Book Review: ‘Star Wars Outlaws: Low Red Moon’ by Mike Chen
Star Wars Outlaws was released in mid-2024 as the first true open-world Star Wars game. It thrust players into the underworld of the galaxy, allowing them to work for syndicates during the time of the Empire as Kay Vess, a new scoundrel on the scene.
Outlaws received some rather unfair criticism before its release, which led to middling sales. Unfortunate issues and bugs at launch didn’t help things. Since then, there have been updates and two DLCs for the game, expanding the story of up-and-coming scoundrel Kay Vess as she crosses paths with the Rebellion and famous characters such as Hondo Onaka and Lando Calrissian. (Read our review here)
[Note: While I am reviewing this book independently and honestly, it should be noted that I was given a copy of the book by Penguin Random House for the purpose of this review. This review of Outlaws: Low Red Moon will be spoiler-free but will contain mild spoilers for Outlaws the video game!]
The game also brought us one of the new favorite droids of the franchise. ND-5, an old commando droid from the Clone Wars who has been repurposed to serve as a bodyguard for one Jaylen Vrax, who employs Kay Vess to re-break into the vault of a syndicate leader named Sliro. A mysterious figure heads up Aurek Besh, a newer syndicate on the scene that also has her marked for death.
Jaylen and ND-5 are an interesting duo within the game. We see many reveals and twists for Jaylen, with the big one coming at the end of the game. This includes things to do with the rival syndicate leader Sliro Barsha, who turns out to be Jaylen’s half-brother.
Author Mike Chen brings us a prequel novel to Outlaws, set around these two characters, noting how they meet and the in-game story beats in Outlaws: Low Red Moon.
Outlaws: Low Red Moon takes us into the past
Outlaws: Low Red Moon by Mike Chen follows the story of one Jaylen Barsha (before he was Vrax) as he begins to head up his family’s company, Barsha Corp, whilst his half-brother, Sliro, heads off for his new job with the Empire. Shortly after his succession to CEO, the Empire swoops in and takes over, arresting the whole Barsha family on charges of espionage.
Sliro is missing and presumed to have escaped the wrath of the Empire. While on house arrest and set to be freed in a few days, the Barsha family comes into contact with ND-5, who has been reprogrammed from being a commando droid to be sent in to kill the whole Barsha family. This is how Jaylen and ND-5 first meet; a shock and stun means Jaylen can reset ND-5’s parameters to serving and protecting Jaylen. During this procedure, Jaylen finds the code Low Red Moon deep within the programming, leading him to begin his search for answers about the person behind his family’s killer.
Over the next few years and deep into the reign of the Empire era, we see Jaylen (now Vrax to hide his identity) and ND-5 as they explore the galactic underworld to try and earn money and get in good with the syndicates from the game. The story delves into dealing with the ISB as well as the Hutts and Crimson Dawn, all while looking for answers to avenge his family and find Sliro.
Jaylen and ND-5 are fleshed out in their subsequent POV chapters
Low Red Moon is split into the two characters’ points of view. With Jaylen, readers get into the mind of the new scoundrel, who has had to change his ways in so little time, mentally scarred by ND-5 killing his family in front of him. There is plenty to admire about Jaylen’s character within the book, but also, the brilliance of Mike Chen’s writing lies in what we don’t like about the character, as he is definitely not morally good all the time.
His arc is great, however, taking us from an heir to the Barsha Corp company to his early days navigating the underworld and then closer to when we see him in Outlaws. We get to see what makes him such a successful scoundrel and leader—making plans, putting together teams, and always trying to better himself.
Jaylen and ND-5’s relationship in Low Red Moon is fascinating. We don’t see it much in-game as you mainly play as Kay, but in the book, we see what makes them work together well. Chen does a stellar job at keeping readers guessing with what is going through Jaylen’s mind and with his relationship with ND-5, and Jaylen wanting to keep control over the droid as much as possible; rather than letting him have more free will, which also heightens the ending of Outlaws when Kay removes ND-5’s restraining bolt and trusts him.
One of the main draws of Outlaws: Low Red Moon is that of the ND-5 chapters, especially with him being the fan favorite character from the game. Chen brings us a first for Star Wars books in that we get a droid’s point of view. Most of the chapters begin with a start-up sequence, adding to the sense of seeing a slice of ND-5’s life through his eyes. Chen does a wonderful job at making the style and way you read the chapters as pure ND-5, including his cold humor, which we love from the game.
There are plenty of points within the novel where you see ND-5 grapple with his new instructions and programming to protect Jaylen. With Jaylen’s reluctance and false promises into freeing ND-5 from his restraining bolt, we also see his frustrations and emotions over not being able to be trusted fully.
The most heartbreaking points of these chapters are ND-5 not fully understanding what Jaylen is doing to him and his naivety that comes from simply knowing he must do everything to protect him. We also see how not being a part of the Clone Wars and the Confederacy of independent systems has altered him and how he grapples with not being in a war anymore.
ND-5 proves to be very intelligent within his chapters, and we see he is much more methodical with Jaylen, with the chapters working almost as a contrast. We see how he manages different scenarios much more effectively. The writing for ND-5 is inventive and unlocks a whole new area for Star Wars books to explore more droid POV’s, so I hope this book won’t be the last.
Being based on Outlaws, this book already proves more interesting than most, as the readers (if they have played the game) have a one-up on the characters. They know the twisted truth surrounding Jaylen and his family’s true killer and who sent ND-5 after them.
Even if you haven’t played the game, then Chen lays it out beautifully for you to piece together near the start. This makes the book that much more emotional, showing how we end up with the Jaylen Vrax of the game and how and why he does what he does towards the end of the game itself. The book and game work beautifully in tandem with each other, and I would say this is now an essential part of the wider world of Outlaws.
There are sections of this book Chen writes so brilliantly it is if you are reading someone playing the game. The way Jaylen has to sit and take in his surroundings and listen out for clues, just like within the game, you really feel and understand this is part of the Outlaws universe. There must have been a lot of input from the game creators for this book in the best way as well.
Of course, I have mentioned before that this book covers the syndicates, and whilst they don’t appear too much until nearer the end, their presence is felt throughout. Jaylen does deal with them just as Kay does. Even the interpolitics of helping one syndicate and having it harm your reputation with another come into play in the book, letting us see how Jaylen compares to Kay in these situations.
With it being a Star Wars book, you can expect characters from across the franchise to appear. I won’t spoil any, but a surprise appearance from a character within the Mandoverse did get a big reaction from me—a first-time appearance for them in book form too.
I must also note the audiobook, which will release at the same time as the novel. It is a special one as it’s performed by the two actors for Jaylen and ND-5, with Eric Johnson voicing Jaylen’s chapters and Jay Rincon voicing ND-5’s chapters. Having the voice actors return to read the audiobook adds a whole new dimension to the novel. I would highly recommend giving it a listen.
Final thoughts on Outlaws: Low Red Moon
Outlaws: Low Red Moon is the perfect book for fans of the game and fans of the Star Wars underworld. Jaylen and ND-5 make for a fascinating pair, and their dynamic throughout the book is filled with friendship, doubt, nuance, and never fully trusting one another. ND-5 remains the best droid in Star Wars, with a crucial point of view from the droid.
The way Low Red Moon ties into the game beautifully cannot be understated, with you at times feeling like you are reading someone play the game. It deepens ISB lore further, unlocking a whole new level to the Empire’s network of spies; as well as giving us a look into the earlier world of the syndicates and their rise to power during the time of the Empire.
My rating for this book: 9/10
Outlaws: Low Red Moon is a wonderfully inventive game tie-in book with beautiful writing from Mike Chen. Appearances from characters across the franchise widen this little slice of the galaxy. This book is well worth your time, whether you were a big fan of the game or not, and it’s an example of how Star Wars books are still managing to be inventive and find new ways to thrill readers. Outlaws: Low Red Moon proves this era of the Star Wars timeline still has plenty to show us.
Also check out What to Expect From Star Wars in 2026
