Review: The Mask of Fear

Title: The Mask of Fear
Author: Alexander Freed
Series: Star Wars: Reign of the Empire (Book 1)
Release Date: February 25, 2025
About this Book: Here
Source: My shelf
Would I buy it as a gift for someone? Abso-freaking-lutely. In fact I already have.

My Thoughts:

You might want to smack Bail Organa after reading parts of this book. It’s honestly amazing the rebellion got off the ground at all, if he was involved in it in the state that he’s in in this book. The dude is straight up a Jedi fanboy, which I feel, but this is not the level-headed Bail Organa you see in Revenge of the Sith, nor is it the one you see in Star Wars: Rebels or even the one that you get a glimpse of in Kenobi. This is Bail Organa cranked up to eleven, uncaring about anything except how to take down the ever-so-powerful Palpatine, somehow even if it gets him and everyone around him in deep Kark.

He has his reasons, but force, Organa, get yourself in order, or you can’t help anyone. He is grieving deeply the loss of the Jedi he has admired since he was a child, as well as the loss of Padme and the Republic he and Breha have worked so hard for. But there are moments where, despite my Star Wars knowledge, I was concerned enough to forget that Leia does not suffer for his ideals in any fatal way.

It’s worth noting, and I shouldn’t have to say more, that Saw Gerrara is in this book, which should explain a lot.

Enough said about Saw, though a friend did comment he wasn’t quite off enough. This is not quite Andor/Rogue One levels of a complete lack of conscience and need to get things done his way, but you can see where that thread leads.

If you have watched Andor, I consider this book to be the beginning of the Mon Mothma we meet there. One who has been humiliated and dragged through truly horrific circumstances, which were not seen on screen but are explained in the pages of this book. She knows she is not safe because it has been proven to her, yet she still stands, still tries, and still believes in what is right for the former Republic, now the Empire. Some may have found her weak in this book, but I could see her strength, even when the cowardice and threats to her ideals and family would have her run for the nearest spaceport off Coruscant.

This book, in all honesty, will be boring to some who may not have liked the more political aspects of Andor, or who might find the talk of Empirical-style politics, back-room dealing, and the potential for spying as a valid political strategy a bit too much in this day and age. This book, despite taking place a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, is poignant and, at times, painful to read.