This is not a good story, and I regret buying it. I'd heard that it wasn't the best, and about some specific issues, but I was still curious. Don't make the same mistake.

The writing is mediocre, but worse, the characters are noticeably out of character: Cal Kestis, who has a lot of trauma from betrayal by clones, cheerfully introduces himself and everyone in his found family to an helmet-less stormtrooper who's just turned up claiming to be a deserter, with no proof whatsoever that she's not another betrayal waiting to happen. (Guess what happens?) Merrin gets it worse: besides her magic being weakened purely as a plot contrivance, her very reasonable worry about that is almost forgotten as soon as this female stormtrooper doffs her armour, replaced by just lust.

And, oh, the author very much wants us to know how attractive this invented characer is. The descriptions of their appearance are practically drooling over her body. It's like it was written by a man.

There are some good moments: Merrin using magic to hold off a lightsaber with her hands protecting Cal? Liked that. But a good moment here and there doesn't make up for the rest. The only real high point of this book is the LGBTQA+ representation: Merrin having this short-term girlfriend, and said girlfriend's ex-girlfriend, however weakly the relationships are written, and even that isn't without some really not-good moments.

I wish I could get my money back. I need to go replay the games to get the bad taste out of my mouth. Don't buy it.