Star Wars: The High Republic — Light of the Jedi

Light of the Jedi is a canon novel by Charles Soule published by Del Rey on January 5, 2021. The book launched the large-scale publishing initiative Star Wars: The High Republic as its first release; an audiobook narrated by Marc Thompson came out the same day.

The story unfolds roughly two centuries before the events of The Phantom Menace, in the heyday of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order. The Republic is expanding its presence in the Outer Rim, hyperspace prospectors are charting new routes, and the Jedi act as guardians of peace. At the center of the story are Master Avar Kriss and other knights of the Order, who face a new threat in the form of the Nihil marauders.

The novel established the overall balance of power, the key heroes, and the conflict that the books, comics, and audio dramas of the project's entire first phase would go on to draw upon. It serves as a starting point for readers being introduced to the High Republic era.