Book Review: Sanctuary

Finally catching up on my Star Wars reading (again), I read Lamar Giles' Sanctuary. I loved The Bad Batch, so this is one I was very excited for- and it did not disappoint. Set during the mid-end of season 2 of the show, this is a really fun adventure that feels exactly like it could be a few episodes of the show. It fits really well with where the characters are at this point in their journey and serves as a really interesting character study as we get to be in their heads for the first time, plus it introduces some compelling new characters and their stories. I struggled to put this book down, and if you are even a little bit a fan of The Bad Batch then this book is definitely one to pick up!

Pick up your own copy of Sanctuary here!

Spoilers ahead for Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel by Lamar Giles.

The stand-outs of this book for me were easily Hunter and Tech. The deep dive we get into Hunter's character in Sanctuary was truly fascinating. While he obviously gets his share of focus in the show, I feel like I really got to understand him better from being in his head. His frustration with their position at this point came through really well- he feels a bit lost on his options. Everyone seems to want different things and he's unsure about what he really wants. He channels that frustration into a desperation to keep his family- especially Omega- safe, which leads to conflict within the team as it makes him more and more difficult to work with. He has to have a lot of tough conversations and do a lot of introspection throughout the book to get to the Hunter we have by the end of the series, and it was really interesting to read his inner thoughts through it all. I think truly witnessing just how much Hunter loves his family and sees Omega as his daughter just made me like him even more than I already did.

Then there's Sanctuary's other big star, Tech. This book takes place shortly before Tech's tragic death in season 2, so it's really heartbreaking to read his thoughts about what potential futures he sees for himself- and that's a constant throughout the book. Tech is also a character that says he thinks and sees the galaxy differently than most other people, and Giles really embodied that whenever the book switched to his perspective. Tech's chapters feel different than other characters, because he's processing the information around him differently than they are. It was really just done (and not just Tech- Hunter's perspective, for example really exemplified the way his heightened senses change the way he perceives his surroundings).

Phee Genoa also features quite heavily in this book, and her points of view were as fun as she is. I especially loved the way her relationship with Tech was written (making the lost potential more tragic). While I already shipped it for sure, I did interpret it as a little more one-sided from Phee, with Tech not entirely sure about it yet. Giles takes a different approach, with Tech very aware of the flirting and pretty sure about his feelings, enjoying their playful banter and encouraging it- just with Tech being Tech, it looks different than we're used to. They have some really sweet moments, including at the very beginning of the book when they're undercover at an auction as husband and wife.

While they don't get as much focus as Hunter and Tech, Omega and Wrecker of course play big parts in this book. Some of my favorite scenes were with Wrecker's, where he always reminds us that he is much more emotionally intelligent than people give him credit for. He's a stable presence throughout the book, offering insight to a conflicted Hunter about their role in the evolving galaxy and what their futures could look like. Omega also once again proves that she's wise beyond her years, and her optimism and love for adventure make her a shining beacon in the book just like she is in the show. I loved a scene where she discussed the future she wants for their family in the future, fearful yet accepting of everyone possibly going their own way. It not only fits right in for where these characters are in their journeys at this point in the show, but also to where they'll go in the end.

And then there are two characters that aren't even in the book- Crosshair and Echo. Despite never appearing (outside of Hunter having a dream about him and Crosshair when they were younger), their absence is bigger than their presence ever will be. They get named a few times- most notably when the rest of the team is arguing with Hunter about one of Phee's jobs. But you can feel their memory lingering- whether its the fact that Tech doesn't have an extra set of hands to help with slicing or when an ally is revealed to have been a former sniper- you're reminded of them even when the book doesn't name them. I think its commendable that Giles was able to capture that feeling so well, just like the show did.

The book also introduces a new cast of both villains and tenuous allies. I don't want to reveal too much about any of them- as I think uncovering their stories as the book goes along is such a treat. But the two villains- ISB Agent Crane and wealthy criminal Celia Moten are both chilling. Manipulative, powerful and cold-blooded, they're such a great match-up against the Batch, as well as each other. Then our tenuous allies, Sohi and Ponder are just as interesting- both for their ties to our villains and even to the Bad Batch themselves. It takes a long time to figure out exactly how much you want the crew to trust Sohi and Ponder, but I personally grew a love for them throughout the book.

Have you read Sanctuary? Let us know what you thought of the book!