The rise of the Empire, the Inquisitors, and the birth of the Rebellion. 18. (Paul S. Kemp) – Vader and Palpatine stranded. 19. Tarkin (James Luceno) – Origin of the Grand Moff. 20. Ahsoka (E.K. Johnston) – Her life after leaving the Jedi Order. 21. Most Wanted (Rae Carson) – Han and Qi'ra. 22. Solo: A Star Wars Story (Mur Lafferty). 23. Thrawn (Timothy Zahn) – Origin of Grand Admiral Thrawn. 24. Thrawn: Alliances (Timothy Zahn). 25. Thrawn: Treason (Timothy Zahn). 26. Lost Stars (Claudia Gray) – The romance spanning the Original Trilogy (Essential). 27. Battlefront: Twilight Company (Alexander Freed). 28. Leia, Princess of Alderaan (Claudia Gray). 29. Rogue One (Alexander Freed) – Movie Novelization.

For slower-paced political entries, bumping the narration speed to 1.25x or 1.5x can help maintain momentum without ruining the sound effects.

These books explore what happened after the fall of the Second Death Star and lead into the sequel trilogy.

Below is the ordered catalog. For each entry: Title — Author — Year — Narrator(s) — Runtime (approx) — Canonicity — One-line description.

Highlights for me were the Thrawn trilogies (both canon and legends), the Revenge of the Sith novelization (far better than the film), and the Darth Bane trilogy — but honestly, every single entry adds something valuable. Even the “lesser” stories expand the lore in fun ways.

Before the Disney acquisition, this was the official Star Wars canon. These stories have now been rebranded as "Legends" and are beloved for their intricate, sprawling narratives.

: Written by Timothy Zahn and narrated by Marc Thompson. It serves as the historic "Episodes VII, VIII, and IX" for older fans.

Follow the Narrators: Look for names like Marc Thompson and Jonathan Davis; they are the definitive voices of Star Wars.