Scan barcode
A review by goodverbsonly
Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland
2.0
I'm feeling some star wars fatigue so I'm a little relieved to be getting towards the end of my seemingly neverending list of books in what I have named for myself PHASE ONE. I still have Darth Bane and a few high republic books left but I just believe that this will be easier even though I'm not even halfway done. Ha ha.
I'd give you an idea of what worked for me in this book but unfortunately it's absolutely nothing. For some reason I find even the Concept of the Nihil completely mindshatteringly boring. I shouldn't right. They've got a 150 year woman trapped in some kind of bubble of a ship who can see individual hyperspace lanes! That's the kind of Force Shenanigans that are right up my alley, but alas, not even this draw can make me care. Also, I skipped a book and so I missed a lot of it. Obviously I'm going back to read them but I bought them in paperback so I'm going to actually Read Them.
Anything else work here? No! Nothing! Is it partially my fault as I skipped ahead a book. Apparently so much happens in [b:The Rising Storm|55644027|The Rising Storm (Star Wars The High Republic)|Cavan Scott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607094743l/55644027._SY75_.jpg|86770586], but since they're for different reading levels I do feel like you should be able to read the YA, Original Novels, and Middle Grade/Junior Novels independently from each other, but that does not appear to be the case. Marketing FAIL because it makes me so angry. Characters are annoying (except for Cohmac, hello only man ever, and also literally only grown adult in this story who does, at least, say to Vernestra like "you are very talented and capable but it's possible you were pushed into knighthood before you were ready so if you feel overwhelmed then it's completely understandable" in a very compassionate and mature way (obviously. can you believe i had my DOUBTS about him in [b:Into the Dark|51733546|Into the Dark (Star Wars The High Republic)|Claudia Gray|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582663291l/51733546._SX50_.jpg|76256227])), but at least I got a little more comfortable with Vernestra by the end. Everything in this book I should have liked I hated, and I just think it's because I approach star wars reading fundamentally as a "what does this book tell me about Anakin Skywalker" and when star wars is disinterested in this, I am disinterested in IT. Technically not the fault of this book but surely it can tell me something interesting about Anakin (it did not). I hate the prose and this book has a lot of the same pacing problems as many star wars novels (all the plot happens in the last 10%. Please stop this).
Promising days I have ahead of me.
I'd give you an idea of what worked for me in this book but unfortunately it's absolutely nothing. For some reason I find even the Concept of the Nihil completely mindshatteringly boring. I shouldn't right. They've got a 150 year woman trapped in some kind of bubble of a ship who can see individual hyperspace lanes! That's the kind of Force Shenanigans that are right up my alley, but alas, not even this draw can make me care. Also, I skipped a book and so I missed a lot of it. Obviously I'm going back to read them but I bought them in paperback so I'm going to actually Read Them.
Anything else work here? No! Nothing! Is it partially my fault as I skipped ahead a book. Apparently so much happens in [b:The Rising Storm|55644027|The Rising Storm (Star Wars The High Republic)|Cavan Scott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607094743l/55644027._SY75_.jpg|86770586], but since they're for different reading levels I do feel like you should be able to read the YA, Original Novels, and Middle Grade/Junior Novels independently from each other, but that does not appear to be the case. Marketing FAIL because it makes me so angry. Characters are annoying (except for Cohmac, hello only man ever, and also literally only grown adult in this story who does, at least, say to Vernestra like "you are very talented and capable but it's possible you were pushed into knighthood before you were ready so if you feel overwhelmed then it's completely understandable" in a very compassionate and mature way (obviously. can you believe i had my DOUBTS about him in [b:Into the Dark|51733546|Into the Dark (Star Wars The High Republic)|Claudia Gray|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582663291l/51733546._SX50_.jpg|76256227])), but at least I got a little more comfortable with Vernestra by the end. Everything in this book I should have liked I hated, and I just think it's because I approach star wars reading fundamentally as a "what does this book tell me about Anakin Skywalker" and when star wars is disinterested in this, I am disinterested in IT. Technically not the fault of this book but surely it can tell me something interesting about Anakin (it did not). I hate the prose and this book has a lot of the same pacing problems as many star wars novels (all the plot happens in the last 10%. Please stop this).
Promising days I have ahead of me.