The Road to Episode Infinity: Bloodline Book Review

“Bloodline” by Claudia Gray

In “Bloodline” Claudia Gray paints the perfect picture of our political reality in the United States through the lens of the Star Wars Galaxy. In place of the Republican and Democratic parties we have the Centrists and the Populists parties butting heads in the Galactic Senate. Leia and other senators have become frustrated in the inability for the government to actually accomplish anything due to complete gridlock.

“Bloodline” is Claudia Grey’s second Star Wars novel after “Lost Stars”. The book takes place 24 years after the Battle of Endor, about 6 years before “The Force Awakens”. The book focuses almost exclusively on Leia and her efforts to save the New Republic from political collapse. Political drama can be tricky in Star Wars, and I would argue that the Prequels were cursed with it. However, Claudia Grey succeeds at marrying Star Wars to politics in a fashion that is both thrilling and scarily authentic.

Leia’s relationship to her father, Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader is a very important plot piece in this book. The novel sheds light onto who knows this information and when. More importantly Leia’s emotions about her parentage is dealt with. Remember that this is a woman who was tortured by Vader at 19-years old- who saw Vader incinerate her home planet and her foster parents- who watched Vader freeze Han in carbonite and cut off Luke’s hand. It is clear that Leia does not share her brother’s rose-tinted view of Anakin Skywalker.

This book also sets up the very beginnings of the war between The First Order and The Resistance. Leia, of course, plays a big role in the formation of The Resistance.

Absent from this novel is Ben Solo and Luke Skywalker. Though they are mentioned several times, Disney is going to keep silent, for now, about that particular piece of mythology.

Between this book and “Lost Stars”, Claudia Gray is batting 1000 (or is it 100? I don’t really get Baseball references). Gray’s third book “Leia: Princess of Alderaan” comes out this September. Unlike “Bloodline”, it features a young Leia and is for young readers.