Guardians of the Whills by Greg Rucka
Guardians of the Whills by Greg Rucka
I'm not even sure how to begin to describe this book. It was written in such a unique way, so different from what I've become used to with Star Wars novels. Greg Rucka has also written Before the Awakening and Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo Adventure, neither of which were anything like this one. We get constant emotion, feeling, and sensation from Baze and Chirrut, essentially comprising half the novel. And it works. The action is most definitely there, but the inner workings of Baze and Chirrut's minds are where the true art of this novel lies. Although it was meant to be a junior reader, it doesn't read like one at all. In fact, I think it would make more of an impact for any adult compared to a teenager. There's just too much inner turmoil and hardship for this to work as a junior reader. But you won't find it in the timeline for the adult books.
The story takes place over the course of three months that are, I assume, a few months before Rogue One. The Empire has occupied Jedha and closed down the temples, and Baze has long ago lost his faith. Chirrut and Baze are making strike runs against the Empire in stealing re-supply shipments to provide food, water, and medicine to a local orphanage they've taken under their wing. Then Saw Gerrera comes on the scene and all hell breaks loose.
The format of this book has each chapter begin with an excerpt from Collected Poems, Prayers, and Mediations on the Force, edited by Kozem Pel, Disciple of the Whills. Even the Sith Code is included!!! I was delighted to find it solidly inserted into canon - nods to it have been made in such works as the recent short-run Darth Maul comic series, but here the Sith Code is laid out in full, in all its familiar glory. The Jedi Code also makes an appearance, along with many other insightful works. I'm sure each poem, prayer, or meditation tied into the chapter it fronted, but I guess I wasn't paying enough attention to recognize how. Regardless, it was fascinating to get further insights into the Force and the people who incorporate the Force into their belief systems.
One really cool aspect of this book was that we get some more insight into Chirrut's connection with the Force throughout. His ability to feel it is almost like a version of momentary enlightenment or bliss - where he can catch it in fleeting instants, but can't hold on to it for extended periods of time. As the novel explains, "Chirrut Imwe was not a Jedi. He was not, by any means a Force user. But what he could do, what he had spent years upon years striving for the enlightenment to do, was-sometimes-feel the Force around him. Truly, genuinely feel it, if only for a moment, if only tenuously, like holding his palm up to catch the desert sand that blew into the city at dawn and at dusk. Be, however fleetingly, one with the Force." So he has the ability to be one with the Force and feel other people in the Force but he cannot use the Force to do Jedi and Sith type "tricks" or to reach out and call to others. I would go so far as to say this would make him not even Force sensitive, he's just Force intuitive...if that makes sense.
A few random tidbits:
Rucka wrote so many great lines in this novel, but my absolute favorite was the following about a Rodain boy named Althin whose parents had just been killed in the cross-fire of the Empire and Gerrera's partisans. Chirrut is holding him in his arms trying to get him to the orphanage: "He felt the boy touch his face, the soft, suction-tipped ends of his fingers on his cheek like flower petals." So beautiful.
The last 50 pages take on a whole different canter from the rest of the novel as they rapidly switch from a few days into the future to a few days and then hours before that future time. It took a little getting used to to understand what was happening, but once I did, it kept me absolutely enwrapped and I could not put the book down. Then it was quickly over and I was dying for more.
I would've loved for this book to travel up to the moment where Chirrut calls out, "I'll trade you that necklace for a glimpse into your future." But alas, it did not and I was left wanting more. But what was written was absolutely brilliant and totally worth the read. I recommend this book 100%.
The story takes place over the course of three months that are, I assume, a few months before Rogue One. The Empire has occupied Jedha and closed down the temples, and Baze has long ago lost his faith. Chirrut and Baze are making strike runs against the Empire in stealing re-supply shipments to provide food, water, and medicine to a local orphanage they've taken under their wing. Then Saw Gerrera comes on the scene and all hell breaks loose.
The format of this book has each chapter begin with an excerpt from Collected Poems, Prayers, and Mediations on the Force, edited by Kozem Pel, Disciple of the Whills. Even the Sith Code is included!!! I was delighted to find it solidly inserted into canon - nods to it have been made in such works as the recent short-run Darth Maul comic series, but here the Sith Code is laid out in full, in all its familiar glory. The Jedi Code also makes an appearance, along with many other insightful works. I'm sure each poem, prayer, or meditation tied into the chapter it fronted, but I guess I wasn't paying enough attention to recognize how. Regardless, it was fascinating to get further insights into the Force and the people who incorporate the Force into their belief systems.
One really cool aspect of this book was that we get some more insight into Chirrut's connection with the Force throughout. His ability to feel it is almost like a version of momentary enlightenment or bliss - where he can catch it in fleeting instants, but can't hold on to it for extended periods of time. As the novel explains, "Chirrut Imwe was not a Jedi. He was not, by any means a Force user. But what he could do, what he had spent years upon years striving for the enlightenment to do, was-sometimes-feel the Force around him. Truly, genuinely feel it, if only for a moment, if only tenuously, like holding his palm up to catch the desert sand that blew into the city at dawn and at dusk. Be, however fleetingly, one with the Force." So he has the ability to be one with the Force and feel other people in the Force but he cannot use the Force to do Jedi and Sith type "tricks" or to reach out and call to others. I would go so far as to say this would make him not even Force sensitive, he's just Force intuitive...if that makes sense.
A few random tidbits:
- Three species that made their first appearances in Rogue One are named in this novel: Sabats (first appearance technically in the "Obi-Wan and Anakin" comic book series), Talpinis, and Meftians. There are no new species mentioned.
- Three new planets get only brief nods - Serralonis, Errimin, and Ghita. The entire novel of course takes place on Jedha.
- We are reminded that the style of martial arts Chirrut practices is zama-shiwo, a native fighting style of Jedha.
Rucka wrote so many great lines in this novel, but my absolute favorite was the following about a Rodain boy named Althin whose parents had just been killed in the cross-fire of the Empire and Gerrera's partisans. Chirrut is holding him in his arms trying to get him to the orphanage: "He felt the boy touch his face, the soft, suction-tipped ends of his fingers on his cheek like flower petals." So beautiful.
The last 50 pages take on a whole different canter from the rest of the novel as they rapidly switch from a few days into the future to a few days and then hours before that future time. It took a little getting used to to understand what was happening, but once I did, it kept me absolutely enwrapped and I could not put the book down. Then it was quickly over and I was dying for more.
I would've loved for this book to travel up to the moment where Chirrut calls out, "I'll trade you that necklace for a glimpse into your future." But alas, it did not and I was left wanting more. But what was written was absolutely brilliant and totally worth the read. I recommend this book 100%.
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