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Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights #1
Heirs of the Force
The first of six novels based on the Star Wars movies. While exploring the jungle outside the academy, Jacen and Jaina uncover the remains of an enemy fighter plane crashed years before in the years of the first great war.
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1995
63 people are currently reading
2025 people want to read
About the author
Kevin J. Anderson
1,038 books3,103 followersYes, I have a lot of books, and if this is your first visit to my amazon author page, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are new to my work, let me recommend a few titles as good places to start. I love my Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, humorous horror/mysteries, which begin with DEATH WARMED OVER. My steampunk fantasy adventures, CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, written with Neil Peart, legendary drummer from Rush, are two of my very favorite novels ever. And my magnum opus, the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns, begins with HIDDEN EMPIRE. After you've tried those, I hope you'll check out some of my other series.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
November 25, 2025
BEFORE Harry, Ron, and Hermione roamed the halls of Hogwarts, Jacen, Jaina, Lowbacca, and Tenel Ka were students in Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy on Yavin 4.
The first entry of this 1995 saga even begins with the male protagonist communicating with a snake!
A fallen TIE pilot has survived in the jungle twenty years after the destruction of the first Death Star. Qorl, or CE3K-1977 (a nod to a Spielberg science fiction film) encounters the students and things get ugly.
This was a quick read, but did not lose any of the charm from my childhood. It's a shame Disney didn't pursue this Legends series before inventing the new canon of Rey and Kylo Ren. I don't think anyone would have complained about a wookie with a lightsaber in a Star Wars movie. Oh well...
"No Jedi ever becomes perfect. Sometimes, though, what we succeed in doing is not exactly what we intended to do. Focus on what you accomplished, rather than on what you merely hoped to do." -Luke Skywalker
The first entry of this 1995 saga even begins with the male protagonist communicating with a snake!
A fallen TIE pilot has survived in the jungle twenty years after the destruction of the first Death Star. Qorl, or CE3K-1977 (a nod to a Spielberg science fiction film) encounters the students and things get ugly.
This was a quick read, but did not lose any of the charm from my childhood. It's a shame Disney didn't pursue this Legends series before inventing the new canon of Rey and Kylo Ren. I don't think anyone would have complained about a wookie with a lightsaber in a Star Wars movie. Oh well...
"No Jedi ever becomes perfect. Sometimes, though, what we succeed in doing is not exactly what we intended to do. Focus on what you accomplished, rather than on what you merely hoped to do." -Luke Skywalker
March 2, 2022
A fun middle grade read in the Star Wars Universe. It did have a lot of lifting setting up this series.
Jacen and Jaina are the twins of Han and Leia and they are at Uncle Luke's Jedi Academy training to be a Jedi. This would have made a great story on the big screen, not this specific story, but Han and Leia having twins. They have a younger brother named Anakin.
For being set at a Jedi school, it felt little like a school and for being force sensitive kids, they seemed to have little ability with the force. After seeing younglings in the movies, this is sad the skill level they have. Anyway,
We meet some interesting characters. Lowwebacca is Chewbacca's nephew and force sensitive. I thought he could be a fun character, but we really don't get to know him well. He is underused and not developed. There is also Tenel Ka, a daughter from Dathomir, which I simply love. She is so cool. We don't spend a whole lot of time with her, but I want to know more about her.
You can tell the story is focus on the twins. Han and Chewie make an appearance. So, the kids find the wreckage of an downed TIE fighter. Jaina is a mechanic and wants to see if she can restore it. Turns out, the Pilot did not die either. That's all on the back cover, so I'm not spoiler anything.
It could be spoiliery ahead, so be warned.
The problem with this story is that Han comes to the rescue. The twins are captured. Han is close to Yavin 4 and he comes back in for the rescue. It's not much of a rescue or an ending. It really is not a great ending. It is kind of a wot-waw ending, like that's all you got. No one has a good conclusion. Luke leaves halfway through and is gone when all this goes down. We see him teach a bit at the beginning, 5 minutes of class and then he is interrupted.
I would love to see more of the academy, but it was not well done. It's obviously written for middle grade and this was before Harry Potter changed middle grade forever. The characters were flimsy and motivations only okay.
I still had fun reading it, but I noticed all this stuff. The style of writing was rather stuffy as well. I hope it improves and we get to know the characters better and see more force abilities.
Jacen and Jaina are the twins of Han and Leia and they are at Uncle Luke's Jedi Academy training to be a Jedi. This would have made a great story on the big screen, not this specific story, but Han and Leia having twins. They have a younger brother named Anakin.
For being set at a Jedi school, it felt little like a school and for being force sensitive kids, they seemed to have little ability with the force. After seeing younglings in the movies, this is sad the skill level they have. Anyway,
We meet some interesting characters. Lowwebacca is Chewbacca's nephew and force sensitive. I thought he could be a fun character, but we really don't get to know him well. He is underused and not developed. There is also Tenel Ka, a daughter from Dathomir, which I simply love. She is so cool. We don't spend a whole lot of time with her, but I want to know more about her.
You can tell the story is focus on the twins. Han and Chewie make an appearance. So, the kids find the wreckage of an downed TIE fighter. Jaina is a mechanic and wants to see if she can restore it. Turns out, the Pilot did not die either. That's all on the back cover, so I'm not spoiler anything.
It could be spoiliery ahead, so be warned.
The problem with this story is that Han comes to the rescue. The twins are captured. Han is close to Yavin 4 and he comes back in for the rescue. It's not much of a rescue or an ending. It really is not a great ending. It is kind of a wot-waw ending, like that's all you got. No one has a good conclusion. Luke leaves halfway through and is gone when all this goes down. We see him teach a bit at the beginning, 5 minutes of class and then he is interrupted.
I would love to see more of the academy, but it was not well done. It's obviously written for middle grade and this was before Harry Potter changed middle grade forever. The characters were flimsy and motivations only okay.
I still had fun reading it, but I noticed all this stuff. The style of writing was rather stuffy as well. I hope it improves and we get to know the characters better and see more force abilities.
October 17, 2017
Once upon a time, in an alternative universe, Han Solo and Princess Leia had three children, unlike the new “official” universe timeline, in which they had only one son, Ben Solo, who would grow up to be Kylo Ren and (spoiler alert!) kill his own father. In this new “official” universe, the Empire has transmogrified into something called the First Order. The Rebel Alliance eventually became the New Republic, but there is also a group called the Resistence. (This part gets confusing.) Leia is now a general instead of a princess, C3PO has a red arm, and R2D2 is in sleep mode. Oh, and Luke Skywalker has been missing for years. (See "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens")
In the alternative universe (now called the “old canon”, or “legends”), a lot of other stuff happened. (More spoilers!) Luke Skywalker set up a Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, an extragalactic warrior race called the Yuuzhan Vong spread across the galaxy like a vicious plague, Chewbacca was killed, Han became an alcoholic, Luke married an Imperial assassin, Mara Jade (originally sent to kill him, she instead fell in love with him because, well, Luke...), and they had a son named Ben Skywalker. There was also a rogue planet that was alive, and there were these weird things called dovin basals. (I still don’t know what they hell they are.)
Back in the ‘90s, following the success of Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy, numerous authors joined in on what is now called the Star Wars Expanded Universe (SWEU). The film series officially ended with “Return of the Jedi”, and it would be another decade before George Lucas would make his prequel trilogy.
In that long “meantime”, hundreds of novels, comic books, and short stories were published within the official SWEU, not including the unofficial fan fiction in countless fanzines.
In 1995, Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta started a young adult book series featuring the young children of Han and Leia. Twins Jacen and Jaina Solo were training to be Jedi Knights by their Uncle Luke on Yavin 4, along with children from all over the galaxy who had promising Force abilities. These children were recruited by Luke to hone their abilities in a school-like setting where they faced strange and interesting tests and adventures.
Strangely enough, the Young Jedi Knights series predates J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series by three years. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (in the UK, it was “the Philosopher’s Stone”) was published in the U.S. in 1998.
While Harry Potter took the children’s and young adult book market by storm, Young Jedi Knights probably got subsumed by the unexpected fascination with young witches and wizards. Nevertheless, what originally started as a six-book series by Anderson/Moesta, extended its run to fourteen books.
“Heirs of the Force”, book one, introduces us to several new characters who would become important in later book series: Lowbacca is Chewbacca’s nephew. He is one of the few Wookies to have strong Force abilities. Tenel Ka is from Dathomir, the planet of the defeated Nightsisters, “witches” who were powerful in the Dark Side of the Force. She is the product of one of these reformed nightsisters and Prince Isolder from the Hapes Consortium. (See Dave Wolverton’s “The Courtship of Princess Leia”)
Jacen and Jaina had appeared in various stages of infancy and childhood in previous books, but Young Jedi Knights was the first real attempt to give them a series of their own. Absent from the first book (due to the fact that he was busy in his own series of children’s books, Junior Jedi Knights), Anakin Solo was the baby brother of the twins.
The plot of “Heirs of the Force” involves the twins and Lowbacca discovering wreckage of a TIE-fighter in the forest, most likely left over from the Battle of Yavin twenty years before (See “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”). Jaina, who is an adept mechanic, decides to rebuild it. Unfortunately, the children also discover that the Imperial pilot, named Qorl, is also alive and has been living in the forest for the past 20 years, waiting for an Imperial rescue. He captures the children and forces them to continue to work on repairing the TIE-fighter.
The children learn a valuable lesson about when and where to utilize violence. Rather than attack Qorl (who seems slightly unhinged and unwilling to accept that his beloved Emperor is dead), the three children attempt to reason with him using compassion. It works to an extent: Qorl still escapes the planet, but he lets them live. Unbeknownst to the children, their attempt at a diplomatic and peaceful solution has planted seeds of doubt within Qorl’s mind.
“Heirs of the Force” is a quick, entertaining read. (I literally finished it during a long four-hour car ride. Don’t worry: I wasn’t driving.) It harkens back to a period in the SWEU when things weren’t as dark. It also harkens back to a pre- “new/official canon” world in which the Solos had three children instead of one, and while I think the offical canon is, for the most part, decent, I am still, at heart, partial to the old canon.
In the alternative universe (now called the “old canon”, or “legends”), a lot of other stuff happened. (More spoilers!) Luke Skywalker set up a Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, an extragalactic warrior race called the Yuuzhan Vong spread across the galaxy like a vicious plague, Chewbacca was killed, Han became an alcoholic, Luke married an Imperial assassin, Mara Jade (originally sent to kill him, she instead fell in love with him because, well, Luke...), and they had a son named Ben Skywalker. There was also a rogue planet that was alive, and there were these weird things called dovin basals. (I still don’t know what they hell they are.)
Back in the ‘90s, following the success of Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy, numerous authors joined in on what is now called the Star Wars Expanded Universe (SWEU). The film series officially ended with “Return of the Jedi”, and it would be another decade before George Lucas would make his prequel trilogy.
In that long “meantime”, hundreds of novels, comic books, and short stories were published within the official SWEU, not including the unofficial fan fiction in countless fanzines.
In 1995, Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta started a young adult book series featuring the young children of Han and Leia. Twins Jacen and Jaina Solo were training to be Jedi Knights by their Uncle Luke on Yavin 4, along with children from all over the galaxy who had promising Force abilities. These children were recruited by Luke to hone their abilities in a school-like setting where they faced strange and interesting tests and adventures.
Strangely enough, the Young Jedi Knights series predates J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series by three years. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (in the UK, it was “the Philosopher’s Stone”) was published in the U.S. in 1998.
While Harry Potter took the children’s and young adult book market by storm, Young Jedi Knights probably got subsumed by the unexpected fascination with young witches and wizards. Nevertheless, what originally started as a six-book series by Anderson/Moesta, extended its run to fourteen books.
“Heirs of the Force”, book one, introduces us to several new characters who would become important in later book series: Lowbacca is Chewbacca’s nephew. He is one of the few Wookies to have strong Force abilities. Tenel Ka is from Dathomir, the planet of the defeated Nightsisters, “witches” who were powerful in the Dark Side of the Force. She is the product of one of these reformed nightsisters and Prince Isolder from the Hapes Consortium. (See Dave Wolverton’s “The Courtship of Princess Leia”)
Jacen and Jaina had appeared in various stages of infancy and childhood in previous books, but Young Jedi Knights was the first real attempt to give them a series of their own. Absent from the first book (due to the fact that he was busy in his own series of children’s books, Junior Jedi Knights), Anakin Solo was the baby brother of the twins.
The plot of “Heirs of the Force” involves the twins and Lowbacca discovering wreckage of a TIE-fighter in the forest, most likely left over from the Battle of Yavin twenty years before (See “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”). Jaina, who is an adept mechanic, decides to rebuild it. Unfortunately, the children also discover that the Imperial pilot, named Qorl, is also alive and has been living in the forest for the past 20 years, waiting for an Imperial rescue. He captures the children and forces them to continue to work on repairing the TIE-fighter.
The children learn a valuable lesson about when and where to utilize violence. Rather than attack Qorl (who seems slightly unhinged and unwilling to accept that his beloved Emperor is dead), the three children attempt to reason with him using compassion. It works to an extent: Qorl still escapes the planet, but he lets them live. Unbeknownst to the children, their attempt at a diplomatic and peaceful solution has planted seeds of doubt within Qorl’s mind.
“Heirs of the Force” is a quick, entertaining read. (I literally finished it during a long four-hour car ride. Don’t worry: I wasn’t driving.) It harkens back to a period in the SWEU when things weren’t as dark. It also harkens back to a pre- “new/official canon” world in which the Solos had three children instead of one, and while I think the offical canon is, for the most part, decent, I am still, at heart, partial to the old canon.
February 6, 2021
Bullet Review:
I am ASTOUNDED at how good this is. The “new” kids are interesting; the Jedi mythos is grounded and nuanced. I love Luke, Han and Chewie as much as our new characters. The kids learn lessons, experience things with real stakes and have to use skills. Yes, this is “young adult” (more like middle grade), but this is 1000% recommended to young fans of Star Wars.
I can only hope the rest of this series is this good - also kudos to Kevin J Anderson, who didn’t always make the best entries in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
And yes, I CAN rate a young adult book highly!
Full Review:
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...Han and Leia had three children: twins, Jacen and Jaina, and Anakin. This is the story of Jacen, the lover of creatures, and Jaina, the lover of all things mechanical, their journey to becoming Jedi Knights and their friendships with Tenel Ka, the daughter of Teneniel Djo and Prince Isolder, and Lowbacca, Chewbacca's nephew.
I've gotten a LOT of flack for rating and reviewing loads of Young Adult fiction negatively. I've been called a grumpy old woman who holds Young Adult fiction to unreasonably high standards. With that out there, I want to say this honestly and simply:
This book is pretty much fantastic - a solid 4-stars, possibly a 5-stars depending on how strong the nostalgia factor hits.
Sure, the book is written at a lower level than an adult book. In fact, I would put this squarely in the "middle grade" than straight up "young adult" based on reading level. (I think there's a thing where kids prefer to read books about older kids.) But that didn't matter to this 30-something woman because I enjoyed the hell out of this. From the characters to the interesting story to the way the Jedi were treated, this was a joy to read.
As a young girl, I really related to Jaina, our mechanically minded twin. When I read this in the 90's, girls wrote and read poetry and wanted to become authors - not like pilots or engineers. Not Jaina - she was one of the few females I encountered that remotely resembled me. And for that, I adore Jaina. Jacen is also fascinating - he's not the stereotypically "masculine" twin. He is basically Snow White with the animals - and he's awesome for it! I also loved the "new" kids, Tenel Ka and Lowbacca. Tenel Ka has an interesting story, as a girl born to privilege but wanting to prove she's capable without all the money and power. And then there's Lowbacca, shy, nerdy, but also unable to communicate without his droid, Em-Teedee (who yes is annoying like Threepio, but also becomes his own character).
Even side characters like Han, Luke, Tionne and Qorl are incredibly well done. Anderson and Moestra do a fantastic job with Han and Luke and even Tionne. They felt true to their movie screen incarnations as well as previous book appearances. As for Qorl, I was really impressed at him. He was dark, evil, but not mustache-twirling. I like how the children didn't immediately turn him, how he stuck to his principles, but neither did he murder for no reason. It's kinda rare for even adult books to do "bad guys" well - and for a children's book, it's phenomenal.
I loved how the Jedi were represented here - both the way Luke talked, how he backed up what he said with his actions and then how the teens gradually learned how important Jedi training was throughout the book. Luke espoused a "do no harm" approach, which the teens adopted themselves; overall, I got the impression in this book being a Jedi was "try to find the peaceful solution first" which is not how all these books tended to go. (The Bantam/Del Rey days were SO inconsistent.)
Were the books goofy? Perhaps if you read them expecting them to be adult books - I honestly had no trouble ignoring the reading age and falling into the story. Sure there were some "tell don't show" moments as the teens bond in the jungle, Han conveniently gives Jaina a hyperdrive to work on (but come on, there would be no story without him doing this), Jacen is allowed to collect horrifically deadly animals, Jacen's horrible dad jokes, the constant "liquid brown eyes", the fact that Jacen's hair is described as being curly but the cover art shows it as flat and straight at Jaina's "straight brown hair", and then the scene where Lowbacca has to call Chewbacca because apparently no one at the Temple can understand Wookiee or has Babblefish/Google Translate or even pen or paper for Lowbacca to write in Aurabesh. The teens by and large act like teens, sneaking away (and then regretting their secrecy when they come to danger), making poor decisions, acting more confident than they really should be, being in awe of Luke Skywalker, thinking that all would be okay if Qorl just turned himself into the New Republic. Not a one of the four is overly super-powered beyond their age (maybe Jaina is a little too good with old Imperial tech, but I never found it so weird that it hampered my enjoyment of the story).
So all ya haters - yes, I can like children's books. I thought this would be stupid and corny, but I was absolutely wrong. This holds up incredibly well roughly 25 years later and I 1000% recommend it to my young Star Wars fans out there (sorry though, it's not in line with the Disney canon, if that's what you were itching for). And to Kevin J Anderson and Rebecca Moestra: Kudos on a job well done! I am massively impressed at your skill here.
I am ASTOUNDED at how good this is. The “new” kids are interesting; the Jedi mythos is grounded and nuanced. I love Luke, Han and Chewie as much as our new characters. The kids learn lessons, experience things with real stakes and have to use skills. Yes, this is “young adult” (more like middle grade), but this is 1000% recommended to young fans of Star Wars.
I can only hope the rest of this series is this good - also kudos to Kevin J Anderson, who didn’t always make the best entries in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
And yes, I CAN rate a young adult book highly!
Full Review:
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...Han and Leia had three children: twins, Jacen and Jaina, and Anakin. This is the story of Jacen, the lover of creatures, and Jaina, the lover of all things mechanical, their journey to becoming Jedi Knights and their friendships with Tenel Ka, the daughter of Teneniel Djo and Prince Isolder, and Lowbacca, Chewbacca's nephew.
I've gotten a LOT of flack for rating and reviewing loads of Young Adult fiction negatively. I've been called a grumpy old woman who holds Young Adult fiction to unreasonably high standards. With that out there, I want to say this honestly and simply:
This book is pretty much fantastic - a solid 4-stars, possibly a 5-stars depending on how strong the nostalgia factor hits.
Sure, the book is written at a lower level than an adult book. In fact, I would put this squarely in the "middle grade" than straight up "young adult" based on reading level. (I think there's a thing where kids prefer to read books about older kids.) But that didn't matter to this 30-something woman because I enjoyed the hell out of this. From the characters to the interesting story to the way the Jedi were treated, this was a joy to read.
As a young girl, I really related to Jaina, our mechanically minded twin. When I read this in the 90's, girls wrote and read poetry and wanted to become authors - not like pilots or engineers. Not Jaina - she was one of the few females I encountered that remotely resembled me. And for that, I adore Jaina. Jacen is also fascinating - he's not the stereotypically "masculine" twin. He is basically Snow White with the animals - and he's awesome for it! I also loved the "new" kids, Tenel Ka and Lowbacca. Tenel Ka has an interesting story, as a girl born to privilege but wanting to prove she's capable without all the money and power. And then there's Lowbacca, shy, nerdy, but also unable to communicate without his droid, Em-Teedee (who yes is annoying like Threepio, but also becomes his own character).
Even side characters like Han, Luke, Tionne and Qorl are incredibly well done. Anderson and Moestra do a fantastic job with Han and Luke and even Tionne. They felt true to their movie screen incarnations as well as previous book appearances. As for Qorl, I was really impressed at him. He was dark, evil, but not mustache-twirling. I like how the children didn't immediately turn him, how he stuck to his principles, but neither did he murder for no reason. It's kinda rare for even adult books to do "bad guys" well - and for a children's book, it's phenomenal.
I loved how the Jedi were represented here - both the way Luke talked, how he backed up what he said with his actions and then how the teens gradually learned how important Jedi training was throughout the book. Luke espoused a "do no harm" approach, which the teens adopted themselves; overall, I got the impression in this book being a Jedi was "try to find the peaceful solution first" which is not how all these books tended to go. (The Bantam/Del Rey days were SO inconsistent.)
Were the books goofy? Perhaps if you read them expecting them to be adult books - I honestly had no trouble ignoring the reading age and falling into the story. Sure there were some "tell don't show" moments as the teens bond in the jungle, Han conveniently gives Jaina a hyperdrive to work on (but come on, there would be no story without him doing this), Jacen is allowed to collect horrifically deadly animals, Jacen's horrible dad jokes, the constant "liquid brown eyes", the fact that Jacen's hair is described as being curly but the cover art shows it as flat and straight at Jaina's "straight brown hair", and then the scene where Lowbacca has to call Chewbacca because apparently no one at the Temple can understand Wookiee or has Babblefish/Google Translate or even pen or paper for Lowbacca to write in Aurabesh. The teens by and large act like teens, sneaking away (and then regretting their secrecy when they come to danger), making poor decisions, acting more confident than they really should be, being in awe of Luke Skywalker, thinking that all would be okay if Qorl just turned himself into the New Republic. Not a one of the four is overly super-powered beyond their age (maybe Jaina is a little too good with old Imperial tech, but I never found it so weird that it hampered my enjoyment of the story).
So all ya haters - yes, I can like children's books. I thought this would be stupid and corny, but I was absolutely wrong. This holds up incredibly well roughly 25 years later and I 1000% recommend it to my young Star Wars fans out there (sorry though, it's not in line with the Disney canon, if that's what you were itching for). And to Kevin J Anderson and Rebecca Moestra: Kudos on a job well done! I am massively impressed at your skill here.
January 4, 2021
A fun space opera adventure featuring the Solo kids.
EDIT: Several months ago, during one of my first--if not my very first--garage saling session after the COVID pandemic hit, I stumbled upon a garage sale in a nearby neighborhood that had umpteen Star Trek and Star Wars books; more of the latter than the former, but, she had several volumes in the Young Jedi Knights series. I'd read some of them years ago, and enjoyed them...but, I had forgotten what happened in them. When I got home, I discovered that the books I'd bought were from the later part of the series; there were three books that came before the ones I had, and I figured I needed to read those first. So, I soon requested them from my local library...only to be hit by one delay after another due to the current global situation. At one point, the request even stalled, forcing the person in charge of inter-library loans to reset it. I considered other options; I even looked at Apple's bookstore and the Kindle store, but, they only had them in German. (I'm not joking; look it up if you don't believe me.)
Imagine my surprise when those books--in the form of an omnibus--arrived at my local library. You bet I checked them out as soon as my shift was over; just now, I read the first one...and really enjoyed it! It's space opera as it should be; much better than the dreck Disney gave us! Now, I can't wait to read the rest!
EDIT: Several months ago, during one of my first--if not my very first--garage saling session after the COVID pandemic hit, I stumbled upon a garage sale in a nearby neighborhood that had umpteen Star Trek and Star Wars books; more of the latter than the former, but, she had several volumes in the Young Jedi Knights series. I'd read some of them years ago, and enjoyed them...but, I had forgotten what happened in them. When I got home, I discovered that the books I'd bought were from the later part of the series; there were three books that came before the ones I had, and I figured I needed to read those first. So, I soon requested them from my local library...only to be hit by one delay after another due to the current global situation. At one point, the request even stalled, forcing the person in charge of inter-library loans to reset it. I considered other options; I even looked at Apple's bookstore and the Kindle store, but, they only had them in German. (I'm not joking; look it up if you don't believe me.)
Imagine my surprise when those books--in the form of an omnibus--arrived at my local library. You bet I checked them out as soon as my shift was over; just now, I read the first one...and really enjoyed it! It's space opera as it should be; much better than the dreck Disney gave us! Now, I can't wait to read the rest!
March 3, 2013
Well, Heirs of the Force essentially serves as an introduction to the 14 books long Young Jedi Knights series, which describes the studies of the Solo twins and their friends Lowbacca (a nephew of Chewbacca) and Tenel Ka (a young girl from Dathomir, brought up in the ways of the Singing Mountain Clan) at the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV. As always with the first book in a series Heirs of the Force has the difficult job of establishing the setting and the characters of the upcoming stories, which takes up a lot of the pages. Still the characterization feels a bit incomplete especially concerning the characters of Tenel Ka and Lowbacca. Jacen and Jaina felt a lot more elaborate than their friends also because they had more appearances in earlier books, having shaped out characteristics already. Anderson did a quite good job with Tenel Ka and I like her as a stern character contrary to the more cheerful twins but Lowbacca sadly only felt like a younger Version of Chewbacca. The last of the group is Lowbaccas translator droid Em-Teedee, who serves as a kind of C-3PO replacement. I myself am not much of a fan of the protocol droid but that's just personal taste.
Sadly our young Jedi Knights don't have much contact with the other students and we don't get to see much of their Jedi training in this first installment, which I hope will change in the other books. The conflict in this book also feels rather weak, mostly due to the lack of pages. It's rather anticlimactic but serves as the groundwork for the upcoming books.
What I really like about the Young Jedi Knight Series is that you can read the books without having much knowledge of the Star Wars Universe. This series establishes Jaina, Jacen, Tenel Ka and Lowbacca as new main characters, with Luke, Han, Lando etc. only serving as guest stars.
All in all Heirs of the Force was a nice read and did a good job in laying out the groundwork for the rest of the series, which I am really looking forward to.
Sadly our young Jedi Knights don't have much contact with the other students and we don't get to see much of their Jedi training in this first installment, which I hope will change in the other books. The conflict in this book also feels rather weak, mostly due to the lack of pages. It's rather anticlimactic but serves as the groundwork for the upcoming books.
What I really like about the Young Jedi Knight Series is that you can read the books without having much knowledge of the Star Wars Universe. This series establishes Jaina, Jacen, Tenel Ka and Lowbacca as new main characters, with Luke, Han, Lando etc. only serving as guest stars.
All in all Heirs of the Force was a nice read and did a good job in laying out the groundwork for the rest of the series, which I am really looking forward to.
February 8, 2021
Relu à voix haute avec mon garçon en nov. Il a beaucoup aimé. Surprenamment, ça a été facile pour lui d'adopter les jumeaux Organa-Solo et d'ignorer la suite "canon" des plus récents films.
J'adore faire la voix de DTM. J'suis moins bon pour rendre justice à Jaina ;)
J'adore faire la voix de DTM. J'suis moins bon pour rendre justice à Jaina ;)
October 23, 2015
Una... Fanfiction su Star Wars?
Cosa altro stava facendo, esattamente, il mio cervello quando mi ha proposto di leggerlo con un "MA dai, non può essere tanto male in fondo no?"
Darth Vader, maestro, ti prego PERDONAMI! Sono stata debole e cieca ;_;
*Torna a vedersi i film*
Cosa altro stava facendo, esattamente, il mio cervello quando mi ha proposto di leggerlo con un "MA dai, non può essere tanto male in fondo no?"
Darth Vader, maestro, ti prego PERDONAMI! Sono stata debole e cieca ;_;
*Torna a vedersi i film*
February 23, 2020
I read this literally 21 years after I read it for the 1st time. wow! i feel old lol.
donating it to my classroom library
donating it to my classroom library
June 18, 2017
This series was the first Star Wars series I ever read. Now, years later I apparently can still go back, reread them ad fall in love with the Star Wars universe all over again.
I love the characters in this! Especially the twins, Jaina and Jacen. The introduction to their early training and being able to learn more about Yavin 4 (The Former Rebel base in A New Hope) is most interesting. I love the jungle moon. And oddly enough I like the survivor these knights in training come across. I wanted more of his back-story.
This first book is a bit slow in parts but you get a good feel for the characters and the story. Very easy style to follow and feel engaged with. While I know I enjoyed this more in my youth, I still highly enjoy it now. 4 1/2 stars.
I love the characters in this! Especially the twins, Jaina and Jacen. The introduction to their early training and being able to learn more about Yavin 4 (The Former Rebel base in A New Hope) is most interesting. I love the jungle moon. And oddly enough I like the survivor these knights in training come across. I wanted more of his back-story.
This first book is a bit slow in parts but you get a good feel for the characters and the story. Very easy style to follow and feel engaged with. While I know I enjoyed this more in my youth, I still highly enjoy it now. 4 1/2 stars.
March 1, 2016
This series is no longer canon, but I was all over it when I was 10-13 or so. In fact, they were the first books I ever camped the library branches and a used book store to acquire. I tried a reread to see how they held up...
I was not impressed. The action and world-building additions were there, but I think I'm a bit more keyed in to writing quality now. And for such a giant universe, there seemed like way too many humans.
One Star Wars book that did hold up for me was Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, an anthology. I'll be interested to see what happens in the new expanded universe books when I eventually get around to reading them.
I was not impressed. The action and world-building additions were there, but I think I'm a bit more keyed in to writing quality now. And for such a giant universe, there seemed like way too many humans.
One Star Wars book that did hold up for me was Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, an anthology. I'll be interested to see what happens in the new expanded universe books when I eventually get around to reading them.
February 10, 2016
This book is ridiculous and juvenile and talks about brandy colored eyes a little too much and I don't even care I love it I'm gonna read the entire series.
March 23, 2020
Definitely for a younger audience, but this book has a lot of heart and is very nostalgic for me! 3.5 stars!
August 23, 2023
Mediocre and nothing special. The plot was lacking, the twins were one dimensional compared to their appearances in The Crystal Star and The Corellian Trilogy, and I can't quite figure how they both forgot Shyriiwook since their childhood.
The bright side is their two friends; Lowbacca and Tenel Ka. These two characters are really stand out characters that gave the story more life.
I often hear this series sited as important to understanding later series and as one of the best. I'm also use to longer children's series starting out with a trivial first book as a form of onboarding for the readers. So while I thought this book was lack luster in nearly every way, I expect at least moderate improvements in the next few books.
The bright side is their two friends; Lowbacca and Tenel Ka. These two characters are really stand out characters that gave the story more life.
I often hear this series sited as important to understanding later series and as one of the best. I'm also use to longer children's series starting out with a trivial first book as a form of onboarding for the readers. So while I thought this book was lack luster in nearly every way, I expect at least moderate improvements in the next few books.
November 6, 2024
I read this whole series several times when I was a kid. These were a lot of fun and easy to read. They really helped me along my way to enjoy reading and becoming obessed with Star Wars. This book was really one of the best. We meet alot of charaters that became close frinds to the reader. I feel Anderson was able to identify what i young adult would be lookig for in characters and hit it bullseye. Kudos for a great series.
August 25, 2016
Juvenile, but, hey, that's what it is.
December 28, 2023
Having just read the Jedi Prince and Junior Jedi Knight series, this book was a breath of fresh air. Much as I appreciate the nostalgic aspect of those series, this is much more readable as an adult than either of those series.
This book gets the scope right, sitting between the narrow focus of the Junior Jedi Knight series and the way-too-broad, sweeping scope of the Jedi Prince series. Major, life and death things happen, but not with galaxy-altering consequences. The premise is really strong for a story of this length, and I appreciate that, unlike a lot of the Star Wars books aimed at adults, this book doesn't feel the need to over-complicate the premise with multiple unnecessary story lines. The characters are sketched hurriedly, but it feels like a good base to build on over the course of the rest of the series.
This book gets the scope right, sitting between the narrow focus of the Junior Jedi Knight series and the way-too-broad, sweeping scope of the Jedi Prince series. Major, life and death things happen, but not with galaxy-altering consequences. The premise is really strong for a story of this length, and I appreciate that, unlike a lot of the Star Wars books aimed at adults, this book doesn't feel the need to over-complicate the premise with multiple unnecessary story lines. The characters are sketched hurriedly, but it feels like a good base to build on over the course of the rest of the series.
August 27, 2023
As much as I enjoy the sweeping epic battles of Star Wars, sometimes they do get wearisome. It’s nice to change it up with some smaller stakes and shorter page counts, two things I really enjoyed about this first entry into the Young Jedi Knights series.
Jacen and Jaina are my favorites of course, but Lowie and Tenel Ka are fun as well. I like that they each have a strong sense of identity, personality, and backstory all their own—that was a lot of characterization to fit into 200 pages!
Sure, being 90s YA, the moral/lesson is a little on the nose, but it’s far from the worst I’ve endured.
Jacen and Jaina are my favorites of course, but Lowie and Tenel Ka are fun as well. I like that they each have a strong sense of identity, personality, and backstory all their own—that was a lot of characterization to fit into 200 pages!
Sure, being 90s YA, the moral/lesson is a little on the nose, but it’s far from the worst I’ve endured.
September 29, 2023
A solid middle grade read. This book is a very small scale story that’s mainly just meant to introduce you to the main characters of the series. But Jacen and Jaina Solo, Tenel Ka, and Lobacca are all very likable. Jacen and Jaina actually have personalities apart from each other now and Lobacca is awesome. I’ve always loved the idea of a Wookiee Jedi. I’m feeling this series might give more of what I actually wanted from Anderson’s Jedi Academy trilogy; a series solely about Luke Skywalker training and mentoring a new generation of Jedi knights. Legacy characters are present but not the focus. Unfortunately uncle Luke is absent for a good portion of this adventure but Han and Chewy play a key role. After reading the first installment, I can say this series has the potential to be great.
February 17, 2024
I'm rounding this up from 2.5 stars. It's inoffensive, and it features a classic war plot trope that was begging to be used...but these early attempts at YA Lucasverse adventures as just too simple and straightforward. They don't hold a candle to the more modern novels, that seems to constantly transcend their YA label. It should be more complex than it is, and it certainly has the potential to be so...but it never goes beyond a certain level. A pity.
May 26, 2025
I don’t usually read “middle-grade” level books but my daughter picked this off the shelf for me. It was a reread as I read this when I was in middle school myself lol. It was entertaining enough. Kevin J Anderson’s writing in his adult novels has never fully clicked with me but this was entertaining enough. This era of stars wars (post return of the jedi) has always fascinated me.
Read
July 4, 2023After rereading the Courtship of Princess Leia, I couldn't resist going back to this series, too.
Book one is a lot of introductory work, grounding us with each of the four kids. I forgot that Jacen was such an animal lover and Jaina was the mechanic/pilot like her dad. I think Tenel Ka is still my favorite though!
Book one is a lot of introductory work, grounding us with each of the four kids. I forgot that Jacen was such an animal lover and Jaina was the mechanic/pilot like her dad. I think Tenel Ka is still my favorite though!
June 16, 2020
Warning! Potential Spoiler Alerts! Proceed with Caution!
It is a well-known fact to many fans that after the Disney acquisition of LucasFilm LTD. was made official, the 'expanded universe' of Star Wars that consisted of novels, comic books, and other related material was cast aside in favor of a new canon that helped enhance the new Star Wars under Kathleen Kennedy. However, by officially designating all established 'expanded universe' now as non-canon, it essentially meant that all of the stories that many Star Wars fans grew up reading and enjoying were swept away like they had never happened along with fan-favorite characters like Mara Jade and many others. And that, in my opinion, was a catastrophic mistake that will someday come back to haunt Kathleen Kennedy. But enough about that.
In the original expanded universe established originally by Timothy Zahn's 'Thrawn' Trilogy, it was revealed that not only did Leia Organa and Han Solo wed, but they had twins (and later a third child as well) named Jacen and Jaina, who had immense potential at wielding the Force. Luke Skywalker, also, formed a Jedi Academy on the ruins of the old Rebel base on the Jungle Moon of Yavin IV in a separate trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson that I have yet to read but am very interested in and have in my collection. Kevin J. Anderson later revisited the Jedi Academy and began a series of Young Adult novels about Jacen, Jaina, and their allies training to become Jedi Knights over a year probably before Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked the walls of Hogwarts. I originally read the 'Young Jedi Knights' series in their individual paperback format years ago extensively and was a big fan of them, and within the last few years I finally found a nice hardcover omnibus copy of the various adventures of the characters I have grown to love. As I consider each part of an omnibus a separate book/short story/novella from each other, I will review each part of the omnibus as such. Now, onto the actual review.
The story starts off with Jacen and Jaina having been living on Yavin IV for a few months and have been adjusting well to the life of Jedi Padawans. Jacen Solo is revealed to have exceptional abilities taming and raising wild animals, some very dangerous ones, while Jaina Solo is an incredible mechanic and tinkerer of machinery. They have a rival who is oddly like Draco Malfoy, only much less important to the story than Harry's archnemesis, named Raynar, as well as a good yet mysterious friend from the warrior-witch planet of Dathomir named Tenel Ka. Following a new student arriving, a Force-Sensitive Wookie teen named Lowbacca/Lowie who is appropriately Chewbacca's nephew, the young padawans begin to investigate an odd disturbance in the deeper parts of the jungle and soon find themselves biting off more than they potentially can handle with an old threat dating back to the Battle of Yavin.
I found this book moved pretty fast and the characters very likable. I could easily envision everyone in their settings, not just because of the descriptions provided by the authors but also since the story is pretty much entirely set on a familiar location to Star Wars fans. While Luke and Han are not the main characters featured in this story, they do have some prominent scenes and we discover that they have aged like fine wine unlike in the Sequel Trilogy. The main heroes of the story are the young Jedi Knights now, and they are thoroughly enjoyable people. Plus, Jacen tells some good jokes that made me crack a smile and a quiet laugh to myself.
The story doesn't really have a lot of drama, though. It's mostly world-building and character establishing, which is good enough, but there isn't a ton of typical Star Wars action. If 'Heirs to the Force' was made as a movie, I think that it would only be requiring about eighty to ninety minutes long in order to properly cover everything in the story. Essentially, it is a bridge-piece to the later novels and helps establish what the Galaxy is like about twenty years since the Return of the Jedi. There is some considerable tension, though, when Lowie and Tenel Ka are lost in the jungle following an Imperial encounter as well as some nice narrative back-stories about the two of them before they came to the Academy that helps flesh out their characters. The character I liked the most in this story, quite appropriately, was Lowie himself. He shows tremendous courage in taking on the Imperials during a hostage crisis and also shows immense emotional depth as an outsider in the Academy who is a little homesick. All in all, a nice fun read.
May the Force be with You!
It is a well-known fact to many fans that after the Disney acquisition of LucasFilm LTD. was made official, the 'expanded universe' of Star Wars that consisted of novels, comic books, and other related material was cast aside in favor of a new canon that helped enhance the new Star Wars under Kathleen Kennedy. However, by officially designating all established 'expanded universe' now as non-canon, it essentially meant that all of the stories that many Star Wars fans grew up reading and enjoying were swept away like they had never happened along with fan-favorite characters like Mara Jade and many others. And that, in my opinion, was a catastrophic mistake that will someday come back to haunt Kathleen Kennedy. But enough about that.
In the original expanded universe established originally by Timothy Zahn's 'Thrawn' Trilogy, it was revealed that not only did Leia Organa and Han Solo wed, but they had twins (and later a third child as well) named Jacen and Jaina, who had immense potential at wielding the Force. Luke Skywalker, also, formed a Jedi Academy on the ruins of the old Rebel base on the Jungle Moon of Yavin IV in a separate trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson that I have yet to read but am very interested in and have in my collection. Kevin J. Anderson later revisited the Jedi Academy and began a series of Young Adult novels about Jacen, Jaina, and their allies training to become Jedi Knights over a year probably before Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked the walls of Hogwarts. I originally read the 'Young Jedi Knights' series in their individual paperback format years ago extensively and was a big fan of them, and within the last few years I finally found a nice hardcover omnibus copy of the various adventures of the characters I have grown to love. As I consider each part of an omnibus a separate book/short story/novella from each other, I will review each part of the omnibus as such. Now, onto the actual review.
The story starts off with Jacen and Jaina having been living on Yavin IV for a few months and have been adjusting well to the life of Jedi Padawans. Jacen Solo is revealed to have exceptional abilities taming and raising wild animals, some very dangerous ones, while Jaina Solo is an incredible mechanic and tinkerer of machinery. They have a rival who is oddly like Draco Malfoy, only much less important to the story than Harry's archnemesis, named Raynar, as well as a good yet mysterious friend from the warrior-witch planet of Dathomir named Tenel Ka. Following a new student arriving, a Force-Sensitive Wookie teen named Lowbacca/Lowie who is appropriately Chewbacca's nephew, the young padawans begin to investigate an odd disturbance in the deeper parts of the jungle and soon find themselves biting off more than they potentially can handle with an old threat dating back to the Battle of Yavin.
I found this book moved pretty fast and the characters very likable. I could easily envision everyone in their settings, not just because of the descriptions provided by the authors but also since the story is pretty much entirely set on a familiar location to Star Wars fans. While Luke and Han are not the main characters featured in this story, they do have some prominent scenes and we discover that they have aged like fine wine unlike in the Sequel Trilogy. The main heroes of the story are the young Jedi Knights now, and they are thoroughly enjoyable people. Plus, Jacen tells some good jokes that made me crack a smile and a quiet laugh to myself.
The story doesn't really have a lot of drama, though. It's mostly world-building and character establishing, which is good enough, but there isn't a ton of typical Star Wars action. If 'Heirs to the Force' was made as a movie, I think that it would only be requiring about eighty to ninety minutes long in order to properly cover everything in the story. Essentially, it is a bridge-piece to the later novels and helps establish what the Galaxy is like about twenty years since the Return of the Jedi. There is some considerable tension, though, when Lowie and Tenel Ka are lost in the jungle following an Imperial encounter as well as some nice narrative back-stories about the two of them before they came to the Academy that helps flesh out their characters. The character I liked the most in this story, quite appropriately, was Lowie himself. He shows tremendous courage in taking on the Imperials during a hostage crisis and also shows immense emotional depth as an outsider in the Academy who is a little homesick. All in all, a nice fun read.
May the Force be with You!
February 15, 2022
4
So so so so good! I was going to jump into the NJO books--but I decided to read these first because I wanted to see some back story for Jacen and Jaina Solo and I'm so glad I did! While the story here is simple its a lot of fun too! We get introduced to the Solo kids who both have their own interests and personalities; Jaina is a mechanic and loves to fix any and everything while Jacen likes animals and has probably one to many in his room. I loved getting to see them at the Jedi Academy and learn from Luke! Also loved seeing Han and them interacting!
Tenel Ka and Lowbacca (Chewbacca's newphew) are the Solo kids friends in this book and I loved getting so see them all together! It was so cool to see another Wookie especially one training at the Jedi Academy!
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to anyone who is wanting to read the Star Wars EU books! I can't wait to read the next book!
So so so so good! I was going to jump into the NJO books--but I decided to read these first because I wanted to see some back story for Jacen and Jaina Solo and I'm so glad I did! While the story here is simple its a lot of fun too! We get introduced to the Solo kids who both have their own interests and personalities; Jaina is a mechanic and loves to fix any and everything while Jacen likes animals and has probably one to many in his room. I loved getting to see them at the Jedi Academy and learn from Luke! Also loved seeing Han and them interacting!
Tenel Ka and Lowbacca (Chewbacca's newphew) are the Solo kids friends in this book and I loved getting so see them all together! It was so cool to see another Wookie especially one training at the Jedi Academy!
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to anyone who is wanting to read the Star Wars EU books! I can't wait to read the next book!
February 3, 2022
Smart enough not to overstay its welcome, Heirs of the Force kicks off the adventures of the Solo twins as they join their uncle's academy for new Jedi. The book takes new liberties in creating characters for the Solo twins to share their adventures with, leaning back on stories already existing in the Star Wars canon and making up some new ones, too.
Lowbacca, Chewbacca's nephew, doesn't distinguish himself very much from his uncle, while Tenel Ka, daughter of Dave Wolverton's Teneniel Djo and Prince Isolder of Hapan, stands out as a slightly more fleshed out character. These additions to the cast help give the book a little bit more life, and the overall balance of the book's plot as driven by its young cast feels brisk and enjoyable.
Nevertheless, many of the book's minor events feel torn straight from every stereotypical '90s kids movie ever made. There's a small menagerie of animals that keep escaping, a reverence for some grown up figure who is oddly absent for most of the events of the book, a food fight, and a secret shared by the young folk that the grown-ups in charge remain oblivious to until it's too late.
In spite of all the cliché, the book's plot is at least simple enough to not get bogged down in all the nonsense that typically infests a Star Wars novel. Even if the book feels like it has virtually no stakes at all, it sets up an interesting series of adventures for the young Jedi knights, and I do think the series on the whole will likely be a fun ride if this first novel is any indication.
I wish the book were just a little more ambitious, but cannot fault it for being what it is. Typically '90s heroic action or not, the book is certainly better than some of the other Star Wars books to come out in 1995, and probably one of my favorites from this vintage year.
Lowbacca, Chewbacca's nephew, doesn't distinguish himself very much from his uncle, while Tenel Ka, daughter of Dave Wolverton's Teneniel Djo and Prince Isolder of Hapan, stands out as a slightly more fleshed out character. These additions to the cast help give the book a little bit more life, and the overall balance of the book's plot as driven by its young cast feels brisk and enjoyable.
Nevertheless, many of the book's minor events feel torn straight from every stereotypical '90s kids movie ever made. There's a small menagerie of animals that keep escaping, a reverence for some grown up figure who is oddly absent for most of the events of the book, a food fight, and a secret shared by the young folk that the grown-ups in charge remain oblivious to until it's too late.
In spite of all the cliché, the book's plot is at least simple enough to not get bogged down in all the nonsense that typically infests a Star Wars novel. Even if the book feels like it has virtually no stakes at all, it sets up an interesting series of adventures for the young Jedi knights, and I do think the series on the whole will likely be a fun ride if this first novel is any indication.
I wish the book were just a little more ambitious, but cannot fault it for being what it is. Typically '90s heroic action or not, the book is certainly better than some of the other Star Wars books to come out in 1995, and probably one of my favorites from this vintage year.
June 8, 2023
Not as good as I thought it would be this series is supposed to get better after this first book don't think I'm going to read the rest think I'm going to read the New Jedi Order series instead.
May 2, 2019
Heirs to the Force and the entire YJK series is a huge blast from the past and reminds me of those mid 90’s school days when Star Wars ruled the 3rd and 4th grade classrooms alongside Goosebumps and Animorphs. I know I read this particular Young Jedi Knights novel sometime between 4th and 5th grade, but I’ll be damned if I could remember any of it.
And, as I’m working my way through the insane backlog of Star Wars related “YA” publications it’s a good thing I stumbled across these books, both for reminiscing and for an actually fairly decent read.
One of the best things about this series is what it set into motion. The kids of Han and Leia had already been established in Anderson’s other novels but giving them an actual novel and a relatable storyline gave rise to what would eventually be the NJO and Legacy line of novels, as well as a multitude of characters to use in other Star Wars books.
Heirs to the Force isn’t what I would call an amazing read. Compared to many other novels in Star Wars history, it doesn’t really measure up. Sure, it offered up some influence in later series, but as a whole, it’s nothing life changing. Jaina and Jacen are much better filled out and complete in the NJO stuff and the over reliance on familiar characters hurts the true originality of the book. Granted, this was written way back in 1995, when the first EU books were just starting to gain traction and the fate of Star Wars was in limbo, but still, something with brand new characters and not recycling a bunch of previous ideas probably would have given Heirs to the Force a stronger voice. Still though, there are some redeeming factors. It’s an easy read and the story is kind of fun. There’s a definite “old school” Star Wars feeling within its pages that’s reminiscent of Zahn’s first entries into the catalogue. And once again, it set into motion an entire slew of new stuff later on down the road.
To be fair, the Young Jedi Knights did run an impressive 14 books so there’s got to be more redeeming qualities as the series moves forward. If anything, it just might make the otherwise boring and disappointing NJO series a tad bit more interesting...
And, as I’m working my way through the insane backlog of Star Wars related “YA” publications it’s a good thing I stumbled across these books, both for reminiscing and for an actually fairly decent read.
One of the best things about this series is what it set into motion. The kids of Han and Leia had already been established in Anderson’s other novels but giving them an actual novel and a relatable storyline gave rise to what would eventually be the NJO and Legacy line of novels, as well as a multitude of characters to use in other Star Wars books.
Heirs to the Force isn’t what I would call an amazing read. Compared to many other novels in Star Wars history, it doesn’t really measure up. Sure, it offered up some influence in later series, but as a whole, it’s nothing life changing. Jaina and Jacen are much better filled out and complete in the NJO stuff and the over reliance on familiar characters hurts the true originality of the book. Granted, this was written way back in 1995, when the first EU books were just starting to gain traction and the fate of Star Wars was in limbo, but still, something with brand new characters and not recycling a bunch of previous ideas probably would have given Heirs to the Force a stronger voice. Still though, there are some redeeming factors. It’s an easy read and the story is kind of fun. There’s a definite “old school” Star Wars feeling within its pages that’s reminiscent of Zahn’s first entries into the catalogue. And once again, it set into motion an entire slew of new stuff later on down the road.
To be fair, the Young Jedi Knights did run an impressive 14 books so there’s got to be more redeeming qualities as the series moves forward. If anything, it just might make the otherwise boring and disappointing NJO series a tad bit more interesting...
October 20, 2020
I think Heirs of the Force is my favorite Legends book I've read. As I journey through the old EU I've found most of it is complete trash, but this book is a shining gem that shows not only what Star Wars could've become, but what it should have become.
The quick take is that this book is essentially Harry Potter in the SW universe. You can even draw 1:1 comparisons (the crystal snake being like the troll, the T-23 is sorta like the firebolt), though this book wasn't written by a sentient piece of garbage like HP was.
The cast of characters is fun and interesting, though I do kind of dislike that no one is their own character? Like, it's Han Solo and Princess Leia's children, with their friends: Chewbacca's nibling, C-3PO's weird nervous son, and the child of that Prince dude Leia almost married that one time. It would be neat if there just was a kid who wasn't related to anyone. Why's the galaxy so small that it's just the same few families on repeat?
But anyway - this passing on to the next generation is a great feel. Luke's barely there (you know, like a Dumbledore), Han Solo is almost a Hagrid where he mostly moves the story but helps the kids when they're out of their depth. Leia doesn't even appear (which is good because most 90s SW books seem to want to assassinate her character so her not appearing is probably the best choice).
I do hope the series gets more involved in the school bits. Seeing the different teaching styles presented in the brief school portions was very intriguing and I hope we get more in the later books. This is the first time I've been enthused to read a sequel to a Legends SW book since like the 6th grade.
The quick take is that this book is essentially Harry Potter in the SW universe. You can even draw 1:1 comparisons (the crystal snake being like the troll, the T-23 is sorta like the firebolt), though this book wasn't written by a sentient piece of garbage like HP was.
The cast of characters is fun and interesting, though I do kind of dislike that no one is their own character? Like, it's Han Solo and Princess Leia's children, with their friends: Chewbacca's nibling, C-3PO's weird nervous son, and the child of that Prince dude Leia almost married that one time. It would be neat if there just was a kid who wasn't related to anyone. Why's the galaxy so small that it's just the same few families on repeat?
But anyway - this passing on to the next generation is a great feel. Luke's barely there (you know, like a Dumbledore), Han Solo is almost a Hagrid where he mostly moves the story but helps the kids when they're out of their depth. Leia doesn't even appear (which is good because most 90s SW books seem to want to assassinate her character so her not appearing is probably the best choice).
I do hope the series gets more involved in the school bits. Seeing the different teaching styles presented in the brief school portions was very intriguing and I hope we get more in the later books. This is the first time I've been enthused to read a sequel to a Legends SW book since like the 6th grade.
September 29, 2020
Why the heck was the Disney sequel trilogy so god damn aweful? There are hundreds of stories created which were moved to legacy that could of lead the next generation of star wars films.
This book kicking off the Young Jedi Knights series creates what I describe Harry Potter meets Star Wars. You have the twins of Princess Leia and Han Solo attending there uncle Luke's new Jedi academy and mixing with a variety of different want to be Jedi's as well as getting themselves into trouble.
As far as literature goes it does not compare to JK Rowling's world of Harry Potter. However it does have similar beats, and also inhabits a familiar world following on 20 years after the events of the original star wars trilogy. Even this book came out a couple of years before the Harry potter series. I doubt Rowling was influenced by this series, but I'd like to think so.
This is good direction that leads on the star wars story by introducing new characters and featuring the old beloved characters as well to help tie it all together.
The protagonists have character and personalities. They gel and clash but ultimately but their skills together.
The story itself is a great setup for the further adventures of these young jedi and teases out future storylines, including the younger brother of the Solo twins, Anakin joining the academy.
Even though more targeted for children/ teens, this series seems to be a great and easy read fleshing out the galaxy far far away.
This book kicking off the Young Jedi Knights series creates what I describe Harry Potter meets Star Wars. You have the twins of Princess Leia and Han Solo attending there uncle Luke's new Jedi academy and mixing with a variety of different want to be Jedi's as well as getting themselves into trouble.
As far as literature goes it does not compare to JK Rowling's world of Harry Potter. However it does have similar beats, and also inhabits a familiar world following on 20 years after the events of the original star wars trilogy. Even this book came out a couple of years before the Harry potter series. I doubt Rowling was influenced by this series, but I'd like to think so.
This is good direction that leads on the star wars story by introducing new characters and featuring the old beloved characters as well to help tie it all together.
The protagonists have character and personalities. They gel and clash but ultimately but their skills together.
The story itself is a great setup for the further adventures of these young jedi and teases out future storylines, including the younger brother of the Solo twins, Anakin joining the academy.
Even though more targeted for children/ teens, this series seems to be a great and easy read fleshing out the galaxy far far away.
February 22, 2020
It's been several years since I've read The Young Jedi Knights series from the Star Wars Expanded Universe -- and I still love the books! HEIRS OF THE FORCE kicks off the series and it's fun to go back and read the adventures of young Jacen and Jaina Solo. This book takes place at the Jedi Academy where they are studying with other young Jedi learners, including Tenel Ka and Lowbacca (the nephew of Chewbacca.)
The story isn't complicated, but does gives insight into the early years of the Skywalker-Solo family and the Jedi Academy resurrected by Luke. In HEIRS OF THE FORCE, the kids come across an old TIE fighter in the jungle and decide to tinker with it to see if they can get it working -- Jaina Solo has inherited her father's mechanical abilities. Turns out, in addition to the broken spacecraft, its original pilot has been hiding out in the jungle as well. The Imperial pilot has no idea the war is over and is determined to stick to his mission and never surrender to the Rebels.
The kids have to work together, using their wits and force abilities (and a bit of help from Han & Chewie) to escape from the Imperial pilot after he kidnaps Jacen and Jaina.
It's not a long read, but it kept me entertained and I'm looking forward to making my way through the series once again.
The story isn't complicated, but does gives insight into the early years of the Skywalker-Solo family and the Jedi Academy resurrected by Luke. In HEIRS OF THE FORCE, the kids come across an old TIE fighter in the jungle and decide to tinker with it to see if they can get it working -- Jaina Solo has inherited her father's mechanical abilities. Turns out, in addition to the broken spacecraft, its original pilot has been hiding out in the jungle as well. The Imperial pilot has no idea the war is over and is determined to stick to his mission and never surrender to the Rebels.
The kids have to work together, using their wits and force abilities (and a bit of help from Han & Chewie) to escape from the Imperial pilot after he kidnaps Jacen and Jaina.
It's not a long read, but it kept me entertained and I'm looking forward to making my way through the series once again.
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