Trials of the Jedi is the High Republic’s finale. Nine Jedi are sent on a mission, hoping that their effort is enough to stop the Blight.
The article contains no spoilers from this book, but it includes a few references to events from other stories from this era. The book releases in text and audio format on June 17. We received an early copy for review.
All roads lead to this
June 21, 2021, was the day that Light of the Jedi officially came out. The first High Republic story would take us on a four-year trip where we’d meet dozens of characters, connecting storylines and unexplored new locations.
Since then, we’ve seen the Republic and the Jedi Order fight, struggle, and die against an enemy that’s proven to be one of the most unpredictable and dangerous beings we’ve ever seen in Star Wars, Marchion Ro.
Countless Jedi, Republic forces, and innocent people have died because of his inherited lust for chaos and destruction. For over 150 years, his bloodline has brought nothing but pain and suffering to anyone who got involved with them. Allies and enemies alike.
The Battle of Dalna, the Great Hyperspace disaster, Starlight Beacon’s Destruction, the Drengir, Mari San Tekka’s manipulation, the Nihil Marauders, the Stormwall, The Blight, and the Nameless.
All of these things were already disasters by themselves. Combined? A formula that threatens everything in the galaxy. Cultures, entire planets, and even the Force itself. No one was safe from Marchion Ro’s unstoppable will.
The Republic and Jedi Order lost one battle after another until they eventually started winning. But these victories came with great sacrifices of both resources and lives.
The worst thing is that every time the Republic and Jedi believed they had some space to breathe, Marchion Ro and his Nihil marauders revealed a new threat that was even worse.
We were witnesses to someone finding a way to break the Jedi Order in both body and spirit. Something that no one had ever achieved before. So many events that left them on the verge of despair and yet, they never gave up.
In one final and desperate attempt, the Jedi Order gathered enough information and strength to make a final stand against the relentless Marchion Ro. As you probably imagine, claiming victory would not come without a great price to pay.
Everything that you’ve read in the multiple comic series, junior, young adult novels, and adult novels meets its epic and long-awaited conclusion in one final book, where nine carefully chosen individuals carry on their shoulders the destiny of the entire galaxy. These nine Jedi are designated as the Luminous Nine.
The Luminous Nine
The most interesting things happen where the Luminous Nine are. In different ways, all of them have been tested in trials that very few, even among the Jedi, could understand. Their physical bodies, attunement to the light, willpower, and even their connection to the Force were put to the test.
The lives of these Jedi are filled with huge accomplishments as well as massive failures. Not a single one of them has been exempt from the horrors of waging a war against an enemy that seeks nothing but chaos at any cost.
Even if their paths are intertwined in multiple points, the destiny of each of these Jedi is completely different from the rest. They might be next to each other, but Force guides them in different directions.
Imagine having nine very different pieces to create a 3D puzzle. With one piece missing, everything would fall apart. That is exactly how it felt. Though some pieces didn’t fit as I expected them to do.
The arc of each member of the Luminous Nine is concluded in a very pleasant way. Some stories could continue with further books, novels, or other media, but if that isn’t the case, then I’d still be happy with what we got here. This is one of those Star Wars stories that will remain engraved in my memory for a long time.
A mix of everything
Trials of the Jedi is full of emotions of all kinds. Excitement, anguish, frustration, anxiety, and pretty much everything I’ve felt with the High Republic. All of it is comprised in one single book.
While it has some slow moments, it never felt dull as opposed to other High Republic novels. Trials of the Jedi shows the perspective of the Luminous Nine, as well as other important characters who have been key in the conflict between the Nihil and the Republic.
The story leaves a few loose ends, but most of it is on the mystical side of the story. But the Nihil and its leaders, the Blight, the Nameless, Marchion Ro, the Stormwall, and the fate of the chosen Jedi. All of that concludes here.
Marchion Ro continues to be the unpredictable being that we all know, love, and hate. Not a single action of his we easily anticipated, and that’s what makes him such a compelling and dangerous individual.
He is constantly evolving, his focus changes continuously. Just when you think he’s about to pick one of two options, Ro creates a third one. No one can predict Marchion Ro because not even he fully knows what’s next. It saddens me to think that we might never get an antagonist like him in Star Wars again.
One of my favorite things about the High Republic is that you have both hopeful and tragic endings, always balancing each other out. For better or worse, this is no exception. After ending the last chapter, I felt both happy for how it ended and sad because of what it took to end that way.
I knew a “perfect happy ending” would never happen, and honestly, I didn’t want something like that for the High Republic. For what it’s worth, I’m more than satisfied with this conclusion.
Not everything is perfect
One of the things that distinguishes the High Republic is the incredible number of new characters that we were introduced to. Dozens of new Jedi, politicians, scientists, Republic soldiers, villains, and common people.
This allowed us to explore just as many storylines that, to some degree, where all connected to each other. Exploring a completely new era was challenging at the beginning.
Learning all the names, trying to assign a face to each character, and keeping track of all the stories was certainly not easy for me. At the end of it, I had no issue with this, and it definitely made the experience a lot better but there is one particular issue that I have with this book.
A character who has been crucial in the efforts against the Nihil wasn’t involved in Trials of the Jedi. There is one brief appearance, but that is all. The way the story addressed is by having this character express frustration after not being chosen as one of the nine Jedi by the Jedi High Council.
Having ten characters to work with would add more complexity to an already complicated canvas. In my eyes, either two of the Luminous Nine could have been replaced by this character. It’s a little frustrating because this Jedi proved to be an invaluable asset in the fight against The Nihil.
To have someone like this being sidelined in such a manner felt disrespectful to the character. I am biased because said Jedi is among my top 3 favorite Jedi from this era, along with Avar Kriss and Burryaga. I can think of why this happened, but that doesn’t remove the bitterness of it.
Listening to the audiobook
Most of the audio versions of the High Republic books have been enjoyable for me. There are some things, like the pace of the narrator or the voice imitations, that could annoy some listeners. I rarely experienced any of this.
For me, what has been a hit or miss in the High Republic audiobooks is the selection of music. Sometimes it becomes repetitive or feels “unfitting” for the moment, but many other times it takes the experience to the highest level with an unmatched level of immersion.
Thankfully, Trials of the Jedi falls under the last category. It added an extra layer to an already intense story. Marc Thompson does a very respectable job of doing the voices of a lot of characters. Female characters sound strange, but that is more than expected considering Thompson’s voice.
Buying a book twice is an unnecessary expense for most people, but considering this is the last High Republic novel, I think it is worth it for anyone who can afford it. If you have been thinking of trying a Star Wars audiobook for the first time, this is one of the best options to do so.
Final thoughts
Trials of the Jedi is a more than worthy conclusion to the most ambitious publishing effort we’ve seen in Star Wars. What Elecia Zeveron, the Mother, started more than a century before these events, has been finished by the combined efforts of thousands of people led by the Jedi.
The most satisfying thing about this last story is definitely watching every character stare at their demons and face them. Not just Jedi, but the villains of the story, Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh, and even common folks who are just trying to help to the best of their abilities.
I have probably said this like three times by now, but this is now (and officially) my favorite novel not only of Phase III but of the entire High Republic era. It has a little bit of everything: epic duels, great dialogue, unexpected plot twists, the mystic element of the Force, and big scale fights.
Charles Soule was responsible for Light of the Jedi, the first ever story of the High Republic, and in great fashion, he is also the one to write the last paragraph of this epic era.
This entire review as well as the summary in the review card below are all based on our own opinions as fans of the franchise. We would love it if you shared your thoughts.
Full Title:
Star Wars: The High Republic: Trials of the Jedi
Author
Charles Soule
Genre
Adult Novel
Era
The High Republic
Release
June 17, 2025
June 17, 2025
Length
448 pages
17h 48m
Similar
Light of the Jedi
For
Everyone who’s read The High Republic
The Good
A healthy mix of everything
Epic ending
Answers the biggest questions of this era
Great audiobook
The Bad
Main character sidelined
Some characters might be unfamiliar to those who didn’t read the comics
Too short. I wanted more.
Ratings
Story
Character Depth
Surprise factor
Descriptiveness
Pace
Audio Version
Final Verdict
4.8
Average of the first 5 categories
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