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Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights #2
I mörkrets våld
Driven away from Luke Skywalker's Jedi academy for pursuing the Dark Side of the Force, former student Brakiss, the student Luke Skywalker expelled from his academy, has learned much since he left. Enough to master the dark side of the Force, and enough to establish his own school for training Jedi, the Shadow Academy. Now Dark Jedi Brakiss has an even greater task, to kidnap the Solo twins, heirs of the Skywalker bloodline, and turn them to the dark side of the Force.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1995
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About the author
Kevin J. Anderson
1,033 books3,111 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 89 reviews
January 4, 2021
The adventures of the Solo kids continue here. I've had fun with this series so far; getting this book was a long time coming, but, I now have the first three volumes in omnibus format.
March 18, 2021
Bullet Review:
Damn, this series just astounds me! The teens act their age and yet still get the chance to be heroic, whether it is by resisting evil Brakiss' teaching or attempting an escape - or realizing that they were wrong and the adults were right. Luke Skywalker is brilliantly done here, a beautiful mentor for these kids, and I love that Luke and Tenel Ka had to pair off to find Jacen, Jaina and Lowie.
This is probably a 4-stars, but because of that ending, the amount of fun I had reading this, I am rounding up to 5-stars. I am excited for book 3!
Full Review:
Jaina, Jacen and Lowbacca head to Uncle Lando's Corusca Gem mining station on Yavin, while unbeknownst to them, Tenel Ka is set to meet an emissary of her prestigius grandmother, Ta'a Chume. However, Jaina, Jacen and Lowbacca are taken away to the Shadow Academy, led by Brakiss and Tamith Kai, who want to teach the talented Force-sensitive teens the true way of the Force. Luke Skywalker and Tenel Ka team up to hunt down the teens - before it is too late.
I'm truly astonished here; I started to read these Young Jedi Knight books just as a final goodbye, before passing them along to a child who would read and adore these. I thought these would be incredibly dorky and embarrassing - like Jacen's bad jokes (which oddly enough, while bad, are nearly endearing). However, this is the second book where I am genuinely carried away by the story, captivated by the characters, and curious how everything will turn out in the end. Oh, and also flabbergasted at the deep insights we gain into the Force and general sentient interactions.
This book, we get to see the infamous Brakiss, Luke's other failed apprentice (his first being the notorious genocidal Kyp Durron), and Tamith Kai, a Dathomiri "Nightsister", as well as our usual Jaina, Jacen, Lowbacca, Emteedee, Tenel Ka, Luke Skywalker and Qorl. May I just say all these characters are so fascinating and well done?! The kids get to be kids (like Jacen, itching to start training on the lightsaber), but they also have their moments of heroics, from Jacen's capture of a Corusca gem (aka Chekov's Gun) to Lowbacca's quick thinking on the computers to Jaina's acumen for the mechanical to Tenel Ka's stubborn refusal to use the Force. Luke Skywalker is an absolutely amazing mentor, with great lines about how the Force isn't just for one gender or one species, about being patient and not acting brashly. Brakiss especially comes across as particularly cunning and ruthless, not the mustache twirling nor the murderous villain we find all too common in the Legends timeline. He remains calm and methodical and logical, even while espousing Dark Side logic. Tamith Kai gets to be our hot-head, which honestly, I love. She's deliciously wicked without resorting too far into cartoonish. And then Qorl! I'm SUPER impressed with the complexity there.
I feel really gushy right now, like a squeeing fangirl, but let's face it, I had a great time reading this! Sure, the story has its hiccups - why spend the effort stealing 3 students when you could find 3 willing participants (in this world, unlike in the Disney Star Wars, you don't need to be a Skywalker, a Solo or a Palpatine to use the Force)? Did Luke just sentence a Nightsister to death by ejecting her in an escape pod? How do Jacen and Jaina not know when monsters are real or holograms - can't they sense them in the Force? But overall, I could sequester those niggling questions away and sink myself into the story (just please no twin kidnapping in book 3!).
I suppose I should rein in my optimism as we are only book 2 into the series, and there are 12 more books to go - and we all know that series can go any which way! But this has been a beautiful moment of rediscovery, of nostalgia, reliving those easy days of my youth when I dreamed of being a Jedi Knight, wielding a lightsaber, standing alongside Luke Skywalker, saving the day. I hope the kids I give these books to have those feelings as well.
Damn, this series just astounds me! The teens act their age and yet still get the chance to be heroic, whether it is by resisting evil Brakiss' teaching or attempting an escape - or realizing that they were wrong and the adults were right. Luke Skywalker is brilliantly done here, a beautiful mentor for these kids, and I love that Luke and Tenel Ka had to pair off to find Jacen, Jaina and Lowie.
This is probably a 4-stars, but because of that ending, the amount of fun I had reading this, I am rounding up to 5-stars. I am excited for book 3!
Full Review:
Jaina, Jacen and Lowbacca head to Uncle Lando's Corusca Gem mining station on Yavin, while unbeknownst to them, Tenel Ka is set to meet an emissary of her prestigius grandmother, Ta'a Chume. However, Jaina, Jacen and Lowbacca are taken away to the Shadow Academy, led by Brakiss and Tamith Kai, who want to teach the talented Force-sensitive teens the true way of the Force. Luke Skywalker and Tenel Ka team up to hunt down the teens - before it is too late.
I'm truly astonished here; I started to read these Young Jedi Knight books just as a final goodbye, before passing them along to a child who would read and adore these. I thought these would be incredibly dorky and embarrassing - like Jacen's bad jokes (which oddly enough, while bad, are nearly endearing). However, this is the second book where I am genuinely carried away by the story, captivated by the characters, and curious how everything will turn out in the end. Oh, and also flabbergasted at the deep insights we gain into the Force and general sentient interactions.
This book, we get to see the infamous Brakiss, Luke's other failed apprentice (his first being the notorious genocidal Kyp Durron), and Tamith Kai, a Dathomiri "Nightsister", as well as our usual Jaina, Jacen, Lowbacca, Emteedee, Tenel Ka, Luke Skywalker and Qorl. May I just say all these characters are so fascinating and well done?! The kids get to be kids (like Jacen, itching to start training on the lightsaber), but they also have their moments of heroics, from Jacen's capture of a Corusca gem (aka Chekov's Gun) to Lowbacca's quick thinking on the computers to Jaina's acumen for the mechanical to Tenel Ka's stubborn refusal to use the Force. Luke Skywalker is an absolutely amazing mentor, with great lines about how the Force isn't just for one gender or one species, about being patient and not acting brashly. Brakiss especially comes across as particularly cunning and ruthless, not the mustache twirling nor the murderous villain we find all too common in the Legends timeline. He remains calm and methodical and logical, even while espousing Dark Side logic. Tamith Kai gets to be our hot-head, which honestly, I love. She's deliciously wicked without resorting too far into cartoonish. And then Qorl! I'm SUPER impressed with the complexity there.
I feel really gushy right now, like a squeeing fangirl, but let's face it, I had a great time reading this! Sure, the story has its hiccups - why spend the effort stealing 3 students when you could find 3 willing participants (in this world, unlike in the Disney Star Wars, you don't need to be a Skywalker, a Solo or a Palpatine to use the Force)? Did Luke just sentence a Nightsister to death by ejecting her in an escape pod? How do Jacen and Jaina not know when monsters are real or holograms - can't they sense them in the Force? But overall, I could sequester those niggling questions away and sink myself into the story (just please no twin kidnapping in book 3!).
I suppose I should rein in my optimism as we are only book 2 into the series, and there are 12 more books to go - and we all know that series can go any which way! But this has been a beautiful moment of rediscovery, of nostalgia, reliving those easy days of my youth when I dreamed of being a Jedi Knight, wielding a lightsaber, standing alongside Luke Skywalker, saving the day. I hope the kids I give these books to have those feelings as well.
October 18, 2017
The fun continues in “Shadow Academy”, the second book in the Young Jedi Knights series by Kevin Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, in which Jacen and Jaina Solo go on a field trip with Lowbacca and their Uncle Lando Calrissian to see Lando’s new gem-mining facility but are kidnapped by a Nightsister and a former student of Luke’s who turned to the Dark Side of the Force. With Imperial backing, these two dark knights are kidnapping children throughout the galaxy who are strong in the Force, with the goal of training them to be dark Jedi Knights in the service of the Empire. Theirs is the evil mirror image of Luke’s Jedi Academy, a Shadow Academy.
There is something frivolous and infantile about this series that is completely refreshing and, sadly, already old-fashioned and out-of-date. Written in 1995, “Shadow Academy” was written four years before the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton, five years before the Colombine High School massacre, and six years before 9/11.
I know that nearly every person of every generation in history has a point in their personal history in which it was felt that innocence was lost on a national scale. For my grandparents’ generation, it was probably Pearl Harbor. For my parents’ generation, it was most likely the JFK assassination. For my generation, it was 9/11. It’s a misleading and ultimately false belief because there never was an innocence to be lost.
Things have been crappy since the dawn of time. We just fool ourselves into thinking that there was once a “good old days”.
Maybe that’s why I’ve been reading a young adult series written for a ‘90s audience. I was a college kid in the ‘90s. I was at my peak of physical health, sexuality, and my utterly egregious sense that I knew everything I ever needed to know. I was happy. (Actually, I was miserable, but my misery was a result of my ineptitude regarding the opposite sex, my complete lack of ambition in life, and my ridiculous pretentiousness. In other words, it was a simple misery.)
Today’s misery is so convoluted and stressful and brought about by things completely out of my control. Adult misery. Sometimes I feel like doing the same thing my daughter does when she throws a temper tantrum: throwing shit, screaming, crying at the top of your lungs, and spitting at the nearest parent and saying “I hate you!” when, deep down, you really just want to curl up in bed and have a grown-up tell you everything is okay...
Christ, I miss being that kind of miserable.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m happy now---happier, probably, than I’ve ever been in a life that didn’t involve drugs---but I’m also miserable in a way that my 20-something ‘90s self probably couldn’t even have imagined.
Please don’t mind my mental meanderings. I know it’s weird that a young adult Star Wars series could trigger such thoughts, but that’s how my damn mind works sometimes...
There is something frivolous and infantile about this series that is completely refreshing and, sadly, already old-fashioned and out-of-date. Written in 1995, “Shadow Academy” was written four years before the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton, five years before the Colombine High School massacre, and six years before 9/11.
I know that nearly every person of every generation in history has a point in their personal history in which it was felt that innocence was lost on a national scale. For my grandparents’ generation, it was probably Pearl Harbor. For my parents’ generation, it was most likely the JFK assassination. For my generation, it was 9/11. It’s a misleading and ultimately false belief because there never was an innocence to be lost.
Things have been crappy since the dawn of time. We just fool ourselves into thinking that there was once a “good old days”.
Maybe that’s why I’ve been reading a young adult series written for a ‘90s audience. I was a college kid in the ‘90s. I was at my peak of physical health, sexuality, and my utterly egregious sense that I knew everything I ever needed to know. I was happy. (Actually, I was miserable, but my misery was a result of my ineptitude regarding the opposite sex, my complete lack of ambition in life, and my ridiculous pretentiousness. In other words, it was a simple misery.)
Today’s misery is so convoluted and stressful and brought about by things completely out of my control. Adult misery. Sometimes I feel like doing the same thing my daughter does when she throws a temper tantrum: throwing shit, screaming, crying at the top of your lungs, and spitting at the nearest parent and saying “I hate you!” when, deep down, you really just want to curl up in bed and have a grown-up tell you everything is okay...
Christ, I miss being that kind of miserable.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m happy now---happier, probably, than I’ve ever been in a life that didn’t involve drugs---but I’m also miserable in a way that my 20-something ‘90s self probably couldn’t even have imagined.
Please don’t mind my mental meanderings. I know it’s weird that a young adult Star Wars series could trigger such thoughts, but that’s how my damn mind works sometimes...
July 24, 2007
I'm totally in love with the Young Jedi Knights books. They're so silly, but they were a big part of my childhood, from about age 10-13. I wanted to be Jaina Solo so badly. XD
May 6, 2016
Poor Lando. He just wants to take his friend's kids out for a fun field trip to see how corusca gems are mined and they're kidnapped by evil dark Jedi on his watch. The leaders of this Shadow Academy are a nightsister from Tenel Ka's sort-of homeplanet of Dathomir and a former student of Luke Skywalker's who would love nothing more than to turn his niece and nephew against him.
The whole lesson of this book was that just because someone is a teacher doesn't mean you should treat them as an ultimate authority without at least trying to think for yourself. While that's great, it was a bit odd that this lesson actually had to be learnt when the teachers were people who had kidnapped them and forced them to fight each other in brutal death matches. You'd think not listening to them would be a bit obvious.
The more interesting plotline was with Tenel Ka, who really got to shine as she helped Luke Skywalker track down Jacen, Jaina, and Lowbacca, using all of her skills, including the ones she learnt from her hated status as a princess, which she is still keeping a secret from her friends. That will be a bit of a surprise for them when they find that out.
The whole lesson of this book was that just because someone is a teacher doesn't mean you should treat them as an ultimate authority without at least trying to think for yourself. While that's great, it was a bit odd that this lesson actually had to be learnt when the teachers were people who had kidnapped them and forced them to fight each other in brutal death matches. You'd think not listening to them would be a bit obvious.
The more interesting plotline was with Tenel Ka, who really got to shine as she helped Luke Skywalker track down Jacen, Jaina, and Lowbacca, using all of her skills, including the ones she learnt from her hated status as a princess, which she is still keeping a secret from her friends. That will be a bit of a surprise for them when they find that out.
June 18, 2017
This was the very first Star Wars book I ever read. I had to actually go back and find the first book in the series after I finishe this one. Although the writing isn't perfect I loved the characters and story. Jaina, Jacen and their friends are fantastic characters and Kevin J Anderson and his wife did a great job bringing them to life in this series.
Although this was the second book or the series, it was easy to pick up and read as a stand-alone. However, the entire series is definitely worth reading. Rereading this in order, many years later I had forgotten much of the story and even some of the characters. One was Tenel Ka. And after not standing out too much in the first book, she shines in this one. A small thing I hated: The name Brakiss. Upon first seeing it I saw it as two words that should never form a name (I am sure you can figure out what I did).
One thing I really wish had more focus in the first several novels was the Shadow Academy and general Jedi training itself and how the academies differed in teaching style. Nonetheless, the Young Jedi Knights series is a fun series for youth and adult alike.
Although this was the second book or the series, it was easy to pick up and read as a stand-alone. However, the entire series is definitely worth reading. Rereading this in order, many years later I had forgotten much of the story and even some of the characters. One was Tenel Ka. And after not standing out too much in the first book, she shines in this one. A small thing I hated: The name Brakiss. Upon first seeing it I saw it as two words that should never form a name (I am sure you can figure out what I did).
One thing I really wish had more focus in the first several novels was the Shadow Academy and general Jedi training itself and how the academies differed in teaching style. Nonetheless, the Young Jedi Knights series is a fun series for youth and adult alike.
August 23, 2022
It was so fun to go back and re-read this book! This series was one of my absolute favorites growing up and it was just as good as I remembered! I love the simple themes of questioning our teachers just as much as we trust them, to never believe blindly but to test if what we are being taught is right and true. Looking forward to squeezing in more books from the Shadow Academy saga inbetween my other reads!
April 16, 2022
It's stronger than the first "Young Jedi Knights" book I read, but that's not saying too much, as I'm rounding this up from 2.5 stars. It does its job, but I'm afraid these early young adult explorations of the Lucasverse are simply not for me.
March 14, 2018
After Luke, Chewie, and Han return in #1 Heirs of the Force, #2 Shadow Academy brings back the familiar Lando Calrissian and Leia. A new faction known as the Shadow Academy kidnaps the twins and Lowbacca while they are out mining with Lando.
Brakiss (a former student of Skywalker) is introduced as the leader of the new Dark Jedi Knights and assumes the role of the teacher. His Imperial conditioning is still stronger than the light side of the force, but Brakiss presents some rather convincing arguments in regards to what he is trying to accomplish with his methods:
"Here at the Shadow Academy we feel that lightsaber skills are among the first talents a Jedi should develop, because strong, able warriors are always needed. If a Jedi Knight is not ready to fight for a cause, than what good is he?"
"The Force is an energy that surrounds all living things. It flows from us."
"You each have the tools inside you yo master yourselves, and to master the Force...And to draw on the strength of the Force, you must learn on what is the strongest in you: strong emotions, deep desires, fear, aggression, hate, anger."
"At this academy we do not learn only one side of the force."
"Learning to find innovative solutions is an important skill."
Also thrown into the mix are the Nightsisters, while Luke and Tenel Ka work together to rescue their kidnapped friends.
During Lowie's Shadow Academy training, exploding icy water is used (rather literally) as he reaches inside, quite similarly to Rey's first lesson with Luke in The Last Jedi.
Jacen is portrayed as Vader through hologram when the twins unknowingly face each other in Shadow Academy training. Is this foreshadowing (Force shadowing) what's to come at the Shadow Academy?
Jaina and Lowie are described as a "skilled mechanic and an electronics specialist right here on Yavin 4," which seems awfully familiar to Rey and Chewie in the new films.
Tenel Ka starts using the catch phrase, "This is a fact," which becomes rather annoying and unnecessary and Qorl (reunited with his beloved Empire) secretly helps everyone escape in the end.
Luke drops some knowledge as this volume concludes:
"It sometimes feels like too great a responsibility, even to me. But the Force guides us as we fight. Not simply how to defeat our enemies- but also to know when not to defeat them."
"No one is completely evil. Or completely good. At least nobody I've ever met."
"A teacher is not always right."
Based on Luke's logic, maybe Brakiss isn't so bad after all?
Brakiss (a former student of Skywalker) is introduced as the leader of the new Dark Jedi Knights and assumes the role of the teacher. His Imperial conditioning is still stronger than the light side of the force, but Brakiss presents some rather convincing arguments in regards to what he is trying to accomplish with his methods:
"Here at the Shadow Academy we feel that lightsaber skills are among the first talents a Jedi should develop, because strong, able warriors are always needed. If a Jedi Knight is not ready to fight for a cause, than what good is he?"
"The Force is an energy that surrounds all living things. It flows from us."
"You each have the tools inside you yo master yourselves, and to master the Force...And to draw on the strength of the Force, you must learn on what is the strongest in you: strong emotions, deep desires, fear, aggression, hate, anger."
"At this academy we do not learn only one side of the force."
"Learning to find innovative solutions is an important skill."
Also thrown into the mix are the Nightsisters, while Luke and Tenel Ka work together to rescue their kidnapped friends.
During Lowie's Shadow Academy training, exploding icy water is used (rather literally) as he reaches inside, quite similarly to Rey's first lesson with Luke in The Last Jedi.
Jacen is portrayed as Vader through hologram when the twins unknowingly face each other in Shadow Academy training. Is this foreshadowing (Force shadowing) what's to come at the Shadow Academy?
Jaina and Lowie are described as a "skilled mechanic and an electronics specialist right here on Yavin 4," which seems awfully familiar to Rey and Chewie in the new films.
Tenel Ka starts using the catch phrase, "This is a fact," which becomes rather annoying and unnecessary and Qorl (reunited with his beloved Empire) secretly helps everyone escape in the end.
Luke drops some knowledge as this volume concludes:
"It sometimes feels like too great a responsibility, even to me. But the Force guides us as we fight. Not simply how to defeat our enemies- but also to know when not to defeat them."
"No one is completely evil. Or completely good. At least nobody I've ever met."
"A teacher is not always right."
Based on Luke's logic, maybe Brakiss isn't so bad after all?
September 21, 2020
Damn, I love these books so much. In my review of the previous entry in the series, I made a comment about how Qorl as a character confused me. He didn't have an arc and just ran away at the end. I now see the reason for that was that this series has one continuous plot, rather than Anakin and Tahiri's 'monster of the week' style in their books. This makes me super happy, as there are many books in this sequence, so I imagine they will build to something great.
Qorl, as it turns out, IS an actual character of substance and importance. I take back my previous gripe from the first book. I now have a better grasp of what I'm getting myself into.
The best part about this book, without a shadow of a doubt, was when *spoilers* Jaina is forced to fight a hologram of Darth Vader . . . who turns out to be her brother Jacen. Here's the thing: I have been long spoiled about where the Solo Saga ends up. I know the ending and who lives and who dies. Jaina fighting against Jacen for the first time in this way was pure genius. I LOVE that section. It makes me honestly ponder whether Kevin and Rebecca actually planned out the whole story and put this in as brilliant foreshadowing. But whether it was orchestrated, or just fell into place through happy coincidence, that foreshadowing was quality stuff.
I also really liked the set-up between Luke and his former student, Brakiss. That was cool, and I believe teases an official duel between the two that will not be interrupted. Brakiss as a character, at least at this point, is just kinda okay. He doesn't intrigue me very much. The best aspect of him is his backstory with Luke. I'm kinda hoping he becomes a force of his own in the story later down the line.
Overall, this book is great. I have very little complaints. It is so much fun to spend time with the next generation of Jedi. I strongly believe, however, that my enjoyment of these stories is helped immensely by the fact that I know the spoilers for when they get older. The Star Wars EU is a rare case of me being glad that I was spoiled. I liked what I heard from the spoilers, so I made the jump to begin the journey myself. Without them, I fear I never would've touched these books. I'm a sucker for tragedy, so the fate of the Solo twins had me hooked. I can't wait to actually read for myself how things get fleshed out and executed.
Qorl, as it turns out, IS an actual character of substance and importance. I take back my previous gripe from the first book. I now have a better grasp of what I'm getting myself into.
The best part about this book, without a shadow of a doubt, was when *spoilers* Jaina is forced to fight a hologram of Darth Vader . . . who turns out to be her brother Jacen. Here's the thing: I have been long spoiled about where the Solo Saga ends up. I know the ending and who lives and who dies. Jaina fighting against Jacen for the first time in this way was pure genius. I LOVE that section. It makes me honestly ponder whether Kevin and Rebecca actually planned out the whole story and put this in as brilliant foreshadowing. But whether it was orchestrated, or just fell into place through happy coincidence, that foreshadowing was quality stuff.
I also really liked the set-up between Luke and his former student, Brakiss. That was cool, and I believe teases an official duel between the two that will not be interrupted. Brakiss as a character, at least at this point, is just kinda okay. He doesn't intrigue me very much. The best aspect of him is his backstory with Luke. I'm kinda hoping he becomes a force of his own in the story later down the line.
Overall, this book is great. I have very little complaints. It is so much fun to spend time with the next generation of Jedi. I strongly believe, however, that my enjoyment of these stories is helped immensely by the fact that I know the spoilers for when they get older. The Star Wars EU is a rare case of me being glad that I was spoiled. I liked what I heard from the spoilers, so I made the jump to begin the journey myself. Without them, I fear I never would've touched these books. I'm a sucker for tragedy, so the fate of the Solo twins had me hooked. I can't wait to actually read for myself how things get fleshed out and executed.
March 21, 2024
It's so unfair for me to criticize Star Wars, of all things, for doggedly pushing black-and-white morality. After all, depending on who you ask, there are definitive, in-universe reasons for that kind of entrenchment, but this is the kind of story that would benefit enormously from some shades of gray. If the book could commit to some real philosophical ambiguity to the situation our heroes find themselves in when they're kidnapped and enrolled in the titular Shadow Academy, that would open the door for a lot of interesting psychological tension. As it is, the case is more or less open and shut. Maybe that's an issue of the intended audience, but I think it's okay to ask for a little more sophistication from young adult readers.
October 13, 2021
Well, I think I can tell what the overarching plot for the series is going to be....
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July 4, 2023This second book is definitely a stronger adventure for the threesome who are kidnapped--I appreciated that they found a way to (just about) rescue themselves. And returning to Dathomir, however briefly, was a delight!
November 11, 2020
Great continuation from the first book and get into some more details about the characters. It sets up the 'baddies' for books to come I would expect. The story itself takes our characters away from the comforts of the new Jedi academy to the shadow academy against their will. Playful with fleshing out the post empire era and what that means for the dark side. A good fun read. Looking forward to the next book!
July 12, 2015
On Yavin 4, master Jedi Luke Skywalker has started a school to train young Jedi who are beginning to understand the light side of the force. However, in another part of the galaxy the same is being done for those youth collected by the remains of the Empire. The Shadow academy, ran by dark Jedi Brakiss, is a secret to all but he needs more youth if he and the Imperium that he serves ever hope to conquer the galaxy. To do this he turns to Yavin 4 and those youth who already have started their Jedi training and so he sends his allies to capture some of the more powerful young Jedi, the children of Leia and Han Solo and their friend Lowbacca.
This was my first introduction into the Star Wars universe in book form, let alone into a time set after Luke and the rebels take over and defeat the Empire. I was a little nervous getting into it but I was surprised. It is fun to see what happens to the characters from the movies I grew up watching. Anderson does a wonderful job and I look forward to reading more.
Warning: violence
This was my first introduction into the Star Wars universe in book form, let alone into a time set after Luke and the rebels take over and defeat the Empire. I was a little nervous getting into it but I was surprised. It is fun to see what happens to the characters from the movies I grew up watching. Anderson does a wonderful job and I look forward to reading more.
Warning: violence
February 8, 2011
This is the second book in a fourteen book series. It definatly is better then the first book in this series. (Don't get me wrong, the first book is great too.) I love this series because it really gets you familiar with important, key characters in The New Jedi Order.
In this book, the Solo kids are kidnapped and taken to Shadow Academy to be trained as Dark Jedi. But the Solo kids aren't broken so easily.
In this book, the Solo kids are kidnapped and taken to Shadow Academy to be trained as Dark Jedi. But the Solo kids aren't broken so easily.
July 30, 2010
A decent effort within the constraints of fan fiction and young readers, however the cover art--dominated by a Goth-looking Darksister seems inappropriate for the genre. (Looks like KISS's Gene Simmons in drag. Come to think of it Gene Simmons looks . . . well, never mind.)
August 25, 2010
Jacen and Jaina are on a field trip with Luke, but suddenly kidnapped by a new enemy of the alliance, forced to train in the Shadow Academy.
Luke must find a way to save them, before they turn...or die.
Luke must find a way to save them, before they turn...or die.
July 19, 2020
I don’t care if it was written for a younger audience or if it doesn’t have the best writing ever, it was such an exciting and fun read so here is my 5 stars. The feelings, the actions were awesome and I really love the way Star Wars universe is used.
September 23, 2020
3 stars
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May 14, 2020
This is a much better book than the first one in the series. I would even suggest skipping the first book and moving straight to this one. Spoilers ahead:
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Spoilers:
The Good: KJA and Moesta treat Luke fairly. He acts as one would expect a middle aged Luke Skywalker would. The references to Courtship of Princess Leia are refreshing. The connections these novels make to other EU sources really make the whole franchise feel large. The baddies are varied and are expanded upon in a way that young teens could understand. I look forward to continued confrontation between the Yavin academy and the Shadow Academy. There is a powerful lesson at the end.
The Bad: The cut and paste dialogue from the original film trilogy is cringey at best. We know this is a Star Wars book; the bold, textured title tells us that. We would not be reading these books if we didn’t like Star Wars. KJA/Moesta don’t need to remind us of the existence of the original trilogy. Another troubling aspect is Lando’s handling of the kidnapping. While he was not directly responsible, they were under his care. So why did not travel with Luke and Tenel Ka to save the teens? My opinion is that KJA/Moesta wanted the ability to build up Tenel
Ka’s character and relationship with her master (Luke); however, the handling of Lando just seems lazy. I guess children would not mind him being written out of the rest of the story, but as an adult that works with children, this plot point seems both odd and lazy.
The Ugly: The overall lack of emotion between Jacen and Jaina is frustrating. KJA/Moesta had a perfect opportunity for character development after the lightsaber duel and they completely ignored it. The way Han is treated is also frustrating; his edge, everything we love about him from the films is rounded out, softened. I’m a bit apprehensive about rereading the KJA Jedi Academy trilogy because I feel the way he treats some of the adult characters in this series will be the same way he treats them in that trilogy, his SW opus.
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Spoilers:
The Good: KJA and Moesta treat Luke fairly. He acts as one would expect a middle aged Luke Skywalker would. The references to Courtship of Princess Leia are refreshing. The connections these novels make to other EU sources really make the whole franchise feel large. The baddies are varied and are expanded upon in a way that young teens could understand. I look forward to continued confrontation between the Yavin academy and the Shadow Academy. There is a powerful lesson at the end.
The Bad: The cut and paste dialogue from the original film trilogy is cringey at best. We know this is a Star Wars book; the bold, textured title tells us that. We would not be reading these books if we didn’t like Star Wars. KJA/Moesta don’t need to remind us of the existence of the original trilogy. Another troubling aspect is Lando’s handling of the kidnapping. While he was not directly responsible, they were under his care. So why did not travel with Luke and Tenel Ka to save the teens? My opinion is that KJA/Moesta wanted the ability to build up Tenel
Ka’s character and relationship with her master (Luke); however, the handling of Lando just seems lazy. I guess children would not mind him being written out of the rest of the story, but as an adult that works with children, this plot point seems both odd and lazy.
The Ugly: The overall lack of emotion between Jacen and Jaina is frustrating. KJA/Moesta had a perfect opportunity for character development after the lightsaber duel and they completely ignored it. The way Han is treated is also frustrating; his edge, everything we love about him from the films is rounded out, softened. I’m a bit apprehensive about rereading the KJA Jedi Academy trilogy because I feel the way he treats some of the adult characters in this series will be the same way he treats them in that trilogy, his SW opus.
October 24, 2020
Shadow Academy is an interesting installment in the Young Jedi Knights series. Mostly it's the same story as The Crystal Star, but told more concisely, and with more accurate characterizations for the original Star Wars cast. It's just a better version of that same story. Only, Vonda McIntyre is listed in the acknowledgements at the beginning of the novel, so the authors have certainly read the book. It's a pretty huge flex to be like "Hey, thanks for writing that book, love it. Now we're going to retell it, with the same characters, only we're going to do it better. It won't have all those pointless bits, and won't be as depressing. Also, it's gonna have more action and a better moral."
It's literally just the same but better: trained Jedi who has decided to join the Empire, and train force sensitives in the dark side to serve Empire. Jacen and Jaina get kidnapped and the Jedi attempts to train them to be evil.
There are some minor changes: Instead of a multitool, they use a corsuca gem to break out of their cell. I think Qorl is more interesting than Grake, even if they're similar roles. In this they're called the Imperial Youth instead of Empire Youth. But, ultimately, the kids save themselves, rather than escaping and stranding themselves in a swamp to be Deus Ex Machina'd by Leia.
Also, Luke gives the perfect 1-2 punch to TLJ haters right at the end. First, his story line is just like the Finn/Rose line: great for character depth but not necessarily for moving the plot forward. Plus, he literally says there's no such thing as someone being purely good. Because even Jedi masters make mistakes.
Love that the characters are becoming whole beings as the larger story progresses. Learning things, growing, actually acting on past experiences in a meaningful way. These are legit some fun, quality YA novels, which is honestly far more than I ever expected from 90s Star Wars.
It's literally just the same but better: trained Jedi who has decided to join the Empire, and train force sensitives in the dark side to serve Empire. Jacen and Jaina get kidnapped and the Jedi attempts to train them to be evil.
There are some minor changes: Instead of a multitool, they use a corsuca gem to break out of their cell. I think Qorl is more interesting than Grake, even if they're similar roles. In this they're called the Imperial Youth instead of Empire Youth. But, ultimately, the kids save themselves, rather than escaping and stranding themselves in a swamp to be Deus Ex Machina'd by Leia.
Also, Luke gives the perfect 1-2 punch to TLJ haters right at the end. First, his story line is just like the Finn/Rose line: great for character depth but not necessarily for moving the plot forward. Plus, he literally says there's no such thing as someone being purely good. Because even Jedi masters make mistakes.
Love that the characters are becoming whole beings as the larger story progresses. Learning things, growing, actually acting on past experiences in a meaningful way. These are legit some fun, quality YA novels, which is honestly far more than I ever expected from 90s Star Wars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2021
Shadow academy was written by Kevin j Anderson and Rebecca Moesta and is the second novel in the bestselling young jedi knights series. This time around the story features jacen jaina and Lowbacca being kidnapped by the villinous shadow academy, run by a former student of lukes brakuss. As Luke and Tenel Ka rush to the rescue Jacen and jaina must struggle to keep their jedi resolve as Brakuss tries to seduce them to the dark side.
This book was even better than the first volume, as because it did not have to introduce the Characters, it had time to actually develop a menacing villain in the form of the shadow academy. The subplot about tenel Ka and Luke on dathomir was also great, having a look into tenel Kas Character, and foreshadowing her Character arc in the new jedi order. Lando was also present in the first few chapters of the story, as we see how another of his mining operations operate, again in a very extreme setting which has become a running gag within the star wars expanded universe. Seeing dathomir and the nightsisters again was nice, a lot of the jokes and humour landed nicely and this was just a fantastic book overall. Rating: 9/10
This book was even better than the first volume, as because it did not have to introduce the Characters, it had time to actually develop a menacing villain in the form of the shadow academy. The subplot about tenel Ka and Luke on dathomir was also great, having a look into tenel Kas Character, and foreshadowing her Character arc in the new jedi order. Lando was also present in the first few chapters of the story, as we see how another of his mining operations operate, again in a very extreme setting which has become a running gag within the star wars expanded universe. Seeing dathomir and the nightsisters again was nice, a lot of the jokes and humour landed nicely and this was just a fantastic book overall. Rating: 9/10
May 19, 2022
Shadow Academy and, by extension, the whole of the Young Jedi Knights series so far is enough for me to take back any and every unkind thing I have ever said about Kevin J. Anderson and his take on Star Wars. Although this might be the youth novel accompaniment to the general audience novels, Anderson and Moesta continue to develop strong protagonists in the young Solo twins and their friends while demonstrating simultaneously that they understand the central themes and legacy characters of Star Wars.
In this installment, Anderson and Moesta dig deep into what empowers the Dark Side of the Force while also demonstrating the resiliency of the Light Side through the young protagonists of the series. The two authors give Luke more to do without losing sight of what many readers are showing up for, with enough contained, focused action to keep the story moving along. The idea of a rival Shadow Academy is also brilliant, allowing both authors to dig into what makes the Force so interesting as a metaphor for doing right and wrong.
This is my favorite Star Wars of all that I've read so far, and I can't wait to see what is next for the Solo twins.
In this installment, Anderson and Moesta dig deep into what empowers the Dark Side of the Force while also demonstrating the resiliency of the Light Side through the young protagonists of the series. The two authors give Luke more to do without losing sight of what many readers are showing up for, with enough contained, focused action to keep the story moving along. The idea of a rival Shadow Academy is also brilliant, allowing both authors to dig into what makes the Force so interesting as a metaphor for doing right and wrong.
This is my favorite Star Wars of all that I've read so far, and I can't wait to see what is next for the Solo twins.
May 5, 2019
The second book in the Young Jedi Knights series is about exactly as I expected it to be. In other words, it wasn’t essential reading, but I still moderately enjoyed the story, and, unlike a lot of the new Canon stuff, it was somewhat fun and interesting.
There’s actually some fairly decent lessons taught in Shadow Academy and I feel, now, after 2 books, both Anderson and Modesta have started to get a grip on their characters and know where the story is going to go. Both the Solo twins are starting to come into their own (and I think we can just start to see the beginnings of what’s to befall them in the New Jedi Order books), though, personally, I’m getting a little tired of hearing about their “brandy-brown” eyes.
There’s actually some fairly decent lessons taught in Shadow Academy and I feel, now, after 2 books, both Anderson and Modesta have started to get a grip on their characters and know where the story is going to go. Both the Solo twins are starting to come into their own (and I think we can just start to see the beginnings of what’s to befall them in the New Jedi Order books), though, personally, I’m getting a little tired of hearing about their “brandy-brown” eyes.
June 14, 2020
Shadow Academy is a fast-paced Young Jedi Knights book by Kevin J. Anderson. Even though it's book two in the series, it easily can be read as a stand-alone as there are ample details provided early in the story regarding book one. Shadow Academy is one I enjoyed (this is my second time reading it -- I'm doing a full reread of the series) primarily because author Anderson gives us a good look into young Tenal Ka. I like her and I especially enjoy her character in these books where the core group of Jedi Knights are all still young and learning -- pre-Yuuzhan Vong war. There is a nice balance between the kidnapping storyline, learning about the Shadow Academy, and the rescue led by Master Skywalker with help from young Tenal Ka.
December 17, 2020
While not quite as good as its predecessor, this book was still a great time. It was largely handicapped by splitting up the four friends and therefore removing much of the tension between Jacen and Tenel Ka. I also felt that, more so than the first book, I would have benefited greatly by reading the other stories that it was referencing. For a better experience, it seems like reading The Courtship of Princess Leia and I, Jedi beforehand would be advised.
January 5, 2021
Relu à voix haute avec mon fils.
Il a adoré celui-ci. Je fais exprès d'interrompre la lecture pour lui poser des questions, utiliser les ficelles laissées par les auteurs pour le faire réfléchir.
Ah, qu'est-ce qui est important pour Jacen? Apprendre à utiliser un sabre laser? Oh, et pourquoi Luke ne lui permet encore de se pratiquer au maniement du sabre?
Bref, des discussions intéressantes avec mon garçonde 8 ans!
Angle intriguant de la part des instructeurs de l'académie de l'ombre, comment twister les préceptes de la force pour en justifier l'utilisation de son côté obscur.
Côté voix, je fais une Tenel Ka tout à fait respectable et une Tamith Kai impérieuse et sifflante comme un serpent! ;)
Han Solo m'échappe toujours.
Il a adoré celui-ci. Je fais exprès d'interrompre la lecture pour lui poser des questions, utiliser les ficelles laissées par les auteurs pour le faire réfléchir.
Ah, qu'est-ce qui est important pour Jacen? Apprendre à utiliser un sabre laser? Oh, et pourquoi Luke ne lui permet encore de se pratiquer au maniement du sabre?
Bref, des discussions intéressantes avec mon garçonde 8 ans!
Angle intriguant de la part des instructeurs de l'académie de l'ombre, comment twister les préceptes de la force pour en justifier l'utilisation de son côté obscur.
Côté voix, je fais une Tenel Ka tout à fait respectable et une Tamith Kai impérieuse et sifflante comme un serpent! ;)
Han Solo m'échappe toujours.
September 15, 2019
*Re-read
This book was leaps and bounds better than it's predecessor. While "Heirs to the Force" focused on introducing the characters and settings, this book, "Shadow Academy" left to a running start. The action is very fast paced and the villians are great. Brakiss and Tamith Kai are great additions to the story. Jacen and Jaina's struggle to keep from giving in to their captors was fascinating and I think that this is the textbook example of how you can write a book that encourages kids(and teens) to read.
Overall, this book is solid. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and especially enjoyed that it was a quick read(and therefore a quick review). 7.2 out of 10.
This book was leaps and bounds better than it's predecessor. While "Heirs to the Force" focused on introducing the characters and settings, this book, "Shadow Academy" left to a running start. The action is very fast paced and the villians are great. Brakiss and Tamith Kai are great additions to the story. Jacen and Jaina's struggle to keep from giving in to their captors was fascinating and I think that this is the textbook example of how you can write a book that encourages kids(and teens) to read.
Overall, this book is solid. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and especially enjoyed that it was a quick read(and therefore a quick review). 7.2 out of 10.
September 20, 2019
When it comes to the Young Jedi Knights series, this one was a welcome addition. It not only provided suspense and a continued storyline from the first, but we got to get some more character development from Lowie, Jaina, Jacen, and Tenel Ka. It definitely is an easier read as it is definitely focused for a younger audience but it doesn't mean that you can't enjoy it if you aren't in the YA or younger category. I'm excited to see how the villains in this novel come back later in the series because I feel like we definitely aren't at the end of their stories. All in all, I'd give this book a 4 out of 5.
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