Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear is a novel by Alexander Freed that was published by Random House Worlds on February 25, 2025. The novel was codenamed Furore during development, and was officially announced on July 29, 2024. It is the first novel in the Star Wars: Reign of the Empire trilogy.
Publisher's summary[]
Before the Rebellion, the Empire reigns, in book one of a trilogy told through the eyes of Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Saw Gerrera.
"In order to ensure the security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!"
With one speech, and thunderous applause, Chancellor Palpatine brought the era of the Republic crashing down. In its place rose the Galactic Empire. Across the galaxy, people rejoiced and celebrated the end to war—and the promises of tomorrow. But that tomorrow was a lie. Instead the galaxy became twisted by the cruelty and fear of the Emperor's rule.
During that terrifying first year of tyranny, Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and Bail Organa face the encroaching darkness. One day, they will be three architects of the Rebel Alliance. But first, each must find purpose and direction in a changing galaxy, while harboring their own secrets, fears, and hopes for a future that may never come, unless they act.
Development[]
Background[]
- "The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that. And know this, the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance will have flooded the banks of the Empire's authority and then there will be one too many. One single thing will break the siege. Remember this. Try."
- ―Karis Nemik, in Andor
Mon Mothma (left) and Bail Prestor Organa (right) are two major pillars of the Reign of the Empire trilogy.
Mask of Fear is part of the wider Star Wars: Reign of the Empire trilogy addressing the Imperial Era[1] and rise of the Alliance to Restore the Republic over the course of twenty years,[5] with Mask of Fear in specific covering[6] a narrow period[7] during the first year of Imperial reign,[6] beginning a mere three weeks after the Battle of Coruscant.[8] Subsequent books jump forward in the timeline to take full advantage of the allotted time frame.[6] The Mask of Fear[9] and the wider Reign of the Empire series[10] follows three[9] "pillar characters," as dubbed by Random House Worlds editor Tom Hoeler; these three are[10] Senator and eventual rebel leader[11] Mon Mothma,[10] Senator and secret early rebel organizer[12] Bail Prestor Organa,[10] and Partisan leader[13] Saw Gerrera,[10] himself an early example of someone who offered armed resistance to the Empire.[13] Each appearing across the trilogy in what Hoeler figured would be a fairly equal capacity,[14] the three each have their own viewpoints that result in them interacting with each other, clashing against themselves, and coming together in what Hoeler promised were "great" ways.[15] Hoeler further promised that the trilogy would feature new characters, with some of those characters passing between books and growing with each installment.[10] These original characters are able to change and evolve in ways unlike Gerrera, Mothma, and Organa, who all mark the passage of time and can change in their own ways,[15] but who already possess other canonical stories that detail their histories, including fates for Gerrera[16] and Organa.[17]
The origins of Reign of the Empire, and with it The Mask of Fear, lied with a desire to tell stories with the same "real" feeling as Andor,[18] a Star Wars Disney+ series that, in part, features a political perspective on the rebel movement through the eyes of Mothma[19] and an on-the-ground perspective through characters like Gerrera.[20] Indeed, the novel is written with fans of Andor in mind[21] and found its title from Andor dialogue;[22] in Andor, the early rebel Karis Nemik identifies that "oppression is the mask of fear" in his rebel manifesto.[4] All the same, Hoeler has acknowledged that trying to match Andor's successes is a lofty goal[18] and noted how the series is not a direct Andor tie-in,[22] instead explaining that it covers similar ground as Andor by drawing on the intent and specificity seen in that show.[18] All the same, the team behind The Mask of Fear nonetheless worked to ensure their work lined up with other Star Wars stories, as is standard practice for Star Wars productions,[23] and were granted some details about the then-upcoming Andor Season 2.[24]
Saw Gerrera (pictured in 19 BBY, around the time frame of The Mask of Fear) is the third pillar of The Mask of Fear and Reign of the Empire overall alongside Mothma and Organa.
Hoeler has further stated that Reign of the Empire contains looks into the underlying politics of the Imperial Era and questions of how people on the "same side" differ,[25] a theme also explored in Andor[20] and other Star Wars works.[25] According to Hoeler, the trilogy also connects well with Dr. Chris Kempshall's then-recent book Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire.[26] Mask of Fear is written by[1] the long time Star Wars author[27] Alexander Freed,[1] who previously has dived into themes of resisting the Empire in works like the rebel-focused novel Battlefront: Twilight Company,[28] Alphabet Squadron trilogy of novels,[29] and the Mothma-focused short story "Contingency Plan."[11] Hoeler identified "Contingency Plan" as a story for fans to read while they were waiting for Mask of Fear[30] and was very pleased Freed agreed to join the project. The subsequent two novels are written by Rebecca Roanhorse and Fran Wilde, respectively, who were also returning to the Star Wars universe with the project.[31] Whereas Roanhorse's novel deals more with the rise of the rebellion, The Mask of Fear depicts the first seeds of revolution as regular citizens ponder how dangerous the times ahead of them are while the Imperial Era begins.[32]
Writing and content[]
- "I'm enormously excited to be a part of this project and explore an era of Star Wars especially rich with the nuanced stories of 'ordinary' citizens—people living inside the machinery of the Empire, still figuring out what's happened to their government and in violent disagreement over ideas of democracy, resistance, revolution, and complicity. It's a chance to write a political thriller and spy drama and sweeping historical epic all at once, as well as spotlight Mon Mothma—a character I've been passionate about for ages. I can only hope the end result does justice to the grand themes of the prequel films, and manages a similar blend of timelessness and relevance."
- ―Alexander Freed, on The Mask of Fear
Author Alexander Freed (pictured) defines The Mask of Fear as a political thriller, spy drama, and wide-reaching historical epic all in one.
According to Freed, The Mask of Fear is a combination of a political thriller, a spy drama, and a wide-reaching historical epic.[1] Hoeler echoed that sentiment, calling the book something of a political spy thriller, although he did understand comparisons to "West Wing"-style stories.[33] According to Hoeler, the novel also deals with themes of grief as the Imperial Era begins.[34] With the Jedi Order destroyed, the Republic transformed into the Empire, and his comrade and fellow senator Padmé Amidala dead,[35] Senator Organa finds himself carrying the weight of those losses on the hope of taking those burdens from others.[34] Compounding Organa's emotional state is his status as a new father[36] after adopting Amidala's daughter, Leia.[35] Trying to do right by her while also dealing with his emotions, his losses, and the actions of the newly anointed Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine creates strife in Organa, who nonetheless has support in Leia and[36] his wife, Queen[35] Breha Organa.[36]
The novel also deals with the Delegation of 2,000 and Amidala's legacy, with the team consulting the deleted Delegation subplot from Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith as a guide.[37] When discussing his editing work, Hoeler joked that a good portion of the notes his team offered were "just screeching about Mon Mothma."[38] One line featured within the novel—"All else was shadow"—was stated by Hoeler to be a reference to author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writing style.[39] Whether the line made sense in context was a matter of contention during the proofreading process, but the team decided the "vibes" fit the story.[40] One scene between Mothma and the character of Lud Marroi[41] was, by Hoeler's reckoning, written at least a year or up to eighteen months before February 2025.[42] Chapter 67 remained largely the same since its appearance in draft one of The Mask of Fear, with only two sentences within changing. One of those changes was to add a non-intrusive reference[43] that the team was very proud of,[44] with Hoeler describing it as a "deep-cut" reference.[43] The reference was added very late into production by someone whom Hoeler described as a "very smart person."[44] The chapter contains a reference to Aftermath: Life Debt: the line "You're an administrator. So administrate" from Mothma to Grand Vizier Mas Amedda in the 2016 Aftermath: Life Debt[45] by Chuck Wendig, something Hoeler thanked Wendig for writing as a "killer line,"[46] was recontextualized as something Amedda once says to Mothma in The Mask of Fear.[45] The connection was made when someone on the team suggested going onto Life Debt to find a connection.[46]
According to Hoeler, every time he reads through The Mask of Fear he has the feeling he will never emotionally recover from its events.[47] He further described the book's tone by posting lyrics from the Linkin Park song "One More Light" as if they were sung by Bail Organa[48] and compared its tone, story, and setting to the well-known opening of[49] author Matthew Stover's 2005 novelization of Revenge of the Sith,[50] which Hoeler believed fit very well.[51] Hoeler also told a fan who analyzed the Empire's rise to power[52] as an outgrowth of the Republic's sudden militarization, Palpatine's quick assumption of emergency powers, the suffering inflicted by the Clone Wars, the public's willingness to accept Imperial rule in the name of security due to that war, and the protection granted to the economic elites under the Empire[53] that they had addressed a key theme from The Mask of Fear and the overall Reign of the Empire trilogy.[52]
Mon Mothma stands alone in pushing for change in the Imperial Senate within Andor, a scene that resembles the cover of The Mask of Fear.
The team behind The Mask of Fear decided against including a traditional Star Wars opening crawl, instead beginning the book with two quotes from Revenge of the Sith: Palpatine's proclamation of the Empire and Amidala's sad reflection that the death of liberty has been met with "thunderous applause."[54] Those lines were, in the words of Hoeler, "picture perfect" for The Mask of Fear, although he was unsure if subsequent Reign of the Empire books would follow that trend.[55] The cover of The Mask of Fear is by artist Marko Manev,[56] whose work was intended to depict a quiet sense of isolation,[57] scene, and, quite importantly, the scale of Imperial power. To sell those points, Manev's cover depicts Mothma standing alone in the Imperial Senate, where she is surrounded by other senatorial pods. However, she is the only one to float forward and light up against the room's darkness.[56] While Hoeler figured that Organa, Mothma, and Gerrera would receive equal time in the spotlight in each book, it was ultimately Mothma who got the "cover treatment" in The Mask of Fear.[14] The light shining on Mothma on the cover represents both a beacon within the Dark Times and a spotlight upon the rebellious senator.[57] In effect, the cover is similar to an Imperial Senate scene in Andor.[58]
Announcement and teases[]
On April 1, 2024, an upcoming book codenamed "Furore" was teased via the Random House website.[59] In July 2024, "Furore" was further advertised as a "movie & TV tie-in" science fiction book set to released on February 25, 2025. Already speculated by Star Wars fans to be an upcoming franchise release,[60] an updated listing on the Random House site later confirmed that the text was indeed a Star Wars novel.[61] On July 28,[62] ultimately only one day before The Mask of Fear and the greater Reign of the Empire saga was announced,[1] Hoeler teased that an announcement about "Furore" was to come in the near future, as per Random House Worlds' publishing schedule.[62] In a subsequent quote tweet, Hoeler offered fans a chance to earn a free copy of "Furore"—which he would pay for himself—provided they could correctly guess the story-to-be.[63] In the early hours of July 29, Hoeler then said a new Star Wars book would be announced the next day or in the near future, provided it was possible to do so.[64] Finally, the Reign of the Empire trilogy, and with it The Mask of Fear, was announced later on July 29th via Io9,[1] much to the joy of the Random House Star Wars team[65] and io9 deputy editor James Whitbrook, who had the chance to write the trilogy's reveal article. Whitbrook identified The Mask of Fear as a political thriller.[66] Hoeler also showed an example hardcover book with The Mask of Fear cover on July 29, 2024, to demonstrate what the physical novel would look like.[67]
Bail Organa finds himself grieving the Republic and lost friends in The Mask of Fear (Organa pictured during the formation of the Empire with Senator Padmé Amidala, who died shortly thereafter)
The trilogy was specifically not announced at the recent San Diego Comic Con in order to give it its own time and space, which further enabled the publishing panel at the convention to focus on other upcoming works. Additionally, it was decided revealing The Mask of Fear and Reign of the Empire after San Diego Comic Con would be a fun surprise to fans.[68] No fan who responded to Hoeler's contest correctly guessed the premise of The Mask of Fear, although he did note one fan got close. No matter the case, he decided to honor some of the closest guesses in the name of fair play by providing them with free books.[69] Also revealed alongside the book was Manev's cover.[56] As a forewarning, Hoeler also told fans of how the book saw Organa "going through some things"[70] as he grieved the Republic, the Jedi, and lost friends.[34] Hoeler further stated that its first chapter alone would be enough to make a fan cry.[71] Hoeler also confirmed that Queen Breha Organa[72] and Mon Mothma's husband Perrin Fertha were featured in The Mask of Fear, confirming the latter[73][74][75] after joking he wanted to add the words "who sucks" next to Fertha's name every time it appeared.[76] On September 20, Hoeler teased the characters of Karama and Chemish,[77] who are both featured in The Mask of Fear,[78] as characters he was excited for fans to meet in "the not too distant future."[77]
Early releases and further teases[]
- "Mon Mothma requests your aid."
- ―The Comic Con giveaway code phrase
The advanced reader copy of The Mask of Fear
On October 4, 2024, the official Star Wars Books account teased that something relating to The Mask of Fear would transpire at that month's New York Comic Con.[80] Hoeler quoted the post with a line about Delegation of 2,000 leadership[81] and, on October 11, promised the post would finally be explained:[82] that day, the Star Wars Books account revealed that an advanced reader's copy of The Mask of Fear would see an early release at New York Comic Con. In order to secure one of these advanced reader copies, a fan would travel to Comic Con Booth 3021 and utter the code phrase "Mon Mothma requests your aid."[79] The book was given away free of charge.[83] As confirmed by Hoeler, the copy given out at Comic Con was indeed the full text of the book[84] in the form of an advanced uncorrected proof.[85] The promotional team hoped to have copies available each day of the convention:[86] New York Comic Con lasted from October 17 to October 20,[87] with copies indeed lasting until and finally running out on October 20. After the Comic Con giveaway, Hoeler promised that plans were in place for at least one more giveaway.[88]
In honor of the "early drop" at Comic Con, Hoeler also posted the book's opening quotes from Revenge of the Sith.[54] Hoeler continued to tease The Mask of Fear with passages from the text on October 28,[89] November 5,[90] November 12,[91] and November 19, 2024.[92] Freed also read out a passage from The Mask of Fear at Vienna Comic Con on November 24.[93] The official Star Wars books page posted four passages from The Mask of Fear to promote the upcoming book on December 19,[94] to which Hoeler added that Reign of the Empire would be the "next great" Star Wars series and featured everyday people trying to make it by in the early Imperial Era, only for them to discover survival was not enough.[95] The official Star Wars book account teamed up with the Star Wars Holocron fan site to run a giveaway for an advanced reader copy of The Mask of Fear[96] with no purchase necessary.[97]
Countdown to release[]
- "In two weeks – the next great Star Wars books series begins."
- ―Tom Hoeler
With Andor Season 2 set to release on April 22, 2025, Hoeler promised The Mask of Fear was "the perfect story" to read in preparation for Andor.[98][99] The first excerpt from The Mask of Fear was released on January 14, 2025,[100] via Entertainment Weekly.[101] Hoeler used the opportunity to describe The Mask of Fear as a story full of senatorial intrigue, espionage, secret meetings, and mysterious messages.[100] Freed described the excerpt as "a glimpse into" Mothma's plotline within the novel. Hoeler and Freed also asked fans to preorder the book if possible,[102] with Hoeler explaining it would go a long way in ensuring The Reign of the Empire trilogy was successful.[103] Hoeler received a box of The Mask of Fear copies on January 30[104] and considered hand-delivering some copies to certain fans in the New York City area.[105] Another excerpt into The Mask of Fear was released in Feburary via Penguin Books' website,[106] with the UK site offering a larger peek into the book than the American version.[107] Penguin's website also confirmed the book's page count of 496.[2] Hoeler also teased a passage between Mothma and Marroi on February 3.[41] Review copies were also dispatched.[108][109][110] Early responses to The Mask of Fear were positive, which delighted Freed.[111]
With three weeks left before his novel was set to release,[112] Freed took the opportunity to reflect on his rebel-focused stories on February 3, pondering if they formed an "ordinary people's history of the Galactic Civil War,"[113] via his BlueSky page as a thought experiment.[114] He also promised that Roanhorse was hard at work on the sequel to The Mask of Fear and promised it would be fantastic.[112] Freed was also interviewed about The Mask of Fear by space.com.[32] On February 6, Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group revealed he had read the book and praised it.[115] With only two weeks until release, Hoeler put out a post on his Twitter[116] and BlueSky pages on February 10, offering one fact about The Mask of Fear for each like he received on those posts.[117] The like count quickly grew beyond what Hoeler expected,[78] so he decided to instead post at least one hundred points of interest—including of fun facts, trivia, tidbits, and more—to his blog.[118] After several teases,[119][120][121] Hoeler posted the list to his blog on February 11[78] and managed to, by his reckoning, only include one spoiler.[122] Hoeler shared another passage from The Mask of Fear on February 18 to celebrate that only one week remained until release.[123] Freed enjoyed what he called a "lovely interview" with the Friends of the Force podcast about The Mask of Fear.[124] Freed also received a package full of The Mask of Fear copies on February 23.[111]
Release and reception[]
Release arrives[]
- "The book the Empire doesn't want you to read."
- ―Tom Hoeler, on The Mask of Fear
As scheduled,[111] The Mask of Fear finally released on February 25,[126] with the book happening to release the day after the trailer for Andor Season 2 was put out by Lucasfilm.[127] On the day of release, Freed shared his delight and gratitude for being able to have the opportunity to write the book.[126] Further statements about how the book represented something that the Empire would not want read were put out by the official Star Wars books Twitter page[128] and Hoeler.[125] Furthermore, Hoeler heralded the book as a "masterpiece" that told the story of how hope survived and a rebellion was born[129] before reminding fans the Reign of the Empire storyline was set to continue in two forthcoming books.[130]
Lucasfilm Publishing Creative Director Michael Siglain posted about The Mask of Fear on its release day, advertising it as a topical story that fans of Andor would greatly enjoy.[131] On February 26, a Screen Rant interview with Freed and Hoeler about The Mask of Fear was posted with an excerpt from the text[132] for fans who had yet to read the book and were still interested in it.[133] Hoeler further enjoyed a two part interview with the Coffee with Kenobi podcast about the novel.[134] Freed was also interviewed by the Star Wars News Net YouTube Channel[135] and Wookieepedia.[136]
Reception and recognition[]
The Mask of Fear has received reviews often ranging from positive[111] to incredibly positive,[137][138] much to the delight of Freed.[111][137] He was particularly honored to see the rigor with which fans analyzed and discussed the novel.[139] Editorial Director Dalton Ross of Entertainment Weekly proclaimed that The Mask of Fear "features some of the best page-turning political intrigue in franchise novel history." His statement was included within Entertainment Weekly's "Must List" for the week of February 28, which recommended The Mask of Fear as a must read piece of popular culture.[138] Hoeler shared how "cool" it was for the novel to be featured within the article,[140] and Freed expressed surprise at being included within the list.[141]
Among Lucasfilm circles, Pablo Hidalgo praised The Mask of Fear ahead of its release, revealing on February 6 it had already become as one of his favorite Star Wars novels and remarking that it was "a great companion" to Andor.[115] On its release day, Star Wars author Jason Fry called the book "amazing" and urged Freed to be proud of it,[142] much to Freed's gratitude.[143] He also convinced his wife to read the book as her first ever Star Wars novel.[144] Chris Kempshall—the author of The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire author and a real-world historian—expressed how pleased he was to purchase a copy, believing the book was something he would greatly enjoy[145] and having previously praised a passage shared by Hoeler.[146] When the Reign of the Empire trilogy was announced, he had further reflected how, between The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire and the new trilogy, it was a "very good time" for Imperial-focused content.[147]
Special releases[]
Exclusive editions of The Mask of Fear are offered by Goldsboro Books[148] and Inkstone Books.[149] Goldsboro copies were signed by Freed, numbered up to one thousand, featured digitally sprayed edges, and had a hidden foiling.[150] Also signed by Freed, Inkstone's edition featured foil artwork of Mothma and designed edges.[149] General sale for the Inkstone copy began on December 14, 2024,[151] but fans who had purchased Inkstone's limited edition of the novel Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss were given instructions for ordering The Mask of Fear on December 9, fans who had ordered other Star Wars books from Inkstone received an access email on December 11,[152] and subscribers to Inkstone's Star Wars Newsletter were given access on December 13.[151] The Inkstone edition is limited to 500 copies, which are unnumbered. Both the Inkstone[153] and Goldsboro editions are scheduled to release on February 25[150] alongside the standard edition.[2]
A PR package for The Mask of Fear was sent out in the period before the novel's release.
Barnes & Noble also released an exclusive edition that included a poster of Gerrera, Organa, and Mothma.[154] A PR package related to The Mask of Fear was dispatched in the weeks before release. Beyond Hoeler receiving the package on February 4,[155] certain creatives[156][157] and fans received the package as promotion.[158][159][160] The package contained a document framed as a confidential Imperial file complied by Senator Organa, with the release date featured as its file number;[158] inside were pages supposedly from the Jedi Archives prepared for Organa to prove the Jedi Order's alleged treason, only for Organa to include his own annotations doubting their authenticity.[157] Other items within included a signed document from Freed, a sticker, a pen with invisible ink, and the book itself. Also included was the poster featuring Gerrera, Mothma, and Organa[158] seen in the Barnes & Noble release.[154]
As an event for The Mask of Fear, Random House[161] and Hoeler announced on February 27 that a free copy of The Mask of Fear had been hidden at a select few libraries across the United States.[162] The official Read Star Wars website provided a list of the participating libraries, each of which was a Little Free Library branch.[163] The event was framed as a way to resist the Empire by finding a book the Imperial regime would not want found.[161]
Media[]
Editions[]
- ISBN 9780593723463; February 25, 2025; Random House Worlds; US hardcover[2]
- ISBN 9780593723470; February 25, 2025; Random House Worlds; US eBook[2]
- ISBN 9780593723487; December 2, 2025; Random House Worlds; US paperback[2]
Cover gallery[]
Appearances[]
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Sources[]
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External links[]
Star Wars: The Mask of Fear (Reign of the Empire) on Penguin Random House's official website (backup link)- Tom (@DarthInternous) on Twitter (post): "Looking at the publishing schedule... (Stay tuned...sure to cause a furore)" (backup link)
- Star Wars' New Book Trilogy Explores the Politics Behind the Rise of the Rebellion on Gizmodo (July 29, 2024) (backup link archived on July 29, 2024) (First identified as Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear)