But which Star Wars novels are the best of the lot?
Read on for 15 of the best Star Wars books of all time – from Heir to the Empire to The Fallen Star – as well as whether they feature in the Legends or canon continuity.
1. Heir to the Empire (1991) – Legends
Timothy Zahn is largely credited as the man who breathed new life into the Star Wars franchise during a quiet spell in the 1990s, and Heir to the Empire is the one that started it all.
Creating new – although now admittedly non-canon – lore with impressive attention to detail, this first book in what became known as the original Thrawn trilogy introduced readers to a vast array of new characters (not least the menacing Grand Admiral Thrawn himself), as well as adding interesting layers to existing ones like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.
While the story amps up in follow-up novels Dark Force Rising and The Last Command, the joy of exploring these fresh ideas for the first time makes Heir the best of the lot.
2. Jedi Search (1994) – Legends
Zahn wasn’t the only trilogy writer in the game in the early ‘90s, with Kevin J Anderson’s Jedi Academy trilogy following Luke Skywalker as he sets up a Jedi training camp, with Jedi Search setting the scene with impressive ambition.
While Anderson may not offer the punchy dialogue that Zahn has become known for, his out-there ideas feel incredibly Star Wars-y, the scale of his world-building indicative of an author who knows this universe inside out.
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3. I, Jedi (1998) – Legends
Even though the Star Wars bookverse was several novels deep by the late ‘90s, Michael A Stackpole did something even those inventive outings had yet to do – providing a first-person tale from a character never seen in the films.
Following Corran Horn as he learns to develop his Jedi skills under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker, tying in with the aforementioned Jedi Academy trilogy in the process, this provides an interesting insight into how one develops their understanding of the Force, and explores what happens when Luke takes on the role of his former mentor Yoda.
4. Vision of the Future (1998) – Legends 
Vision of the Future. Bantam Spectra
In a twist from the usual trilogy set-up, Vision of the Future rounds off the duology The Hand of Thrawn, which picks up after the events of The Last Command.
While author Timothy Zahn arguably takes on a few too many subplots in these books, the chance to spend time with lesser-known characters – including those close to Grand Admiral Thrawn, such as Admiral Gilad Pellaeon – is a real treat, and the twists are typically entertaining to uncover.
5. Labyrinth of Evil (2005) – Legends
Though the Prequel trilogy introduced a number of great villains, it often felt like they were slightly undercooked. Labyrinth of Evil, set in the lead-up to Revenge of the Sith, goes some way to making them a little more ready-to-eat (this analogy went off the rails fast).
Offering greater insight into General Grievous, and especially his relationship with the unflappable Count Dooku, this is one for the proper Prequel-heads among us.
6. Allegiance (2007) – Legends
Stormtrooper helmets are up there with the most iconic symbols in the Star Wars franchise – but what goes on in the heads of those inside them was largely unexplored in the Original trilogy.
Thankfully, Timothy Zahn’s Allegiance, which follows five Imperial Stormtroopers as they become disillusioned with the Empire, more than makes up for lost time.
Bringing humanity to a group of characters that so often offer little besides poor accuracy and monotone one-liners, this unique tale is a prime example of the level of detail the Star Wars novels can provide, away from the constraints of the filmmaking process.
7. Darth Plagueis (2012) – Legends
Darth Plagueis. Random House Worlds
Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? Now you have. While this James Luceno novel is in the ‘Legends’ category, meaning it’s non-canon, this prequel tale exploring Palpatine’s rise from Plagueis apprentice to Plagueis slayer could easily remain the official backstory, making it all the more worthwhile to read.
While Palpatine obviously plays a key role in the wider Star Wars story, it’s easy to forget that, in the Original trilogy, the character wasn’t too major a screen presence. So, any extra details on the master manipulator are a joy to behold, and Luceno’s psychological thriller dives deeper into the Sith Lord’s story than any of the films ever could.
8. Scoundrels (2013) – Legends
There are few Star Wars characters out there who are more of a blast to hang out with than Han Solo and Chewbacca, and Zahn clearly knows this – crafting a light-hearted and gag-filled novel that follows our favourite smugglers as they join forces with Lando Calrissian and a ragtag group of ne’er-do-wells to pull off their biggest score yet.
Free from the pressure of galaxy-ending crises, Zahn is able to focus on fun in this slightly silly romp, making it one of the most outright enjoyable reads in his extensive bibliography.
9. A New Dawn (2014) – Canon
Star Wars: Rebels amassed a huge following throughout its four-season run, and continues to influence the franchise through shows such as Ahsoka and The Mandalorian.
For those who haven’t yet seen the show, though, or for those simply wanting more from its characters, John Jackson Miller’s A New Dawn provides the perfect introduction to this extensive world, offering a canon prequel to the hit Disney+ series.
10. Thrawn: Alliances (2018) – Canon
Bringing Grand Admiral Thrawn into Star Wars’ literary canon was an exciting moment in 2017, when the simply-titled ‘Thrawn’ hit bookshelves around the globe, but 2018 sequel Alliances offers the peak of this three-book arc.
Getting to dive first-hand into the psyche of the galaxy’s most cunning tactician, all while he’s butting heads with its most formidable villain in Darth Vader, makes Alliances one of the most fascinating – and tense – reads in Star Wars lore.
11. Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil (2021) – Canon
Eleven books in and countless stories down, you might assume the whole ‘Thrawn’ thing was getting tiresome for both us as readers and Zahn as a writer by 2021, but the prolific author simply keeps finding new ways to keep the character interesting.
In the Ascendancy trilogy, Zahn takes us back to the future war expert’s early days on his home planet of Csilla, as he struggles to navigate internal politics but shows early signs of his military prowess.
Stripping back Thrawn’s tools and seeing how he interacts with fellow Chiss is fascinating throughout, but the story comes to a chilling climax in this twist-filled finale.
12. Light of the Jedi (2021) – Canon
Light of the Jedi. Del Rey
There was a lot of pressure on Charles Soule back in 2021, as he was tasked with launching a brand new High Republic multimedia project – but thankfully he delivered.
Taking readers back to 200 years before The Phantom Menace, Light of the Jedi not only had to create new characters and dynamics, but also lay the groundwork for an entirely fresh era in the Star Wars storyline.
Through crafting instantly likeable characters such as noble leader Avar Kriss and wise Master Loden Greatstorm, as well as establishing what the Republic looked like centuries before the films, it proves a winning start to a whole new chapter for the franchise.
13. Brotherhood (2022) – Canon
While the on-screen chemistry between Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor did a lot of heavy lifting in the prequel trilogy, viewers don’t get that much time to really dive into the ‘brotherly’ relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan – but, unsurprisingly, Brotherhood helps to make up for that.
Set during the Clone Wars, this novel follows the duo as they’re caught in a chilling conspiracy during a politically tense visit to Cato Neimoidia, with author Mike Chen peeling back the layers of their dynamic and taking a comprehensive look at what makes them tick.
Some plot points might be slightly predictable, but the back-and-forth between the pair keeps things interesting throughout.
14. Padawan (2022) – Canon
Padawan. Disney Lucasfilm Press
It goes without saying that Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of Star Wars’ most iconic characters, and Kiersten White’s Padawan offers a canon tale in Kenobi’s time as a – you guessed it – Padawan.
After his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, goes AWOL, a young Obi-Wan spots an opportunity to prove himself, showing signs of the intelligence and wit that helped him to become one of the Jedi Council’s most trusted members.
15. The Fallen Star (2022) – Canon
Claudia Gray takes the themes laid out in Light of the Jedi and its sequel The Rising Storm and explores them with greater depth in The Fallen Star, as the author examines the political and psychological consequences of the Nihil’s attack on the Republic Fair.
With the Jedi left shaken, Gray takes a character-first approach to demonstrate how the chaos on Valo changed the culture of the Republic – and lays the groundwork for the paranoia that the Jedi Masters of the Prequel trilogy are still working through centuries later.
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