"You must always know your roots if you are to know how sturdy the tree will grow." - Zoraida Córdova, A Crash of Fate
n the ever-expanding Star Wars galaxy, the name Zoraida Córdova is one to watch. The rising star has a knack for penning stories with relatable characters who grow and change throughout their journeys, effectively providing some of the most empathetic narratives in the Expanded Universe. That’s why in this collection, we’re exploring the author’s flourishing library of Star Wars titles. But first, let’s download some of her history on our data pads.
Born in Ecuador, Córdova learned English by watching Disney’s The Little Mermaid on repeat, which instilled in her a love of fantasy worlds. She moved to the United States at an early age, and as a high school student attended writing camps at the encouragement of a supportive teacher. Her early stories brimmed with magic, but it wasn’t until her early 20s that she began to discover and incorporate the rich history and mythology of her Latin American heritage.
With the success of her Vicious Deep and Brooklyn Brujas series, Córdova’s talent for creating fantastical worlds meant she would soon have the opportunity to craft stories in the Star Wars galaxy.
She finally made the jump to hyperspace with her short story “You Owe Me a Ride,” which featured in the anthology From a Certain Point of View, a collection celebrating A New Hope’s 40th anniversary with 40 stories told through the eyes of characters at the periphery of the film’s iconic scenes. In “You Owe Me a Ride,” the fugitive Tonnika sisters must get enough credits to flee Tattoine and decide to collect the bounty on their associate, Han Solo. Their quarry leads them to the famous shootout in Mos Eisley Spaceport, where they must stop the Millennium Falcon from escaping Docking Bay 94.
Córdova’s prose proved deserving of an entire book, and in 2019, a new publishing campaign saw the release of her first Star Wars YA novel. If you have ever spent time on the Outer Rim world of Batuu, you can thank her for helping to bring Black Spire Outpost to life. Disney’s ambitious theme park, Galaxy’s Edge, opened to the public and kicked off a new media project tie-in.
Córdova had the distinct honor of inaugurating the Spires with their first book, Galaxy’s Edge: A Crash of Fate. Readers follow Jules and Izzy, two childhood friends, who are torn apart when Izzy’s family abruptly leaves Batuu. Thirteen years later, Izzy returns when a smuggling job leads her to deliver a mysterious parcel to Black Spire Outpost. Just as Jules’ and Izzy’s rekindled friendship might turn into something more, the job goes wrong, and they must fight to protect each other’s hearts as they examine the lives they’ve chosen. With its blend of adventure and romance, A Crash of Fate provides one of the most character-driven Star Wars stories in the EU.
Following her debut Star Wars novel, Córdova returned with two more short stories. The first appeared in Star Wars: The Clones Wars - Stories of Light and Dark, an anthology retelling of iconic episodes from the hit animated show. Her contribution, “The Lost Night Sister,” adapts the episode “Bounty,” revisiting Asajj Ventress’s time on Tattooine and her involvement with a bounty hunting crew led by Boba Fett. Once again, Córdova showcases her penchant for creating satisfying character arcs as we see Ventress go from feeling lost to empowered.
She returned with her next short story in Episode V’s 40th anniversary celebration, A Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back, this time taking readers through scenes from the perspective of Boba Fett himself.
With her grasp of crafting empathetic stories and relatable characters, it seems Zoraida Córdova’s time in the EU is just beginning. Read on to explore her featured collection, and be sure to check back here as her library continues to grow.
Coming Soon
Our team is hard at work building out this collection. Stay tuned!
Books in this Collection
From A Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
Galaxy’s Edge: A Crash of Fate
Decades apart can alter friendships forever, but sometimes, that absence makes the reunion all the sweeter. A Crash of Fate brings us into the minds and lives of Izzy and Jules as they rekindle their relationship on the streets of Batuu years after the childhood their shared together.
Love, adventure, fear, and excitement swirl effortlessly through this novel as the pair tries to stay one step ahead of those who would wish them harm, and the sanctuary that they seek may be right in each other's harms. A spiritual successor to Lost Stars, A Crash of Fate shows us how the fire of passion can burn just as hot as the engine of a pod racer.
Izzy and Jules were childhood friends, climbing the spires of Batuu, inventing silly games, and dreaming of adventures they would share one day. Then, Izzy’s family left abruptly, without even a chance to say goodbye. Izzy’s life became one of constant motion, traveling from one world to the next, until her parents were killed and she became a low-level smuggler to make ends meet. Jules remained on Batuu, eventually becoming a farmer like his father, but always yearning for something more.
Now, thirteen years after she left, Izzy is returning to Batuu. She’s been hired to deliver a mysterious parcel, and she just wants to finish the job and get gone. But upon arrival at Black Spire Outpost she runs smack into the one person who still means something to her after all this time: Jules.
The attraction between them is immediate, yet despite Jules seeming to be everything she’s ever needed, Izzy hesitates. How can she drag this good-hearted man into the perilous life she’s chosen?
Jules has been trying to figure out his future, but now all he knows for certain is that he wants to be with Izzy. How can he convince her to take a chance on someone who’s never left the safety of his homeworld?
When Izzy’s job goes wrong, the two childhood friends find themselves on the run. And all their secrets will be revealed as they fight to stay alive…
From A Certain Point of View
A truly unique and heroic feat in Star Wars publishing, From a Certain Point of View is a compilation of forty short stories by more than forty incredible authors to retell the story of A New Hope in celebration of its fortieth anniversary. Not only did Del Rey assemble a massive team consisting of their catalog of regular Star Wars writers such as Chuck Wendig, John Jackson Miller, and Claudia Gray, they managed to rope in many award-winning authors to pen their first stories in a galaxy far, far away. Such authors include Ken Liu, Sabaa Tahir, Zoraida Córdova, and Rae Carson. All of the book’s authors donated their pay to First Book, a nonprofit dedicated to improving literacy.
The stories represent the points of view of many of the notable side characters from A New Hope, such as Wedge Antilles, Greedo, and Grand Moff Tarkin. But they don’t stop there. The book benefits from forty years of expanding the Star Wars universe, and as such many characters not originally in the original film provide perspective in creative ways–Lando Calrissian, Yoda, Breha Organa, and even Qui-Gon Jinn! It is a compilation not only of characters and authors, but also styles and tones. At times heartbreaking, hilarious, and head-scratching. Some stories will connect differently with different readers. It certainly has something for everyone and is a remarkable read.
Forty years. Forty stories.
In honor of the fortieth anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope, this collection features Star Wars stories by bestselling authors, trendsetting artists, and treasured voices from Star Wars literary history. More than forty authors have lent their unique vision to forty "scenes," each retelling a different moment from the original Star Wars film, but with a twist: Every scene is told from the point of view of a background character. Whether it's the X-wing pilots who helped Luke destroy the Death Star or the stormtroopers who never quite could find the droids they were looking for, Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View places the classic movie in a whole new perspective, and celebrates the influence and legacy of the unparalleled cultural phenomenon, Star Wars.
The High Republic: Convergence
The High Republic: Convergence
It is an age of exploration. Jedi travel the galaxy, expanding their understanding of the Force and all the worlds and beings connected by it. Meanwhile, the Republic, led by its two chancellors, works to unite worlds in an ever-growing community among near and distant stars.
On the close orbiting planets of Eiram and E'ronoh, the growing pains of a galaxy with limited resources but unlimited ambition are felt keenly. Their hatred for each other has fueled half a decade of escalating conflict and now threatens to consume surrounding systems. The last hope for peace emerges when heirs from the two planets' royal families plan to marry.
Before lasting peace can be established, an assassination attempt targeting the couple tilts Eiram and E'ronoh back into all-out war. To save both worlds, Jedi Knight Gella Nattai volunteers to uncover the culprit, while Chancellor Kyong appoints her son, Axel Greylark, to represent the Republic's interests in the investigation.
But Axel's deep distrust of the Jedi sparks against Gella's faith in the Force. She's never met such a puffed-up, privileged party boy, and he's never met a more self-serious, relentless do-gooder. The more they work to untangle the shadowy web of the investigation, the more complicated the conspiracy appears to be. With accusations flying and potential enemies in every shadow, the pair will have to work together to have any hope of bringing the truth to light and saving both worlds.
