Light of the Jedi (Star Wars: The High Republic)

The universe feels so rich and immersive, but I wonder how much of that was planned from the start versus evolved during writing. Did the author focus more on lore or characters initially?

While I appreciated the depth, the slower sections made me wonder if they were necessary for the story's foundation or if they could have been trimmed for more action.

It really pulled me in right away, but I’m curious whether this was based on a specific concept or just a narrative instinct to hook the reader.