What happens when the Jedi at their peak—absolute golden era, no Vader, no Empire, just vibes and lightsabers—face something that genuinely scares them?
I started this at 5:47 AM on a Monday, wedged between a guy manspreading into my seat and someone's overly pungent breakfast burrito. By the time we hit Millbrae, I'd completely forgotten about both because Marchion Ro had just done something so cold I actually whispered "oh no" out loud. The burrito guy gave me a look. Worth it.
Marc Thompson Is Basically a One-Man Lucasfilm Sound Stage
Look, I've listened to probably a dozen Star Wars audiobooks at this point, and Marc Thompson remains the undisputed GOAT. His Stellan Gios has this steady, measured authority that makes you understand why people follow the Jedi. His Elzar Mann carries just enough edge to telegraph that this guy is not okay. And when the Nihil attack the Republic Fair—basically a galaxy-wide World's Fair celebrating unity—Thompson shifts into this gear that legitimately sounds like a movie. The chaos, the overlapping panic, the Jedi trying to hold it together. Cinema for your ears.
But. And this is a real but. Some of his alien voices are... choices. There's a Sullustan senator with this nasally, gurgling thing happening that made me want to skip ahead every time he appeared. And certain Nihil characters have these bird-like, crone-adjacent voices that are genuinely hard to parse. I caught myself rewinding multiple times during Marchion Ro chapters because I couldn't tell who was speaking. On a packed train at 1.5x speed? That's a problem.
The ROI on Thompson's performance is still excellent—maybe 85% brilliant, 15% "why did he make that choice." I've learned to just accept that some scenes require more focus than others.
The Nihil Are What the Sequels Wished They Had
Here's what Cavan Scott gets right: the Nihil aren't just evil for evil's sake. They're anarchists with a philosophy. That kind of ideological depth reminded me of the faction politics in Prophecy of the Seven, where the villains actually have a point. Marchion Ro genuinely believes the Republic's unity is oppression wearing a friendly mask. The Republic Fair becomes this perfect symbol—all that celebration, all that "we're all in this together" energy—and the Nihil tear it apart because they see it as a lie.
Basically Occupy Wall Street meets space Vikings, but with an actual strategic mastermind running things. And the fear weapon they introduce? Without spoiling it—there's a reason even Force users can't just meditate their way through it. The Jedi are genuinely rattled for the first time in generations, and Scott makes you feel that shift.
At 15 and a half hours, this is a commitment. But unlike certain business books I could name (looking at you, every startup manifesto ever), this one earns its runtime. The multiple POV structure—Bell Zettifar, Elzar Mann, Stellan Gios, plus Nihil perspectives—keeps things moving. I finished it in about 5 commutes, which for a book this dense is actually pretty efficient.
When the Audio Fights You
I need to be honest: there are stretches where I had to bump down to 1.25x just to follow the dialogue. Thompson's passion is undeniable, but when you've got three Nihil characters with similar raspy-alien voices having a strategy meeting, things get muddy. One Reddit thread I found basically confirmed I wasn't alone—multiple people mentioned struggling with certain chapters.
No sound effects, no music, no full cast. Just Thompson doing everything. Which is mostly a flex, but occasionally you wish for a little audio variety to break up the more confusing ensemble scenes.
Who Gets the Green Light (And Who Should Ctrl+Z)
This is a focused listen. Don't put this on while debugging production code or you'll miss half the political intrigue. Ideal for a commute where you can actually pay attention, or a long run where you want something engaging enough to distract from mile 4.
Skip if: you need clean, easy-to-follow audio at high speeds, or if you're not already invested in the High Republic era. This is book two—you really need Light of the Jedi first or you'll be lost on who these people are.
Pushing to Main
Bottom Line: Worth your commute, but budget for some rewinds. Thompson's performance is 85% stellar, 15% "what is that voice." The story itself—Jedi facing genuine fear, the Republic's idealism tested by chaos—hits harder than most Star Wars content in years. Once and Future Witches explores that same tension between idealism and brutal reality, just with witch covens instead of Jedi councils. Cavan Scott understands that the best Star Wars isn't just pew-pew; it's about what people believe in and whether those beliefs survive contact with reality.
I'm already queued up for book three. The burrito guy can judge all he wants.
