Star Wars: The Last Order

By: Kwame Mbalia

Narrated by: Torian Brackett

New York Times best-selling author Kwame Mbalia makes his Star Wars debut with this exciting YA novel!

Following the end of Star Wars:The Rise of Skywalker, the Resistance rescues a ship full of young passengers who had been kidnapped by the First Order. As Finn and Jannah set out to find the First Order officer responsible before he can endanger any more children, the two former stormtroopers must wrestle with their own complicated pasts as soldiers of the oppressive regime.

Take a deep dive into the pasts of popular characters Finn and Jannah in this richly-drawn, action-packed story that fans have been asking for.

Critic reviews

"A fine-tuned character study spotlighting the emotional and psychological awakening of two unexpected galactic heroes." —Kirkus Reviews

Good for hardcore 12-15 year old Star Wars fans, less so for adult fans.

Had a long painful night (chronic pain). Tried to stay distracted by my new audiobook but it was actually painfully boring at some points. Super focused on Finn and Janna’s backgrounds within the first order. Sounds harsher than I mean it because it wasn’t that bad but… Like 9 hours of redundant “The first order is evil and took advantage of them being child/teenage soldiers and not knowing any better” … which I personally felt was already made pretty clear in the rise of skywalker and wasn’t that interesting then. My mood/pain may have impacted my level of enjoyment somewhat though. But I really wanted to like this book. I think it is primarily plagued by what much of young adult fiction suffers from though: too much focus on characters redundant inner monologues without purpose in progressing the story. These types of books are important for actual audiences that are not yet emotionally mature enough to recognize and relate to scenarios that the characters find themselves in, or have trouble retaining the information on a character’s development between reading sessions, and with my add if I was like 12-15 years old I would probably have loved this book, but as an adult powering through in audio format it didn’t quite reach the necessary level of intrigue, new concepts, or character advancement that I expect from a renowned franchise that is as scrutinized by its fanbase as Star Wars is.

Having said all that I really hope to see more star wars from this author, but something deeper and less constrained by existing story limitations would suit them far more based on this book.

Wow. This wasn’t what I expected but I enjoyed it!

Thanks Kwame! This was a brutal backstory for Finn and Jannah and a reminder about what is the core of Star Wars, the end with Coy uff so Luke Skywalker hehe

From First Order to First Rate… Until the Final Chapter

From the very first chapter, The Last Order pulled me in with its fresh perspective and emotional depth. Kwame Mbalia brings a powerful voice to the Star Wars universe, diving into the untold stories of Finn and Jannah with heart and urgency. The concept of former First Order youth joining the Resistance was compelling, and the way their pasts were explored added real weight to the narrative.

The pacing was tight, the action was sharp, and the emotional beats hit hard — especially as Finn and Jannah confront the trauma of their upbringing and fight to protect others from the same fate. I was fully invested.

That said, the ending felt a bit rushed. After such a rich buildup, I was hoping for more time to sit with the resolution and see the characters' arcs land with the same care that shaped the rest of the story. It didn’t ruin the experience, but it did leave me wishing for just a few more chapters to let everything breathe.

Still, this is a must-read for fans who’ve been craving more from these characters. Mbalia’s debut in the galaxy far, far away is bold, heartfelt, and worth the ride.

Fingers crossed that these authors do for Rey and Finn what they've done for characters Thrawn—give them the depth and the arcs they really deserve. if they're the main characters in Star Wars moving forward we need we need more history on them more depth. If they're going to be the central figures in Star Wars moving forward, we need richer backstories, more emotional weight, and a clearer sense of legacy. The groundwork is there—now it's time to build something unforgettable.

A much needed Sequel Trilogy adventure!

Star Wars: The Last Order is exactly the kind of story many fans of the sequel era have been waiting for. It captures the spirit of classic Star Wars while expanding the world and characters introduced in the sequel trilogy. The story feels adventurous, fast-paced, and full of the sense of discovery that defines the best moments in the galaxy far, far away.
What stands out most is how the narrative deepens the stakes and gives the era a stronger sense of direction. Familiar themes—hope, legacy, and the struggle between light and dark—are handled with care, while the new elements feel natural rather than forced. The characters are given room to grow, and the story adds welcome depth to the time period.
Overall, Star Wars: The Last Order feels like a much-needed addition to the sequel trilogy timeline. It delivers excitement, lore, and heart, reminding fans why they fell in love with Star Wars in the first place.

Disappointing Possibility

While this story technically takes place after the events of the sequel trilogy, you would barely even notice since 70-80% of the book is told through flashbacks of Finn and Jannah's time in the First Order. Now at first, this might sound quite enticing and, for Jannah's portion of the story, it actually is since we did not get much about her in the movie. However, this book spends so much time in the past that the actual narrative of the present day becomes jarring, confusing, and very simplistic, not even including the facts that the author regularly fails to capture the voices of known characters and Finn's flashback arc effectively undoes his minimal growth from Episode VII. Finally, while the narrator did not arguably do a bad job, the lack of proper voicing by the author compounded with the limited range of the voice actor led to difficulties in understanding who was talking at any given moment.