Author Madeleine Roux takes StarWars.com inside her first Star Wars novel, a new chapter in the Skywalker saga exploring what it means to carry on the tradition of the Jedi Order
Princess Leia Organa and Rey Skywalker are among the powerful women of the galaxy featured on a sleeve tattoo author Madeleine Roux got to celebrate her Star Wars fandom.
And next summer, the last Jedi and her new Master will return in Roux’s first Star Wars novel, Star Wars: Legacy, which was announced today during the Lucasfilm Publishing panel at New York Comic Con.
Speaking exclusively to StarWars.com on the news, the New York Times bestselling author says the book will explore the characters’ relationship in the months between the events of Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. In the aftermath of losing Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren’s refusal to return to the light, Rey and Ben Solo’s mother, Leia, join forces to repair the broken Skywalker lightsaber and the shattered legacy of the Jedi Order.
Fans and readers will recognize Roux’s name from the anthology collection From a Certain Point of View, where Roux penned an unseen moment on the surface of Alderaan for the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope. The short story, “Eclipse,” follows Breha Organa from the harrowing news that her daughter Leia’s ship, the Tantive IV, has been lost to the queen’s final moments with her husband, Bail Organa, as the Death Star casts a terrifying shadow over their world. “I really swung for it,” Roux says now of the pitch. “I was sure they were going to say no because it seemed like such a big swing. But I just thought, well, Breha Organa is technically in that movie if you squint. What would it be like to be on Alderaan as it's imploding from the Death Star?”
Finding Leia’s Voice
Roux’s love for Leia Organa in particular goes back to some of her earliest childhood memories of watching the original Star Wars films. “I'm such a Princess Leia freak. She's a very formative character and then Carrie Fisher became kind of a personal idol for my whole life,” Roux says. “I don't have a lot of early childhood memories, but one of the ones I do have is being six or seven and standing in front of our television wearing out the VHS of The Empire Strikes Back. I was so obsessed with Leia and Han, I would just replay the moment when he gets frozen in carbonite and they confess their love to each other. My parents were like, ‘You can watch the rest of the movie, too.’”
For Star Wars: Legacy, Roux delves into the interior lives of General Leia, Rey, and even Kylo Ren, writing in the third person close perspective. Roux says it was easiest to find Leia’s voice since she spent time reading Carrie Fisher’s books among her research for the project. “They're almost intertwined, so it's a huge responsibility and I take it incredibly seriously,” Roux says. “I felt a deep, serious kinship with the character and with Carrie Fisher writing this.”
Similarly, Roux was immediately drawn to Rey when she first saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which will mark its 10th anniversary this December. “I remember being in the theater and just crying a lot,” Roux says, so moved “to see a funny, capable, strong character and to see her ignite the lightsaber and fight Kylo Ren.”
“Get Along shirt”
For her new novel, Roux tackled a story that will help bring Rey and Leia closer together, a bond glimpsed onscreen in the final Skywalker saga film. It was an exciting period to explore, Roux says, on the heels of Rey and Kylo Ren’s complicated connection and Luke Skywalker’s demise.
“To pick-up with Rey at a moment of a lot of doubt and weakness and confusion was a lot of fun because you couldn't ask for a messier setup,” Roux says. “You need to get these two people to like each other and be almost like mother daughter or mentor and apprentice. But this is the mother of the guy who she just had an incredibly messy situation with. It's really fraught. It's really confusing. And just the thought of being with that person's mother is pretty intense. There is a lot of uncertainty.”
“They have to go on this journey together and really learn to lean on each other through it. It's sort of like a Get Along shirt,” Roux says with a laugh, conjuring a mental image of Rey and Leia stuck together. “That's the vibe of the book. They're not actually at a good place with each other at first, and that was such a great opportunity to really have both of them grow. Even though Leia is so close to the end of her journey in a lot of ways, we can still have this great moment of character development for her.”
Beyond the action sequences and battle scenes, Roux was excited to get into the heart of Rey. “It's about getting to know Rey, specifically, a lot better and giving her more depth. What does she think about the Jedi? What does she think about leading them in a sense? What will that look like? What will that feel like? You have these big characters who can seem larger than life, but I like to get into the nitty gritty with them. I try to treat these characters as real people and explore them in a way that feels like they're not just always doing the most heroic thing at every possible moment. They have moments of weakness or cowardice. I don’t have this idea that Leia is perfectly fully formed, this sort of Buddha on the Mount dispensing priceless wisdom. I think she'd have a lot of insecurity, actually, about not being a trained Jedi and now having to become the mentor to this Jedi.”
Return to Tython
On their quest following the Battle of Crait, Rey and Leia will make their way to a planet familiar to fans of The Mandalorian, streaming on Disney+, and Star Wars: The Old Republic video game: the planet Tython. “Every time something from The Old Republic gets referenced, I light up like a Christmas tree,” says Roux, who has a deep affinity for Star Wars video games, including the Force Unleashed. “And we needed a planet that had a deep Jedi history.”
Roux’ novel will introduce new characters, as well, and includes more depth for one character familiar to fans of Marvel’s Age of Resistance - Rose Tico tale: the First Order’s Captain Wolstenholme. “I got to give her a first name and a whole backstory because [Rose’s homeworld] Hays Minor is actually quite important to the story, as well,” Roux teases.
For more deep cuts, references, and details, you’ll have to wait for Star Wars: Legacy to arrive on bookshelves next July. But for now, read on for the official synopsis and Roux’s bio.
STAR WARS: LEGACY
By Madeleine Roux
On Sale Date: July 28, 2026
Random House Worlds
Official Book Description:
Set between Episodes VIII and IX, Rey and Leia embark on a quest to repair Rey’s lightsaber and rekindle the legacy of the Jedi.
After barely escaping the First Order on Crait, Rey and the Resistance are struggling to rebuild. Her friends need the last Jedi more than ever, but Rey feels alone and overwhelmed. Jedi tradition is built on masters and apprentices, and Rey’s teacher is gone. Leia Organa tries her best to train Rey in the ways of the Force as Luke did for her so many years ago, but Leia’s knowledge is limited, Rey’s lightsaber is broken, and the specter of Kylo Ren and regrets from the past haunt them both. How can Leia pass the torch when she herself is unsure of the way?
But then, the ancient Jedi texts offer a glimmer of hope: a long-forgotten Jedi temple on Tython that might hold the key to repairing Rey’s saber. Rey leaps at the chance to journey there — and to her surprise, so does Leia.
Rey and Leia’s nascent mentorship is put to the test when they discover the temple on Tython is filled with obscure clues to decipher and arcane trials to complete. As they work to unravel the temple’s mysteries, they encounter a group of refugees living in its shadow, hiding from a First Order officer hot on the trail of two freedom fighters in their midst. With the threat of the First Order looming and the secrets of the temple yet to be unlocked, the newly forged master and apprentice must confront their pasts, reach each other in the present, and decide what it means to carry the legacy of the Jedi into the future.
Author Bio:
Madeleine Roux is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty books for teens, adults, and children. Her bestselling Asylum series has sold over a million copies worldwide. She has also written for Star Wars, World of Warcraft, Dungeons & Dragons, and Critical Role. Madeleine lives in Seattle, Washington, with her partner and beloved pups.
