Heir to the Jedi: Star Wars
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3.8 • 18 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . .
A thrilling new adventure set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and—for the first time ever—written entirely from Luke Skywalker’s first-person point of view.
Luke Skywalker’s game-changing destruction of the Death Star has made him not only a hero of the Rebel Alliance but a valuable asset in the ongoing battle against the Empire. Though he’s a long way from mastering the power of the Force, there’s no denying his phenomenal skills as a pilot—and in the eyes of Rebel leaders Princess Leia Organa and Admiral Ackbar, there’s no one better qualified to carry out a daring rescue mission crucial to the Alliance cause.
A brilliant alien cryptographer renowned for her ability to breach even the most advanced communications systems is being detained by Imperial agents determined to exploit her exceptional talents for the Empire’s purposes. But the prospective spy’s sympathies lie with the Rebels, and she’s willing to join their effort in exchange for being reunited with her family. It’s an opportunity to gain a critical edge against the Empire that’s too precious to pass up. It’s also a job that demands the element of surprise. So Luke and the ever-resourceful droid R2-D2 swap their trusty X-wing fighter for a sleek space yacht piloted by brash recruit Nakari Kelen, daughter of a biotech mogul, who’s got a score of her own to settle with the Empire.
Challenged by ruthless Imperial bodyguards, death-dealing enemy battleships, merciless bounty hunters, and monstrous brain-eating parasites, Luke plunges head-on into a high-stakes espionage operation that will push his abilities as a Rebel fighter and would-be Jedi to the limit. If ever he needed the wisdom of Obi-Wan Kenobi to shepherd him through danger, it’s now. But Luke will have to rely on himself, his friends, and his own burgeoning relationship with the Force to survive.
Praise for Heir to the Jedi
“Utterly compelling . . . [The novel] plants readers in Luke Skywalker’s boots in the early days of his heroism, during the weeks after he blew up the Death Star.”—New York Daily News
“An excellent book with rich characters, bubbling humor and poignant emotion.”—Roqoo Depot
“Entertaining . . . action-packed . . . suspenseful.”—New York Journal of Books
“Great . . . [an] entertaining introduction into understanding Luke’s character . . . There are moments in The Empire Strikes Back that I now point to and say, ‘I understand how he got there,’ and it’s because of this novel.”—The Wookiee Gunner
“Pure Star Wars . . . From shoot-outs to narrow escapes, I could practically hear John Williams’s score playing in my head—a credit to Kevin Hearne, to be sure.”—Coffee with Kenobi
“A must-read for fans . . . I left with a much closer understanding of who Luke Skywalker is, and an even deeper admiration for the character. All things are connected in the Force, and I feel more connected to Luke after reading Heir to the Jedi.”—Comicbook
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Luke Skywalker has just joined the Rebel Alliance and helped destroy the first Death Star. The Rebels now have him running missions while they look for a place to hide from the Empire. In his latest mission, he gets close to the Imperials several times, makes some new friends and alliances, and begins to find his way in the Force. Thompson does a solid job narrating this first-person tale. At times he sounds uncannily similar to Mark Hamill, who portrayed Skywalker in the movies, which fans will enjoy. Thompson doesn't do nearly as well with other established character voices, such as Princess Leia, but since they have minimal roles in this audio book, it is less relevant. The production includes a variety of sound effects, such as beeping from R2-D2, igniting light sabers, and weaponry firing during spaceship battles. Additionally, listeners will enjoy the occasional infusion of the classic John Williams Star Wars soundtrack. A Del Rey/Lucas hardcover.
Customer Reviews
I wanted to love it...
... But having been an avid reader of the earlier novels, you can tell when an author has an intimate understanding of his topic. Not all of those books had "it"". Timothy Zahn had it. I'm afraid Mr. Hearn does not. This is just filler, and not worth the new and frankly overpriced price that Disney & iTunes is asking. This makes me hesitate to spend a further $17.99 cdn on future titles. $9.99 maybe.
There are better Star Wars books out there
First off, let me say that it always pains me to rate a Star Wars book so poorly. I had been so excited over this book. I had read the two previous novels in this trilogy, Razor's Edge and Honor Among Thieves, and loved them. So of course I thought this book would be equal to those ones. I was wrong, horribly wrong.
One of the first things that stood out to me was that the book is written in first person, which seemed very odd to me since the other books in the trilogy are written in third person. Why, oh why would you change that? It doesn't make any sense. Consistency of writing tense is very important when dealing with books in a series. Switching it part way through, or in this case at the end, is just annoying.
Then there was the poor story line. Instead of Heir To The Jedi this book should really be called Luke Skywalker: Errand Boy, because that's pretty much what he does throughout the book. He runs errand for the Alliance. Granted some of them are more important than others, but it was kind of agonizing to read. And let's not forget that moment when he suddenly things about the power converters that he never picked up at Tosche Station and wonders if they might still be there waiting for him.
This book reads almost like a fanfic, instead of an actual published novel. Of the characters that were introduced in this book, I found none of them to be interesting enough to make me care about who they were and what they were doing for or against the alliance.
In the end I was very disappointed in this book. I didn't feel like I really learned anything new about Luke Skywalker or the Alliance (though let's face it we all know how things works out in the end already). I'm sure somewhere out there a reader or two will enjoy this book, but I honestly wouldn't recommend it.