Star Wars: The Mask of Fear cover art

Star Wars: The Mask of Fear

Star Wars: Reign of the Empire, Book 1

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Star Wars: The Mask of Fear

By: Alexander Freed
Narrated by: January LaVoy
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Before the Rebellion, the Empire reigned. The first book in a new trilogy.

"In order to ensure the security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!"

With one speech, and thunderous applause, Chancellor Palpatine brought the era of the Republic crashing down. In its place rose the Galactic Empire. Across the galaxy, people rejoiced and celebrated the end to war—and the promises of tomorrow. But that tomorrow was a lie. Instead the galaxy became twisted by the cruelty and fear of the Emperor’s rule.

During that terrifying first year of tyranny, Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and Bail Organa face the encroaching darkness. One day, they will be three architects of the Rebel Alliance. But first, each must find purpose and direction in a changing galaxy, while harboring their own secrets, fears, and hopes for a future that may never come, unless they act.

©2025 Alexander Freed (P)2025 Penguin Audio Action & Adventure Adventure Fantasy Genre Fiction Movie, TV & Video Game Tie-Ins Science Fiction Space Opera Star Wars Interstellar

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I get that this might not be to some peoples taste like the reviewer below who called it boring. If you’re only used to reading Star Wars books in their beautiful pulpy glory, you might struggle with a novel as nuanced and patiently paced as this.
For me, getting inside the politics of the early days of the Empire and the various factions vying for the support of imperial citizens was something I’d wanted for a while and it did not dissapoint. The crowning glory of Freed’s book though was how he got inside the mind of Mon Mothma in her journey from liberal reformer to revolutionary fire brand and her emotional trauma in imperial detention. Chapter 17 was next level writing for a Star Wars book. Wonderfully narrated too. Good to hear a fresh voice on a Star Wars audiobook.

Brilliant writing. A gripping political thriller.

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Quite enjoyable, and covers many different perspectives across all sides of the Clone Wars.

The narrator was fine, but I can’t help but feel like a British narrator would have fit better.

I also didn’t like how the new governor who was introduced to Mon Mothma was basically a Texan, it was a bit on the nose.

A nice insight into a lesser seen part of the Star Wars Universe

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A great story that want more meat on their Star Wars Stories. This is not for your basic lightsaber fighting SW fan. It is for us that see the raise of Evil within politics and how people find themseles in a fight for what is right.

A more adult Star Wars Story

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I'm in two minds about this story.

On the one hand, it is interesting to establish links between Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera and Bail Organa, and the story offers an exploration of that slow decline of republic values and the steady rise of the brutal imperial methods. There is some emphasis on the casualness by which the empire dispenses cruelty, as well as the efficiency and power of it's information network, and both things are relevant to stories in later eras.

On the other hand, this book is a bit of a tangled mess of politics and minor action that leaves me unsure as to what it was actually ABOUT. It suffers from too many characters with too many individual stories and it's difficult to pick out a defining moment and say this was the main plot point, or here was the climax at the end. In a way it does a bit of an LOTR thing whereby the story is over then it goes on for another hour and just kind of fizzles into 'this is our lives now'. While there is tension, there is very little action, and if you like the swashbuckling adventures that usually come with Star Wars this is not that.

But it's not a bad book, and it's not a bad performance - it's just not great either. Midrange. If you have nothing else to spend a credit on, it's an ok listen.

The most mid Star Wars story

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A really brilliant and exciting addition to Star Wars world building. Excellent story with LOTS of resonances with today’s world. Look forward to next chapter.

Fantastic Story. Lots of resonance with today’s world. History rhymes

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This was a fantastic look into the early days of the empire and goes deep into the politics of the early days, but don't think that makes it boring, it is gripping and very hard to put down.

brilliant political story

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Good book, very reflective of our times and a good deconstruction of the drivers of both fascism and personal rebellion against it. Did suffer from periods of drag, and the large cast did make it hard to follow at times. Felt that the voice actress, whilst very good, did suffer slightly from a limited range of male voices so the distinction became challenging to follow.

Strongly appreciate that Star Wars has finally woken up to an audience that wants adult and overtly political work. Thank you Andor!

Good deconstruction of authoritarianism and the various ways in which people are motivated/choose to oppose it.

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January LaVoy gives a stellar performance narrating this, as always. The story itself was good but not the best Star Wars novel I've read / listened to. It's certainly worth a listen though

Great performance, decent story

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it's really difficult to keep listening to this book, the narrator is incredibly dull, most characters voiced simply sound the same and it just feels like she is phoning in the performance. compared to a legend like Marc Thompson and it just doesn't stack up

uninspiring narrator ruins the book

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I own and have listened to nearly all star wars books, legend and canon alike, this is by far one of the worst and the only one i have ever refunded. In short its dull with far to much reflection taking place, which is typical of the canon Star Wars universe.

Modern star wars books could be cut down to 5 hours a piece if it was not for the constant repetitiveness of describing what is going on around them and what the characters "Should of, Could of and Would of done" in given situations, its becoming all to familiar in the "Disney" star wars series and making them boring.
Disney spend far to much focus on the good guys of the star wars world and seem to do nothing with the bad guys and sith, it is becoming a chore making the universe one sided and very dull.

The book it self can be skipped as it seems to run just before and along side the Andor series and half of the things that happen in season 1 happens here,

Its just mainly a book on boring star wars politics featuring Mon Mothma, Bail Organa and Saw Gerrera and one of his side kicks, going about daily intrigue and gathering support and trying to sour the milk for palpatine. whilst constantly being reminded of the "Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda".

The Voice over for Yoda in one specific chapter is hilariously bad, the narrator could not have pulled it off any worse if she tried.

Star Wars books are getting awful,

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