Star Wars: Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade

This was a great read!

“Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade” by Delilah S. Dawson gives us an opportunity to peek inside the Inquisitorius and to find out what motivates a Jedi to abandon the Order and join the enemy ranks.Iskat Akaris is a Pkorian, the only one of her species in the Jedi Order. A brilliant student, she has an encounter with a Sith text, which provokes her curiosity but she’s denied by her Master. Eventually they are recalled to Geonosis at the start of the Clone Wars. She notices she has an uncanny ability for battle after she is emotionally stunned by killing her first sentient being. During the battle, her Master is gravely wounded and delirious, mentioning a name she doesn’t recognize.With her Master dead, she is unmoored and tries to find out more about this other person, which she now realizes was under her Master’s protection at some time, and was also from her same species. Afterwards, the needs of the Clone Wars have her knighted in a hurried ceremony along other Padawans, including Anakin Skywalker.After behaving recklessly on a mission, she is put on administrative duties and kept away from the war, which angers her but gives her the opportunity to meet Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. During a final mission, the war ends with Order 66 and she is captured and offered a spot in the Inquisitorius.She fights for her place, with encounters with other Inquisitors, and before committing herself totally, she requests a shuttle and travels to her place of origin where she finds out her mother had had Jedi abilities but left the order and became an alcoholic. When Iskat was born she delivered them to the Jedi.Iskat chooses between their home planet and the Inquisitors, settling for the latter, and eventually rises up to the ranks becoming a powerful member.The novel is quite interesting, very well constructed and I enjoyed it a lot. Delilah S. Dawson is one of my favorite writers and her talents are shown here, fleshing out a character who previously only had minor appearances elsewhere. Greatly recommended!

I enjoyed this story and would look forward to further stories about force wielders that became inquisitors and their adventures

Very few things are perfect, including this book. But to give this book 4 stars would be criminal, so 5 stars is the most fair rating. Probably the best star wars novel I've read since Dark Disciple or Fallen Stars. Delilah Dawson is an absolute master of character development. The fact that I was rooting for this character to win and kill is astounding, because I am very much a lover of altruistic heroes. But Dawson does such an amazing job of making you love and sympathize with this wretched individual. This is a must read for true Star wars fans. I can't wait for her next novel, and I highly suggest you read her Phasma novel asap.

This book does an amazing job of capturing Iskats fall to the dark side. Consistently growing in her selfishness, denial, and always being in the right. It is an amazing book buy it right now i know where you live...

Wow. Delilah S. Dawson did a wonderful job of getting me to root for Iskat! (Or at least to have a clear-eyed sympathy for how her path led her to where it did!). The world building Dawson does with the Jedi during the final years of the Republic felt both authentic and fresh, from an angle that didn’t feel as whiny as Anakin’s “lies of the Jedi” line from Revenge of the Sith. She does a great job of making it clear that the Jedi Order was doomed to lose Palapatine’s great game just by playing it, and *any* idealistic Jedi youth was destined to fail, turn or die. This leads seamlessly into a unique look at the early Inquisitorious, which also felt much more alive beyond the typical perspective of main characters like Vader or Obi Wan. Iskat’s agency in all this is very compelling, and her choices make sense, even if I was still ultimately rooting for the light side. Themes of home, self-worth and purpose deftly weave throughout her story, even as the Big Galactic Events play out, making this latest entry into the canon both intensely personal fulfillingly grand. (Side note: [hopefully not spoilery?] The mystery of her race, in light of the cover art, also made this an absolute page-turner for me, as I desperately hoped for the potential canonization of true-born Sith in post-EU Star Wars. So you’ll have to check this one out and see!)

Great new understanding of the dark side. Force sensitive doesn't always lead to being a Jedi. Wonderful journey full of thought provoking trails.

What a take from the other side of the Jedi. It’s almost as if Iskat was Anakin. This is one Star Wars book that I truly believe anyone including non Star Wars fans would pick up and relate to. I’ve felt every thing that Iskat felt in her life. It’s difficult when no matter where you go, you never truly feel that you fit in. Her constant struggle with how she was raised and how she’d like freedom but could never break free.

I have read one previous to this one by Delilah and I found the writing clunky and disjointed. This book feels different and seems to have a more natural pace and feeling.Iskat is a great character that I am enjoying seeing her grow in the force and her understanding or her role. I also see her growing frustration and you can see the slow descent from Jedi to a dark side user.You can see the loss of her Master Sember is pushing her to something more. It really impacted her despite not believing the bond was there. I think it shows there the Jedi in and of themselves while are good they also have bad as well.Fear from the people who you are supposed to be a team with has to wear thin quickly and will definitely push you closer to the darkside. I think she is powerful but she isn't trusted or respected and that's what will and is causing her issues.Completing her missions are her top priority and in war I can't say that I blame her. It's not her fault the Jedi doesn't want to use her correctly and that she must act as she sees fit in accordance with her training as a Jedi. The fact that the masters don't believe it and talk to her as I'd she was a child annoyed me.Tualon drives me nuts as he seems so judgemental and doesn't have friendship in his heart for Iskat. He could easily save her if he allowed her in.I hate Mace like normal as he is arrogant and always shows his distrust of people. No wonder that Jedi fall when he won't put his trust in those he should. Basically he causes the falls because of his attitude and that makes me hate him more. He is not a Jedi to be emulated in fact he should have been expelled for what he was doing.The order 66 part and the aftermath is what I really found interesting as well as the search information about her mother.

The fall of the Republic and the extinction of the Jedi thereafter through the eyes of a woman who was forced–for lack of a better word–to become a Jedi which she felt was never her calling. Without giving too much away of the story, it is very intense and it spirals toward a crushing climax. In this story from the point of view of someone who realises the flaws and mistakes of the Jedi, they are not the altruistic shining lights everyone believes they are, but have their own agendas and problems. As I said it is a very intense story and one should not skip the authors note at the beginning.

I really liked the characters. The book was really great at explaining how the dark side tempts people and managed to make me understand more about just how people can be persuaded. I feel like it's a more in depth view of both sides of the coin and I would love to read more stories of people turning to the dark side. The only thing I would say is that it was a tiny bit slow during some parts but I feel like the missions made up for it and I have already recommended it to so many people. It made me both like and hate the main character at the same time.

As a recently diagnosed Autistic person, this story actually put into Star Wars action many of the difficult aspects of my life I have come to understand as being the result of being Autistic. Great read

Absolutely refreshing after the "recent" disasters of Star Wars run by the House of Mouse. The srory is brilliant, perfectly woofen into the breakout and post order 66 off the Clone Wars. A anti Hero which will leave noone untouched. Great work!