The cover of Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: Edge of the Abyss has been revealed, along with information regarding the story and the characters who’ll appear on it.
Reign of the Empire: 2 out of 3
Last year, Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed was one of the best book releases of the franchise. It came out a few months before Season 2 of Andor, so it was a perfect way to get into the mood for that series.
The Mask of Fear focused on the perspectives of Mon Mothma, Bail Organa and Saw Gerrera a few months after the rise of the Galactic Empire. With Mon Mothma being the absolute star of the book.
The Mask of Fear was only the first book of a trilogy, and its prequel has finally been officially announced. Reign of the Empire: Edge of the Abyss is the next novel, this time, written by Rebecca Roanhorse, with an expected release date of September 15, 2026.
Edge of the Abyss Preview
Edge of the Abyss is set one year before the first season of Andor. Like The Mask of Fear, Edge of the Abyss will show us the perspective of Bail Organa, Saw Gerrera and Mon Mothma with the small twist that we’ll also get to experience the story through the eyes of Anto Kreegyr, Luthen Rael, and Kleya Marki.
What we know about this new story, is the Empire is now attempting to secure the loyalty of the next generation of the galaxy’s elite. Which includes both Leia Organa. At this point in time Leida is still very young, so you can imagine how Mothma will react to something like this.
On the not-too-distant planet of Ghorman, an idealistic group is trying to change things for the better, unaware of the ISB agent who has infiltrated their ranks.
At this point, there’s no Rebel Alliance yet. Just small group of rebels barely trusting and cooperating with each other, trying not to get crushed by the mighty Galactic Empire.
Characters like Mon Mothma and Saw Gerrera are trying to change that, but everything will turn very dangerous when a member of the Gerrera’s partisans is captured by the Empire. The knowledge this person has could extinguish the spark of any future resistance.
Like The Mask of Fear, I expect this story to be on the slower side, with lots of intricacies, and very clear about how there is no white or black when it comes to the greater good.
It’s unclear if the events of the first book will have any relevance for Edge of the Abyss, but I’d still recommend that you read The Mask of Fear before Edge of the Abyss comes out.
We have a spoiler-free review for The Mask of Fear. We’ve also got a guide with all the important things you should know before reading it. If you enjoyed Andor, these books are perfect for you!
