nihil pirates.
Let’s start with the blight. This was introduced in Defy the Storm. Imagine a disease that ravages everything it touches, turning it into ash and dust. It’s a similar effect that the Nameless have on Force users. Except the Jedi sense it through the Force. Part of the book is discovering what it needs, what it wants, and what its desire is. It hungers, it needs to feed, it destroys everything. This is what Marchion Ro seeks to control. Imagine the power to ravage away at planets.
Ro has been frustrated within the Occlusion Zone. By implementing his Stormwall and annexing an entire part of space, he struck the greatest blow to the Republic and the Jedi in centuries. However, Ro has no interest in ruling. Governing is not in his genetic makeup. He is a conqueror. Without the next mission or conquest, he quite simply became bored. Marchion is anything but bored in Temptation of the Force. He’s on a personal mission to control this blight, learn more about it, and unleash it on his enemies. It’s wicked fun to have a villain so focused on conquest and total devastation of his enemies.
Next, we must briefly talk about my best friend, Bell Zettifar, and his actual best friend, Burryaga. Both are as determined as ever to defeat the Nihil. Reunited and inseparable, the two are on a best friend, tandem mission the entire way. Burry’s ability to relate on an emotional level with everyone and anything is critical to his development in this book. It even comes into play against the… Dare I say… Nameless?!?! I shall say no more.
I have droned on for some time about this book, and while you may be encouraged to step away, I must first say DON’T YOU DARE! Why? Because I haven’t gotten to Vernestra Rwoh or Porter Engle. Allow me to keep it brief with each.
Let’s begin with Vernestra. Vern is incredible. Gratton has a perfect grasp of this character that Justina Ireland created. She isn’t a focal point of the story, but she is involved in the book’s greatest climactic moments. Part of me wishes we didn’t already know she lives on because it would make some of her scariest segments a bit harder to breathe through. Still, on the other hand, there is some comfort in knowing that at least one of my favorite characters is going to make it out of all of this okay. I am curious to see where this publishing initiative ultimately concludes her story.
As for Porter, he is on a quest of a different kind. It’s mired in this tug and pull of justice versus revenge. His feud with Viess goes back generations and is more personal than any living being is likely aware. The tunnel-visioned, obsessive nature of his mission to take down Viess has you wondering if it’s something Porter can come back from, or if he even wants to. The Blade of Bardotta never fails to live up to the hype.
There are other characters I’d love to dive into a bit more, but I will save it for another time. Ghirra Starros and Lina Soh play a riveting and masterful political chess game. Young Avon is as brilliant and sassy as ever. And oh, so much more.
I’d like to thank Tessa Gratton for writing such a wonderful novel. Each Star Wars book I read is a treat in its own way, but this one was special. It had everything I loved about the franchise wrapped into its pages. It was persistently hopeful despite the world around everyone trying to crumble. The High Republic is no stranger to romance, but Gratton has perhaps the hardest romantic puzzle to put together in the series so far, and she does so masterfully. I can’t say enough about how great the Avar and Elzar pages were. They were the best part of the book and up there with the best relationship dynamics Star Wars novels have ever offered. It was wonderful to see her write romance yet again, but in an entirely different light as she helped author Path of Deceit. Balancing that many characters in one book while also writing it in a way that allows a new reader to come in fresh and not feel completely lost is remarkable. The pacing never runs dry. Each chapter is a sensation. Grab a copy as soon as you can.
Rating: 10/10
Star Wars: The High Republic: Temptation of the Force by Tessa Gratton will be released on June 11, wherever books are sold, and is available for pre-order now. Special thank you to Random House Worlds for the advance copy used in this review.
Finding ways to nonchalantly incorporate Star Wars quotes into 8th grade classroom, Tyler lives and breathes Star Wars. His morning tradition is sending the latest number in the countdown for different Star Wars projects and loves engaging in uplifting Star Wars dialogue. If you are passionate about Star Wars you can follow him on Twitter at TyBrad5.
