For those of you who don’t know who Ashoka Tano is, a quick introduction. After Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, an animated series debuted on Cartoon Network called “Star Wars – The Clone Wars.” In it, we are introduced to the previously unknown apprentice of Anakin Skywalker (he who would become Darth Vader): a young Togruta named Ahsoka Tano. She was essentially the breakout character of that series after a bit of a rocky start (i.e. once the writers figured out how to write an adolescent in a war without making her too annoying). When the series ended, the explanation of why she wasn’t in Revenge of the Sith was satisfactory, but her ultimate fate was left unknown. She reappeared fifteen years later (in-universe chronology) in the current Disney XD show, “Star Wars – Rebels.”
This novel fills in some of the between the end of The Clone Wars and Ahsoka’s appearance in Rebels. Specifically, it shows how Ahsoka came to the attention of Bail Organa (Princess Leia’s adoptive father) and became the agent known as Fulcrum.
We see how the New Order of the Empire affects the regular, rural people of the galaxy and Star Wars: Ashoka takes time to show us how nasty the Empire is to everyone who isn’t part of their very narrow view of “acceptable.”
Without giving too much of the plot away, I will say the book is tight; it moves quickly and I was never lost or confused. I found it thoroughly enjoyable and, in fact, would rank it near the top of all the Extended Universe novels and thus far, the best of the new EU continuity. While I appreciate what some other authors bring to the EU, I didn’t have to fight against the writing style (which is a completely subjective judgment), and it certainly made reading more pleasurable. My only real criticism is I felt the climax was a bit rushed, particularly Ashoka’s confrontation with her nemesis, an Inquisitor (fans of “Star Wars: Rebels” will be familiar with the type). Still, I suppose it is good to occasionally show the bad guys getting curb-stomped because they underestimate their opponents, and it is a known flaw of the Empire.
For too long, and with few exceptions, EU novels focused on the exploits of the Skywalkers and Solos we came to know and love in the films. With seemingly every event in the galaxy revolving around Luke, Leia, and Han, it made the universe feel very small.
Expanding the cast of characters novels can focus on helps with that tremendously. For all the awesome things about Star Wars, there’s really very few role-models for young women and the franchise sorely needed more. Ashoka Tano is a good one. She’s witty, strong, competent and self-sufficient. She’s not shown to need help to accomplish the most basic tasks and when she does need help, she recognizes it, formulates a plan, gets the help she needs and gets things done. Without a doubt, Ashoka Tano continues the tradition of strong female characters in sci-fi and fantasy and she is a fine addition to the heroes of Star Wars.