Star Wars Legacy is about Rey and Leia going on a mission to repair the broken lightsaber and finding answers that set Rey on the right path.
The article contains no spoilers from this book’s story. The book releases in text and audio format on July 28. We received an early copy for review.
Capturing Rey and Leia’s essence
I believe that one of the hardest things to do when writing a book about characters that fans know so well is capturing their essence. It’s not just the personality; writers have to consider the character’s language, attitude, and how they react to multiple circumstances.
All of this without altering the character that lives in the collective unconscious of the fans. A task that is certainly easier said than done. Thankfully, Madeleine Roux does an incredible job of capturing both Rey and Leia’s essence while also creating an interesting (and even logical) dynamic between them.
Star Wars: Legacy is set between Episodes VIII and IX, right after Luke has become one with the Force and the Resistance’s survival is anything but guaranteed. Rey is constantly haunted by the undeniable darkness that lives within her. She is terrified of falling to the dark side and letting down the whole galaxy.
On the other hand, Leia has to lead the Resistance, teach Rey whatever she can about the Force, be the leader that everyone expects her to be, and make the hard choices. All of this while experiencing the agony of being hunted by her own son.
All of the things I just mentioned are amplified by the fact that they spend a considerable number of chapters on Tython, one of the most important planets regarding the Jedi Order’s history.
Tython is almost like a living entity; a planet so in tune with the Force that it reacts to Rey’s emotions and impulses. Both the positive and negative ones. It could almost be said that Tython is the third main character of this story, and I’m so happy that Roux went with this approach.
First Order, Galactic Empire, they’re all the same
Legacy is a fantastic example of how regimes like the Galactic Empire or First Order always repeat the same patterns, which inevitably backfire. We don’t need to go into depth about how oppressing and killing entire populations make people all over the galaxy rally against them.
What’s important here is how everyone but the people at the top of the pyramid are treated. Serving the Galactic Empire or First Order loyally for years without having a single issue is no obstacle for them to discard anyone as soon as it becomes convenient.
Captains, Generals, Soldiers, or Admirals, rank does not matter. Everyone is just chasing the next promotion, always waiting for the right opportunity. If a colleague is the one paying the price, so be it.
One of the main antagonists of this story is just one of many victims. She is incredibly loyal to the First Order, and genuinely believes the propaganda about maintaining peace and order in the galaxy.
I’m not getting into specifics to avoid spoilers, but I’ll say that she reminds me of Dedra Meero. Despite some of the horrible things she did, I still felt sorry for her.
A nice story that lacks a climax
My biggest issue with Star Wars: Legacy is that the story doesn’t get to the point that I’d consider a climax. Don’t get me wrong, it has tense moments, good fights, and it explores the Force in a beautiful way, but I never thought “this is it, this is the best moment in this story”.
Just when I started to think that said moment was about to happen, the book was over. As you might imagine, that’s very frustrating when the whole book was going in a good direction.
This problem isn’t unique to Legacy; I have experienced that more than once when reading Star Wars books. To be fair, I think that the main cause is writers being limited by Disney.
I’m sure many of them would like to have something incredible happen more than once, but the truth is that books can’t have events that exceed what happens in the movies/series. The only exception is the High Republic, but that’s just because of how that initiative was conceived.
Stories like this are very limited, but at least Legacy doesn’t feel as inconsequential as other books. In fact, it answers a few questions about Episode IX while also having ties to The High Republic and Shadow of the Sith. They’re minor, but it’s nice to see that things remain connected.
Listening to the audiobook
This audiobook has one of the best narrators I’ve ever listened to, at least when it comes to Star Wars audiobooks. Saskia Maarleveld does an incredible job when speaking as both Rey and Leia.
She can convey Rey’s fears, insecurities, and determination. At the same time, she is fantastic when speaking as Leia: charismatic, calm, with the composure that such a leader must have and that sassiness that is so unique to Leia Organa.
Some of the male voices are difficult to differentiate at the beginning, but that’s because of her voice’s tone and pitch. In exchange for this, you get one of the best (if not the best) impressions of Rey and Leia.
I was also surprised by the music selection. Many titles select specific tracks and repeat them depending on the moment. This is hit or miss and is annoying when the music simply doesn’t match what’s happening.
This doesn’t happen here. Some pieces are used only once or twice, but it’s done in the right moment. Definitely worth getting it if you are able to.
Final Thoughts
Star Wars Legacy is a fun story that bridges Episodes VIII and IX. It has a traditional structure and a lackluster climax that left me with a bittersweet sensation.
Saskia Maarleveld is the highlight of the audiobook, and I really hope she gets to return in the near future to voice Rey or Leia.
Rey is a polarizing character that many people like while others don’t. While I like the concept of Rey, I still have some issues with how she was written in the movies.
Despite this, it was still an enjoyable book. Madeleine Roux manages to capture these flaws and incorporate them into a story that’s entertaining. However, if you hate Rey or the sequel trilogy, Legacy is probably not for you.
Review Summary
Star Wars: Legacy
author:
Madeleine Roux
genre:
Adult Novel
RELEASE:
July 28, 2026
LENGTH:
416 pages
15 hr, 8 min
Similar:
Shadow of the Sith
for:
Sequel Trilogy enjoyers
Strengths
Explores the master-apprentice dynamic between Leia and Rey
Takes us back to Tython
Incredible audiobook
Weaknesses
Lackluster climax
Very slow start
Forgettable secondary characters
Ratings
Final Verdict
3.8
Average of the first 5 Categories
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