21 Star Wars Books You Should Read

Crop of the cover of Bloodline, by Claudia Gray. Image via publisher Del Rey

3. Bloodline

Claudia Gray gets her second entry on this list with her second work in Star Wars. Ever wonder how the Resistance came about and how Leia was involved?

This would be the book to read about both of those things.

The New Republic does not work very well. Two sides war for control of the government: the Populists, who urge more planetary independence, and Centrists, who instead prefer more centralized government. Though Leia wants to step down as a Senator, she volunteers nevertheless to investigate a crime syndicate reportedly disrupting trade.

She ends up discovering far more than she bargained for.

This book also shows a bit of Leia dealing with the fact that she’s Darth Vader’s daughter, and what impact that may have on her political life.

Very much a thriller, and a well-written one at that, Bloodline does very well in bridging the gap between the original trilogy and the sequel. Goodreads reviews praise the politicking as well as Leia’s voice.

It works best as a standalone. However, it could be paired with Lost Stars for a double dose of Claudia Gray and the new canon work. Otherwise, pair it with a read or watch of The Force Awakens.