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Credit: LucasfilmLucasfilm’s newest Star Wars novel is being billed as a romance, but “Eyes Like Stars” could mean much more for the galaxy far, far away.
Written by Ashley Poston and announced at NYCC’s Lucasfilm Publishing panel (via StarWars.com), the young adult story takes place a year and a half before Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015) and follows two original characters navigating love, mystery, and the shadow of the First Order.
On the surface, it’s a straightforward YA adventure — but its focus on romance could signal long overdue progress. Despite being a universe filled with countless alien species and cultures, Star Wars has long avoided any meaningful LGBTQ representation.
One of the most recent examples is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kiss between two women in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019), a moment that was celebrated in marketing but carried little weight onscreen.
While the upcoming book’s cover art depicts a male and a female, its genre and intended audience suggest the story might explore relationships with more emotional nuance than previous Star Wars entries. Poston’s work often centers character-driven storytelling, and the YA market has consistently been ahead of film and television when it comes to inclusion.
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Even if this novel focuses on a seemingly heterosexual pairing, its existence as a romance within Star Wars opens the door for others that don’t fit traditional molds.
Star Wars storytelling has grown darker and more serious in recent years, with projects like Andor (2022) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) earning critical praise but offering little warmth. By contrast, “Eyes Like Stars” could bring intimacy and vulnerability back into the conversation — qualities that could reshape how future stories handle love, identity, and connection in the faraway galaxy.
For a brand still finding its new voice after a string of uneven Disney+ series and films, introducing romance as a central theme might be more than a genre experiment. It could be the first step toward a broader, more inclusive kind of storytelling that reflects the diverse audience that’s loved Star Wars for nearly fifty years.
Will you be reading the new Star Wars romance novel? Let us know in the comments!