'Star Wars: The Mask Of Fear (Reign Of The Empire)' Book Review
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Released just two months before the second season of Andor, The Mask of Fear is the first in a planned trilogy, with the next two novels dropping in 2026 and 2027. It focuses on the characters of Bail Organa and Mon Mothma as well as gives insight into Saw Gerrera alongside a cast of new characters in the weeks following Revenge of the Sith. Penned by author Alexander Freed, who has worked on several other excellent novels for Star Wars, we’re happy to say Freed has knocked it out of the park with a gripping, terrifyingly of-the-times novel.
WARNING: This review contains LIGHT spoilers on the set-up for The Mask of Fear’s three main narratives.
As mentioned above, The Mask of Fear focuses on the immediate weeks after the rise of the Empire and the events of the final Prequel Trilogy film. Bail Organa is in, this review would say, a manic state about what has been happening. The way the Jedi have been demonized and cast aside, even as they are ruthlessly hunted down, torments him for various reasons. He knows much more than anyone else could about the new administration, understanding the evil that is Palpatine and is on a crusade to find the legal evidence the Empire will use to justify the Jedi Purge and then to disapprove it.
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Mon Mothma, meanwhile, is on a very different mission, one steeped in the politics of the Senate. Seeing the wide range of powers the Empire is rapidly granting itself, skirting if not entirely bypassing the Senate’s authority, she moves to clarify the role of the Senate and the Emperor in relation to each other and must work to bring together a wide coalition of politicians to get the work done. Making her task difficult, and somewhat for Bail as well, are threats and harassment from extremely polarized public opinion and, shall we say, “devoted followers” of the new Empire. This element, explored through one of the other main characters in the story, is one of many aspects of the novel ripped right from recent headlines.
Lastly, there is Saw Gerrera. We don’t get Saw’s POV directly in any chapters, as instead, a Separatist agent named Soujen falls in with his proto-Partisans. Saw is not actively striking back against the Empire and is instead gathering resources for future efforts. But, his discussions with Soujen, and other events later in the story, begin to push him toward the figure we see in the finale of The Bad Batch Season 2.
Image Source: Wookieepedia
From this setup, a lot of great elements come into play. At the core of the novel, obviously, are its connections to Andor, both with the focus on Mon Mothma and the dive into Star Wars politics during the time of the Empire. Many of Mon’s exchanges read like they come right out of a screenplay for some lost Andor episode, and the presence of Bail Organa is a plus, seeing as how some fans eagerly hoped for his inclusion in the series but were disappointed when he did not show up in Season 1. But, as alluded to earlier, this novel is also surprisingly linked to The Bad Batch in a few key ways, which we sadly can’t detail here as they might reveal elements of The Mask of Fear’s plot. All we can say is, if you’re considering a rewatch of Andor Season 1 to complement this novel, don’t forget to include The Bad Batch Seasons 2 and 3.
There are a range of small detractions that keep the book from perfection. One of these is how Saw Gerrera doesn’t have his own POV, with his actions instead being interpreted by those around him. Another is the lack of mention of a few characters who likely should have been included or referenced, as well as a few events from Revenge of the Sith which appear glossed over. But these are truly small nitpicks against what is a momentous novel the world NEEDS right now. We cannot recommend enough that fans of Star Wars, or fans of political thrillers, pick up this novel and dive into its pages, with great main characters, interesting side characters, and a lot to say about the galaxy far, far away, which resonates with our modern world.
Rating: 9/10
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