After a generally blasé opinion toward most of this second phase for The High Republic, I’m glad it ended on its best note. This was a very solid read—good pacing, uncomfortable insight into what radicalizes a person, and a satisfying conclusion for the Path of the Open Hand storyline, which has always been the most intriguingly thorny aspect of this phase. It can feel a little bloated and probably would’ve benefited from slightly fewer characters since the core protagonists might’ve benefited from more of the spotlight. But Scott manages the ensemble well, finds a good tempo between the various POVs, and structures the chapters in a way that kept me eager for the next.

I still don’t love all of his writing choices, but his prose work continues to land much better for me than his comics do, a trend I’m glad continued here. Some of the characterizations are a bit trite, but only briefly annoying, thankfully, as the brisk pacing keeps things moving, so any moment that didn’t work for me was quickly replaced by one that did. I’m still not convinced that this phase of The High Republic needed the volume of material it got, especially since all the best stuff—and the stuff that seems most linked to the main timeline—is in these YA books. But I’m glad I stuck with it, especially with the development this particular book added to the Path. The portrayal of religious radicalism is painfully realistic, and both books—this one in particular—capture the mentality that allows such radicalization to fester and grow roots. I’m interested to see how/if we see these threads continue in the next Phase, but even if it’s minimal, these two YA books stand as a solid duology for the series.