Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss (Star Wars) (2024)

Samuel L. Jackson was, in my opinion, one of three great actors criminally underutilized in the Star Wars prequels: Terence Stamp (Chancellor Valorum) and Christopher Lee (Count Dooku) being the other two. As Jedi Master Mace Windu, Jackson was relegated to a handful of scenes and four or five lines in the whole series.

Thankfully, efforts have been made to flesh out his character with more depth and backstory than he received in the films. In 2017, there was a short-run graphic novel series. This year, another short-run graphic novel series hit newsstands. Also, sci-fi author Steven Barnes was invited to pen a Mace Windu novel.

"The Glass Abyss" is the result, and, while I must admit to being disappointed with the latest run of novels being put out by Disney/Lucasfilm (especially the High Republic series), this novel did not disappoint at all.

Despite a slow start, Barnes's contribution to the new canon is a wonderfully entertaining and exciting novel that breathes more life into the character of Windu.

Set immediately after the events of "Episode I: The Phantom Menace", "The Glass Abyss" sees Windu grieving for his fellow Jedi and friend, Qui-Gon Jinn (played by Liam Neeson). Jinn left Windu a death-bed request to travel to an Outer Rim planet called Metagos. Very few details were included about why, other than Jinn was seriously injured the last time he was there and could not complete the mission. He felt Windu was better suited to finish the mission.

Upon arrival, Windu learns that the planet (actually a giant geode in space, in which the inhabitants live within partitioned cities inside the geode) is overrun with two warring gangs who are using the indigenous peoples as slave labor. Befriending the impoverished locals, Windu immediately gets to work in fomenting dissension and rebellion among the lower castes. He also pits the two warring gangs against each other, with the intent of having them distracted with their own conflict that they neglect to see the rebellion happening under their noses.

Meanwhile, Windu is having troubling dreams about his childhood. Something about Metagos is triggering memories (false or real? he can't tell) about what happened to his parents and his initiation into the Jedi Brotherhood.

Overall, this is one of the better books in the newer crop of Star Wars novels that I have read, and I hope Barnes will be invited back to continue the adventures of Mace Windu.

Ooof. I've got to be honest...I did not care for this book.

The first issue I have with this book is the characterization. Mace Windu is a difficult character to nail in a book, and he has a very specific dialect and tone to his speech and I don't believe that Steven Barnes really got it. If Mace Windu was subbed out for an original character and some of the set-up was changed a bit, I think it probably would have been better.

I also thought that the book delved way too much into wierd Science Fiction. Most of the Star Wars books that try this don't work for me and a lot of readers, and I think this book further cements that idea for me. Almost the entire book (like 95% of it,except for like 3 really short chapters at the beginning and end) take place in this planet of Metagos exclusively. This planet has some really in depth and crazy worldbuilding, particularly around its' spiderlike creatures. Unfortunately, Barnes spends a long time explaining the worldbuilding and going into the species and history that it made the book a chore to read, rather than a breeze.

If I can give the book some praise, I thought the villain Chulok was absolutely fascinating and interesting. The concept of a combined creature that is basically 2-in-1 was unique and made Chulok stand out. I also enjoyed the implications behind how Chulok made decisions, being 2 creatures combined.

I also thought it was competently plotted, I just was not interested in what that plot presented.

The original characters Kinshan and the Mayas and the Sybils and the other characters just didn't work for me. I never felt I could connect with them.

Overall, I'll give the book a 4 out of 10. Just was not entertaining. Sorry.

MACE WINDU I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED YOU; YOUR TIME HAS COME

Mace Windu is a character who, besides an excellent Legends novel, we have had very little exploration of in the Star Wars universe. So when this book was announced I was very excited. I did, however, go into this with a bit of trepidation because of the author. Steven Barnes wrote The Cestus Deception, a Legends novel that I found very strange in its concepts and middle of the road in terms of enjoyment. Barnes leans very heavily into the weird side of sci-fi, think some of the weirder parts of the later Dune novels for example. I don’t mind weird sci-fi but Star Wars is such a lived in universe that when you introduce something you better hit it out of the park. I’m sorry to say that did not happen for me with this book, and Barnes repeats a lot of his tropes from his previous work. I wouldn’t call this a bad sci-fi story, but it’s certainly a mediocre Star Wars novel.

Let’s start with the positives. I really loved the book’s opening. I liked getting inside Windu’s head and listening to his inner dialogue. I liked the book showcasing Windu’s strong relationship with Qui-Gon Jinn (the story takes place right after his death). In fact, Jinn serves as a bit of a MacGuffin to move the story forward as Mace goes on a quest to resolve one of Jinn’s previous missions. Barnes creates an interesting world, culture, and species with the planet Metagost and the capital city of New Xaxxis. We have very few authors in canon Star Wars who’ve been willing to do that. Watching Windu have to navigate this complex world is interesting enough.

The problem is that Windu feels like a side character at times in his own book. He gets swept up in the conflict of this planet but these other characters take up a lot of page time, and if I’m being honest I found a lot of them to be so weird that I had a hard time caring about the story being told. It felt like Windu ended up taking a backseat while Barnes told the story he really wanted to tell about these insectoid and worm-like aliens at war with each other. Since I didn’t care about these characters, I found it to be a chore to read.

Overall, it’s not the worst Star Wars novel but it is a huge letdown for me. I don’t think Barnes was the right writer to tell a Mace Windu story unfortunately. Some people will probably love it, but I didn’t. I just thought it was okay in the end, but I did appreciate the world building and risk taking.

This has to be one of the most beautiful covers though.

The stoic and often cold-seeming Jedi Master Mace Windu gets to shine in this adventure after Mace receives a a post-death message from Qui-Gon Jinn, asking Mace to help the Outer Rim planet Metagos.

Its people have been driven underground after its surface was irradiated by a solar flare. The survivors are a complex mix of different peoples; Qui-Gon had worked to protect the Sa'ad farming clan from the criminals troubling them. The Sa'ad are fascinating, as they practice the art of dream-weaving, which allows them to communicate with the wild creatures who inhabit the planet, while the Sa-ad sleep.

Qui-Gon was unable to complete his task there, and sends Mace to the planet as a last favour. Though Mace has always had complicated feelings about Qui-Gon, he appreciated the other Master's unique perspectives on the Force and life.

Mace arrives in Metagos, and get to know the different factions, and admires KinShan Nightbird, the leader of the Sa'ad. Actually, the two admire each other a lot, and we see a softer side of Mace here, which was lovely.

Taking on the identity of the Solver, Mace meets the ambitious and ruthless head of a criminal organization, Chulok, who has plans far beyond dominance on this planet. Mace must convince the beaten down inhabitants to rise up and fight if he has any hope of removing the malignant influence of this criminal.

So, I've not been a big Mace fan, but this book turned me around on him. It was wonderful getting to know the man behind the stoic façade, and he cares so much. He is also interested in how species evolved on different planets, and shows a respect for droids I had not expected (I loved Maya-12 and their relationship).

Author Steven Barnes creates a nuanced portrait of a stern and often forbidding Jedi Master, and shows us his past, and his reasons for maintaining his impassiveness. Mace is a passionate, caring person, who loves and engenders love and respect in others for him. This is so far from the dark and world weary person we meet in RoTS; mind you, he's been through years of war by that point, and that's not who he is in this book.

I liked Mace, and found the complexities of the interactions amongst everyone he meets intriguing. I will say that there were so many characters and motives that I did have some trouble keeping them all straight. But overall, I liked the chance to revise my opinion of this character, and chuckled at Yoda's amused recounting of what a chaotic and frustrating child the man was. Though not my favourite Star Wars novel, I liked this.

3.5 stars.

Yes, it's everyone favourite Jedi Council Party Pooper off on his own solo adventure.

I've always felt Mace Windu was a cool, if underutilized, character from the Prequels. I have been gratified to see his story continue and expand thanks to The Clone Wars, comics and books like Shatterpoint which, while I suppose it is no longer canonical still sits for me as the high water mark in Windu content.

This book (as the author freely acknowledges) owes an awful lot to the now classic story structure of Kurosawa's Yojimbo (a movie so great they had to remake it- at least twice! see: A Fistful of Dollars, Last Man Standing, et al.) with the as-yet-unnamed Jedi walking into a rough town incognito to go to work for both sides in a simmering criminal conflict while trying to keep the interests of the regular folk caught in the middle in mind. And if that had been the only thrust of the book I probably would have perfectly fine with it but there are many layers of secondary characters and worldbuilding thrown in that mostly served as a distraction from Mace's quest of self-discovery and mission to fulfill a promise made by the now-deceased Qui-Gon Jinn.

I'll give the writer marks for originality for the primary antagonist, Chulok, but for the life of me I couldn't picture how such a dual person would actually look and move, particularly as comprised of more than one species. Maybe more my lack of imagination than an indictment of the writing, though.

Final analysis, this one can be skipped unless you are an avowed MW or Sam Jackson fan and want to experience more galactic adventures at his side.

Sorry bro that's just how I see it.

MACE WINDU ENJOYERS WE WIN AGAIN!!!! 💜

I was never the biggest fan of Mace Windu, but when I saw that he was getting a novel I felt excited for it. But I ended up being kind of disappointing to be honest. It wasn't all that interesting for the most part. I did enjoy the final fight though.

2.75 stars

THE COVER IS STUNNNNINNNN

Mace Windu’s journey throughout “The Glass Abyss” was an expedition I got lost in as soon as Mace stepped foot on Metagos. It was a refreshing experience to meet new characters with storylines that are uncharted territories for the reader—and revisiting some of our favorites such as Yoda, Qui-Gon—and Anakin.

I think Barnes is an excellent world and character builder, however my personal preferences would have loved to spend more time with characters such as Kinshan, Marta, and Chulok. The dinner scene was perhaps my favorite part of the book because of how much time we spent with each character at the table. It felt that when Barnes was truly exploring each of the character’s facial expression, movements, and thoughts, his writing soared.

The quick chapters also kept me engaged and moved the story along at a pace that was still easy to keep up with. I did not feel lost despite switching gears. If anything, it showed me how time is of the essence in this specific situation for Mace and co.

I would have enjoyed to learn a little bit more of Mace and Qui-Gon’s relationship, however, that’s a personal preference as someone who cherishes those types of relationships in Star Wars.

I applaud Steven Barnes for handling Mace Windu with such care and adoration! I was so happy to read Mace laugh in a time of great stress—and sorrowful for him when he tossed and turned at night. He truly made me feel, as the reader, more connected to the master Jedi.

This book leaned too far into sci-fi for my taste. Maybe upon reread one day I will have a better appreciation for it after reading the author’s acknowledgements at the end and what the book took inspiration from.

I liked learning about Mace’s thoughts on Anakin and getting a look at Anakin early on at the Jedi temple. Forgive me if this already exists but that would be a good premise for a book. We did get some inter dialogue from Mace about his early days as a Jedi and we also get the story of his home planet and how he was discovered by the Jedi.

A lot of the book leaned on building the world of Metagus and the politics of that planet. The planet itself I will stick in my mind for while but the inhabitants and politics will not. The book also featured a romance I was not a fan of and I felt that Mace overall could have been any other Jedi.

Overall I give this book a 4/10

The best thing about this book is the cover. It just didn’t seem like a Mace Windu story, it felt more like a run of the mill science fiction book with Mace Windu inserted into the story. Any random SW character could’ve been the main character in this book. Other than one or two chapters that tie in to the larger SW universe of established characters, it’s just not worth reading.

i am so EXCITED, mace windu ftw

Finished listening to this in audiobook form last night. The audiobook narrator did well sounding like Mace Windu in my opinion.

My favorite parts of this book were in the beginning where we saw more of Mace among his fellow Jedi. Those were the bits that felt more connected to Star Wars and the PT in particular to me.

Overall, I found this to be a strange, surreal book (not bad per se, which is why it gets three stars from me and not a harsher mark) that definitely leaned more toward the sci-fi side of Star Wars rather than the space fantasy end, while I usually prefer more of the space fantasy aspects of Star Wars.

Structurally, I felt things became a bit muddled and confusing at times. In terms of characterization, Mace often felt like a side character in his own book, and what character development he did get in terms of a poorly explored romance and a minor identity crisis (did he really choose to be a Jedi angsts the middle-aged Jedi Council member who has the freedom to leave the Order at any time) just didn't seem consistent with his characterization in the PT itself.

I had been looking forward to this book as the sort of New Canon version of the spectacular Shatterpoint from Matt Stover, but where Shatterpoint succeeds because it is so intensely focused on Mace Windu and delving into his character, the Glass Abyss never really succeeded at being able to penetrate the depths of Mace's mind and heart for me.

Mace mostly felt like a flat character in Glass Abyss, so I would easily recommend Shatterpoint instead.

All in all, this feels like a skippable read to most Star Wars fans.

Perhaps I lean closer to 4 stars than 5, but I'll round it up because this book is beautifully written, takes its time to develop storylines in depth, and uses imagination and character in a way that puts most of the recent High Republic novels to shame. This is a novel that's just on a different level to recent Lucasverse fare, and reminds me of the great days of the "Legends" era, when Timothy Zahn and Kevin Anderson ruled the novel-writing roost. One interesting caveat: the powerful, complicated, passionate Mace Windu of this novel is so unlike his prequel-era screen appearance as to be all but irreconcilable. Don't watch Episode III after reading this...your soul will be crushed.

This was a fine book. The writing style was fine and the plot was fine. It might even have been good if it wasn’t supposed to be about Mace Windu. The author seemed to have done little research about Mace. This resulted in a story that the main character could have been replaced with a nameless mercenary and the story would be the same.

Mace hardly even used the force.

que livro ruim gente, não creio que isso realmente existe

livro com uma narrativa truncada e impessoal e uma história onde todas as coisas interessantes apresentadas foram ignoradas

incrível que o autor introduz uma situação política ao planeta super interessante e joga o mace lá, e em vez de explorar essa complexidade política ele resolve ficar focando em minhocas dançando, eu não aguentava mais ler sobre minhocas

e o mace windu? o autor conseguiu tirar toda a personalidade do personagem, parecia um robô, zero nuance, fez o mace windu parecer a pessoa mais sem graça do mundo, foi incrível, ele introduz o vaapad ao canon da disney e faz nada com isso, coloca uns conflitos internos e só serve pra explorar mais das malditas minhocas, e o romance? pelo amor de tudo que é sagrado, que coisa mal feita, abismada em como o mace windu é um nada aqui, parece que a única coisa que o mace faz é lutar e ser ótimo em atividades físicas, como se ele não tivesse outras características, ainda no fim fala que o mace não gosta de cantar e não tem hobbies, o que achei tosco pois sabemos que em choose your destiny an obi-wan & anakin adventure o mace fazia parte do grupo de teatro dos jedi, eu sei que é uma informação deep cut mas assim, se você vai escrever um livro sobre o mace windu faça sua pesquisa!

claramente esse livro me irritou, meu desejo é voltar ao passado e decidir não lê-lo, ao menos a capa é linda

"In that place, he found the part of him that had always known the truth: He needed to walk his chosen path. He was at the heart of this thing called life. This thing called the galaxy. This thing called love."

To say the cover art is the best thing going for this book might be a bit harsh.

I didn't hate this book, I just didn't love it. It was interesting for the first couple chapters and then I just didn't really connect with it for the most part afterwards.

There was nothing inheritantly wrong with the story, it was good, it just didn't hold my interest.
Anything that happened to the main character just felt like it didn't matter, and the plight of the new planet and cast introduced didn't do anything to engage me.
That plus sci-fi concepts that were just a bit weird and confusing even for star wars for me. I just didn't connect with this one.

Those who know me, know I read everything star wars and am a bit of a completionist, so I had to read this one. (I listened to it on spotify premium so i could save my audible credit for my next read) But I will admit when I don't love a star war. I had a bad feeling going into this one, and yea, while I didn't entirely hate it, or even really dislike it, I just didn't connect with it, and that's fine. Onto the next one.

'The Glass Abyss' puts Mace Windu in dark, confusing Star Wars noir mystery

More from my review in my newsletter: Space Wizards Book Club

Well, that was a Star Wars book. Actually, there were many times while reading (and listening to) Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss that I forgot I was reading a Star Wars book. Then Mace Windu’s name would pop up and oh, yeah, this is supposed to be a Star Wars story.

No one is more disappointed than me that I didn’t love The Glass Abyss. Maybe I had misplaced expectations. Maybe the book arrived at a time when I needed cozy rom-coms and epic fantasy to escape into — i.e. two hurricanes in two weeks. Either way, The Glass Abyss never hooked me into the story despite being set in my favorite Star Wars era (the prequels) and starring a Jedi character we have so few stories about.

Set not too long after The Phantom Menace, The Glass Abyss follows Master Mace Windu as he follows the final wishes of his fallen friend, Qui-Gon Jinn. The mission pushes Mace to go to the planet Metagos, an Outer Rim world turned into a brutal crystalline marvel because of radiating solar storms. Qui-Gon made a promise to the people of Metagos, who have been oppressed for years under the yokes of criminal clans on the verge of civil war.

With Qui-Gon gone, it becomes Mace’s burden to help the Metagosians, but the Jedi’s mission isn’t clear until two-thirds into the book. The bulk of the novel is about challenging the Jedi warrior’s beliefs and presenting the most detailed, introspective Mace Windu story yet. The best parts of The Glass Abyss are Mace’s thoughts, feelings (and lack thereof), and inner monologues. The fact that we got a Mace-focused story far from the rest of the galaxy’s and Jedi Order’s issues is the only reason I gave this book three stars instead of two.

Where the book lost me was in the intricacies of Metagos and its denizens. Eric Eilersen over at Youtini wrote in his review that The Glass Abyss reads like it was never meant to be a Star Wars story — and I can’t help but agree. Barnes’ story is incredibly creative, leaning far into the subgenre of sci-fi noir mystery. It’s clear the author had been creating and molding this deep, dark world for a long time. And that absolutely comes through in Barnes’ intricate, hard sci-fi purple prose.

Because of odd pacing, clunky dialogue, and a confusing, hardboiled writing style, The Glass Abyss was a struggle to follow and comprehend. There were many pages I had to read several times and eventually listen to to understand what was happening and to whom.

Speaking of listening to the book, the audiobook files definitely helped me comprehend the story. Narrator William DeMerrit’s work turns The Glass Abyss into a classic radio mystery drama — still not a Star Wars book, but a much more enjoyable, vibey experience than silent reading the novel.

The audiobook also helps better differentiate between all the new side characters — from the Web-worshipping alien species to the science-defying mutant Chulok. The characterizations of Mace and others are the brightest parts of the story even when they’re convoluted or barely resemble established Star Wars lore.

With all the single character-focused Star Wars novels out there, expectations were high for The Glass Abyss. Because The Glass Abyss is the first Mace Windu novel in the new canon, I wouldn’t be surprised if this book was many fans’ most anticipated of the year. It certainly was one I was very excited about. I’ve never been a big Mace Windu fan, but I was thrilled to learn more about the Jedi’s past and what makes him tick. The Glass Abyss, unfortunately, didn’t deliver on what I thought was promised.

This Mace Windu simultaneously felt like the intense Jedi warrior we know and a completely different man dropped into the Star Wars galaxy and handed a purple lightsaber. Once the incredible Star Warsy action gets going in the last third of the book, I was already mostly checked out of this story and just wanted it to be over.

As I said before, I am so disappointed that I didn’t love this book like I thought I would. There’s a chance I may revisit The Glass Abyss in the future, but for now, I’m moving on to other Star Wars books on my TBR.

A different kind of Star Wars book that might not be for everyone but ‘Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss’ takes readers in-depth into a fantastical new world with creative characters, a new legendary villain and a sublime look at Mace!

Full review on TheCosmicCircus.Com

I don’t like Windu’s character but I sure as hell would read this book just cuz of the cover 😈

"Darkness without light and light without darkness are both blinding."

Oh! So this is the bad place!

Solid Star Wars is better than great "anything else"

For Star Wars fans, Mace Windu has been a polarizing character since his introduction in The Phantom Menace. Those die hard fans, Steven Barnes gives us a deeper dive into the purple lightsaber wielding Jedi in Star Wars: Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss.

Jedi Master Mace Windu travels to a dangerous, remote planet on a mission that challenges even his deadly prowess—all to fulfill Qui-Gon’s last request.

The Jedi are reeling from Qui-Gon Jinn’s sudden death at the hands of a Sith. Jedi Master Mace Windu’s feelings about Qui-Gon have always been complicated—and have not been made any simpler by death. While they often disagreed, Mace valued Qui-Gon’s unique perspective, and their shared dedication to the Force made them allies. Without Qui-Gon and his unorthodox views, Mace feels out of balance.

While considering his fallen friend’s legacy, Mace is surprised to receive a final message from Qui-Gon, marked to be delivered to Mace in the event of Qui-Gon’s death. The message contains a last request: a plea to help the Outer Rim planet Metagos.

Many years ago, a violent solar flare transformed the surface of the desert planet into a landscape of irradiated glass—as beautiful as it is dangerous. Now most of the surviving inhabitants live underground, where rival clans fight to control the planet’s limited resources.

As a young Jedi, Qui-Gon protected the Sa’ad farming clan from the planet’s less-scrupulous factions. The Sa’ad practice the art of dream-weaving, retaining their waking minds upon sleep in order to communicate and coexist with the wild creatures around them. Qui-Gon vowed to return if they ever required his aid, but now it falls to Mace to fulfill that promise. The Sa’ad’s leader, KinShan Nightbird, has begged for the Jedi’s help in freeing Metagos from the crime lords who threaten to eradicate her people’s way of life.

Intent on carrying out Qui-Gon’s final wishes, Mace travels to Metagos and infiltrates the enemies of the Sa’ad. But as the Jedi Master investigates the intricate web of adversaries and allies, Mace finds himself pushed to the boundaries of the Jedi code, with his beliefs and his relationship to the Force itself challenged.

Steven Barnes is no stranger to the Star Wars franchise, especially the prequel era of the Star Wars lore. He published his first Star Wars novel in 2004 entitled The Cestus Deception followed by a novella The Hive (which was later published within The Cestus Deception). So, it comes as no surprise the award-winning author would return to the prequel era to give us a deeper dive into Mace Windu with The Glass Abyss (taking place between Episode I and Episode II).

Barnes masterfully crafts an exhilarating tale that challenges Mace Windu's deadly prowess while pushing him to confront his deepest convictions. Steven's ability to create some vivid scenarios where Mace must weigh his actions against the sacred Jedi code provides an engaging backdrop for those eager to understand more about this often misunderstood character. The author places intricate plot twists and encounters with formidable foes—both new allies and legendary villains alike—in a novel that paints a rich tapestry of conflict where nothing is truly black and white.

When introduced to Mace Windu in The Phantom Menace we often saw the character depicted as stern and overly rigid. However, Barnes takes create care in humanizing him without stripping away his stoic demeanor entirely. By exploring past experiences that shaped who he became—his bond with fellow Masters Yoda & Qui Gon—we gain insight into why certain decisions were made throughout pivotal moments during Episodes I-III.

While the recent Star Wars: The High Republic novels have been wonderful reads, Star Wars: Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss is a refreshing journey in the prequel era with nods and interactions with beloved characters we all love such as Yoda. This allows us to really visualization some of the characters having seen them on the big screen already. The Glass Abyss features some spectacular new and interesting characters as well, but being able to be entertained once again with Star Wars media featuring some familiar faces is always a nostalgic and fun ride.

Barnes was able to capture the essence of what made the prequel films special while also putting his own touches on the Star Wars canon. Mace Windu is a character that many either love or hate and getting to go on a journey with said character in The Glass Abyss novel was a fantastic reading experience. While not perfect, I will always be willing to read a story based in the Star Wars Universe and get some sort of enjoyment from it. Barnes did the source material justice delivering an exhilarating Star Wars novel.

Star Wars: Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss is available at bookstores everywhere from Random House Worlds. The audiobook, narrated by William DeMeritt, is also available!

Mace Windu is literally my all-time favorite Star Wars character and I've been anticipating this book's release since it was announced last December. Which is why it pains me to say that in one aspect, it has disappointed me. However, I'll start with my praise for 96% of the book since it was really showstopping.
The actual writing is really flawless. Gritty, with a touch of the mystical, and a lovely mix of third person limited. The characters beyond Mace are extremely well developed and multifaceted. I love that we had a droid being a main character - Maya-Twelve has her own personality and sentience and even what approximates emotions, which is lovely to see given how much droid sentience can be an argument both in- and out of universe. The actual ecosystem and organization of Metagos feels like the product of several giant charts and planning docs in the best way - it all made sense and was sufficiently complicated to keep interest, but not so much that it was incomprehensible. Warring criminal organizations, the natives just trying to make it and ultimately take back their home....it leads to a powerful story that really embodies the essence of Star Wars.
I discuss Mace's character next, featuring spoilers. Mace's character arc, with one exception, was exactly the sort of thing I've wanted for him since I read Shatterpoint. His reconnecting with his childhood self (baby Mace content healed something deep in my soul) and general humanity in this book was absolutely lovely. Simple scenes like him asking whether Anakin's injury still hurt and him watching said youngling training show how much he actually does care about Anakin, Chosen One or not. I loved seeing mentions of what he learned from T'ra Saa - who was only a Legends character prior to this, so I was happy to see her canonized. I would have liked a Cyslin Myr namedrop but the various T'ra references made me confident in my theory that she taught him while he was younger before Cyslin took him as her Padawan. Two High Republic references as well sealed it for having basically everything I like in Star Wars.
And now, however, for the elephant in the room aka Mace Windu's romance arc.
Positives: It was not cringe. It was minimal in comparison with the actual plot of the book. It was just a few kisses and nothing worse. It ended when the book did because he knew his role as a Jedi was more important. It's funny that Qui-Gon basically shipped it.
Negatives. It existed.
I've been justifying the entire little plotline with how it does in a different way, humanize Mace. Give him human emotion that, as Qui-Gon states, he'd "flayed" himself of. Plus it did serve a strategic purpose, I suppose, as ultimately it turns out Mace was functioning as KinShan's consort thus allowing him to have enough commanding influence among her people. I can excuse it as a sort of "for the greater good" type of thing, and since she saved his life and he was coming out of a Force trance the kiss wasn't wholly ridiculous. I just very much dislike it - Mace having a Situationship™ feels out of character. Personally I've always seen him as neurodivergent and aromantic-asexual neither of which would be conducive to the neurotypic heteronormativity of this particular plotline. Headcanoning aside it did sort of disrupt my flow reading, and I genuinely had to take a break before finishing the book because I was too startled by this new development.
Overall I did enjoy the book and would recommend it as a good Mace character study with a compelling story and set of side characters. Still worth the hype and I don't regret my enthusiasm for it. The book simply serves as a reminder that no one is safe from the Romance Arc™, and as I'm already shifting away from Star Wars I fear this one simply heightens that urge. 4/5 stars.

Thanks to Random House Worlds for the advanced copy of this book.

This dad read Star Wars: Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes. Taking place shortly after the events of The Phantom Menace, The Glass Abyss finds Jedi Master Mace Windu embarking on a perilous mission to the remote planet Metagos, spurred by a final request from his fallen friend Qui-Gon Jinn, whose unexpected death has left the Jedi reeling. Once a protector of the Sa’ad farming clan, Qui-Gon’s legacy weighs heavily on Mace as he confronts a brutal landscape transformed by a violent solar flare, where rival clans vie for survival underground. Tasked with aiding the Sa’ad against oppressive crime lords, Mace’s journey not only tests his formidable skills but also challenges his beliefs and connection to the Force, as he seeks to honor Qui-Gon’s vow while navigating a treacherous web of alliances and adversaries.

The initial setup for The Glass Abyss had me quite intrigued, I don’t think we can ever get enough Mace Windu content. Plus, the setting of planet Metagos is quite unique, with its crystal structures and multi level underground cave system. Barnes does a great job of setting the scene, his descriptions are vivid and I was transported to another world. Once Mace’s adventure kicks in, however, is where things start to get murky.

My struggle with The Glass Abyss stems from the novel diving too deeply into the world of Metagos. Like the depths of the underground world itself, Abyss gets lost in the intricacies, politics, and infighting of the denizens of Metagos. The power struggle between the Sa’ad and Chulok (more on them in a moment) never emotionally tugged at me the way I think it was supposed to. Additionally, Mace Windu himself seems to get lost in more ways than one. Not only does he take a back seat in terms of the overall story, his characterization doesn’t quite gel with the one that readers might be used to from established Star Wars canon.

The Mace Windu we experience in The Glass Abyss is one who goes through quite the emotional arc, which in and of itself isn’t a bad thing, but again it feels forced onto him rather than an organic experience of the character. We see him delving into when he first joined the Jedi order as a child, and his emotional bond with someone he encounters on Metagos. The extremes of emotion aren’t what bother me, it’s more that these seemingly life-altering events and revelations don’t stay with Windu after the events of Abyss take place. To sum it up, The Glass Abyss is a compelling science fiction story, but a weak Star Wars one.

The Glass Abyss does get points for introducing us to a terrifying new villain in Chulok, who is actually two beings who have merged to become one multi-limbed, single minded menace. Barnes’ strong descriptive writing serves Chulok well and its their physical and psychological dominance that makes them truly terrifying.

It always bums me out when a Star Wars book doesn’t quite land for my personal taste. The Glass Abyss is definitely one of the most unique Star Wars novels in quite some time but it’s a 🧢🧢/5 for me. If you’re a Mace Windu fan with a penchant for science fiction, give this book a shot!

I was really looking forward to The Glass Abyss since it was announced, having really enjoyed the Shatterpoint novel centered on Mace in Legends. But this book fell a bit flat, even if it somewhat redeems itself by the end.

My biggest gripe was the scattershot plot. Mace is sent by posthumous message from Qui-Gon to cleanse the planet Metagos of its criminal overlords, which prompts Mace to slowly implant himself into the planet’s society under the guise of “the Solver.” This takes a long time, almost two thirds of the book as he meanders his way through getting to know all the planet’s inhabitants. There was no flow or clear purpose to what Mace did next, and it created a distinct lack of urgency and direction for the plot that made it difficult to get invested in what was going on.

My other critique was Mace’s characterization. When it comes to SW novels, the silver lining usually is that the writers do a great job of capturing the voice of the characters from the films, but here it seems Barnes opted for a reinterpretation of Mace. Unlike the stoic and hardened Jedi Master of the past, Barnes’ Mace is vulnerable, laid-back, and a bit of a trash-talker.

Although I do appreciate seeing a new side of Mace, especially the parts where he interacts with a young Anakin and confronts his past self through dreams, I wish Mace was more faithful to his portrayal in the prequels. Writers of late seem to think Mace is just an overbearing, disapproving bully to troubled Jedi, and it felt like this book basically said “You’re right, let’s change his personality” rather than explore Mace as he’s presented in the films.

I think there was a missed opportunity to contrast Mace the traditionalist with Qui-Gon the maverick, and have Mace reckon with their differences (the book claims that Qui-Gon apparently thought of Mace as his closest friend). And although I’m not totally against it, I thought Mace and KinShan’s romance was a bit out-of-place and just an odd direction to take Mace.

Still, I did like some parts of the book. Metagos was a wonderful planet that Barnes meticulously crafted to be beautiful and lived-in. The colorful inhabitants Mace encountered added some nice flavor. I even liked Chulok, even if he’s a bit too disturbing for SW.

And the third act was awesome. A climatic battle with epic prose that incorporated every character and aspect of Metagos that the story had explored, ending with a showdown between Mace and Chulok on the planet’s irradiated surface. It’s honestly so good that it almost made me forget about the slog of what came before—but not quite.

Despite the satisfying ending and some nice world-building and character moments sprinkled throughout, The Glass Abyss is just okay. It’s a bummer, because I can’t help but feel there is a better Mace Windu novel somewhere within the unfocused plot and jarring shift in character for Mace.

“No, I’m not a droid, sir. But we all have a gift. The secret to life is to find the gift you were given and do all you can to perfect it. If you are lucky, that gift will also be something that is of use to others. If so, then the thing that is your bliss will also support you and benefit your tribe.”

Mace Windu is a character that many people have a lot of love for, however although I like him he’s never been anywhere near one of my favourites in Star Wars. This is probably because we’ve never really gotten a lot of time with him, at least in Canon that I’m aware of, so I was excited to be getting a new book focusing on him in The Glass Abyss. The opening to the book showed some incredible potential that unfortunately never got lived up to.

First of all the positives. My favourite thing about this book was the spectacular world building, which is honestly some of the best in any Star Wars media. This is what hooked me immediately and is the main thing that kept me somewhat engaged throughout. Next were the side characters KinShan, Woolif and Maya-12, as well as the whole of the Sa’ad people living in the depths of Metagos. They were all fantastic and actually more interesting than Mace himself.

Unfortunately that comes the end of the positives for me. My biggest issue with this was one of the main life forms of Metagos, the Hillians, which are spider worms. I absolutely hate spiders so whenever they appeared I would be very uncomfortable. Whilst they weren’t involved at all times, it was enough to stop me from ever getting fully engaged in the plot, which I didn’t think was too great anyway, as they played a fairly big role in it. Maybe this is just me and my fear of spiders. Aside from that I didn’t care for the antagonists one bit and the book dragged quite a lot after the first 150 pages or so.

It was nice to get some more of Mace Windu and to get inside his head. He got some really nice development and we got to see a vulnerable side to him that we’ve never known about, but he was never a character that I got attached to, which considering it’s a book about him is not a great sign. I would have liked to get some more depth to his character, rather than just seeing him now and as a one year old. Finally, although this isn’t really about Qui-Gon we did get a flashback to him on Metagos which felt extremely rushed. Either don’t include that as it wasn’t necessary, or actually give him a little more time so it doesn’t feel like it’s there just to give him some page time.

Action! Adventure! Mushroom zombies! Romance!?

Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss unexpectedly has all of this! Set shortly after the events of The Phantom Menace, Mace receives a final request from Qui-Gon Jinn to complete a mission that he was now unable to finish.

At this request he travels to Metagos, a planet ravaged by a solar radiation 50 years ago, driving all of it's inhabitants underground. The planet is ruled by rival crime syndicates, but also inhabited by the dream-weaving Sa'ad clan who farm the gigantic silk worms that dwell in the depths. The Sa'ad are led by KinShan Nightbird who aided Qui-Gon when he was younger, and he promised his aid when it was needed. Her request was for Mace to help free the planet from the criminal factions.

What follows is an action packed tale of Mace adopting a mercenary persona to infiltrate the clans, almost getting lost in his role amid doubts about his place in the Jedi that he thought he didn't have before. And being healed physically and spiritually along the way by KinShan and her dream-weavers, the two falling for each other along the way, leading to discoveries about the history of the planet and what lies in the lower levels of the caverns. It culminates in all our war between the criminal clans with Mace and the Sa'ad trying to keep the world safe.

It's a really good story with plenty of action, but my favorite parts of the book are all the new facets of Mace Windu that we didn't know before. He's always been depicted as kind of stuffy and no-nonsense in previous media. This book reveals that he and Qui-Gon were actually good friends. So much so that the reason Qui-Gon asked this favor of Mace is that they entered a Dejarik tournament together and faced each other, making a side bet that the loser owed the winner a favor. But we also get insights into Mace's youth before the Jedi, we learn that his birth parents died protecting him from a wild animal. We even get to see Mace struggle with the violence in his undercover assignment.

The romantic angle between Mace and the queen of the Sa'ad was unexpected but at the same time delightful. The way it ends makes me wish that he somehow survived Order 66 and made his way back to Metagos. And the revelation at the end that Qui-Gon had somehow felt that this request was as much for Mace's spiritual healing as it was for Metagos speaks to the friendship the two shared.

I wasn't sure what to expect reading this book, but the story defied and exceeded all expectations. 5 stars, must read!

Mace Windu has an incredible presence on and off screen. When you think of his name you may immediately think of Samuel L. Jackson bringing his natural charm and swagger to the prequels, but also his appearance in The Clone Wars and even the classic Legends novel Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover and even more recently his part in The Living Force by John Jackson Miller.

The latest Mace adventure , Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss brings together the myriad of versions of Mace into a new adventure deeply rooted to exploring the emotional and physical breaking points of Mace and the Jedi Order he holds so dearly.

This novel is set shortly after the events of The Phantom Menace. Mace receives a message from Qui-Gon Jinn. It is a holographic message meant to be read by Mace in the event of Qui-Gon's death. Mace is asked to keep a promise Qui-Gon made to someone on an Outer Rim planet called Metagos. The planet has managed to survive a cataclysmic solar flare disaster but has become a criminal playground far from the eyes of the Republic.

This book opens with Mace introducing himself to the locals of Metagos as a stranger looking for employment. As the story unfolds through a series of flashbacks we learn Mace's mission and the many complexities that stand in his way to finishing Qui-Gon's final wish.

Steven Barnes does a tremendous job of grounding the reader in the time frame of the novel as well as exploring the stark difference between life in and outside of Republic space. The history, world building and threats of Metagos are the bulk of the story beats in this book and the culture is fascinating and very diverse. Mace finds that many of the principles he lives his life by being constantly challenged by choices he needs to make and his time among the people he is meant to protect bring him emotional connections he never expected. It was so satisfying to have Mace have a starring in his own novel that honors all aspects of his personality. I especially enjoyed the mystical elements involving the Sa'ad and their connection to their world through dreams. This is a standalone read that is very new reader friendly. A great read for fans of Mace Windu as well as those new to reading in the Star Wars galaxy.