"First Post-Rise of Skywalker Novel Explores New Star Wars Universe"

Star Wars fans are in for a treat as the universe expands beyond *The Rise of Skywalker*, and while Shawn Levy's *Star Wars: Starfighter* remains on the horizon, a new young adult novel titled *Star Wars: The Last Order* is set to offer an earlier glimpse into the post-2019 film era. Revealed via publisher Penguin Random House, this novel will delve deeper into the stories of John Boyega's Finn and Naomi Ackie's Jannah, characters introduced in *The Rise of Skywalker*.

The official synopsis for *Star Wars: The Last Order*, penned by Kwame Mbalia, promises an engaging narrative: “Following the end of *Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker*, the Resistance rescues a ship full of young passengers who had been kidnapped by the First Order. As Finn and Jannah set out to find the First Order officer responsible before he can endanger any more children, the two former stormtroopers must wrestle with their own complicated pasts as soldiers of the oppressive regime.”

This novel marks the first Star Wars project to explore the aftermath of *The Rise of Skywalker*, despite not being the first planned endeavor to do so. As for Shawn Levy's project, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has confirmed it will be a standalone story set five to six years after *The Rise of Skywalker*. In a recent interview with Deadline, Kennedy expressed, “It’s all post-[the first] nine. Shawn’s is a standalone *Star Wars* story that'll take place post-nine, maybe five or six years out.” Jonathan Tropper, the writer involved with the film, echoed this enthusiasm in a conversation with Screen Rant last month, stating, "I hope it's on the way sooner than you think." The film, starring Ryan Gosling, has been slated for release on May 28, 2027, as announced at Star Wars Celebration Japan.

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According to Penguin Random House, *Star Wars: The Last Order* is scheduled for release on October 21, 2025. Meanwhile, fans will have to wait a bit longer for Shawn Levy's *Star Wars: Starfighter*, set to hit theaters on May 28, 2027.