Good Morning Youtinians. 70% of voters in last week’s poll are excited for a potential season 2 for The Acolyte. While we have not heard the news of a renewal yet, the story of The Acolyte is being continued in other material, as announced this week.

— JG Carse, Emmi Conner, and Doc B

Star Wars Publishing: New Releases from SDCC

Why it matters: The High Republic era is ending, but these new announcements signal a bright future for Star Wars publishing.

Star Wars: Battle of Jakku Comics:

• New mainline comics will start in October and focus on the Battle of Jakku, post-Return of the Jedi.

• Kicking off with Star Wars: Battle of Jakku — Insurgency Rising.

• Creators: Alex Segura (writer), Leonard Kirk, Stefano Raffaele, and Jethro Morales (artists).

• Four issues with stunning covers by Phil Noto.

Three New Art Books:

• The Art of Star Wars: The High Republic Vol 2 by Kristin Baver.

• The Art of The Acolyte showcases designs from the show.

• The Art of Star Wars Outlaws features designs from the upcoming video game.

The Acolyte Tie-In Novels:

• The Acolyte: Wayseeker, by Justina Ireland, focuses on Vernestra Rwoh and takes place 20 years before The Acolyte.

• An untitled young adult novel by Tessa Gratton will focus on Jecki and Yord, set a few years before the show.

Bottom line: SDCC delivered thrilling news for Star Wars fans, and we’re super excited to get our hands on all these new books and comics! If you’d like to join the Star Wars literature conversation, drop by the Youtini Discord to meet and discuss with like-minded fans! We hope to see you there!

Star Wars Bestiary: Exploring the Beasts Within

Let’s address the Rancor in the room with a new Star Wars reference book that provides an in-depth analysis of the unique, amazing, and completely awesome creatures from the Star Wars universe.

The first of two volumes, Star Wars Bestiary Vol.1: Non-sentient Species, is a 208-page hardback published by Insight Editions. The book explores beasts from many of our favorite planets: Hoth, Tatooine, Peridea, Ahch-To, Endor, Dathomir, and more. We will discover information about their genus and species, behaviors, lives, and how they exist within their habitat. And just in case you missed them or are reading about them for the first time, the book is full of amazingly detailed illustrations to blow your mind.

What is super awesome is that the beasts come from all Star Wars media — i.e., movies, books, comics, and novels — with original and insightful text. So, you will become an expert in rancors, charhounds, wampas, tauntauns, porgs, mynocks, loth-cats, tooka cats, banthas, acklays, convors, purrgils, and even Kowakian monkey-lizards!

The author, S.T. Bende, a Scandinavian writer, has delved into the Star Wars universe with children’s books and has multiple titles published by Disney. Her inspiration derives from her love of Norwegian mythology and legend. Bende has teamed up with illustrator Iris Compiet, who has previously produced bestiary books from The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. 

This is just the first volume, and of course, Youtini will continue to keep you updated on the progress of additional volumes and all other books for the fandom. Remember to check out our Youtini Release Schedule for all the latest news!

New Star Wars Book Trilogy: Reign of the Empire

Overview: Star Wars fans, prepare for an in-depth exploration of the Rebellion's origins with the new trilogy, Reign of the Empire. This series spans nearly two decades between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.

Why it matters: This trilogy aims to capture the same intent, specificity, and sense of place and people that Andor did while telling compelling stories set during the rise of the Galactic Empire.

The Trilogy:

• Book 1: The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed

• Book 2: Will be written by Rebecca Roanhorse

• Book 3: Will be written by Fran Wilde

Release Timeline:

• Starting February 2025 with The Mask of Fear

• Each subsequent book will jump forward in the timeline, covering different portions of the 20-year gap.

Book One: The Mask of Fear: A line in Nemik's Manifesto in the Andor TV series, "Oppression is the mask of fear," captures the series' tone. The book will focus on the first year of the Empire's rule. It will feature Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and Bail Organa, alongside new and original characters that will be featured across the series.

Author Insights:

• Alexander Freed: Known for his work on Alphabet Squadron, Freed brings a rich political thriller, spy drama, and historical epic to life.

• Rebecca Roanhorse: Author of Resistance Reborn, her book will further explore key turning points in the growing Rebellion.

• Fran Wilde: After writing for From a Certain Point of View anthologies, she will make her full Star Wars novel debut.

Get Ready With These Recommended Reads:

• Alexander Freed's Mon Mothma story, "Contingency Plan," in 2017's  From a Certain Point of View.

• Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse

• Fran Wilde's Mon Mothma story, "No Contingency, in From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi.

Bottom Line: Reign of the Empire promises to deliver an epic, nuanced exploration of the Rebellion's roots. Stay tuned for more details!

🛰️ In the Youtiniverse

• Trevor, our keeper of the timeline, had the opportunity to read Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Empire early and review it. Check out his review before reading the book yourself. 

• Eric dove into the differences between Canon and Legends in our most recent YouTube Video. Learn what differentiates them and why Legends is still so important today. 

• Don’t miss the final episode of The Youtini Baseball Show podcast. The gentlemen discuss current baseball events and what they’ll be tracking for the rest of the season. In the second half, they discuss all things Star Wars — you don’t want to miss it.

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