The Rising Storm Part 1

[colls]

Welcome to our first of four check-in and discussion posts for our Book of the Month.

This month’s book is The Rising Storm (The High Republic) by Cavan Scott
Chapters 1-19

The Rising Storm

1. What are your thoughts on the Talortai? Dis mentions 'blazing crimson blades' in Chapter 7, implying their species was once deemed a threat to the Sith. How does this fit with the Jedi vision of users of the Force?

2. Any thoughts on how Chancellor Soh's open access to reporters and media will pan out?

3. What is 'The Great Leveler' that Ro needed to find? Any predictions?

4. Should Elzar mention his vision to Stellan?

5. How are you liking it so far?




FYI - There's no need to answer all (or any) of the questions above - they're just talking points to get us started. Informal chatter is more than welcome! In-person book clubs often veer off-topic, it's okay if we do as well. :)
All I ask is that you try to avoid spoilers for things past Part I of the book.

Comments

[colls]

1. I was really starting to connect with Dis and looking forward to his character arc. Damnit Ro! Anyway, the idea that there is an entire community of Force-sensitive people who essentially hide that in their nature out of self-preservation from a possible Sith encounter in their distant past is rather intriguing. I also wanted to learn more about wing blades and whatnot.

2. I applaud fictional political characters who want to be transparent, but it almost always seems to backfire. The journalist has had some dialogue (speaking lines) and is written in a way I think we're supposed to feel positively towards her. Which makes me think something is going to go awry.

3. All I can picture is the star force thing from KOTOR. And I use the term 'picture' loosely as I don't recall making it far enough in the game to actually see it.
The Great Leveler - some sort of balancing tool, like scales? There's always the theme of 'balance' threaded through stories about the Force, so I'm assuming it has something to do with that. I also assume that it won't work in a way Ro thinks it will.
Maybe it's a holocron.

4. Any time there's a character that's keeping some knowledge to himself because "I don't want it to be real" or "I don't want to bug anyone with this thing" or "Now isn't the right time" I just want to scream. WRITE YOUR BUDDIES AN EMAIL or something... ANYTHING. guh

5. Despite what appear to be rants above, I am liking this. I like the writing and the pacing and the different stories which I assume with weave together in a good old-fashioned climatic manner.
I hope for more Bell and Burry in the upcoming sections.

[brokenmnemonic]

1. I'm a bit disappointed that we won't get to learn more about the Talortai through Dis. I did wonder at one point if they were another example of a group that had force-related abilities that the Jedi didn't seem to be aware of, like the Navigators in the Chaos. I'm not surprised that there are groups of force sensitive people deliberately hiding through - the comic series (and I think associated novels) set way back in the timeline had most of the galaxy being ruled by a race that actively predated force-sensitive people and races, so being hunted down by the Sith isn't new...

2. The idea of Soh being completely open to the media creates the impression for me that there can't be a lot of realpolitik going on in this point in time. It feels like something that's going to backfire at some point.

3. I'm wondering if The Great Leveller is something that's intended to block access to the Force, or otherwise blind/limit the Jedi within a given area, so that Ro (and the Nihil, possibly) operate with impunity.

4. YES. If he doesn't, it's bound to come true and result in a lot of guilty feelings. He should definitely tell someone.

5. In general I'm enjoying this, although with the timeline being advanced through novels and comics I think I may had inadvertently read too far ahead in the comics without realising? I'm listening to the audiobook of this novel, and some of the accents are ... interesting. It's helping keep a lot of the characters distinct from each other, which is useful as there seem to be a lot, but some of them feel a bit too cartoon villain for me.

[colls]

1. Perhaps. The wider the material gets for the Star Wars Universe, the more we see that the Jedi didn't have a monopoly on the Force. I rather like that idea.

2. Yup - it's gonna come back and bite her in the ass.

3. That's an interesting theory! Oh. That could be fun.

4. I hate things that could've been resolved if only friends SPOKE TO ONE ANOTHER. But that's a personal hang-up. ;)

5. Oh! Well, bound to happen when there's no clear path I guess. Dangit.
I guess on the bright side, Star Wars is normally not told in anything like a chronological or linear order anyway.