Last year, Penguin Random House kicked off a new trilogy of Star Wars books charting the nascent coalition building of the Rebellion, Reign of the Empire, with the alarmingly prescient The Mask of Fear. This year, the series continues, and the clock ticks forward closer and closer to the Rebel Alliance… and in the case of the new book, that means ticking closer and closer to Andor.
Like, really close.
io9 has your first look at the cover for Rebecca Roanhorse’s next Star Wars novel, Reign of the Empire: Edge of the Abyss. Set just one year before the events of Andor season one, Edge of the Abyss moves the story forward from Mask of Fear‘s exploration of the earliest days of the Empire’s rule to a galactic evil on the verge of the apex of its absolute power and authority.
As the Empire begins planning for programs to indoctrinate the next generation for Imperial truth—much to the alarm of Senators and parents Bail Organa and Mon Mothma—rebel cells and their leaders all over the galaxy, from Saw Gerrera to Anto Kreegyr, fight to pick away at the Imperial engine alone and scattered, with the idea of a cohesive resistance still a glimmer in the mind’s eye… a glimmer that could be snuffed out entirely when the Empire captures a member of Saw’s cell who could expose the burgeoning rebellion entirely.
Of course, being set a year before Andor—and as you can see in the cover above, featuring a few familiar faces among the sea of Imperial forces—Edge of the Abyss would be remiss if it didn’t check in with friend and foe alike from the hit show. Alongside returning Reign of the Empire focal figures Saw Gerrera, Mon Mothma, and Bail Organa, io9 can exclusively reveal a few more Andor characters who will make appearances in the new book:
- Anto Kreegyr
- Luthen Rael
- Kleya Marki
- Nisus Osar (one of the members of the Ministry of Enlightenment we see making plans for anti-Ghorman propaganda in Andor season 2)
- Perrin Fertha
- Leida Mothma
- Mon Mothma
- Bail Organa
- Saw Gerrera
It won’t be just familiar faces, too—one plotline in Edge will take us to the planet Ghorman, years before its tragic undoing at the hands of the Death Star project as seen in Andor‘s second season. Learn more in the official logline for Edge of the Abyss below:
In this thrilling sequel to The Mask of Fear, set one year before season one of Andor, truth becomes a weapon of the Empire.
Over a decade into the Empire’s reign, life under Imperial rule has become routine. The days of the Republic have long passed into memory—if they are remembered at all.
Within the Senate, Mon Mothma and Bail Organa face dwindling influence, for there is no difference between the will of the Emperor and the direction of his Empire. Bail increasingly shifts his focus to support clandestine resistance efforts, knowing a successful fight against the Empire will come from beyond the halls of power. Meanwhile, Mon Mothma sees one chance to take a stand when she makes a horrifying discovery about the lengths the regime will go to weaponize truth and loyalty. The Empire’s newest target: the next generation raised under the Emperor’s ever deepening shadow, including Mon and Bail’s daughters.
Across the galaxy, disparate rebel factions are rendered outcasts, branded criminals, and pitted against each other. On Ghorman, an idealistic student group seeks to make meaningful change, unaware of the ISB agent who seeks to sabotage them from the inside. Leaders like Saw Gerrera and Anto Kreegyr squabble and bargain to survive one more day against the crush of Imperial might. Trust is rare and betrayal quick. A distracted, disorganized resistance is one that is easy to snuff out. There are few heroes…and no alliances.
When one of Gerrera’s partisans is captured by the Empire, time is running out for senators, outcasts, spies, and all those that desire a better tomorrow. What the prisoner knows could help the Empire eradicate any whisper of resistance, end any rebellion before it can truly begin—and ensure that the Empire’s truth is all the galaxy will ever know.
Star Wars: Reign of the Empire—Edge of the Abyss releases on September 15, 2026, and is available to preorder now.
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Original Source: https://gizmodo.com/star-wars-reign-of-the-empire-2-edge-of-abyss-cover-reveal-andor-2000731925
Original Source: https://gizmodo.com/star-wars-reign-of-the-empire-2-edge-of-abyss-cover-reveal-andor-2000731925
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