Review: Churo the Hutt steals the show in Beware the Nameless

Star Wars: The High Republic: Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova is a middle-grade novel that does not pull any punches. The story more than lives up to its title, as the terrifying Nameless are a central part of the story and are just as frightening as they are in The High Republic adult and young adult novels.

Beware the Nameless picks up after the events of the previous middle-grade novel, Escape from Valo, and features some of the same characters, including Ram Jomaram, Kildo, and Tep Tep. While Ram is still an important character, he takes a backseat for much of the story, allowing Kildo and Tep Tep to have more development, along with a new Jedi youngling, Jamil Sollis, a senator's daughter, Zenny Greylark, and the novel's true standout character, Churo the Hutt.

I never thought I needed a nerdy, insecure Hutt who feels more at home secluded in a greenhouse than he does in the criminal underworld, but now I can't imagine Star Wars without him. Churo is a truly delightful character, and while his archetype may be familiar, I've never seen this archetype matched up with a Hutt before. Churo's point-of-view chapters were consistently my favorites, and I found his arc to be the most satisfying.

I did not find the other new characters to be as compelling. Although, I did feel Jamis had the second most satisfying arc and enjoyed getting to know the descendants of the Phase II character Axel Greylark. Even though The High Republic is overflowing with important characters, I still hope we see more of Beware the Nameless' new characters again, especially Churo, whose story feels like it is just beginning.

As for the Nameless themselves, I found this to be among their most chilling depictions in The High Republic so far. This is partly due to seeing them from both the perspectives of Force-sensitive characters and characters who aren't Force-sensitive, the latter of whom can see the creatures for what they really are. There are several brutal deaths at the hands of the Nameless, with neither heroes nor villains being spared simply because it's a middle-grade novel.

What happens in regards to the Nameless feels like a consequential development and an integral piece to setting up The High Republic's endgame. It is refreshing to have young characters be pivotal to the overarching narrative and to undertake missions that genuinely matter in the larger conflict against the Nihil.

While Escape from Valo is still my favorite of The High Republic's middle-grade novels so far, Beware the Nameless is my second favorite. It is a fast-paced, engaging read starring one of Star Wars' best new characters, showcasing the Nameless in all their horror, and with an ending that will influence many of The High Republic's upcoming stories.