'Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel' Book Review
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Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel is a publishing spin-off that is perfectly loyal to its source material and easily something that could have slotted into the world of the show it draws from. Set near the end of Season 2 of the show, with the Batch looking to help Pabu recover after a terrible sea surge, they end up attracting very hostile attention in the form of an ISB operative and a strange but chilling foe with links to the Empire. We’re going to be avoiding discussing ANY spoilers for this one, but if you are a fan of the Batch, Star Wars is absolutely spoiling you with this and other recent or upcoming releases.
We can’t say much more about the novel’s plot, as Lucasfilm Publishing has done a good job of keeping their cards up their sleeve with this one. But we will add that, while the novel strikes more of an adult tone with some of its additions to the world of the Batch, The Bad Batch wasn’t above a tone like that itself, especially as Season 2 ended, and throughout most of Season 3. Things do get rather intense here, and maybe, in the context of the show, they would have been toned down. But the fact that they aren’t here, and it is a realistic depiction of the Star Wars galaxy at this time, also helps the novel pull from the same secret sauce that makes Andor so enjoyed by fans.
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Another key element to how the novel so perfectly replicates the show is how it presents the characters. Phee, Hunter, and Tech all get substantial POV sections, with Wrecker and Omega getting less, but with no less impact either in how they’re presented. Phee is still a confident, somewhat infuriating scoundrel paired against Hunter’s extremely practical, protectionist mindset, while Tech plays the role of peacekeeper between them and others when disagreements flare up. The absence of certain figures is also briefly noted, but the intensity of the situation means not much time is spent on their absence. However, we will say even with Crosshair gone, he finds a way to make an impact at an interesting moment of the story.
Another praiseworthy element that helps reinforce the novel as perfectly in line with The Bad Batch is the location jumping. While Season 3 set the Batch on Pabu for many of its episodes, Seasons 1 and 2 saw various locales of varied geography and habitation presented to the audience. Here, we’re given the same thing: a trip to a familiar world followed by a series of new planets and environments that stand out for various reasons. There’s also a lot of travel aboard the Marauder, and because of that, we’re given more information about the layout of the ship. It has a great deal more space than what we ever saw on the show, and it makes one wish we had an episode mostly, if not wholly, set aboard that shuttle so fans got to get a look at the sleeping quarters and kitchen area that appear in this book.
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For all of the above reasons, and others we can’t discuss, Sanctuary feels like a tie-in story future Star Wars publishing projects should look to in order to guide their efforts, if they relate to any upcoming or past projects. Here’s to hoping that Outlaws: Low Red Moon, coming out next year and serving as a tie-in to Star Wars Outlaws, is just as gripping and authentic to its source material as Sanctuary is to The Bad Batch!
Rating: 10/10
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Source(s): Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel
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