Review: FACPOV - Return of the Jedi Is the Trilogy's Brightest Sun

From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi shines on every page, marking a triumphant end to a brilliant trilogy.

Some trilogies struggle to end with strong, memorable fanfare. This book is not one of those endings.

FACPOV: Return of the Jedi is my favorite of the FACPOV books that have been released. Which is interesting and honestly amazing, considering ROTJ is among my least favorite Star Wars movies. That really just speaks to how effective it is in recontextualizing the events of the movie and how well-crafted each individual story is, and how well all of them fit together as one big package.

Why do these stories work so well separately and together? I’ll give you two important reasons. One: They’re filled with dynamic, intriguing characters who are finally given space to bloom and expand. Many of them are background characters you wouldn’t typically give a second glance to. Others offer points of view you never knew you needed, like the climactic events of the first act chronicled through the sarlacc’s … eyes? And others still may never have gotten to have voices in the original trilogy at all without this book. I’m looking at you, Dex.

Two: Every story has a strong, unique, memorable and passionate voice. There’s a reason these authors were chosen to contribute to an anthology like this. You can feel the love of Star Wars on every page of the book. Each author comes at this with their own experiences and perspectives, so you’re not just seeing the events of the movie retold 40 different ways. All 40 stories look at Star Wars and its overarching meanings in different ways.

For those who don’t know, I should clarify that the From a Certain Point of View books each include 40 stories by 40 authors to celebrate the 40th anniversary for their respective Star Wars movies. There’s been one for both A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and today marks the release of the one chronicling the characters and events of Return of the Jedi.

And I know what you’re thinking: This must mean there are so many stories set on Tatooine and Endor! And you’re right! Of the three books, though, I do think this one balances this out the best. Due to the nature of the movie’s storyline, yes, you’re going to spend a lot of time on Tatooine. But there’s enough variety in the stories, and enough background on the characters, that it’s quite manageable. I was sad to leave Tatooine – not something I’ve ever been able to say before, so there’s that.

For me, the back half of the book really hit hard, but that’s also the part of the movie I tend to like more, so I don’t think it had much to do with the stories themselves – there were many in the first half that had me smiling and feeling feelings. More on that in a minute.

Let’s be honest: What you want to know if you’re listening to or reading this review is: Is the book good? Is it worth reading? Is it worth my time? And my answer to all these questions, regardless of how I feel about the nature of said questions, is yes. There are some stories in here that are going to break you, and some that will actually change the way you watch the movie. There are some authors you’re going to want to check out, and may even cross your fingers that they’ll get to come back and write more Star Wars someday.

The biggest takeaway from this book as a whole is that even if you don’t vibe with every story, there will be at least one story that’s for you. Everyone has at least one character or moment from Return of the Jedi they enjoy revisiting – even me! I can guarantee there’s something in it for you. Even if it’s to find out how the Whills trilogy at the end of every book finally concludes because that alone was worth the wait.

If I had to pick three stories I’d consider “top picks” – in no particular order – they’d be “The Chronicler” by Danielle Paige, “The Veteran” by Adam Lance Garcia, and “Wolf Trap” by Alyssa Wong. Honorable mentions: Marc Thompson’s reading of “My Mouth Never Closes” and also Marc Thompson’s reading of “The Plan” – I can’t say I particularly thought extensively about Malakili before this, but now I’m invested, and the narration of Saladin Ahmed’s already phenomenal story made me love it even more. There’s another recommendation for you: the audiobook. Even if you’re not typically an audiobook listener, I highly recommend this one as another way to experience these stories. The narration adds even more depth to many of these stories and makes them hit even harder in many cases.

We waited years for this book, and it’s finally here. Set aside some time over the next few weeks to work your way through it, because it’s lengthy. But it’s worth spending time digesting. There are already stories from this anthology I’ve gone back and reread, and that’s quite unusual for me. To me, the measure of a “good” story is whether or not you’re still thinking about it days after you’ve first encountered it. And I am. I think I will be for a very long time.

From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi is available now wherever you get your Star Wars books.