Review by Booklist Review
Nestled between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, this Star Wars adventure follows Nioka, a young tinkerer on a scrapper freighter who finds a lightsaber on mission and is determined to learn the ways of the Jedi. Nioka and her fellow scrapper, Barun, become entangled with Itai, a prospective Knight of Ren. Itai hunts for the two scrappers to retrieve Nioka's new lightsaber, in the hopes of securing the favor of his merciless master, who will unlock the ways of the dark side for Itai. Ruiz' attention to in-universe details, personal enthusiasm for lore, and fidelity to continuity are apparent. Fans who have watched and read plenty of Star Wars content will recognize the included minutiae, but this story isn't bogged down with extensive references so as to be unreadable without considerable background knowledge. Ruiz' action-packed panels are fluid and dynamic, and character designs are beautiful. Nioka pays special attention to the physics of attacks, which could provide some interesting educational opportunities. Fans who have enjoyed Star Wars comics and manga will certainly enjoy this installment.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
