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Star Wars: Jedi Prince #1
The Glove of Darth Vader
Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the Rebel Alliance have fought valiantly against the evil Galactic Empire. Together they have kept alive the hopes for freedom, and helped restore the ways of the old Republic with its wise Senate and noble line of Jedi Knights. But now a new threat awaits the Alliance.Within the Evil Empire, the surviving Imperial warlords have been fighting among themselves for power. No one knows who will seize control, but the Prophets of the Dark Side have foretold that soon a new Emperor will arise, an on his right hand he shall wear an indestructible symbol evil.
Library Binding
First published June 1, 1992
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766 people want to read
About the author
Paul Davids
16 books8 followersPaul Jeffrey Davids is an American independent filmmaker and writer, especially in the area of science fiction. Often collaborating with his wife Hollace, Davids has written and directed several films. He has also written episodes for the television show Transformers, as well as a Star Wars spin-off book series for young readers, known informally as the Jedi Prince series.
The Davids have two children together, Jordan and Scott.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Paul^^Davids
The Davids have two children together, Jordan and Scott.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Paul^^Davids
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
November 22, 2023
Bantam Books, in 1992, published a series of Star Wars novels for young kids, coinciding with Timothy Zahn’s now-classic first book in his Thrawn trilogy, “Heir to the Empire”. Both of these books pre-dated the prequels and sequels, as well as anything written in the Star Wars Expanded Universe (SWEU), and both are considered non-canonical.
“The Glove of Darth Vader” is the first in the young readers series, written by Paul and Hollace Davids. It is weird reading this story so long after multiple decades of novels, graphic novels, films, and video games have created a vast mythos. It was written when writers could pretty much go anywhere with the story, not having to worry about continuity problems. Apparently, George Lucas didn’t mind.
And yet “TGODV” should have given even Lucas pause. It’s kind of weird.
Set almost immediately after “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”, a top-secret ultra-important mission to infiltrate the Imperial Remnant in order to gain vital intelligence is given to… C3-P0?
Did the Davids not see the original trilogy?
As if that isn’t weird enough, it is discovered that the rumors that Emperor Palpatine had an illegitimate child (which is the first any Star Wars fan was hearing about this, as far as I know) were true and that, now that the Emperor and his right-hand man, Lord Vader, were dead after the destruction of the second Death Star at the Battle of Endor, Palpatine’s son—-a three-eyed mutant named Trioculus—-could emerge from hiding and claim his title as the new Emperor.
The catch is that a council of Sith oracles have predicted that the rightful heir to the Empire will be the person who takes possession of the “glove of Darth Vader”, which, as everyone knows, was lost in the afore-mentioned Battle of Endor. So, Trioculus orders his subordinates to search the galaxy for the damned glove. He needs to be legit, after all.
Then, there’s this weird subplot about majestic Whaladons (giant whales in the ocean-world of Calamari) being hunted for food by Imperial whale-hunters. Apparently, it’s a delicacy amongst the Imperial officers. Luke and Admiral Akbar have taken it upon themselves to save the whaladons.
I’m as confused as you are. The only refreshing thing about this is that it is humorously dumb and short (the book is only 82 pages long). The best part? There are five more books in the series.
It’s probably not a coincidence that Paul and Hollace Davids were never invited back to write more for the SWEU. Still, I will probably read the rest of this series. Only because I found most of them at a library book sale and they were cheap. At 25 cents a book, you almost have to read them.
“The Glove of Darth Vader” is the first in the young readers series, written by Paul and Hollace Davids. It is weird reading this story so long after multiple decades of novels, graphic novels, films, and video games have created a vast mythos. It was written when writers could pretty much go anywhere with the story, not having to worry about continuity problems. Apparently, George Lucas didn’t mind.
And yet “TGODV” should have given even Lucas pause. It’s kind of weird.
Set almost immediately after “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”, a top-secret ultra-important mission to infiltrate the Imperial Remnant in order to gain vital intelligence is given to… C3-P0?
Did the Davids not see the original trilogy?
As if that isn’t weird enough, it is discovered that the rumors that Emperor Palpatine had an illegitimate child (which is the first any Star Wars fan was hearing about this, as far as I know) were true and that, now that the Emperor and his right-hand man, Lord Vader, were dead after the destruction of the second Death Star at the Battle of Endor, Palpatine’s son—-a three-eyed mutant named Trioculus—-could emerge from hiding and claim his title as the new Emperor.
The catch is that a council of Sith oracles have predicted that the rightful heir to the Empire will be the person who takes possession of the “glove of Darth Vader”, which, as everyone knows, was lost in the afore-mentioned Battle of Endor. So, Trioculus orders his subordinates to search the galaxy for the damned glove. He needs to be legit, after all.
Then, there’s this weird subplot about majestic Whaladons (giant whales in the ocean-world of Calamari) being hunted for food by Imperial whale-hunters. Apparently, it’s a delicacy amongst the Imperial officers. Luke and Admiral Akbar have taken it upon themselves to save the whaladons.
I’m as confused as you are. The only refreshing thing about this is that it is humorously dumb and short (the book is only 82 pages long). The best part? There are five more books in the series.
It’s probably not a coincidence that Paul and Hollace Davids were never invited back to write more for the SWEU. Still, I will probably read the rest of this series. Only because I found most of them at a library book sale and they were cheap. At 25 cents a book, you almost have to read them.
June 30, 2022
The Force Awakens could have used some of this Extended Universe storyline.
July 10, 2020
DARK GREETINGS, BINCH
I checked this one out from my grade school library about 20 years ago, and I haven’t read it again until now. And can I say?? It was an absolutely buckwild experience.
This one first came out in 1992. 1992, y’all. I checked, and at that point there were not a lot of Star Wars novels to be had – novelizations of the movies, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye (the EU OG), a few Han books, a few Lando books, and like ONE Timothy Zahn book the previous year. That’s pretty much it*. I mention this because this knowledge made me appreciate the world building the Davides do more, and it might do that for you, too.
That being said…this book is a hot mess, fam.
Have some bullet points.
In no particular order:
• Remember that Tumblr post with the screenshots of all the batshit in-universe Star Wars slang? That’s the Vibe. (I am 99% sure that THIS is where “dark greetings” came from lmaooooo) EDIT ok, here's a link. If you were wondering, I am 99% sure that "bugslut" is somehow related to the Dark Nest trilogy, bUT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THE DARK NEST TRILOGY. ANYWAY
• The repeat othering of non-humans is Bad. I know there are bigger, more important things to be bothered by right now, but I think my beef stems from the fact that viewing humans as the default IS an in-universe issue (not here, in other works), and the othering of what a dominant culture deems to be NOT the default is a very real thing, even if wookiees aren’t. Also the child of a human and a non-human is a “mutant,” apparently. That’s a big YIKES from me.
• Admiral Ackbar is described as a “sad-eyed fishman,” and that took me right the fuck out for several minutes.
• The Empire (or what's left of it) is sooooo cartoony, but then that's just par for the course, so I'll allow it. The names for the villains are so on-the-nose, though hskajasdh
• Related: maybe if his mama hadn’t named her three-eyed son TRIOCULUS he wouldn’t be such a shitty person, but that’s none of my business
• All of you adults who complained about having to come to terms with the fact that Palpatine Fucks after watching The Rise of Skywalker are like little baby. I was burdened with this knowledge at the tender age of TEN by this goofyass book**.
• Every time characters talk to each other it’s like: “Hey, remember that Thing from the Movies??” “Yes, I do! Do you remember That Other Thing?” “Hell yeah I remember That Thing! And also This Other Thing!” And it’s…A Lot sometimes. I guess at the time it would have been harder to rewatch the movies, possibly?? I can’t remember when VHS tapes stopped being super expensive, idek. It’s still A LOT.
• OH and the Moffs. They are also A Lot. So this book has illustrations, right? One named Moff looks like Vladimir Lenin with fUCKIN POINTYASS SHARK TEETH and an unnamed one looks like Joseph Stalin. Idk why they did this? The Cold War ended not that long ago at that point, sooo?? Idek, I’m so tired, y’all.
• Also, one of the Moffs has earrings shaped like little blaster pistols, and I support his fashion choices if not his politics.
• There are super intelligent Space Whales! The compose operas and their culture has folk songs, and THEY BETTER STILL BE CANON***, DISNEY
• I was honestly all for the pro-environment**** message in this one. ABSOLUTELY save the Space Whales! Good job, Luke! (just maybe…next time…..). There is a VERY SAD illustration of space whales being butchered, though, so…yeah.
• So USUALLY, in my experience, R2-D2’s dialogue is just, like, “he beeped,” “he whistled,” etc. BUT NOT SO HERE! The bulk of it is fully onomatopoeiad onto the page, so we get gems like:
o “Dweeeet bchooo tzniiiiiiiit!”
o “Ptooog bziiiini?”
o "Pchoook ftiiiiz mebutung knuzush!"
I enjoyed this for the nostalgia and silliness of it all, and will definitely go on to the next one. I don’t think I would ever recommend it to one of my students or young patrons, though; as a child, I was too caught up in the euphoria of finding a Star Wars book to realize that it talks down to young readers with its repetition and clunky, simplified dialogue. I do, however, very much want all of my adult friends to get in on this delightful piece of officially-licensed fanfiction.
*There were also comics, but yeah.
**Hmmmm come to think of it, they kinda borrowed a lot from this series, huh? I think somebody might owe Paul and Hollace some money, tbh.
*** Except these stopped being canon before the Mouse took over, because they contradict future works that became canon instead, and there used to be different levels of canon??? It was a mess, y’all. (but it was my mess……..) I will def have more to say about this in future reviews lmao.
****That’s just how children’s media was in the 90s, it’s just Like That
I checked this one out from my grade school library about 20 years ago, and I haven’t read it again until now. And can I say?? It was an absolutely buckwild experience.
This one first came out in 1992. 1992, y’all. I checked, and at that point there were not a lot of Star Wars novels to be had – novelizations of the movies, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye (the EU OG), a few Han books, a few Lando books, and like ONE Timothy Zahn book the previous year. That’s pretty much it*. I mention this because this knowledge made me appreciate the world building the Davides do more, and it might do that for you, too.
That being said…this book is a hot mess, fam.
Have some bullet points.
In no particular order:
• Remember that Tumblr post with the screenshots of all the batshit in-universe Star Wars slang? That’s the Vibe. (I am 99% sure that THIS is where “dark greetings” came from lmaooooo) EDIT ok, here's a link. If you were wondering, I am 99% sure that "bugslut" is somehow related to the Dark Nest trilogy, bUT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THE DARK NEST TRILOGY. ANYWAY
• The repeat othering of non-humans is Bad. I know there are bigger, more important things to be bothered by right now, but I think my beef stems from the fact that viewing humans as the default IS an in-universe issue (not here, in other works), and the othering of what a dominant culture deems to be NOT the default is a very real thing, even if wookiees aren’t. Also the child of a human and a non-human is a “mutant,” apparently. That’s a big YIKES from me.
• Admiral Ackbar is described as a “sad-eyed fishman,” and that took me right the fuck out for several minutes.
• The Empire (or what's left of it) is sooooo cartoony, but then that's just par for the course, so I'll allow it. The names for the villains are so on-the-nose, though hskajasdh
• Related: maybe if his mama hadn’t named her three-eyed son TRIOCULUS he wouldn’t be such a shitty person, but that’s none of my business
• All of you adults who complained about having to come to terms with the fact that Palpatine Fucks after watching The Rise of Skywalker are like little baby. I was burdened with this knowledge at the tender age of TEN by this goofyass book**.
• Every time characters talk to each other it’s like: “Hey, remember that Thing from the Movies??” “Yes, I do! Do you remember That Other Thing?” “Hell yeah I remember That Thing! And also This Other Thing!” And it’s…A Lot sometimes. I guess at the time it would have been harder to rewatch the movies, possibly?? I can’t remember when VHS tapes stopped being super expensive, idek. It’s still A LOT.
• OH and the Moffs. They are also A Lot. So this book has illustrations, right? One named Moff looks like Vladimir Lenin with fUCKIN POINTYASS SHARK TEETH and an unnamed one looks like Joseph Stalin. Idk why they did this? The Cold War ended not that long ago at that point, sooo?? Idek, I’m so tired, y’all.
• Also, one of the Moffs has earrings shaped like little blaster pistols, and I support his fashion choices if not his politics.
• There are super intelligent Space Whales! The compose operas and their culture has folk songs, and THEY BETTER STILL BE CANON***, DISNEY
• I was honestly all for the pro-environment**** message in this one. ABSOLUTELY save the Space Whales! Good job, Luke! (just maybe…next time…..). There is a VERY SAD illustration of space whales being butchered, though, so…yeah.
• So USUALLY, in my experience, R2-D2’s dialogue is just, like, “he beeped,” “he whistled,” etc. BUT NOT SO HERE! The bulk of it is fully onomatopoeiad onto the page, so we get gems like:
o “Dweeeet bchooo tzniiiiiiiit!”
o “Ptooog bziiiini?”
o "Pchoook ftiiiiz mebutung knuzush!"
I enjoyed this for the nostalgia and silliness of it all, and will definitely go on to the next one. I don’t think I would ever recommend it to one of my students or young patrons, though; as a child, I was too caught up in the euphoria of finding a Star Wars book to realize that it talks down to young readers with its repetition and clunky, simplified dialogue. I do, however, very much want all of my adult friends to get in on this delightful piece of officially-licensed fanfiction.
*There were also comics, but yeah.
**Hmmmm come to think of it, they kinda borrowed a lot from this series, huh? I think somebody might owe Paul and Hollace some money, tbh.
*** Except these stopped being canon before the Mouse took over, because they contradict future works that became canon instead, and there used to be different levels of canon??? It was a mess, y’all. (but it was my mess……..) I will def have more to say about this in future reviews lmao.
****That’s just how children’s media was in the 90s, it’s just Like That
August 13, 2016
I read the Jedi Prince series when I was 9 years old. I loved the books back then. I can still remember some of the characters, the plots, certain sequences and developments that made my pre-pubescent mind explode with thrills. I don't know how they would stand up now, being children's books, and having been out of my possession for probably ten years. But they're about Star Wars, with all the characters I loved, plus an overall cool story, so right there they're looking good.
And without recalling their merits or weaknesses, I remember they accomplished two of the primary things fiction should: they stimulated my imagination and thoroughly entertained me. Years after reading the series, still excited by the books, I went on to write my own Star Wars fan fiction, which was pretty bad. I was 12 or 13 by that point, but it didn't matter. Star Wars never stops being awesome. If you ever "grow out" of Star Wars you'd might as well die, because you're already dead inside.
I've looked up stuff about these books that have memories flooding back into me. And there's some cool stuff there that probably wouldn't seem as cool now, and would even appear as obviously poor as it maybe originally was, but goddammit, it was cool then. And it seems the writing is pretty awful through and through. And the horrible characterization of the classic characters. And the weirdly overstated environmental message that I never picked up on as a kid. But the illustrations were cool. And again, the stories were neat.
I don't even think these books are officially part of Star Wars canon, though I could be wrong. That seems to be the general consensus by people who know more about Star Wars than me. Doesn't matter. A 9 year old doesn't care about canon. I was excited about the whole Star Wars universe, the endless possibilities, the alien races, the technology, the Force, the history of the Empire and the Rebellion and the wars and the worlds and the people, the action, the imagination-inspiring simple stories that regaled me in my youth. These books cover a lot of stuff in a simple way, maybe too simple. But hell, they're for kids.
This poor "review" is for the whole series, not for this particular book. I can't separate them into 6 books in my memory, just one overall Star Wars story arc for young folk. So I'm rating them all together rather than individually. I'm trying to take into account their simplicity, their bad writing, and trying to judge it from a different perspective than when I was 9. Hard to do. The rating is probably meaningless. All I know is that with all its weaknesses and silliness and badness from a technical standpoint, it's still better than Hemingway and Joyce.
And without recalling their merits or weaknesses, I remember they accomplished two of the primary things fiction should: they stimulated my imagination and thoroughly entertained me. Years after reading the series, still excited by the books, I went on to write my own Star Wars fan fiction, which was pretty bad. I was 12 or 13 by that point, but it didn't matter. Star Wars never stops being awesome. If you ever "grow out" of Star Wars you'd might as well die, because you're already dead inside.
I've looked up stuff about these books that have memories flooding back into me. And there's some cool stuff there that probably wouldn't seem as cool now, and would even appear as obviously poor as it maybe originally was, but goddammit, it was cool then. And it seems the writing is pretty awful through and through. And the horrible characterization of the classic characters. And the weirdly overstated environmental message that I never picked up on as a kid. But the illustrations were cool. And again, the stories were neat.
I don't even think these books are officially part of Star Wars canon, though I could be wrong. That seems to be the general consensus by people who know more about Star Wars than me. Doesn't matter. A 9 year old doesn't care about canon. I was excited about the whole Star Wars universe, the endless possibilities, the alien races, the technology, the Force, the history of the Empire and the Rebellion and the wars and the worlds and the people, the action, the imagination-inspiring simple stories that regaled me in my youth. These books cover a lot of stuff in a simple way, maybe too simple. But hell, they're for kids.
This poor "review" is for the whole series, not for this particular book. I can't separate them into 6 books in my memory, just one overall Star Wars story arc for young folk. So I'm rating them all together rather than individually. I'm trying to take into account their simplicity, their bad writing, and trying to judge it from a different perspective than when I was 9. Hard to do. The rating is probably meaningless. All I know is that with all its weaknesses and silliness and badness from a technical standpoint, it's still better than Hemingway and Joyce.
April 2, 2020
This. Is a book that exists. I recognize that this book is for kids. It was presumably a book for kids who had seen the movies. So I'm not sure why characters were constantly reminding each other about what happened in the movies.
Also I have opinions about the fact that Whaladons are clearly sentient and yet Ackbar is apparently only concerned about the loss of their ecological niche in eating all the plankton.
I am terribly fond of Leviathor though. Mad props to him for having the nerve to write an opera about HIMSELF.
Also Leia barely had any lines and I don't much care for that.
Also I have opinions about the fact that Whaladons are clearly sentient and yet Ackbar is apparently only concerned about the loss of their ecological niche in eating all the plankton.
I am terribly fond of Leviathor though. Mad props to him for having the nerve to write an opera about HIMSELF.
Also Leia barely had any lines and I don't much care for that.
December 27, 2019
Everything you need to know about this book can be summed up in one fact:
The antagonist has three eyes. His name is Trioculus.
The antagonist has three eyes. His name is Trioculus.
July 18, 2019
There is no argument from me that The Glove of Darth Vader is bad. It’s hard to find any positives anywhere amongst its 128 pages.
However, I can’t help but try to craft some defense of it.
First of all, one has to realize the time period in which this book was written: 1992. At the time all that existed of Star Wars was the original trilogy, a Marvel comic, a few loosely connected short stories, and action figures. That was pretty much it. No word from Lucas and definitely no signs of any new films on the horizon. Even Zahn’s Heir to The Empire (the novel which really kickstarted the EU and refueled fandom) hadn’t been published yet. For all intents and purposes, Star Wars wasn’t going anywhere at the beginning of the 1990s. To be fair to the Davids, there wasn’t a whole lot of previously written stories to grab from to be able to craft a compelling Star Wars tale.
There’s also the fact that this book (and whole series) wasn’t originally written to be consumed by adult readers. It’s pretty obvious right off the bat that the intended audience is right around the 9-12 year old mark, perfect since those are the kids who got sucked into Star Wars from the very beginning (Return of the Jedi had been released 9 years before, in 1983). And don’t forget that Lucas himself has claimed multiple times that, for all its wonders and unique filmmaking firsts, Star Wars was always geared towards kids and young adults. Why do you think he was smart enough to license the trademark for so many freaking toys?
I say this because most 9 year olds aren’t reading a book to get a philosophical meaning out of it. They’re reading a book (and, in this case, a Star Wars book) to have fun and be entertained. And for all it’s many faults, The Glove of Darth Vader is easily entertaining enough for a kid who was unfortunate enough to see the original trilogy and have nothing to look forward to afterwards.
Now, with all that out of the way, I still can’t really embrace this book or try to make light of any positive elements in the book itself. To cut right down to it, The Glove of Darth Vader is pretty bad. Looking back at it 20 something years after it was published, there are so many problems with the story, it’s hard to compile an exhaustive list without exceeding the limited space/characters I am given. I’ll try to whittle it down to just a few.
The biggest and most glaring problem with this book is how things are presented and handled. I’m reiterating my point that the authors didn’t have a whole lot to go on for history, but their choice of the big bad guy as the supposed son of Palpatine was a cop out and cheap. Furthermore, using a mutant triclops as the character didn’t help matters. Even worse, the authors insinuate that Vader was only ever able to choke his enemies and those that displeasured him by a cybernetically enhanced, indestructible glove. This totally defeats the purpose of the dark side of the Force and cheapens the character of Vader, making him weak and unable to be the Dark Lord of the Sith he is supposed to be.
Then there’s the whole Whaladon subplot which borders on a tree hugging, environmentalist PSA about illegal poaching and killing of endangered animals. I don’t know about you, but I want to read a Star Wars story, not some BS anti-whale hunting rhetoric under the guise of some kind of plot device.
Lastly, the Davids writing leaves a ton to be desired. You can read others’ reviews for a more in-depth critique of their lack of ability so I’ll just say that just cuz you’re authoring a children’s book, doesn’t mean your writing has to be simplistic and basic. Jude Watson’s YA Star Wars stuff is a perfect example of telling a good Star Wars story to a younger audience, but still managing to not dumb down her writing. Basically the Davids fall into that same pit of thinking that since their readers are under 13, they can’t use typical literary conventions or even try to be somewhat clever on their structure. Things are repeated multiple times in the same sentence and dialogue is beyond cheesy. Characters are cardboard cut outs with nothing to make them unique (they’re either super good or super bad, there’s no moral ambiguity) and, like that whaladon subplot I mentioned, there’s far too much youthful subtext in place of actual story.
I get that this review has been exceedingly long for such a lackluster book, so I’ll just wrap it up by saying this: if you can somehow manage to find a copy of this one (I think it’s out of print and damn near impossible to find anywhere outside of Amazon or Thrift) for nostalgia and a very simple, quick read, The Glove of Darth Vader is...ok. I’m not recommending it for any other reason. If you’re looking for something that’s actually decent and still intended for younger readers, Jude Watson’s Last Jedi and Jedi Quest novels are far superior.
However, I can’t help but try to craft some defense of it.
First of all, one has to realize the time period in which this book was written: 1992. At the time all that existed of Star Wars was the original trilogy, a Marvel comic, a few loosely connected short stories, and action figures. That was pretty much it. No word from Lucas and definitely no signs of any new films on the horizon. Even Zahn’s Heir to The Empire (the novel which really kickstarted the EU and refueled fandom) hadn’t been published yet. For all intents and purposes, Star Wars wasn’t going anywhere at the beginning of the 1990s. To be fair to the Davids, there wasn’t a whole lot of previously written stories to grab from to be able to craft a compelling Star Wars tale.
There’s also the fact that this book (and whole series) wasn’t originally written to be consumed by adult readers. It’s pretty obvious right off the bat that the intended audience is right around the 9-12 year old mark, perfect since those are the kids who got sucked into Star Wars from the very beginning (Return of the Jedi had been released 9 years before, in 1983). And don’t forget that Lucas himself has claimed multiple times that, for all its wonders and unique filmmaking firsts, Star Wars was always geared towards kids and young adults. Why do you think he was smart enough to license the trademark for so many freaking toys?
I say this because most 9 year olds aren’t reading a book to get a philosophical meaning out of it. They’re reading a book (and, in this case, a Star Wars book) to have fun and be entertained. And for all it’s many faults, The Glove of Darth Vader is easily entertaining enough for a kid who was unfortunate enough to see the original trilogy and have nothing to look forward to afterwards.
Now, with all that out of the way, I still can’t really embrace this book or try to make light of any positive elements in the book itself. To cut right down to it, The Glove of Darth Vader is pretty bad. Looking back at it 20 something years after it was published, there are so many problems with the story, it’s hard to compile an exhaustive list without exceeding the limited space/characters I am given. I’ll try to whittle it down to just a few.
The biggest and most glaring problem with this book is how things are presented and handled. I’m reiterating my point that the authors didn’t have a whole lot to go on for history, but their choice of the big bad guy as the supposed son of Palpatine was a cop out and cheap. Furthermore, using a mutant triclops as the character didn’t help matters. Even worse, the authors insinuate that Vader was only ever able to choke his enemies and those that displeasured him by a cybernetically enhanced, indestructible glove. This totally defeats the purpose of the dark side of the Force and cheapens the character of Vader, making him weak and unable to be the Dark Lord of the Sith he is supposed to be.
Then there’s the whole Whaladon subplot which borders on a tree hugging, environmentalist PSA about illegal poaching and killing of endangered animals. I don’t know about you, but I want to read a Star Wars story, not some BS anti-whale hunting rhetoric under the guise of some kind of plot device.
Lastly, the Davids writing leaves a ton to be desired. You can read others’ reviews for a more in-depth critique of their lack of ability so I’ll just say that just cuz you’re authoring a children’s book, doesn’t mean your writing has to be simplistic and basic. Jude Watson’s YA Star Wars stuff is a perfect example of telling a good Star Wars story to a younger audience, but still managing to not dumb down her writing. Basically the Davids fall into that same pit of thinking that since their readers are under 13, they can’t use typical literary conventions or even try to be somewhat clever on their structure. Things are repeated multiple times in the same sentence and dialogue is beyond cheesy. Characters are cardboard cut outs with nothing to make them unique (they’re either super good or super bad, there’s no moral ambiguity) and, like that whaladon subplot I mentioned, there’s far too much youthful subtext in place of actual story.
I get that this review has been exceedingly long for such a lackluster book, so I’ll just wrap it up by saying this: if you can somehow manage to find a copy of this one (I think it’s out of print and damn near impossible to find anywhere outside of Amazon or Thrift) for nostalgia and a very simple, quick read, The Glove of Darth Vader is...ok. I’m not recommending it for any other reason. If you’re looking for something that’s actually decent and still intended for younger readers, Jude Watson’s Last Jedi and Jedi Quest novels are far superior.
September 5, 2022
The Glove of Darth Vader exists beyond good and evil. The first entry in the six-book long Jedi Prince young readers series, it is a tale so infamously awful that the old EU all but disowned it as a legitimate part of its ongoing story.
It is also one of the greatest things to ever happen to the Star Wars IP. Featuring Emperor Palpatine's never before (or since!) mentioned son, hilarious lines such as "Dark Greetings!", an out of place environmental message, and Han abandoning his family in order to build a "sky house" on Bespin, it's no wonder why legendary writer and producer J. J. Abrams used this story as one of his main inspirations for the The Rise of Skywalker film - a piece of media which has, without question, about the same merit as this book right here.
If you haven't read TGoDV yet, I cannot recommend it enough. We all need a bit of Trioculus in our lives.
It is also one of the greatest things to ever happen to the Star Wars IP. Featuring Emperor Palpatine's never before (or since!) mentioned son, hilarious lines such as "Dark Greetings!", an out of place environmental message, and Han abandoning his family in order to build a "sky house" on Bespin, it's no wonder why legendary writer and producer J. J. Abrams used this story as one of his main inspirations for the The Rise of Skywalker film - a piece of media which has, without question, about the same merit as this book right here.
If you haven't read TGoDV yet, I cannot recommend it enough. We all need a bit of Trioculus in our lives.
October 8, 2023
enjoyed this more as a child than I did as an adult.
But that's the way it goes..
But that's the way it goes..
December 10, 2025
2 stars but it's not a terrible way it was just okay book and it was very obvious that target audience was kids after rotj it was fine but not 3 stars way good
November 10, 2008
Reading this with my 10 year old. He loves it but man is it bad.
UPDATE: Just finished this 85 page novel last night. It stayed about the same. Crappy diabolical villain-speak, uncharacteristic dialogue from well known characters such as Luke and Admiral Akbar. Abrupt ending. Silly illustrations. But he liked it because it's Star Wars, so we'll read the next 2 in the series.
My 2 stars "It was okay" rating is because he liked it.
UPDATE: Just finished this 85 page novel last night. It stayed about the same. Crappy diabolical villain-speak, uncharacteristic dialogue from well known characters such as Luke and Admiral Akbar. Abrupt ending. Silly illustrations. But he liked it because it's Star Wars, so we'll read the next 2 in the series.
My 2 stars "It was okay" rating is because he liked it.
November 20, 2017
I've spent the last 12 years trying to convince myself that this book was just a murky, whacky nightmare I had when I was 8 years old.
At least now I have closure. Now I know that this abomination is unfortunately very, very real.
At least now I have closure. Now I know that this abomination is unfortunately very, very real.
February 13, 2019
i liked the glove of Darth Vader it follows Han leia and Luke as they fight against the empire to survive and keep the hope for the people.
April 7, 2018
First things first, this story is set after Return of the Jedi's Battle of Endor, since it prominently references the deaths of Emperor Palpatine and Vader/Anakin as well as the destruction of the Death Star II. It negates the events, however, of Truce of Bakura and pretty much any other Legends Universe novels.
The plot is basically a Dark Side prophet has made it clear to the Imperial Remnants that the right hand glove of Vader's will be found and worn as a weapon of the New Emperor, who is reportedly the missing three-eyed son of Palpatine. During a recon mission to Kessel, the Rebel Alliance learns of a three-eyed human named Trioculos has answered the claim that he is the Emperor's son, but he doesn't have the glove of the Dark Lord but he can use Force Lightning attacks like Palpatine so famously does. Trioculos soon learns that the glove is on the Mon Calamari homeworld and decides to investigate before any other pretenders to the throne of the Empire come looking for it while Luke and the droids come to the homeworld to stop the Empire from capturing an indigenous intelligent species and butchering them as a rare delicacy.
Okay, let's get it out right now, this is no-where near as good as The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn nor the original six films. This book is perhaps as laughably bad as 2017's The Last Jedi, and that is saying something. The three-eyed villain, unimpressively named Trioculos, is a bratty Sith Lord wannabe much like Kylo Ren in the sequel trilogy. He's been given a lot of absolute power and abilities and he likes to kill people. Sort of Kylo Ren meets Joffrey Baratheon. The narrative writing is poorly written and not as descriptive as most Star Wars novels, so you have to use your brain to fill in the pictures, though there is some artwork for the story that is similar to the artwork in the original Marvel Comics run of Star Wars. There was some minor environmentalism references with the Imperials hunting giant whales on Mon Calamar, but it was mostly glossed over. What really made me LOL at how poorly written this is was that the author says that Vader's gloves could allow him to do the famous force-choke he is known for, not him channeling the Force itself.
I don't recommend this book, but it's only the first in a series of six and I have the other five books in omnibus form, so I will continue reading and reviewing them. May the Force be with you!
The plot is basically a Dark Side prophet has made it clear to the Imperial Remnants that the right hand glove of Vader's will be found and worn as a weapon of the New Emperor, who is reportedly the missing three-eyed son of Palpatine. During a recon mission to Kessel, the Rebel Alliance learns of a three-eyed human named Trioculos has answered the claim that he is the Emperor's son, but he doesn't have the glove of the Dark Lord but he can use Force Lightning attacks like Palpatine so famously does. Trioculos soon learns that the glove is on the Mon Calamari homeworld and decides to investigate before any other pretenders to the throne of the Empire come looking for it while Luke and the droids come to the homeworld to stop the Empire from capturing an indigenous intelligent species and butchering them as a rare delicacy.
Okay, let's get it out right now, this is no-where near as good as The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn nor the original six films. This book is perhaps as laughably bad as 2017's The Last Jedi, and that is saying something. The three-eyed villain, unimpressively named Trioculos, is a bratty Sith Lord wannabe much like Kylo Ren in the sequel trilogy. He's been given a lot of absolute power and abilities and he likes to kill people. Sort of Kylo Ren meets Joffrey Baratheon. The narrative writing is poorly written and not as descriptive as most Star Wars novels, so you have to use your brain to fill in the pictures, though there is some artwork for the story that is similar to the artwork in the original Marvel Comics run of Star Wars. There was some minor environmentalism references with the Imperials hunting giant whales on Mon Calamar, but it was mostly glossed over. What really made me LOL at how poorly written this is was that the author says that Vader's gloves could allow him to do the famous force-choke he is known for, not him channeling the Force itself.
I don't recommend this book, but it's only the first in a series of six and I have the other five books in omnibus form, so I will continue reading and reviewing them. May the Force be with you!
December 4, 2023
Okay, obviously it's bad. Like, bad in about as many ways as it's possible to be bad, but that description fails to account for how wonderfully bad it is. Sure it's not canon, not even Legends canon, sure it's silly to have a three-eyed villain named Trioculus, sure it's corny, but weren't the original movies pretty corny too? This book gives me the feeling of watching the original trilogy in that it doesn't take itself too seriously: it's just a silly adventure.
This also serves as a fun what if: what if Star Wars evolved to be more similar to the Flash Gordon serials it was inspired by instead of getting more polished treatments?
This also serves as a fun what if: what if Star Wars evolved to be more similar to the Flash Gordon serials it was inspired by instead of getting more polished treatments?
May 16, 2020
I read this because I heard its the worst Star Wars book around and that says a lot in SW expansive library of books. It's a childrens book for 5yr olds, enough said I won't rip on it for that, but with how cartoonish some of the villians are it feels a farcry from what the trilogy was.
I liked the saving the whales plot though.
I liked the saving the whales plot though.
June 21, 2020
A continuation of the beloved saga. It kept my little brother and I happily occupied on holidays in Florida in the early 90s, as did the other books in the series.
Triocolus still looks like Michael Biehn on the covers.
Triocolus still looks like Michael Biehn on the covers.
Read
May 27, 2025Astrogoblin got me reading this stuff again LOL iconic series only for the fact that it's the only Star Wars series my sister EVER read and the only book she remembers is the Zorba the Hutt one
May 3, 2023
i knew the moment a three-eyed goth alien was introduced as palpatine's son that i was reading an absolute crack fic
April 11, 2021
As an adult, having read 100+ Star Wars books from Y to YA to A in age range, this book in my hands unfortunately suffers from having no redeemable qualities whatsoever. I thought I might try to review this book as if I were a youngster, to give it justice. But then I thought, why waste my time? Kids aren't going to be picking up this book in this day and age--only the die-hard collectors like me. And I need to warn them! This book is a fast read but completely awful and miserably dated. I can't even say the authors gave a valiant effort, except that perhaps they were boxed by whatever board of Star Wars lore restricted them to use. The book sticks to about 85% of pre-established Star Wars lore, introduces largely forgettable characters surrounding a silly-looking (yes there are pictures, this is a kids' book) evil leader with three eyes. In one ludicrous scene, the remaining grand admirals (who survived the drubbing the Rebels gave the Empire at the Battle of Endor) are arguing about where they should establish a new Imperial base. Cloud City, Hoth, Dagobah are all ideas. Really? Dagobah? How would they even know about it? Why not make up a few new planet names? Why do they even need a base? Given the original movies never established an Imperial seat, perhaps the authors ran with that. This book clearly panders to a child's brain, sticking with what they would know from having watched movies to entertain them in a story with little consequence. To top of the silliness--a species of whale-like creatures that live on Admiral Ackbar's home planet is in danger. Let's see, what can we call them? How about whaladors? I would roll all my three eyes on that one if I had that many. I wish I had picked this book up 24 years ago, but even then I feel my younger self I'm sure would have cringed. And now I have five more to read?! I will give it two stars if only because it is Star Wars after all. It isn't so much that I didn't like it, as it just did nothing for me or the universe. To be fair, successive books and series pretty much ignore its established characters and storyline.
March 2, 2016
What I think about this book is that some parts of this book is really about discovering about Darth Vader.But then realize while Flying in the Milenieum Falcon.They saw a glove.Then the story continues.I would recommend this book to people who like star wars and a mysterious plot.
July 13, 2011
It's great if you are a 9 year old boy who loves Star Wars, but don't expect any great literature here.
September 13, 2022
I've had this series on my mind for years! I initially read this book and the rest of the Jedi Prince series all the way back in 5th grade, fresh off the heels of watching the original Star Wars trilogy and this would contribute to my love of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. My first exposure to the Star Wars EU in fact! I rediscovered this series from the YouTube channel YJK Audiobooks.
Let's just get this out of the way: the books aren't that good. They're campy and silly, but honestly, Star Wars is filled with that kinda thing. The main focus is that these books are intended for a younger audience, and they certainly read like that, if not worse. Kids can understand stories and good dialogue; the dialogue and word choice in this series is odd and repetitive.
Right in the beginning, we see Luke and Han Solo catching up and they go into a ramble, summarizing the events of Episode 4: A New Hope. I guess it's useful for the kids reading this, but very jarring as an adult. I remember eagerly devouring all these books when I was younger and quite enjoyed them then, so I guess they did their part.
The story itself takes place 5 years after the events of Episode 6, the Empire is defeated and in shambles, Luke and Co are building a new government for the galaxy. The New Alliance has it's base upon Yavin 4, with S.P.I.N (Senate Planetary Intelligence Network) acting as an informant spy network, following the Imperial Remnant. There are rumors of the Imperials gathering on Kessel for something big, so the Alliance decides to send R2D2 and C3PO in disguise to infiltrate the meeting and see what the Empire is planning. It is discovered that Imperials have raised up the Supreme Slave Lord of Kessel, Trioculus, as the new Emperor, who apparently is also Palpatine's son! (gee, where have we seen this before?) Trioculus demands loyalty from the Grand Moffs, who are doubtful of this upstart, but he proves his legitimacy by shooting force lighting at two impudent generals who dared question him. However, not everything is at it seems-- after the assembly, Trioculus and his gathered council discuss privately their further plans and reveal Trioculus is not the legimate heir to the Empire, just a figurehead for the Imperials to gather around while the Council of Grand Moffs truly run the show. To legitimize Trioculus' rule, he must fulfil a Darkside prophecy in that the next Emperor shall wear the glove of Darth Vader. The quest begins!
Trioculus and co find their way to Mon Calamari (annoying just called Calamari in this book). A grimy sea captain has been running an illegal black market whale hunting operation, killing the whaladon species and selling their meat to the highest bidder. Funnily enough, this series has further ecological/environmental subplots, and not that I disagree with the message, but I find it chucklesome Star Wars has the message to "save the whales!" (plus, pretty sure this was a plot of a Star Trek film). Anyways, the captain calls the Imperials to a discovery he made-- the ruins of the Deathstar! Due to space time anomalies, some fragments of the destroyed battle station arrived all across the galaxy. Trioculus and co eagerly search among the ruins, hoping to find Vader's glove. Again, where have we seen this before? Searching the ruins of the Deathstar for a powerful Darkside artifact...?
Luke and co also make it to Mon Cala for a brief stop to commune with Admiral Ackbar, whereupon they find a whaladon named Leviathor pleading with the Mon Cala to aid his people from being hunted to extinction. Luke is furious at this news and vows to aid them. The Alliance makes their way to the whaladon processing center, and they follow a submarine leaving the center. Trioculus has found the coordinates to Vader's glove and eagerly makes his way to it. Luke and Co follow the sub, but end up getting caught in a whirlpool and sent to the whaladon processing plant.
Upon getting captured, they soon meet Trioculus who gloats to them how he now has Vader's glove and is destined to be the new Emperor! Despite his gloating, Luke manages to defeat him easily, and the would be Emperor escapes, vowing his revenge. Luke lets him escape, eager to destroy the whale hunting facility first. The Alliance narrowly escapes as the facility blows up. Now the Alliance broods on this upstart new Emperor, wearing the Glove of Darth Vader, and how they can hope to defeat him...
It is interesting to see some of the possible inspiration the Sequel trilogy possibly got from this series. All in all, I'll always take the wacky campiness of the Star Wars EU before whatever we got in the Sequel Trilogy.
Let's just get this out of the way: the books aren't that good. They're campy and silly, but honestly, Star Wars is filled with that kinda thing. The main focus is that these books are intended for a younger audience, and they certainly read like that, if not worse. Kids can understand stories and good dialogue; the dialogue and word choice in this series is odd and repetitive.
Right in the beginning, we see Luke and Han Solo catching up and they go into a ramble, summarizing the events of Episode 4: A New Hope. I guess it's useful for the kids reading this, but very jarring as an adult. I remember eagerly devouring all these books when I was younger and quite enjoyed them then, so I guess they did their part.
The story itself takes place 5 years after the events of Episode 6, the Empire is defeated and in shambles, Luke and Co are building a new government for the galaxy. The New Alliance has it's base upon Yavin 4, with S.P.I.N (Senate Planetary Intelligence Network) acting as an informant spy network, following the Imperial Remnant. There are rumors of the Imperials gathering on Kessel for something big, so the Alliance decides to send R2D2 and C3PO in disguise to infiltrate the meeting and see what the Empire is planning. It is discovered that Imperials have raised up the Supreme Slave Lord of Kessel, Trioculus, as the new Emperor, who apparently is also Palpatine's son! (gee, where have we seen this before?) Trioculus demands loyalty from the Grand Moffs, who are doubtful of this upstart, but he proves his legitimacy by shooting force lighting at two impudent generals who dared question him. However, not everything is at it seems-- after the assembly, Trioculus and his gathered council discuss privately their further plans and reveal Trioculus is not the legimate heir to the Empire, just a figurehead for the Imperials to gather around while the Council of Grand Moffs truly run the show. To legitimize Trioculus' rule, he must fulfil a Darkside prophecy in that the next Emperor shall wear the glove of Darth Vader. The quest begins!
Trioculus and co find their way to Mon Calamari (annoying just called Calamari in this book). A grimy sea captain has been running an illegal black market whale hunting operation, killing the whaladon species and selling their meat to the highest bidder. Funnily enough, this series has further ecological/environmental subplots, and not that I disagree with the message, but I find it chucklesome Star Wars has the message to "save the whales!" (plus, pretty sure this was a plot of a Star Trek film). Anyways, the captain calls the Imperials to a discovery he made-- the ruins of the Deathstar! Due to space time anomalies, some fragments of the destroyed battle station arrived all across the galaxy. Trioculus and co eagerly search among the ruins, hoping to find Vader's glove. Again, where have we seen this before? Searching the ruins of the Deathstar for a powerful Darkside artifact...?
Luke and co also make it to Mon Cala for a brief stop to commune with Admiral Ackbar, whereupon they find a whaladon named Leviathor pleading with the Mon Cala to aid his people from being hunted to extinction. Luke is furious at this news and vows to aid them. The Alliance makes their way to the whaladon processing center, and they follow a submarine leaving the center. Trioculus has found the coordinates to Vader's glove and eagerly makes his way to it. Luke and Co follow the sub, but end up getting caught in a whirlpool and sent to the whaladon processing plant.
Upon getting captured, they soon meet Trioculus who gloats to them how he now has Vader's glove and is destined to be the new Emperor! Despite his gloating, Luke manages to defeat him easily, and the would be Emperor escapes, vowing his revenge. Luke lets him escape, eager to destroy the whale hunting facility first. The Alliance narrowly escapes as the facility blows up. Now the Alliance broods on this upstart new Emperor, wearing the Glove of Darth Vader, and how they can hope to defeat him...
It is interesting to see some of the possible inspiration the Sequel trilogy possibly got from this series. All in all, I'll always take the wacky campiness of the Star Wars EU before whatever we got in the Sequel Trilogy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2025
This is the first Star Wars YA series I've read in my overall plan to read through every Star Wars book and comic. I'm going to review the whole series at once.
This series is bad, but it's the best kind of bad. The story is a complete fever dream in a way that's equally genius and terrible. Even describing the plot of any of these books would sound a drug-induced episode.
Say what you want, but these books never fall into formula or cliche. This is not a "monster-of-the-week" type series that you could easily imagine this falling back on. Instead, the story is highly serialized, with each flowing into the next. It is constantly one-upping itself in terms of craziness, occasionally veering into jarringly dark or gruesome places. Some of the plot twists in this series are legitimately, unironically fantastic.
I also really, really love the illustrations. Literally no notes.
This series' Achilles heel is its writing -- it is laughably bad, even for its intended audience. Why does a series that feels like it was written for 9-12 year-olds read like something written for five-year-olds? Which is a shame, because if the writing were at least baseline competent, this series would be an unabashed guilty pleasure. But unfortunately, the writing quality really makes reading these books a chore to get through.
As for the lore inconsistencies, I don't usually care about that sort of thing, and, frankly, it's not the authors' fault that later authors would override large portions of this series and effectively make it non-canon.
I know this is probably generous, but I'm going to give this series a 5/10. I don't think I would ever read it again, but this is FAR from the worst Star Wars content I've read so far.
This series is bad, but it's the best kind of bad. The story is a complete fever dream in a way that's equally genius and terrible. Even describing the plot of any of these books would sound a drug-induced episode.
Say what you want, but these books never fall into formula or cliche. This is not a "monster-of-the-week" type series that you could easily imagine this falling back on. Instead, the story is highly serialized, with each flowing into the next. It is constantly one-upping itself in terms of craziness, occasionally veering into jarringly dark or gruesome places. Some of the plot twists in this series are legitimately, unironically fantastic.
I also really, really love the illustrations. Literally no notes.
This series' Achilles heel is its writing -- it is laughably bad, even for its intended audience. Why does a series that feels like it was written for 9-12 year-olds read like something written for five-year-olds? Which is a shame, because if the writing were at least baseline competent, this series would be an unabashed guilty pleasure. But unfortunately, the writing quality really makes reading these books a chore to get through.
As for the lore inconsistencies, I don't usually care about that sort of thing, and, frankly, it's not the authors' fault that later authors would override large portions of this series and effectively make it non-canon.
I know this is probably generous, but I'm going to give this series a 5/10. I don't think I would ever read it again, but this is FAR from the worst Star Wars content I've read so far.
February 1, 2024
As someone who doesn’t hate the Disney SW universe, I am someone who is sad that it replaced this expanded universe. It’s a poor replacement. I understand that Disney wanted to embrace new writers, some of them quite good, but it wouldn’t have hurt to have that transition without just dumping the old guard of writers. I’ve decided to go back through the old EU, now that I have more time to read. And I’m doing it from the top. Starting here, at the first book post Return of the Jedi.
I love some aspects of this book. One of the first expanded universe books, for instance. It’s a kid’s book, so I didn’t want to be too harsh. I like that it’s truly an expanded universe book, in that it does something the original trilogy would have struggled to do at the time, and that’s go under water. Also, it allowed to Luke to shine, leaving Han and Leia on the side for this book.
However, it’s so weird. The prophecy and the glove is just weird. I wanted to score it higher, but the whole time I could get over how weird it is.
I love some aspects of this book. One of the first expanded universe books, for instance. It’s a kid’s book, so I didn’t want to be too harsh. I like that it’s truly an expanded universe book, in that it does something the original trilogy would have struggled to do at the time, and that’s go under water. Also, it allowed to Luke to shine, leaving Han and Leia on the side for this book.
However, it’s so weird. The prophecy and the glove is just weird. I wanted to score it higher, but the whole time I could get over how weird it is.
March 3, 2024
Weird, weird, weird!
The whole series is weird!
I understand these books were meant to be written for children, but at least follow the prewritten lore of Star Wars (I understand Legends does its own thing but it respects other content). The last thing you want to do is spit in the face of a Star Wars fan and this series is it.
Nothing makes sense.
Why is Darth Vader’s glove the key to becoming the new emperor?
There has been no recent pre-notion that Darth Vader’s glove means anything in the Star Wars universe. I can see how they could have done a cool spin on this idea, and made the new ruler obsessed with items of the previous lord (eh hem…Kylo Ren). But they make it seem like the whole galaxy knows that no one should get the glove or they will become the new galaxies ruler.
…
WTH.
In all honesty, I remember basically nothing from the rest of this book or series. There is a couple good ideas like the “sith ghost???” in book 6 and Zorba the Hutt but that’s about it.
The only reason I give this series two stars is because of some good ideas that could be implemented better somewhere else, and how short they were (so I could finish them faster).
No more kids are going to read this old piece of junk anymore. Only hardcore Star Wars fans who stumble across this. Throw these away or keep them on your display and never read them :)
The whole series is weird!
I understand these books were meant to be written for children, but at least follow the prewritten lore of Star Wars (I understand Legends does its own thing but it respects other content). The last thing you want to do is spit in the face of a Star Wars fan and this series is it.
Nothing makes sense.
Why is Darth Vader’s glove the key to becoming the new emperor?
There has been no recent pre-notion that Darth Vader’s glove means anything in the Star Wars universe. I can see how they could have done a cool spin on this idea, and made the new ruler obsessed with items of the previous lord (eh hem…Kylo Ren). But they make it seem like the whole galaxy knows that no one should get the glove or they will become the new galaxies ruler.
…
WTH.
In all honesty, I remember basically nothing from the rest of this book or series. There is a couple good ideas like the “sith ghost???” in book 6 and Zorba the Hutt but that’s about it.
The only reason I give this series two stars is because of some good ideas that could be implemented better somewhere else, and how short they were (so I could finish them faster).
No more kids are going to read this old piece of junk anymore. Only hardcore Star Wars fans who stumble across this. Throw these away or keep them on your display and never read them :)
January 25, 2020
My goodness but this is dire. The premise itself is silly enough - a prophecy concerning the glove of Darth Vader which, surviving the explosion of the Death Star over Endor because that is what gloves do, is the mark of the new leader of the dark side - but the execution is mindbogglingly dumb. Apparently the Emperor had a three-eyed son, called Trioculus if you couldn't grasp it, but he's not the only three-eyed character. There's another one called Triclops, because apparently if you're of this species that is the only sort of name you can have. (I am picturing human characters called Bipedal and Opposable Thumb, but they don't turn up because only aliens name their children after the normal characteristics of their race.) That's not even getting into the subplot where Whaledons, led by a white whaledon called Leviathor, are sucked by whirlpools into submarines to be harvested for their blubber and I'm losing IQ points just by relating this, I swear.
April 2, 2024
The Glove of Darth Vader (Star Wars: Jedi Prince #1) by Paul and Hollace Davids.
This is the first of six in a young middle grade (ages 8-12) Star Wars series. This series was written in 1992-1993. The setting is one year after Return of the Jedi.
Basic story summary: The Alliance has defeated the evil Galactic Empire. But there are those remaining from the Empire that are fighting among themselves for power. The Prophets of the Dark Side have foretold that soon a new Emperor will arise and on his hand he shall wear an indestructible symbol of evil.
Ok, all I will say about this one is that when you read it you must remember that this is written for a young audience. Even still, wow, weird is the only adjective I can come up with. Overall, somewhat entertaining, but not in a good way.
I would say, even for young kids, pass this one by, I gave it 2 stars.
#MiddleGradeMarch2024.
This is the first of six in a young middle grade (ages 8-12) Star Wars series. This series was written in 1992-1993. The setting is one year after Return of the Jedi.
Basic story summary: The Alliance has defeated the evil Galactic Empire. But there are those remaining from the Empire that are fighting among themselves for power. The Prophets of the Dark Side have foretold that soon a new Emperor will arise and on his hand he shall wear an indestructible symbol of evil.
Ok, all I will say about this one is that when you read it you must remember that this is written for a young audience. Even still, wow, weird is the only adjective I can come up with. Overall, somewhat entertaining, but not in a good way.
I would say, even for young kids, pass this one by, I gave it 2 stars.
#MiddleGradeMarch2024.
July 26, 2022
Feel free to skip this one.
I am trying to read the EU books in order of publication, and I didn't realize this was a youth book (80 pages, with illustrations). It's not terrible for what it is, but it's nothing special. If you are a completionist, then it may be worth spending an hour reading it.
This book was published after the Thrawn trilogy began, but doesn't really fit with that universe at all. Thrawn is supposed to be the last Grand Admiral, but this book has others. The Mon Calamari homeworld is supposed to be a strong hold of the New Republic, but in this book it is easily "invaded" and has a huge whale poaching operation to serve the Empire.
This was pretty early in the EU, so the lack of cohesion with the other books isn't a big deal, but it is a reason that you can safely skip this one.
I am trying to read the EU books in order of publication, and I didn't realize this was a youth book (80 pages, with illustrations). It's not terrible for what it is, but it's nothing special. If you are a completionist, then it may be worth spending an hour reading it.
This book was published after the Thrawn trilogy began, but doesn't really fit with that universe at all. Thrawn is supposed to be the last Grand Admiral, but this book has others. The Mon Calamari homeworld is supposed to be a strong hold of the New Republic, but in this book it is easily "invaded" and has a huge whale poaching operation to serve the Empire.
This was pretty early in the EU, so the lack of cohesion with the other books isn't a big deal, but it is a reason that you can safely skip this one.
Read
April 9, 2024After seeing this on the list of lowest-rated books on Goodreads, I was immediately taken back to third grade, where Star Wars and Origami Yoda-obsessed me checked this out from the school library and gave it a read. I haven't read it since then, so it wouldn't be fair to give it a star rating. But looking back? MAN, this was a weird book.
All I remember is that some evil really wanted to get Darth Vader's glove because, apparently, it gives him special Force powers or something. I'm not gonna point out how questionable that is within canon because that should be obvious. But whatever. I liked it as a kid, because if you gave me a piece of tree bark with "Star Wars" written on it at that age, I probably would have been the happiest kid in the world. I doubt I'd be so forgiving of it now, especially because the reactions to this book seem to be largely negative.
All I remember is that some evil really wanted to get Darth Vader's glove because, apparently, it gives him special Force powers or something. I'm not gonna point out how questionable that is within canon because that should be obvious. But whatever. I liked it as a kid, because if you gave me a piece of tree bark with "Star Wars" written on it at that age, I probably would have been the happiest kid in the world. I doubt I'd be so forgiving of it now, especially because the reactions to this book seem to be largely negative.
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