'The Acolyte: Wayseeker' Review

The Disney+ series Star Wars: The Acolyte, which premiered in 2024, set up potential storylines as numerous as they were compelling. Justina Ireland’s novel, Star Wars: The Acolyte: Wayseeker, explores one such thread: how did Vernestra Rwoh and Indara first meet and become trusted Jedi comrades?

Set approximately 20 years before The Acolyte and 75 years after the conclusion of The High Republic initiative, Wayseeker functions as the connective tissue that bridges the gap in Vernestra’s story.

On its surface, readers might wonder if the book is primarily a prequel novel setting up the world, characters, and events of The Acolyte or a follow-up to The High Republic, extending the story beyond the conflict with the Marchion Ro, the Nameless, and the Nihil? Wayseeker is a bit of both, but this can give the impression that it can’t quite decide what it wants to be. 

A key point to note up front is the timing of Wayseeker's release relative to The Acolyte and the conclusion of The High Republic, both important projects in wider Star Wars storytelling. Coming nearly a year after The Acolyte series debut, Wayseeker misses the opportunity to help build anticipation for the show and add depth to its characters.

On the other hand, the book continues the story of Vernestra Rwoh, who appears on the book's cover and in the TV show, as well as multiple other characters from The High Republic. Unavoidably, Wayseeker reveals the fate of certain characters in Charles Soule's Trials of the Jedi, which is still six weeks away at the time of this review.

In short, Wayseeker comes too late to coincide with the TV show, but — for some readers — a bit too early. 

While Wayseeker doesn't ultimately spoil the method and manner of the Jedi’s victory over the Nihil, it does lessen the stakes for several significant characters in Trials of the Jedi. We recognize that book publishing is a complex business. Nevertheless, dedicated readers who have kept up with Star Wars books upon release may feel baffled and even punished by this decision.

Those who wish to read Trials of the Jedi without knowing any characters' fates might want to wait to start Wayseeker until after Trials. Of course, other readers won't mind. Either way, we believe readers should know what to expect.

That said, let’s get into the details of what Wayseeker brings to the Star Wars galaxy.

Plot

Overall, the story is entertaining, if a bit contrived and roundabout. The central plot device involves tracking down the handheld nullifier technology, first introduced in Cavan Scott’s The Rising Storm, that can deactivate a lightsaber. At the same time, the novel explores how Vernestra and Indara became friends, which could add depth and nuance to a rewatch of The Acolyte.

The nullifier story goes back to a plot thread from The Rising Storm that many readers may have totally forgotten about. Many on our review team felt it was unnecessary to revisit it several years later. A more compelling challenge might have lent itself to higher stakes.

On the other hand, Star Wars stories are often about more than the characters' adventures. Interestingly, Wayseeker explores the theme of attachment in a way that adds some nuance to the traditional Jedi view.

Vernestra argues that it is possible to be attached to significant people in a Jedi’s life without sacrificing duty and dedication to the Jedi. This theme appears most clearly in Vernestra's memory and devotion to her former Master, Stellan Gios, and how she copes with the sense of failure she feels regarding her former Padawan (whom we know to be Qimir from The Acolyte — though the novel only lightly touches upon this). 

Marvel

For Vernestra, this means letting go of her feeling of failure regarding her apprentices and the loss of Jedi companions while holding onto the love of her Master in a way that motivates her to be the best Jedi she can be. In Wayseeker, attachment is a nuanced issue and isn’t a one-way road to destruction, though it is cause for concern for her compatriot, Indara.

Ultimately, the challenge of investigating the nullifier isn't the most important part of the story. In Vernestra's journey, Irelend weaves a plot that intersects with several High Republic-era characters and explores several more interesting themes than the journey to retrieve a deadly device from unsavory hands.

Characters

When Carrie Ann Moss was first announced as playing a Jedi in The Acolyte, fans were beyond ecstatic (us included). Ultimately, her screen time was much more limited than we had hoped for, and due to the tragically untimely cancellation of the show itself, it seemed like that’s all we would get of Jedi Indara.

Fortunately, Justina Ireland had other plans.

In Wayseeker, we follow Indara on an enjoyable journey of character development from a reclusive Jedi archivist to adventuring Jedi Wayseeker out on her own in the galaxy, not under the constraints or supervision of the Jedi Council. Her reluctance to embark on the mission and break out of her shell initially seems a little derivative of Reath Silas/Cohmac Vitus.

Lucasfilm

However, we learn about a traumatic experience as an apprentice that resulted in her retreating into herself, a complex wrinkle in what makes the character tick, foreshadowing the trauma and tragedy she later experiences in The Acolyte. Her character’s evolving relationship with Vernestra is both compelling and heartwarming.

In addition to Indara, Vernestra Rwoh is the other character who headlines the novel. One of the book’s stronger elements is Vernestra’s rogue Jedi attitude. As such, Vernestra fits into the Qui-Gon Jinn archetype as a Jedi who marches to the beat of their own drum. One hopes we will see more stories that show how Vernestra becomes the stern Jedi Master portrayed by Rebecca Henderson, who we encounter in The Acolyte as essentially the Jedi Council's rule enforcer.

That said, Vernestra’s characterization compared to how we’re accustomed to seeing her in The High Republic might strike some readers as jarring or even perplexing. While not yet as dour as she appears on screen, she seems closer to the Vernestra in The Acolyte than the one in earlier books. Perhaps that’s because she’s now a battle-tested adult, calloused by war. However, it feels as if significant chunks of her evolution are missing, which may leave the reader wondering if they missed important parts of her progression.

On the other hand, maybe that means there will be more opportunities to follow Vernestra’s path in the future?

Lucasfilm

One element of Vernestra’s character we see more fully developed in Wayseeker is her hyperspace-induced Force visions. First seen in her debut, A Test of Courage, this unique ability hasn’t played as significant a role in the overall narrative of The High Republic as one might have expected. It’s an interesting wrinkle in the lore of hyperspace, something that intersected with Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Ascendency trilogy (as well as Zuckuss in his Legends short story from Tales of the Bounty Hunters, lest we forget!) 

Wayseeker is an opportunity for Ireland to explore this to a deeper degree. Vernestra admits that the visions are so taxing and disruptive that she enlisted the help of her droid, J-6, to assist her with piloting. She also avoided hyperspace travel as much as possible, partly leading to her choice to serve as a Jedi Wayseeker. The Force visions serve as a tool to propel the plot forward in this book, with a dreamlike version of her former Master, Stellan Gios, interrupting the adventure at various junctures to give Verenestra clues concerning her mission. 

In addition to Vernestra's hyperspace visions, Stellan makes another appearance in the book. In order to endear herself to the starry-eyed Knight Indara, Vernestra reveals that she has a secret stash of Jedi holograms aboard her private ship. During the years following Stellan’s stellar fall in Claudia Gray's The Fallen Star, Vernestra has continued learning from him via these holograms.

Given fan-favorite Stellan's dynamic character, the hyperspace vision and hologram elements could have been more emotionally resonant. It's certainly good to see the hyperspace visions return and play a vital role in character development and as a plot engine. And it's nice to discover that the often-reserved Vernestra indeed has a heart and draws a fine line between attachment and interference. However, the Master-Padawan relationship between Stellan and Vernestra is one we've not been able to explore much. As popular as both characters have proven to be with invested readers, it feels like there could have been more of an emotional payoff.

Beyond our heroes featured on the cover, Wayseeker contains appearances by several memorable characters from The High Republic. In some ways, it feels a bit like a “where-are-they-now" tour, TMZ style, of various characters after the conclusion of the larger storytelling initiative for curious fans. As with cameos such as C-3PO and R2-D2 in Rogue One, some will read these scenes as quaint and crowd-pleasing, while others may find them overindulgent moments in the sun for favorite characters.

More broadly, the fact that Wayseeker exists is a promising sign that we are (already!) getting books that follow fan-favorite High Republic characters beyond the initial 3-year initiative. Although some restraint on revealing certain characters' fates would have been good, it’s exciting to consider other possibilities and who else we might get to accompany on their adventures. 

Finally, Ireland introduces several minor villains in this book, whom the Jedi investigate and battle in their quest to unearth the nullifier. The Senator, Garn, was a memorably-crafted sleezebag politician. He’s not the book’s “big bad,” however. The final boss villain, Nilsson, ultimately comes across as underdeveloped — but his weapon of choice was cool, and that’s as good of a redeeming quality as any!

Writing Style

The most striking aspect of the writing style in Wayseeker is its alternation between first and third-person points of view. This choice may strike readers as a bit odd. As a stylistic choice, I found it neither successful nor necessary. This shifting point of view distracted me from the story itself. I suspect it may prove a stumbling block to some readers’ full enjoyment of this Star Wars story. 

Historically, first-person Star Wars books have not been received especially well (I, Jedi and Heir to the Jedi, the only two full-length adult novels of this style, are not well-ranked among our review team at Youtini, for instance). It’s very fitting that a book that straddles the line between being a prequel novel for The Acolyte and a High Republic victory lap would also alternate between writing styles without committing to either. It struck our review team as a head-scratching choice — or perhaps a failure to choose entirely. 

Despite the shifting point of view, Justina Ireland’s writing is both breezy and readable — the antithesis to the most recent adult novel, Alexander Fred’s Mask of Fear. While it was a much easier read, it lacked its gut-punching gravitas. It did not strike our reviewers as Ireland's strongest writing in her numerous Star Wars novels to date. 

Entertainment

Although some character inconsistencies, the shifting perspective, and the publishing schedule were worth noting, The Acolyte: Wayseeker is, overall, a fun adventure.

Particularly entertaining was how this story effectively functioned as a buddy cop adventure with a unique and refreshing twist. While several Star Wars books have featured a pair of Jedi out and about the galaxy, getting to the bottom of nefarious shenanigans, this is an especially enjoyable pairing. Perhaps it’s because the team consists of two female Jedi — a relative rarity within Star Wars storytelling. The Acolyte: Wayseeker sets up a relationship between Vernestra Rwoh and Indara that we hope will be explored more in future storytelling.

One of the most entertaining sections of the book involves a Gladiator-style Attack of the Clones-esque duel between Indara and a snake-like beast known as Gheriol. This monster was a welcome addition to the catalog of beasts in Star Wars — one that will either make your skin crawl or your heart melt, depending on your point of view. 

Wayseeker also presents an opportunity for a different kind of entertainment for book collectors. The UK-based publisher Inkstone is releasing a special collector’s edition of Wayseeker. As they’ve done with several other recent releases, as well as select titles in the Essential Legends Collection, Inkstone produces pieces of the finest quality.

Inkstone Books

Inkstone's edition is particularly striking in its design, complete with a foil embossed lightwhip on the cover, sprayed edges that combine the cover's color scheme and Vernestra’s facial tattoos, and, of course, the author’s signature on the opening pages.

Overall

Our verdict is that the timing of this novel's release put it in a challenging spot. It came out too late after the release of The Acolyte to feel as impactful as it could have, especially considering the show’s premature cancellation. At the same time, coming before Trials of the Jedi, some readers will surely find certain revelations problematic. 

That being said, we're confident that over time (especially after the dust settles from the release schedule), Wayseeker will enhance both The Acolyte and The High Republic. 

Overall, despite its flaws, Wayseeker is a unique and entertaining story. The additions it makes to Vernestra Rwoh's character and its reflection on attachment and regret make it a welcome addition to the Canon for fans of both The Acolyte and The High Republic.

Rating: Good

The Acolyte: Wayseeker is available now wherever books are sold.