New stories within the galaxy far, far away are appearing left and right, ever since Disney bought Star Wars in 2012. Old fans of the franchise were skeptical to see the quality of the new content, but many were also excited to see the beloved franchise re-vamped. The Star Wars universe is full of exciting legends about bounty hunters, Jedi, and smugglers all proving that the expanding universe is the perfect place to explore new stories and create new characters. Myriad authors have thrown their hats into the Star Wars ring, writing what amounts to a massive amount of stories. Readers looking to explore the many eras of the Star Wars saga from before the Skywalker Saga or want stories that fill in the gaps between the three trilogies, there is something for everyone.
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Updated October 7th, 2022: This year alone, Disney published four Star Wars books over the summer, and with the release of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor on Dinsey+, this list has been updated with even more novels in the Star Wars galaxy to dive into.
With the fast rate at which authors are developing these stories, it can be hard for readers to keep up with every movie, comic book, video game, or novel that gets released. There is now more Star Wars than ever, and finding out what to read and how everything fits together can be daunting. If you are looking to dive deeper into the galaxy far, far away, here are the most important books in chronological order to get you started.
High Republic Series
Disney / Del Rey
The High Republic series is meant for anyone looking to explore something new within the same old universe. The High Republic Era takes place approximately 200 years before the prequel trilogy, at the height of the Jedi’s power. In this series, we get to see full-fledged armies of Jedi working together to conquer some of their greatest challenges. The first book, Star Wars: Light of the Jedi made it to the New York Times Best Seller list.
The book set the framework not only for the rest of the trilogy but also set the tone for all the media to be set at this time. The High Republic series’ second book in the main trilogy, Star Wars: The Rising Storm, picked up the pace and better lived up to expectations. The trilogy concluded with The Fallen Star in a massive epic finale. On top of the main novel, there were multiple spin-off books aimed at many audiences all standing on their own but with enough connective details to make each part of a larger whole. This is the most open era of Star Wars with plenty of entry points for new readers to jump in on.
Padawan
Disney Lucasfilm Press
In honor of the release of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+, there were two Obi-Wan Kenobi-centric novels released in 2022. The second published, but the first chronologically is Padawan by Kiersten White. It is an early story in the life of Obi-Wan Kenobi and the beginning stages as the padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn. The novel serves as good insight into a younger Obi-Wan Kenobi and his complicated relationship with his master at the beginning of his career will go on to mirror his and Anakin’s.
Master & Apprentice
Random House Worlds
One year after Padawan and before the events of The Phantom Menace is Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray. Much like Padawan it explores the complicated relationship between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi but puts more emphasis on Qui-Gon’s perspective. It also details some of Qui-Gon’s early teaching under Count Dooku, showing the cyclical cycles of master and apprentices that extends down to Obi-Wan and Anakin.
Queen Trilogy
Disney Press / Youtini
The Queen trilogy shows the fall of the Jedi from the outside perspective of Queen and later Senator Padme Amidala and focuses on the political intrigue leading up to and during the Clone Wars. Readers love this series because of the female perspective of its main character, Padme. As a woman and politician, Padme relates to a different audience than many other Star Wars Characters do. She fights political battles that have as big of an impact on the Clone Wars as the Jedi fighting on the front lines. Yet, she does it all while using her intellect rather than a lightsaber.
A notable aspect of the trilogy is how it fills in the gaps of the prequel trilogy, with Queen’s Peril taking place before The Phantom Menace (but after Padawan and Master & Apprentice). Queen’s Shadow takes place between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, and Queen’s Hope is set right at the end of Attack of the Clones and in many ways is a companion piece to the next Star Wars novel on this list.
Brotherhood
Del Rey Books
Another Obi-Wan Kenobi-focused book released to coincide with the Disney+ series, Brotherhood focuses on an early mission of the Clone Wars with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, specifically the Cato Neimodia mission Obi-Wan references in the underrated Revenge of the Sith. The novel is one of the earliest conflicts in the Clone Wars and shows Anakin’s recent promotion to Jedi Knight. Both Brotherhood and Queen’s Hope feature the marriage between Anakin and Padme seen at the end of Attack of the Clones, and both are stories that immediately follow those events. The novel is in many ways a great bridge into the Clone Wars animated series.
Dark Disciple
Random House Publishing
The standalone book Dark Disciple takes place in the prequel era, just before the events in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Dark Disciple follows Dark Jedi, Asajj Ventress, as she recovers from her fallout with Count Dooku in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The story of this book was originally slotted to take place in the cartoon, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but Disney published it in this book when the animated series was cut short. It is important not only for the closure readers experience with a fan-favorite character but also because of its in-depth look at the night sisters on Dathomir.
Thrawn Ascendency Trilogy
Del Rey
The Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy starts in the Clone Wars Era and continues into the Empire’s Era. These books follow Thrawn, one of the most important villains in Star Wars lore. Thrawn (or Mitth’raw’nuruodo) appeared as a Grand Admiral in Star Wars: Rebels and is set to be the major villain of Disney+’s Ashoka. Thrawn is a Chiss hailing from a galaxy far, far, farther away, and is known for his cunning traps and pervasive infrared vision. These books show Thrawn’s beginnings and his accomplishments within the Chiss Ascendency. It offers an important backstory not only to the character but never before seen detail into the Chiss culture.
Ahsoka
Disney LucasFilm Books
Ahsoka takes place after the fall of the republic in Revenge of the Sith. It follows the beloved Ahsoka Tano on her run from the empire and its inquisitors. Some fans were disappointed by this book’s slow pacing and somewhat simple plot. However, we enjoyed getting inside Ahsoka’s head, and hearing her voice narrate the story; Ashley Eckstein (who voiced Ahsoka in Star Wars: The Clone Wars) even voices the audiobook.
Regardless of your feelings about the book itself, this book is important because of the information it shares about cool white lightsabers and the inquisitors. While elements of the novel have since been retconned in the final episodes of The Clone Wars, it still works as a great bridge to where audiences last saw Ahsoka in The Clone Wars and when she will appear in Rebels.
Most Wanted
Disney LucasFilm Press
Most Wanted takes place on Corellia during the height of the Empire’s power. Han Solo is doing everything he can to make his way on the streets of Corellia when he runs into another thief on the job, Qi’ra. Han and Qi’ra discover that they were hired by the same boss for the same job, and when neither of them leave successfully, they both go on the run. This book brings new insight into Han and Qi’ra’s relationship prior to Solo: A Star Wars Story. It’s a fast-paced adventure perfect for anyone who enjoys a good heist.
Leia, Princess of Alderaan
Disney–Lucasfilm Press
Obi-Wan Kenobi showed audiences a ten-year-old Leia, and anyone looking to follow up on her adventures before Star Wars can do so in Leia, Princess of Alderaan. The novel connects Leia to Saw Gerrera from The Clone Wars and Rogue One and introduces a young Admiral Holdo who will be a major character in The Last Jedi. The novel was published before the release of The Last Jedi and many ways contextualize elements of that film, including the first appearance of the base on Crait.
Thrawn Trilogy
Timothy Zahn’s works are on this list more than once because of the brilliant battle stratagem and complex puzzles he brings to his great intellectual sci-fi books. Zahn gets to reintroduce the character he created back in the original Star Wars Extended Universe now in the new canon. Zahn shows off Thrawn’s problem-solving, political savvy, and uneasy alliances in the Thrawn trilogy.
This series takes place as Thrawn works his way up in The Empire’s ranks (during the reign of the empire before the events in Star Wars: A New Hope). Thrawn gives a unique look into the inner workings of the empire, and the variety of characters who run it. Following Andor showing more of the Empire’s inner workings, these novels serve as a great companion pieces and are must-reads for anyone looking to know more about one of the galaxy’s most formidable villains.
Lost Stars
This sci-fi take on a Romeo and Juliet-type love story starts a little before the original trilogy and continues into the Battle of Jakku. In Lost Stars, Ciena Ree and Thane Kyrel bond at a young age because of their desire to become imperial pilots. As they grow up the two fall in love, but then join in with opposite sides of the war with Ciena staying loyal to the Empire while Thane defeacts to the Rebels.
Lost Stars is emotionally compelling, and it represents both sides of the galactic civil war perfectly. The story fits in seamlessly with existing Star Wars lore while helping readers identify with a new perspective on the events. Lost Stars is loved for its fresh and emotionally compelling take on the galaxy’s oldest stories.
The Princess and the Scoundrel
Another Star Wars romance, now set immediately after Return of the Jedi. The Princess and the Scoundrel shows the wedding of Leia Orgena and Han Solo on Endor and their honeymoon on the luxury star vehicle: the Halcyon (the Star Wars-themed spaceship at Walt Disney World Resort in Flordia). While it could be read as a cynical attempt to advertise the luxury hotel, author Beth Revis does a great job telling a sweet love story between these two iconic partners with a hint of sadness as the reader knows what the future has in store for them.
Aftermath Trilogy
The Star Wars Aftermath trilogy takes place after the events of Return of the Jedi. The crippled empire strives to maintain order while the disbanding rebel alliance tries to create a new sense of order and freedom. It gives a closer look at both previously underrepresented characters like Wedge Antilles, and famous staples, like Han Solo. It even provides the answer to what happened to Jar Jar Binks.
As one of the earliest released canon books, Star Wars: Aftermath received mixed reviews. Some fans were excited to see the long-awaited new material. Others were frustrated by the story’s jumpy editing and scattered plot. Aftermath seemingly incorporates as many perspectives in the story as possible, taking accounts from both old and new characters. Regardless of readers’ feelings, this series lays a lot of groundwork that becomes important to every story in the New Republic era (after the original trilogy).
Shadow of the Sith
Set two decades after Return of the Jedi (and about a decade before Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Shadow of the Sith is an adventure between Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian. It is great to pair the two characters who don’t get much screen time together in the original trilogy, but the novel also works to try and fix some of the plot holes from The Rise of Skywalker.
It features Lando looking for his lost daughter that the First Order stole, sees the story Lando mentions about him and Luke going after Ochi, and provides details about Palpatine’s failed clone which is Rey’s father. For those who want to make sense of The Rise of Skywalker, Shadow of the Sith works as an entertaining story first at a retcon second.
Bloodline
Bloodline takes place after the fall of the empire in between the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Princess Leia serves as a senator for the New Republic but runs into a lot of trouble facing off against members of the galactic senate and future members of the First Order. The book impressively represents Leia’s political savvy and emotional strength. Bloodline is an important addition because it explains the political conflict at the heart of the sequel trilogy.
Resistance Reborn
After the events in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Resistance Reborn tells the story of the crippled resistance trying to regroup. Filled with flashbacks to Poe’s training and mentors, this book fills in context about Poe Dameron and other resistance fighters. The story has multiple ties to other characters like Leia Organa, Wedge Antilles, and other less well-known rebel veterans. The book received mixed reviews. Some thought that this book complimented the movies well, and filled in a lot of plot holes. Others felt like this book was inconsequential fluff that was too ambiguous to leave a lasting impact. Nevertheless, this book is important for the context it develops in the new universe.
