We also get some Jedi in the book, Mattie and Oliviah. These Jedi characters are fine, but don’t stand out in the greater High Republic storyline. Probably the biggest problem in Phase 2 is that the Jedi aren’t necessarily as memorable as the Jedi in Phase 1.

The High Republic phase 2 is a journey, and Path of Vengeance is a fitting end. Throughout Cataclysm and the Battle of Jedha I often found myself asking - So what is Marda doing? Well, this book is the answer. Path of Vengeance is the last book in Phase Two, Wave Two of The High Republic Chronicles and quite the perfect way to close this era of the series with a bang and a very twisted, eerie, and dark atmosphere, appropriate for the things we know will come. Marda’s journey is mirrored by her cousin Yana, who’s still reeling over the loss of her girlfriend Kor. Yana has never had a blind belief in the Path’s cause like Marda, and she’s been looking for a safe way out for years. She gets her chance in Path of Vengeance, but not before she’s caught between choosing her cousin and her girlfriend’s father the Herald, who was blamed for the Battle of Jedha and imprisoned by the Guardians of the Whills.

The Review Verdict on Star Wars: Path of Vengeance

The Mother is a dud of a villain. She never inspired any sense of fear or interest for me. The Herald is a much better character because he actually believes what he preaches. The Mother's storyline could only ever have gone one way, and so it does: she is exposed as a Force-using fraud and devoured by her own pet beast. Her motivations are also cookie-cutter: she is jealous of her sister who got to become a Jedi when she didn't. I think things would've been more interesting if the Mother's use of the Force was unconscious, or really just if there had been any nuance whatsoever to her character. As it is, her defeat is predictable and obvious. By the time the events of Path of Vengeance take place, everyone is committed to hurting and killing anyone that doesn’t align with them. Even small children are convinced to plant detonators because “it is to ensure the future of the Path”. There’s an emotional rawness to Matty that we don’t often see in other Jedi. She’s not afraid to wear her emotions on her robe sleeves or speak out with sarcasm and bluntness when she senses something amiss. Hearing the Leveler was also super important to get immersed in the moment. It may have appeared in fewer scenes than most other characters but whenever it did, things were very intense. Its roar really helped me to understand how scary and dangerous this abomination truly is.

Cavan Scott doesn't write good books, but he does write entertaining ones. In a similar vein to The Rising Storm, the prose is sloppy and melodramatic but has a certain charm and readability to it. You want to like Cavan Scott, not necessarily as an author but as someone who would be a blast to hang out with. He's having fun writing Star Wars stories and he wants you to have fun reading them. One issue with the book is a formatting issue. Both Marda and Yana have parts of their subconscious, represented by people close to them that have died, “talking” to them throughout the story. Frustratingly this is not demarcated well through something like italics, which would help greatly. It can be confusing in many scenes, since this is not done, leaving the reader to think they missed something about who is actually “in” the scene they are reading. Marda Ro, Guide of the Path of the Open Hand, believes in her people’s mission:“the Force will be free.” Her plan to peacefully join the Convocation, a council of Force religions, crumbles when Werth Plouth, the Path’s Herald, incites a riot that spreads throughout the city. Yana Ro warned her naïve cousin about the awaiting danger on Jedha, but Marda doesn’t recognize their leader’s true priority, which is to acquire the Rod of Daybreak. This artifact can control the Leveler, a monster that feeds on Force users, making it the Path’s ultimate weapon against the Jedi. Matty Cathley, a Jedi Padawan, spent most of her life on Jedha, but when her master is killed during the conflict, her new master sends her on a secret mission to Dalna with another Jedi Knight to investigate the origins of the Path of the Open Hand. This new installment in the High Republic series blasts off with high action and suspense driven by emotional stakes and elements of horror. Chapters alternate between the Ro cousins (two gray-skinned Evereni) and Matty (a Twi’lek with red skin). All three main characters, while distinct in their values and personalities, grapple with grief and belonging. The novel reflects the diversity in the galaxy around them, including casual queer representation.

Tropes in this novel include:

Those who have read Cataclysm know that the Night of Sorrow is the brutal battle between Jedi and Dalnan forces and radicalized members of the Path of the Open Hand. Then the Nameless creatures (also known as the Leveler) are thrown into the rain-soaked, bloody mess to torment and kill the Jedi. The third storyline in Vengeance is that of Matthea Cathley, from Cavan Scott's other contribution to Phase II, the flagship "High Republic" comic. I didn't think she was served as well here as in the comic, however. Her relationship with her reluctant mentor Vildar Mac was the emotional core of that story; in Vengeance, she is paired with Oliviah Zeveron, an extremely half-baked and inconsistent character with whom the reader never fully connects. Most of this storyline boils down to Matty feeling vaguely uncomfortable around her coworker, which, compared to the drama of the Ro cousins, feels decidedly underwhelming. And I really wish Oliviah got anything beyond the most perfunctory of character development, considering how key she is to this phase.

Phase 2 certainly wasn’t a waste of time. I honestly loved Cataclysm, Path of Deceit had an insane ending, Battle of Jedha was pretty good (although would’ve been better as a novel) but I also feel a little confused on its existence. This is an issue that will likely be made more clear (whether in a good or bad way) in phase 3. When Marda leaves the Path behind with the Leveler at her side aboard the Gaze Electric, she vows to never let anyone tell her what to do again, mirroring her descendant Marchion's private reasoning revealed in Eye of the Storm. However, the difference is that while it was a principle to never be manipulated or pushed around by those with ill intentions in Marda's case, it was reflective of a massive ego in Marchion's. In many ways, this book pays off storylines from the adult, YA, and even the Middle Grade storylines. It truly is a finale book. However, “Cataclysm” was an “Event” book and felt bigger and grander. This story pays off quite a lot, but because it is so focused on the villain characters and the perspectives are much narrower, it doesn’t feel as “eventful”. I prefer the style of the adult books, but I must say Cavan Scott does a good job with YA. It overall didn’t feel cheesy, and with a few exceptions I did enjoy the way he handled teen characters and romance. Even the climax of both stories happen in the same physical location. I’m not sure if it was planned like that but I always enjoy when things like these “rhyme”, as George Lucas says. A different point of view

The High Republic at Its Best

This enthralling follow up to Path of Deceit finds cousins Marda and Yana Ro bound by blood but driven apart by faith. Zoraida Córdova: The Force of Fantasy" · " Lydia Kang: The Magic of Mythmaking" · " The High Republic: Phase II Companion" As the concluding novel in phase two of The High Republic, Path of Vengeance by Cavan Scott proves to be one of the boldest and bleakest entries in Star Wars literature. The overall theme of the book is women in their villain eras, and we’re just along for the deliciously dark ride.