Del Rey recently made several changes to its 2020 release schedule. Here’s a quick guide to which Star Wars books you can still expect through December.
There’s a lot of change happening in the world right now. It’s hard enough to keep up with the always-in-motion news cycle, let alone which of your highly anticipated Amazon pre-orders are still scheduled to show up when you expect them to.
Thankfully, we all have Star Wars to escape to when we need a few minutes — or hours — to breathe. Whether it’s a classic movie, an animated TV show, or a book, there’s always a variety of stories in this universe to lean on.
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Even better? There are always new stories being told. Books especially have been releasing in almost overwhelming numbers over the past few years. It’s easy not to judge a fellow Star Wars fan for not being caught up on all the canon books, since there are already over 40 and counting.
Unfortunately, the original release dates of some of the books set to come out in 2020 have changed. But don’t worry: That doesn’t mean you have nothing to look forward to. Here’s what we currently know.
Alphabet Squadron and Poe Dameron are still on track
Though a lot is changing in the publishing landscape across the board right now, some Star Wars books were mostly completed before things started getting delayed, and their original release dates aren’t expected to change.
Alexander Freed’s Shadow Fall, the sequel to Alphabet Squadron, still releases June 23 as originally planned. This book will continue the story of the New Republic’s Alphabet Squadron, a mismatched group of pilots who must come together to defeat the struggling remains of the Empire once and for all.
Likewise, Alex Segura’s Poe Dameron: Free Fall, a young adult novel about Poe’s dangerous escapades with the Kijimi Spice Runners, is still set to release on August 4. Both of these books are still available for pre-order.
Thrawn Ascendency: Chaos Rising: September 1
You’ve heard the story of how Thrawn rose through Imperial ranks to command the Empire’s navy. But there’s a lot you still don’t know about the former Chiss warrior. The Thrawn: Ascendancy trilogy will chronicle Thrawn’s life before joining the Empire, and the first book does still come out this year.
The first book in Timothy Zahn’s second canon Thrawn trilogy has had a rough time of it since its original announcement. It was first supposed to release this month. It was then postponed to October. Now, its confirmed final launch date has been set.
Everyone’s favorite Grand Admiral will officially return on September 1.
You can pre-order your copy wherever books are sold, including the audiobook version narrated by long-time Star Wars narrator Marc Thompson.
The High Republic’s new release schedule: January 2021
For over a year, we knew The High Republic initiative only as Project Luminous. We knew it was going to be a multimedia crossover project. We knew who would be involved. We didn’t learn the time period or overarching story elements until February 2020.
The first book in the long-anticipated Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative was supposed to hit shelves in August. But due to various publishing delays, the story that will launch this new era of stories won’t arrive in 2020 after all.
Instead, Charles Soule’s Light of the Jedi and Justina Ireland’s A Test of Courage will both release on January 5, 2021.
If you think about it, the wait isn’t too unbearable. Just look at all the other Star Wars stories we’ve already gotten this year — and what else is still to come. There’s plenty still to read. And that doesn’t include your TBR Star Wars stack. You know you have one.
Other 2020 Star Wars books you might be interested in
The Star Wars expanded universe extends beyond TV shows and novels — and there’s plenty of it still in final stages of development.
Whether you’re a comic book enthusiast looking for an audio drama adaption of one of Star Wars’ most beloved comic characters or a parent with younglings who love The Clone Wars, there’s a variety of Star Wars stories outside the previously mentioned novel releases also set to release this year, including:
- William Shakespeare’s The Merry Rise of Skywalker — June 28
- Doctor Aphra: An Audiobook Original — July 21
- Star Wars: Dark Legends, a collection of spooky stories — July 28
- The Clone Wars Anthology: Stories of Light and Dark — August 25
If none of that catches your eye, there’s often a handful of Star Wars reference books on the release schedule for anyone hungry for extra lore from their favorite galaxy far, far away.
That’s the great thing about Star Wars publishing. There is, quite literally, always something available for every kind of reader. And there’s likely so much more to come in 2021 and beyond.
Which Star Wars book are you most excited for in the last half of 2020?