By George & Josh Bate
Earlier this year, Lucasfilm Publishing Creative Director Michael Siglain revealed a new initiative for Star Wars books that “are genre stories first, Star Wars stories second.” Star Wars stories have dabbled in genre fare before, whether it Andor operating as a political thriller in a galaxy far, far away or Skeleton Crew paying homage to Amblin adventures films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and The Goonies, but this announcement marked the first time in the nearly 50-year history of Star Wars that the franchise committed to an entire publishing initiative shaped around genre storytelling.
The first entry in Lucasfilm’s genre initiative bolsters the words ‘A Star Wars Romance Novel’ on its cover and more than lives up to that logline as a YA romance filled with teen angst and emotion that just so happens to be set in a galaxy far, far away (and reveal quite a bit about the state of the galaxy in the years leading up to the sequel trilogy).
From author Ashley Poston, Eyes Like Stars follows Ardent Quay, a teenager obsessed with romance serials who is preparing for yet another cruise aboard her father’s star tour ship, the Starfarer. Before embarking, Ardent explores the streets of Coruscant in pursuit of a romance novel when she witnesses a murder and accidentally saves the life of Sian, a mysterious and charming young man with a sparkle in his pitch black eyes that give the illusion of a night sky. Now on the run from the First Order, Ardent reluctantly (or perhaps not so reluctantly, given she finds Sian to be frustratingly attractive) takes Sian aboard her father’s cruise ship as he attempts to bring a prized artifact back to the location it belongs.
Star Wars has a long tradition of compelling YA novels, including E.K. Johnston’s Queen trilogy, Beth Revis’ Rebel Rising, and Claudia Gray’s Lost Stars, the latter of which is arguably one of the best romance stories in the entire franchise. Many Star Wars fans, especially adults, may not naturally gravitate toward YA novels given the (often incorrect) presumption that their focus on teenage protagonists and coming-of-age arcs renders them more juvenile and less serious that adult novels. Thankfully, books like Eye Like Stars exist – books that prove YA Star Wars novels can both check every box of a YA novel and mesmerize with an intergalactic, universally-appealing page-turner of the highest quality.
Eyes Like Stars occupies an interesting spot in the Star Wars timeline, something author Ashley Poston takes full advantage of. The story unfolds sometime before the events of The Force Awakens and, although the time period isn’t exactly specified, context clues more specifically suggest it occurs within a year or so before the sequel trilogy begins. In focusing on this relatively underexplored period of the Star Wars timeline and unfolding from the perspective of a normal teenage girl, Poston’s novel offers unique insights into how regular people view the First Order, the Galactic Civil War, and more. Star Wars geeks like us who are eager for any and all crumbs that deepen one’s appreciation of the galaxy will love that Eyes Like Stars provides updates on planets like Geonosis and Naboo, reveals more about how the general public perceives the events of the Galactic Civil War and legends like Luke Skywalker, and provides new insights into how the First Order slowly ascended into a position of power in the galaxy.
All of these insights render Eyes Like Stars an unexpectedly relevant Star Wars novel. The story and its duo of teenage leads are certainly compelling, but, even as just a ground-level glimpse into the years leading up to the sequel trilogy, the novel is an exceedingly worthwhile read.
These insights unravel naturally over the course of a whimsical adventure novel, told from the perspective of a relatable and endlessly likable protagonist. Poston does well to quickly orient readers to Ardent Quay’s history, including how her mother vanished and never returned, how her older brother left several years earlier, and how she enjoys life aboard the Starfarer yet feels trapped by the overprotectiveness of her father as she approaches adulthood. As the novel is told in the first-person, understanding and empathizing with Ardent’s vulnerabilities comes easily and anchors the text in the journey of a lead character who we can’t help but root for.
The arrival of the mysterious, rebellious, and admittedly cute Sian spells trouble for Ardent, in more ways than one. Sian is being hunted by the First Order as he is in possession of an unknown artifact the “zealots in the Unknown Regions who want to bring back the Empire” desperately desire. Sian’s emergence in Ardent’s life only heightens her displeasure with life as she knows it, setting the stage for a poignant exploration of the struggles associated with emerging from adolescence into autonomous adulthood. Whether readers are currently navigating this transition or have done so at some point in their lives, Eyes Like Stars makes for identifiable and approachable reading. The fact that Poston is able to achieve such a feat and explore such themes in an intergalactic tale filled with starships, creatures, faraway planets, and more is a testament to the author’s ability to deftly balance quintessential Star Wars and grounded coming-of-age storytelling.
As Eyes Like Stars settles into its second act, the novel hits a bit of a lull without any major developments in its narrative for quite some time. Fortunately, the slow-burn reluctant romance between Ardent and Sian, clearly inspired by Han and Leia’s classic love story, proves so cute and endearing that investment in the characters never wanes. By being anchored in Ardent’s first-person perspective, the reader gets to experience all of Ardent’s insecurities, anxieties, and distress first-hand, which adds ample layers of emotional complexity and honesty to the romance that develops.
With the romance between Ardent and Sian slowly developing, Eyes Like Stars converges on a fairly predictable, yet nonetheless entertaining third act. Poston appears to be teasing a certain twist that promises to answer a longstanding question in Star Wars canon for quite some time, before eventually pulling the rug out from under the reader. Then, however, the story revisits this ‘twist’ and subverts expectations once again, offering a degree of satisfying resolution, although not to the extent one may have anticipated.
As the publisher’s summary for the novel teases, Eyes Like Stars features “some familiar cameos,” which, upon reading the entire novel, feels like a bit of understatement. Poston finds intelligent ways to weave in major characters from the Star Wars galaxy into her story without ever making her creative decisions feel like forced and ill-fitting fan-service.
VERDICT:
Eyes Like Stars marks the first entry in Lucasfilm Publishing’s newfound genre initiative and, if it is even slightly indicative of anything in store with forthcoming projects, Star Wars fans are in for a real treat. Bolstering the subtitle ‘A Star Wars Romance Novel,’ Ashley Poston’s book checks every box of a YA novel, while equally mesmerizing with an intergalactic, universally-appealing pageturner of a story. Filled with novel insights about the state of the galaxy in the years leading up to the sequel trilogy, the story makes for a surprisingly relevant entry in Star Wars canon, especially as it loops in major characters and teases (but doesn’t entirely fulfill the promise of) answers to longstanding canon questions. The slow-burn romance, meanwhile, mirrors the charm and tension of Leia and Han’s love story, while Poston’s use of first-person language allows for readers to intimately connect with the vulnerabilities and anxieties of our lead character. The theme of emerging from adolescence into full-fledged autonomous adulthood looms large over the whole novel and fosters a read that is bound to emotionally resonate, whether one is currently navigating such a transition into adulthood or has done so in the past. A second act lull without major narrative developments is thankfully overcome by the sheer charm and loveliness of the romance at the heart of the novel, before the third act rounds out the story in mostly satisfying fashion. When adult readers speak negatively of YA novels, citing that their focus on teenage characters and coming-of-age arcs makes them juvenile stories not made for adults, one should point to Eyes Like Stars – an endearing, thrilling, and quintessentially Star Wars romance that is the best YA Star Wars novel since Lost Stars.
Eyes Like Stars is available now, courtesy of Random House Worlds
