Bloodline Spoiler Policy

This is a spoiler-free review. The plot summary here is an introduction to the characters and the scene and no further. If you choose to read, the outcome full of its twists and turns is all there for you to explore, spoiler-free.

Introduction

Bloodline is a Star Wars novel written by Claudia Gray. Taking place years after the original trilogy events, it is part of the bridge between the original film trilogy and the newly released sequel trilogy. Following Princess Leia right after the New Republic’s honeymoon phase as the face of the galaxy, the senate is in disarray, putting the nation in jeopardy. After the resignation of first Chancellor Mon Mothma, the senate is divided by party lines, and progress is nonexistent. Can the Republic survive the senatorial battle between the Populists and the Centrists, or is the fledgling Republic doomed from the outset? War hero and current Senator Princess Leia spots unity dissolving in front of her eyes and has to do whatever it takes to save the New Republic.

Characters and Plot

Princess Leia is a hero of the republic. Her story has earned her reverence among the galaxy, and she is known as a person worth following. The public spotlight is the only thing she’s ever known, and she is willing to harness all of her pull to reinvigorate the New Republic. As a Populist, she supports giving more autonomy to the planets under their jurisdiction in accordance with half the senate, but they are in tight contention with the Centrists, who favor a strong central government and powerful military. The parties are on amicable terms, but their relationships are deteriorating quickly, and productivity in the Senate is at all all-time low. Lifelong politician Leia is sick of the political games and looking forward to a retirement with Han Solo, but the Senate seems to need her more every day. When a plot concerning a rising cartel is uncovered, but the senate is too busy infighting to step in, she knows she has to put the New Republic first at least one more time.

To escape the senatorial drawl, Leia personally volunteers to go on a fact-finding mission and gets the role, but the Centrists won’t let her go alone and nominate Ransolm Casterfo as accompaniment. A rising Centrist with Imperial relics decorating his office, the pair are a match made in hell. When Casterfo disturbs Leia’s unsanctioned meeting with the leader of the cartel Rinnrivin Di and turns an already dangerous situation into a death trap, the pair won’t even speak to each other. However, after a successful escape, the pair find respect for each other and become friends. This mission is important, and even if the Senate won’t support them, the pair decides they have to look further and follow the conspirators. The trail leads to the sight of a growing insurgent army and is capped off by an explosion at a Senate dinner party, causing chaos throughout the Senate. The facts so for certain that there is a terrorist mole inside the Senate, but the pair are unwilling to sacrifice their reputations for an investigation into their own parties. The mission is at a stalemate, just like the Senate.

Speaking of the Senate, the Galactic Senate is looking to elect the inaugural “First Senator,” a Senator with power over the others, responsible for making changes and ensuring progression in the Senate. The Centrists are scrambling to reach a consensus on a candidate, while the Populists instantly align behind Leia. Out of the entire Senate, Leia is probably the least happy to receive a nomination but accepts out of a sense of duty. If anyone could fix the Senate, she could, and maybe her growing relationship with Casterfo can be the bridge the two parties desperately need.

All is going well, with the pair going on secret fact-finding missions and Leia’s nomination upcoming, but there is one little hangup that could make everything fall apart if revealed. Leia has lived her entire life in public after her adoption by the Organa family, but who is her biological father? This wouldn’t matter for most people, but if your biological father is the evil sorcerer Darth Vader, it getting revealed could mean career suicide. Nobody alive knows the truth other than her brother and husband, so when Casterfo hears the truth from Lady Carise, his world is thrown upside down. The person he has come to trust is the daughter of the most ruthless tyrant and slaver in the galaxy (in his opinion), and he is outraged. Lady Carise is unwilling to incriminate herself or her source, so she can’t speak up, but Ransolm feels a responsibility to set things right. Peace in the Senate is up in the air, and this information could cause a hurricane in the delegation. Facing an obvious wealth of obstacles, Leia has to tread carefully if she wants to reach her goals. She is facing an impossible task, but maybe the Force will let her seize the moment.

Review

The characters in this book are exceptional. The dynamic between Casterfo and Leia never fails to deliver, and the side characters are quality additions. The different motives behind all of the antagonists make for an always developing and never predictable story that is a joy to watch unravel. The side characters Joph, Greer, and Korrie are all unique and add to the main characters’ story while also being nuanced, adding more characters you can root for. Ransolm and Leia have their differences and fight battles through the novel, but they both grow as people and leaders throughout the story and are role models for how we should function in our lives. The story is always moving and there was never a dull moment because Gray never revealed the full story. After I read the last page, I still had questions that had gone unanswered. The story can’t tie up completely as the sequels were incoming, but for selfish reasons, I wish Gray included what happened to some of the side characters we don’t see in other media.

Final Statement and Further Reading

Final Opinion: Great book. It handles an era we haven’t seen before in Star Wars and handles it well.

Further Reading: The Aftermath trilogy plays out before Bloodline, and is a great read.