Young Jedi Books

Plot line is weak and doesn't make much sense. The young Jedi knights don't seem to catch on to things quickly in this one. I am reading this series to my son who is 7, and he enjoys them. He isn't as annoyed by the out-of-character behavior of the main characters and bounty hunter as I am. Some of the more grusome graphic descriptions are not necessary and detract from the book.

If you've read all of the other books in the series, you'll enjoy reading this one. If you haven't, you may want to read "Shards of Alderaan" first. However, this book is wonderful for leading up to the rest of the Diverstiy Alliance based books. It's a lot of background setting for the rest of the series. You won't regret buying it.

Do you like Star Wars? Well if you do you should read the book the Diversty Aliance part of the Jouner Jedi Kinghts series. Its about after the movies. Its hard to compare to any series because most of the other books are about the movies. The book the Diversty Aliance is about a group of aliens called the Diversty Aliance that are looking for a plague that can kill all human life but aliens are immune to it. There leader has sent allmost every bounty hunter to find it. I think it was a good book for ages 9-13 I read this book in 1day. I liked it because I`m a Star Wars fan and you get to read about some old charters like Han Solo And some new ones like Louwe.

I really didn't expect to like this book after reading Shards of Aldderaan where there was that big error about Luke's birthday but I had liked the other previous Young Jedi Knight books so I gave it a try and was happy I died. Raynar summoned home by his mother to find his father is missing. Aliens (non-humans) are after a plague that could kill humans but not aliens. I found the idea that aleins untying against humans to be very a very creative plot. Once again the charactoriations impress me. I love charactors that are fleshed out.

I have always thought the first series of Young Jedi Knights (Heirs of the Force, Shadow Academy, The Lost Ones, Lightsabers, Darkest Knight, and Jedi Under Siege) to be superior to this series (Shards of Alderaan, Diversity Alliance, Delusions of Granduer, Jedi Bounty, and The Emperor's Plague) simply because the foe was a little more interesting to me, and the characters seemed a bit better fleshed out. Now that I am older however, and reading these again for the first time in several years, I have more of an open mind and I realized that this second series is in fact very good, and, while it doesn't have as much action as the first series, the character development is superb. In this book Raynar's mother calls him to come home and be with her while his father is missing. He does and is accompanied by Jacen , Jaina, Tenel Ka, and Lowie who wish to keep him company and give him moral support while he gets settled but as you can propably guess, things do not go exacly as planned, and soon they are all off on an adventure to Kuar to try and discover where Raynar's father might have gone, with the absence of Raynar, who stays with his mother. Through epic battles with giant combat arachnids and assasin droids, they begin to discover that Raynar's father could be hiding for more reasons than his reputation, and that in fact there is a high probability that he is in fact hiding a secret that could destroy the galaxy... So anyway, this was a great book, though it would make more sense if you have already read all the previous books in the series, including the ones from the first series. One of the few things I don't really like that much about this series, is that everyone has to have someone else to "like". This gets incresingly annoying as the series goes on and the kids get older. And lets face it, Raaba's only purpose of existance is so Lowie will not be left out of all this. Zekk started out that way too, but luckily he now has his own place in the Star Wars world other than The Boy Jaina Likes, so I guess there is still hope. One of the good things is that it only goes as far as mild crushes and never all that boyfriend/girlfriend, breaking up and all that, so that is good thing, especially for someone like me who is not very big on romance at all, especially imature teen romance which seems to be so popular.

You have no idea how good this book is!!!Its a Star Wars fan must have!!!Action,adventure cool,you'll finally know what happend to Kenobi's Blade!!!!2 thumbs up!!-W.B.R.

First he's forever being confused with his grandfather, and now that Harry Potter kid comes along and does everything he does, only better! Seriously, this entire series should be re-edited into one or two books,without the endless background info-its safe to say that even most 8-year-olds reading this will have seen the movies

I won't say much because it'll ruin the entire story. But this is a wonderful book to read for all Star Wars fans. I highly recommend it

This book is a very entertaining read for anyone familiar with the Star Wars movies. The book definitely gives a clear description of what life in the Star Wars galaxy is all about. The Jr. Jedi knights are the books that started my passion for reading four years ago. This is definitely a must have for any young reader.

This book was okay, though definitly not the best in the series. The writing was good and discriptive, though it didn't grab me in quite the same way as the first trilogy did, or even as the two books before this one did. To me, it seemed that this whole book was a rehash of the previus one. It had practicly the same plot, except Uldir finally went just a little to far. And they had to bring the Orloc guy back. I don't think he is a very good villian, because he is too unsure of himself, and he doesn't even have any real powers. His very presence insults the intelligence of the characters, and the fact that all of them are jedi, or at least jedi trainees except Uldir. Like I said, the writing was good, and the characters well developed, even if the plot was less than perfect. And despite it's flaws, I greatly enjoyed reading it, and intend to do so again. Definitly best for children twelve and under.

Thousands of children's books are published every year, and it's hard to catch kids' attention. One thing that never fails to stand out, however, is the familiar "Star Wars" logo on a book cover. "Anakin's Quest," the fourth book in the popular Junior Jedi Knights series, is a wonderful tool for encouraging young "Star Wars" fans to read. Rebecca Moesta's writing is concise and uncomplicated, and the story moves quickly enough to keep most kids interested. Young Anakin Solo, son of Han Solo and Princess Leia, is learning to be a Jedi Knight with the help of his uncle, Luke Skywalker, and his friends Tahiri, Master Ikrit, and Artoo-Detoo. In this installment, Anakin and company travel to Dagobah to visit the cave where Luke Skywalker faced the Dark Side in himself. Anakin is afraid that he's destined to fall to the Dark Side like his grandfather, Darth Vader, and needs to face his own inner demons. His adventures along the way will engross and excite even the most casual of "Star Wars" fans. This book is best for children aged 7 to 12--and, of course, the young at heart.

I thought this was a good book, but not nearly as well written as the first trilogy. One thing I liked about it was that it addressed Anakin's fear of turning to the dark side, though wasn't that taken care of in the previous book? When I first read this, at age eleven, I really could have cared less about Uldir, and considered him an irritating fifth wheel. But now that I myself am a teenager,(about to turn fifteen) I understand his problems better and sympathize more with his character. This book is best for children twelve and under, but anyone could read it as long as they don't expect an epic. One more thing; how come in Heir to the Empire Yoda's house is all rotted and not even there anymore, but in this book, which takes place thirteen years later, it's perfectly intact. Well, like I said, this book has it's flaws, but it's good.

This book is the best in the series. Anakin has some spell-binding dreams that you'll love. In this book, Anakin goes to Dagobah with Tahiri and Ikrit. When he gets there, he and Tahiri revisit the place where Luke was trained by Yoda. And what they see there is truly amazing . . .

I liked this book because it concentrated only on what Anakin did instead of switching to what Han did, or Luke did, and the whole book was about him. It was easy to read and I hope that they write a lot more books in this series.

I am an avid Star Wars fan. I've read just about all of the books. Even though I am 27, I especially enjoy the Junior Jedi Knights series. It's easy reading and a real joy to read. This book is wonderful because you find out the true fears of Anakin and Tahiri. If you love Star Wars, find out more about Han and Leia's youngetst son in these great books.

My son enjoyed this book. It was an easy read for a 7 year old, with nice pictures and interesting facts. Probably perfect for a 5 or 6 year old.

This is just a terrific storybook. After a year, it is still one of my 3 year old niece's favorites.

The graphic design is sophisticated and elegant, and the book introduces young children to the Star Wars universe with great style. It's intelligent, a quality missing in so many children's movie tie-in books. The presentation of the Jedi is age-appropriate but will also appeal to much older readers.

Three cheers for Random House and Lucas Books!

Got a grown-up Qui-Gon fan with a sense of humor who needs a stocking stuffer? This'll do nicely. It's got pretty pictures and stickers. And as every thinking being knows, stickers make *everything* better! ^_^

As a special education teacher working to stimulate children with reading differences/difficulties, I am always looking for highly motivating, well-illustrated, well-written books. This book is all three, plus it has the advantage of appealing, in its subject material, not just to the younger readers (grades 1-4), but to those in grades 5-12 (yes, 12!) as well. I was able to do many interesting activities for boys and girls with learning differences, using materials based on Episodes 4, 5, and 6. So far, the story/activity books from Episode I, including this one and the three others in the four-book series, are just as carefully done, with the same potential for entrancing and motivating the low-level reader. (And I, a high-level reader, also think they are simply super for reading to great-grandchildren or to myself.) The Star Wars materials, this story in particular, offer many opportunities to develop high-level critical thinking skills, which these students usually have in abundance, and to stimulate writing and vocabulary skills. Even a short book like this one offers the opportunity to discuss acceptable behaviors, to improve choice-making, and to define personal goals. Thank you, George Lucas, Marc Cerasini and Random House, for making solid-gold books like this available!

"Anakin's Pit Droid" is an expanded universe story that fits neatly into "the Phantom Menace." The plot flushes out events that happen just prior to the podrace that wins Anakin Skywalker's freedom. As with Qui-Gon's pre-race pep talk, there are moments that act as markers, connecting this expanded universe story with the film. As the title suggests, the protagonist isn't a Jedi (or soon-to-be Jedi) but DUM-4, a pit droid. These are the mechanic helpers that are always quick to add comedic relief. Anakin sends DUM-4 on a mission that eventually involves Sebulba and even Jabba the Hutt. The story illustrates how hard work pays off. Beyond this, it shows how anyone can be courageous, regardless of size. The book is best suited for those between an upper second to a lower third grade reading level. "Anakin's Pit Droid" is a story that will appeal to any young reader, regardless of size.

The best part is when Anakin's pit droid helps him get the power plug from Sebulba. He has to be brave. The brave little droid helps Anakin put the power plug in the engine. Everybody cheers when Anakin wins the race.

This was a good little book. The thing that impressed me with it is that the story actually fits into the continuity of The Phantom Menace. The art is well-done and was obviously done by someone who understands and takes pride in the Star Wars universe. A lot of books that are similar to this seem to be done by people who hadn't even seen the relevant movie. Incidentally, George Lucas has claimed that the pit droids are his favorite characters from Episode 1.

I'm a huge Star Wars fan and love the Knights of the Old Republic games. I recently finished KOTOR 2 for the first time and all the while I was playing it I was thinking of how I want to read the KOTOR comics and the Tales of the Jedi comics that take place before them. I picked up this omnibus and wasn't too excited about the art. I felt I was going to have to just get through it. I'm really not a fan of the art is this book, especially being such a big fan of the Republic and Legacy comics which have amazing art! To me Tales started off kind of slow. After about 45 pages though I found myself hooked and unable to put it down. I read through the book in about a week. Then I had to go and buy the second one which I'm about half way through now and it's even more engrossing. My point is, if you're not a fan of the art, just keep reading, the story is so good you'll overlook it and maybe even enjoy the style. If you're a fan of the Knights of the Old Republic video games, this is a great back story and has a similar feel.

Omnibus Tales of the Jedi is really my first experience with the Star Wars graphic novels published by Dark Horse. I must say that the experience was a pleasure. The book was entertaining and just has a great look about it. This one collects the earliest known tales about the Jedi and Sith originally published in comic book form with the action taking place several thousand years before the Battle of Yavin. The tales in the book are from the comic book stories "The Golden Age of the Sith," "The Fall of the Sith Empire," "Knights of the Old Republic," and "The Freedon Nadd Uprising,"

The Golden Age of the Sith: Prologue - 5,000 years before Yavin. We are introduced to a young Jedi named Odan-Urr as he is ordered to leave his study of old scrolls and documents and head off to the planet of Cinnagar to assist the Empress Teta. We also get to meet the brother and sister team of Gav and Jori Daragon in their early days.

The Golden Age of the Sith - 5,000 years before Yavin. The Sith Lord Marka Ragnos ruled the galaxy until his death ignited a battle for ascension. Great battles and evil doings among the Sith ensue. The Daragons are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon - 4,000 years before Yavin. Qel-Droma and two others are sent to the system of Onderon to help deal with the beast riders who are creating havoc. Once there they become involved with rescuing the queen's daughter who has been kidnapped

The Saga of Nomi Sunrider - 3,999 years before Yavin. We see the beginnings of Nomi Sunrider's rise to becoming a great Jedi Knight.

The Omnibus is great fun to read, and I look forward to more of them from Dark Horse.

Of the many Star Wars comics issued by Dark Horse, the Tales of the Jedi line was far and away my favorite. The series' setting (5000 years before A New Hope) let authors Kevin J. Anderson and Tom Veitch really go wild in creating the early tales of the Jedi Knights and their Sith adversaries, and resulted in the creation of some of the Star Wars Universe's most memorable characters.

Since many of the original Tales of the Jedi trade paperbacks are out of print, Dark Horse has issued Omnibus collections of the Tales of the Jedi comics. This is the first volume, and it collects the following stories:

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Golden Age of the Sith
This series was useful in recounting the original schism between the Jedi and the Sith as well as the Sith's defeat and exile across the galaxy. In this series a pair of Force-sensitive hyperspace explorers accidentally discovers the Sith homeworld. After a power struggle among the Sith Lords, the explorers are used to bring the evil of the Sith back to the Republic. As important as these events are to Star Wars continuity (never mind that the prequels would undo much of what Anderson had established regarding the Sith), the series just runs too long and has too many bland characters. The artwork is downright ugly too, which doesn't help.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Fall of the Sith Empire
This series picks up where Golden Age left off, with Sith Lord Naga Sadow's invasion of the Republic. This series was plagued by uninteresting characters, ridiculous dialogue, and the same dreadful artwork as Golden Age. Honestly, they could have combined the two series and made the story far more effective. It also hurts that there really aren't any Jedi to speak of, which kind of defeats the purpose of the title.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Ulic Qel Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon/The Saga of Nomi Sunrider (previously collected in the original Tales of the Jedi tpb)
Finally we get to the good stuff! These were originally the first TOJ stories, and they are the focus for all of the TOJ stories that follow. Set 4000 years before A New Hope, the series introduces an exciting group of young Jedi Knights whose adventures would change the galaxy. The epic battle between good and evil, Jedi and Sith begins here.

Even though the first and second parts of the book aren't as connected as later TOJ series were, they are included in chronological order. If you can make it through the disappointing first part of the book, the second part will have you eagerly awaiting the second Tales of the Jedi Omnibus.

I love the idea of these mid-priced Omnibus volumes, but am not crazy about their size. Compared to Marvel's larger Omnibus hardcovers, these smaller (they shaved roughly an inch from the height and width of the trade paperback size) paperback collections fall a bit short (no pun intended). Still, if you're new to the Tales of the Jedi series, or like me never got around to buying all of the trade paperbacks, they are an ideal way to get the most bang for your buck.

PS - For what it's worth, my copy of this Omnibus has a different cover than what is pictured. I'll try and upload a scan to show the difference.

This omnibus edition from Dark Horse contains the Exar Kun war. To most Star Wars enthusiasts, this may or may not make a lot of sense. So, for those who have played Knights of the Old Republic, it contains the exploits of the Qel-Droma clan and Nomi Sunrider. For those who have read the Jedi Academy books where Luke sets up the Academy on Yavin IV, it tells the story of Exar Kun and how he got trapped on Yavin.

It is a good story. The art is okay until "Redemption", where it is phenomenal. It has the typical battle between the light side and the dark side. I just wish that someone would master WHY a person would turn to the dark side of the force, but at least this provides some explanation as to why the central characters turned (more like they were forced to embrace it).

The stories that comprise this book are solid and IMHO movie material (it definitely beats Jar-Jar, the Ewoks, and the "love story" of Episode III).

I would recommend this book and Tales of the Jedi Volume 1 for any Star Wars fan. It will not disappoint.

The Star Wars Omnibus is one hefty book. Jam packed with stories of the Jedi going back 4,000 years before 'current' events, the dark Sith and Jedi are at constant war. Dark Sith magic is not dead, and when powerful forces re-appear, powerful Jedi must combat evil with good.

That has always been the theme of Star Wars. Good vs evil. Sith vs Jedi. Throw a little biblical theming (light vs dark-light wins), some amazing talented jedi warriors dedicated to the force, and you have galaxy spanning battles.

This book is packed with them. Can't wait for the next Jedi installment? $24.95 gets you over 300 pages of pure adventure. Great art, great stories, and creative histories behind a franchise that will surely live centuries beyond George Lucas!

www.darkhorse.com

Tim Lasiuta

Of the many Star Wars comics issued by Dark Horse, the Tales of the Jedi line was far and away my favorite. The series' setting (5000 years before A New Hope) let authors Kevin J. Anderson and Tom Veitch really go wild in creating the early tales of the Jedi Knights and their Sith adversaries, and resulted in the creation of some of the Star Wars Universe's most memorable characters.

Since many of the original Tales of the Jedi trade paperbacks are out of print, Dark Horse has issued Omnibus collections of the Tales of the Jedi comics. This is the second volume, and it collects the following stories:

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Freedon Nadd Uprising
This 2-issue series picked up where Ulic Qel Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon left off. Our young Jedi Knights are under assault from the ancient spirit of Sith Lord Freedon Nadd (no snickering please), and any victory they achieve may prove fleeting as secret Sith lore is brought back to the Republic by a pair of Dark Side wannabes. The artwork for this series was less than stellar.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Dark Lords of the Sith
Two powerful young Jedi come too close to the Dark Side of the Force. Exar Kun seeks forbidden knowledge, and Ulic Qel Droma attempts to defeat the dark from within. These Jedi's journeys towards the Dark Side will lead to massive galactic conflict and the return of the Sith Empire. The artwork in this series is better than the Freedon Nadd Uprising, but not by much.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Sith War
Dark Lord of the Sith Exar Kun and his Sith disciples wage war on the Republic and their Jedi allies. The whole Tales of the Jedi saga has been leading up to this massive conflict. Dario Carasco brings some much needed detailed artwork to the series.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Redemption
This long out of print saga takes place years after the close of the Sith War. Nomi Sunrider's daughter Vima seeks a Jedi to tutor her in the ways of the force, and has decided on the one man universally reviled for his role in the Sith War - Ulic Qel Droma. This gorgeously illustrated series is the perfect epilogue to the massive Tales of the Jedi saga.

I love the idea of these mid-priced Omnibus volumes, but am not crazy about their size. Compared to Marvel's larger Omnibus hardcovers, these smaller (they shaved roughly an inch from the height and width of the trade paperback size) paperback collections fall a bit short (no pun intended). Still, if you're new to the Tales of the Jedi series, or like me never got around to buying all of the trade paperbacks, they are an ideal way to get the most bang for your buck.

PS - For what it's worth, my copy of this Omnibus has a different cover than what is pictured. I'll try and upload a scan to show the difference.

"Darth Maul's Revenge" is an expanded universe look into Darth Maul. This book flushes out the events surrounding Maul's confrontation with Qui-Gon Jinn on Tatooine. In this telling, Darth Maul is sent to the desert planet. There, he launches his 'dark eye' probe droids. While waiting for news, he trains. Falling into a trap, Darth Maul is surprised to find out that the Tusken Raiders can give a Dark Lord of the Sith a challenge. He eventually hears word from his probe droids. While he fails to stop the Jedi, he vows revenge - a promise he eventually makes good on. The beginning and end of the plot act as markers that connect this expanded universe story with "the Phantom Menace." Darth Maul has always been one of most interesting yet elusive characters of the saga. Unlike in the film, Maul speaks more than two lines. In this title, his character development is significantly flushed out. The reader is able to get into Maul's head and learn about his life style and world view. In this respect, "Darth Maul's Revenge" compliments "Darth Maul's Journal." The writing is strong and at times it is surprisingly poetic for a book best suited for third grade readers. Unlike the journal, this book features attractive illustrations. When it comes to Star Wars books for young readers, it doesn't get much better. "Darth Maul's Revenge" is an exciting and in-depth look into one of Star Wars' most mysterious characters.

This book is a Step into Reading book, and is a Step 3 book (for grades 2-3). Did you see Star Wars Episode 1? Did you see Darth Maul sent out after the Jedi, and his subsequent attack on Qui-Gon Jinn on Tatooine? Well, this book tells the story from Darth Maul's perspective. It covers his conversation on Coruscant with Darth Sidious, his trip to Tatooine, and his adventures on that planet.

My son was very happy to get this book; he started reading and then proclaimed, "This is so cool!" This book is chocked full of matte illustrations, and containing a short, but well written story. My son and I both highly recommend this book.

This review covers the audio cassette book (2 tapes, 2.5+ hours). The music score was great, the sound effects terrific, and the acting very good. The plot...well that could take some time finding, but remember episdoe IV! Anyway, I really enjoyed this story. It takes place at about the same time as Ep. IV, and covers things more from the perspective of the Empire. Well worth the purchase price. I will have to see about getting the next two in the series. I want to see what happens!

I had this book for a year before I actually read it. Since I primarily bought it for the great, poster quality, painted, full page illustrations it didn't matter. Besides I was under the impression that it was a "juvenile", a kid's book. Yeah, right, this is about as much a juvenile as is Heilein's _Starship Troopers_. There are some very gritty combat scenes here- and very well developed characters of depth. This is amazing in a novella of less than 120 pages (after you subtract the illustration pages.) There are hack writers out there that would have told this same story in 300 or 400, or more, pages, but Dietz does it in less than 120 without ommitting any detail, atmosphere, or continuity. That's the mark of a very skilled writer. Combined with the cover quality illustrations this book is practically a cinema quality experience all by itself. Moreover, I had not read the first two books of the trilogy, nor played the games, yet the book held together on its own.
Another thing, for a book that is so good on the combat and technical atmosphere, the metaphysics are also very satisfying. The tale of Lord Hoth and the Army of Light is truly worthy of the best of the Star Wars mythos. Indeed, it could almost be a grand finale in itself.
As a measure of how "in" to this I got, I finally ordered that universal remote shaped like a light saber for the TV. Hey, I needed a new remote anyway....

In this final installment of the trilogy, just as the contributors changed from the first to the second book, a change was again made, and this makes the final installment the superior of the 3. Artist David Dorman was selected to illustrate this book; since he is a fixture in the Star Wars Realm he brings more credibility to the work. Mr. Dorman, or one of the other long-term illustrators should have been involved in this project from beginning to end.

The other basic change was the involvement of core characters from Star Wars that everybody who is a fan is familiar with. The role-playing games and the video games are widely played and very popular. However the audience is smaller, and as this series found out, it is not large enough to support a stand-alone series of novellas, which are overpriced, and repetitive.

The problem with this series is there is just too much of a gap between the Star Wars Universe as we know it as moviegoers and book readers, and these adaptations from the role-playing and video experiences. There is a way to greatly improve the readability of this series if you want to make it part of your collection.

"Mastadge" has a great list of some of the illustrated soft cover books that cover the background and the ancient portions of the Jedi and Sith Histories. They cover material you will find nowhere else, and they will add a new dimension to your library, and to your understanding of this ongoing epic.

Some of the titles to check out are, "Knights Of The Old Republic", "Dark Lords Of The Sith", and "The Sith War". They are all available through Amazon, and while I have enjoyed many of them, I have never reviewed the works. But as I said, Mastadge has reviewed almost all the varieties of Star Wars writing, and the list he has put together is well done.

It has been years since I originally read this series, this particular episode, "Rebel Agent", is the second in a three-part cycle. This trilogy is based upon the role-playing games and I believe some of the video experiences. However they are out of synch with the rest of "Star Wars", and this is an issue.

Previously I have commented on how seamlessly the books that now approach 200 in number have fit together, how all were worth the reading time, for bits and pieces of history were to be gleaned from their review. This particular cycle offered full-page paintings by a noted artist of the Science Fiction Genre, and while some readers would have preferred their mind's eye, I think they are good, if inconsistent. Specifically the image that is supposed to portray Princess Leia looks like her less than attractive sister. There is no sister, and there should not have been this image.

At 128 pages in length, backtracking the story as if the reader decided to start in the middle is simply wrong. Star Wars readers tend to read everything, and if the story is weak, or too brief, then perhaps there should be a different story.

Characters like Boba Fett have developed their personalities over the decades, and the version of Fett in this book reads as though the writer never read a word about this character before. Fett sounds like a bad lounge act. Fett actually sounds like someone else dressed in the Mandalorian Armor. This caricature speaks more in this book, than in a dozen other novels, and trite is being kind as to the dialogue.

If someone were to start with this series after viewing the movies, they would be correct in feeling lost. These books populate the galaxy with Dark Side Jedi at every turn. They must have been hiding in the movies.

There is one interesting bit as to Yoda's history, and it may sound strange to some, but if you are as addicted to this world of George Lucas as I am, it nearly justifies the balance.

This book continues the adventures of Kyle Katarn, a young man who is training to become a Jedi. It is by far the best of the trilogy, which began with Soldier for the Empire. The novella is generally pretty good, connecting chapters (levels in the game) pretty well, and developing on Jan and Kyle properly. The plot is not too bad, and the illustrations are great. The drawings alone make this the best of the series, but the plot thickens as a bonus. Still, the novella fails to improve on some of the other books failings. The long and drawn out lightsaber battles in the movies and the game are shortened to just a few paragraphs in length, if that. Maw's duel with the young Kyle lasted no more than three sentences, and Selonia somehow manages to lose a battle she clearly has the upper hand in. While not quite as dissappointing (or as humorous) as Gorc's demise in Rebel Agent, the battles are still far too short for their own good, and a character who ends up dying early is developed almost as fully as Jan and Kyle are. Still, this is probably the best of the series, and a fine ending the trilogy. If you don't have the other two, buy this one first to see if this is the kind of book you want. It won't be very hard to catch on to what happened in the others, and the money you save if you don't like it will be worth it.

I liked this book, but I got mad when Jacen and Zekk hung up on Tenel Ka and Jaina. It was so evil, I almost cried. In the next book, they kind of get back on track again, but most of the main problem revolved around Jacen. Zekk is only crushing on Anja for like, half a day, and after they set off to Anobis, he seems to think "Whoa, wait a minute, what the h*** am I doing?"
Jacen is, as usual, stuck in his own little world on the other side of the rainbow and you have to take a unicorn to get there. Of course, they don't exist, so he is completely out of it. Welcome to the real world, Jacen Solo. Now Jaina, she's more practical.

This is the first book in a new YJK trilogy, Under Black Sun, which will conclude (and had already done so) the Young Jedi Knights books. Ah yes, all good things must come to an end. But if this is any indication, it's goin' out with bang. It starts with Han and his kids going to Ord Mantell (where Han and Leia where almost captured by a pair of bounty hunters over twenty year before.) Han is there to judge a Blockade Runner race, and on the pace lap, the Falcon is nearly blown to space dust by a minefield planted by Black Sun. Anakin takes a piece of the mines to analyze it. Enter Anja Gallandro, however, and things get hot. She takes the piece of the mine, and faces down Han, who supposedly killed her father during his adventures twenty-five years before. Zekk, Tenel Ka, and Lowie enter the Lightning Rod in the race, and the YJK are reunited. Anja challenges Han to go to her war-torn planet, Anobis, where the farmers and miners are constantly at war, blaming each other for the conflict. The kids get split between the mining camps and the farming village, but are reunited and are able to sow the seeds of peace between the warring groups. Anja returns with the YJK to Yavin 4 to see if she had any Force potential, and the book concludes. The authors leave some interesting loose ends to tie up, which are drawn into neat little bow-ties at the end, except for a couple ;-) See my Crisis on Crystal Reef if you *really* don't get it.

Part of what fascinated me about this book right from the beginning was that all the kids, while still in character, seemed way older, and supposedly only a few months had passed between The Emperor's Plague and this book. It was an extremly well written book, with a well defined, understandable plot. In it, Jacen and Jaina and Anakin all go on a short vacation with their Dad (Han of course) to go and check out a really cool race on Ord Mantell. Once they get there they meet Anja Gallandro, a girl who hates Han because she believes he murdered her father. She plays on his guilt, and somehow convinces him to go try to right a bloody civil war on her home planet. Through an interesting chain of events they meet back up with there other friends (big surpise), as well as Anja who by the way is not only working for some evil smuggler guy, but also is addicted to some kind of drug. I also find it very interesting that all through this whole series Jacen is hung up on Tenel Ka, and now the instant some other pretty girl comes into the picture, he instantly forgets she ever even existed, and I sense the same thing beginning to happen to Zekk and Jaina too. This only serves even more to convince me that these budding relationships were silly to begin with, though I must admit I always enjoyed Jacen and Tenel Ka. As for Anja herself, well, she was cool and all but I found myself not really liking her much, and I just couldn't really care about her like I could the other characters. She just seemed more like a glorified and somewhat twisted version of an early Mara Jade to me. Another thing that bothered me was that even though Anakin was with them throughout the whole book, he was practicly ignored and it seemed as if they somehow forgot about him at some points. This was somewhat irritating because Anakin has always been my favorite of the Solo children. Besides those minor details though, this was an exellent book. I also think it is cool that a Star Wars book can deal with serious issues such as drug adiction. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Star Wars, though it will probably make more sense if you have read the previous 11 first.

The rest of the series is really awesome but since the lately its been more about Jaina/Zekk and Jason/Tenel Ka's infatuations with each other. It'd be better if they just had more of the action than the mushy falling in love stuff. It is science fiction after all.

This was not a good start to a new trilogy and the other two books that followed were sub-par compared to the previous Young Jedi Knight books. Something felt off I don't know if it was the writing, the plot, or even the charactors but it just didn't flow as well as the previous books.