Star Wars The High Republic: Path Of Deceit

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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.

I had a good time reading Path of Deceit, some books are a roller coaster of emotions, but this one is not. Everything is calm for the first two-thirds of the book but once you get to the plot twist you won’t be able to put it down. On Dalna, an isolated Outer Rim planet, the Path of the Open Hand awaits the completion of the Gaze Electric, the ship on which they hope to find sanctuary. Marda Ro, a gray-skinned Evereni, yearns to serve the Path like her cousin, Yana, one of the chosen Children who carry out the Force-inspired visions of their prophet, the Mother. Unlike her earnest cousin, Yana knows better than to trust the Path or the Force, but she also doesn’t care about the Mother’s true plans for the artifacts that the Children steal for her as long as Marda stays protected. An investigation of the Path’s connection to a high-profile theft brings Jedi Padawan Kevmo Zink, a blue-skinned Pantoran, and his master to Dalna, but when Kevmo meets Marda, her faith in the Force draws him in, causing him to question his beliefs. This High Republic–era mystery builds tension and suspense by alternating among the perspectives of characters who are at odds with one another. Establishing from the beginning that the Path stole the missing artifact elevates the overarching plot from a straightforward investigative adventure into a complex intrigue about motivation. Foreshadowing sets up the brutal and heart-wrenching ending. The cast of characters includes casual representation of polyamory, queerness, and nonbinary gender identities. While Marda is a devout believer in the Path her cousin Yana is anything but. While being one of “The Children,” (members of the Path who proselytize for the group), she has her doubts. Yana has seen the dark side of the Path and beyond the veil of blissful harmony its leaders put forth. For “The Children,” proselytizing is a front to their true purpose in their “outreach.” The Children are tasked with “liberating” Force imbued artifacts from across the galaxy. The Path believes the use of such objects is abusing the Force, so they take it upon themselves to steal these objects and in doing so they “free the Force.” Yana is one of the most capable thieves in the Path. She cares not for the Path, but only for her cousin Marda, but even more so for her girlfriend Kor. She wants nothing more than to leave the Path behind and travel the stars with Kor.

Meet the enigmatic leader in this preview of the Phase II YA novel.

This book continues the event of the High Republic as this is the start of the second phase. In this one we see the originations of the Nihil which were the antagonist in the first phase. They are known as the Path of the Open Hand and they steal items that are imbued with the force. A Jedi and her padawan investigate the theft of these items. It is because the Force shines through her,” the woman said. “She speaks for it, and in exchange the Force blesses her with poise and beauty.” As the Republic spreads to the far reaches of the galaxy, two Jedi clash with zealots from a religion dedicated to liberating the Force. Perhaps, in exchange, you could allow me to help you locate more of these Force artifacts. Help you liberate the Force.” The Mother frowned, and he realized that he hadn’t actually asked for anything for the strange jewel. “For a small finder’s fee, of course.”

First I’ll talk about the positive points of the book. The master-apprentice relationship between Zallah and Kevmo is great, even if it’s not explored as much as I’d have liked. Her calm and cold-headed approach makes up for his impulsiveness, it reminds me of Obi-Wan and Anakin. Zallah Macri Yana on the other hand doesn’t really care that much about the Force, she’s one of “The Children”; a select group that is often sent off-world to “liberate” Force artifacts and keep them from being used.

In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.

If you are still waiting to read the book and want to go in without any spoilers then now is the time to run away. I won’t be breaking down the book chapter by chapter or anything but there are a few notable events and connections to phase I that I’m keeping an eye on. This connective tissue is what makes this publishing initiative so fun.This is a Young Adult (YA) Novel but that doesn’t mean this book is for teenagers. It just means the focus lies on the personal relationships between characters just as much as it pushes the plot forward.