Star Wars Books in Order: The Chronological Guide

The Star Wars universe isn’t only about the movies and the shows that you can watch. In fact, a good portion of the Star Wars lore comes from the books that you can read about the past and the in-between periods in the history of the galaxy. That said because there are plenty of different Star Wars books that you can read, let’s look at how you can read them all in chronological order. This next article will be about Star Wars books in order and can serve as your very own chronological guide through the Star Wars universe.

Note: The only Legends era we will be including are the ones before the High Republic because they can still become canon. Meanwhile, we will not include the Legends storyline books that happened in-between the movies because they are no longer canon. We can sort the Star Wars Books into the following chronological time periods:

1. Early Beginnings To The Old Republic Era (Legends)
2. High Republic Era (Canon)
3. The Rise Of The Sith And The Clone Wars
4. The Reign Of The Empire
5. Rebellion Era And The New Republic
6. The Sequel Trilogy

1. Early Beginnings To The Old Republic Era (Legends)

Our Star Wars chronological reading guide begins with The Old Republic era. The Old Republic era is one of the oldest timelines in the history of the Star Wars universe and is one of the areas that the movies and the series are yet to explore. That said, the thing about the Old Republic era is that it is yet to be made canon by Disney. As such, most of the books that we have about the Old Republic are considered part of the Legends category.

Early Beginnings To The Old Republic Era (Legends) reading order at a glance

1. Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void By Tim Lebbon
2. The Old Republic: Revan By Drew Karpyshyn
3. The Old Republic: Deceived By Paul S. Kemp
4. Red Harvest By Joe Schreiber
5. The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance By Sean Williams
6. The Old Republic: Annihilation By Drew Karpyshyn
7. Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories By John Jackson Miller
8. Knight Errant By John Jackson Miller
9. Darth Bane: Path of Destruction By Drew Karpyshyn
10. Darth Bane: Rule of Two By Drew Karpyshyn
11. Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil By Drew Karpyshyn

1. Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void By Tim Lebbon

The story of Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void takes place 25,000 years ago during a time when the galaxy was still quite primitive. 

Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void is part of a series of works (the others are comic books) that tell the story of the history of the Jedi. At that time, the Jedi were still called by their primitive name of Je’Daii in the planet of Tython, a place that’s rich in the Force. The book explores the story of Lanoree Brock, one of the Rangers belonging to the Je’Daii Order, as she tries to stop a leader that is trying to unleash an interplanetary disaster. But it turns out that the leader of the group was actually her long-lost brother.

2. The Old Republic: Revan By Drew Karpyshyn

After the early days of the Jedi, we now have to fast-forward more than 21,000 years into the future from the time of the Je’Daii Order to the time of the Old Republic era. The first book that we are going to be talking about here is The Old Republic: Revan, which takes place right around 3,900 BBY.

This book explores the story of Darth Revan, who old-school Star Wars gamers will recognize as one of the main characters of the video game Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR). During the time when Revan was turned into a Sith from a Jedi, he was one of the strongest Force users because he could use both the light and the dark sides of the Force. The novel takes place after the events of KOTOR as Revan is still in the middle of contemplating his future after he redeemed himself.

3. The Old Republic: Deceived By Paul S. Kemp

The Old Republic: Deceived takes place about 300 years after the time of Revan. At this time, we are now in the middle of the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG. And this book tells the story of Darth Malgus, who is one of the fiercest antagonists in the entire Old Republic game.

Darth Malgus is the epitome of how the Sith embrace their emotions to become stronger. At this time, the Sith Empire is in the middle of a mission to try to eradicate the Jedi by attacking their temple on Coruscant. Of course, Darth Malgus is the one leading the charge.

4. Red Harvest By Joe Schreiber

Red Harvest allows us to see the tale of Darth Scabrous, who seeks to make himself immortal through any means he can find. After all, the Sith have always been enamored with the idea of long life and immortality.

In Red Harvest, Darth Scabrous is hoping to use the Murakami orchid to find a way to turn himself immortal. However, he ends up unleashing a virus that was able to raise the dead as the Sith Lord was able to amass his own undead Sith army. Meanwhile, it is up to Padawan Hestizo Trace to find a way to stop the Sith Lord’s plans while eliminating the virus.

5. The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance By Sean Williams

The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance takes place right around 3643 BBY. This novel is based on the events of the Old Republic video game. That means that it takes place just a few years after the other Old Republic novels.

This book revolves around a treasure that the Hutt cartel was willing to sell in an auction. However, because of the dangerous nature of the treasure, all of the different large groups of the galaxy formed an alliance to try to acquire the treasure. The alliance was composed of members from the Republic, the Jedi Order, the Sith Empire, and Mandalore.

6. The Old Republic: Annihilation By Drew Karpyshyn

Darth Karrid was one of Darth Malgus’ students, and her story is told in The Old Republic: Annihilation. However, Karrid has high ambitions for herself because she wants to take over the entire Sith Empire.

The story happens right around 3640 BBY, as Karrid took command of a superweapon called the Ascendant Spear. Because the Republic is aware of the existence of this weapon, they seek to destroy it, as they send Theron Shan, a non-Force user, to try to infiltrate the superweapon and to put a stop to Karrid’s plans.

7. Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories By John Jackson Miller

The book Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories tells the story of a lost Sith tribe that existed right around 5000 BBY to the events of the Legends stories of Luke Skywalker. This lost tribe spent thousands of years hiding on a planet called Kesh, as they built up their numbers in the hopes that they could one day return to the galaxy.

When the lost tribe encountered a Sith Meditation Sphere that told them of the Jedi’s return to power, the tribe sought to eliminate Luke Skywalker and the resurgent Jedi Order in the hopes of keeping the Sith legacy strong for thousands of years.

8. Knight Errant By John Jackson Miller

Knight Errant is actually a book that you need to read in conjunction with the comic book series of the same title. Nevertheless, you can still read the book as it is without reading the comics because it may be able to still entertain you well enough.

The story of Knight Errant happens right around 1032 BBY. This book tells the story of two Sith Lord brothers, Odion and Daiman, who are in the middle of a war against one another. Meanwhile, Kerra Holt, a Jedi, was sent to destroy both the brothers to end their rule in a Sith-dominated part of the galaxy.

9. Darth Bane: Path of Destruction By Drew Karpyshyn

The main timeline of the Star Wars history talks about the powerful Sith Lords that follow the Rule of Two, which dictates that only two Sith Lords at a time can exist. However, this rule didn’t exist in the past, as there was a Sith Empire with numerous Sith Lords in power. That is where we have to look at the story of Darth Bane, whose rise to power happened sometime during 1000 BBY.

Darth Bane: Path of Destruction is the first of the Darth Bane trilogy. This book tells the story of Bane and what it meant to be a Sith, as Bane claws himself from humble beginnings to put himself into a position where he could now claim power for himself. And you’ll be cheering for Darth Bane the entire book because his rise to power is really admirable.

10. Darth Bane: Rule of Two By Drew Karpyshyn

When Darth Bane rose to power during the events of the first book, the history of the Sith ultimately changed with him at the top. At this point, the Sith Order was known to be dying out because only Bane and his new apprentice remained. That was when Darth Bane began the Rule of Two, which states that only two members of the Sith can exist at a time. The reason why this rule was followed goes back to the fact that, throughout Sith history, they have been warring with one another for power, and only two Sith will allow them to focus on galactic domination.  

The story of the book revolves around Bane and his apprentice in their search for the fabled Sith holocrons, which contain ancient arcane knowledge that he wanted for himself. And throughout the book, we also come to see how he trains and acts as a master to Darth Zannah.

11. Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil By Drew Karpyshyn

The final book of the Darth Bane trilogy is Dynasty of Evil, which allows the readers to see how terrifying the dark side of the Force really is. At this point, about ten years have passed since the events of the second book, as Bane fears that he is running out of time to secure his legacy in the history of the Sith.

Darth Bane also fears the fact that his apprentice isn’t as ambitious as he was. Of course, the book also prepares us for the inevitable ending that the Rule of Two can really offer, and that is the apprentice killing the master. 

2. High Republic Era (Canon)

Next up on our Chronological Star Wars reading order is the High Republic Era. The High Republic era is part of the Star Wars canon and takes place during the time when the Galactic Republic was at its peak. At this time, the Sith are believed to have gone extinct but are actually in hiding in the form of the Rule of Two. Meanwhile, the Jedi are also focused on their original jobs as the keepers of the peace in the Republic now that the Sith are believed to be dead. All these books take place right around 200 years before Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

High Republic Era (Canon) reading order at a glance

1. The High Republic: Into The Dark By Claudia Gray
2. The High Republic: Light Of The Jedi By Charles Soule
3. The High Republic: The Rising Storm By Cavan Scott
4. The High Republic: Out Of The Shadows By Justina Ireland
5. The High Republic: The Fallen Star By Claudia Gray
6. The High Republic: Midnight Horizon By Daniel Jose Older

1. The High Republic: Into The Dark By Claudia Gray

The first High Republic book in the canon timeline is Into the Dark, which takes place sometime around 232 BBY. This book chronicles the story of a Jedi Padawan named Reath Silas, an adventure-loving youngster who loves reading adventure stories but doesn’t want to live one, as he spends most of his days reading through the different stories the Jedi Archives can offer.

However, Reath’s life changed when his master took a post at Starlight Beacon, a place far from Coruscant, as the young Padawan needed to go with his master. However, on their way there, Reath and the other nearby vessels end up getting stranded in space because of some issue in hyperspace. As such, Reath and the others were forced to take shelter in an abandoned space station, where he discovered hidden secrets that could change the galaxy’s fate.

2. The High Republic: Light Of The Jedi By Charles Soule

The High Republic: Light of the Jedi takes place right around the same time as Into the Dark. This book tells the story of how the hyperspace scouts are beginning to expand the reach of the Republic by venturing out into different systems and worlds. Meanwhile, the Jedi Order is at the height of its power, as peace reigns supreme throughout the entire galaxy.

However, a hyperspace catastrophe tears a ship apart and threatens to blow the shrapnel of the ship to the nearby planets that the Jedi were tasked to protect. As the Jedi learn to trust the Force to see them through an event that pushes them to their limit, what they don’t know is that there is a hidden threat that is growing larger and larger, as the hyperspace threat was only part of something bigger that is so fearsome that even the Jedi would be afraid of it.

3. The High Republic: The Rising Storm By Cavan Scott

The High Republic: The Rising Storm takes place after the events of Light of the Jedi, as the Jedi were able to succeed through the Great Disaster that happened a year ago. Meanwhile, the Republic continues to grow while inviting different systems and planets to join under a unified republic. 

To celebrate the success of the Jedi and of the Republic, the chancellor plans an event called The Republic Fair. However, as the galaxy focuses on the Fair, so too does the Nihil, led by Marchion Ro, who wants to destroy the unity that has allowed the peace in the galaxy to reign. The Nihil strikes on the Fair, as the Jedi are forced into action to try to stop the storm.

4. The High Republic: Out Of The Shadows By Justina Ireland

The High Republic: Out of the Shadows takes place right around the same time as The Rising Storm, as we follow the story of Sylvestri Yarrow, who has been suffering from a streak of bad luck in relation to her family’s cargo business. When she is about to go to the Republic at Coruscant to ask for help, she gets sidetracked by a quarrel between two powerful Republic families over a patch of space, as the promise of a huge payday was enough to keep her interested in the quarrel.

Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh is over at Coruscant after she was summoned. Together with Jedi Master Cohmac Vitus and Padawan Reath Silas, she was asked to assist with the aforementioned property dispute. She wonders why the patch of space is so important that the Jedi were even asked to resolve the manner.

5. The High Republic: The Fallen Star By Claudia Gray

The High Republic: The Fallen Star happens a year after The Rising Storm, as the High Republic was finally able to put a stop to the Nihil. However, the Republic and the Jedi were both left battered and tired after the battle. Nevertheless, they were able to look at the Starlight Beacon as a symbol of their victory and of the peace that the Jedi sought to protect.

While the Jedi stationed at the Starlight Beacon now had the chance to rest from what happened against the Nihil, they realized that the storm was still in its early stages. Marchio Ro, the mastermind of the Nihil, prepares for another attack that he designed to end the Jedi Order once and for all.

6. The High Republic: Midnight Horizon By Daniel Jose Older

The High Republic: Midnight Horizon takes place right around 230 BBY and right after the Nihil was defeated in The Rising Storm. However, right when the Jedi thought that the Nihil was on the run, it was reported that the Nihil was going to attack Corellia right at the core of the Galactic Republic. That was when Jedi Masters Cohmac Vitus and Kantam Sy, together with their Padawans Reath and Ram, were sent to investigate.

The Jedi and a security specialist named Crash teamed up so that they could go undercover into the heart of Corellia’s elite to get to the bottom of the attack. And they discovered that Corellia was only a small part of an even bigger attack that could put the Jedi on their heels.

3. The Rise Of The Sith And The Clone Wars

We continue with our Star Wars reading order with The Rise of the Sith and The Clone Wars. These are the books that happened during the Rise of the Sith, which happened before the events of Phantom Menace, and during the Clone Wars, which led to the downfall of the Jedi Order. And most of these stories explore the different narratives that weren’t seen on film. 

The Rise Of The Sith And The Clone Wars reading order at a glance

1. Dooku: Jedi Lost By Cavan Scott
2. Master And Apprentice By Claudia Gray
3. Queen’s Peril By EK Johnston
4. Queen’s Shadow By EK Johnston
5. Queen’s Hope BY EK Johnston
6. Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel By James Luceno

1. Dooku: Jedi Lost By Cavan Scott

We all know Count Dooku, who soon became Darth Tyranus, the leader of the Separatists, was once a Jedi Knight. However, his political ideals and the lure of the dark side proved to be too much for him to reject as he became one of the biggest enemies of the Jedi.

That said, Dooku: Jedi Lost is a novel that tells the tale of the Count of Serenno, who became Jedi Master Yoda’s apprentice when his affinity with the Force became apparent. The story also tells how he befriended and betrayed Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas and how he got tempted by the dark side, which ultimately led to his doom.

2. Master And Apprentice By Claudia Gray

Master And Apprentice is a story that happened just a few years before Phantom Menace and is about Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. As such, we get to look at a much younger version of Obi-Wan in this novel.

In this book, we actually get to see Kenobi questioning his own master’s methods, as he fails to understand Qui-Gon’s rebellious nature. As such, this book gives us a much clearer story regarding the relationship between the master and his apprentice.

3. Queen’s Peril By EK Johnston

Queen’s Peril is the first part of a trilogy that tells how Padmé rose to become the new Queen of Naboo at the tender age of 14. She takes the name Amidala and rules from the Naboo Royal Palace just before the events of Phantom Menace.

The story also tells the tale of how Padmé eventually started hiding behind close confidants and protectors that served her as handmaidens but actually doubled that acted her role in public. The purpose of doing so was for the safety of the young queen whose life was in jeopardy with the impending threat coming from the Trade Federation.

4. Queen’s Shadow By EK Johnston

The Queen’s Shadow is the second part of a trilogy that tells the story of Padmé Amidala after the events of Phantom Menace and before the events of Attack of the Clones. As such, we get to see more about her own story—something that we didn’t get to see a lot in the movies.

This book follows Padmé’s story after stepping down from her position as the Queen of Naboo. At this point, she was now ready to live a quiet life away from politics but the new queen asked her to serve her as the representative of Naboo in the Galactic Senate. As such, the book follows her story as she plunges into a darker political world that she may or may not be ready for.

5. Queen’s Hope BY EK Johnston

Queen’s Hope is already released in Germany and is set to release in the US in April 2022. This is the third book of the Amidala trilogy of novels, as we get to see the final part of Padmé’s story, which wasn’t fully explored by the movies.

As her husband Anakin is off making a name for himself as a big-time Jedi in the war, Padmé is in a position where she can see the casualties and the effects of the war. She embarks on a secret mission while her handmaiden Sebé steps into her role as Senator Amidala, all while the handmaiden gets to see first-hand how horrifying politics can be.

6. Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel By James Luceno

Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel happens during the war between the Republic and the Separatists, as each side looks to build deadlier weapons to find a way to put an end to the war. Meanwhile, Palpatine puts into motion his secret Death Star project as Orson Krennic approaches Galen Erso to find a way to build this superweapon.

Erso’s research related to how energy could be focused was what caught the eyes of those who were overseeing the Death Star project. Krennic rescues Erso from the Separatists, as the brilliant scientist had no other choice but to continue his scientific research for his rescuer because he was indebted to him. And what he originally thought was going to be an altruistic project turned into research that would ultimately change the fate of the galaxy through the Death Star.

4. The Reign Of The Empire

Next up on our Star Wars chronological reading order is The Reign of the Empire. After the downfall of the Jedi due to Order 66 and right after the Republic was reorganized to the Empire, there was a two-decade period wherein the Emperor was left unchallenged. That said, there were also side-stories that happened during the reign of the Empire, especially when it comes to the different personalities who became prominent during the Rebellion.

The Reign Of The Empire reading order at a glance

1. Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising By Timothy Zahn
2. Dark Disciple By Christie Golden
3. Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good By Timothy Zahn
4. Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil By Timothy Zahn
5. Ashoka By EK Johnston
6. Thrawn By Timothy Zahn
7. Lords Of The Sith By Paul S. Kemp
8. Tarkin By James Luceno
9. Most Wanted By Rae Carson
10. Solo: A Star Wars Story (Novelization) By Mur Lafferty
11. A New Dawn By John Jackson Miller
12. Lost Stars By Claudia Gray
13. Battlefront: Twilight Company By Alexander Freed
14. Leia, Princess of Alderaan By Claudia Gray
15. Thrawn: Alliances By Timothy Zahn
16. Thrawn: Treason By Timothy Zahn
17. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Novelization) By Alexander Freed
18. Battlefront II: Inferno Squad By Christie Golden

1. Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising By Timothy Zahn

Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising is the first book of the Thrawn Ascendancy series, which tells the story of the future Admiral Thrawn and his rise to power in the Chiss Ascendancy. 

As the methodical and calculating enemy in Star Wars: Rebels, Thrawn is quite popular among fans. And his story and rise to power begin in Chaos Rising, where he starts out as an adopted boy who ultimately became one of the brightest military officers among all of the Chiss.

2. Dark Disciple By Christie Golden

Dark Disciple happens just before Count Dooku gets killed. We get to follow the story of ex-Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress, who teamed up with the reckless Jedi Quinlan Vos, who was beginning to move to the dark side slowly.

Despite the fact that Vos distrusts Ventress, who now has a hatred for Dooku, the fact that they have a common enemy forces him to work with her. And working together with the former Sith acolyte allowed him to develop feelings for Ventress, who also ends up falling for the Jedi.

3. Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good By Timothy Zahn

Greater Good is the second novel of the Thrawn Ascendancy series, as it follows the events after Thrawn brought glory to his house during the events of the first book. At this time, the enemies of the Chiss are still around, as they keep themselves hidden in plain sight.

Meanwhile, different events began unfolding as it became apparent that doom was about to come to the Chiss. This is where Thrawn goes to work to uncover the enemy plot while showcasing his ability to lead and come up with strategies that are beneficial to their cause.

4. Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil By Timothy Zahn

Lesser Evil is the third and final book of the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy, as this book explores how the trust between the Nine Ruling Families of Chiss was slowly evaporating due to a cunning foe that was seeking to destroy the Ascendancy. And civil war fast approaches despite the efforts of Thrawn and his Expansionary Defense Fleet.

To resolve the situation, Thrawn now has to dive deeper into the past to uncover the different secrets surrounding the ascension of the First Ruling Family and how the truth of a family’s legacy may turn out to be a lie that can end up spelling the doom of the entire Chiss Ascendancy.

5. Ashoka By EK Johnston

Ahsoka has always been a fan favorite ever since her introduction in Star Wars: Clone Wars. This time, a good part of her story is told through the Ahsoka novel, which shows what happened to Ahsoka after she left the Jedi Order and before the end of the Clone Wars.

The novel also explores how Ahsoka kept herself hidden for more than a decade after the Empire rose to power. As such, you get to see her adventures and experiences while getting to know more about the way she thinks through this book, especially considering that she did come across the Empire in her travels.

6. Thrawn By Timothy Zahn

Thrawn is another trilogy that follows the titular character of the story, as he had now risen in the Imperial ranks when the Emperor himself caught wind of his tactical genius. He proves to become a great asset to the Empire and has become a loyal servant to the Emperor and Darth Vader.

The book follows Thrawn’s story as he defeats spies, smugglers, and pirates to build up his name in the Empire. He also shares his secrets to victory and strategy with his trusted aide, Ensign Eli Vanto. And we finally see how Thrawn was able to rise to the rank of admiral.

7. Lords Of The Sith By Paul S. Kemp

Lords of the Sith is a book that follows some of the things that Darth Vader needed to do to prove his allegiance to the Emperor right after he rose as a Sith Lord. He ends up going to the planet Ryloth because the Emperor is in dire need of the precious resources on this planet. But the problem is that Ryloth is controlled by Cham Syndulla, who is aggressively against the Empire.

As such, Vader’s allegiance is tested when he and the Emperor have to travel to Ryloth, where an ambush is waiting for them. With nothing but themselves to rely on, the master and the apprentice need to rely on the dark side more than ever to try to put down the insurrection.

8. Tarkin By James Luceno

The Tarkin novel explores the story of future Moff Tarkin, who was groomed by Palpatine himself even before he rose to power as the Emperor. As such, we get to see how Tarkin rose to power under Palpatine’s tutelage and leadership, as he himself also becomes one of the Emperor’s most trusted advisers.

This book happens partly during the Clone Wars and after the Sith once again rose to power, as Tarkin showcases his harsh use of power to snuff out any of the rebels that are hoping to resist the strength of the Empire.

9. Most Wanted By Rae Carson

Most Wanted is a story that is set before the events of Solo: A Star Wars Story. That means that the book is focused on Han and Qi’ra and how they were able to form a relationship with one another during the time of the Empire when they were just street kids in Corellia hoping to become something bigger.

The youngsters jumped at a chance to prove themselves in the criminal underworld of Corellia when they went on a mission that went wrong because they didn’t know that they took the same mission. This forces them to go on the run from pirates, a crime syndicate, and even the Empire.

10. Solo: A Star Wars Story (Novelization) By Mur Lafferty

Solo: A Star Wars Story follows the beginnings of Han Solo’s life after the events of Most Wanted. This is just a novelization of the Solo movie that was released in theaters back in 2018. As such, because this is a book about the movie, there are some things that you might read that you didn’t see in the film.

11. A New Dawn By John Jackson Miller

A New Dawn tells the story of Kanan Jarrus, a former Jedi Padawan on the run from the Empire while making sure he keeps his Force powers hidden so that he would be able to survive. He wanders the galaxy alone to avoid trouble until he ends up meeting Hera Syndulla, a rebel fighting against the Empire.

Teaming up with Hera allows Kanan to have a companion for the first time in his life since fleeing from Coruscant. And they end up falling for one another in a story that marked the early beginnings of the Ghost Crew of Star Wars: Rebels.

12. Lost Stars By Claudia Gray

Lost Stars is a side-story in the Star Wars universe during the events of the Galactic Empire, as we get to see a story that we don’t often see in Star Wars lore. That’s because this is a story about characters that are entirely new, as the rich Thane Kyrell and the villager Ciena Ree seek to join the Imperial Academy together as pilots due to their love for flying.

However, when Than becomes disillusioned with the Empire’s methods, he joins the rebellion, which puts the woman she loves in a position to choose between her loyalty to the Empire or her love for the man she has been with since her childhood days. 

13. Battlefront: Twilight Company By Alexander Freed

Battlefront: Twilight Company is an adaptation of the Star Wars: Battlefront game, as the Empire is in the middle of the Galactic Civil War. This is where we follow the story of how legions of Stormtroopers are invading different areas to snuff out any Rebels that they could find.

The Twilight Company is the group of Rebel soldiers that we follow, as these brave soldiers try to target the very heart of the Empire’s military, despite the fact that they are thoroughly outgunned and outmatched by their opponents.

14. Leia, Princess of Alderaan By Claudia Gray

Leia, Princess of Alderaan, is the story of Leia Organa, who grew up as the daughter of an aristocratic family over at Alderaan as her 16^th birthday approaches. She declares her intention to one day rule over her home planet, but she ends up wondering why her parents are beginning to act suspiciously.

The princess finds out that they are involved in the Rebellion, and that is when Leia decides to join the fight against the Empire instead of focusing on becoming the ruler of Alderaan sometime in the future.

15. Thrawn: Alliances By Timothy Zahn

Thrawn: Alliances is the second book of the Thrawn trilogy, as we get to see the Emperor dispatching Vader and Grand Admiral Thrawn in what is once again a collaboration between two of the most dangerous agents the Empire has to offer.

Back in the past, Anakin and Thrawn once fought side by side in what was an unlikely alliance. Now, they find themselves working together once more on the very same planet where they once worked together as allies. And this alliance between them is a test of their allegiance to the Empire.

16. Thrawn: Treason By Timothy Zahn

Thrawn: Treason is the third book of the Thrawn trilogy. At this point, Thrawn had already become one of the Emperor’s most dangerous instruments because he is ruthless when chasing his enemies to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. 

However, Thrawn’s TIE Defender program was halted in favor of the Death Star project, as he realizes that not even his intellect can compete with the power to destroy planets. As such, Thrawn seeks to work harder so that he can secure his place in the Imperial hierarchy. And he is later given a choice between his duty to his Chiss homeworld or to his loyalty to the Empire, even if choosing his home may mean treason.

17. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Novelization) By Alexander Freed

Rogue One: A Star Wars story is a novelization of the Rogue One film that premiered back in 2016. This story follows the brave Rebels who fought their way against all odds to secure the plans to the Death Star so that they can find a way to destroy it, even if it means sacrificing their own lives for the cause.

18. Battlefront II: Inferno Squad By Christie Golden

Battlefront II: Inferno Squad follows the story of the Inferno Squad after the theft of the Death Star plans in the events of Rogue One. in this story, the squad is sent out to eliminate the Rebel leader Saw Gerrera and his Partisans.

While Gerrera did indeed perish, his Partisans carried on his extremist ideals to destroy the Empire no matter what it took. As such, the Inferno Squad now has to prove itself as the best of the best to destroy the Partisans once and for all.

5. Rebellion Era And The New Republic

The Rebellion era follows the events that happened after Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, wherein the Death Star was destroyed, and a full-on Rebellion against the Empire was now happening throughout the galaxy. After succeeding, the Rebels helped establish the New Republic to watch over the galaxy.

Rebellion Era And The New Republic reading order at a glance

1. Heir To The Jedi By Kevin Hearne
2. Aftermath By Chuck Wending
3. Alphabet Squadron By Alexander Freed
4. Shadow Fall By Alexander Freed
5. Aftermath: Life Debt By Chuck Wending
6. Victory’s Price By Alexander Freed
7. Aftermath: Empire’s End By Chuck Wending
8. Last Shot By Daniel Jose Older
9. Poe Dameron: Free Fall By Alex Segura
10. Bloodline By Claudia Gray
11. Force Collector By Kevin Shinick
12. Phasma By Delilah S. Dawson
13. The Force Awakens (Novelization) By Alan Dean Foster

1. Heir To The Jedi By Kevin Hearne

Heir to the Jedi happens right after Luke destroyed the Death Star as he became the person chosen to rescue a brilliant alien cryptographer capable of breaching some of the most sophisticated communications systems used by the Empire, as she is willing to help the Rebels for a chance to reunite with her family.

Luke, in this rescue mission, is challenged by different guards, battleships, and bounty hunters as he plunges into a mission that he has to accomplish for the sake of the Rebels. And he learns to rely on the Force more than ever if he wants to come out alive.

2. Aftermath By Chuck Wending

Aftermath follows the story of the Rebel Alliance in the early stages of the New Republic right after they succeeded in the Battle of Endor. In this story, the New Republic hunts down the remaining Imperial forces to make sure that they can no longer threaten the peace of the galaxy.

This is where we follow Wedge Antilles’s urgent distress call after he saw different Imperial Star Destroyers gathering on a remote planet. As such, Rebel fighter Norra Wexley realizes that she still has some work to do as a Rebel just after she had just gone home to her home planet.

3. Alphabet Squadron By Alexander Freed

Alphabet Squadron is part of a trilogy series that is set right after the Rebels succeeded in their fight against the Empire. This time, five New Republic pilots become the hunters, as the unique team called Alphabet Squadron begins to chase the remnants of the Empire.

Hera Syndulla gives Alphabet the task of tracking down the Shadow Wing, a lethal force of TIE Fighters that are capable of destroying an entire fleet on their own. And the hunted have now become the hunters in this book that embodies the heart and soul of the Rebellion.

4. Shadow Fall By Alexander Freed

Shadow Fall is the second book of the Alphabet Squadron trilogy, as the squad returns to hunt the deadliest TIE Fighters in the galaxy. As the team searches for Shadow Wing, the members realize that they are no closer to succeeding in their goal than they were when they first began.

However, they decided to spring a trap for Shadow Wing so that the prey would find a way to come to the hunters. But Alphabet didn’t realize that Shadow Wing also had help in the form of Soran Keize, who was once the mentor of Yrica Quell, the leader of Alphabet.

5. Aftermath: Life Debt By Chuck Wending

Aftermath: Life Debt is the second entry in the Aftermath series of novels. This time, we follow Han Solo, who now has to settle all of the debts he collected when he was living the life of a smuggler, as he seeks to liberate Chewbacca’s homeworld of Kashyyyk.

Meanwhile, Norra is out there pursuing Admiral Sloane as the hunt for the Imperial remnants continues. Sloane, on the other hand, is trying to find a way to save the Empire from destruction. However, Norra’s quest to find Sloane was placed on hold when Han and Chewy mysteriously disappeared. As such, her new mission was to save the legendary duo.

6. Victory’s Price By Alexander Freed

Victory’s Price is the final book of the Alphabet Squadron trilogy. At this point, Shadow Wing was strengthened due to Keize’s leadership, as the TIE Fighter squad is no longer composed of wounded birds. Instead, Operation Cinder, a planetary extermination protocol, is now burning through the galaxy.

Meanwhile, Alphabet’s ships and spirits are damaged due to their failure in the previous book. And the odds are now against the squad as they look to rekindle their spirits against Shadow Wing, which is beginning to look unbeatable to their ragtag group of Starfighters.

7. Aftermath: Empire’s End By Chuck Wending

Aftermath: Empire’s End is the final book of the Aftermath series, as the novel seeks to put closure to the Empire. We are brought to Jakku, the planet on which Rey grew up, and that’s why there are a lot of different Star Destroyers on this desolate planet during the events of Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

Norra is once again leading the hunt against Sloane in an attempt to capture the war criminal once and for all. However, she becomes conflicted as her husband becomes a pawn in Sloane’s assassination plot, and that’s why she now wants to seek vengeance against the war criminal. And as Sloane chases Gallius Rax to Jakku, a furious battle between the New Republic and the Empire begins to end the battle that started back at Endor.

8. Last Shot By Daniel Jose Older

Last Shot is a book that actually has four different storylines that are divided into the book’s five parts. This is why this can be a book that can confuse other people, especially those who don’t catch the fact that there are different stories in this novel.

The main storyline happens in the New Republic era after the Battle of Jakku, as it is told from the perspectives of Han and Lando. Meanwhile, the other three storylines are flashbacks that are set during the Imperial era, as we once again see stories about Han and Lando and the different people they came across during the Empire’s rule.

9. Poe Dameron: Free Fall By Alex Segura

Poe Dameron: Free Fall is a book that tells the early beginnings of Poe Dameron, the best pilot in the Resistance, as he develops his love for flying during his childhood days after learning how to fly from her mother. But the death of his mother puts a halt to his dreams.

At 16 years old, Poe is now looking to leave his home so that he can find his own adventures in the galaxy, despite the fact that his father wanted him to stay put. But when Poe finds a way out of the planet through some smugglers, he accepts the job, not knowing that these were spice runners that he now had to work for. As such, Poe was in the middle of a mess he could no longer escape, and he began to wonder whether or not this was the life he wanted to live.

10. Bloodline By Claudia Gray

Bloodline is a book that follows the story of the decades that followed after the defeat of the Empire over at Endor. In this book, Senator Leia Organa has to deal with the dangers that threaten the early days of their new democracy, as underworld criminals and treacherous politicians, and those who are still loyal to the Empire are looking to start chaos in the galaxy.

Of course, as she is known to be the daughter of Darth Vader, Leia also has to deal with the fact that not all people are willing to trust her with the position of power she has. As such, it’s a book that deals with politics and the dangers that come with Leia’s bloodline.

11. Force Collector By Kevin Shinick

Force Collector is a story about a boy that has nothing to do with either the New Republic or the Empire. Instead, this is a boy who just helps his parents with their family business and goes to school like a normal boy. However, the problem is that he gets headaches and sees visions whenever he touches certain objects, and that means that he is Force-sensitive.

But the problem is that it has been years since anyone has heard anything about Luke Skywalker after his Jedi Temple was destroyed by Kylo Ren. As such, the boy has no one to guide him with his Force abilities. He ends up becoming a collector of historical objects so that he could one day find an object that would reveal to him more about the Jedi.

12. Phasma By Delilah S. Dawson

Phasma is a book that follows the early days of the First Order officer named Phasma, who is one of the most ruthless and most dangerous operatives they could offer. In this story, a Resistance spy is captured and is able to endure brutal interrogation by a Stormtrooper named Cardinal.

However, Cardinal was interrogating him for information that wasn’t related to the Resistance. Instead, he wanted to learn more about Phasma’s past because they are rivals in the First Order. Learning more about Phasma would allow Cardinal to use the information against her in his rise to power.

13. The Force Awakens (Novelization) By Alan Dean Foster

The Force Awakens novel is simply a novelization of the movie version. As such, book readers would be able to enjoy this novel just as much as the movie because it does hold some information and scenes that may not have been revealed in the film version of the story.

6. The Sequel Trilogy

There are also a few books that happened during the events of the sequel trilogy. And these events happened long after the end of the Empire in the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

The Sequel Trilogy reading order at a glance

1. Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire By Delilah S. Dawson
2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Novelization) By Jason Fry
3. Resistance Reborn By Rebecca Roanhorse
4. A Crash of Fate By Zoraida Cordova
5. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Novelization) By Jason Fry

1. Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire By Delilah S. Dawson

Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire is a novel that allows us to see the secret of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which is actually the expansion of the Disney Parks. And this book gives us a look at the story that happened during the battle between the Resistance and the First Order, as General Leia dispatched her spy, Vi Moradi, to a world found at the edge of the galaxy.

The planet is full of forests and different mountains, as rogues and smugglers live on that planet on a settlement called the Black Spire Outpost. Vi, on the run from the First Order, wasn’t a welcome guest on this planet but was able to find help from good-hearted people living on a planet full of scum and villains.

2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Novelization) By Jason Fry

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is simply a novelization of the film version. However, like the other movies that were turned into novels, there are more scenes and stories in this novel, as you might read parts you didn’t even see in the films. As such, if you want to get your Star Wars fix, this novel should be a good read for you, even though you may have seen the movie already.

3. Resistance Reborn By Rebecca Roanhorse

Resistance Reborn follows the story of the Resistance after their escape from Crait, as the army was now reduced to a few people who were wounded from the battle against the First Order. As such, the heroes now need to make themselves famous throughout the galaxy in the hopes of attracting new freedom fighters to their cause.

The book follows the story of how the Resistance was able to become reborn through the efforts of all of the heroes that participated in the previous battles against the First Order. Different fighters from all parts of the galaxy came to their aid, as we eventually saw the Resistance ready to fight again in the final movie of the sequel trilogy.

4. A Crash of Fate By Zoraida Cordova

Izzy and Jules are best friends who spent their childhood days climbing the tall trees of Batuu and playing all sorts of different games while dreaming of adventures they would once go on. However, Izzy’s family left without giving her a chance to say goodbye to Jules, who remained on the planet. Izzy’s parents got killed, and she ended up becoming a smuggler, all while Jules grew up to become a farmer.

More than a decade after leaving, Izzy returned to Batuu for a job, and she ends up meeting Jules once again. The attraction between the two develops, as Izzy hesitates to stay with Jules because she doesn’t want to drag him into her mess. But all that Jules wants is to be with Izzy, and that’s when the mess happens because they both live in different worlds, literally and figuratively.

5. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Novelization) By Jason Fry

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the novelized version of the movie of the same title. That means that the book has extended scenes that are not found in the movie, as you will be able to learn more about the events surrounding the final movie of the sequel trilogy.