Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade

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Iskat’s journey takes her from the depths of grief to the elation of discovering her true self, or what she thinks is her true self. One thing we know about the dark side is that it always lies. You’ll have to read the book to see what finally pushes her over the precipice from good to evil. After finishing this book, I think Delilah S. Dawson might be a Sith. Just kidding. Sort of. She managed to write a really complex, nearly sympathetic, portrait of the inner workings of a person during their long fall to the Dark Side. (Could she have written the prequel trilogy, please? Anakin needed a treatment this good.) The writing itself feels seductive in that it makes the Dark Side sound almost reasonable, Iskat’s anger against the Jedi almost make sense. Darth Vader. After all this time, after all our work together, I really only know one thing about you. You deserve this." ―Iskat Akaris attempts to kill Darth Vader [4] Her true power was first shown during an accident that occurred when doing a simple exercise. The young red-skinned Padawan did something that no Padawan should be able to do. As a result, someone was permanently injured and everyone changed how they look at her, especially the Jedi Masters. As an Inquisitor, Iskat finds the freedom she has always craved: to question, to want. And with each strike of her red blade, Iskat moves closer to claiming her new destiny in the Force-whatever the cost. Read more Look Inside Details

We know, going into this book, that Iskat's future is grim, and her life will be over too soon. How she gets to her end is absorbing, and no matter how hard she tries, she's misunderstood, maligned and isolated. The Inquisitors are some of the most intriguing characters, despite being around for a good number of years already, not much is known about them except for the fact that all of them were Jedi. The Grand Inquisitor and the Second Sister are probably the ones we have more information about, but the majority of them remain a mystery. Perhaps with this book, we’ll learn more about some of them. With her Master dead, a newly found joy for aggression, and all the emotions contained inside Iskat’s heart it was only a matter of time before she fell. Inevitable Downfall The novel has a tangible tonal shift in its last quarter or so. There are times when it feels like reading an entirely different story, but Dawson still manages to keep the pacing steady and focused on Iskat’s journey amid a few jarring time jumps. In my opinion, that would justify hiding it from the impressionable Jedi. But that’s not the case and instead of doing something to help Iskat develop her own identity, they made her doubt even more about her place among the Jedi. The Master ManipulatorStarros is bold, impulsive, and someone you don’t want to play Sabaac with. I’m sure she’s going to be a fine addition to the roster of rogues in Star Wars. Star Wars: Cataclysm (The High Republic) cover reveal

Iskat’s otherness creates a constant tension between her psyche and the Jedi teachings. She doesn’t find the promised tranquility in meditation, and she doesn’t understand why her passion is considered bad. Here on Earth, we have freedom to explore what makes each of us different, but among the Jedi, Iskat feels as if she must hide these parts of herself from everyone around her. Her journey truly begins when she finally discovers how to connect with the Force in her own, unique way — a way which some might consider…unnatural.Every Star Wars book begins when a writer is tapped to craft a story uniquely matched to their skills and style, and I’m honored to know that I’m developing a reputation for writing violent women, including Captain Phasma, Vi Moradi, Asajj Ventress, and Bazine Netal. Outside of Vi, most of those women are also what we would consider evil, or at least villainous. Iskat Akaris begins her story as a naïve young Padawan who wants only to please her Master and help the Republic, but we soon learn that the Clone Wars are a battlefield not only for the galaxy at large, but also for the hearts and minds of those fighting on the front lines. Iskat is trained for diplomacy and peacekeeping and entirely unprepared to be thrust into war. Not because she’s weak or incompetent, but because fighting awakens something in her. Something dangerous. Some readers won’t mind this. But I found this style of writing to be annoying. On top of that, there are also multiple one-sentence paragraphs that explicitly state what each scene means, leaving little to interpretation. Early in the story, one paragraph simply reads, “Iskat was thrilled … and also overwhelmed.” Granted, there is more that’s described afterward, with Iskat trying to slow her breath; however, I don’t think readers need this level of handholding for a book like this. Even with that said, Inquisitor – Rise of the Red Blade is a compelling read, thanks to its main character. Its central focus on one singular character — Iskat Akaris — and all her inner thoughts, trepidations, questions, emotions, and frustrations on her life as a Jedi made me sympathize with her and change how I see the Jedi. Then, when Iskat becomes an Inquisitor, its focus on Iskat’s relief, indulgence, and bloodlust, yet underlying unhappiness, made me empathize with her as I realized she went from one captor to another. Even if she did it to save her fellow Jedi, they all sensed the darkness looming with each of Iskat’s lightsaber strikes. But just like with Anakin, most people turned a blind eye because they required someone like that on the battlefield. Inquisitor – Rise of the Red Blade focuses on Iskat Akaris. Iskat made a brief appearance in Charles Soule’s 2017 Darth Vader comic, issues #19 and #20 (beware of possible spoilers in the link provided). This book chronicles Iskat’s journey as a Jedi Padawan at the dawn of the Clone Wars, all the way to when she becomes an Inquisitor hunting down Jedi.