Star Wars Rebel Rising

By: Beth Revis

Narrated by: Rebecca Soler

New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis brings to life the early adventures and heartbreaks of the heroine of the smash hit movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

When Jyn Erso was five years old, her mother was murdered and her father taken from her to serve the Empire. But despite the loss of her parents she is not completely alone-Saw Gerrera, a man willing to go to any extremes necessary in order to resist Imperial tyranny, takes her in as his own, and gives her not only a home but all the abilities and resources she needs to becomea rebel herself.

Jyn dedicates herself to the cause-and the man. But fighting alongside Saw and his people brings with it danger and the question of just how far Jyn is willing to go as one of Saw's soldiers. When she faces an unthinkable betrayal that shatters her world, Jyn will have to pull the pieces of herself back together and figure out what she truly believes in... and who she can really trust.

Great backstory of Jyn coming of age

I love Rogue one and have watched it too many times to count. I’m not sure about the other reviews saying this is boring or not good. I think it’s got more of a young woman Rebel-to-be point of view and very much fits right in to the other stories. Most of the Star Wars stories are male-centric which perhaps may be why it feels different from the other books. I loved the woman narrator. I think she did an excellent job and will look out for more books and narration by both of these talented artists.

An Origin Story Full of Sacrifice

If you could sum up Star Wars: Rebel Rising in three words, what would they be?

Life/Love/Sacrifice

What did you like best about this story?

Just how much it made me care for younger Jyn. Her story gripped me and there were parts that punched me right in the feels and made me wish for a happy ending I knew would not come. The author Beth Revis did a great job with getting me emotionally invested in the character.

Have you listened to any of Rebecca Soler’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No but I found myself liking her voice acting for Jyn better than the performance of her voice for the Rogue One novelization and I really like that narrator. Then again, Jyn is a female amd the narrator for this book is a woman, unlike the narrator of Rogue One so that may have something to do with it as well. Overall though, I enjoyed her performance.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

A certain suicide made me really upset. Not the act itself but sheer lack of empathy surrounding the circumstances. It was quite grim.

Any additional comments?

This book made feel glad that I don't live in a ruthless, totalitarian regime; like Jyn was forced to endure growing up. To all those Star Wars fans that take democracy for granted, remember that constant vigilance is vital to ensure our societies do not degenerate to such levels of mechanical apathy.

good but definitely not a stand alone book

I really liked it but it's really not a standalone book. I recommend listening to Catalyst before hand. I think the book gave more depth to Jen Erso's Character from Rogue One.

Do yourself a favor and buy this book

Star Wars have passionate fans that judge it harshly sometimes. I was skeptical when I read some of the reviews. But I’m glad I didn’t listen to them. I enjoyed Catalyst and enjoyed Rebel Rising even more. This is a great telling of Jyn’s trials before rouge one. Jyn is a young soul trying to fit into a huge universe. She makes bad decisions and gets into unavoidable trouble. She’s in no way perfect. Which makes her a perfectly flawed character. We watch her as she grows into a more complex character, especially during the second half of the book. I love the direction they took with Jyn and her view of the world. I recommend starting with Catalyst, then Rebel Rising, and end with Rouge One. I never fully appreciated Rouge One movie because I didn’t feel I connected with the characters. I’m glad these books exist. Now I’ll finally be able to fully enjoy that movie.

Rebel Reading

As a Star Wars fan this is an exciting back story to Jyn Erso. A good character in her own right and may not be as outstanding as other main characters in the Star Wars universe but a fun read nevertheless. Rebecca sure has a similar voice over to the movie character.