Lyric's World

Star Wars: Junior Jedi Knights #2

by Nan Fischer, Nancy Richardson

Anakin and Tahiri are off on an adventure to the distant moon of Yavin 8! There they will help their alien friend Lyric join the "elders," the adults of her race. To do it, she must go through a strange and wonderful change. And when it's over, Lyric won't look anything like her old self!

But Anakin and Tahiri are in for an even bigger surprise. Deep within the covers of Lyric's world are carvings that match the ones they found back in the temple on Yavin 4. If they can read them, they might be able to break the curse of the mysterious Golden Globe and defeat the dark side of the Force!

But there is something waiting for them down in the caves. Something large and dangerous. And it will take more than the Force to defeat it.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Ebooks, Space Opera, Young Adult

113 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Welcome to my author page!

Here’s a bit about my books...

Novels under the name Nan Fischer:

The Book of Silver Linings (Berkley Publishing, August 15, 2023)

Some Of It Was Real (Berkley Publishing)

Novels under the name Nancy Richardson Fischer:

The Speed of Falling Objects (HarperCollins/Inkyard Press).
When Elephants Fly (HarperCollin/Inkyard Press.

Novels under the name Nancy Richardson:

Middle Grade:
Junior Jedi Knights Trilogy for LucasFilm (Berkeley Press).

Sport Autobiographies:
Feel No Fear, The Power, Passion and Politics of a Life in Gymnastics (Hyperion).
Riding For My Life (LIttle Brown)
Monica: From Fear to Victory (HarperCollins)
A Journey: The Autobiography of Apolo Anton Ohno (Simon & Schuster)
Nadia Comaneci: Letters to a Young Gymnast (Basic Books)
Winning Every Day with Shannon Miller (Bantam Books).

If you'd like to learn more about my novels, events, or sign up for my newsletter, please visit www.nancyrichardsonfischer.com

Reviews

[T.R. Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea why everybody hates these books. I have so much fun with them. They're like filler episodes in an anime but with Anakin and Tahiri. They're short and sweet and I'm glad they exist.

[Jordan Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

It’s hard to believe a Star Wars book—any Star Wars book—could be this mind-numbingly dull, but Junior Jedi Knights: Lyric’s World manages it with flying beige. This entry in the young reader series grinds to a near halt as it follows a character that adds absolutely nothing to the larger universe except a heavy dose of mediocrity. Even for a children’s tie-in novel, this one feels like it was written with the assumption that young readers don’t want excitement, character development, or, well, anything happening at all.

The plot is essentially a slow, meandering stroll through a bunch of non-decisions and head-scratching dialogue, with characters so thin you’d swear they were holograms. Lyric herself is mostly a narrative vehicle with zero compelling traits beyond being a mermaid and just being… there. No charm, no drama, and absolutely no reason to care. It’s a massive letdown after the slightly more energetic (though still flawed) first book in the “Junior Jedi Knights” series. The pacing is glacial, the stakes are nonexistent, and the writing? Serviceable at best—lazy at worst.

Still, let’s give credit where it’s (barely) due: it’s not quite as offensively terrible as the “Jedi Prince” series by the Davids siblings. That saga of Force-powered glove-wearing Palpatine clones and moon palaces remains unmatched in its bizarre awfulness. At least Lyric’s Story doesn’t have villains named Trioculus and Mount Yoda.

But that’s a low bar to clear.

Unless you’re a completist or handing it to a very bored 8-year-old with no alternatives, feel free to skip this one. Even the Force can’t save it from being a complete snooze.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun adventure with Anakin and Tahiri! Also it has mermaids, so what's not to love?

[Jaime K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like some of this is written better than the first and other parts are just as bad.

Anakin and Thairi make a new friend named Lyric, who's been on Yavin 4 for longer than the others. She's a Melodie from Yavin 8 and is actually nearly 20 - the age at which her species changes into elders.
They're essentially mermaids.

The two go with her to Yavin 8 to help her and her hatchmates stay safe during their change. The predators of the world are vicious, and are drawn to the Changing.

I wonder how the children even grow, given that their parents can't really leave the water. It's strange, given that they're sentients. And, there doesn't seem to be evil among them - that is, no one has connived against the parents nor other youth.

Another reason why they go to Yavin 8 is because Lyric mentioned that the symbols Anakin was drawing from memory from around the golden globe were also seen on her world. It makes sense, given that the planets are in the same system. But Anakin and Tahiri will follow any and all leads to help the children in the globe.

Peckhum is the Academy's pilot and conveniently has to leave the children alone to fend for themselves (he forgot supplies, my butt). *sigh* Oh and then he's perfectly okay with taking nine year old Sannah (who Anakin and Tahiri determine is Force sensitive) without checking with the adults that it would be okay nor with contacting Luke ahead of time.
Yeah, that sounds "right."

Poorly written


Things that were bad:
- Paper. PAPER. No one should have paper! This was written in 1999 - the 'verse does NOT have paper and this is not new news.
- The Jedi Code. It was written and explained before this book was even thought of, and yet Richardson writes that part of the Code is "believe and you'll succeed." Richerson - the hell?

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing seems to be more cohesive in this one but it's at the expense of the plot, which is riddled with contrivances. Anakin and Tahiri travel to the moon of Yavin 8 with a fellow Jedi initiate named Lyric. Her species - Melodie - begin like humans and end with their legs fusing into tails like mermaids as they mature; complete with long red hair and a sing-song voice, Lyric is one solo ballad away from being Ariel herself. They must bring her back home because she's about to undergo said change and her species only survive in the special water pools where they were born from, just like little salmon fish. Lyric also just happens to know that the ancient Massassi scribblings that surround the Golden Globe are also present on Yavin 8 and because of this, they somehow get Luke to allow them to go on their own. Seems a little irresponsible to let barely-ten-year-olds with a minute practice of the Force gallivant to distant moons on their own but I digress. Old Peckhum, the Praxeum's resident merchant, goes along, too, but the plot quickly dispatches him because he "forgot" some things at home on Yavin 4.

Tahiri and Anakin decipher the Massassi message to further the Golden Globe arc and while it's not a total waste of time - they end up returning with another force sensitive Melodie named Sannah - it's all just an overly complicated, convenienced, contrived way for them to get done what they need to get done, only this time without the somewhat interesting lineage introspection of the story previous. Even though it's not explicitly stated, you can't tell me the Jedi Praxeum that's been situated on Yavin 4 for nearly a decade doesn't have a library where they could get leads on the Massassi writing. And even though the message states that only children can work to free those inside the globe, does that mean they can't ask adults for help on a question of translation or something similar? It's all very vague.

3 1/2 little space mermaids out of 10

[Trevor Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lyric's World, the second novel in the Junior Jedi Knights series, is a major improvement over its predecessor. Whereas the first novel seemed to struggle with pacing and plot direction, this second junior novel manages to present something that feels much more like a structured adventure, with a clearer beginning, middle, and end, all while taking greater strides to connect to the developing lore of the Star Wars expanded universe canon.

The most critical narrative developments in this one pertain to the mystery left over from the first novel: the origins and function of the Golden Globe left in the ancient Massassi temple on Yavin 4. Fischer gives Anakin and Tahiri a reason to travel off-world in this novel, and uses the plot points of the first book as a functional call to adventure for this second one. The new adventure contains its fair share of sudden dangers, and while those dangers don't feel authentically original (birds, snakes, rats, and spiders are the major actors here), they fit the novel's plot a lot better than the dreams and rafting of the first book.

Anakin and Tahiri aren't fleshed out too much further in this slim volume, though, and we're introduced rapidly to two characters who receive little attention in light of all the rest that the novel tries to do. Pacing remains a major issue with the book, especially in the chapter structures, which don't serve to help propel the book's plot further or engage readers with meaningful suspense.

Still, in spite of all its flaws, Lyric's World is a much better volume than the first book in the series was, a sequel that absolutely surpasses its first volume.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always love seeing really unique alliens in the Star Wars universe, and the Melodies are no exception. Sure, not everything about them makes sense (how in the world did a species evolve and survive so that their children must live on land while the adults are aquatic?), but on the other hand: Star Wars mermaids!

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book, but it is pretty good for the intended age group, and even somewhat interesting for an adult who is trying to learn about their personalities prior to the NJO.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was more repetitive than the Golden Globe. I felt this book dragged in places.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

These definitely have a very different feel from Jude Watson SW (and a lot of SW, honestly), and Nancy Richardson’s not that great of a writer, but I like Anakin and Tahiri. Poor babies.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is a fun read, good characterisation for Anakin and a good prelude to NJO.

[CAITLIN · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars - very short Legends story

[Elizabeth Brokaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series develops the story and relationship of the children incredibly well. I am excited to continue this story and see how it is resolved.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

A side quest to the primary narrative. Fleshes out some of the rest of the Yavin system, which is a little interesting, but overall, I didn't find this to be the most engaging of adventures.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yavin 8 is really fucked up, huh. Like seriously, in so many ways I have no idea how that species survives. Overall, an alright entry, I can't judge it too harshly on account of it being for children

[elef · Rating 2 out of 5]

sevmedim değil sadece böyle geçiş kitabı gibiydi fena değildi

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 chapters from the pov of a carnivorous space spider is wild

[Jess Neuner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would hate to be an adult in charge of looking after Anakin and Tahiri. Thanks to a combination of them getting themselves into mischief and also just being trouble magnets, it would not be a fun job. This time, it's Peckhum, the pilot who flies a supply shuttle between Coruscant and Yavin 4 who's in charge. Poor guy. He doesn't stand a chance.

This book sees them travelling to Yavin 8 to help a friend go through her species' change to adulthood safely, since there are a lot of predators that attack during that time. Also, they've discovered that clues to solving the puzzle of the golden globe they'd discovered in the Massassi Temple on Yavin 4 in the previous book. They risk their lives to get that information, getting attacked by alien birds that want to eat them and spiders that poison them. Fortunately, they've got the Force at their disposal. Luke Skywalker would be proud. And also will probably never want to let them out of his sight again for fear of Leia's wrath. At least the risk seems to have been worth it because they're one huge step closer to solving the golden globe problem and to saving a lot of people.

[Becky Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Wars Lyric’s World

Grades 3rd-6th

This Star Wars series book was a quick read, only 16 chapters and probably one that students with an imagination will quite enjoy. The author uses a lot of descriptors to help the reader envision the environment that Anakin is in. Girls and boys alike will probably like this book because it is also about friendship and adventure. There are no illustrations in this book which may deter a child who has difficulties reading.

Math/Social Emotional Learning

Math Example: George Lucas has a ton of lesson plans that a teacher can incorporate into any unit of learning. Using a classroom computer have students play Ratt’s race which is a math game

[Darryl Dobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

As noted in the Book 1 review, this a great book earmarked for ages 7-9. My seven-year-old just finished the Potter series so I'm thinking she's past this, but my five-year-old isn't ready for this. Just a light, quick read with all the usual goofy quirks of a kids book (i.e. silly coincidences, luckily-timed events, and farfetched permissions for the child characters). I won't punish any books this series with a low rating because let's face it - I'm 42, and not seven. Frankly, I think a seven year old would love these books as the adventures move along quickly. Much, much better than the Galaxy of Fear children's series.

I'll read the series because it won't take long and perhaps some of the characters will appear in the regular novels.

[Philip Burt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The force is clearly present. The first two books in this series naturally flow together, as Anakin and Tahiri team up in the first book and discover a golden globe. In the second book, they go on an adventure to another moon not only to help out an alien friend in the Jedi Academy, Lyric, survive, but also to learn how to break the curse of the Golden Globe. Along the way, they will battle many fatal creatures in this action-filled story, and it becomes a David & Goliath battle toward the end. Unfortunately, our library only has the first two works of this series. I strongly encourage youth services librarians to give this series a serious look for their library collections.

[Mark Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good book. I found it hard to read this series, as it was written for younger children but after talking with my best friend Jane about viewing the story as through the eyes of the children it came to life for me. I am loving it. About to start book 3.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

you know, i waited a year or more for this book, and let me tell you something, it wasn't worth it.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the first book in the series. The exposition is a lot less clunky and repetitive, and the story is more interesting. Seeing new parts of the Star Wars universe is always fun.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alien mermaid sidequest for Anakin and Tahiri leads them through some dangerous times, Luke Skywalker should consider getting them some better babysitters.

Five stars!