'Star Wars: The Last Order' Review

Six long years have passed since the end of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy.

Throughout that era, we’ve witnessed the rise of new characters like The Mandalorian and Grogu, the emergence of televised Star Wars as a means for mainline storytelling, and the entirety of The High Republic publishing initiative. The pure amount of stories added to a galaxy far, far away has been staggering, and the backstories of countless heroes and villains have been expanded tenfold.

Although some characters haven’t been so lucky.

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Kwame Mbalia’s The Last Order looks to right those wrongs by bringing us a plethora of new information surrounding Finn and Jannah who haven’t really been seen since The Rise of Skywalker left theaters. What begins as an exciting look at post-Episode IX life quickly unveils itself as a series of flashbacks detailing the histories of the two former stormtroopers filled with revelations about their time in the First Order.

These flashback stories offer intriguing looks into what created these two heroes of the Battle of Exegol, and even though some fans may have wished for a bit more cohesion in bringing the disparate tales together, they still offer quite a lot of adventure for those that have missed seeing this pair for years

Plot

The Last Order begins through the eyes of a brand new character named Coy. On the grounds of Ajan Kloss, Coy becomes enraptured in a mission alongside two of his heroes: Finn and Jannah, and almost immediately after discovering some of those details, Mbalia takes us back to the past to indulge in two different timelines.

And we meet FN-2187 and TZ-1719.

Because Finn and Jannah obviously didn’t meet until their chance encounter during The Rise of Skywalker, their past adventures remain separate throughout the course of the novel. Finn’s story takes him through the morally conflicting rise through the ranks of the First Order that was hinted at both in The Force Awakens and his short story in Before the Awakening, and Jannah’s reveals her relationship to her squad and the eventual reason that she was able to escape the Order’s clutches.

Both of these stories offer interesting looks at the entirety of the First Order as well as the variety of emotional traumas that were suffered by both protagonists. Aside from stories like Phasma, the inner workings of daily life inside one of the most important groups in Star Wars history has gone relatively untouched, and Mbalia does a fantastic job humanizing not only Finn and Jannah, but also the troopers they lived with.

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After all, the First Order specialized in the indoctrination of children, and it’s chilling to witness the depths to which the young characters can go.

Despite the inherent interest of focusing on the humanization of brainwashed soldiers, it’s hard not to wish that this book had been split up into three individual stories. While Finn and Jannah are allowed to explore the depths of their pasts, this is at a cost of the impact of the “present day” narrative. The promise of a post-Episode IX story at the start is thrilling, but the conclusion of the story as it attempts to connect back to the more interesting flashbacks unfortunately falls quite flat.

Nonetheless, the journey into their First Order histories is still worth the price of admission for many diehards, and hopefully, Finn and Jannah will be able to expand their adventures more together in future stories.

Characters

From the second that you lay your eyes upon the gorgeous cover of The Last Order, it becomes immediately obvious that Finn and Jannah are far and away the stars of this book. Mbalia does a wonderful job allowing both characters to take center stage in their own narratives - giving them a spotlight that they’ve both so richly deserved since their respective introductions.

Jannah especially stands out as her story solidifies her power as the ultimately capable TZ-1719. Her command of her squad is rock solid, but the relationships she forms with them throughout their journey is just as impactful. Her tale highlights the emotional hardships that the First Order enacted upon its young recruits time and time again - all leading to an all too natural breaking point.

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Finn has been fortunate to receive just a bit more expansion over his time in the Star Wars Canon, but The Last Order lets his character breathe like never before. His first moments of conflict in The Force Awakens are echoed consistently throughout his trials - so much so that, at times, his dedication to nonviolence can sometimes strain credulity. However, it’s refreshing to see him finally step up as the leader of his own story after some questionable decisions throughout the Sequel Trilogy regressed him to the sidelines.

There are a few notable characters that pop up as little more than glorified easter eggs, but without spoiling their reveals here, their presence adds a surprising layer of excitement that makes the book feel like a true part of the Star Wars galaxy.

Unfortunately, the original characters littered throughout the rest of the book don’t fare quite as well. The villains meant to tie the stories together and provide the larger threats throughout the book don’t quite demand the sense of terror that we usually expect from a “final boss” in a Star Wars story. Even though we’re told repeatedly about their intensity and power, the brief cameos from other First Order baddies seem to add a bit more to the story than those who are meant to carry the narrative weight leading to a cast that has some incredible strong highlights with a few bench players that don’t quite earn their minutes.

Writing

When a novel features three different storylines featuring a number of unique casts, there’s sure to be a lot of talking and interplay. Nothing solidifies the interpersonal dynamics of both Finn and Jannah’s squads more than the way they talk amongst themselves, and their conversations form the foundation of the entire story.

Fortunately, this is where Kwame Mbalia’s talent shines the brightest.

Each character in The Last Order speaks with their own distinct cadence - especially Finn and Jannah whose inner monologues are complex and often just as intriguing as any conversation with their fellow cadets. Whereas a lesser writer could use these internal musings as a crutch for exposition, Mbalia uses this device to advance the emotional journey of each protagonist to wonderful effect.

Kwame Mbalia

From a practical standpoint, there is one particular in-universe conceit that may be distracting for some readers. As we discovered in The Force Awakens, Finn had no official name until meeting Poe Dameron. Going by FN-2187 may have worked for his initial scenes in that film, but when every new character is referenced by an FN, FO, TZ, or simply a number, it can be quite difficult to keep track of who’s speaking or leaping into battle at any given moment. Even though some of the characters get nicknames (similar to clone troopers) throughout, the constant numbering can get in the way of comprehension.

That comprehension can also be slightly hindered by the makeup of the chapters themselves. There doesn’t appear to be a constant flow between the stories as Jannah’s flashbacks will sometimes take up three chapters followed by one of Finn’s and so on. While this choice isn’t inherently harmful to the stories, it does make it difficult to lock in to the rhythm of the book as a whole.

However, none of those structural issues impact the effectiveness of Mbalia’s writing or his clear aptitude for writing these characters. Their journeys are poignant and filled with plenty of action, and he clearly has a future writing more in a galaxy far, far away.

Entertainment

The Last Order may be a book defined by expectations. When you crack the cover, a post-Episode IX story is revealed, and there’s an undeniable sense of excitement when you see phrases like after the Battle of Exegol. After all, one of the best parts of any universe is finding out what happens next.

Unfortunately, that is not the purpose of The Last Order. But once you accept that fact, the entertainment level of the book rises significantly to present a story that is, at the end of the day, incredibly fun.

While learning about the backstories of Finn and Jannah, we get to witness the functionality of the First Order in a brand new way and discover a host of new mysteries surrounding the evolution of the future army of Kylo Ren. While these touches may not strike the same cord as venturing further into the galactic timeline, they offer more than enough satisfaction to keep readers glued to the pages throughout their various endings.

Overall

The Last Order is a book that occupies a number of different spaces. On one hand, it presents a much needed look at the histories of two of the best characters in the Sequel Trilogy. Finn and Jannah both earn their moments in the sun and lead their respective stories admirably throughout.

On the other, the present day frame story never quite lives up to the promise of its premise, and it’s hard not to imagine a world where these tales were reformatted into a short story collection or even three separate novels altogether.

However, thanks to Kwame Mbalia’s masterful dialogue and fantastic prose, there is more than enough to enjoy for those who have been waiting years to revisit the heroes who took down Palpatine. Here’s hoping that this is just the beginning of their adventures in print.

Disney Lucasfilm Press

The Last Order is now available wherever books are sold.

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