#Iskat Empire

[kyrabombastic]

ISKAT NATION RISE UP *cue the sound of approximately half a dozen people standing*

Fr! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[roguerebels]

Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade Review!

Begun the Clone Wars have! Seeing through the lies of the Jedi! Embracing passions! Spinny sabers! And the Inquisitorious! Check out Sal's Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade review! #StarWarsBooks

“Your future is more important than your past. Make it count.”Jocasta Nu Jedi Padawan Iskat Akaris finds her path leading further from the Jedi tenets she has lived with her entire life. When she is offered another path, she feels more herself than ever. Begun the Clone Wars have! Seeing through the lies of the Jedi! Embracing passions! Spinny sabers! And the Inquisitorious! Delilah Dawson…

[apas-75]

I know a lot of people got attached to a lot of ideas about how the Vader scene would go and are wondering what the point of it was if he didn’t even speak, and so my answer to that is: because it’s not about him.

That moment is not about Anakin Skywalker, his feelings about Barriss Offee, or Barriss Offee’s feelings about him. Anakin-as-Vader does not give a shit about her, which is to say he hates her the same way he hates everyone he meets. He puts the blame for Ahsoka leaving him squarely at Ahsoka’s feet, and hates her for it, wants her dead for it. Barriss doesn’t matter to him any more than any other Jedi he knew before the purge does. (If there’s any tinge of personal feeling, it’s more adjacent to satisfaction at seeing her stuck in the same despair trap as him than anything else.) And Barriss doesn’t have a clue who he is.

So: The point of that moment is that Barriss sees that she’s kneeling to a Sith Lord. She sees that things are so much worse than she had ever feared. She sees that she’s completely lost control of her life.

And in that moment, she cannot see the way out. She feels small and afraid and everyone she loves is dead and the entire oppressive structure of the Empire is bearing down on her and saying: If you want to live, this is what you have to be. This is all you can ever be. If you step a foot out of line you’ll be dead and it won’t even do anything to help anyone.

Later, when she gets back out in the galaxy and sees again the effect she can have on people, she’ll rekindle hope within her and see the way out. There was simply NO universe where Barriss “friend to all children” Offee could ever have been an Inquisitor past the moment where she actually had to fulfill the duties of one, and the whole point of this failed attempt to force her into the Inquisitorius was to show that was true; whether she ended that first mission dead or as another rogue Jedi on the run, she never would have been what the Grand Inquisitor wanted her to be.

But right then? Now? Kneeling to Vader, knowing that she’d be dead before she could even draw the new red lightsaber on her back—the one that she hates and that hates her back because she was forced to profane it herself?* When the Grand Inquisitor has kept her isolated and provoked her over and over again so that when she finally lashes out to defend herself he can tell her that’s who she really is? There’s nothing she can do. There’s nothing she can do.

That’s her lowest point. That’s the only moment she ever really was the First Sister.

(*Kyber crystal bleeding is the kind of thing that only really hits if you're a huge turbonerd about the star war lore and know how it works, so I get why they skipped over it onscreen when it's really just a more abstract metaphor for what she was forced to do in the pit fight, but given that we know Iskat and Reva both made theirs themselves there's no way they didn't make Barriss do it too.)

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Round 1

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

The Last Binding trilogy (A Marvellous Light, A Restless Truth, A Power Unbound) by Freya Marske

Endorsement from submitter #1: "A trilogy of books set in a magical Edwardian England, the Last Binding series focuses on three queer couples who come together in order to solve a conspiracy threatening all magic. It’s a masterful blending of fantasy, historical fiction, and romance, with a splash of mystery and Wodehousian romp. Expect magical manor house parties with beautiful wallpaper, as well as explorations of power, trust, and what we owe the land. The prose is absolutely gorgeous and evocative. The characters and their emotional arcs form the beating heart of the story, intertwined with beautifully crafted romance. The worldbuilding feels organic and deeply rooted within this hidden magical society. These books are thoughtful, tender, scorching, and fun all at once."

Endorsement from submitter #2: "Utterly fantastic historical fantasy. Each book focuses on a subset of a larger character set. There is an overarching high stake magical plot, as well as different queer romances explored in each individual book."

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it—not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin’s predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they’ve been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles—and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

Fantasy, historical fiction, romance, magic, Edwardian, series, adult

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Endorsement from submitter: "Gay princes in space"

While the Iskat Empire has long dominated the system through treaties and political alliances, several planets, including Thea, have begun to chafe under Iskat's rule. When tragedy befalls Imperial Prince Taam, his Thean widower, Jainan, is rushed into an arranged marriage with Taam's cousin, the disreputable Kiem, in a bid to keep the rising hostilities between the two worlds under control.

But when it comes to light that Prince Taam's death may not have been an accident, and that Jainan himself may be a suspect, the unlikely pair must overcome their misgivings and learn to trust one another as they navigate the perils of the Iskat court, try to solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war... all while dealing with their growing feelings for each other.

Science fiction, romance, arranged marriage, politics, mystery, adult

[tremendouskoalachild]

Inquisitor Women in Star Wars: a 2024 Summary

while women are underrepresented in the Sith order, the Inquisitorius is quite an egalitarian organization :) let's sum up what we know about these lovely ladies

(spoilers for everything concerning inquisitor characters, including the manner of their death)

2. Second Sister aka Trilla Suduri

Padawan to Cere Junda at the time of Order 66

captured and tortured into joining the Inquisitorius shortly after

dies 5 years later, executed by Vader for her perceived failure

human; age unknown, I'd estimate late teens to mid-twenties at the time of recruitment

created for Jedi: Fallen Order (2019), appeared before the game's release as a cameo in Darth Vader 2017 issue 19 (2018) and as a main character in the game tie-in miniseries Dark Temple. mentioned in Rise of the Red Blade (2023).

ambitious, relentless, a good slicer. wears a full helmet all the time when on the job.

3. Third Sister aka Reva Sevander

12-year-old human youngling at the time of Order 66

joined the organization voluntarily and while hiding her identity, at an unspecified point a relatively short time before 10 years post-Order 66

left the Inquisitorius 10 years after Order 66, after failing to kill Darth Vader and being left to die

created for Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022). not in RotRB, likely due to not yet being a member during the book's timeline. does not appear and isn't mentioned in other canon material, outside of OWK's comic adaptation.

spent 10 years single-mindedly pursuing her goal of revenge. very intense and ambitious. youngest recruit we know of and the only one to have at least a quasi-canon number duplicate (the Third Brother).

4. Fourth Sister aka Lyn Rakish

joined the Inquisitorius around the time of Order 66, apparently of her own free will

species, age and rank at that point unknown, may have been a peer of Barriss or somewhat older

left the Inquisitorius after serving it for over 15 years (actual time unknown but less than 20 years)

created for Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), part of the main cast in Tales of the Empire (2024), mentioned in RotRB (2023).

dedicated to the organization, pragmatic and better at cooperation than most colleagues.

7. Seventh Sister

joined the Inquisitorius shortly after Order 66, and appears to have been tortured into it

mirialan; age and rank before recruitment unknown, implied she may have been a peer of Aayla Secura or younger

killed in action after serving the Inquisitorius for 16 years

created for Rebels s2 (2015), a minor character with several scenes in Darth Vader 2017, RotRB (2023) and the Inquisitors comic miniseries (2024)

only one on the list without a known name. snarky and flirty with targets. strained relationship with multiple coworkers.

9. Ninth Sister aka Masana Tide

Dowutin, age unknown and hard to estimate

joined the Inquisitorius involuntarily shortly after Order 66, through torture and mutilation

dies 10 years later, killed by her target

created for Darth Vader (2017) as a recurring character. part of the main cast in Jedi: Fallen Order (2019), shows up in Jedi: Survivor (2023), has a part in RotRB (2023) and Inquisitors (2024).

best empath of the Inquisitorius. snarky and jovial even with Darth Vader. very traumatized. keeps losing body parts.

13. Thirteenth Sister aka Iskat Akaris

joined voluntarily after flirting with the dark side for years and being groomed by Palpatine

21-year-old Knight at the time, pkorian (species created for her)

killed 5 years after joining by Vader for perceived disloyalty

created for Darth Vader 2017 issue 19 (2018), main character of novel Rise of the Red Blade (2023)

only inquisitor to have a boyfriend in canon. has a helmet she wears on missions but is pretty laid back about it. only gets her inquisitor name a while into her tenure, so her birth name is known to others.

+ Barriss Offee

former Jedi in Republic prison at the time of joining

agreed to get recruited a short while after Order 66, but left on her first mission after learning more about the organization, never got a proper inquisitor title

mirialan; age unknown but is around the age or slightly older than Ahsoka, 17 year old at the time; would have been 21 according to a non-canon reference book

has existed since 2002 as a background character in the prequels and their now non-canon tie-in novels, her short-lived inquisitor iteration was long rumored and introduced in Tales of the Empire (2024).

[425599167]

I've been holding back a while on publishing this post, but I finally feel like sharing my thoughts about Barriss in Tales of the Empire.

It was fine. It was the okayest way to continue Barriss’s story. It’s not bad at all, it’s just basic and misses out on opportunities.

Part of what started my fascination with Barriss was her courtroom tirade. Not just her motives, but seeing her, a young woman of relatively low rank now put in handcuffs, speak up and tear into the most powerful people in the galaxy. My impression of her was, from that point on, she is uncontrollable. This part of her is out in the open, there’s no going back to the demure padawan. She can be angry and scared and self-hating, but even if she uses the dark side, she is a wild card. She can be intimidated into feigning loyalty, but she’s plotting against whoever dares think they can manipulate her. People like Barriss are why the Rule of Two was necessary. In TotE, she was not that. She seriously worked as an inquisitor and intended to follow Vader’s orders, albeit briefly. It isn’t a definitively wrong direction for her character, but I was underwhelmed.

The first warning sign that got under my skin is the scene from the trailer where Barriss is depicted being the first person to bow to Vader. The knee-jerk takeaway was she’s evil now, nothing more to it. I predicted she was planning to escape the inquisitors, pretending to be loyal, and laying it on thick. Then in the episode it turned out that scene was shown in reverse for the trailer, she was actually the last person to rise, and the villains are all too stupid to notice her hesitation. Because, y’know, why write the protagonist showing some cunning when you can just deceptively edit the trailer? Good work, marketing team, you successfully tricked me into thinking you were making something interesting.

Then the scene with Vader. Let’s assume it wasn’t just a cheap move made to stick him in the trailer. Vader will kill people for annoying him, and he mutilated several inquisitors as part of their training. It didn’t take much for him to kill Trilla, Iskat, and Tualon. He has personal reasons to hate Barriss, but expresses nothing. His goal could be to make her suffer as his servant, but again, he frequently brutalizes subordinates yet does nothing to her. Even if he really doesn’t care about the events of the Sabotage Arc, shaky loyalty would not be tolerated. He could put Barriss in a torture chamber to take his frustrations out on rather than give her any opportunity to escape. There’s hardly even a meaningful look, like he’s got anything in mind for her. This being shortly post-RotS, maybe he’s so burned out over recent events he doesn’t really care about Barriss, but him being too tired to pay attention undercuts the menace. Maybe Palpatine ordered him to leave Barriss be, but nothing implies that, and at this point I’m doing the writers’ job for them. Vader’s involvement doesn’t work, and Inquisitor Barriss doesn’t work by extension. IIRC Pablo Hidalgo pointed out this problem years ago, and he was right. Vader is just an evil cardboard cutout for Barriss to kneel to, and that could be a good moment showing how out of her depth she feels, except it doesn’t make use of his character and their history. This is little better than other pointless Glup Shitto cameos.

My personal fix would be giving Vader a single line implying he’s leaving Barriss alone because he wants her to try escaping so he gets the satisfaction of hunting her down. He could maim Marrok and that nameless inquisitor to make a point, but he wants Barriss in top shape for a good chase. Perhaps Barriss could infer his identity based on his wording, a suggestion he already chased her down once before and she won’t survive the second time. Ratchet up the terror Barriss feels, the danger she’s in, the enmity between them, the challenge of how to escape knowing Vader is watching and waiting. Barriss isn’t only under the same pressure as the other inquisitors, Vader is looking for an excuse to kill her and is savoring her misery. Lyn is a fine antagonist, but Vader is the one Barriss is forced to kneel to. Vader is the obstacle she needs to overcome to free herself. Seeing the Empire’s infamous top enforcer getting outsmarted by the girl he thought he’d trapped and broken would’ve hit so much harder. Getting Lyn to leave Vader’s service is a solid victory, but it’s not the same magnitude and it's possible to combine both events anyway. Using his character could’ve made Barriss’s struggle and triumph even greater.

Another option is to forego Vader entirely and focus on the Grand Inquisitor, because Barriss’s interaction with Quizzy didn’t amount to much. There’s no mention of Luminara and whether Quizzy captured and/or killed her yet, nor does he reveal that he was present for and motivated by Barriss’s confession. Like, maybe that green lightsaber Barriss used could’ve been Luminara’s. Let her grapple with the implications. Fans who know about Quizzy’s past can dig under the surface, such as how he encourages Barriss as sincerely as his smug personality permits, but to this day we only know he was one of those four temple guards because of BTS or supplementary info. There’s been nothing on-screen about it, most viewers don’t know, this was the opportunity to explore that connection, but it doesn’t happen. The training scene was fine. Everything was just fine.

A sticking point for me is her helmet, because that could’ve meant something much juicier. Barriss’s inquisitor helmet strongly resembles the one she stole from Ventress and wore while attacking Ahsoka. I’m not sure if this is purely a choice by the animators, or if it’s supposed to imply one of the villains (most likely Lyn) intentionally made the helmet look like that. If the inquisitors designed the helmet to remind Barriss of her crimes, it reinforces how they don’t understand her at all. They present her the helmet to make her one of them, but it’s a glaring reminder she isn’t. Service to imperialism isn’t what the original helmet represented. Barriss’s disguise was that of a dangerous renegade aware of the Republic’s impending fall, and the inquisitors don’t get that about her. That helmet doesn’t just remind Barriss of her attack on the Jedi and how she hurt Ahsoka, it reminds her that she knew the Empire was coming, wants to kill it, and can fight back independently. Giving her the helmet could’ve backfired on the inquisitors spectacularly.

What I found interesting about Barriss is she’s highly intelligent and recognized the unwinnable situation of the Clone Wars, then her reaction was inventive and volatile. She’s right about everything and handles it terribly. TotE Barriss is kinda dumb, especially in her second episode. She went with Lyn on a mission to kill a Jedi, witnessed her partner commit a massacre, then tried to convince the target Jedi to come with her back to the inquisitors despite what she knows about the organization, and only took down Lyn at the last moment. I watched her throughout the episode hoping her comments to Lyn were probing for information, waiting for an opening, but they weren’t. There is no defection plan, she’s genuinely operating as an inquisitor and wants to take a Jedi back alive to people whom she knows murdered at least one of her peers and forced her into a deathmatch with another.

At this point, Barriss is mentally unwell in many ways due to child soldier war trauma and probably serious brain damage, plus the year in solitary confinement couldn’t have helped, but I always thought her issues manifested as doubt and contempt for any authority. Her behavior can’t all be written off as “she’s crazy and irrational”, there are patterns there. After the bombing, she was dismissed by the Jedi Council as a “Separatist terrorist”, and that shows how little people understand her. Jedi, Sith, Republic, Separatists, Empire, rightly or not, Barriss resents them all for ruining her life. Trust is overrated. Eventually deserting fits with her previously putting on an appearance of loyalty until her doubts break through, but it would’ve been interesting to see her evolve further after that side of her already emerged during the Sabotage Arc. Sincerely giving the Inquisitorius a chance makes her look like an idiot compared with her previous appearance. It’s not the worst direction to write her, but it’s so much less than she’s capable of. Maybe Barriss just wasn’t as cunning of a character as I imagined her to be.

The broader problem with TotE is that, despite focusing on Barriss, it killed the remaining interest in her, and there wasn’t much left. After TCW Season 5, the one big question about Barriss was what happened to her after RotS, and many people vilified her enough to not care at all, or assumed she was executed before or during Order 66. After eleven years of fading relevance broken up by occasional theory clickbait, TotE answered the question adequately and left little room to explore her further. Her time between deserting imperial service and being found by Lyn is implied to be uneventful. Barriss says, “I saw amazing things, traveled the stars with my master. But that was long ago,” the corollary being she hasn’t been traveling and hasn’t seen amazing things since being a Jedi, nothing worth showing in a future story. She spent at least a decade in hiding without being seen by the inquisitors, including a long period in that tundra working as a healer.

This was the best opportunity to show Barriss and Ahsoka finding each other. It was skipped over. The small hint of what happened off-screen doesn’t tease intrigue, and apparently the writers consider Ahsoka and Barriss reconciling to be less interesting than what happened in the third episode. Instead she gets to interact with such fascinating characters as Unnamed Jedi, Unnamed Attendant #1, and Unnamed Attendant #2. Then Barriss gets stabbed through the chest and could easily be presumed dead by fans and future writers even though being impaled in Star Wars has become inconsequential. The resolution was so basic, yet filled in so much of the timeline, people aren’t clamoring for more stories and space wasn’t left to fit more in. I’ve thought of ways, but TotE put in unnecessary restrictions which make it tougher.

It was eleven years since Barriss’s story progressed. All of TCW’s other dangling plot threads got dealt with during that time, Barriss is the bottom of the barrel. There is currently no reason to believe she will appear again. I’d like to think Barriss could reappear in Ahsoka Season 2, which probably won’t be until 2026, and I’ve seen a couple people suggest TotE was providing background for that purpose. The problem is that Barriss wasn’t even hinted at in Ahsoka S1 to build up awareness, even when it would make contextual sense for Ahsoka to mention her. If she does show up, it’s an obnoxious writing choice to foreshadow a character in a completely different series and medium with a much, much smaller audience. You might be wondering, “How much smaller?”

That much smaller. Before anyone says anything, I did try variations like including Ahsoka and Barriss's last names, that made it worse. TotE couldn’t even keep Barriss at half of Ahsoka’s baseline popularity for a week before she fell back down to nothing. Google Trends isn’t a perfect measurement tool, but it’s useful for seeing how TotE is mostly forgotten and continues declining. Then keep in mind Barriss was only half the TotE story. What little interest remained after the first few weeks was drowned out by The Acolyte, which maintained >100x more attention even after the usual post-premiere drop, and even that wasn't enough to save it from cancellation. It probably won’t make anyone at Lucasfilm think Barriss is worth revisiting. I remember people saw the TotE trailer and said stuff like, “We are so back!” First of all, I never left, and second, no we fucking aren’t. I wish we were, but we aren't.

TotE is irrelevant now. In my experience, tumblr is the most Barriss-friendly social media site, and almost nobody here is still enthusiastic about TotE. There was an uptick in Barriss posts when it premiered, but that died quickly, TotE posts showed mixed reactions, and few of the recent Barriss posts are about TotE. Nobody new got invested, 80% of her tag is the same dozen-or-so diehard Barriss fans who've been here for years, myself included. Reddit has next to nothing and one time I checked, the first post to show up specifically questioned why nobody was talking about TotE, followed by several critical posts. The subreddit r/talesoftheempire was created on the same day the trailer dropped, when interest was highest. It has 16 members. There might be stuff happening over on Twitter but I’m not making an account to check because why would I make myself suffer like that? Even on my favorite totally legal website for watching shows, the Barriss episodes have no ratings because nobody watched them, and my second-favorite site doesn’t have the show at all.

Fanart is a troubling indicator. Very little recent fanart shows Barriss as she was in TotE, people stick with her Jedi look. I didn’t keep a tally, but I think people drew more TotE fanart between the trailer and the premiere than they have since the show debuted. Barriss’s final outfit, which depicts her at what should be the climax of her character arc, has been drawn by only two people. For a little perspective, I write a Barriss-centric fanfiction series with a couple hundred subscribers, and five people have made art of my Barriss. Even factoring in how long I’ve been writing, that ain’t good. On @barrissday, a niche fan event specifically about celebrating Barriss, there was almost nothing TotE-related. Lately, there’s been more artwork of her decades-old Legends appearances than a recent animated series starring her.

Sure, I was proven mostly correct in my reading of Barriss’s character and I’m still writing stories about her, but I didn’t want to be doing that for a diminishing audience. Being proven right doesn’t matter to me if other people don’t become invested in Barriss’s character or even find her worth talking about. I wanted her to become popular and loved and interesting. The show was so unimpactful it took months for me to build up enough motivation to explain how unimpactful it was.

Star Wars would be so good if it was good.

[andypantsx3]

andie can u give us some book recs?<33

Yes!! Although normally I think recs are best given in the context of your other tastes, because I find literary preferences to be a highly-individualized thing!! So without knowing what other books you love, idk how my recs will hold up.

But I will give you some of my personal recent faves!!

I have already talked at length about my favorite book of all time The Goblin Emperor, and I think I've already also recommended the Pink Carnation series to my fun silly regency romance lovers, so I will not go into depth on them here but those are easily my all time faves.

I forget if I have also already talked about Winter's Orbit so forgive me if this is repeat info for you!! But I absolutely loved this book.

SUMMARY: While the Iskat Empire has long dominated the system through treaties and political alliances, several planets, including Thea, have begun to chafe under Iskat's rule. When tragedy befalls Imperial Prince Taam, his Thean widower, Jainan, is rushed into an arranged marriage with Taam's cousin, the disreputable Kiem, in a bid to keep the rising hostilities between the two worlds under control. But when it comes to light that Prince Taam's death may not have been an accident, and that Jainan himself may be a suspect, the unlikely pair must overcome their misgivings and learn to trust one another as they navigate the perils of the Iskat court, try to solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war... all while dealing with their growing feelings for each other.

I really like the way Kiem's & Jainan's pictures of one another shift over the course of the narrative, and as you read them through one another's eyes you understand their unreliability in self-narration due to their own personal insecurities. And what I love is that they both strive to emulate the traits they grow to respect in one another and that becomes the key to defeating the forces working against them!! It's so masterfully done, very gentle and thoughtful, and I hope someday to write a book just like this.

As an aside the author also got their start on ao3 and has a tumblr account and you can really feel the love & respect for some of the fannish conventions in their work. Cannot recommend enough.

This is also so basic of me but I would be remiss if I did not also recommend Howl's Moving Castle which I recently reread. If you have seen the movie but not read the book, you are absolutely missing out because it's very much its own unique experience with several divergences from the plot of the movie. Sophie's perspective is hilarious, it's such a fond send up of men in general, and I love the extra argumentative element to Howl & Sophie's relationship we get to see here; I feel it adds way more depth to their characters and relationship and you will totally eat it up.

I also read The House Witch recently and would definitely recommend to fantasy fans who are in the mood for something wholesome and cozy!!

SUMMARY: When Finlay Ashowan joins the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he’s an enigma. No one knows where he comes from or how he came to be where he is, which suits Fin just fine. He’s satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly uncanny meals. But Fin’s secret identity doesn’t stay hidden for long. After all, it’s not every day a house witch and his kitten familiar, Kraken, take to meddling in imperial affairs. As his powers are gradually discovered by the court, Fin finds himself involved in a slew of intrigues: going head-to-head with knights with less-than-chivalrous intentions, helping to protect the pregnant queen, fending off the ire of the royal mage, and uncovering a spy in the castle. And that’s only the beginning—because Fin’s past is catching up with him just as his love life is getting complicated . . .

It is not the most tightly-buttoned narrative, I think because there are several more books in the series that I haven't read yet, so there are lingering threads of an overarching plot I've not seen sewn together yet. But it's an extremely easy and accessible read and I again really loved the respect and admiration the characters grow for each other, even as they resist their feelings for one another.

This rec in particular though I can see people disagreeing with me on, as some of the humor is like kind of immature and you can tell the author is inexperienced and/or the editing team did not quite do their jobs as some of the ending felt forced or cobbled together. But overall I really did like this book, I thought the gems of a really compelling story shone through the little dirt there was lol.

I also cannot recommend most of Naomi Novik's work enough either. In particular I would recommend Spinning Silver (Uprooted too but that's wildly more popular and you might have already read it!!).

SUMMARY: Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father's inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk--grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh--Miryem's fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar. But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love. Channeling the vibrant heart of myth and fairy tale, Spinning Silver weaves a multilayered, magical tapestry that readers will want to return to again and again.

Her prose is always immaculate, vividly descriptive but succinct enough to keep the story going at a driving pace. She always writes like the most compelling female POV characters, to me; driven and complex without falling into the trap of being ~so special uwu~ or ~angry murder girlie >:(~ which I feel so many authors end up flattening their FPOV characters into!! She is absolutely masterful at taking common ideas/tropes and turning them on their heads/fleshing them out in unique and interesting ways.

Lastly, I have also been reading through a bunch of MXTX's danmei series LOL. I haven't finished Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation so I can't quite give a coherent account yet but I have been enjoying it so far. What I can say is I like how conversational and silly her style is even while tackling gruesome and fairly problematic concepts, and I very much love the sweeping and single-minded focus the love interests always have on one another. She also is very good at writing unreliable narrators whose perspectives you don't really understand are unreliable until the end of the narrative, and it makes you fonder of them for all their self-doubt and strength in the face of hardships they try to downplay.

[ct-hardcase]

Since a twitter mutual asked for an Inquisitor canon guide, I'm revamping my answer to an anon to include some more recent inquisitor canon. I'll get into the substantial canon stories first (which I'd say are the proverbial "must watch/read/play"s), and then into the ones where there might be slightly less content in a list below:

Star Wars: Rebels originated the inquisitors in the new canon and the start of their lore, though I'd argue it wasn't the best at handling them. Despite this, I'd recommend starting here. Introduces the Grand Inquisitor, Fifth Brother, Seventh Sister, and Eighth Brother. Also introduces (the ever-elusive) Project Harvester.

Darth Vader (2017): while this is a Vader-focused comic, you get quite a bit of inquisitor lore out of it, and also multiple characters you won’t find anywhere else/many other places. Highly recommend for how it builds up the Grand Inquisitor, Ninth Sister, and Sixth Brother in particular. Also includes the Fifth Brother, Tenth Brother, Iskat, and Tualon in a capacity that develops their characters. The comic additionally goes out of its way to include Seventh, Eighth, and Trilla as background characters. I recommend reading all of it, since I love the way it handles Vader as well, but the inquisitor-focused issues are almost all issues 6-20 minus issues 10 and 18. The writing has some flaws but overall one of my favorite canon comics in terms of story and art.

Jedi: Fallen Order was the blueprint, honestly. What made the inquisitors ascend from goofy side characters in others' stories to tragic villains in their own right. What's not to love about Trilla Suduri? Also provides a fair bit of depth to Ninth Sister, especially in the context of her previous DV (2017) appearances. It also fleshes out the Purge Troopers, who, while not inquisitors, are a fun addition to the organization. Also add a bit of inquisitor capture/initiation lore. I'm not a gamer, so I found a video which compiled all of the story scenes and it did the trick for me (though many gamers do recommend playing).

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Introduces Reva Sevander, and her wonderfully complicated story and character. This is among some of the essential inquisitor watch material for good reason, as it provides context for how inquisitors interpret the group dynamics, as well as a look at their military operations and how a hunt works from their end, somewhat. It also provides some context and/or development for the Grand Inquisitor and Fifth Brother; and introduces the Fourth Sister.

Rise of the Red Blade: The most personal look we get into an inquisitor's backstory and fall, so far. this story centers Iskat's time as a Jedi and a bit of her time as an inquisitor. It goes through a Knight's look at the clone wars, and some of the Inquisitor initiation process/first few missions, in addition to glimpses of what a pre-Vader inquisitorius looked like. This book also features Tualon as a prominent character, but notably includes cameos from almost every canon inquisitor minus Reva, Marrok, and the Eleventh Brother.*

Tales of the Empire (Barriss's shorts): I'm going to preface this by saying that I would consider this less of an Inquisitor story than Barriss's story, but it provides important lore cornerstones for the Inquisitorius at large, and Barriss's story, for a time, is important to the Inquisitorius, as well as reconciling what is going on in Season 2 of Rebels. Ultimately, a very dark and satisfying look at what happened to Barriss after Order 66. Lyn has an important secondary role, the Grand Inquisitor has a smaller (but significant) role, and Marrok and the Eleventh Brother make cameos.

Inquisitors (2024): I'd be remiss to not include a work that features the inquisitors as its primary protagonists, focusing on the Grand Inquisitor, Fifth Brother, Seventh Sister, and Ninth Sister. However, unlike the entries above, I don't find it a very satisfying story, especially for the Seventh and Ninth Sisters. I'd read it if you're a completionist, but don't rush to get to this one.

*among others, who are more relegated to sourcebooks/secondhand references.

I'll organize the rest by characters that you may want to know more about, though please note that there are minor spoilers for the above series (including character names) in the summaries of the series below:

Grand Inquisitor:

The Servants of the Empire series has some Grand Inquisitor lore with a focus on Zare Leonis and (the ever-elusive) Project Harvester. The Grand Inquisitor serves as an antagonist. This is a Middle Grade series, but it's one of the best MG series I've read in Star Wars.

The Grand Inquisitor has appeared in the Rebels manga adaptation! I haven't read it myself, but the art looks good.

He gets a semi-canon appearance in one short story of Star Wars: Dark Legends. He's got creepy vampire vibes, which are cool, and you also get one of my favorite Order 66 survivors in the dubiously-canon Kira Vantala.

[He also gets a spotlight in Issue 6 of Star Wars (2020). Yes, the comic takes place post-esb. Yes, the Grand Inquisitor is there. This one has the most payoff after reading Vader (2017) and watching swr s1

Gets a brief PoV section at the end of the Ahsoka novel.

First Brother (Marrok):

One of the antagonists of the Ahsoka show, and primarily appears there in its first few episodes.

Second Sister (Trilla Suduri):

Most of her Material is in JFO, but she also gets a spotlight in Jedi Fallen Order: Dark Temple. Though this five-issue comic focuses mostly on Cere, it gives you some good Second Sister content, presented pre-Trilla reveal in-game. It gives you more of her cool and competent inquisitor vibe that way. Also, the dynamic Trilla has with her Purge Trooper Commander is a bonus for me, in this one.

Third Sister (Reva Sevander):

Sadly, not a lot of supplemental content exists for Reva outside of OWK. I suppose I'm obligated to include the Obi-Wan Kenobi Comic Adaptation, but considering the art is about the equivalent of traced-over screenshots, I feel confident in saying you can skip this one.

Fourth Sister (Lyn Rakish):

Her...armor appears in Return to Vader’s Castle 4 and 5. The saboteur wearing it uses her designation, but that's about all the character lore we get.

Fifth Brother:

He gets a PoV section in Jedi: Battle Scars! Though it's not super substantive, it's the closest we've gotten to a backstory for him, and he gets a hell of a duel in this one. The overall plot is steamy and fun as well, plus Merrin and Fret are worth the price of admission alone.

He gets a lot of bit parts in other inquisitor media, all of which add up to a more complex character than the man we get in Rebels.

Some comics featuring the Fifth Brother are in the Star Wars Rebels Magazine are in German so if you read the language you’re in luck, but some have been translated into English by fans so you can find them in their tumblr tags.

Sixth Brother (Bil Valen):

He gets PoV sections in The Ahsoka novel: Though the chapters may initially not seem the most substantive, the other inquisitor canon (plus his scenes in Vader [2017]) builds up around him to end up giving a surprising amount of glimpses into who he is as a person.

Seventh Sister:

She plays a somewhat significant role in Iskat's first years in Rise of the Red Blade, though sadly, aside from Rebels, she doesn't have a substantive role in many stories.

Seventh Sister also features in the Star Wars Rebels Magazine stories.

Eighth Brother:

Sorry, you're SoL (I say with love; he's my favorite).

In all seriousness, he has one line of dialogue in Vader (2017), and a cameo in Rise of the Red Blade. If he ends up being your favorite, I can help link some interviews from Robbie Daymond about him, or something.

Ninth Sister (Masana Tide):

Aside from a brief appearance in Jedi: Survivor, most of her story takes place in Vader (2017) and JFO.

She also appears to be among the main cast of Inquisitors (2024).

Tenth Brother (Prosset Dibs):

Mace Windu: Jedi of the Republic: A five-issue comic focusing on a strike team of four Jedi in the beginning the clone war, raises questions of what the republic is coming to, and also gives you some of the Tenth Brother’s backstory.

Eleventh Brother:

Primarily in Ahsoka's Tales of the Jedi shorts, making a brief appearance to raze a village, and then duel Ahsoka.

Thirteenth Sister (Iskat Akaris):

She doesn't have much outside of Vader (2017) and RotRB, but considering she's the protagonist of the latter, hopefully that's alright for now.

Tualon Yaluna:

See Iskat's entry above—though he's not the protagonist of RotRB, he gets quite a bit of focus.

Barriss Offee:

Has only appeared as an Inquisitor in her Tales of the Empire shorts. Since her appearances as a non-inquisitor outnumber her inquisitor-centric works, I won't get into them here.

Other Canon Inquisitors/Noncanonical Inquisitors/I'm Bald/Other Nuanced Opinion:

There’s an Inquisitor in the semi-canon Star Wars Visions season 1 episode T0-B1.

There's also an Inquisitor in the semi-canon Star Wars Visions season 2 episode Bandits of Golak.

Per a guidebook released prior to Obi-Wan Kenobi, There was an inquisitor with the designation Third Brother. At this time, we do not know what he looks like, nor has he been confirmed to have been in a story.

Per a TTRPG campaign, there was a female inquisitor who trained the Nightsister Jerserra, who killed her and stole the unidentified inquisitor's lightsaber. We do not have confirmation on who this is.

Maul carries an inquisitor's saber from at least the time of Solo to Star Wars: Rebels. This may or may not belong to an existing canon inquisitor or an as-of-yet-unknown character (it was modeled off of the Grand Inquisitor's, but we can assume this was due to budget concerns).

There's a variety of mobile games, sourcebooks, and other sources that provide a series of blurbs on the canon inquisitors that I haven't kept close track of. While these provide some information, most of it goes over existing information (possibly sourced directly from the Star Wars databank entries or Wookieepedia pages) and rarely do we get any new information from these (and more rarely still does canon actually stick to the information we get from them). These are fun, and can be delved into if you want more detail, but my personal MO is to stick to canon works first.

The slight exception to me is the Lightsaber coffeetable book, which I find has gorgeous (original!) art, and has some blurbs about the inquisitors' fighting styles.

[rainbowsaber]

Been rewatching TOTE *inquisitor brainrot setting in hard* and I have some thoughts on Barriss's induction into the inquisitorious and how it relates to the larger group

To be honest, I think that she was always "supposed" to win her duel and join their order and that the entire episode of Devoted was a set-up. Dante and Ahmar were potential candidates sure, but I don’t think the Grand Inquisitor or Palpatine expected them to win

We know that Palpatine actively sought out Jedi that were pushing back against the order as potential candidates for the inquisitorious, even saving them from Order-66 (Iskat)

The Grand Inquisitor was at her trial and commented that she "might not be as powerful as they thought"

She might have been the only Jedi to protest the war in such an open way, and, despite her efforts she definitely tapped into the darkside. Letting it pretty consume herself. I believe this resonated deeply with a certain temple guard who had already been feeling some uneasiness within the order

Now I think that the other 2 also fit into this mold, however they didn't seem has experienced or prepared

It’s interesting to note that the three of them knew each other and Dante had been friends with Barriss.

I’m going to guess that these 2 where young Jedi that had voiced problems with the order and where spared, but didn’t have the strength or notoriety that Barriss had.

The grand Inquisitor himself was the one to train Barriss, the same way he did Iskat while Lyn (a lower ranked inquisitor) was tasked with the less important job of training Dante.

If I had to guess it was a trial by fire, if Barriss won then everything went as planned and if not well then they have a strong new initiate into their order

Barriss proved herself and they already had a uniform at the ready for her once she was finished.

Now- we can assume that they might have had uniforms ready for the other 2 as well, however, I think they had their bets on Barriss since the Clone Wars

It wouldn't surprise me if we found out later down the line that she had spoke to Hezzo as well. Similar to Iskat.

Plus- I like the idea that Marrok was one of the first recruits and that the Eighth brother may not have been expected to survive his initiation

Hence his armor being "rushed" and looking so close to a previous design. They didn’t think he would win and this could be shown in his fighting style. Choosing to flee over stand his ground

The Empires mistake was thinking that Barriss was like them

That she fell to the darkside due to her hate/anger. Barriss made mistakes and tapped into the darkside but it was out of protest for the war and the trauma she faced. She was left in a cell to reflect and grieve.

The moment it came to actually fighting a fellow Jedi, she faltered

I honestly just love the inquisitors and I hope that we get more material following how they where as Jedi and the interactions between them

The day I get to see Iskat & Tualon in animation/live-action I'm going feral lol

[starwarstoxicfemslash]

between trilla, reva, iskat, the seventh sister, the thirteenth sister, and the fourth sister, the inquisitorius is a HOTBED of toxicity. they all want to be the best, and sometimes that involves making sure the others are beneath them in every way

literallyyyy the toxic homoerotic bestieworstieship has to be off the rails!!! in the misogynistic environment of the empire they're all clawing at each other, leaving marks and scars to stay afloat

[steepedfoxglovetea]

Guys, how likely is it that Iskat will appear in Tales of the Empire?

[phantom-wolf]

Might I propose a discussion about the timeline:

Good now that I have your attention I wanted to discuss and hear people's opinions on it. What do you think the timeline is for when Fortress Inquisitorius was built?

We know Iskat was recruited by the Empire during Order 66. From then on she spent weeks or months in a cell (As far as I'm aware the book doesn't specifify a time frame). We know that the reason that the Fortress was built was because her and Tualon ended up causing damage to Coruscant trying to escape Vader. She seemed to be with the Empire and Inquisitors for a decent amount of time at the point in which she died.

Seems very cut and dry right?

Well maybe? But we also know Fallen Order takes place 5 years after Order 66. The Fortress is built by then so it must've been built some time after Order 66 and before Fallen Order.

However, we see when Trilla is captured. During that time Cere and the youngling she was with (plus Trilla herself) seem to be wearing their Jedi apparel. That paired with the fact that they're being hunted make it seem like that happens during Order 66. Unless I'm wrong about this and they were captured a few weeks/ months after the order? Maybe they had been stuck on the mission planet with no way to escape and had just been hiding from the Clones for a while?

Regardless Cere is held at the Fortress. I'm not sure how the Fortress would have been built by the time Cere and Trilla were captured if it took Iskat a bit to even become a full blown Inquisitor.

Perhaps Iskat was only held for a few days in a cell and it seemed like longer to her? Then everything else happened pretty quickly?

Maybe its just a continuity error? Or maybe I'm overthinking it. Thoughts?

[whumpily-ever-after]

Whumpy Book List 2

Welcome to my second whumpy book list. This list has been a long time coming. I read a lot but most of the books I read recently had no whump in them. I finally feel like I have enough books to make this list!

I always welcome whumpy book recommendations and/or suggestions. Please feel free to send any whumpy books my way.

List below the cut...

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Summary: “While the Iskat Empire has long dominated the system through treaties and political alliances, several planets, including Thea, have begun to chafe under Iskat's rule. When tragedy befalls Imperial Prince Taam, his Thean widower, Jainan, is rushed into an arranged marriage with Taam's cousin, the disreputable Kiem, in a bid to keep the rising hostilities between the two worlds under control. But when it comes to light that Prince Taam's death may not have been an accident, and that Jainan himself may be a suspect, the unlikely pair must overcome their misgivings and learn to trust one another as they navigate the perils of the Iskat court, try to solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war... all while dealing with their growing feelings for each other.”

Whump tropes: Not the whumpiest book out there, but about half-way through there is a decent hypothermia scene, attempted brainwashing also occurs in the second half of the book

Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds by Brandon Sanderson

Summary: “Stephen Leeds is perfectly sane. It’s his hallucinations who are mad.

A genius of unrivaled aptitude, Stephen can learn any new skill, vocation, or art in a matter of hours. However, to contain all of this, his mind creates hallucinatory people—Stephen calls them aspects—to hold and manifest the information. Wherever he goes, he is joined by a team of imaginary experts to give advice, interpretstion, and explanation. He uses them to solve problems…for a price.

His brain is getting a little crowded and the aspects have a tendency of taking on lives of their own. When a company hires him to recover stolen property—a camera that can allegedly take pictures of the past—Stephen finds himself in an adventure crossing oceans and fighting terrorists. What he discovers may upend the foundation of three major world religions—and, perhaps, give him a vital clue into the true nature of his aspects.”

Note: This book consists of three (3) short stories about Stephen Leeds and the personalities in his head. I don’t remember all of the whump tropes in these stories, but I remember that the third story, “Lies of the Beholder,” had the most whump.

Whump tropes: From what I remember it includes being trapped in a facility and the main character’s “aspects” are forcibly (and possibly painfully) taken away from him.

Guardian by Priest

Summary: “The Special Investigations Unit is a covert organization that no-one in the city knows about, dedicated to investigating bizarre occurrences beyond the comprehension of the living. The Chief Zhao Yunlan isn’t a simple guy either, being the inheritor of the Guardian order, he has always been a righteous conformist, excelling between realms of the living and the dead. While investigating a school suicide case, Zhao is attracted to the calm and reserved Professor Shen Wei, but the Professor seems to be rather fickle towards him…”

Whump tropes: Angst, hurt/comfort, sick character, there is so much more, but I am drawing a blank at the moment

Note: I read a fan translation of this book on the interwebs but I believe it will be available for purchase (in the US) sometime this year.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance (The Tithenai Chronicles #1) by Foz Meadows

Summary: “Velasin vin Aaro never planned to marry at all, let alone a girl from neighboring Tithena. When an ugly confrontation reveals his preference for men, Vel fears he’s ruined the diplomatic union before it can even begin. But while his family is ready to disown him, the Tithenai envoy has a different solution: for Vel to marry his former intended’s brother instead. Caethari Aeduria always knew he might end up in a political marriage, but his sudden betrothal to a man from Ralia, where such relationships are forbidden, comes as a shock. With an unknown faction willing to kill to end their new alliance, Vel and Cae have no choice but to trust each other. Survival is one thing, but love – as both will learn – is quite another.”

Whump tropes: Arrow wounds, magical exhaustion, betrayal, captured characters

Note: Heed the warnings for this book!

Rescued by the Married Monster Hunters by Ennis Rook Bashe

Summary: “Vessel is a monster living in a dimension-hopping dungeon where his only solace is mercy-killing human prisoners. When one of these prisoners leaves Vessel a diary about his life as a monster hunter, Vessel imagines a new future for himself and takes on a human identity in an attempt to survive. Rescued by married monster hunters, Rhys and Sera, Vessel quickly finds himself overwhelmed by his secret, by the demands of pretending to be human, and by the intensity of falling unexpectedly in love with the pair. But if Rhys and Sera find out the truth, Vessel knows heartbreak won’t be the worst thing he’ll face… This book features a trans character in a setting where being trans is no big deal, badass disabled monster hunters, an enormous gruff swordsman who would do anything for his adorable bard, a back brace that doubles as armor, and a soft bisexual eldritch abomination learning what love really is. Please note, this book contains discussions of assault, cissexism, body horror, and violence.”

Whump tropes: Chronic pain, torture, monster/nonhuman whump, conditioned Whumpee, hands-on magical healing

Note: I have not read this book myself but it looks to be plenty whumpy!

The Starless Crown by James Rollins

Summary: “A gifted student foretells an apocalypse. Her reward is a sentence of death.

Fleeing into the unknown she is drawn into a team of outcasts: A broken soldier, who once again takes up the weapons he’s forbidden to wield and carves a trail back home. A drunken prince, who steps out from his beloved brother’s shadow and claims a purpose of his own. An imprisoned thief, who escapes the crushing dark and discovers a gleaming artifact- one that will ignite a power struggle across the globe.

On the run, hunted by enemies old and new, they must learn to trust each other in order to survive in a world evolved in strange, beautiful, and deadly ways, and uncover ancient secrets that hold the key to their salvation. But with each passing moment, doom draws closer. Who will claim the starless crown?”

Whump tropes: Attempted kidnapping, trapped in a dark mine with no light while bound at the ankles, betrayal

Antrax by Terry Brooks

Summary: “Brave explorers led by the last Druid, Walker Boh, traveled across unknown seas in search of an elusive magic. But now it seems that Walker and his team were lured there for sinister, unforeseen purposes. As the crew aboard the airship Jerle Shannara is being attacked by evil forces, the Druid’s protégé, Bek Rowe, and his companions are being pursued by the mysterious Ilse Witch. Meanwhile, Walker is alone, caught in a dark maze beneath the ruined city of Castledown, stalked by a hungry, unseen enemy. It is alive, but not human, coveting the magic of Druids, elves, even the Ilse Witch. It hunts men for its own designs. It is Antrax: a spirit that feeds off enchantment and traps the souls of men. And with it, the fate of the Four Lands hangs in the balance.”

Whump tropes: Captivity, voice stolen, chased, dramatic rescue

Note: This is the second book in a series. But it has one of my most re-read whump scenes that I couldn't resist including it.

Note: The next two entries have teenage (minor) whumpees. If this is not your thing, stop reading here.

The Extraordinaries Series by T.J. Klune

Summary: "Nick Bell? Not extraordinary. But being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right? After a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City’s mightiest hero (and Nick’s biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he’ll do it with or without the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick’s best friend (and maybe the love of his life).”

Whump tropes: Kidnapping, emotional whump, betrayal

Fragile Remedy by Maria Ingrande Mora

Summary: “Sixteen-year-old Nate is a GEM – Genetically Engineered Medi-tissue created by the scientists of Gathos City as a cure for the elite from the fatal lung rot ravaging the population. As a child, he was smuggled out of the laboratory where he was held captive and into the Withers – a quarantined, lawless region. Nate manages to survive by using his engineering skills to become a Tinker, fixing broken tech in exchange for food or a safe place to sleep. When he meets Reed, a kind and fiercely protective boy that makes his heart race, and his misfit gang of scavengers, Nate finds the family he’s always longed for – even if he can’t risk telling them what he is.

But Gathos created a genetic failsafe in their GEMs – a flaw that causes their health to rapidly deteriorate as they age unless they are regularly dosed with medication controlled by Gathos City. As Nate’s health declines, his hard-won freedom is put in jeopardy. Violence erupts across the Withers, his illegal supply of medicine is cut off, and a vicious attack on Reed threatens to expose his secret. With time running out, Nate is left with only two options: work for a shadowy terrorist organization that has the means to keep him alive, or stay – and die – with the boy he loves.”

Whump tropes: I have not been able to get my hands on this book, so I don't know the exact tropes. But the summary makes it sound pretty whumpy.

[thesuperiorfoe]

SPOILERS FOR DARTH VADER (2017) COMICS AND POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR THE RED BLADE

As my fellow SW fans may know, there's a upcoming book from Delilah S. Dawson focused on a little known Inquisitor. One that only appeared in Charles Soule's comics.

So, the story concluded with the red skinned Inquisitor and her Twilek crush (identified in the novel as Iskat Akaris and Tualon, respectively) anti-climaticaly dying at Vader's hands. Not exactly a good promotion for a spin-off book.

However, the released Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade excerpt makes an interesting revelation one might overlook in a first read.

ISKAT HAS 2 HEARTS!!! ❤️ ❤️

This isn't just a Doctor Who Easter egg. Iskat supposedly died after being stabbed in the heart by Darth Vader. If she had 2, it's likely they're going to retcon her into surviving.

What's next? Rejoining the Inquisitors (unlikely)? Being assigned to a new Imperial post? Defecting from the Empire?

We'll find out July 18.

[tremendouskoalachild]

anyway since a lot of it might be getting overwritten soon now that filoni is revisiting the inquisitorius characters (i assume he is? he wrote basically all of tales of the jedi right): here's what i understand of the inquisitor lore outside of the rebels show

Palpatine was keeping an eye out for Jedi who seemed at odds with the Order and/or susceptible to the dark side during the war (and likely earlier, much like with Anakin), either in person or using various agents (can be assumed and is shown in Rise of the Red Blade). this likely includes Jedi with specific knowledge or skills (the implication i got from Cere in Jedi: Fallen Order)

the groundwork for what would become the Inquisitorius was already in place by the time of the war's end

the Grand Inquisitor was a former Temple Guard who felt held back by the order and had a grudge against Jocasta Nu specifically (pretty sure this comes from Rebels and shows up in Darth Vader 2017). he was recruited at some point prior to Order 66 by Palpatine personally and promised leadership of the organization. this happened before Vader's conversion, and neither Vader nor the GI were informed of each other's existence at first (DV 2017).

several former Jedi were recruited willingly (eg. the GI, Iskat Akaris/13th Sister, Prosset Dibs/10th Brother, 5th Brother according to Battle Scars, Reva Sevander/Third Sister)

most (?) inquisitors were recruited by force, specifically torture upon being captured, usually during Order 66 (eg. Trilla Suduri/Second Sister (JFO), Seventh Sister (described as feeling broken in the Force in RotRB), Tualon Yaluna (RotRB), Masana Tide/Ninth Sister (JFO))

their primary purpose seems to be killing Jedi survivors rather than expanding their ranks by recruiting them. although it is a fear for those hunted by them, the inquisitors rarely try it, even if they do taunt their prey with the possibility (Masana's dialogue in JFO). this may have changed in the later years as the inquisitor numbers dwindled (i'm pretty sure they were actually trying to convert Ezra during Rebels. please correct me.)

they do, however, often try to kidnap Force-sensitive children too young to have been pre-Empire Jedi. this appears to include any age group and be the continuation of Palpatine's project during the clone wars. (i believe this is expanded upon in Rebels? it's a plot point in DV 2017 with Eeth Koth's infant daughter. also, i might have made this up but it seems to be the implied threat in Jedi: Survivor.)

the numbered titles appear to reference the order of initiation, with the GI being implicitly the First but never referred to as such. the numbers do not change over an inquisitor's tenure and do not seem to be replaced when an inquisitor falls. there do not seem to be duplicates (except for the Third Brother, who appears in a reference book written before Obi-Wan Kenobi and whose existence seems to have been overwritten by the Third Sister's. her character's age and implied backstory do not fit this naming assumption, however.)

if the naming is sequential, then siblings 2 through 10 join very shortly after Order 66, and number 13 gets initiated within months (RotRB). we still don't know 11 and 12.

there is some number of active inquisitors without a numbered title, who still go by their old names. these seem to have similar duties and authority to their numbered colleagues and are also referred to as "brother" or "sister", at least by other inquisitors. (Tualon in RotRB)

there might (?) be some hierarchy to the numbers, with lower numbers corresponding to a higher position. or not. (Third Sister seems to think she's next in line after the deaths of Grand Inquisitor and Second Sister as per Obi-Wan Kenobi. there's a confusing exchange somewhere in Rebels where Seventh and Fifth pointedly emphasize their titles to each other while having a disagreement but i have no idea what that means.)

inquisitors do occasional solo missions but mostly seem to work in pairs or small groups. the chain of command during these missions seems ambiguous, possibly intentionally so. Darth Vader joins in for some missions, where all inquisitors defer to him.

originally recruited inquisitors are not trained after joining outside of sparring with each other, which seems entirely voluntary. sometimes Darth Vader drops in and tests them, often ending in mutilation. they are allowed and perhaps even encouraged to study the dark side on their own time, though they do not have many opportunities to do so, possibly by design. (RotRB)

inquisitors are not Sith, and are not officially intended to become Sith, though as dark side adepts they are a potential source of replacement apprentices. (i believe this is fan speculation and out of universe material more than actual text but would love to be proven wrong)

Inquisitorius personnel have authority over some other Imperial forces, and have a long-term rivalry with the ISB (JS). they are generally an unknown force.

the organization was founded on Coruscant and headquartered there for about 5 years after its founding. (DV 2017) afterwards, its HQ transferred to Nur. however, that facility was already in heavy use immediately after and possibly before Order 66 (backstory in JFO).

the members get killed off pretty quickly. 6th and 10th die within a year, 2nd and 13th (along with her bf without a number) within 5 years, 3rd and 9th 5 years after that (Reva actually leaves, as we know). the ones that make it to Rebels die in that show. Fourth Sister is unaccounted for.

inquisitors tend to die by Vader or Ahsoka and Maul.

[roostar1]

Not everything about Anakin. She is referring to the other cases.

The thirteenth Sister Iskat Akaris, who the main focus of the novel 'Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade'.

Or if you think that a weak excuse, there also Heezo (Ironically from the same novel).

Who was a jedi washout that Sidious found and recruited to be his spies in the temple, and to find PERFECT individuals for his future Inquisitorious.

HOW? WHEN?

If anything, your own Master dearest is the living dead proof those standards were correct! They were lifted for him and look at what that "handwaving" got the Order in the end! Dead to the last baby in the Temple's cribs!

Like, yes, the Force resides in all living things and everyone can connect to it (Yoda himself said and demonstrated so in TCW ep1 w the clones) but Sabine's clearly shit at being Force sensitive, on-screen.

Filoni, you do know that you could've just had your character say "true, but this is what we've got to work with after the Order got massacred" or something like that, don't you?

This "Oh, it's the Jedi elitism (when) that got them killed, not a diabolical plan a thousand years in the making" is blatantly retconning shit that was never on screen. If you don't like the Order move aside and let some of the High Republic initiative writers handle them