Young Jedi Books

I love this book there's so many good charecter's (I like lowie the most in this book!!!!!!!!!!) and I love the theme park
so good bye for now

Alright, I know YJK is supposed to be for the younger set, but I'm 15 and really do enjoy them. They shed new light on the characters of Jacen and Jaina, who, until YJK came along, were portrayed as bratty wonder children who kept getting kidnapped and escaping by dumb luck. OK, on to the actual book, sorry to ramble. This is the second in the Under Black Sun trilogy, which will be the last of the YJK books, at least for the time being. The kids are invited by Lando to spend time on Cloud City, bringing Anja Gallandro along. When she was introduced, I immediately understood the significance, since I have read the original Han Solo adventures back from 1979 and 1980. They arrive to find Lando's partner murdered by agents of Czethros, the Black Sun operative controlling Anja and out to get the YJK. Through a series of discoveries and things, the kids find out about Black Sun's involvement through several parties, most notably Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, who were supposed to be playing on CC. Concluding a bunch of near-death mishaps, the kids are reunited on Cloud City, but Anja is suffering Spice withdrawl, and the preview of Crisis at Crystal Reef indicates that she's really losing it. It's interesting that something that's a young adult book would deal with something like drug addiction, but it's well written and thoughtful. This is a good read for fans of the series, and even for you older folks looking for a nice light read.

Trouble on cloud city is an awesome continuation of the young Jedi Knights books. The way Kevin and Rebecca describe the character's feelings is what truly makes this book come alive. It brings out all of the subtle emotions that Tenel Ka feels towards Jacen and lets us know that deep down she really cares for him. This book is a must have and an excellent action packed read.

Well, I have to say that this was the best Young Jedi Knights book to come along in a while. Oh, but don't get me wrong, they're all good, but a few definitly stand above the others. Namely, Lightsabers, Jedi Under Siege, Jedi Bounty, and The Emperor's plague. And now Trouble on Cloud City has joined the ranks of the great. In this book, Lando askes Jacen, Jaina, Lowie, Tenel Ka, Anja, and Em Teedee to come with him to Cloud City to help supervise a new amusement park he is building there. When they get there however, they find that Lando's partner has been murdered, and they set out to find who did it. Anja knows of course, or at least guesses that her master Czethros is at work and she struggles on many moral points concerning her new friends, and her growing adiction to Andris Spice. Actually, in this book I found myself softening a bit towards Anja, who I previously hated. I still don't like her nearly as much as the other characters, but I began to realize that she is a victim is her own right, since it isn't her fault she was mislead and used and duped into Andris. Also, this book focused a lot on Tenel Ka, who is my favorite character in the series, and allowed us to get inside her, and see her thoughts and feelings in a way that has not been done since the masterpiece of Lightsabers. Her reaction when Jacen fell of Cloud City was heartbreaking, and I'll confess, that the scene where they all thought that they would never see him again almost had me in tears, and I never, EVER cry over books or movies or anything. I liked how this book let us see how much Tenel Ka truly cares about Jacen. Speaking of Jacen, his crush on Anja seems to have ended, which may in fact be what opened me up to her a bit, since I was always adamently against that. Anyway, I would recommend this series to any Star Wars fan, no matter what their age, even though they are generaly geared towards the 10-15 set. Also, this book would have a stronger effect on you and generally make more sense if you have read the previous twelve first, though if that is to much work, it is at least reccomeded that you read the one before it.

These are great books! This book is great for begginers. The story is great, the plot is great, it's very intriging. The book is about Jason, Jaina, and Tenel Ka, and Lobaca. Lando Calorisian is inviting the Young Jedi Knights to his Resort on Cloud City. The kids will come as long as they can bring their friend Anga Gilrado. But what they will find out is... You'll just have to read the book. It's a great book as a gift. It's a must for all Star Wars fans.

I loved this book. I read it a year ago and I still rememberparts of it, especially the day and night sides of Ryloth. It was neathow the friends kept saving each other.

Usually, in most series by the time they reach book 10 it is beggining to get cheesy and unsatifying, but this is an exception. In fact, I think that this book is even better than the other three books in the second series of Young Jedi Knights, though I generaly liked the first series better. For one thing, even though there is one more book after this one, it seemed to tie in just about all the subplots of the series into a flawless intertwining story, that is much better than most people give it credit for, just because they are kids books. Anyway, in this story, The Young Jedi Knights (Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka, and Raynar) finally decide that they have waited long enough for Lowie (their other friend) to return from visiting the Diversity Aliance and they must assume that he has either joined them, or is being held against his will. (both bad things) So they take off to go to rescue him, but are captured by the Diversity Aliance (who is fanacicly anti-human) and thrown into the spice mines to slave out their remaining years in agony. Will they save Lowie and escape? And if they manage to will they survive in the nearly inhospitably cold exterier to Ryloth? You'll just have to read the book to find out. One thing that bothers me, is that when they ask Lusa to stay behind and cover for them saying that they went on a mission or something, well wouldn't the adults imediatly be suspicios? I mean they are just a bunch of fifteen year old kids, wouldn't the adults feel responsible if something happened to them? Yet everyone seems to simply take it in stride as a normal accurance untill Zekk and Lusa come forward and tell the truth for them. Also, these budding relationships between all the kids, while extremly innocent, are starting to get annoying. Actually, the relationship between Jacen and Tenel Ka is fine, it being fun and interesting to watch. But do we really need more than that? Now new characters have actually been created just so other characters aren't left out of this, or so it seems. Zekk in particular was never one of my favorite characters, though despite myself I am begining to like him more. I am still completly against him forming a relationship with Jaina though, despite the fact they like each other. While I suppose Jaina does like him for the right reasons, they are better as friends. Their so called relationship is not only boring, but also completly unneccacary. A poor attemp to relate to teenage girls who would be reading this book. I'm a girl, and I'm fifteen, but this still seems silly and unneccecary, as is Lusa and Raynar, and Lowie and Raaba. Well now that I'm through complaining, I'll sign off by saying once again that this is a great book that I reccomend to any Star Wars fan, especially those interested in seeing how Han and Leia's kids turned out.

I have recenlty found to my suprise that many YA novels are very interesting. The "Young Jedi Knights" series have a lot of these novels and this particular book is easily representative of the breed. It helped that I have read some of the previous books of the series, however, otherwise I would have been completely lost in the character interrelationships.

This is a great book. one of the beast. A good part is when Jacen & Tenel Ka get lost in the ice land. "The first thing Jacen noticed was the cold. He shivered and looked at Tenel Ka,her lizard hide boots rose to midcalf, but her scaled armor only covered a minuscule portion of her uper thigh and left her arms bare. You must be c-c-cold,he said. This is a fact,said Tenel Ka. Chill wind went into the cave like knives of ice. Jacen, unable to thik of any other comfort, put his arms around Tenel Ka and pulled her to him in hopes of sharing some of his body warmth. Tenel Ka's arm slid around Jacen's waist and hugged him". so they are frezzing to death. It gets a bit more buddy buddy for Jacen & Tenel Ka. Now Jaina &Ranar are in the hot lands. " Raynar did his best to keep up with Jaina as they trudged between cracks, lept over open spaces like ovens, and hid from the heat in any shadows they could find. Now I know what a nerf sausage-- on a hot plate feels like,said Raynar. Jaina couldn't anser. Her skin was red and raw from the heat, her hands and feet had good number of blisters already. Jaina climbed up a rockface, along a cleft in the tones that heid some shade. She slipped briefly and reaching out to steady herself, touched an outcropping of rock exposed to the direct sunlight. She hissed in pain and snached her fingers away. Red burn-welts sprouted on her skin. Working it the mines is starting to sound like a vacationto me,she admitted. we don't have any waterout here, no food or protection...said Jaina". So they have to deal with the heat. This is a great book, to see what happens you got to get it.

Jacen, Jaina and group held off to get Lowie back from the Diversity Alliance but it doesn't go well at all instead they end up slaves in a spice mines leaving Lusa to come after them. Another interesting installment of the Young Jedi Knights asside from a few little details like them traveling around the Galaxy at fifteen or them telling Lusa to cover for them (like no one's going to notice they have left the planet?) I like each book better then the last. They're fun adventures and each charactor is well written. I like the little tiny crushes between Jacen and Tenel Ka and Jaina and Zekk their cute but not overly annoying nor are they the main focus of the stories and that works for me.

Julie Beard's THE DUCHESS' LOVER, is a multi-faceted, sparkling gem of a book! She deftly weaves the subplots while keeping the readers' emotions focused on the sensual, yet poignant, unfolding lovestory between a lonely duchess and her forbidden lover. Several secondary characters enliven the story with their authenticity and humor. Beard always manages to delve deeply into the dark complexities of human nature to mine out shining shards of humanity and compassion and love and hope.

Lady Chatterly isn't the only woman who loves her gardener--but Julie Beard tells a much more compelling, satisfying tale than the classic by giving us a heroine and hero who develop their own dreams while making each other's come true, societal pressures be damned! And she leads us down a delightful primrose path with plenty of misleading clues as we discover who dunnit to the Duke.
It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a cast of such well-developed, interesting characters, and I literally couldn't put this one down.

If you read the other reviews you should know that Oliva is in her 40's and Will, the gardner cum artist is in his twenties. Her husband dies, they get together, fall in love and he helps find a killer. Besides the murder mystery, the story looks at society's ills and examines not just the main couples relationship (although it does focus on them) but the fascinating secondary characters' as well.

What really is astounding though, is that Ms. Beard makes this whole May/December plot work. Completely.

Ordinarily, I don't really go for the older woman/younger man scenario. I have the usual hangups about it and wonder what will happen when she is 60 and he is 40. But the author really sells the whole kit and kaboddle. It's so well written and the characters are so well defined that I can picture Livie and Will falling in love. I can see them facing anything to be together. I can feel the love they share and I believe that they can each change enough to make a life together.

This is no small feat, let me tell you. ;-)

So if you're squeamish at all about the older woman/younger man scenario, please, don't be. It's a terrific book. One of the best I've ever read. I've read it many times now and it will definitely be on my keeper shelf for many years to come.

Beard triumphs in this well-constructed and touching tale. The hero and heroine are well-rounded and beautifully developed. Any woman who's had to or is reassessing her life will immediately relate to Olivia. Her courage is inspiring. And the hero is everything such a woman could dream of. Theirs is a powerful story of unexpected love and passion in spite of the strictures of society and differences in age and social rank.

In addition to the wonderful love story, one that had me wondering how Beard would manage to come up with a happy ending, there are a number of wholly satisfying subplots, including a secondary love story that parallels Olivia's discoveries about love and life and a who-done-it murder mystery with plenty of red herrings, possible suspects, and titillating clues. On top of all this are penetrating looks at social mores, societal ills, and personal foibles, dreams, and heartaches. The doubts, joys, and anguish experienced by the characters ring true, allowing the book to do what the best literature should do: question ourselves and the world around us, reevaluating what we believe and how we live.

"The Duchess' Lover" is a riveting book that should be on everyone's to-be-read list, reminding us that real love truly is the most important thing. This is probably a book that needs to be read periodically, just to remember all these things when the tyranny of the urgent and the expectations of others begin weighing us down.

Olivia "Livie" had been very young when she married Quinton Thorpe and became the Duchess of Brandhurst. For almost twenty-five years she lived with her husband's cruelty by shutting off all emotions. As the book opened, I learned Quinton had been murdered, stabbed in the back with a letter opener by an unknown person (while trying to kill Olivia), and Livie was still in shock.

Few knew the Duke had been murdered. Those few, which included Olivia, felt the Duke had gotten what he deserved. So the murder was covered up and kept quiet. The title fell to Andrew Thorpe, an American. Until he could settle his affairs and get to England, Livia was to be in charge.

Neville Thorpe, second in line for the title, was jealous. He stayed by his Aunt Olivia's side and took charge of everything in her for her. He used his time to plot and scheme ways of obtaining the title he so coveted. He was aided by Quinton's wicked valet, Antonio. Neville found Olivia to be easily controlled until ...

Clara Peabody was an advocate with the Ladies' National Association. She approached Olivia, a year after the Duke's death, about helping fight to help the suffering of the match factory ladies. Olivia's eyes opened to possibilities and she developed a backbone.

Willoughby Barnes was an unknown artist. Since his deceased father had worked in the Duke's garden, Will had grown up learning the trade. He was asked to design the garden around the Duke's burial plot. Out of money for paints, he agreed. There, Olivia and Will met and fell in love. Olivia felt true love for the first time. However, Livie was forty and a duchess while Will was in his twenties and a gardner. It could never work.

***** The author, Julie Beard, keeps the reader guessing as to who really murdered the Duke. At the same time, she succeeds in keeping romance, betrayal, compassion, and several wonderful sub-plots going in the story. Normally this would not work. However, Julie Beard MADE it work! It all blends smoothly together and becomes as beautiful as Will's painting of Olivia! An enlightening and graceful story that I highly recommend to one and all! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

"Anakin's Fate" is a story about what happens to the slave boy before he meets Padme and the Jedi. The official prequel novels all have about a third of additional story that never made it onto the silver screen. Terry Brooks' "Phantom Menace" is no exception as there is a great deal of time and energy spent on Tatooine with 'Annie' long before his destiny intersects with Qui-Gon Jinn. "Anakin's Fate" is closely based on some of these events that happen long before the Nubian blockade. In this part of Anakin's life, we experience the podrace that he and Watto allude to in Episode I: "he smashed up my pod in the last race." The reader also spends time with Kitster, the Jawas and space pilots. Marc Cerasini beautifully flushes out Anakin's character. The Jedi Readers can be a mixed bag in terms of quality and this one is surprisingly well written. Until readers advance enough to handle the Terry Brooks novel, "Anakin's Fate" is a great title to read prior to watching "the Phantom Menace."

It was AMAZING!!!! ESPECIALLY when Anakin dreamed about wining the podrace. Watto is EXTREMELY mean and selfish!!!!!!!!
When he sent Anakin to Mochat Steep.
He could have bought them, but he was too cheap. This is the best book I have ever READ.

My 4 year old loves to have these books read to him. Before I introduced these books to him he was at a much simpler level of book, but his interest - because of the droids (robots) has helped him grow into these. My 7 year old devours them by reading them to himself and to his brother.

It talks about the fate of Anakin Skywalker. I thought it was a good and detailed book. It gets right to the point.

We (7 year old and I) have read the first five parts of this series. Interesting emphasis on psychological development of the main characters, not just a shot-'em-up series. Somewhat spiritualistic in orientation, might upset some conservative types who want to outlaw Halloween, etc. My son likes part 2 (Ltric's World) the best. Will Uldir come to his senses?

This was a good book, but I didn't like it as much as the other books in the series. For one thing, I wish Uldir would stop being such a brat, can't he see Anakin and Tahiri only want to be his friends? I guess not. However, he does get better as time goes on, so that's a good thing. :) I also don't think that Mage Orloc is a worthy foe for Anakin and Tahiri. Granted, this book is meant for younger children than myself, but even when I read it for the first time at age eleven I didn't find him very intimidating. I mean, these kids have fought the dark lords of the Sith and come out alive, so in my opinion they shouldn't have any problems defeating this wimp. But that's just my opinion. All in all, it was a fun book and I would recamend it to any kid who loves Star Wars.

I liked this because of the interaction between Tiione and Tahiri. They seem a lot like mother and daughter, which surprised me because Tiione is an instructor--not her mother. It brings out a loving side to these two characters--especially Tahiri. Instead of gushing all over Anakin all the time, she talks to other people, too. This makes her seem more social. At first, I thought she had a crush on Anakin (that's why she talked so much to him), but now I think that talking to people that way is her nature. This book brings out Tahiri's social side. And later, her serious side too . . .

Vader's Fortress is a wonderful book about the discovery of the lightsaber previously owned by Obi-Wan Kenobi. It is very exciting and also extremely captivating

I saw it, and I knew that I just HAD to get it. It has very nice pictures inside, and enough room to write my own personal journal. So far I'm already half way through writing in it. The hard cover protects the things inside, and I like that also. The things they write for Anakin's thoughts are interresting too. It's a very nice journal, and if you like Star Wars, you'll LOVE this.

"I Am A Jedi Apprentice" (by Anakin Skywalker) is the sequel of sorts to "I Am A Jedi" (by Qui-Gon Jinn). Just as Qui-Gon's book explained the ins and outs of being a Jedi Knight, this Anakin book explains what it's like to be a Padawan. While intended for younger readers, the picture book goes through a surprising amount of detail describing field gear, the force, the lightsaber, learning tools, the temple and much more. The large illustrations are extracted from the "Attack of the Clones" film. With an emphasis on Anakin, "I Am A Jedi Apprentice" is a surpsringly thorough introduction to the Padawan experience.

The title of the book sums it up; it's a coloring book with various pics of Jedi missions and other Episode 1 scenes. Think your too old for a coloring book? Well, not this one! Great piece to add to your colection.

I am delighted that punch-outs are still popular, that we are given such a great book by Random House. Punch-outs are cardboard characters or vehicles that you "punch out" of the page and set up in scenes. This particular book is one of the best. It contains 14 Jedi and 2 Sith characters. Namely, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the entire Jedi Council (including Yoda!), Darth Maul, and Darth Sidious. they are beautifully drawn and painted. The exciting thing is this: the book includes a backdrop of the Jedi Council chamber. And Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, and about half of the Jedi Council have their light sabers drawn! This is the scene you can create, where the Sith infiltrate the Jedi Council's Chamber! Okay, my imagination is running wild, but that is what Punch-outs are for. And the whole thing is cheaper than one action figure. I grew up with punch-outs and I'm so glad the tradition continues with such high quality! Buy this book, young Jedi.

Star Wars Young Jedi Knights: Jedi Sunrise contains the complete novels: Lightsabers, Darkest Knight, and Jedi Under Siege