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If you remember hearing the royal trumpet sound on a Saturday morning, your breakfast was officially fit for royalty! 🎺🏰

The High Republic phase III publishing programme is heading towards it's climax and the latest entry in the blockbuster series, Tears of the Nameless from George Mann, releases September 24th. Collider have an exclusive excerpt from the upcoming book to share. Collider is thrilled to, once again, partner with Disney Books on an exclusive excerpt from an upcoming High Republic novel. This time, we're giving fans an early peek into the pages of George Mann's upcoming Young Adult novel Tears of the Nameless. In quotes shared with Collider for this exclusive, Mann spoke about how this mission will affect Reath, especially as he reunites with his former Master, saying, "What I really tried to do with Tears of the Nameless was dig deep into the characters and their journeys. To explore the fallout of everything that’s been going on since the fall of Starlight Beacon on these young people, the impact it’s had on their outlooks and beliefs, how it challenges and shapes them for what comes next. Reath’s relationships with Azlin and Cohmac are at the core of this." He went on to say: "Cohmac let him down badly when he fled the Order, and Azlin is someone who cannot be trusted, who’s committed terrible atrocities, but also seems to speak more sense to Reath than most. How does that affect Reath? Exploring that was one of my favourite things about the writing of the book, and I’m looking forward to seeing what readers make of it all. Plus, there’s the character of Sicarus, one of Boolan’s ‘Children’, who was such a difficult character to write, because of what he’s been through and is going through, but also feels very central to the unfolding themes of the book. We’re going to some dark, difficult places here, but as always with Star Wars, there’s a foundation of light and hope at its core, and I hope people are going to enjoy the ride!" Head on over to Collider to read the excerpt and to check out some behind the scenes artwork.  

Now both deeply ensconced in the worlds and stories of The High Republic, Cavan Scott and George Mann discuss the series, their friendship and more. Cavan Scott: So, your first experience of a High Republic event would have been [Star Wars Celebration Europe] earlier this year in London, right? George Mann: Yeah. I wasn't sure what to expect because, although you'd kind of told me all about the experience in Anaheim [at Celebration 2022]…I kind of thought, well, it's not going to be the same in the UK. We're not quite the same [as an] American audience. We don't show our appreciation in the same way. We tend to be sarcastic. [Laughs.] Cavan Scott: Really? George Mann: Yeah, exactly! But then…I couldn't get over the fact that people recognized who we were. I mean, we're authors. We're not on TV, we're not in movies. But they knew our faces. They were seeking us out. And then the audience for the panel when we first announced The Eye of Darkness and the titles for the Phase III books. And the cheering. You couldn't hear! It was kind of Beatlemania for Star Wars. Cavan Scott: Which Beatle are you in this scenario? And please don't say I'm Ringo. Although, to be honest, I love Ringo. George Mann: George [and] Paul. Cavan Scott: Of course. It’s your names, isn’t it? George Mann: I'm two of the Beatles. So that leaves you as Ringo, I'm afraid. Cavan Scott: Well, everyone loves Ringo. For the full interview, head to Starwars.com. [amazon box="B0CJTZNYP3"]

Trials of the Jedi, the third Phase of The High Republic is here and kicking off the book aspect of the proceedings is The Eye of Darkness from writer George Mann. Here, in an excerpt from the book which arrives 14th November, we see Marchion Ro unveil a devastating revelation. Today was the anniversary of the fall of Starlight Beacon, and rather than confining her broadcast to the planets of the Occlusion Zone, Marchion Ro was forcing Rhil Dairo to speak to the entire galaxy. She only hoped that people would understand. Would know this wasn’t her. Would believe that she was no willing collaborator. That she was only doing this because she had no choice. And if she wanted to continue helping those inside the zone, she had to survive. Rhil told herself that, over and over. It’s okay to want to live. And living means fighting, in any small way I can. It means helping others to fight, too. Today, it meant going along with whatever Marchion Ro had planned. “It’s time.” Ro’s voice cut across her thoughts, dragging her back to the here and now. Rhil steeled herself. She looked directly into the bank of cams. Lights blinked red. Words scrolled across a monitor for her to read. She cleared her throat and started. “Greetings. This is Rhil Dairo, reporting live from the Gaze Electric, the flagship of the Nihil fleet, under the direct command of the great Eye of the Nihil himself, Marchion Ro. “I speak to you all on this important day to commemorate the great triumph of the Nihil that took place precisely one year ago: the destruction of Starlight Beacon and the freeing of the Outer Rim from the oppression of the Republic and their lapdog Jedi. For too long, the Republic has imposed rules and laws upon the simple people of worlds who wish to have nothing to do with their Senate, and their sects, and their hypocrisy. “Now those people are free. Nihil space is a testament to that freedom, a protected realm where people are at liberty to be who they want to be. To live free from the interference of politicians.” Rhil took a deep breath, fighting back the rising bile in her throat. The words tasted bitter in her mouth. “The Nihil have found a home. They kindly allow others to share in that place of respite, to benefit from their benevolence and become a part of something greater. And they are flourishing. Yet the Republic continues to interfere, to send its agents deep into this protected zone. To try to do us harm. And so, on this otherwise great day, when the entire galaxy should be celebrating the anniversary of this moment of liberation, we are instead forced to bear witness to a trial, for the most heinous of crimes.” The words had finished scrolling on the monitor. Uncertain, but filled with a mounting sense of dread, Rhil turned to regard Marchion Ro. He studied her with blank, emotionless eyes. The cams swung about to face him, leaving Rhil to slump back, her shoulders dropping as she expelled air from her lungs. But it was too early to feel any sense of relief. What was this trial? Ro stood before the bank of cams, smiling for the lenses, revealing his gleaming, pointed teeth. “I couldn’t have said it better myself. It is, indeed, a day of joy and celebration, and I for one will not allow the misguided efforts of the Jedi to undermine that, for any of us.” He turned, looking briefly away from the cams. “Bring in the prisoner.” Rhil’s heart was in her mouth. A prisoner? She wasn’t aware the Nihil were holding anyone but her. She glanced over at the three ministers. Boolan was grinning ominously. Viess was watching with affected disinterest. Only Ghirra Starros looked uncomfortable, fidgeting in her seat. The door slid open. Two Nihil pushed a thin, stooped figure into the room. The cams slid closer, tracking his movements. The prisoner was wearing voluminous white-and-gold robes, freshly cleaned, the hood raised over their head like a shroud. A Jedi. The figure raised its head, shaking off the grip of their two guards, and as the hood fell open, Rhil caught a glimpse of the thin Tarnab face beneath. Pra-Tre Veter. A Jedi Grand Master she’d met back on Coruscant, back before any of this. Back when the galaxy had seemed safe and predictable. Back before anyone had even heard the name Marchion Ro. Veter looked ill. His cheeks were sunken, his eyes bruised pits. His hair was shaggy and unkempt, and the horns had been shorn from his head, leaving raw, blood-encrusted stumps. He’d lost a great deal of weight, and one of his arms—Rhil could see by the way the robes had been pinned—was missing from just below the elbow. Yet his expression remained one of defiance. Of calm and acceptance. The two guards led him closer, until they stood just a few meters from Marchion Ro. All around, Nihil were jeering and spitting, muttering curses and insults. Ro waved them quiet. The two guards pushed Veter onto his knees. He didn’t even try to resist. “Pra-Tre Veter. Are you not a Jedi?” said Ro, emphasizing the last word with evident disgust. “A grand master, no less?” “I am.” Even Veter’s voice seemed thin and dry. Rhil could hardly believe that someone so powerful had been brought so low. She only hoped that it was all an act, just like she’d been acting, going along with what Ro wanted until the right moment. Maybe Veter was waiting, too... For the rest of the excerpt, visit Gizmodo. We spoke with George during the second phase of The High Republic, a chat you can listen to here. [amazon box="B0CJTZNYP3"]

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories–Qui-Gon is coming our way 23rd April 2024, part of the 25th anniversary celebrations for The Phantom Menace and crafted by a crack team of creatives including writer George Mann, artist Andrea Mutti and cover artist Michael Cho. Be sure to look out for our review here on the site when the first volume arrives. Dark Horse Comics and Lucasfilm Publishing announce the launch of a new Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories original graphic novel line. Each volume will stand alone as a brilliant showcase of some of Star Wars’s most iconic characters. The full line-up includes Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Qui-Gon Jinn, Rey, General Grievous, Kylo Ren, and Darth Vader. Each volume will be lovingly crafted by Star Wars all-star authors including George Mann (Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures—The Nameless Terror), New York Times bestselling writers Cecil Castellucci (Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories), Justina Ireland (Star Wars: The High Republic—A Test of Courage), and Michael Moreci (Stranger Things)–just to name a few! Art, colors, and letters are also provided by a stellar cast of Star Wars creators new and old including Andrea Mutti, Lucas Marangon, Michael Atiyeh, and Nick Brokenshire, who each bring their unique style to the Star Wars comics universe. Covers for the Hyperspace Stories OGN line will be illustrated by superstar artist Michael Cho (Shoplifter). To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, which landed in theaters May 19, 1999, this unique series of books will kick off with Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories–Qui-Gon, written by George Mann with art by Andrea Mutti and Gigi Baldassini, arriving in April 2024. Qui-Gon Jinn is one of the most revered Jedi of all time. From his youth as a gifted Padawan under Count Dooku, to his years as a skilled Jedi Master and one of the most respected Force wielders in the history of the Jedi Order, his story is truly remarkable. This particular tale looks at a series of recurring events from across his life, slowly bringing together clues over the years to help Qui-Gon complete the puzzle of some of the Force’s many mysterious followers: The Brotherhood of the Ninth Door. Secret Force abilities could make them a great ally to the Jedi, or a powerful enemy. Master Qui-Gon and his eager young Padawan learner, Obi-Wan Kenobi, must uncover their secrets before they fall into the wrong hands! Featuring a cover by award-winning artist Michael Cho, Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories Qui-Gon Jinn spans 80 pages and is a standard comic size (6.625” x 10.1875”) original graphic novel, which will arrive in bookstores April 23, 2024 and comic shops on April 24, 2024. You can listen to the announcement on the latest episode of Canon Fodder, live from the  Star Wars: Stories From A Galaxy Far, Far Away…panel at New York Comic Con 2023. [amazon box="1506739849"]

Landing 14th November from Random House Worlds, here's a first excerpt from The Eye of Darkness, direct from Phase Three of The High Republic by author George Mann. Here, Elzar Mann grieves for his two friends, the deceased Stellan Gios and the absent Avar Kriss. Elzar closed his eyes and allowed the breeze to ruffle his unkempt hair, as if hoping that the chill wind could somehow sweep away the memories, carry them off into the streaming lanes of traffic and away through the spires and domes until they were gone. He’d noticed that a few gray strands had appeared around his temples in recent months. He’d lost weight, too, and while he was still toned — he’d taken to practicing lightsaber drills late into the night, most nights — he’d grown thin. He’d tried to convince himself that it was a result of the work, of keeping himself so busy trying to figure out a solution to the Nihil problem, but he knew he was allowing things to worry away at him. How Stellan would have laughed at him. Nudged him in the ribs and told him to cease dwelling on things that were done. To focus on the here and now. To do what needed to be done, and accept that the Force guided his hand, now as it always had. But Stellan was gone. He was one with the Force. He had been for a year. Elzar knew that his old friend had found peace. And yet his absence was still marked. Not just a hole in the Jedi’s hearts and minds, but in their leadership, too. Especially now that the Nihil had won, had shattered Starlight Beacon and subsequently annexed dozens of worlds, an entire sector of the Outer Rim, from the rest of the galaxy. This area was being called the Nihil Occlusion Zone, and was separated by an invisible barrier that made it all possible. The Stormwall: a vast web that disrupted hyperspace travel, causing any vessel that attempted to cross it to be wrenched violently back out of hyperspace, either destroying it immediately or causing it to disappear without a trace. There’d been much debate about what exactly happened to those missing ships, given that communication across the Stormwall was also impeded, but the assumption was that any ships that weren’t destroyed in the attempt were being corralled by Nihil patrols on the other side, and deposited into so-called kill zones. Certainly, they were never heard from again. Worse, the network of relays and buoys — or “stormseeds” — that powered the Stormwall was so large that traveling across it without lightspeed was equally out of the question. Any ship trying to breach such a vast gulf of space at sublight speeds would have to travel for a hundred years before reaching its destination. Not only that, but any attempt at sublight ingress was being met and destroyed by Nihil patrols or swarms of scav droids, alerted by the automated systems that controlled the Stormwall technology. Patrols that could traverse the Stormwall and deliver a killing blow before the target was even aware it had happened. It was ingenious, in its own way, and it had so far frustrated all Jedi or Republic attempts to bypass it, usually with disastrous results. Ships flown by droids. Electromagnetic pulses. Data slicing. Sustained attack on the well-shielded stormseeds. Nothing had worked. Nothing at all. With the Stormwall, the Nihil had carved out their own domain, challenging the Republic at every turn. And with the Nameless — or “Force Eaters,” as they were also known — they had unleashed a weapon that even the Jedi could not stop. A weapon that targeted the very essence of who the Jedi were. A weapon designed to obliterate them. Elzar exhaled. This would all have been so much easier if Avar were by his side. Instead, she was somewhere deep in the Occlusion Zone, as distant to him as Stellan was. They’d stood together on Eiram, watching the last vestiges of the Beacon slip beneath the cold, crushing waves, carrying all the Republic’s hopes and dreams down with it. It had been a symbol of strength and unity, of light in the dark, of hope. And the Nihil, led by Marchion Ro, had turned that symbol against them. Now it was a symbol of nothing but failure and loss. Elzar had allowed Avar to take his hand in that moment, to lend him strength. He’d taken comfort from that; a shared understanding, a silent acknowledgment that they still had each other, despite everything. Despite the galaxy turning to chaos around them. But he cursed himself now that, lost in his own shock and grief, his own shame at what he had done, he had failed to ask Avar how she had felt. Had failed to offer her the comfort that she had offered him. And that pain she’d been carrying, that sense of loss and failure, had driven her away. Unless it was him that had driven her away. That was the notion that haunted him, that plagued him with uncertainty and shame. He’d finally worked up the courage to confide in her about what had happened in the final moments of Starlight Beacon. How he’d acted without thought, murdering the Nihil woman, Chancey Yarrow, as she’d tried to save them all. He hadn’t known it at the time, of course. He’d assumed she was just another Nihil trying to sabotage the Jedi’s attempts to save the station. But the results were the same: He’d ended their last chance at saving Starlight, and in doing so had taken the life of someone who’d been trying to help. Everything that had come afterward was now partly his fault. He had to make amends, to try to embody even a tiny sliver of the good that Stellan had gifted to the galaxy. To somehow try to fill the hole that Stellan had left behind. He’d told Avar all of this, the words spilling from his mouth on the shores of Eiram. Avar had said all the right things, of course. All the platitudes and reassurances, repeating all the tenets of the Force and the reminders that everything happened for a reason, that he wasn’t to blame. That only the Nihil carried that weight upon their shoulders. She’d shown him all the mercy and understanding for which he’d hoped. And yet . . . Elzar couldn’t help but wonder if it had also been part of the reason she’d gone, accepting a mission to try to get closer to the Nihil, to discover their intentions in the aftermath of their victory. Intentions that none of them could have anticipated. Now she, too, was lost. Trapped behind the Stormwall, deep in Nihil space. He didn’t even know if she was still alive. No, Elzar. You’d know. She’s still out there. She has to be. He would bring her back. Avar and the others who shared her fate. He would find a way. The threat of the Nihil would be ended. The Stormwall would fall, and peace would be returned to the galaxy. There was no choice. He would do what Stellan would have done. No matter that they’d already tried everything they could think of. No matter that the Nihil had defeated them at every turn. He would find a way. He had to. It was the only way to make things right. With luck we'll chat to George again soon on Canon Fodder, but until then here's our chat from earlier in the year and check out last years Star Wars Insider #210 for my interview with George. [amazon box="B0CJTZNYP3"]

Newbury & Hobbes: The Undying Collection Review - Now up at PastramiNation.com! @comicstitan #georgemann #danboultwood #newburyandhobbes #titancomics #comicbooks #steampunk #reviews https://www.instagram.com/p/BwRD48Lnjiy/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1jr0of5wkk6gp

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