‘Star Wars: Edge of the Abyss’ By Rebecca Roanhorse Book Review (‘Reign of the Empire’ #2)
Edge of the Abyss is the second book in the Star Wars: Reign of the Empire trilogy. The novel is written by Rebecca Roanhorse, who has authored Star Wars previously with Resistance Reborn. The first book in the series, The Mask of Fear, received critical acclaim for its in-depth look at how the Empire rose from the ashes of the Republic and how the leaders of the to-be rebellion dealt with it. ​Edge of the Abyss brings us to a time ten years after The Mask of Fear, placing it roughly one year before the events of Andor season 1.
It had already been teased that characters from Andor would appear in the book, and while they have small parts, their impact on the character arcs and moments in the story is huge and well-earned. Edge of the Abyss is an all-round great second installment for the Reign of the Empire trilogy and definitely warrants the Andor parallels that are becoming prevalent throughout the trilogy.
[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. Find this and many other books we’ve reviewed in the Cosmic Circus Bookshop.org shop. Your purchases there can help support independent book stores. Cosmic Circus may earn a small commission from purchases made there.]
With Edge of the Abyss, the Reign of the Empire trilogy is shaping up to be something special
Rebecca Roanhorse had a lot to work with from The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed and plenty of characters to revisit ten years later. The book takes place around the same time as events from Rebel Rising, in which we see Saw Gerrera and his partisans attacking a flower blossom festival as they have recently been taken over by the Empire.
This sets the book in motion as the attack goes wrong, leading to one of Saw’s partisans being captured, threatening to reveal secrets and the fledgling cooperation of the early rebellion. Desperate for this not to happen, he reaches out to Bail Organa, who offers a chance at saving this mess through a trial of the captured partisan, Nankry. This would make the Empire have to put her on trial publicly, where she may end up in prison where the attack took place rather than in the Empire’s custody, where she would eventually break.
On the flip side, we have Mon Mothma, whose plot revolves around a famous galactic singer known as Quanaliko. After being hounded by Imperial agents of COMPNOR (part of the Empire’s propaganda arm) Quanaliko ends up making her music to indoctrinate the galactic youth into being more accepting of the Empire.
This takes Mon down a path of dealing with her family while balancing being a senator and trying to take on the Empire. The three main characters of the Reign of the Empire trilogy are all important in their moments, and seeing how they all tackle the threat of the Empire differently is exciting to read; you see their inner thoughts and how they compare to one another, bringing some of that Andor-related infighting to the forefront as the Empire tightens its grip across the galaxy.
Of course, the Reign of the Empire trilogy is more than Mon, Bail, and Saw. In the first book, we were introduced to many interesting side characters who mostly all make a return in Edge of the Abyss years later. Roanhorse brings us back to these characters and helps us see how they are now and what has changed.
One of the biggest changes is that of Karama, who now goes by Kara. She is an expectant mother as well as a housewife to her husband, a local small-time lawyer on their planet. She has managed to escape Saw’s partisans and his forever war and doesn’t intend to go back. Seeing such a drastic change for a character like this opens up so many possibilities, especially as her husband is chosen to be the lawyer representing Nankry at the soon-to-be trial, by no coincidence. This opens Kara up to her old life, and we see her struggle with if she should go back to it to help out Saw and her old colleague and friend, Nankry.
Ghorman remains an important planet for exploring the Empires artrocities
Another large part of the book deals with the return of Chemish, who is now a spy working for the ISB. Her plot involves working on Ghorman, the infamous planet from Andor season 2 and the site of the genocide at the hands of the Empire.
Chemish is here on business to deal with a student activist group who are starting to spread propaganda around keeping Ghorman’s sovereignty and free of the Empire’s grasp. It seems that Ghorman brings out the best in any writer dealing with it, as we get plenty of what it’s like for an ISB member to infiltrate and become part of something while keeping it fake.
We also witness the Empire slowly encroach on Ghorman in other ways, like pressuring their universities to take on Empire-approved courses or threatening to take students’ visas and degrees away for simply protesting. This follows closely with real-world politics. I liked that Roanhorse includes things like this within Edge of the Abyss, as it helps blur the lines and makes things more grounded and relevant to those that read the book.
Along with Chemish, the Ghorman plot also brings us more new characters, but some aren’t new to Star Wars. Fennro Drogan is a character who was created for the game Galaxy of Heroes but appears in this book as the romance for Chemish, who uses him to get close to the rest of the student group. He is a great character that provides a moral compass for Chemish, making it hard for her to want to be undercover and part of the ISB. It is interesting to see their relationship blossom and how the pair deal with the events of what happens on Ghorman.
Part of the book and the Ghorman plot is also dedicated to Anto Kreeygr, who played an important role in Andor season 1 despite not having any screen time and only appearing as a hologram. He is brought back, but this time as a fully fledged character within Edge of the Abyss. We get to learn of his origins and how, being and feeling second best against Saw Gerrera, he wants to take things to the next level with his protesting and fighting against the Empire.
It is very intriguing reading about him and the kind of character Roanhorse has turned him into in the book, especially knowing his fate in Andor. There is a lot to like with how Anto Kreeygr works as a character here, and there is plenty of depth and fight within him.
Andor series remains a big influence on both character and plot
​I keep mentioning how the Andor series has inspired a lot of what happens in this book. I have to praise the authors of this trilogy so far for writing things on the same level as the show. Dealing with the inner workings of the Empire and all its subsidiary groups like COMPNOR and the ISB is no mean feat. It all works so beautifully, as it bounces off not only the books themselves but everything Andor did with the characters, plot points, and locations that can be used within the books.
Some side characters in Edge of the Abyss fit so well into this world and act as great insights to every side of the Empire and Rebellion. Especially characters like Kara, who wanted to get away from the rebellion and live a normal life, and Chemish, who has to be a different person every few months for an Empire struggling to keep a tight grip even on things like student activism. There are moments in Edge of the Abyss that feel very relevant to real-world politics but have the Star Wars twist to them, adding to the danger and desperation of the Empire.
Characters from the show, such as Luthen, are used brilliantly within Edge of the Abyss. He and Kleya aren’t in the book much at all, but when they appear, it is wonderfully done and actively sets off several more plot points within the book. This just shows how Luthen is still a man behind the scenes at this point in the timeline, setting things in motion to keep the fledgling rebellion going.
Rebecca Roanhorse had a lot to bring to the table after the wonderful The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed. He started the trilogy off masterfully. Edge of the Abyss is definitely on the same level, but I feel it misses some nuance and subtlety that Freed brought to the first book; not that it’s a major complaint.
Things seem a little too well explained within Edge of the Abyss, and I would have liked a bit more murky style writing to keep us on our toes. That being said, there are several moments where you feel you can piece together something, but then it takes a drastic turn at the last moment.
Star Wars: Edge of the Abyss book rating and final thoughts
Edge of the Abyss is another incredible addition to the Reign of the Empire trilogy. The characters and plot points are wonderfully done; being so close to Andor pays off for the book and the characters, allowing them to interact with more of the Empire and starting the rebellion.
There is a lot to like within how the Empire is expanding deep into its reign and also where its cracks are starting to show; Edge of the Abyss tows this line beautifully, keeping hope alive even in the darkest moments of the book.
There are great character payoffs, and whenever the third book is set, I can see there being some wonderful endings to a lot of these characters’ stories we have gotten over the years. Edge of the Abyss is a remarkable complement to the Andor series and works alongside the first book masterfully.
Star Wars: Edge of the Abyss by Rebecca Roanhorse can be preordered currently and releases wherever books are sold on September 15, 2026.
