Justina Ireland
A Youtini Collection

Star Wars books you should read if you like
Justina Ireland

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Justina Ireland
We are all the Republic.
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aking her entry into the Star Wars universe with 2018’s Lando’s Luck, Justina Ireland brought not only serious literary chops as a New York Times bestselling author and college creative writing instructor, but also an established reputation as a fierce advocate for underrepresented voices in young adult fiction.

Working as a civil servant and adjunct lecturer while pursuing a doctorate, she’s clearly also a master at time management. In addition to a growing portfolio of immensely enjoyable Star Wars junior readers, young adult novels, and graphic novels, Ireland is also the author of the Dread Nation historical fiction/horror series as well as three other novels.

With a track record for strong female characters, her Spark of the Resistance features Rey in a growing leadership role in General Organa’s movement between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. Since then, in her High Republic works including A Test of Courage and Out of the Shadows, she’s gone on to introduce us to Vernestra Ro, a young Mirialan Jedi Knight who finds herself thrust into challenges far beyond her years—but not beyond her capacity for strength, leadership, and empathy.

As you may have heard or read from us here at Youtini before, don’t let the Young Adult—or, in this case, even junior novel—label lead you to dismiss these titles. Justina Ireland is a gifted storyteller who weaves fast-paced and entertaining plots with wonderfully developed and compelling characters, all told in a fresh voice that’s a welcome addition to Star Wars storytelling.

This reading guide is
Coming Soon
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Books in this Collection

The Youtini Collections team has hand-selected the books in this collection
Canon
Canon
Junior Reader

Lando's Luck

Written by
Justina Ireland
Artwork by
Part of the Flight of the Falcon publishing program, tying into both Solo and Galaxy's Edge, Lando's Luck is a fun story about Lando caught in a moral dilemma. He's tasked with delivering the Solstice Globe—a renewable energy source—to the Empire, but a stowaway princes pleads with him to save her people instead.
When Lando Calrissian gets caught smuggling on the planet Hynestia, the queen agrees to let him go if he delivers something called the Solstice Globe to the Empire on her behalf. Lando is relieved that his punishment is a simple delivery mission-but he soon discovers things are not as simple as they seem. The queen's daughter, Princess Rinetta, has stowed away on the Millennium Falcon and demands Lando and L3-37 take the globe back to its home planet, which needs the globe to survive. Now Lando has to choose: Do what's right, or do what's best for Lando. But if he's lucky enough, he just might be able to do both....
Canon
Canon
Junior Reader

Spark of the Resistance

Written by
Justina Ireland
Artwork by
Phil Noto
Disney/Lucasfilm Press have released several middle-grade novels leading up to each of the Sequel Trilogy films, and have been wonderful contributions to Star Wars storytelling. They even feature several illustrations by legendary comics artist Phil Noto! Justina Ireland's book fits into the Journey to The Rise of Skywalker publishing program as a prequel to Episode IX. This book feels like exactly what we’ve been waiting for, as it places Rey, Rose, and Poe on a quest for the Resistance including a battle against the First Order, classic Star Wars creatures, and even a superweapon. Although billed as a middle-grade novel, you’ll be disappointed if you skip it, no matter your age!
When a distress plea goes up from the isolated planet Minfar, Resistance heroes Rey, Poe and Rose hear the call! Together they will face down a First Order battalion, terrifying flying creatures, and a weapon that could change the course of the war!
Canon
Canon
YA Novel

The High Republic: Out Of The Shadows

Written by
Justina Ireland
Artwork by
Justina Ireland focuses on Vernestra Ro (and also Yoda) in the second High Republic Young Adult novel. She follows up on the characters from Avon Starros and Vernestra Rwoh from her middle-grade book, A Test of Courage. But this time they’re alongside Reath Silas as the authors show how characters can cross over between formats and authors can handle one another's characters. Plus all-new, unannounced characters!

The High Republic: Out of the Shadows is a young-adult novel and part of the second wave in Phase 1 of the multimedia project Star Wars: The High Republic.

The darkest secrets are the hardest to bring to light...

Sylvestri Yarrow is on a streak of bad luck with no end of sight. She's been doing her best to keep the family cargo business going after her mom's death, but between mounting debt and increasing attacks by the Nihil on unsuspecting ships, Syl is in danger of losing all she has left of her mother. She heads to the galactic capital of Coruscant for help, but gets sidetracked when she's drawn into a squabble between two of the Republic's most powerful families over a patch of space on the frontier. Tangled up in familial politics is the last place Syl wants to be, but the promise of a big payoff is enough to keep her interested...

Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh has been summoned to Coruscant, but with no idea of why or by whom. She and her Padawan Imri Cantaros arrive at the capital along with Jedi Master Cohmac Vitus and his Padawan, Reath Silas—and are asked to assist with the property dispute on the frontier. But why? What is so important about an empty patch of space? The answer will lead Vernestra to a new understanding of her abilities, and take Syl back to the past... and to truths that will finally come out of the shadows.

Canon
Canon
Graphic Novel

The High Republic: The Edge Of Balance Vol. 1

Written by
Shima Shinya & Justina Ireland
Artwork by
Mizuki Sakakibara
For the first time ever, The High Republic delivers an original manga (not an adaptation of an existing novel). The story is a collaboration between Ireland and Japanese writer Shima Shinya and the art is from Mizuki Sakakibara. The Edge of Balance is the first in a new series! The High Republic continues to press the limits of collaboration and a true multimedia experience.

Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance, Vol. 1

This is the first trade paperback release in the manga series Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance.

In the aftermath of the Great Hyperspace Disaster, young Jedi Knight Lily Tora-Asi is assigned to help displaced civilians relocate to Banchii, a planet in the Inugg system far in the Outer Rim. While balancing the arrival of incoming settlers and teaching the Padawans on their Temple outpost, Lily must also confront an attack by the insidious Drengir and, after the events of the Republic Fair, deal with the growing threat of the Nihil. But the dangers to Lily and her Padawans are much closer than she thinks….

Canon
Canon
Junior Reader

The High Republic: A Test of Courage

Written by
Justina Ireland
Artwork by
Part of the first wave of High Republic titles, Justina Ireland delivers the middle-grade title, A Test of Courage. Surprisingly young prodigy Jedi Knight Vesnestra Rwoh is charged with the protection of Avon Starros, an adventure-seeking Senator’s daughter, on their way to the dedication of the Starlight Beacon. The Nihil, villains established in Light of the Jedi, infiltrate their transport ship and their sabotage rips the ship apart. . . leading Vernestra and the traumatized crew to take on an evil beyond anything they could have imagined.

The High Republic: A Test of Courage is a canon middle grade novel and part of Phase 1, first wave, of the multimedia project Star Wars: The High Republic.

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 has just become a Jedi Knight at age fifteen, but her first real assignment feels an awful lot like babysitting. She's been charged with supervising eleven-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?

Canon
Canon
YA Novel

The High Republic: Path of Deceit

Written by
Tessa Gratton, Justina Ireland
Artwork by
The book is set in the High Republic era, 150 years before the events of the original Star Wars trilogy. The Republic is expanding into the Outer Rim, and two Jedi Knights, Zallah Macri and Kevmo Zink, are sent to investigate a stolen Force artifact on the planet Dalna. They soon discover that the artifact is connected to a group of Dalnans called the Path of the Open Hand, who believe that the Force should be free and should not be used by anyone, not even the Jedi. The Jedi and the Path of the Open Hand come into conflict, and the Jedi soon realize that the Path is led by a powerful Force-user known only as the Mother. The Mother has plans for the Force that are far more dangerous than anyone could have imagined, and it is up to the Jedi to stop her before it's too late.

The High Republic: Path of Deceit

The Outer Rim planet Dalna has become the focus of a Jedi investigation into a stolen Force artifact, and Zallah Macri and her Padawan, Kevmo Zink, arrive on the pastoral world to follow up on a possible connection to a Dalnan missionary group called the Path of the Open Hand. Members of the Path believe that the Force must be free and should not be used by anyone, not even the Jedi. One such believer is Marda Ro, a young woman who dreams of leaving Dalna to spread word of the Path throughout the galaxy.

When Marda and Kevmo meet, their connection is instantaneous and electric―until Marda discovers Kevmo is a Jedi. But Kevmo is so kind and eager to learn more about the Path, that she hopes she can convince him of the rightness of her beliefs. What Marda doesn't realize is that the leader of the Path, a charismatic woman known only as the Mother, has an agenda of her own, and it is one that can never coexist peacefully with the Jedi.