Spark of the Resistance – Review

This review does feature spoilers.

The Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has begun. There are three books and a comic series as part of the lead up to Episode IX from Lucasfilm Publishing. The first book out of the gate is Spark of the Resistance by Justina Ireland. Like Before the Awakening, that preceded The Force Awakens, this is a middle grade book with art from the brilliant Phil Noto. The story follows Rey, Poe and Rose as they make their way back to the Resistance from a supply run, when they receive a distress call. Unwilling to leave those in need, the trio of heroes finds themselves in a race against the First Order for a weapon that could change the course of the war.

How We Fight

One of the struggles our heroes come up against in the course of the story is what to do with the weapon that they and the First Order are both after. It is said to be able to make a population controllable with a sound. Should the Resistance be willing to use such a weapon, even against the evil of the First Order? The answer is not immediately apparent to the entire team, until they see the weapon’s impact on the Zixon, the people who sent the distress signal. It is in that moment, as the Zixon are helpless, docile and lifeless, our heroes understand that some tools are not meant to be used by anyone. The question is not only “if we fight”, it’s just as important to ask “how” as well. The “how” is what separates the sides of good and evil.

Filling in the Gaps

More than anything, Spark of the Resistance helps fill in the gap between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, giving us a taste of what that year is like for the fledgling heroes. The character of Poe shows the growth he went through in The Last Jedi and Rose feels consistent from what we got in the film as well as the book Cobalt Squadron.

Rey on the other hand was a mixed bag in the book. We come to understand that she has been struggling with her connection to the Force. She also feels the weight of the Resistance on her shoulders as everyone looks to her to be the hero that will save the galaxy, yet she’s unsure of herself. The lack of a mentor for her, especially in the Force is pronounced.

Which brings to mind something seen in The Last Jedi, Rey did take the ancient Jedi texts from the tree on Ahch-To, yet there is no mention in this story whether she has read them or not. One would think that if you were struggling to understand something and possessed a book that could help you, the first thing you would do would be to read it. The question has to be asked, “Is no one going to read these?”. It’s clear from The Last Jedi that Luke never did and now Rey seems to be following in his footsteps. It’s not clear if this is just out of the scope of this story or something The Rise of Skywalker is going to answer, either way, it’s still frustrating to see this character flounder.

On the opposite side, Rey does have a fantastic moment near the end of the book. She’s been trying to enforce her will on the Force in her previous attempts to use it and in her moment of great need, she listens instead. She immerses herself into the Force and allows it to guide her. It’s the best moment in the book for the character and feels like an important moment in her growth as we move towards the Saga’s end.

Conclusion 

Spark of the Resistance is a quick read that does the job it needs to. It helps show how the Resistance rebuilds from that last scene in The Last Jedi aboard the Falcon, to something that can take on the First Order, once and for all. There are a few places where the dialogue is just a bit more juvenile than it needs to be and doesn’t feel quite as authentically Star Wars. This, as well as the issues with Rey’s arc leave the book above average, but just so. Spark of the Resistance is rate 3 out of 5 stars.

This review was completed using a copy of Spark of the Resistance provided by Disney Lucasfilm Press.

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