UPDATE! Jyn Erso’s Backstory to be Told in Upcoming Young Adult Novel ‘Star Wars: Rebel Rising’ + ‘Guardians of the Whills’ – New Novel About Chirrut and Baze

Yesterday, Disney Books announced (prematurely it seems as the book information has since been taken down) the upcoming release of the young adult novel Star Wars: Rebel Rising which will chronicle the backstory of Rogue One heroine Jyn Erso. Today, StarWars.com revealed another new novel about the adventures of Chirrut and Base on Jedha before the events from Rogue One. Read on for the synopses and an excerpt from the books.

 

 

 

(from Jedi Bibliothek via Making Star Wars):

 

“When Jyn Erso was five years old, her mother was murdered and her father taken from her to serve the Empire. But despite the loss of her parents she is not completely alone—Saw Gerrera, a man willing to go to any extremes necessary in order to resist Imperial tyranny, takes her in as his own, and gives her not only a home but all the abilities and resources she needs to become a rebel herself.

Jyn dedicates herself to the cause—and the man. But fighting alongside Saw and his people brings with it danger and the question of just how far Jyn is willing to go as one of Saw’s soldiers. When she faces an unthinkable betrayal that shatters her world, Jyn will have to pull the pieces of herself back together and figure out what she truly believes in…and who she can really trust.”

 

Hawk-eyed fans will probably notice that there is a discrepancy in Jyn’s age in the above synopsis.  In the movie she was 8 years old when her mother was killed.  This was clarified by LFL Story Group’s Pablo Hidalgo on Twitter…

 

 

 

Also, it should be noted that the cover above seems to be a mock-up rather than the final cover…

 

 

 

Click here to read an excerpt from the novel.

 

The book is set to be released on May 2nd of this year and is written by New York Times bestelling author Beth Revis, best known for her young adult science fiction trilogy Across the Universe.

 

 

 

UPDATE!

 

 

StarWars.com revealed a new middle-grade novel written by New York Times Bestselling author and Eisner-winner Greg Rucka. The novel is titled “Guardians of the Whills”, and it will tell the story of Chirrut and Baze after the Empire has taken over Jedha and the arrival of Saw Gerrera.

 

Here’s the official novel description:

Baze and Chirrut used to be Guardians of the Whills, who looked after the Kyber Temple on Jedha and all those who worshipped there. Then the Empire came and took over the planet. The temple was destroyed and the people scattered. Now Baze and Chirrut do what they can to resist the Empire and protect the people of Jedha, but it never seems to be enough. When a man named Saw Gerrera arrives with grand plans to take down the Empire, it seems like the perfect way for Baze and Chirrut to make a real difference and help the people of Jedha. But will it come at too great a cost?

 

 

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Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

Jordan Pate (Hard Case)

Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

24 thoughts on “UPDATE! Jyn Erso’s Backstory to be Told in Upcoming Young Adult Novel ‘Star Wars: Rebel Rising’ + ‘Guardians of the Whills’ – New Novel About Chirrut and Baze

  • January 26, 2017 at 5:12 pm
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    I am assuming that betrayal is Saw leaving her in a ditch with a blaster? I am all for a character backstory but I think Rogue One did a good enough job telling me everything I need to know about the Jyn. We know how her story ends so I don’t think getting that middle stuff that is alluded to in the film is really all that interesting IMO.

  • January 26, 2017 at 5:46 pm
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    Jyn is probably the character that we know the most about from Rogue One. I would’ve preferred a novel featuring Cassian or Baze and Chirrut. I’m sure it will give us some new information about the relationship between Jyn and Saw so I’m sure it will be interesting.

    • January 26, 2017 at 6:31 pm
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      I weirdly wanted to know more about Bodhi. He said just enough to pique my interest… What was he atoning for? Who’s name did he say it was all for before the end. Who where they to him? Etc…

      • January 26, 2017 at 6:36 pm
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        I’m about 80 pages into the adaptation for Rogue One and they have given some more info into Bodhi. I consider him to be one of my favorite characters in the film considering how little they used him.

        • January 26, 2017 at 6:49 pm
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          What other bits of info did it give about Bodhi?

          • January 26, 2017 at 6:52 pm
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            Most just what is going through his head during most of the events. I haven’t read far enough to learn too much yet but the few pages where he is featured are interesting. The Bor Gullet scene brings out some of his past.

  • January 26, 2017 at 6:35 pm
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    Give us a Chirrut/Baze novel, please.

  • January 26, 2017 at 7:09 pm
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    When can we get a Baze & Chirrut novel for adult readers? Ready for that adventure, yo.

  • January 26, 2017 at 7:32 pm
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    I would much rather prefer this as a comic. I think the books are great, but there are just too many books now in canon to keep up to date. It mostly the time it takes to read thats the problem (an average book, with a normal social lif, can take a week to read). Plus its a larger comitment to re-read. With comics they are quick to read (an hence re-read if you forget the story). Futher more comics have the advantage of visuals. Sometimes in novels I forget what a species looks like; it would be nice if each book would have a visual index showing the average species mentioned (eg if a togruta is in the book you could skip to the back and see what the species looks like), if I was just a casual Star Wars fan I would be overwhelemed by all the spieces mentioned.

    • January 26, 2017 at 7:47 pm
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      (this blurb does read like a comic)
      But my complaint here is that again the cool backstory novel comes out AFTER the feature movie and (spoiler) death of the main character.
      Bloodline would have been a great into to TFA-era Star Wars, before the film.
      Catalyst is the way to do it.

    • January 27, 2017 at 12:29 am
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      Buks r to much werk.

      • January 28, 2017 at 1:37 pm
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        I enjoy books (I have read many of the new canon books). My point is there is simply too much canon media to consume (since 2015 weve had countless novels, comic series, Rebels series).
        In two years we have had around ten novels, think about the number in ten years. There will simply be too many stories; its unlikely you are going to be able to rememeber them all in detail. With a comic you could re-read in one afternoon.

        The only current canon novel I have enjoyed completely is Dark Disiciple, and I think that is because I was invested in Ventress.
        As you can see by my name I am a huge Ahsoka Tano fan, but I found her novel to be underwhelming. It would have much better suited the comic medium. Star Wars is unique due to its visuals, and I would much rather see the 6th brother instead of just being told that he had “grey skin and wore black armour” (that is literally all we have to go by).

        • January 28, 2017 at 4:21 pm
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          Well…I was sort of busting your chops there. I don’t think fewer novels is the answer to the onrush of media that’s been coming our way. The problem seems to be the desire to engage with all of it. I read the novels and have largely enjoyed them. I read a few of the comics now and again, but I have no desire to keep up with them all.

          I don’t know. Novels tell infinitely better stories. There’s more room to go into detail and truly get inside characters’ heads. Don’t get me wrong, some really great stories can be told through the comics medium, but in many ways the speech and thought bubble of comic storytelling can be limiting.

          “Star Wars is unique due to its visuals”

          Books let you see these things in your minds-eye rather than as a quick sketch on a page.

          • January 28, 2017 at 10:14 pm
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            I understand books let you see with your minds eye (and that it is important to read novels). I am not denying that. And it is my fault in wanting to consume all the media.

            However “a quick sketch on a page” can tell you just as much information as the novel. It is cliche but “a picture does tell a thousand words”. You could spend a chapter explaining a duel between a sith + a jedi. And at the same time capture that detail in a few panel of a comic.
            Again, it all depends on the the artists ability to convey emotion in the subjects face/ body languae when convey speech/ thoughts in order to get the emotion. In the darth vader comic the artist really great at capturing his emotions through posture/body language even though he is masked.

            The problem I find with some of these star wars books is that the words used to describe new spieces are often too vague to complete the picture. As I mentioned in Ahsoka, the new inquistor is only mentioned to be tall, grey skinned , wear armour and has some tribal scarring on his face. When I read that all I can picture is the male 5th brother from season 2 of Rebels. How tall is he? larger than ahsoka?larger than Vader?

            I think when it comes down to it some of these novels work great in novel form (e.g Tarkin or the Aftermath series) and often these are quite important to canon or more political novels (bloodline). But these ‘smaller’ novels (like Ahsoka) which are more contained simple stories would fair better in comic form.

            Even if we can’t agree on novels vs comics , I feel we can all agree Maz Kanata needs her own novel, comic series, daytime talk show etc.

    • January 27, 2017 at 3:53 am
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      I guess you missed out on Legends, right?

      • January 27, 2017 at 3:12 pm
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        Right? Jesus, too many books being released. It was a nightmare.

  • January 27, 2017 at 10:41 am
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    I’d like to see a Cassian/K-2SO buddy story.

    • January 27, 2017 at 2:25 pm
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      I’d like to read a Saw Gerrera/Bor Gullet story!

      • January 28, 2017 at 7:25 am
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        HE CAN SENSE YOUR FEELINGZ!!!!!

  • January 27, 2017 at 3:20 pm
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    Lucasfilm has a habit of giving me everything I want. Keep it up.

  • January 27, 2017 at 8:39 pm
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    When I was a kid, Star Wars was Star Wars; there were certainly books that pandered to kids, but they were the exception and not the norm. Now, it seems like the adult novels are the exception, and these middle-school books that still chronicle canon events are the norm.

    I didn’t need a book to hold my hand or pander to my age-group for it to catch my interest; I couldn’t have been older than 10 when I experienced Chewie’s death, and while I cried like the little kid I happened to be, I still felt “grown-up” and a part of the larger fandom. I eschewed those kid-friendly SW books because they felt like the dumbed-down versions of better stories.

    I guess my point is this: while I know that the larger stories are now being told on-screen instead of in-print, I would really love it if the publishing arm of Lucasfilm stopped trying to force me to read these watered-down YA novels in order to keep up with the canon. Maybe it’s too much to ask for them to publish two versions of each story, one “adult” and the other “kid-friendly”, but I don’t think it pushes the boundaries to ask that they stop underestimating their child fans and just allowed them to experience these stories on the same level as the rest of us.

    Rant over; I’ll end up reading the summaries online for any pertinent details about the canon.

    • January 28, 2017 at 4:17 pm
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      I’m part of the OT generation and apart from the novelizations and a couple oddball novels, stuff oriented toward children was the only thing out there. So, as a child I read the storybooks, book & record sets, and the backs of the trading cards.

      “I would really love it if the publishing arm of Lucasfilm stopped trying to force me to read these watered-down YA novels in order to keep up with the canon.”

      Nobody is forcing you to do anything. If you don’t want to read them, then don’t. You’re not a victim to anything here. And while I congratulate you on your obviously stellar reading skills, don’t let that devolve into arrogance where you assume every 5th grader out there is going to pick up a novel written for a 30-year-old. Lucas is publishing material for everybody and it’s impressive that they’re creating stories across a pretty darn wide Lexile level. Who can really complain about that? And if you really think books written for younger readers are simply “dumbed down” versions of adult material, then you really don’t know what you’re talking about.

      Let’s not forget that while we may be getting older, Star Wars is essentially a kids’ property that a lot of adults happen to enjoy.

  • January 28, 2017 at 7:26 am
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    YAY! I like it when the characters’ backstories are expanded further. Though I won’t be reading the middle-grade novel ,I still like that these stories are being added to the canon.

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