Title: A New Dawn
Author: John Jackson Miller
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, YA
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Overview: Let me preface this by saying that Rebels is not only my favorite Star Wars TV show, it’s my favorite TV show, period. As such, I came to this book with a great deal of bias, fully determined to enjoy it regardless of the quality.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to try too hard. While it didn’t sweep me off my feet, this was a fun read that kept me entertained and provides a plausible backstory for how Kanan and Hera met.
Characters: Miller has done a fantastic job capturing Kanan and Hera’s personalities. I could easily hear their voices in my head as I read the dialogue. I especially enjoyed Kanan’s arc as he transforms from caring about nothing to recognizing the importance of a cause. The side characters were also fun (though perhaps a bit underdeveloped).
I do have one question, though: Chopper??? Where is my baby droid? Canonically, Hera’s had him since she was a child, soo… Why is he not here wreaking havoc all through the mines? Such a missed opportunity…
Content: The book is quite clean. There’s one instance of mild profanity near the beginning. Kanan’s been involved in romantic relationships in the past and takes an interest in Hera immediately.
The worst part is the violence. It’s nothing you wouldn’t find in the show, but the villain is quite cruel, and there are some violent deaths, including someone being burned to death in a vat of acid.
Writing: This reads like fan fiction, which… is kind of the point. It’s not super high-quality, but it works for the genre and kept me interested. As aforesaid, the author does a great job keeping the characters true to the friends we love from the TV show.
Summary: This was a fun story that satisfied my desire for a light, easy read. While a large part of my enjoyment came from the fact that I already loved Kanan and Hera, I think I would have enjoyed it even without that bias. I’d recommend it to Star Wars fans aged 13+.