Cal Kestis and the crew of the Mantis are back as author Sam Maggs fills in some the gaps between the hit game Jedi: Fallen Order and its sequel, Jedi: Survivor. When the crew pick up an unlikely person on a mission who by their very presence challenges every single member to come to terms with what they truly believe.
One of the best parts of Battle Scars is the way Maggs puts a mirror in front of every character on the Mantis to make them face the reasons for their actions in the last couple years and what that means for their future. She is also able to shine a light on important questions they must ask themselves about their pasts which help inform their present and future. It is such an important message, the way the past, the good and the bad help us figure out the right path moving forward. Maggs also shows the struggle each character faces, not turning into the very thing they are working to end. Cal, Merrin and Cere must find a way reject the lure of the Dark Side which is increasingly more seductive for each of them.
The biggest issue with the book is the writing style. Too much of the dialogue has a modern snark to it that just feels out of place in the Star Wars universe. This is compounded with too many modern, vernacular turns of phrase that don’t work well for the saga. While the themes of the book are good, the story is never able to rise above the level of average. Jedi: Battle Scars is rated 3 out of 5 stars.
This review was completed with a review copy of Jedi: Battle Scars from Del Rey Publishing.
