Kay Reviews Heir to the Jedi
Several of the important points in my review of the book involve spoilers, so click to read my full review if you don’t mind those revelations.
In the meantime, here are some spoiler-free highlights:
This first person narrative of Luke Skywalker between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back reads for the most part like a young reader’s book. Since Luke is recounting this story from his past and we know he is in The Empire Strikes Back, there’s an extra onus to create tension and make it seem like Luke may actually be in danger from time to time. Instead the story is delivered matter-of-factly and every choice and incident is telegraphed like Shatner in a Star Trek fight scene. This Luke Skywalker is not someone I would want to imagine being like or being around and he doesn’t even inspire confidence in knowing he’s out there fighting the good fight. I’m not really sure why he was sent solo on the book’s initial mission in the first place. He does not seem at all qualified to be evaluating weapons suppliers for the Alliance. What he has going for him is he’s a good pilot. So there’s that.
While reading Heir to the Jedi there were times that I thought the most appropriate audience for this book would be kids aged 11-13, but by the conclusion, I’m not even sure it’s for them.
3/10
Kay grew up wanting to be an astronaut. After seeing Star Wars, she wanted to be Princess Leia, Han Solo, and an astronaut. Life’s taken her on a bit of a different path, but she’s still a Star Wars fangirl at heart who enjoys surprising people with how geeky she really is. Currently a voice actor, photographer, and artist who also consults in communications and marketing, Kay spends the little bit of free time she has reading, writing, learning and, of course, making pew pew noises. She would pick up more jobs and hobbies if she was a Time Lord. You can follow her on Twitter.
Kay is FANgirl's resident geek fashion expert and co-host of the Hyperspace Theories podcast. She reviews books and movies for the site with a heart for storytelling and a mind that likes to analyze. Kay's been a guest on various podcasts sharing her love and knowledge of storytelling, film-making, fashion, and of course, Star Wars.
Most days are filled with her work as a creative services professional - designing websites & branding, photographing, voice acting, editing, and more. Kay spends the little bit of free time she has reading, costuming, and, of course, making pew pew noises. She would pick up more jobs and hobbies if she was a Time Lord.
- Review: Doctor Aphra, An Audiobook Original (Star Wars) - July 26, 2020
- Review: Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie - April 7, 2020
- Review: The Art of The Rise of Skywalker - March 31, 2020
Yeah, I’m so not interested in that book.
I was hoping the new!EU would get rid of the girl-of-the-week stories and- oh, Idk, maybe introduce a meaningful love interest for Luke who he gets to develop a relationship with over the course of many many future books. You know, what they should have done with Mara instead of the they-click-now-she’s-gone-for-10-books-now-they-suddenly-get-married approach.
If you want a cohesive continuity, and if you want to put some romance in there, the romance has to have continuity too. Look at any successful book series right now and they all have slow developing love stories, from Percy Jackson to A Song of Ice and Fire.
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