Pick up Right After the Events of Convergence with The Battle of Jedha

Random House Audio continues the trend of creating high-quality audio dramas complete with a full cast, and to wrap up 2022, we dive back into The High Republic. The Battle of Jedha by George Mann takes place after the events of Convergence; Path of Deceit, which introduced the Force cult named the Path of the Open Hand who have a notable presence throughout; and Quest for the Hidden City. In addition to connections to the Phase II published works that came before, Mann also incorporates concepts from “Tales of Enlightenment: New Prospects,” a two-part short story also written by Mann in Star Wars Insider set on Jedha, that are integral to the story.

Shortly after the events in Convergence, Jedi Master Creighton Sun (Raphael Corkhill) and Jedi Knight Aida Forte (Kristen Sieh) arrive on Jedha with delegations from Eiram and E’ronoh to oversee the planets’ peace talks, but little do they know that there are forces at work who seek to put a stop to the treaty and frame the Jedi Order in the process. After a series of attacks break out during the summit, the Jedi scramble to discover who’s responsible and it seems that everyone is a suspect. In addition to the Jedi and the Path of the Open Hand, Keth Cerapath (Brandon Mclnnis,) a young adjunct from the Church of the Force; Tilson Graf (Sullivan Jones,) an aristocrat who seeks to become mediator in the precarious summit; and Mesook from the Guardians of the Whills, the religious order sworn to protect Jedha’s mystical Temple of the Kyber, also play important roles throughout the story. Mann succeeds in crafting great characterization for the main characters, and the full voice cast is successfully delivers the gravitas and occasional comic relief necessary for this story to work. The production of the audio drama also lives up to the standard set by previous releases like Dooku Jedi Lost and Tempest Runner, with effective sound-effect work throughout and the use of John Williams’ iconic scores. The full cast is as follows:

Raphael Corkhill as Creighton Sun

Kristen Sieh as Aida Forte

Christian Barillas as Mesook

Jonathan Davis as Piralli

Sean Kenin Elias-Reyes as P3-7A

James Fouhey as Ensemble

Neil Hellegers as Elder Delwin

Philip Hernandez as Morton San Tekka

Catherine Ho as Silandra Sho

David Lee Huynh as Selik

Sullivan Jones as Tilson Graf

January LaVoy as The Mother

Saskia Maarleveld as Meldan

Kathleen McInerney as Moona

Brandon McInnis as Keth Cerapath

Cassandra Morris as Gella Nattai

John Pirkis as The Herald

Salli Saffioti as Ambassador Cerox

Marc Thompson as Mytion and Kradon

Shannon Tyo as Marda Ro

Final Thoughts: The Battle of Jedha is a great second act to Convergence and an absolute must for those keeping up with The High Republic initiative. Much like Phase I, the interconnectivity between High Republic content remains as strong as ever, even including content from a short story in Star Wars Insider published in December, which is rewarding for the most dedicated fans. From the writing to the production, The Battle of Jedha is a delight, and if you've enjoyed other Star Wars audio drama productions, there is no doubt you'll enjoy this. Also, to my surprise, the script for The Battle of Jedha is expected to release February 14 which is a significantly shorter wait than previous audio productions and great news for fans who can't wait to add a physical copy to their collection.

Click the image to see my visual review on Instagram