| Title | : | Tempest Runner (Star Wars: The High Republic) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780593455869 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Audiobook |
| Number of Pages | : | 562 |
| Publication | : | First published August 31, 2021 |
Tempest Runner (Star Wars: The High Republic) Reviews
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The plot is just the girlbossification of Lourna Dee who starts out a girlboss, has some backstory, learns nothing and ends up a girlboss. and i ate it up. completely. -
This is an audio drama that is part of The High Republic series. In this one, the Republic captures Lourna Dee without realizing who she actually is. We get to see her time in prison and thru many flashbacks we get to see her journey into becoming a valued member of the Nihil.
This is the third audio drama produced by Disney for this universe and for me the least enjoyable. There are several reasons that I did not like it compared to the other two audio dramas. I will be honest in saying that I haven't been the biggest fan of the overall series and maybe some of that carried over to this book. I will say once again the production is amazing. We have various actors along with music and sound effects. With the top quality production I didn't even mind listening to it even though it wasn't my favorite story. The first reason I did not like it was the actress who portrayed the main character. I thought her performance was a little over the top. Maybe it was how the story was written. At times I could visualize the main character twirling a fake moustache as to say "Here I am. I am the villain of this piece." My second problem was the switching back and forth between the flashbacks and the present. Without any reference that a scene switched and both settings being similar I did get lost at times to where we were currently. I did enjoy the finale with all the action and Lourna Dee's conclusion to this small arc.
This audio drama did provide some enjoyment but not enough for me to say I liked it. There were things that I did find interesting like Lourna's background. Maybe I was expecting more because of the other two audio dramas. Even though I am not the biggest supporter of this particular story I love these audio dramas. The production is terrific and I would listen to any audio drama in this universe including if one was based on Jar Jar Binks. Actually that might be where I would draw a line in the sand. Any audio drama based on anyone else would get a listen from me. -
Audio dramas, Star Wars: Tempest Runner, have always been a challenge for me to enjoy because I have auditory processing issues that make it difficult to fully enjoy listening to a cast of characters that I cannot see. I enjoyed past audio dramas like Dooku: Jedi Lost and Doctor Aphra, but both of those I waited to listen to after the script was available for read-along with. My unwavering love for The High Republic compelled me to dive head-first into Star Wars: Tempest Runner without a script in hand and I am so glad I did.
READ MORE:
https://yourmoneygeek.com/review-star...
Cavan Scott is a masterful writer of the written word, but perhaps even more talented at crafting words that transcend beyond the page when they are brought to life by a cast of talented vocal artists. In concert with an incredible audio mixing, orchestration, and editing, Star Wars: Tempest Runner is nothing short of a masterpiece. -
That was probably my favourite audio drama and backstory, and some of the best content from The High Republic so far. Holy shit I cannot believe how good it was.
I have a new appreciation for Lourna Dee, she's probably the most badass villain in Star Wars, and pretty sure she could take Marchion Ro himself if she wanted to.
*spoilers*
This story both advanced the overall plot of the initiative while going back and explaining not only where she came from but also her beginnings inside the Nihil. And to top it all off, her return to them, in her own terms, and more powerful and badass than ever. WOW. -
Cavan Scott’s “Tempest Runner” is the first High Republic novel that I didn’t find pathetically mediocre, which says a lot, considering it isn’t even a novel.
“Tempest Runner” is actually a script for an audio play, one that is intended to have music, sound effects, and (I assume) different actors playing the different roles. Like most plays, audio or otherwise, much of the action and the plot comes from dialogue, and this is very dialogue-heavy. In a novel, this may not work as well, but as a script, it works very well and helps to build momentum for the story. Indeed, the story is very fast-paced, and the format fits the story.
There are several things that Scott does in this script that are improvements over the last several novels. Narratively, Scott’s story lacks the trademark Star Wars linear story-telling format. Nothing necessarily wrong with that style, but Scott’s nonlinear, non-chronological approach gives the reader more of a challenge, in a good way. Time jumps, in my opinion, are always better for a story because it makes the reader pay more attention.
It is also somewhat of a more mature approach to storytelling. Star Wars has always harkened to a more old-fashioned, traditional linear form of storytelling, much like the classic Saturday afternoon serials that were the inspiration for George Lucas when he created Star Wars in the late-70s. That style also has a certain appeal, one that modern audiences (especially adults who have, like me, grown up with Star Wars) may find childish. (And please don’t take that the wrong way. I don’t mean that in a negative sense. “Childish”, in this sense, is simply meant to imply that it is targeted to children, which, in a sense, Star Wars always has been.)
Another improvement is that, unlike the previous novels (and, by the way, “Tempest Runner” is chronologically set between the events of “The Rising Storm” and “The Fallen Star”), the focus is on one character rather than an ensemble of characters. This allows Scott to develop at least one character more fully. It’s a shame that Scott devotes the story to one of the villains, but, for the first time at least, we are given more backstory and humanization of a character than we have seen in any of the previous books.
The story follows Lorna Dee, one of the three Tempest Runners of the Nihil. Within the hierarchy of the Nihil, she is the highest-ranking officer just under the leader, Marchion Ro, whose title is “The Eye”. (Ranks and titles are all storm-related.)
The Jedi are on the hunt for her because they mistakenly believe that she is the Eye. It is unfortunate for her but very fortunate for Ro, who schemes quietly in relative safety.
Also on the hunt for her is another former Tempest Runner, Pan Eyta, who was betrayed by Dee and thought dead. He is, unfortunately, not dead. He is very angry and bent on revenge.
Eventually captured by the Jedi, Dee still manages to keep her real identity a secret, but her situation makes her realize that even she doesn’t know who she is. We get glimpses at the various events in her life that have shaped her into the killer that she is, but can she be redeemed? Does she even want to be redeemed?
Amidst an exciting manhunt, prison escape, and showdown, (and, yes, “Tempest Runner” is exactly what it sounds like: a space western) Scott’s story is also an insightful examination of the birth and evolution of a terrorist. -
Ruthless Nihil space pirate Lourna Dee shouts, grunts and snarls her way through her own backstory and a whole series of post capture misadventures in Republic custody. Major Orange is the New Black vibes, but not in a bad way.
As is often the case with these audiodramas I personally suffer from two problems that detract from my enjoyment.
1. Differentiating between the voices of characters, particularly if they had similar accents.
and,
2. visualizing the various non-human characters without an assist from Wookieepedia to look up examples, and even then (for me) it's hit and miss.
This is what a Bivall looks like, in case you were wondering.
That said, Scott really outdid himself with the plotting and the characterization this time around, likely since he knows and loves the character and setting so well as one of the creative founders of the entire High Republic publishing initiative. Lourna's journey is a compelling one, and the listener is kept guessing just which way she's going to turn up until the very end which is just how a back-stabby Nihil story should be.
I'm not sure if there will be other entries in her saga or if this was a one-off, but in any case I feel it has certainly enriched my perspective on the Galaxy far, far away even longer ago. -
The first audio drama of “The High Republic” era, “Tempest Runner” is an effective – if not wholly essential – addition to the “Star Wars” canon. Author Cavan Scott effectively builds upon the events of “The Rising Storm,” crafting a story around one of the series’ central antagonists in a way that serves to simultaneously round out her characterization and also sets the stage for future adventures that are sure to come. There’s not much in “Tempest Runner” that one would likely define as being “must-read” – in the grand scheme of the “High Republic” storyline, this is one that can likely be skipped without fear of missing anything vitally important – but as a standalone “Star Wars” adventure, it’s fun enough.
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Fun, but not the best of the Star Wars audio dramas. It just can’t compete with Doctor Aphra
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From the very beginning the High Republic has given birth to a Pantheon of characters. It is a well planned property that has an extremely large cast. It is also very much in it's infancy, so it's to be expected that the great influx of characters might make it hard to truly connect to them all. Each new release under the HR banner however brings more of the outer puzzle pieces into focus and creates a place for readers to connect deeply with characters.
The stunning image of Lourna Dee has stuck with me from the initial art release. A member of the Nihil she radiates power an independence. In Tempest Runner we learn what forged her into the woman she is and through her capture we see her willing chose the woman she will become.
For Tempest Runner to succeed with a reader they have to be open to the audio drama format. it's something that has been growing in new canon Star Wars with three already in existence including this one.
I mention this because if someone is not comfortable with the audio format, it will really make it hard to enjoy the craft of this story. I find that doing an activity while listening to audio dramas helps me focus more on the storytelling and the effects being used. Something like the sound of a door closing, strong winds, the clink of a glass or the ignition of a lightsaber makes the storytelling so much more immersive.
Tempest Runner is a story set in the second wave of the High Republic books. If you have already read or have knowledge of Cavan's book The Rising Storm you know enough to join this adventure.
The story opens with the Jedi planning a "response" to the Nihil's actions on Valo. This is tricky place for the Jedi to occupy. It requires them to not act from a space of revenge while the Nihil are willing to go down fighting no matter the cost. In one of these skirmishes the Jedi think they have killed the leader of the Nihil Lourna Dee while in fact Lourna is on one of the Republic prison ships under a different name.
So many different voices are involved in telling Lourna's story. It's not meant to be dismissive of her but to emphasize the life of a woman influenced by others expectations of her. Lourna adapts to each persona her situation demands while bringing to each a burning anger and fierce intellect. She is never perfect in any role, be it Daughter , Subordinate, Friend, or Tempest.
But while a prisoner Lourna has time and choice to reflect on the past and more importantly make a choice for her future. Star Wars as a whole has often dabbled in good and evil, but this story really resonated with me on how there is really no choice for some. Lourna isn't powerless, and she has very definite opportunities to change and make choices and as a reader you learn enough about her past and witness how the pressure of living up to the various roles others want for her bring her to a breaking point. Her ultimate choice is powerful and the galaxy will possibly burn because of it.
I really was immersed in this story. I screamed a few times no Lourna no!, a few times but also truly understood her choices. Cavan really succeeded in showing Lourna as a complex character and treated her with a level of care I really appreciated. So much of her dialogue and frustration really resonated with me and mirrored the situations women in this galaxy face as well. More importantly I now know Lourna in a way that will make her future appearances in the HR a deeper experience to me -
LIVE, LAUGH, LOURNA DEE !!!
3.5 rounded up to 4. i really liked the story and the beginning battle was so much fun to listen to as an audio production. HOWEVER all the flashbacks and time jumps were kinda hard to follow through the audio format. i’m planning on revisiting this in script form, so that may change my thoughts. -
fun and interesting! love the insight it gave into lourna as a character and it painted her in a much more sympathetic light. still it didn’t draw me in as much as the other high republic books.
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This story really suffers in two areas: format and characterization of its lead.
1. This did not work as an audio drama. It either needed to be presented in a different way or written and/or edited by someone who better knows how to utilize this format. Many of the character voices sounded the same, making it difficult to distinguish who was speaking. It also moves around in time *a lot*, almost always with very little warning. And considering the lead character, Lourna, is the same no matter where we are in time, it's very difficult to tell when these jumps happen, making it hard to follow the story much of the time.
2. Oh boy, Lourna's character. I prefer to write my reviews without spoilers, so I'll just say it's WILDLY inconsistent between how we've seen her before and how she starts out here, and how she both grows and backslides massively in turn through the story. -
Rating of 4.5.
The epic High Republic era of Star Wars fiction continues in Tempest Runner, the brilliant and captivating full-cast audio drama written by impressive author Cavan Scott.
Ever since its beginnings in early 2021, I have been having a lot of fun with the cool new focus of the Star Wars extended universe known as The High Republic. Set hundreds of years before the Skywalker Saga, The High Republic has featured several impressive novels, comics and other media releases that tell a grim story of destruction and strife in the golden age of the Republic and the Jedi. One of more interesting pieces of this fiction from late 2021 was this fantastic full-cast audio drama, Tempest Runner, which focused on one of this era’s best villains, the Nihil Tempest Runner, Lourna Dee. This awesome audio drama was authored by the exceedingly talented Cavan Scott, who not only wrote my favourite High Republic book so far, The Rising Storm, but also a great previous Star Wars audio drama, Dooku: Jedi Lost.
Tempest Runner ended up being an entertaining and captivating piece of Star Wars fiction. Featuring another excellent story from Scott that not only dives into the past of great character Lourna Dee but continues the story set up in several of the past High Republic novels. Perfectly told using a full cast of narrators, this was an outstanding audio drama that I had a wonderful time listening to.
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2022/01/12/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/ -
Lourna Dee...her name is whispered amongst the Nihil ranks with both awe and fear. She seemed to come from seemingly nowhere, terrorizing the galaxy alongside her fellow Tempest Runners...but every villain has an origin.
Tempest Runner takes place in the immediate aftermath of Rising Storm and the chaos left in the wake of the Republic Fair on Valo. Cornered and out of options, Tempest Runner Lourna Dee finds herself in the Republic's clutches and, desperate to escape and make her way back to the power and chaos she thrives upon, finds herself perilously close to making friends while reckoning with the ghosts of her past.
This was my first Star Wars audiodrama and boy did it deliver. The cast, sounds, and story all weaved seamlessly together to create yet another unique edition to the already strong High Republic releases set before them. Cavan Scott is a continued master of words, weaving love and hate, violence and quiet, hope and despair all seamlessly together to get into and under the skin of this era's most notorious antagonists. My only 'gripe' is that it took me a few chapters to be able to fully tell some characters apart, but by the end, it wasn't as much of an issue.
This is a must-listen for any High Republic fan and my sincerest hope is that they will do something like this again down the road...this era of Star Wars storytelling thrives on the variety of mediums given to it and Tempest Runner is only the latest in what is sure to be continuation of Wave 2 pushing the bounds of what we know and love about the galaxy far, far, away.
*Special thank you to Del Rey, Lucasfilm and Disney for an advance copy of this book for review purposes* -
This one was a tiny bit hard to follow in timeline, but otherwise it was super interesting to get the villain backstory!
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THIS WAS SO GOOD especially the last couple hundred pages, learning more about lourna and really getting to see how far she will go made such a good story.
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It's my second time listening to the audio drama, but my first review.
The reason i didn't do a review the first time around was because I felt like i missed too many things.
The production is great and all, but I need to SEE something. Doesn't matter if it's frames on a TV screen or words in a book, but if I only hear something, it goes in one ear and straight out the other.
The script helped me focus and prevented me from zoning out every few minutes.
The story itself, I very much enjoyed.
Lournas a badass and i really came to appreciate her here.
I hope we get more of her in the future.
It was interesting seeing her at all these different stages in her life, trying to survive & how it ultimately corrupted her.
We got more insight into the Nihil as we saw Lourna rising through their ranks, which I appreciated. Even though they are the main antagonist of the Jedi in the High Republic and the reader already knows more about them than the Jedi, we still know relatively little about them.
Mild spoiler:
I liked the conclusion Lourna came to in the end: that she doesn't need men to tell her who she is supposed to be & starts being herself. Even though that realization probably cost many people their lives... Well, nobody's perfect I guess.
Cavan did a really good job at making you sympathize with her without humanizing her too much.
I don't want to spoil too much for anyone who doesn't know the story yet, but at one point in the middle of the story or so you think that Lourna's character development goes a certain way, but in the end, it doesn't.
Her development was brilliantly written and never seemed forced.
The other characters are also pretty well written.
There are some characters you just love to hate and that make you side with Lourna, some you hate to love and some you just love.
It was a pretty good mix in my opinion.
Some known characters, like Avar or Keeve also make an appearance, which made me very happy.
One thing that bothered me though was that there are two storylines: a flashback storyline, telling the story of how Lourna became Tempest Runner and a second one in "present" time.
I don't like flashbacks. I just don't like them. And when a whole storyline is build on flashbacks, well...
It did work out great in the end (like in Cavan's other audio drama), it's just not my preferred way of experiencing a story...
I'm always a little wary of men writing stories about strong women, as it can easily go wrong, but I shouldn't have worried. Cavan Scott did a phenomenal job writing her and a couldn't have wished for a better author. I really hope he gets to write more Lourna in the future. -
Cavan Scott has done it again! I enjoyed Dooku: Jedi Lost and absolutely loved The Rising Storm. Cavan Scott's skill at plotting is truly unprecedented in the canon. He does an excellent job at setting things up and paying them off!
This story follows Lourna Dee, Tempest Runner of the Nihil. The main plot is about her capture by the Republic and about her attempts at escape. However, roughly half of the book is composed of flashbacks which show her backstory. These flashbacks actually pair really nicely with the present storyline, as Lourna goes through similar trauma and life changes.
The best part about this book is the feeling it gives. Yes, this has an aura of the canon books where we are just following a character's life, but it has the amazing plotting and connectivity that the best of the EU books had. Cavan Scott is one of those authors who gives you the best of both worlds.
I read this in script format and it was highly enjoyable. It is impressive how Cavan Scott doesn't even have descriptions of the characters, and yet I can perfectly imagine what they look and sound like in my head. His way with dialogue is fantastic! The only complain I have is that there is a reveal in the book that occurs too early in the script that should have remained a surprise for the end of act one. I am sure that it works perfectly in the audio drama, but because of how the script was layed out it's spoiled early on. Other than that, I have no complaints.
I really appreciated how complex Lourna Dee is. You can tell she is a bad person, but you understand why she is bad. She's gone through quite a lot in her life. But there are moments where she questions her morals.
I highly enjoyed some of the supporting cast, including Wittick, Asgar Ro, and Andrik. I can't say why for spoiler reasons, but they all had excellent moments and scenes.
Overall, I loved this book. It is certainly one of my favorite High Republic stories, up there with "Light of the Jedi" and "The Rising Storm"! 9.5 out of 10! Wonderful job Cavan Scott!
By the way, I know why Del Rey releases this the way they do, but I would appreciate it if they would release the script simultaneously with the drama. It would allow those of us visual readers to get the story in the order properly. -
3.5 Stars.
Took a while for me to get into this one. Originally written as an audiobook-only, with full voice cast, this novelization is written as script, just as if you were reading for a play. Once I set my mind to it, I finished it fairly quickly.
This book is all about the saga of Lourna Dee, former Tempest Runner for the Nihil, thought dead after the recent attack on her ship from the Jedi. We see her at various stages of life, including growing up, joining the Nihil, and ultimately escaping from the Republic correctional ship which she has been taken into custody. Tons of flashbacks help flesh out her background, and she seems to take a ship and her loyal crew out into space, leaving the Nihil behind, but I'm sure that won't be the last we see of her.
With the first era of the High Republic over, and the second going back into the past before this, I wonder when we will next see Lourna and her new crew.
Recommend, though with the foreknowledge that the book is written like a script. -
This was a good audio drama set in the world of the High Republic. The cast did a great job of bringing the characters to life. It was interesting to see the great Lourna Dee be placed into a situation where she was a captive, and I enjoyed learning more about her past and what makes her tick. She had a very hard life, and her motivations were more complex than I initially thought based on her actions in previous books. As always, she was devious, dangerous, and incredibly strong-willed, but there were also glimpses of a lighter side of her that seemed to long for connection with others. The glimpses into the history of the Nihil were interesting, and I enjoyed getting a little more insight into the other tempest runners, as well. If you have enjoyed the other media related to the High Republic, you will likely enjoy this story too, and at just a little over six hours, it was an easy listen that didn't take up a ton of time.
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C'est un coup de coeur !
Non seulement le format trop rare dans nos contrées gauloises malheureusement mais aussi pour l'intrigue et les personnages mis en scène.
Cavan Scott confirme son titre de mon auteur Starwars préféré, il parvient à donner du souffle et de la profondeur non seulement à Lourna Dee, mais aussi à une super galerie de personnages secondaires, essentiellement féminins en plus. Lourna est rude, violente, l'archétype du méchant qui fait sans cesse les mauvais choix en dépit des mains tendues mais qu'on se surprend à aimer et espérer qu'elle s'en sorte. C'est le portrait d'une femme complexe, tout en nuances, charismatique, leader mais surtout une survivante opportuniste.
Une excellente écoute, en espérant qu'on en reverra d'autres dans le futur, que ce soit dans Star Wars ou autre, car ce format est juste TROP génial et immersif.
Jetez-vous dessus si c'est pas encore déjà fait ! -
I can't quite put my finger on what makes the High Republic content so good but damn this was another solid read/listen! As expected just like with all Star Wars audiobooks, the production quality and voice cast is top notch. This takes place after the YA book Out of the Shadows and I highly recommend reading the series in publication order of both the adult and YA books ( this would be considered one of the adult novels in audio format. For being such a short audiobook (6 hours) I was pretty Impressed by how much character growth and depth there was for Lorna Dee, who's the focus from beginning to end and man was it good. It added a ton of layers to one of the many Antagonists in the High Republic even to the point of a rebirth for the character. I expected to like it but just wow, good stuff! Can't wait to read more High Republic content again, I forgot how much I like it.
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I’m not usually an audiobook person, but I have to say that this one kept me intrigued the entire way through! I’m not sure how Cavan Scott keeps making me care about characters that I’m just not drawn to, but he does, and does it well. Who knew I’d feel sympathy for one of the biggest bads in the High Republic, Lourna Dee? Getting her backstory alone was worth it, but the present day story involving both the Nihil and the Jedi was amazingly interesting and came alive in the audio. My only complaint would be that sometimes I got confused with the time jumps, and sometimes it felt like they came too quickly, but that’s a very minor thing in the grand scheme of things. Overall, I seriously enjoyed this story and can’t wait to give it another listen, especially with a script book in hand!
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A wonderfully well made audio drama, great voice acting, music and sound effects all edited together perfectly. The story, though decent enough, is perhaps not worthy of the 5 star rating but it’s carried by the editing and voice work.
Though her backstory was unnecessary information for the High Republic’s larger story, Lourna Dee receives probably some of the best characterisation we’ve got across any of the High Republic novel or comic material released thus far.
One negative, however, is the voice work for Burryaga, the Wookiee Jedi. It sounds like a man just groaning through a sock in his mouth. I’m sure there must have been better Wookiee impersonations available from basically anybody. It’s a minor gripe but it really took me out of the experience whenever Burryaga “spoke”. -
Parts of it I liked. Parts of it I didn’t. Honestly the time jumping/name switching got hard to follow after awhile. I tried my hardest with high republic and I think I’ll still try to follow some things, but honestly, after I think 5 or 6 books it still hasn’t grabbed me or found a way to make things palatable.
Also this is personal, but listening to an audio drama where a sickness is going around where people are hacking up a lung half the time was not it for me. Coughing these days makes me super anxious so literally I was on edge half the time listening to this and not because I thought the story was enrapturing. Weird choice for a secondary plot. -
Overall Review = 4.62 Stars
I strongly recommend this book to anyone to any Star Wars fan. If you are new/hesitant to the audiobook format trust the process. This isn’t your everyday audiobook. It was designed with a script and full cast. So much more enjoyable than one person reading a book aloud. Pick this up!
Detailed Rating:
Enjoyment = 5
Characters = 4.5
Plot = 4.5
Feelings/Emotions = 5
Writing Style / Voice = 4
Themes = 4
Pacing = 4.5
For light and life!
Nate -
I’ve only listened to one other (and it was also a Star Wars story), but audio dramas are a much different experience than audiobooks. I enjoy them, and enjoyed this one a lot because I’ve gotten to know many of the characters through the previous books/comics in this series, but miss the narrator fleshing out things, painting a picture for me to visualize rather than just hearing the dialogue from the characters.
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C/W:
Tempest Runner was a fun listen that filled out The High Republic universe a bit more for me. I really enjoyed learning more about Lourna Dee and how she ended up with the Nihil. The quality of the audio production wasn't quite as good as Dooku: Jedi Lost; during action scenes in particular it could be really hard to tell what was happening as there wasn't narration, just sound effects and dialogue. -
Audio Drama (4/10):
I’ve gotta be honest, I was really looking forward to this entry in the Star Wars saga, but I’m highly disappointed. The attempt to make Lourna Dee a likable character didn’t work at all for me, it just makes me want her taken down even more. I AM curious to see where she goes, but this entry isn’t necessary for the overall story of The High Republic.
