I think it’s never not fun to read about the adventures of Princess Leia. Although most fans undoubtedly know of her time in the Rebellion and of her heroic deeds in bringing down the Empire, her time in the New Republic Senate also brings with it some grand adventures. Unfortunately I think for many, Bloodline is really a standalone novel that is more political in nature. This goes hand-in-hand with Leia’s role as a galactic senator, and I’ve been a big fan of some of the earlier published works in the Star Wars universe that also deal mainly in political subterfuge and sabotage.

Make no mistake about it. Bloodline has zero lightsaber battles nor, I believe, any Jedi knight appearances. It is set six years before the events of The Force Awakens. It goes over Princess Leia’s investigation into a criminal enterprise on Ryloth. She teams up with an unlikely companion in Ransolm Casterfo, who is in the opposite party from Leia’s own. I enjoyed the story quite a bit along with the dialogue quite a bit. I can always picture the conversations happening in my head as if they were a Star Wars movie. Star Wars novel usually has this effect on me, and I believe Claudia Gray, the author, is no stranger to writing these novels.

Historically, Bloodline is a very important novel, and I think many fans will also agree. The events in Bloodline account for when the entire galaxy discovers that Leia’s actual paternal father is none other than Darth Vader himself. Although Darth Vader has been dead for many years and many of the younger generation can only conjure him as some pastime boogeyman, it’s obvious that many of the veterans still remember his time of destruction, chaos, and fear. Bloodline also brings up a plot of a group of paramilitary members that wants to restore the times of imperial rule. Although this part in the story was a bit lacking, it does, I believe, play a much bigger role in later events. It is in Bloodline that we get to witness just a bit of that very beginning.

Bloodline is a worthy read for all Star Wars fans. I tried to do more research on Ransolm Casterfo upon my completion of the novel, but unfortunately, he doesn’t make many more appearances, leaving his fate unknown. He played a major role in this timeline, and I would have liked to see his character make future appearances, although with how things ended here, it’s also no big surprise if he didn’t.