Star Wars Book – Skywalker: Family At War – Is An Official Biography Of The Force Sensitive Family

A new book in the Star Wars universe is being released as a biography of the Skywalkers from the days of the prequels through the current era. Skywalker: A Family At War will examine the legacy of the force-sensitive family.

To be a Skywalker has meant many things in the Star Wars galaxy over the decades. First there was Luke, the wide-eyed boy who became a Jedi. Then we dug deeper into the history of Anakin, and his mother’s life as a slave on Tatooine. Then there was the way the legacy haunted Leia in the sequel trilogy. The darkness that resurfaced in Ben Solo when he became Kylo Ren.

Of course it all culminated in the final moments of the last film when Rey claimed the legacy of the Skywalkers as her own heritage. From Shmi to Rey, the Skywalkers have been entangled in the history of the Empire and the Rebellion turned Resistance.

Skywalker: Family at War Is the Official Biography of the Family

Image via Penguin Random House

A synopsis from Penguin Random House tells us the following about Skywalker: A Family At War.

“This revelatory biography explores every twist and turn of the Skywalker dynasty: the slow seduction to the dark side of Anakin; his doomed marriage to Padmé Amidala; the heroics of Luke and Leia; the fall and redemption of Han Solo and Princess Leia’s son, Ben; and the struggles of his dyad in the Force, Rey.

Leaving no stone unturned in tracing the dynasty’s trials and tribulations, this definitive biography of Star Wars’ first family explores and explains the deeper, more personal story of the Skywalkers, their characters, motivations, and, against seemingly impossible odds, their ultimate triumph.”

The cover art for the title also hearkens back to the early days of Star Wars. It features the iconic original artwork for A New Hope, with Luke and Leia juxtaposed against the looming figure of Darth Vader. Of course, this also references a time before the two characters were even officially related or knew that Vader was the legendary Anakin Skywalker.

Kristin Baver Makes The Transition From Star Wars Online Content To Publishing

Author Kristin Baver | Image via the Author’s Website

This is the first book by Kristin Baver in the Star Wars universe, but the writer is no stranger to the galaxy. She is the associate editor of StarWars.com and the host of The Star Wars Show Book Club. Baver is also an accomplished journalist and news writer for the official Star Wars site. It should be interesting to see how the idea of a fictional biography will play out on the page.

“I’m so thrilled to be able to tell the story of the Skywalkers through the lens of a biographer,” says Baver. “From the outset, I knew I wanted to treat the family as if they were real people, with compassion and empathy. While simultaneously crafting an unflinching portrait of their accomplishments and their failures. These characters are larger than life, yet so fragile and unmistakably human. And that comes into focus when you study how their actions impact the greater galaxy and their family.”

Skywalker: A Family At War will be out on April 6, 2021 and is available for pre-order now. For all things Star Wars, be sure to follow Comic Years on Facebook and Twitter today.

Emily O'Donnell is a writer and photographer with roots in some of the earliest online fandoms. She cut her genre teeth on the Wizard of Oz books at the tender age of 6 years old, and was reading epic adult fantasy novels by the age of 10. Decades later, she still consumes genre fiction like there is no tomorrow. She is delighted to be living through the golden age of sci-fi and fantasy popularity. She is unashamed of the amount of fanfiction that still lingers online under her name.