Star Wars – Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss | Review

Mace Windu takes the spotlight in the latest Star Wars novel, The Glass Abyss, giving fans an original adventure that’s thrilling, intimate, and not what you’d expect.

I’m going to preface this review real quick, because I’m so damn excited to have Steven Barnes doing a new Star Wars story. Previously, he wrote The Cestus Deception as part of the Legends Clone Wars tie-in books (that came out between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith). It remains one of my favorite Clone Wars era stories, and quite fortuitously, I re-read it just before The Glass Abyss was announced. It still rules.

As such, I went into this one with decently high expectations and was not disappointed, even as the story went to places I wasn’t at all expecting (especially with this character).

Fulfilling a Promise

It’s nice to see Star Wars is giving us more stories set around the Prequel era characters. Just this year alone we got The Living Force (set prior to the events of Phantom Menace), and the surprise release of the audio drama, Padawan’s Pride, about Obi-Wan’s early days in training Anakin. Now, we’ve got Glass Abyss, which picks up the story at the end of The Phantom Menace.

I mean this literally, there’s an early scene recounting Qui-Gon Jinn’s funeral from Mace’s point of view. Qui-Gon’s death, in fact, is the catalyst for the story that unfolds as, prior to the events of The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon entrusted his fellow Jedi Master to finish a different mission in case he didn’t survive. A mission to help an oppressed people on the Outer Rim world of Metagos.

Decades following a disastrous solar event that irradiated the planet and covered it in glass, the survivors live in a massive underground city called, the Glass Abyss. Once a thriving people, they are now ruled under the thumb of two crime lords. But there are others who’ve long lived underground, in harmony with the planet’s native creatures whose prized silk forms the basis of Metagos’ entire economy.

Mace goes undercover in order to unravel the intricacies of the powers at play on this world, but begins to find his connection with the Force struggling as doubts begin to take over his mind. With the help of new—unexpected—allies, Mace will have to find a way to reconnect with not only the Force, but himself. In order to take on a terrifying “Jedi Killer” who’s ambitions could upset the balance of power in the Outer Rim, he must uncover new truths about himself.

Standing Alone

In order to keep things spoiler free, I wont’ discuss the plot details much further. Suffice it to say, there’s quite a bit going on. What’s great, though, is in all the action and depth Glass Abyss never loses sight of the more personal nature of the story. This is very much a Mace Windu story; centering his struggles an emotions in a way that brings fans closer to the character than ever before.

This was, perhaps, the most surprising aspect of the book. When the book was first announced, I expected it to be an impressive, action-packed outing that highlighted Mace’s fabled skills and badass nature. And Glass Abyss absolutely delivers on that; but we’re also treated to a powerful inward/emotional journey. One that takes the character to places I never expected and forces me to view him in a new light.

Considering how important this character has become throughout his appearances in the Prequel films and subsequently in The Clone Wars animated series, it’s wild how few stories we’ve gotten entirely about him. It’s been a long time coming, and Glass Abyss does a phenomenal job of giving him challenges only this Jedi Master could face, while still presenting new facets to the, oft-portrayed, stentorian hero.

A big reason I think the book does this so well, is because Glass Abyss is a completely standalone adventure. Much as I love sprawling epics (like the multi-phase High Republic) and the various trilogies we get, it’s nice to get a pure standalone story everyone once in a while too. Aside from Qui-Gon’s death being the impetus for the story, the novel doesn’t rely on the films’ connective tissue to work.

The strong self-contained story is satisfying on its own (both in action and emotional heft) without leaving anything dangling. Nor does it feel at odds with the depictions of Mace Windu that take place after. If anything, it may enhance our perspectives on the character the next time we watch the Prequels.

Two Things

I hesitate to call these things “problems” with the book. Mostly because I think it will depend on the reader, and perspective you bring to the story. Even so, there are a couple things I feel are worth noting:

1.) Steven Barnes’ writing style is a little…different. The way he moves from scene to scene (some of which span a decent amount of time), can be a bit jarring at first. It’s nothing too crazy, but can be an acquired taste that I could see throwing off some readers initially.

That said, I kind of love it; even when it feels like things move too quickly. He’s economic in his words and prose and doesn’t waste time when something isn’t needed. If something needs to happen to further the story or the specific character moment happening, he does it. Sometimes this means you may cover the span of several days in just a handful of paragraphs. Initially it feels like you’re rushing, but in the context of the full picture, you see it’s more about being direct, without sacrificing the character moments to do so.

2.) Some of the things Mace does in the story, or the way he views certain things feel very…un-Jedi. There were a few specific moments that had me furrowing my brow and took me back. As the story progresses, however, I came to understand this is yet another facet of Mace’s character we’re seeing.

The novel presents these things from his view of the Force and what it means to be a Jedi. Sometimes this might be at odds with the Order overall, or even how we feel the Jedi should be…but that’s kind of the point. Still, I could see how it would be offputting at times for some readers.

Overall, Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss is a stellar standalone Star Wars novel. It hits all the right notes in terms of story and action that feel uniquely Star Wars, while giving us a deeper look into one of the most iconic Jedi around.