The highly anticipated Star Wars novel, Bloodline, is out now and, as promised, it reveals the state of the galaxy leading into The Force Awakens. This includes an explanation of some pretty basic things left out the movie, like:
Why is the Resistance so small?
Where did the First Order come from?
I thought we beat the Empire? I mean, right, didn’t we? What the heck, they seem stronger than ever? Stormtroopers still? Who thought that was a good idea?
Star Wars: Bloodline follows the political career of Leia Organa in the years after Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi , as she navigates political stalemate in the New Republic. The new senate is sharply divided between two parties, the Centrists and the Populists. Leia is the latter, standing against Centrists who may not want the Empire back, exactly, but sure do appreciate centralized military power.
For a full review of the book, check out Tor’s review, which does a good job of laying the groundwork without too many spoilers. Instead of running down the plot, we’re more concerned with one major facet of the story: the doxxing of Leia Organa.
Early in Bloodline , Leia attends the dedication ceremony for a statue of her adoptive father, Bail Organa. She enjoys quite a bit of influence in this new senate. But then the truth gets blown wide open: she’s not Bail Organa’s daughter at all. Darth Vader was her father.
The effect is immediate, as Leia finds most of her political power and prestige stripped away. Not only does this marginalize her, but it empowers the Centrists, fueling the rise of the First Order. The Resistance as we know it in Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a rag-tag collection buoyed by Leia’s few remaining supporters inside the New Republic (at least until Hux blows them all up on Hosnian Prime).
The unveiling of Leia’s real father has another likely side effect: the alienation of Ben Solo and his eventual transformation into Kylo Ren. During the events of Star Wars: Bloodline Ben and Luke Skywalker are bouncing around the galaxy, unaware that Leia’s true familial identity has been uncovered. Here’s the key bit: Ben Solo doesn’t know he’s Darth Vader’s grandson!
Though there have already been several novels set in the new Disney Star Wars continuity, Star Wars: Bloodline may be the first essential entry for Star Wars fans hoping to understand the state of the galaxy before Star Wars: The Force Awakens and leading into Star Wars: Episode VIII . But no matter how complicated the politics, much of it comes down to the continued dark shadow Darth Vader casts over the future of the Skywalkers and the galaxy.
