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Star Wars: Knight Errant #1.5
Knight Errant
A thousand years before Luke Skywalker, a generation before Darth Bane, in a galaxy far, far away…
The Republic is in crisis, torn by plague and conflict. The Sith roam unchecked, vying with one another to dominate the galaxy. But one lone Jedi, Kerra Holt, is determined to take down the Dark Lords—one act of sabotage at a time. Her enemies are strange and many: Lord Daiman, who imagines himself the creator of the universe; Lord Odion, who intends to be its destroyer; the curious siblings Quillan and Dromika; the enigmatic Arkadia. So many warring Sith weaving a patchwork of brutality—with only Kerra Holt to defend the innocents caught underfoot. Sensing a sinister pattern in the chaos, Kerra embarks on a journey that will take her to many worlds and into fierce battles against even fiercer enemies. With one against so many, her only chance of success lies with forging alliances among those who serve her enemies—including a mysterious Sith spy and a clever mercenary general. But will they be her adversaries or her salvation?
The Republic is in crisis, torn by plague and conflict. The Sith roam unchecked, vying with one another to dominate the galaxy. But one lone Jedi, Kerra Holt, is determined to take down the Dark Lords—one act of sabotage at a time. Her enemies are strange and many: Lord Daiman, who imagines himself the creator of the universe; Lord Odion, who intends to be its destroyer; the curious siblings Quillan and Dromika; the enigmatic Arkadia. So many warring Sith weaving a patchwork of brutality—with only Kerra Holt to defend the innocents caught underfoot. Sensing a sinister pattern in the chaos, Kerra embarks on a journey that will take her to many worlds and into fierce battles against even fiercer enemies. With one against so many, her only chance of success lies with forging alliances among those who serve her enemies—including a mysterious Sith spy and a clever mercenary general. But will they be her adversaries or her salvation?
385 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2011
287 people are currently reading
3318 people want to read
About the author
John Jackson Miller
344 books987 followersNew York Times bestselling author John Jackson Miller has spent a lifetime immersed in science fiction. His Star Trek novels include the Discovery – Die Standing, the acclaimed novel Discovery — The Enterprise War, the Prey trilogy, and Takedown. His Star Wars novels include A New Dawn, Kenobi, Knight Errant, Lost Tribe of the Sith, and the Knights of the Old Republic comics, available from Marvel as Legends: The Old Republic.
He’s written comics and prose for Halo, Iron Man, Simpsons, Conan, Planet of the Apes, and Mass Effect, with recent graphic novels for Battlestar Galactica, Dumbo, and The Lion King. Production notes on all his works can be found at his fiction site.
He is also a comics industry historian, specializing in studying comic-book circulation as presented on his website, Comichron.. He also coauthored the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.
He’s written comics and prose for Halo, Iron Man, Simpsons, Conan, Planet of the Apes, and Mass Effect, with recent graphic novels for Battlestar Galactica, Dumbo, and The Lion King. Production notes on all his works can be found at his fiction site.
He is also a comics industry historian, specializing in studying comic-book circulation as presented on his website, Comichron.. He also coauthored the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
August 29, 2021
I’ve never read this comic but I enjoyed the book. I love Kerry and and Rusher! And the book cover is gorgeous! There’s also a little comic section in the middle. Good times! 😉
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
July 8, 2025
John Jackson Miller's novel "Knight Errant" is a novelization of his popular Dark Horse comic book series about an ass-kicking young Jedi named Kerra Holt who is stuck in Sith-occupied space during the era of the Old Republic, attempting to save the enslaved peoples of each planet upon which she arrives. It's basically a western, and Holt is the archetypical western lone gunman (in this case, gun woman) riding into town on a horse (land speeder) and bringing justice via a six-shooter (lightsaber).
Miller, who wrote the series of novellas that comprised the "Lost Tribe of the Sith" series, is a decent writer whose specialty is action and building suspense. Lots of that in this novel.
Unfortunately, there's really not a lot of anything else, like character development or plot. Perhaps it's because Holt's character is already well-established in her comic book series (which I have not read), so fans already know her back-story, but i personally would have liked to understand her motivation a little more. She is an interesting character: a vengeful, solitary Jedi with a vaguely tragic history (It is mentioned briefly that she was recruited by the Jedi as a young child after her home world was attacked by Siths and her family was enslaved. That's about it for back-story.)
Also, the novel isn't so much a novel as a series of stories. It basically follows the format of a comic book series, and I wouldn't be surprised if this novel was a re-worked scripting of several comic book stories into one whole. The stories are inter-connected but slightly disjointed, as if Miller contrived them to make them fit.
I'm probably being petty, though, because most Star Wars fans won't care. Overall, "Knight Errant" is an okay read, but it's definitely not one of the better ones in the Star Wars Expanded Universe series.
Miller, who wrote the series of novellas that comprised the "Lost Tribe of the Sith" series, is a decent writer whose specialty is action and building suspense. Lots of that in this novel.
Unfortunately, there's really not a lot of anything else, like character development or plot. Perhaps it's because Holt's character is already well-established in her comic book series (which I have not read), so fans already know her back-story, but i personally would have liked to understand her motivation a little more. She is an interesting character: a vengeful, solitary Jedi with a vaguely tragic history (It is mentioned briefly that she was recruited by the Jedi as a young child after her home world was attacked by Siths and her family was enslaved. That's about it for back-story.)
Also, the novel isn't so much a novel as a series of stories. It basically follows the format of a comic book series, and I wouldn't be surprised if this novel was a re-worked scripting of several comic book stories into one whole. The stories are inter-connected but slightly disjointed, as if Miller contrived them to make them fit.
I'm probably being petty, though, because most Star Wars fans won't care. Overall, "Knight Errant" is an okay read, but it's definitely not one of the better ones in the Star Wars Expanded Universe series.
May 10, 2020
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a fan of comics (other than newspaper strips, such as Peanuts or Garfield) or graphic novels. That may sound strange coming from a longtime superhero fan, but I've always preferred regular novels and movies/television shows to non-humorous comics. I have found that, when a comic book or graphic novel is turned into a movie or non-illustrated book, the results tend to be quite pleasing. Most of the books and movies (especially the former) about the likes of Spider-Man, Superman, the Fantastic Four, Batman, the Flash, and the X-Men that I've experienced have been wonderful.
What does that have to do with Star Wars: Knight Errant? Simply this: Knight Errant, according to the cover and preface, is inspired by a graphic novel. You probably guessed that I've never read the source material; still, the novel itself is quite engaging. With a fearless female protagonist, some very detestable villains, and plenty of lightsaber action, this is Star Wars as most people have come to love it. One thing to keep in mind: Since "Knight Errant" takes place a millennium prior to A New Hope, beloved film characters such as Han Solo, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jango Fett are nowhere to be found.
EDIT: I must have read through this too quickly the first time; this book was not very good. The story didn't engross me like novels set in a galaxy far, far away usually do. I hope the graphic novel was better.
What does that have to do with Star Wars: Knight Errant? Simply this: Knight Errant, according to the cover and preface, is inspired by a graphic novel. You probably guessed that I've never read the source material; still, the novel itself is quite engaging. With a fearless female protagonist, some very detestable villains, and plenty of lightsaber action, this is Star Wars as most people have come to love it. One thing to keep in mind: Since "Knight Errant" takes place a millennium prior to A New Hope, beloved film characters such as Han Solo, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jango Fett are nowhere to be found.
EDIT: I must have read through this too quickly the first time; this book was not very good. The story didn't engross me like novels set in a galaxy far, far away usually do. I hope the graphic novel was better.
April 6, 2012
Kerra Holt is stuck in Sith space (for how she got there, see Star Wars: Knight Errant, Volume 1: Aflame). Isolated from fellow Jedi and deep in enemy space, Kerra struggles to stay alive and try to do her Jedi duty. But things get complicated when she attempts to kill Daiman, a Sith lord at war with his brother, Odion.
I've been wanting to read this book pretty much since it came out. It is the first Star Wars novel to follow a female main character (whose name isn't Leia or Mara). There are definitely not enough female protagonists in Star Wars, so I was excited. Actually reading the book, however, I started to run into troubles.
Kerra Holt is our female protagonist; only, in the first 119 pages, she appears in a mere 55% of them. And that includes other people mentioning her by name or as the "female Jedi". Not very encouraging, when your supposed lead female character takes a backseat to other characters. But besides that disturbing fact, I couldn't wrap my head around who Kerra was. She felt like a very typical Jedi and not a remotely interesting one at that. In my review of Deceived, I found Aryn's Jedi story to be rather stereotypical; after reading "Knight Errant", I wish Kerra's journey could be half as interesting as Aryn's. Towards the end, Kerra undergoes some conflict, but it is very minor and pretty much obscured by the huge action sequence, that I'm not quite sure what, if anything, Kerra learned or overcame. This does not mean I hate Kerra as a character; I just wish that Miller had pushed her a little harder and brought out more uniqueness (for instance, other than a comment she makes about how she isn't well-endowed when donning a stealth suit, there is nothing that distinguishes her from a male Jedi).
But while Kerra didn't really gel with me, I found other characters did. Brigadier Rusher was awesome; I thought he was interesting, clever, and likeable. His affinity for history and canes made him stand out; I loved his neutrality, but I also liked how he and Kerra worked off each other. Their banter was fun, without any sexual tension or messy romance to ruin it. And while it might have been "cute" to see Rusher and Kerra pair up, I'm glad they didn't. Not every frakkin' story has to be a romance after all (ESPECIALLY when it stars a female lead).
Kudos also to Miller for including a major Bothan character, Narsk. If you read many of my Star Wars reviews, you will probably be familiar with my complaining how human-centric it is. Miller definitely is NOT guilty of that at all. Narsk was a well-written character; he had skills, he was clever, and he was NOT stereotypical for a Bothan (double yay!). I will say that some of the twists in the plot concerning him got to be a LITTLE convenient and/or confusing, but overall, I liked Narsk.
My last favorite character is Beadle Lubboon, a Duro side character. He ends up the butt of the joke a lot for being a klutz, but I found him adorkable and sweet. One of the funniest scenes involves him and Kerra: Kerra tries to get him to speak Duro to a fellow Duro couple, but Beadle doesn't even know the language! I definitely wouldn't mind seeing more of Beadle in the future.
Before I complain much more, I want to congratulate Miller on making this book feel like it takes place WAY before "A New Hope". A problem I've had with The Old Republic books (Fatal Alliance and Deceived) is that they don't feel like they are thousands of years in Luke's past; they feel concurrent. Not so with this book; Kerra is stuck in Sith space with no outlet. The way the Sith act feels very much like the Darth Bane books (which is good, because KE happens before Bane). And I know this is silly, but the way Daimon paints himself as a god felt like something that would happen in an older setting.
As for the plot...oh, boy, did I have problems with it! It takes a good 250 pages before the plot really kicked into gear and I really got invested into the story. Fifty pages? No sweat! One hundred pages? I might be tempted to call it quits. But 200+?! That is just nuts! The entire book felt like three short stories, honestly, and while this format might work for a graphic novel trade paperback, for a novel, I'd like more cohesion. I need to start getting connected to the characters, I need to start seeing where the plot is going to come in (and the real plot does not appear until that 200+ page mark), and I need to start feeling there is a reason why the author wrote the book and why I need to spend time reading it. As for KE, I had to force myself to read it, and even then, I only usually read a few pages at a time. Up until that 200 page mark, I had no desire to know what was happening, where our characters would end up. If I hadn't been reading it for book club (and because I am a completest), I would have given this book up long ago.
What is the plot that was so problematic? Well, it's this: the book opens with Kerra on Darkknell trying to kill Daimon, a Sith. She travels to Gazzari to kill him, only she arrives in the middle of a battle. After rescuing a bunch of children and escorting them to Rusher's ship, they travel to another world run by Sith twins. After Kerra kidnaps one of the twins, a Sith Lord, Arkadia (who is a woman, so shouldn't it be "Lady" like it always has been?), escorts them to Syned. And THAT is where the real plot takes off. So that stuff before answers how Kerra and these people got to Syned...but WHY did we need to see it in such detail, I have no clue.
And then the REAL plot gets so convoluted at the end! First Arkadia is bad...but then she isn't...but then it's someone else... And Narsk is now working for Arkadia (the convenient arrangement I brought up earlier), but no, his real boss is someone else... GRRRRRRRRRRRRR! I got so confused! And then the last 5 pages totally turns it around AGAIN!
And now it's time for yours and my favorite: NERD NITPICKS!!
1. At Syned, we find out there is a much bigger family feud happening. Instead of making me feel creeped out and intimidated, I felt like I was watching Mr. Snow Miser and Mr. Heat Miser from "A Year Without a Santa Claus":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPrbcc...
Ooooh, Scary Sith! I am so afeared!
2. Maybe I've been out of the loop or perhaps I've not been paying attention, but this book seems WAY more violent than most Star Wars novels. We have your typical battles--blaster, lightsabers, Force powers, etc.--but then Kerra describes pulling her lightsaber out of one guard and into another and what a challenge it is. Maybe it is also because Kerra had just finished saying these guards weren't 100% complicit in the evil-doing, but I found the whole thing a little bit violent for me (and typically, I don't even blink an eye at lightsaber fights or whatnot).
3. Where is the character list? With all the brand-new characters (TONS of new species, occupations, names), this book would have been LOTS easier to read with a character list. So publishers: Stop putting Character Lists in books that contain only Skywalker and Solos and start creating them where they are really needed!!
"Knight Errant" is a mixed bag for me. It had an incredibly slow start, and it was a challenge to become invested in anything--story, characters. It did perk up at the end, but should it really take 200 pages and a mountainous action scene to make me moderately interested in how the confusing story should end?
If you are considering reading the Knight Errant comics to prepare for this book, don't feel like you have to in order to understand the story. Volume 1 only introduces you to Kerra, Odion, and Daimon, and while it does answer how Kerra got to be in Sith Space, the novel doesn't make a huge number of mentions of the comic. Of course, I have other complaints about the comic, which you can follow the link to read.
If you are dying to read about a female Jedi that kicks some @ss, then this isn't a bad novel. However, don't be surprised if you find yourself snoozing halfway through the book.
I've been wanting to read this book pretty much since it came out. It is the first Star Wars novel to follow a female main character (whose name isn't Leia or Mara). There are definitely not enough female protagonists in Star Wars, so I was excited. Actually reading the book, however, I started to run into troubles.
Kerra Holt is our female protagonist; only, in the first 119 pages, she appears in a mere 55% of them. And that includes other people mentioning her by name or as the "female Jedi". Not very encouraging, when your supposed lead female character takes a backseat to other characters. But besides that disturbing fact, I couldn't wrap my head around who Kerra was. She felt like a very typical Jedi and not a remotely interesting one at that. In my review of Deceived, I found Aryn's Jedi story to be rather stereotypical; after reading "Knight Errant", I wish Kerra's journey could be half as interesting as Aryn's. Towards the end, Kerra undergoes some conflict, but it is very minor and pretty much obscured by the huge action sequence, that I'm not quite sure what, if anything, Kerra learned or overcame. This does not mean I hate Kerra as a character; I just wish that Miller had pushed her a little harder and brought out more uniqueness (for instance, other than a comment she makes about how she isn't well-endowed when donning a stealth suit, there is nothing that distinguishes her from a male Jedi).
But while Kerra didn't really gel with me, I found other characters did. Brigadier Rusher was awesome; I thought he was interesting, clever, and likeable. His affinity for history and canes made him stand out; I loved his neutrality, but I also liked how he and Kerra worked off each other. Their banter was fun, without any sexual tension or messy romance to ruin it. And while it might have been "cute" to see Rusher and Kerra pair up, I'm glad they didn't. Not every frakkin' story has to be a romance after all (ESPECIALLY when it stars a female lead).
Kudos also to Miller for including a major Bothan character, Narsk. If you read many of my Star Wars reviews, you will probably be familiar with my complaining how human-centric it is. Miller definitely is NOT guilty of that at all. Narsk was a well-written character; he had skills, he was clever, and he was NOT stereotypical for a Bothan (double yay!). I will say that some of the twists in the plot concerning him got to be a LITTLE convenient and/or confusing, but overall, I liked Narsk.
My last favorite character is Beadle Lubboon, a Duro side character. He ends up the butt of the joke a lot for being a klutz, but I found him adorkable and sweet. One of the funniest scenes involves him and Kerra: Kerra tries to get him to speak Duro to a fellow Duro couple, but Beadle doesn't even know the language! I definitely wouldn't mind seeing more of Beadle in the future.
Before I complain much more, I want to congratulate Miller on making this book feel like it takes place WAY before "A New Hope". A problem I've had with The Old Republic books (Fatal Alliance and Deceived) is that they don't feel like they are thousands of years in Luke's past; they feel concurrent. Not so with this book; Kerra is stuck in Sith space with no outlet. The way the Sith act feels very much like the Darth Bane books (which is good, because KE happens before Bane). And I know this is silly, but the way Daimon paints himself as a god felt like something that would happen in an older setting.
As for the plot...oh, boy, did I have problems with it! It takes a good 250 pages before the plot really kicked into gear and I really got invested into the story. Fifty pages? No sweat! One hundred pages? I might be tempted to call it quits. But 200+?! That is just nuts! The entire book felt like three short stories, honestly, and while this format might work for a graphic novel trade paperback, for a novel, I'd like more cohesion. I need to start getting connected to the characters, I need to start seeing where the plot is going to come in (and the real plot does not appear until that 200+ page mark), and I need to start feeling there is a reason why the author wrote the book and why I need to spend time reading it. As for KE, I had to force myself to read it, and even then, I only usually read a few pages at a time. Up until that 200 page mark, I had no desire to know what was happening, where our characters would end up. If I hadn't been reading it for book club (and because I am a completest), I would have given this book up long ago.
What is the plot that was so problematic? Well, it's this: the book opens with Kerra on Darkknell trying to kill Daimon, a Sith. She travels to Gazzari to kill him, only she arrives in the middle of a battle. After rescuing a bunch of children and escorting them to Rusher's ship, they travel to another world run by Sith twins. After Kerra kidnaps one of the twins, a Sith Lord, Arkadia (who is a woman, so shouldn't it be "Lady" like it always has been?), escorts them to Syned. And THAT is where the real plot takes off. So that stuff before answers how Kerra and these people got to Syned...but WHY did we need to see it in such detail, I have no clue.
And then the REAL plot gets so convoluted at the end! First Arkadia is bad...but then she isn't...but then it's someone else... And Narsk is now working for Arkadia (the convenient arrangement I brought up earlier), but no, his real boss is someone else... GRRRRRRRRRRRRR! I got so confused! And then the last 5 pages totally turns it around AGAIN!
And now it's time for yours and my favorite: NERD NITPICKS!!
1. At Syned, we find out there is a much bigger family feud happening. Instead of making me feel creeped out and intimidated, I felt like I was watching Mr. Snow Miser and Mr. Heat Miser from "A Year Without a Santa Claus":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPrbcc...
Ooooh, Scary Sith! I am so afeared!
2. Maybe I've been out of the loop or perhaps I've not been paying attention, but this book seems WAY more violent than most Star Wars novels. We have your typical battles--blaster, lightsabers, Force powers, etc.--but then Kerra describes pulling her lightsaber out of one guard and into another and what a challenge it is. Maybe it is also because Kerra had just finished saying these guards weren't 100% complicit in the evil-doing, but I found the whole thing a little bit violent for me (and typically, I don't even blink an eye at lightsaber fights or whatnot).
3. Where is the character list? With all the brand-new characters (TONS of new species, occupations, names), this book would have been LOTS easier to read with a character list. So publishers: Stop putting Character Lists in books that contain only Skywalker and Solos and start creating them where they are really needed!!
"Knight Errant" is a mixed bag for me. It had an incredibly slow start, and it was a challenge to become invested in anything--story, characters. It did perk up at the end, but should it really take 200 pages and a mountainous action scene to make me moderately interested in how the confusing story should end?
If you are considering reading the Knight Errant comics to prepare for this book, don't feel like you have to in order to understand the story. Volume 1 only introduces you to Kerra, Odion, and Daimon, and while it does answer how Kerra got to be in Sith Space, the novel doesn't make a huge number of mentions of the comic. Of course, I have other complaints about the comic, which you can follow the link to read.
If you are dying to read about a female Jedi that kicks some @ss, then this isn't a bad novel. However, don't be surprised if you find yourself snoozing halfway through the book.
September 8, 2024
My second book by John Jackson Miller in the Star Wars Legends.
The writing was good, and I liked how the puzzle started fitting, giving you the bigger picture.
The downside of this novel is Kerra Holt. I understand that there are comics based on this character and all honesty - I won't read them.
I have no words to describe her as a character, which is a shame, really. She is the only Jedi stuck in Sith controlled sectors and out for revenge. But, gets pulled into the grander scheme of things that she doesn't understand.
The Sith were fleshed out more with a dynasty and how each 'controls' their own sector. So, thank the Sith in this novel for the 3 star rating.
The writing was good, and I liked how the puzzle started fitting, giving you the bigger picture.
The downside of this novel is Kerra Holt. I understand that there are comics based on this character and all honesty - I won't read them.
I have no words to describe her as a character, which is a shame, really. She is the only Jedi stuck in Sith controlled sectors and out for revenge. But, gets pulled into the grander scheme of things that she doesn't understand.
The Sith were fleshed out more with a dynasty and how each 'controls' their own sector. So, thank the Sith in this novel for the 3 star rating.
January 17, 2015
For all the harshness of its masters, Sith space held enormous beauty.
Sith space....dark, chaotic, dangerous. Jedi Knight Kerra Holt is the only one who can face the various Sith Lords competing for power and territory. She is one force of good against many foes. And her time is running out.
I liked this book, I just didn't love it. And I think that was mostly because it was not what I was really expecting or hoping for.
I love stories set in the Old Republic era, and I was especially excited to start this one because it featured a female Jedi. Unfortunately, this book featured less of her and more of Sith politics. It was interesting, but I am just honestly not intrigued by that sort of thing. I was much more excited to see Kerra Holt in action, but despite the fact that she was supposed to be the main character, she honestly just wasn't in it a whole lot. :/
So, overall this book was good, I think you would enjoy it more than me if you are interested in Sith and Sith politics/history. If you are looking for a book featuring lots of Jedi action you might just want to skip it.
Sith space....dark, chaotic, dangerous. Jedi Knight Kerra Holt is the only one who can face the various Sith Lords competing for power and territory. She is one force of good against many foes. And her time is running out.
I liked this book, I just didn't love it. And I think that was mostly because it was not what I was really expecting or hoping for.
I love stories set in the Old Republic era, and I was especially excited to start this one because it featured a female Jedi. Unfortunately, this book featured less of her and more of Sith politics. It was interesting, but I am just honestly not intrigued by that sort of thing. I was much more excited to see Kerra Holt in action, but despite the fact that she was supposed to be the main character, she honestly just wasn't in it a whole lot. :/
So, overall this book was good, I think you would enjoy it more than me if you are interested in Sith and Sith politics/history. If you are looking for a book featuring lots of Jedi action you might just want to skip it.
September 11, 2011
I really wanted to like this book. I read the first few issues of the comic and enjoyed it. I did not keep up with the comic but plan to read the trades. I love the character of Kerra Holt but could not get into the story. I tried for about 100 pages then gave up. I hate not finishing books but with so many out there I want to read, it seemed silly to keep going. Kerra is an interesting character and the basics of the plot set up a compelling narrative but something, unfortunately, got lost in the execution. The main bad guy, a megalomaniac Sith Lord named Daiman, was too cartoonish and absurd to be interesting and none of the other characters were very sympathetic or engaging. I'll go back to the comics but think I will pass on the novels.
June 22, 2025
OK, so after work constantly getting in the way of sitting down with this book properly, I took a flight to NY and had some time to read.
It’s clever and well-written! There may not be anything here for someone who’s not a Star Wars fan to hold onto, but Miller is a great genre writer and it’s got a really slick ending with terrific payoff for the characters.
The “third act” is very clever and the new villainess introduced is really intriguing.
If you love Star Wars, especially the pre-Disney books, there’s a lot to love here. If you love Star Wars, but considered the pre-Disney books hit-and-miss as I did, there’s still a lot to love here.
If you don’t like Star Wars, you can sit this one out. This isn’t about drawing new fans to the fold, it’s about giving the existing ones what they love, and this is a well-told yarn for an audience hungry for content.
It’s clever and well-written! There may not be anything here for someone who’s not a Star Wars fan to hold onto, but Miller is a great genre writer and it’s got a really slick ending with terrific payoff for the characters.
The “third act” is very clever and the new villainess introduced is really intriguing.
If you love Star Wars, especially the pre-Disney books, there’s a lot to love here. If you love Star Wars, but considered the pre-Disney books hit-and-miss as I did, there’s still a lot to love here.
If you don’t like Star Wars, you can sit this one out. This isn’t about drawing new fans to the fold, it’s about giving the existing ones what they love, and this is a well-told yarn for an audience hungry for content.
December 2, 2016
I actually liked this book more than I thought I would. I came late to reading this one, and had the chance to see friends’ reviews beforehand, so I expected not to like it. I found I was pleasantly surprised… not in that I liked it, as such, but in that it was better than I was expecting. It wasn’t the downright terrible disaster that I’d been bracing myself for.
Without a doubt the best thing about Knight Errant were the ideas it brings to the table regarding different sorts of Sith Lord. Even with all the material we now have regarding the Sith, they’re still the lesser known figures. Theirs is a mystery that still has plenty to mine, and John Jackson Miller takes full advantage of that fact to theorise about different sorts of Sith. I like that – what dampened this particular positive was that they book skips us so quickly through each territory that we really only get a brief glimpse, when in fact each of those novel ideas could have fuelled a book.
Knight Errant does remind me of Miller’s KOTOR comics, in some respects. I already mentioned that it feels a little episodic, jumping around Sith space. I count that as a negative in this book, but I suspect it works better in comic format, and it is a definite echo of the KOTOR comics. The protagonists here are on the run too. The difference, however, is that the protagonists of Knight Errant aren’t likable the same way that Zayne Carrick and crew were.
Kerra Holt doesn’t come across as much of a Jedi at all. She does things that can be considered deeply ethically questionable, and is often driven by anger. Yes, she’s supposed to be barely into adulthood, so you can argue that it’s realistic, but she’s also just so blandly competent in combat, going toe to toe with Sith Lords and running rings around them. It’s a stark contrast to Zayne Carrick, whose competency was highly questionable but whose moral compass always pointed true. In short, Kerra’s so competent that I never worry for her, and too angry and self-righteous for me to like her either. I didn’t really connect to Rusher, Narsk, or any of the other protagonists, as I didn’t know enough about them to see them as anything more than sketches.
What I will say is that Knight Errant taps some of KOTOR’s good vibes towards the end. Narsk’s true agency being revealed, the hilariously unlikely plan being put into action… now that had shades of the KOTOR comics, and I wish the novel had been more like this.
The question I find myself asking at the end of this review, however, is why should I care? The novel has a few good points, admittedly outweighed by the bad points, but it’s the context that brings me to this conclusion. We have a reason to care about the original trilogy era books, we have a reason to care about the KOTOR era comics – we cared about Luke, Leia, and Han; Revan, Alek, and Bastila. The material written around those focal points hasn’t always been great, I’m sure any fan knows, but there’s that sense of curiosity of how this instalment fits into their bigger pictures. Why do we care about Knight Errant? Without the books characters themselves compelling us, why are we even spending time in this era of history? Darth Bane? He’s a generation later (and, if you ask me, whilst his debut was scintillating, the second and third Bane books were disappointing in my opinion).
Meh. It had a few good ideas and it taps into the KOTOR comics good stuff briefly, but in the main Knight Errant felt too episodic, it failed to get me to root for any of the characters, and I’m at a loss to explain why I should even care about the context at all.
3 out of 10
December 29, 2016
This book takes place in the Old Republic times and is harder to grasp if you are not too familiar with how old Sith space works and how Sith ruled before the Rule of Two.
It's 1032 BBY and Sith are still rampant in the space that is uncontrolled by the Republic. Jedi Knight Kerra Holt aims to destroy one of the Sith Lords: Daiman. Rather than destroying him, she finds it more important to save all the innocent people who fall helplessly under the battle between Daiman (who thinks he is the creator of the universe) and his Sith brother Odion.
Kerra forces all the refugees onto Rusher's ship, someone who happened to be doing business in Sith space and was not expecting the huge number of refugees that Kerra has forced onto his ship. As they try to make their way out of Sith space, Rusher and Kerra, along with their ship of refugees, find themselves on a world ruled by Sith Brother and sister Dromika and Quillian.
Timing is unlucky when Arkadia, another Sith ruler, has come to Byllura to retrieve her Sith cousins that Kerra was going to remove from the planet!
Arkadia seems different than other Sith. She treats Kerra more respectfully and shows her around Calimondretta, an ice city that seems very scholarly. While the citizens under Arkadia's rule don't seem enslaved, as they were under Daiman's rule, Kerra notices that the citizens, who are assigned new jobs everyday, are unhappy. This leads Kerra to believe that perhaps Arkadia isn't as nice as she seems.
When Arkadia invites Kerra to hide during one of her Sith meetings, Kerra learns that all the Sith she has encountered--Daiman, Odion, Quillan, Dromika, Arkadia, and the newly mentioned Vilia--are all related. And yet they all war with each other for who will take Vilia's place in the future. After the meeting, Arkadia proposed that Kerra assassinate Vilia so that she may claim the Sith high seat. When Kerra denies, saying that is not the Jedi way, Arkadia has Kerra sentenced to death.
Of course, Kerra is rescued by an interesting Bothan who has been present throughout the novel, working for some Sith or another, but ultimately for Vilia.
Kerra may have saved many lives from the brutality of Sith space, but there are many more to save. While the Sith in Vilia's domain learn to handle a single Jedi, Kerra continues to fight her way through Sith space, Rusher at her side.
Overall this book was pretty interesting. It is a great way to learn about how Sith used to be (in comparison to the main story of Star Wars). It adds an interesting element to the history and focuses on a single Jedi fighting through that time. I would recommend reading it anytime, as long as you are a die-hard Star Wars fan. If you aren't too interested in anyone except Luke, Han, and the gang, then skill this novel, along with the majority of Old Republic era books (although I would still recommend Red Harvest).
August 21, 2011
I wanted to like this book. A lot. John Jackson Miller's Knights of the Old Republic comic book series was, in my opinion, the closest any comic series has come to capturing the sense of adventure that made the original Star Wars such a fun movie. And this book and accompanying comic have a great premise-a Jedi trapped behind Sith lines in the time of the Old Republic. Plenty of room for a great adventure there.
Sadly, the book was just average at best. I bought it new, in February and just now finished it. The book just never grabbed me. The characters were okay, I liked Kerra Holt and her Han Solo-analogue, but nothing in the plot made me anxious to know what happens next.
Hopefully volume one of the graphic novel will be better. I'm reading that later today.
Sadly, the book was just average at best. I bought it new, in February and just now finished it. The book just never grabbed me. The characters were okay, I liked Kerra Holt and her Han Solo-analogue, but nothing in the plot made me anxious to know what happens next.
Hopefully volume one of the graphic novel will be better. I'm reading that later today.
June 17, 2015
A very boring book. Yet, I'm the kind of person who has to finish something. So I wrestled through it.
February 18, 2021
A cute and fun story but not really worth a reread. I enjoyed Narsk as a character.
December 7, 2023
Knight Errant by John Jackson Miller
Adventurous, challenging, informative,
mysterious, sad, and tense.
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25 🌟
You know...I enjoyed the story...as I read it, but it really didn't pull me in.
It's got a lot going against it. The only thing that we know...that ties it to Star Wars are the Jedi and the Sith, oh...and lightsabers.
The rest is nebulous (honestly). It was well written, as much that the author does, but I guess I wanted more Sith inspired history spread in and out of the plot. There was a LITTLE, but not nearly enough IMO.
I also thought that it would be slightly darker (in tone). There were dark moments, but I think if he'd punched that aspect of the storyline...a bit, it would've been better.
AND, I do believe that more world building should've been done (in the way that it connects this to the earliest Jedi/Sith confrontations. Like the big named Jedi and Sith stories sprinkled in. I don't know. I just wanted to revel in the earlyness of the story, but it was meh.
I'm moving forward in this time period, having already read the Darth Bane trilogy (Path of Destruction, then Rule of Two, then Dynasty of Evil), Dawn of the Jedi - Into the Void, then this story. Next one is Lost Tribe of the Sith - The Collected Stories, then Red Harvest, then reading the four book Old Republic series (Revan, Decieved, Fatal Alliance and Annihilation). I will then be done with the Old Galactic era.
Adventurous, challenging, informative,
mysterious, sad, and tense.
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25 🌟
You know...I enjoyed the story...as I read it, but it really didn't pull me in.
It's got a lot going against it. The only thing that we know...that ties it to Star Wars are the Jedi and the Sith, oh...and lightsabers.
The rest is nebulous (honestly). It was well written, as much that the author does, but I guess I wanted more Sith inspired history spread in and out of the plot. There was a LITTLE, but not nearly enough IMO.
I also thought that it would be slightly darker (in tone). There were dark moments, but I think if he'd punched that aspect of the storyline...a bit, it would've been better.
AND, I do believe that more world building should've been done (in the way that it connects this to the earliest Jedi/Sith confrontations. Like the big named Jedi and Sith stories sprinkled in. I don't know. I just wanted to revel in the earlyness of the story, but it was meh.
I'm moving forward in this time period, having already read the Darth Bane trilogy (Path of Destruction, then Rule of Two, then Dynasty of Evil), Dawn of the Jedi - Into the Void, then this story. Next one is Lost Tribe of the Sith - The Collected Stories, then Red Harvest, then reading the four book Old Republic series (Revan, Decieved, Fatal Alliance and Annihilation). I will then be done with the Old Galactic era.
April 9, 2013
Set just over a thousand years before the prequels, Knight Errant follows newly-minted Jedi Knight Kerra Holt as she struggles to help civilians and overthrow feuding Sith Lords in an area of space that has been completed abandoned by and cut off from the Republic.
This book should have been right up my alley--it's set in the Old Republic and features a strong female character as the protagonist--and yet I found it a difficult slog until more than halfway through the book.
The Knight Errant era is one that was wholly conceived by the author, John Jackson Miller, and while it's technically an Old Republic book, it blazes its own path. I didn't like it. I love the Knights of the Old Republic era, and I even enjoy some aspects of the Tales of the Jedi/Darth Bane era. But this just didn't work for me. I don't like the idea of the Republic basically ceding a huge swath of space and untold number of planets (and Republic citizens) to a bunch of Sith Lords, and I really don't like the idea of that many Sith Lords running around in the first place. I realize this is before Bane's Rule of Two, and the kind of infighting that goes on between the Sith in the Knight Errant era is exactly the kind of thing that leads to the Rule of Two, but frankly I'm sick of Sith. Lightsaber duels are great and all, but since the prequels came out there have been far too many Sith running around the SW EU. Inventing Sith to use as antagonists has become a creative crutch.
I enjoyed Kerra herself, and her decision to stay in Sith Space and work as an undercover saboteur against the Sith was noble, but I just couldn't work up much interest in the novel's plot. Part of this was because I didn't like Jarrow Rusher, the mercenary captain Kerra inadvertently falls in with. I was annoyed by how often Kerra had to chase after him, and how reluctant he was to have a serious conversation with her. He was just bothersome, and unfortunately played too big of a role in the book.
My interest perked up with the introduction of Arkadia Calimondra, one of the many Sith Lords in Sith Space. She's an interesting twist on a Sith Lord, in that she's clearly evil and not above torture and murder, but favors logic over rage, treats her people relatively well, and wants to assert order over chaos. I loved her verbal sparring with Kerra and how she shook up the Jedi, and would have loved to see them interact more. With the cancellation of the Knight Errant comic series, that doesn't seem very likely, and that's a shame.
In spite of how much I enjoyed the Kerra/Arkadia dynamic, it didn't occur until about 80% of the way through the book, which was way too long to go without something really grabbing my interest.
This book should have been right up my alley--it's set in the Old Republic and features a strong female character as the protagonist--and yet I found it a difficult slog until more than halfway through the book.
The Knight Errant era is one that was wholly conceived by the author, John Jackson Miller, and while it's technically an Old Republic book, it blazes its own path. I didn't like it. I love the Knights of the Old Republic era, and I even enjoy some aspects of the Tales of the Jedi/Darth Bane era. But this just didn't work for me. I don't like the idea of the Republic basically ceding a huge swath of space and untold number of planets (and Republic citizens) to a bunch of Sith Lords, and I really don't like the idea of that many Sith Lords running around in the first place. I realize this is before Bane's Rule of Two, and the kind of infighting that goes on between the Sith in the Knight Errant era is exactly the kind of thing that leads to the Rule of Two, but frankly I'm sick of Sith. Lightsaber duels are great and all, but since the prequels came out there have been far too many Sith running around the SW EU. Inventing Sith to use as antagonists has become a creative crutch.
I enjoyed Kerra herself, and her decision to stay in Sith Space and work as an undercover saboteur against the Sith was noble, but I just couldn't work up much interest in the novel's plot. Part of this was because I didn't like Jarrow Rusher, the mercenary captain Kerra inadvertently falls in with. I was annoyed by how often Kerra had to chase after him, and how reluctant he was to have a serious conversation with her. He was just bothersome, and unfortunately played too big of a role in the book.
My interest perked up with the introduction of Arkadia Calimondra, one of the many Sith Lords in Sith Space. She's an interesting twist on a Sith Lord, in that she's clearly evil and not above torture and murder, but favors logic over rage, treats her people relatively well, and wants to assert order over chaos. I loved her verbal sparring with Kerra and how she shook up the Jedi, and would have loved to see them interact more. With the cancellation of the Knight Errant comic series, that doesn't seem very likely, and that's a shame.
In spite of how much I enjoyed the Kerra/Arkadia dynamic, it didn't occur until about 80% of the way through the book, which was way too long to go without something really grabbing my interest.
March 16, 2023
I was really looking forward to this one, for a few reasons: 1) it’s the Old Republic; 2) it’s a Legends book I’d heard very little about, which made me curious; and 3) it was written by John Jackson Miller, who wrote Kenobi, one of the best Legends books out there. But unfortunately, this was a dud for me.
There are definitely some things I liked here. First of all, there are some fun references to other Star Wars material. For example, mentions of Revan, Malak, the Cathar, the Endar Spire, and more were neat Easter eggs since I’m a big KOTOR fan. I also thought some of the Sith here were interesting. One portrays himself as basically a god, the creator of all things who his people must serve and whatnot. There’s also a Sith who, while definitely very Sith-like, is not opposed to working directly with Jedi to further their own goals. The action here was also very good, and I found those scenes quite exciting.
Otherwise, though, this one just didn’t do much for me. Aside from those few Sith, I really didn’t care for any of the characters. I also didn’t find the plot particularly compelling. So while there were some individual bits I liked, as a whole this one wasn’t terribly engaging.
So overall, like I said, this one’s a bit of a dud. There are certainly some good ideas and scenes here for sure, but the characters and plot didn’t grab me hardly at all. If you’re not hardcore into the EU and don’t care about reading absolutely everything like I do, this is a pretty safe skip in my opinion.
Rating: 4/10
There are definitely some things I liked here. First of all, there are some fun references to other Star Wars material. For example, mentions of Revan, Malak, the Cathar, the Endar Spire, and more were neat Easter eggs since I’m a big KOTOR fan. I also thought some of the Sith here were interesting. One portrays himself as basically a god, the creator of all things who his people must serve and whatnot. There’s also a Sith who, while definitely very Sith-like, is not opposed to working directly with Jedi to further their own goals. The action here was also very good, and I found those scenes quite exciting.
Otherwise, though, this one just didn’t do much for me. Aside from those few Sith, I really didn’t care for any of the characters. I also didn’t find the plot particularly compelling. So while there were some individual bits I liked, as a whole this one wasn’t terribly engaging.
So overall, like I said, this one’s a bit of a dud. There are certainly some good ideas and scenes here for sure, but the characters and plot didn’t grab me hardly at all. If you’re not hardcore into the EU and don’t care about reading absolutely everything like I do, this is a pretty safe skip in my opinion.
Rating: 4/10
October 1, 2023
Star Wars Knight Errant, a Star Wars Legends novel by John Jackson Miller, follows Jedi Knight Kerra Holt during a lesser explored chaotic time in the Old Republic era of Star Wars Legends.
In 1032 BBY, a generation before Darth Bane and the founding of the Rule of Two, Knight Errant takes place during a Old Republic era when the Sith and Jedi existed simultaneously, living in a constant state of war. Unlike Darth Bane’s era where the Sith unified under a single banner, the Sith in this era fight each other as much as the Republic. To slow them down the Republic cut off all contact with the regions fallen to the Sith space, allowing only small strike teams of Jedi to cross the border. Kerra Holt was part of a strike team that was destroyed. Stranded but determined, she sets out to give the Sith as good as she’s gotten.
Miller’s “Knight Errant” was definitely a surprising Legends novel. It has fast flowing action, great characters, and layer upon layer of political mystery and intrigue. In essence, it contains almost everything I look for in a Star Wars EU book. The one thing that I don't believe it has is a strong plot. I expect that this is because, while it IS a standalone book, it follows the story-arc started in the Legends EU “Knight Errant” comic series. However this didn't seem to be that much of a problem, since despite not knowing where the book was going, I couldn't put it down.
The Knight Errant is made strong by the worldbuilding that Miller utilizes. This is a rare example of Expanded Universe Star Wars material that is not connected to the Skywalker storyline and feels fresh as a result. Though this series is technically no longer canon, it does feel “new” compared to many things in the new Disney canon.
While it isn't the earliest book in the star wars timeline, it almost is, being set in the dark ages of the Old Republic. That means it's pretty different from the films (lots of Sith, one Jedi) and as such, it's probably not the best to read as an introduction to the expanded universe, but it IS a entertaining book, and one that should be read by every star wars reader.
The Sith in this book are written particularly well. There is quite a few of them (Seven Sith Lords make
an appearance, as well as their minions), and they are all unique. Each of them adds a new aspect to the book, and in some ways, each Sith Lord represents a different story. This is part of what helps it flow so well, the story is constantly changing, there isn't a dull moment. And that's just the bad guys.
The book also has a lot of interesting settings, ranging from the dark police state of Darkknell, which is Lord Daiman’s capital, to the icy world of Syned, Arkadia’s headquarters. They’re all finely described, the author expertly transporting the reader’s mind to these imaginary places. In addition, the action is well plotted out, keeping you on the edge of your seat the whole time through. We have everything from speeder bike chases to pitched battles to the classic lightsaber duels. Then there’s the tone. This book can be serious when it needs to, but is overall a rather enjoyable and lighthearted read, a nice departure from more grim and serious Star Wars books like the Thrawn trilogy or even Fate of the Jedi. In addition, I also liked how the writer focused on details in the Star Wars lore, such as why the heroes can’t simply escape back to the Republic, the difficulties of a bunch of different alien species living crammed together in Rusher’s ship, Diligence, or fun little nods to the Kotor video games.
The POV is handled primarily from the perspective of Jedi Kerra Holt, but you also have sections told from the perspective of Bothan spy Narsk Ka ‘hane and mercenary Rusher. Those two help to give alternate viewpoints of the conflict especially Rusher, a man whose simply trying to survive in a part of the galaxy where just about everyone is a slave in al but name. Their perspectives help to explain why their aren’t rebellions against the Sith and give a more neutral tone to what would otherwise be a purely good vs evil tale.
What makes it work is the very strong cast of characters. Every character is well rounded and individualized, from Kerra Holt herself to the Bothan spy Narsk to bumbling mercenary recruit Beadle Lubboon. The most interesting character in the novel is undoubtedly Rusher, a military history buff and experienced commander. Rusher is a classic anti-hero in the same vein as Han Solo. What differentiates him from Solo, however, is his dedication to his men and his admirable sense of duty, though he doesn’t mind the money. Naturally, he and Kerra don’t get along well at first, but it’s a testament to Miller’s handling of the character development that they’re fire forged friends by the end of the book. They’re both selfless in their own way, with Rusher being the pragmatist and Kerra being the idealist, thus being perfect foils to each other.
The main character herself is... Not the greatest. She feels a little under developed, but again I feel that
this is due to the fact that half the story is in comic form, and we don't know a lot of what's happened to Kerra. The one thing we do see is that she's not the model Jedi, which is refreshing after many ideal
Jedi in the Expanded Universe. But my favourite characters are the artillery captain, Rusher, and the Bothan spy, Narsk.
These two characters are the two that really add depth to the book. They work for the Sith, but only because the Sith are the only people around. This idea is an interesting one, because it allows the author to show prejudice against them (working for bad guys), while also showing that there are just ordinary people in the star wars universe. Too often the main characters in the star wars books are all "professional heroes", or fighter pilots, or basically full-time good guys. It's nice to see more realistic people.
One downside to the book is that there was never a continuation of the Knight Errant story. I’m not sure if this series was cancelled due to poor sales or as a result of the Disney acquisition and the Star Wars comic line moving from Dark Horse to Marvel. The continuing adventures of Kerra Holt, though this seems very unlikely at this point.
On the whole, this book is worth reading, The plot and the cast are both excellently written, with superb action and an engaging writing style. It’s a fun, adventurous read which should be on the reading list of any Star Wars fan, or any fantasy or science fiction enthusiast for that matter. It's easy to read, while still being complex, and a great addition to the Star Wars Legends universe.
In 1032 BBY, a generation before Darth Bane and the founding of the Rule of Two, Knight Errant takes place during a Old Republic era when the Sith and Jedi existed simultaneously, living in a constant state of war. Unlike Darth Bane’s era where the Sith unified under a single banner, the Sith in this era fight each other as much as the Republic. To slow them down the Republic cut off all contact with the regions fallen to the Sith space, allowing only small strike teams of Jedi to cross the border. Kerra Holt was part of a strike team that was destroyed. Stranded but determined, she sets out to give the Sith as good as she’s gotten.
Miller’s “Knight Errant” was definitely a surprising Legends novel. It has fast flowing action, great characters, and layer upon layer of political mystery and intrigue. In essence, it contains almost everything I look for in a Star Wars EU book. The one thing that I don't believe it has is a strong plot. I expect that this is because, while it IS a standalone book, it follows the story-arc started in the Legends EU “Knight Errant” comic series. However this didn't seem to be that much of a problem, since despite not knowing where the book was going, I couldn't put it down.
The Knight Errant is made strong by the worldbuilding that Miller utilizes. This is a rare example of Expanded Universe Star Wars material that is not connected to the Skywalker storyline and feels fresh as a result. Though this series is technically no longer canon, it does feel “new” compared to many things in the new Disney canon.
While it isn't the earliest book in the star wars timeline, it almost is, being set in the dark ages of the Old Republic. That means it's pretty different from the films (lots of Sith, one Jedi) and as such, it's probably not the best to read as an introduction to the expanded universe, but it IS a entertaining book, and one that should be read by every star wars reader.
The Sith in this book are written particularly well. There is quite a few of them (Seven Sith Lords make
an appearance, as well as their minions), and they are all unique. Each of them adds a new aspect to the book, and in some ways, each Sith Lord represents a different story. This is part of what helps it flow so well, the story is constantly changing, there isn't a dull moment. And that's just the bad guys.
The book also has a lot of interesting settings, ranging from the dark police state of Darkknell, which is Lord Daiman’s capital, to the icy world of Syned, Arkadia’s headquarters. They’re all finely described, the author expertly transporting the reader’s mind to these imaginary places. In addition, the action is well plotted out, keeping you on the edge of your seat the whole time through. We have everything from speeder bike chases to pitched battles to the classic lightsaber duels. Then there’s the tone. This book can be serious when it needs to, but is overall a rather enjoyable and lighthearted read, a nice departure from more grim and serious Star Wars books like the Thrawn trilogy or even Fate of the Jedi. In addition, I also liked how the writer focused on details in the Star Wars lore, such as why the heroes can’t simply escape back to the Republic, the difficulties of a bunch of different alien species living crammed together in Rusher’s ship, Diligence, or fun little nods to the Kotor video games.
The POV is handled primarily from the perspective of Jedi Kerra Holt, but you also have sections told from the perspective of Bothan spy Narsk Ka ‘hane and mercenary Rusher. Those two help to give alternate viewpoints of the conflict especially Rusher, a man whose simply trying to survive in a part of the galaxy where just about everyone is a slave in al but name. Their perspectives help to explain why their aren’t rebellions against the Sith and give a more neutral tone to what would otherwise be a purely good vs evil tale.
What makes it work is the very strong cast of characters. Every character is well rounded and individualized, from Kerra Holt herself to the Bothan spy Narsk to bumbling mercenary recruit Beadle Lubboon. The most interesting character in the novel is undoubtedly Rusher, a military history buff and experienced commander. Rusher is a classic anti-hero in the same vein as Han Solo. What differentiates him from Solo, however, is his dedication to his men and his admirable sense of duty, though he doesn’t mind the money. Naturally, he and Kerra don’t get along well at first, but it’s a testament to Miller’s handling of the character development that they’re fire forged friends by the end of the book. They’re both selfless in their own way, with Rusher being the pragmatist and Kerra being the idealist, thus being perfect foils to each other.
The main character herself is... Not the greatest. She feels a little under developed, but again I feel that
this is due to the fact that half the story is in comic form, and we don't know a lot of what's happened to Kerra. The one thing we do see is that she's not the model Jedi, which is refreshing after many ideal
Jedi in the Expanded Universe. But my favourite characters are the artillery captain, Rusher, and the Bothan spy, Narsk.
These two characters are the two that really add depth to the book. They work for the Sith, but only because the Sith are the only people around. This idea is an interesting one, because it allows the author to show prejudice against them (working for bad guys), while also showing that there are just ordinary people in the star wars universe. Too often the main characters in the star wars books are all "professional heroes", or fighter pilots, or basically full-time good guys. It's nice to see more realistic people.
One downside to the book is that there was never a continuation of the Knight Errant story. I’m not sure if this series was cancelled due to poor sales or as a result of the Disney acquisition and the Star Wars comic line moving from Dark Horse to Marvel. The continuing adventures of Kerra Holt, though this seems very unlikely at this point.
On the whole, this book is worth reading, The plot and the cast are both excellently written, with superb action and an engaging writing style. It’s a fun, adventurous read which should be on the reading list of any Star Wars fan, or any fantasy or science fiction enthusiast for that matter. It's easy to read, while still being complex, and a great addition to the Star Wars Legends universe.
July 4, 2021
I really enjoyed this one, more than the average Star Wars book. To my knowledge this was John Jackson Miller's first novel and he was still finding his voice. The plot was wild and a ton of fun, but it almost felt like it was meant to be apart of the comic series and was instead adapted into this book.
I can't say for sure, but I'd argue most of the dialogue in this novel would have fit better in a comic. The dialogue was too snappy, like a comic, and never really gave us any character depth. Not unlike a Marvel movie, every single character had to either be cracking jokes, or act as the straight man to another character's punchlines. While the humor was pretty good for the most part, it was a bit too much levity. There were times when I wanted the story to take itself seriously, but I only got jokes. This left me with a very shallow connection to the characters. Some vulnerability goes a long way.
For anyone who is into Star Wars novels, this book's value comes in near the end when the whole plot comes together. It ties itself up well and gives an interesting look into Sith space circa 1000 BBY, a generation before Darth Bane. But... since Disney decanonized all that, I doubt anyone besides me cares. Either way, it was fun.
I can't say for sure, but I'd argue most of the dialogue in this novel would have fit better in a comic. The dialogue was too snappy, like a comic, and never really gave us any character depth. Not unlike a Marvel movie, every single character had to either be cracking jokes, or act as the straight man to another character's punchlines. While the humor was pretty good for the most part, it was a bit too much levity. There were times when I wanted the story to take itself seriously, but I only got jokes. This left me with a very shallow connection to the characters. Some vulnerability goes a long way.
For anyone who is into Star Wars novels, this book's value comes in near the end when the whole plot comes together. It ties itself up well and gives an interesting look into Sith space circa 1000 BBY, a generation before Darth Bane. But... since Disney decanonized all that, I doubt anyone besides me cares. Either way, it was fun.
September 19, 2022
Here's the thing.
It was ok.
The main character Kerra (?) was boring to read, she was actually so boring, she'd made me switch sides and go with the Sith if I was a Jedi. She was supposed to be awesome and whatnot but she wasn't, and overall it was a chore to read half the time.
The main bad guys here as we got introduced to them in the comics, were boring as hell too, one brother who thinks he's the creator of everything and the other is the dark serious one who just wants everything to die. What a shock.
Wouldn't recommend this one sadly, because I really loved John Jackson Miller's KotOR comic series.
It was ok.
The main character Kerra (?) was boring to read, she was actually so boring, she'd made me switch sides and go with the Sith if I was a Jedi. She was supposed to be awesome and whatnot but she wasn't, and overall it was a chore to read half the time.
The main bad guys here as we got introduced to them in the comics, were boring as hell too, one brother who thinks he's the creator of everything and the other is the dark serious one who just wants everything to die. What a shock.
Wouldn't recommend this one sadly, because I really loved John Jackson Miller's KotOR comic series.
September 5, 2020
Barely earned 3 stars. There was maybe 4 chapters that were interesting the entire book. The side characters had more character than the main one. You think the plot was gonna go one way but to save time the author takes the easy road out. And some plot points were super predictable then revealed as if they werent. Very disappointing as the description for the book was way more entertaining than the entirety of the actual book. Most things in the description were far from the truth. Overall lots of things in this book felt pretty pointless.
December 8, 2018
Es una novela muy irregular, a veces demasiado densa y otras demasiado técnica. Con un inicio muy entretenido y un final interesante, pero con un nudo demasiado apretado. En otras palabras, después de la presentación de los personajes y hasta la aparición de Arkadia, es un somnífero. Aunque el universo Star Wars me siga resultando interesante, creo que necesitamos un tiempo.
May 30, 2022
Il est bien mais il ne prend pas par la main pour expliquer à quoi ressemble certains races extra-terrestres donc sa oblige à faire un petit tour sur internet pour savoir se détail important à mon avis. Il y a une scène d'action qui m'a sorti du livre vers le début/milieu mais passer outre les autres scènes de combat sont bien.
November 11, 2024
2.8 von 5 ⭐️
Eine recht linear gestaltete Geschichte im Star Wars Legends Universum. Die Charaktere sind eindimensional und eroberten nicht wirklich mein Interesse. Die Protagonistin, eine Teenie-Jedi, verhält sich sprunghaft und widersprüchlich. Die Antagonisten sind 0815 Sith-Lords, die nur vorübergehende Rollen spielen.
Eine recht linear gestaltete Geschichte im Star Wars Legends Universum. Die Charaktere sind eindimensional und eroberten nicht wirklich mein Interesse. Die Protagonistin, eine Teenie-Jedi, verhält sich sprunghaft und widersprüchlich. Die Antagonisten sind 0815 Sith-Lords, die nur vorübergehende Rollen spielen.
November 5, 2020
I'm afraid this was just wallpaper to me -- a rare miss from John Jackson Miller. I'm sure there are others who will enjoy this novel, but I found it very uninteresting. I didn't respond to the characters, and I didn't find anything to care about in the story; it felt so dull compared to the other old Republic/Sith War tales. There wasn't even enough here to frustrate me, or make me angry -- I felt only indifference. This one wasn't for me.
September 13, 2023
Solid main protagonist with a plethora of questionable villains to explore. Excellent flow and gives a great deal of perspective to what Sith Space was like. The tension and resolution wasn't as prominent as other novels such as the Darth Bane trilogy, but a gripping one-off story nonetheless.
May 18, 2023
the plot of this reminds me so much of Crazy Rich Asians and I think that’s why I enjoyed it. probably one of the better Star Wars novels I’ve read
May 12, 2020
It was honestly terrible. This is tied for worst Star Wars book along with into the void. They should have just kept this story as a comic book. I’m truly not going to waste my time writing out a review for this because it was really just garbage.
March 27, 2017
A long time ago, the Sith still ruled several parts of the galaxy despite the Republic's efforts to eliminate all the Sith Lords with the help of the Jedi. A young Jedi of the Republic has taken this to her heart and alone, she is trying to take down all Sith; one by one. But things doesn't quite go as planned when she isn't the only one trying to sabotage the Sith Lord Daiman's impressive empire. At first, she thinks it's his brother's attempt to slaughter his younger brother – the rivalry between the brothers is well-known – but it soon starts to seem like there's a bigger picture to it all.
It doesn't take long before she's responsible for sevenhundred refugees and in the middle of bickering with the captain of the ship she's more or less forced to remain on – whilst trying to take on every Sith she can possible take down before going down herself. But she soon discovers that there's more than just one or two Siths at play here...
John Jackson Miller is definitely one of my favourite authors when it comes to Star Wars; his book about Obi-Wan is one of my favourite Star Wars books in general. So, I had quite big hopes for this one. I like his characters and his details – even if they at times became a little too much even for me. But other than that, I was dedfinitely not disappointed at all. To be fair, the only complaints I usually have when it comes to Star Wars books is the idea that these societies must be similiar to our own with sexism, homophobia and binary genders. It's honestly kind of ridiculous. But I also felt like I didn't feel much of that frustration during this book which felt very good.
It was an action-packed adventure with plot twists you never really saw coming. It was an interesting read as it explored different kinds of Sith mentalities. It is nice to see some diversity as it is easy to get stuck in the sterotypical mentality of the Sith. All Siths were quite different in how they ruled and how they saw their people (and their enemies) and it felt very refreshing; but I'm sure that's not the last time I have stumbled upon such characters. After all, most other books I have read have been in more recent years within the Star Wars universe which means the Sith are almost extinct, save for a few.
I quite liked Kerra; she was an intriguing character. She meant well nearly all the time but her plans didn't always so as she expected them to and she was often left with a desperate need to compromise. I would love to find out more about her journey against the Sith but I suppose that's too much to wish for.
It doesn't take long before she's responsible for sevenhundred refugees and in the middle of bickering with the captain of the ship she's more or less forced to remain on – whilst trying to take on every Sith she can possible take down before going down herself. But she soon discovers that there's more than just one or two Siths at play here...
John Jackson Miller is definitely one of my favourite authors when it comes to Star Wars; his book about Obi-Wan is one of my favourite Star Wars books in general. So, I had quite big hopes for this one. I like his characters and his details – even if they at times became a little too much even for me. But other than that, I was dedfinitely not disappointed at all. To be fair, the only complaints I usually have when it comes to Star Wars books is the idea that these societies must be similiar to our own with sexism, homophobia and binary genders. It's honestly kind of ridiculous. But I also felt like I didn't feel much of that frustration during this book which felt very good.
It was an action-packed adventure with plot twists you never really saw coming. It was an interesting read as it explored different kinds of Sith mentalities. It is nice to see some diversity as it is easy to get stuck in the sterotypical mentality of the Sith. All Siths were quite different in how they ruled and how they saw their people (and their enemies) and it felt very refreshing; but I'm sure that's not the last time I have stumbled upon such characters. After all, most other books I have read have been in more recent years within the Star Wars universe which means the Sith are almost extinct, save for a few.
I quite liked Kerra; she was an intriguing character. She meant well nearly all the time but her plans didn't always so as she expected them to and she was often left with a desperate need to compromise. I would love to find out more about her journey against the Sith but I suppose that's too much to wish for.
February 23, 2015
In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, it is a popular trend to demonize the Jedi. I can completely understand the temptation to do this. They certainly didn’t come across as very morally upstanding during the prequel trilogy, what with them utilizing a slave army in all. But it’s easy to forget that the Jedi existed as a force for justice, and even if they failed in this duty towards the end, they brought justice where there was none for thousands of years. Knight Errant deals with Kerra Holt, a Jedi running a one-woman guerilla war against the Sith.
I’ve got to say that John Jackson Miller, who previously only wrote comics for the Star Wars EU, has really outdone himself. Knight Errant takes place a thousand years before Episode IV at a time when whole tracts of the galaxy are under the rule of cruel and insane Sith warlords. The Star Wars universe tends to look at the bigger picture and avoid talking about the devastation wrought by the Sith on a personal level. Not Miller. He shows quite viscerally just how horrible it is to be an average citizen living on a Sith occupied world.
A story is only strong as its villains, and I’m pleased to see that the various Sith warlords portrayed in this novel are stunningly unique. They include a solipsist Sith Lord who believes himself the creator of the universe, his nihilistic brother, a pair of children totally out of touch with reality, and a grandmotherly matriarch. But the most unique of these villains is the last type of villain you’d expect to find in this bunch: A competent and benevolent ruler. And she might be the most terrifying of the whole bunch.
Naturally, the hero is quite remarkable as well. Or, more accurately, the heroine, a still unfortunately rare occurrence in the Star Wars galaxy. Kerra doesn’t take prisoners. She doesn’t rest. She doesn’t show mercy. She’s at war with the Sith, she’s going to help the people being harmed by them, and that’s the end of it. It’s so wonderful to see a Jedi who isn’t being bogged down by philosophical restrictions and is actually determined to save people. Luke Skywalker himself couldn’t do any better!
Unfortunately, although this book could very well have used a sequel, it was not to be. But if anyone from Lucasfilm reads this reviews, take note. You need to get Miller to start writing more of these books, because the world needs more effective, badass female Jedi. And we need it now.
I’ve got to say that John Jackson Miller, who previously only wrote comics for the Star Wars EU, has really outdone himself. Knight Errant takes place a thousand years before Episode IV at a time when whole tracts of the galaxy are under the rule of cruel and insane Sith warlords. The Star Wars universe tends to look at the bigger picture and avoid talking about the devastation wrought by the Sith on a personal level. Not Miller. He shows quite viscerally just how horrible it is to be an average citizen living on a Sith occupied world.
A story is only strong as its villains, and I’m pleased to see that the various Sith warlords portrayed in this novel are stunningly unique. They include a solipsist Sith Lord who believes himself the creator of the universe, his nihilistic brother, a pair of children totally out of touch with reality, and a grandmotherly matriarch. But the most unique of these villains is the last type of villain you’d expect to find in this bunch: A competent and benevolent ruler. And she might be the most terrifying of the whole bunch.
Naturally, the hero is quite remarkable as well. Or, more accurately, the heroine, a still unfortunately rare occurrence in the Star Wars galaxy. Kerra doesn’t take prisoners. She doesn’t rest. She doesn’t show mercy. She’s at war with the Sith, she’s going to help the people being harmed by them, and that’s the end of it. It’s so wonderful to see a Jedi who isn’t being bogged down by philosophical restrictions and is actually determined to save people. Luke Skywalker himself couldn’t do any better!
Unfortunately, although this book could very well have used a sequel, it was not to be. But if anyone from Lucasfilm reads this reviews, take note. You need to get Miller to start writing more of these books, because the world needs more effective, badass female Jedi. And we need it now.
October 11, 2022
I'm very conflicted about this book because it had so much potential that I don't think it realized. It refused to piggy back on any previous success and the author instead created a story entirely his own with all new characters, a new time period and a new portion of the galaxy. The concept was fantastic it stepped away from the idea of a band of rebels fighting a totalitarian empire and instead told the story of a fractured empire where none of the sides winning is desirable. Each of the sith characters were unique and interesting and made with various psychological and philosophical concepts in mind. I really enjoyed the concept of a solipsistic sith lord in particular.
However where the story fails is that its mostly a tie in for the comic book series of the same name so this book is neither the beginning of the story of the end of it. So it feels like an incomplete piece and is without a feeling of satisfying resolution upon completion. The book reads like a tour through the story rather than the story itself. It introduces you to various interesting characters and interesting stories that need resolving...but then it moves on to the next...and then the next and then it just ends. And even in reading the comic books I didn't find any satisfying conclusions to the story. If you introduce a bunch of sith lords and go so in depth into the evil they perpetrate on the people they rule...you (spoiler) have to show them being taken down, their stories need to be resolved somehow and they just weren't.
It would be different if this was book one of a series and the story continued from where it left off, but it continued on in the comics but the comics seemed to diverge from the stories here.
I liked it but it could have been better.
However where the story fails is that its mostly a tie in for the comic book series of the same name so this book is neither the beginning of the story of the end of it. So it feels like an incomplete piece and is without a feeling of satisfying resolution upon completion. The book reads like a tour through the story rather than the story itself. It introduces you to various interesting characters and interesting stories that need resolving...but then it moves on to the next...and then the next and then it just ends. And even in reading the comic books I didn't find any satisfying conclusions to the story. If you introduce a bunch of sith lords and go so in depth into the evil they perpetrate on the people they rule...you (spoiler) have to show them being taken down, their stories need to be resolved somehow and they just weren't.
It would be different if this was book one of a series and the story continued from where it left off, but it continued on in the comics but the comics seemed to diverge from the stories here.
I liked it but it could have been better.
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