The Best Star Wars Books: A Fan’s Guide to the Galaxy’s Greatest Reads
I've been a Star Wars fan for as long as I can remember, and like a lot of fans, the films were just the start. Once you fall down the rabbit hole of Star Wars books, it's hard to climb back out. Especially considering there’s nearly 400 of them. An entire galaxy of stories beyond the Skywalker saga, some thrilling, some epic, some heartbreaking, and some that well, maybe you can skip.
If you're looking for the best Star Wars books, whether you're brand new to the Expanded Universe, or just trying to figure out where you should start, then read on, we’ve pulled together alist of a few of the fan favourites.
The Fan Pulse: What Star Wars Readers Actually Love
Before we get to my personal picks, it's worth seeing what the community is buzzing about.
Hang out on the Star Wars subreddit for five minutes and you'll see the same titles pop up like Force ghosts. Someone will declare The Thrawn Trilogy the greatest thing since hyperspace, another will die on the hill of the Darth Bane books, and then someone else will swerve left with Alphabet Squadron or Ronin.
One fan on Reddit summed it up neatly:
"The OG Thrawn Trilogy, the Bane Trilogy, Shadows of the Empire, the Dark Lord Trilogy, and the Republic books are the crown jewels."
Another chimed in with a modern twist:
"Alphabet Squadron and Ronin are literally some of the best Star Wars there has ever been."
The takeaway? There's no single "right" answer to what the best Star Wars books are—there are classics everyone respects, and then there are personal favorites that stick with you for life.
Best Star Wars Books for Beginners
If you're just starting your journey beyond the movies, these are the easiest (and most addictive) entry points:
The Thrawn Trilogy – Political intrigue, beloved characters, and a perfect continuation of the Original Trilogy's vibe.
Lost Stars – A love story set against the Galactic Civil War, full of action and heartbreak.
Master & Apprentice – Dive into the Jedi way of life through the lens of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's partnership.
These books don't overwhelm you with lore but still deliver all the thrills you'd expect from a galaxy far, far away. For more recommendations on epic space opera series, check out our guide to the genre.
Best Star Wars Books for Fans of The Clone Wars
If you're obsessed with The Clone Wars animated series, you'll love:
Dark Disciple – Based on unaired scripts, this is Ventress and Quinlan Vos's morally complex assassination mission.
Ahsoka – The in-between years of one of the saga's most beloved characters.
Dooku: Jedi Lost – An audio drama (also available in script form) that digs into Count Dooku's origins and fall.
These feel like missing arcs from the series—perfect for filling gaps in the timeline.
Best Star Wars Books About the Sith
If you're fascinated by the dark side of the Force, you can't skip:
Darth Bane Trilogy – How one Sith reshaped the entire order with the Rule of Two.
Darth Plagueis – Palpatine's rise, Sith philosophy, and the ultimate manipulation game.
Lords of the Sith – Vader and the Emperor stranded together, fighting for survival.
These novels dig deep into power, ambition, and the dangerous temptation of the dark side. For readers who love exploring the villain's perspective, our guide to how to write compellig characters offers more on what makes an antagonist, well, antagonising.
The Critics' Shortlist of the Best Star Wars Books
Major entertainment sites tend to agree on a core lineup. SlashFilm's mega-list of 29 all-time greats mixes Legends and new canon, while Entertainment Weekly's top ten puts Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy at the very top. It also celebrates Darth Bane, Master & Apprentice, Dark Disciple, Bloodline, Darth Plagueis, and old-school fun like The Han Solo Adventures.
Even Goodreads—where readers have rated thousands of Star Wars novels—shows a clear hierarchy. Heir to the Empire leads the pack, with Path of Destruction, Darth Plagueis, and Matthew Stover's Revenge of the Sith novelization all holding strong positions.
And that last one? It's a revelation. Stover's novel takes the Episode III story you know and injects it with more tragedy, emotional clarity, and character depth than the film had time to explore.
My Personal Top 10 Best Star Wars Books
These are the ones I'd recommend to anyone, whether you're a casual fan or someone who can recite all of Palpatine's speeches from memory.
The Thrawn Trilogy – Timothy Zahn
Darth Bane: Path of Destruction – Drew Karpyshyn
Lost Stars – Claudia Gray
Master & Apprentice – Claudia Gray
Dark Disciple – Christie Golden
Darth Plagueis – James Luceno
Revenge of the Sith (Novelization) – Matthew Stover
Ahsoka – E.K. Johnston
Outbound Flight – Timothy Zahn
Alphabet Squadron Trilogy – Alexander Freed
Looking for more science fiction with tactical brilliance? The Thrawn books deliver that in spades.
Canon vs. Legends: Should You Care?
Some of the best stories—Thrawn Trilogy, Darth Bane, Darth Plagueis—are technically non-canon Legends now. But honestly? Don't let that stop you. Treat them like myths within the galaxy: they may not be "official," but they still feel authentic and carry all the Star Wars magic you're here for.
Why the Best Star Wars Books Matter to the Saga
The movies will always be the centerpiece, but the books give you the quiet moments, the political maneuvering, and the moral dilemmas the films can't show. They let you spend time with characters you love—or learn to love characters you barely noticed before.
When I first read Darth Plagueis, Palpatine's rise suddenly made a lot more sense. When I finished Lost Stars, I realized the Galactic Civil War wasn't just a battle of fleets, it was a million personal stories of loyalty, love, and impossible choices.
Final Thought: Your Next Hyperspace Jump
If you're ready to explore the galaxy beyond the big screen, these are the best Star Wars books to start with. Just be warned: once you start reading, you may not want to stop until you've explored every corner of this galaxy far, far away.
For more recommendations on epic book series that will keep you reading for weeks, explore our curated lists of the best in sci-fi and fantasy.