By George & Josh Bate
The following is a NON-SPOILER REVIEW of Star Wars Outlaws: Low Red Moon
Star Wars: Outlaws got a bad wrap. Although hindered by rather simplistic combat and stealth gameplay, the Ubisoft video game triumphed with its various expansive open-world environments and in its willingness to plunge gamers into the seedy underbelly of a galaxy far, far away. Mixed reception to the game means a sequel is unlikely, although some of its key characters live on in a new prequel novel from Random House Worlds.
Written by Mike Chen, who penned one of the best Star Wars novels of the past decade in Star Wars: Brotherhood, Star Wars Outlaws: Low Red Moon follows Jaylen Vrax and ND-5 as they try to make names for themselves in the criminal underworld. Expanding upon key dialogue from the video game, the story begins as the hopes and dreams of Jaylen, heir to the immense power and wealth of the Barsha family, are shattered when the Empire brings up bogus charges of conspiracy against his family and former Separatist battle droid ND-5 comes to kill every last member of the clan. Managing to fend off the attack as the sole survivor, Jaylen reprograms ND-5 and, together, they begin to build a reputation in the underworld among scoundrels, syndicates, and bounty hunters. On a seemingly random job, a clue emerges that may point to who sent ND-5 after Jaylen’s family, leading the duo on an investigation that tests the limits of their partnership and uncovers answers Jaylen isn’t prepared to understand.
As a prequel to a video game, Outlaws: Low Red Moon raises the question: is the book approachable for those who did not play Star Wars Outlaws? Or, is the game approachable for those who played Outlaws so long ago now that they don’t remember what happened in the game? The answer to both of these questions is yes, albeit with a caveat. By the very nature of Low Red Moon exploring Jaylen’s backstory, a key twist from the game’s final act is revealed in the novel from the get-go – that being, Jaylen is actually Jaylen Barsha, brother of the game’s primary antagonist Sliro. At this point, if you haven’t played Outlaws, you probably don’t care about being spoiled by this reveal. And there’s enough substance, thrills, and strong character work in Low Red Moon to make it a worthwhile read, even if you haven’t played the game.
Although Jaylen wasn’t the most interesting of characters in Star Wars Outlaws, Chen effectively fleshes out the character here. Much like Chen’s first Star Wars novel Brotherhood, Low Red Moon is a tale of two brothers, albeit this outing deals far more with the fractures that are created and slowly expand among family members. The early parts of the novel lay the groundwork for Jaylen and Sliro’s relationship and the eventual collapse of their family, treating audiences to their overbearing parents and a rare look at the exceedingly wealthy in a galaxy far, far away. There’s enough meat in this part of the book, which takes place around the fall of the Republic, to comprise an entire novel, although Chen smartly flashes forward to 10 years before A New Hope for the real story to kick into gear and the meaning of brotherhood is reshaped.
While Sliro and Jaylen’s relationship looms large of Low Red Moon, it’s the brotherhood that forms between Jaylen and ND-5 that serves as the novel’s emotional core. ND-5 (referred to as Endee in dialogue, as is the case in any Star Wars writing about droids) is introduced to the reader in harrowing fashion as he undertakes the systematic assassination of the Barsha family. Over the course of the novel, however, Chen excels in diving into the inner-workings of the reprogrammed ND-5 as his exacting nature as a droid subsides somewhat and, in its place, humor and heart emerge. Chen’s writing of chapters told from ND-5’s first-person perspective is purposeful and precise, slowly fleshing out the droid’s subtle changes in character with intelligent use of diction and sentence structure that lays solid groundwork for future droid-centric Star Wars books. What results is a droid side-character that, in more ways than one, usurps our lead human character as the character to root for.
Importantly, this is not to say Jaylen’s character arc is uninteresting (on the contrary, Chen uses the strong character work of ND-5 to further develop Jaylen). With the game focusing on Kay Vess, we weren’t privy to much of Jaylen and ND-5’s relationship, something Chen ameliorates in spades here. Much of the chapters told from Jaylen’s perspective focus on his desire to control ND-5, which, after the disastrous circumstances under which they were introduced, makes sense. But the novel proves most interesting, and even heartbreaking, as it explores how trust evolves between Jaylen and ND-5.
As a novel that takes place within a much broader universe of stories, Low Red Moon also triumphs. The book may shelve much of its dealings with crime syndicates for close to the end, but Chen nonetheless seeps his novel in the same grimy, gritty underworld that encompassed Star Wars Outlaws. There’s a number of exciting cameos / supporting appearances, including one fan-favorite character from several Disney+ shows that took us both by surprise. Also, those who read Brotherhood will recognize two characters that Chen brings back here, a decision we didn’t see coming. Chen also takes the time to expand on the politics of the criminal underworld and how the ISB operates, while never losing sight of the core mystery that the first part of the novel so effectively sets up.
While we prefer to read books, rather than listen to audio versions, we followed our initial read of Low Red Moon with a listen to the audio version (and are very grateful that we did). Jay Rincon and Eric Johnson, who voiced ND-5 and Jaylen in the game respectively, reprise their roles as the characters in the audio rendition of the novel. This creates a more immersive reading experience as, at times, it feels like you’re back playing the game, especially with added music and sound effects.
VERDICT:
Star Wars Outlaws: Low Red Moon serves as an insightful prequel for fans of Star Wars: Outlaws and a compelling standalone story for those who never played the Ubisoft video game. Author Mike Chen carries over the seamless flow and strong character work he exhibited in Star Wars: Brotherhood by telling a story, once again, about brotherhood. This time around, however, the brotherhood(s) in question are more complicated as Chen explores brotherly betrayal, fate vs. free will, trust, and found family through Jaylen’s relationships with his biological brother Sliro and the droid ND-5. The latter proves to be the standout character of the novel, largely due to Chen’s innovative first-person writing that subtly evolves ND-5’s personality over the course of the book and (hopefully) lays the foundation for future droid-centric Star Wars stories in the future. The novel may not dip its toes into the world of criminal syndicates with the same depth as the video game, but it nonetheless feels like a fitting companion to Outlaws in similarly being seeped in a seedy underworld for its second half. Fans of the broader Star Wars universe will feast on a number of exciting cameos and supporting appearances, including returning characters from Star Wars: Brotherhood and even a surprise appearance from a fan-favorite bad-ass who first appeared in several Disney+ shows. Those who enjoy experiencing Star Wars books through audio versions will be delighted to know that Jay Rincon and Eric Johnson, who voiced ND-5 and Jaylen in the game respectively, a brilliant decision from the publishing team that fosters an immersive listening experience and evokes the feeling of the video game. Low Red Moon may not have the galaxy-wide implications of other Star Wars books, nor will it necessarily appeal as much to readers who had strong negative opinions of Outlaws. But there is a heartwarming emotional core and strong character work to enjoy in this bifurcated tale of brotherhood.
Star Wars Outlaws: Low Red Moon is on sale February 3, 2026
