Rebel Agent

Star Wars: Dark Forces Trilogy #2

by William C. Dietz, Ezra Tucker (Artist)

Following Dark Forces -- Soldier for the Empire, Part Two of this lushly illustrated prose trilogy chronicles the adventures of Kyle Katarn as he learns of the mysterious Valley of the Jedi, discovered by his father years ago. Trapped in the Valley is an enormous reservoir of energy, waiting to be released. Who will reach the Valley -- and its power -- first, Kyle or the Dark Jedi known as Jerec? Written by William C. Dietz and accompanied by 25 painted illustrations by artist Ezra Tucker.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Comics, Space, Adventure

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

New York Times bestselling author William C. Dietz has published more than fifty novels, some of which have been translated into German, Russian, and Japanese. He grew up in the Seattle area, served as a medic with the Navy and Marine Corps, graduated from the University of Washington, and has been employed as a surgical technician, college instructor, and television news writer, director and producer. Before becoming a full-time writer Dietz was director of public relations and marketing for an international telephone company. He and his wife live near Gig Harbor, Washington.

Reviews

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stars: 2
Reread? 50/50
Recommend for: People who really liked DarK Forces or who have played some of the Kyle Katarn games and want to learn more of the backstory. Unlike the first book, which didn't overlap the game very much, this book is pretty much a retelling of the first half of the video game. Even then, the series doesn't fit with other books so it has limited appeal.

This book was okay at best and hasn't aged well since it doesn't fit the timeline (I'm talking about the Legends timeline not Disney's abomination). Dietz can be a frustrating author because he somewhat regularly decides he doesn't need to explain what is happening. Like the first book, there would be times I would read a sentence or a paragraph that just wouldn't make sense. It'd be like if I wrote, "And the cow slithered...". You'd be able to tell that the cow was moving, but has a cow ever slithered? That's a minor annoyance. It's a bigger deal that Dietz does absolutely nothing to tell you where you are in reference to other Star Wars events. The first book in the trilogy deals with Kyle stealing the Death Star plans, so you have a really good idea how it relates to the timeline of ANH. This book starts with events from the past, which is easy to figure out since Morgan Katarn died in the first book although you don't know how far in the past it is. When Dietz takes you back to the present, you can't even guess when the present is. I had to look it up online that it is set about a year after RoTJ. It would only take one line to notify the reader of that. It is extra confusing because the Empire is still portrayed as the dominant force in the galaxy.

The interactions of the characters are mind-boggling as well and further confuse the timeline fiasco. Kyle has basically been with the Republic for 4-6 years by the time we get to this book, and he was with them through some of their darkest hours, but Mon Mothma still apparently doesn't trust him at all. She orders Jan to watch him and execute him if needed. This would fit a lot more if it occurred right after the first book, and Kyle was basically a mercenary. But he's dedicated years of his life and risked everything multiple times for the rebellion, and I guess that means nothing.



Other things I noticed:
- I don't remember Jan being in love with Kyle in the game, but it works. Although I have no idea why Dietz had to include their little lovers spat at the very end that literally lasted something like 2 paragraphs..
- I didn't think the pictures were bad like many of the other reviewers thought, but there were some weird decisions to have pictures not very close to where they occurred in the book. Much worse, at least one of the pictures was drastically wrong in what it showed. One character, Maw I think, gets his legs chopped off. They have him in a picture depicting events from earlier in the book that show him without his legs. I don't know how a mistake like that happens, but it seemed insanely sloppy.
- At one point, Kyle drops 10 meters and "absorbs the impact with his knees." There isn't any mention of him using the Force (which is mentioned every time he uses it). This is one of those inexplicable things that you scratch your head and wonder why Dietz didn't just make it 2 meters.
-Another questionable decision by Dietz was to completely neuter the climactic battle.
Kyle gets ambushed by Pic and Gorc. For some reason, Pic isn't there for the beginning of the battle. Gorc ambushes him alone. This had the makings of a great scene. Gorc is massive and strong and Pic is tiny but fast and has interesting Force powers. There is also some kind of animal attacking Kyle. Seems like he'd struggle here. But no. Kyle kind of casually shoots Gorc in the face, who apparently had no defense for that kind of attack. Gorc, a fearsome dark Jedi, could apparently be slain by anyone with a blaster. I wonder if it was a ripoff of the Indiana Jones scene. Anyways, then the animal attacks and Kyle just turns on the lightsaber and the animal impales itself.
Kyle struggles for a few seconds as Pic attacks him, but dispatches him pretty easily as well.
. This is yet another self-inflicted wound by Dietz. I remember that battle from the video game, and it was very challenging. I don't know why he decided to have it happen this way.
- The final self-inflicted wound (that I remember at least), is the final chase scene.
They are fleeing through canyons in the Moldy Crow from a couple of tie fighters. Kyle opens the back ramp and starts shooting at them with his rifle. He hits one, which bubbles the windshield, and causes the TIE to crash and they can escape. Who thought this was a good idea? Why couldn't Jan just be a far superior pilot to the TIE pilots and defeat them. It be like if a jet fighter opened a window and started shooting at others jets with his handgun. It's so ridiculous it is embarrassing.
.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Good: The best thing about this book is the artwork; it's very beautiful.

The Bad: If only the story matched it. With less of a story than even Jude Watson's Star Wars juvenile chapter books, this is rather uninteresting. Add references to alcoholism, drugs, and two illustrations featuring a half-naked person--one man, one woman--and this was a dud.

Conclusion: One of my favorite things about Star Wars, especially the Expanded Universe, is the story. The long series--Jedi Apprentice, The New Jedi Order--kept me interested from beginning to end; this "graphic novel," however, didn't. Fans of Lucas' space opera can safely pass on this one.

[Bernard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm happy to report this book was slightly more solid than its predecessor. Perhaps it had something to do with the many hours I spent playing the video game, Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, back in the late nineties, so I had a nostalgic frame of reference. Nevertheless, the story still has confusing moments where transitions or word choice threw me out of the story as I struggled to figure out what the author was intending to convey, or struggled to fill in the gaps between disjoint story elements. The art is a fun element, as with the first novella. One day perhaps I'll stumble across book three and my Dark Forces novella tie-in training will be complete.... Then again there's still the fact I never finished playing the video game. It got to the point where it was maddening to try to fight this tiny invisible Dark Jedi and I gave up. But that reminds me, the author seemed to be lacking creative inspiration because there were so many times when he would refer to the Dark Jedi as just Jedi, and he would refer to the hero Katarn as "the rebel" or "the agent" so much so that it again threw me out of the story wondering how he could have rephrased or described differently his characters without being so repetitive. Maybe he was on a tight deadline, or didn't have a very tough editor? In any case the Legends completionist part of me is glad I read it, but also glad it is over and done with!

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novella from 1998 is based on characters and situations from the Dark Forces videogame. I've never played that game and I don't think being knowledgeable of those things would have changed how I felt about this book. In short, this was tough to get through.

There is a lot of bouncing around characters that is unnecessary to the plot, of which it is a race between two factions to get to the Valley of the Jedi where there could be undiscovered information about the famous sect. Among them is Kyle Katarn, whose father discovered the location before his death and has left a map for his son to find it, and a group of Dark Jedi who want to exploit its possibilities.

I didn't care for the villains, the action, or all the points of view that added nothing to the story. Had the story focused on Kyle it would have been a neater and easier read.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cool to relive a favored childhood video game through a book. Interesting to see how the author envisioned the characters and story, and built new scenarios around them.

I like the pre-Episode I EU story elements. Lightsaber amputations bleeding, heads on spikes, and no mention of Sith - only Dark Jedi.

Some elements, I could have done without. Introduction of Boba, Leia, Luke. The love angle. That had me rolling my eyes a little. Some elements were rushed, as well. I know it’s a short book, but damn. Pump the brakes a little bit, Dietz.

Very good artwork by Ezra Tucker.

[Darryl Dobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kyle Katarn is back and according to the new ‘Legends’ timeline, several years have passed. But according to the flow of the book and reading between the lines of conversation, it indicates that only several months have passed since Soldier for the Empire. Again, so leeway in your imagination must be given. Katarn is a likable character and budding Jedi. The trilogy was written in the mid- to late 90s and so there is some confusion regarding all the “Dark Jedi”. But that’s likely because the Sith hadn’t really be introduced into the SWU just yet. So Katarn set off to find the Valley of the Jedi, the existence of which was found via a disk left to him by his father. The race is on between Katarn and his pilot-slash-love-interest Jan Ors versus the Dark Jedi Jerec and his Dark Jedi followers. More on this in the next book…

[Alexandr Iscenco · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent transformation of a game storyline into a novel. The latter adds some depth and details to the story of Kyle Katarn that were not visible from the game. The romantic connection between Kyle and Jan is an especially good addition in the novel.

[Wouter · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining short read about Kyle katarn. Starting with the discovery of the valley of the jedi by his father, the story continues with Kyle's adventures as he tries to take back what was taken by those on the dark side.
The writing is acceptable at best, and more than once confusing.

[Nick Prol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a review for all three books in William C. Dietz’s “Dark Forces” trilogy. I must stress up top that regardless of my likes and dislikes regarding their narrative I’m about to review, these surprisingly high quality, thin and tall hardback novels feature paintings in each volume that, save a few, are absolutely beautiful and ominous, remaining some of my favorite overall Star Wars art in general. It’s all very classy and well done. So, while the books are practically worth it just for the art, let’s get into the actual meat of the series, the writing and the story that is told.

These would all actually be closer to a 3 and 1/2 star rating for me, but I’m forced (no pun intended) to give it a 3 due to half stars not being possible here for some reason.This is a trilogy that both adapts the events of two Star Wars PC games (Dark Forces and Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II) and covers events not in any game, fleshing out characters and events in a mostly enjoyable fashion.

Many reviews here for these seem to look down on Star Wars EU novels to begin with (many even incorrectly calling this a "graphic novel"), so one should consider the source when seeing reviews here claiming this book is "poorly written". It’s no Shakespeare, surely, but it is successfully distracting and entertaining escapism. Nothing more, but that's enough in this case. if you enjoyed the Dark Forces game series or are looking for anything (not by Disney) that further fleshes out what is arguably the most beloved scifi/fantasy universe of all time, I'd hazard a guess that you’re pretty much guaranteed to at least like this on a 3.5 level, as I did.

There's even an audio dramatization of this and the other two books, which get a pass from me despite A) Severely editing down the book's length and removing a lot of enjoyable scenes and descriptions and B) Having its characters say aloud things they should definitely only be thinking. The matter of "A" I excuse because sometimes you simply don't have the time or a justification you can think of for spending the time to read an entire EU book, even if it's short. As for "B", nearly all comic books of the Golden Age, Silver Age, etc. did this. Now, obviously in those they weren't practicing "show don't tell" but instead the decidedly more foolproof method of "both show AND tell". Difference is, a radio drama and can only do one of those. It gets a pass.

And finally, yes, the movie, "Rogue One", essentially ripped off the first part of this trilogy in many ways. Should you ever state this fact to a Disney Star Wars fan (one of the lower life forms to be found in this, our real world), it’s best to have read (or listened to) these three books so you can both back up that claim and as a bonus, enjoy the original, better version of the story behind the stealing of the Death Star's plans. Hell, even let them borrow the books when you're done. Not unlike Darth Vader, it's never too late to redeem someone.

[Rami Abuhamra · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the success of the Dark Forces video game, a sequel was released in 1997, even a sequel to the first novel/audio drama, Dark Forces - Soldier for the Empire. In this sequel, rather than telling a prequel origin story, this retells the first part of the video game, Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight.

Six years after Kyle Katarn stole the Death Plans, he finally gets the chance to avenge his father. Darth Vader and the Emperor are dead, and the Dark Jedi, Jerec, and his group of Dark Jedi are after a sacred place known as the Valley of the Jedi. It is the tomb of many dead Jedi and Sith. The events and origins are explained in the Darth Bane Trilogy. The Valley holds a huge amount of Force Energy. If Jerec finds the location, he will become the next Emperor.

This novel/audio drama differs from the game. It tells the same story, but the scenes are played a bit differently, and there is more dialogue. I believe all novelizations should do this. However, the most important aspect is to ensure it provides a different experience from the visual narrative, whether it's a movie, TV show, or game. In my view, this is a good novelization.

The voice cast returns, along with some new additions. Although one thing I never understood is why the cast from Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight wasn't considered to reprise their roles. They had the full cast available, but it seems they may not have been interested in returning. Personally, I would have enjoyed having the original cast back, as it would have created a nice connection to the game. However, what we received was still good enough.

I've been really enjoying this series, especially since I'm a big fan of the Dark Forces and Jedi Knight video games. As I mentioned earlier, the story isn't finished yet; it continues in the next issue, and I'm eager to see how they conclude it.

[Kaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kyle Katarn's story continues in this exciting adventure that begins with the rebel agent being confronted by a droid and getting a disk where his father revealed the existence of a Valley of the Jedi. Katarn is injured in the chase, and his companion Jan Ors meets with Luke Skywalker and his sister Leia Organa to discuss the matter. Recovering aboard a medical frigate, Katarn is visited by the force ghost of Jedi Master Qu Rahn, who tells him how his father found the Valley of the Jedi and how the Dark Jedi Jerec plans to take control of this place for himself. become a being with unmatched powers. After being recovered, Katarn and Ors would head to Katarn's home in Sulon, where they would find the map that Kyle's father, Morgan Katarn, had left behind. However, it turned out that Jerec had also discovered the secret to the location of the Valley of the Jedi on Ruusan. Aware of this fact, Kyle plans to do everything possible to avoid this and after a meeting with Luke Skywalker, he is willing to be the one who fulfills the prophecy that his father told him: "A Knight will come, a battle will be fought, and the prisoners will be released."

[Graff Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Wars: Legends: Dark Forces trilogy 02 Rebel Agent by William C. Dietz, Ezra Tucker

adventurous hopeful informative reflective sad tense

Medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? It's complicated

3.5 Stars

I still feel that this trilogy reminds me of fan-fic. It does't conform to the standard Extended Universe form...and I've read a LOT of these Star Wars novels.

The author incorporates too many earth-like items. My frustrations with his naming convention has got "more" in line with the "galaxy far, far away", but it now seems overblown. We still have his original Kyle and Jan, but now EVERY other character has nonsensical names (more in line with Star Wars), but it's like he's naming EVERY character, even the ones that die immediately. Too much.

I'm now just trying to survive this trilogy, without losing hope in the overall story.

Also, the art at the back of the books are amateuristic (In my opinion). What can you say, just not a fan of this trilogy. On to the last book in the trilogy, named Jedi Knight.d

[Elwin Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I really liked it." - 4 out of 5 stars.

This was a very enjoyable, short and sweet Star Wars book. Rebels planet hopping, running away from the evil empire, alien worlds and loads of super fun alien content, evil droids (AT-88), monkey lizards done right full of eye gouging fun, Nar Shadda, and more!

One thing I find a bit unusual is that Sith are referred to as 'Dark Jedi', ultimately though doesn't make or break anything.

I originally did not like the first Dark Forces #1 book in this series, but maybe I need to go back and revisit it because I really did enjoy this one.

[Joe Davoust · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is based on a game that I liked but barely remember and a comic book that I must have read but also don't remember. It reads like both. Theres lots of our hero escaping through corridors and having boss battles, typical of video games, and lots of character descriptions that read more like a narration of comic book panels than real development. That said, the book is entertaining, and I am truly looking forward to the next book.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd push this to 3.5 stars...there's much here that I like, although the pace staggers between slow burn and explosive action...and it's the slow burn that's less interesting to me. I'm also a little confused by the characterization of Luke...if this is the Rebellion, shouldn't he NOT be the Jedi we see him to be here? Something feels off about this...

[Metin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt like I was missing something by not reading these books based on Dark Forces games because I loved said games. The first one was meh, this one is beyond horrible. I have to gather my energy for the third one...

[S.J. Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adapting the first half of the second game, this novella grants some additional insight into the beginning of Kyle's training and helps to tie the events into the context of the wider universe.

3.5/5 Good artwork and serviceable accounting of the story.

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exciting book that makes me feel like I wasn't paying enough attention to the story in Jedi knight. It does a good job of telling the story through a slightly different lens. Also the pictures are pretty.

[Bradley Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven't read the first one yet, looks like I'm to poor to afford the third. But I liked it!

[BIGnick BIGnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along with great storytelling are some of the most incredible graphic illustrations, each individually worthy of being framed and displayed in ones home.

[Gary Varga · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reasonable story but the one area it fails is the most essential in this case; it didn't feel like Star Wars.

[Michael Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is good in most ways, but honestly the game handles the narrative pacing better.

[Rob Whaley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Similar to the first one. Just typical 90s SW media.

[Jurgen · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's a bit more all over the place then the previous part.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

The game adaptation continues with Kyle learning the reason for his father's murder and beginning to embrace the Force. A well-written adventure with excellent illustrations.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story just got better, I want this to be a T.V. mini series.

[Jared · Rating 2 out of 5]

Star Wars Legends Project #321

Background: Dark Forces: Rebel Agent was written by William C. Dietz as the second of three tie-in novellas to the Dark Forces and Jedi Knight video games. It was published in March 1998. Dietz wrote all three novellas in the series.

Rebel Agent takes place 5 years after the battle of Yavin. The main character is Kyle Katarn, along with Jan Ors and the Dark Jedi Jerec. There are appearances by Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Boba Fett, Qu Rahn, and various others. The novel takes place on various planets, but mainly Nar Shaddaa, Sullust, and Ruusan.

Summary: Kyle Katarn, secret agent for the Alliance, is on a much more personal mission: To find his father's killer and avenge his father's death. But his search will uncover a secret sought by one of the most powerful evils in the galaxy: the location of the Lost Valley of the Jedi, with consequences that demand the attention of Empire and Alliance alike.

Review: This such a significant step-down from the first book in the series, and I can only speculate as to why. It's the same writer and the same characters, but it was an absolute slog to get through, and then it just suddenly ends very abruptly. Like, yes, it's the first half of a 2-part story, but there's probably a better way to conclude it than just picking a spot about halfway through and cutting, right? There's no resolution, and it's incredibly unsatisfying.

But anyway, my speculation: What makes the first book more successful that's a failure here is Dietz's lack of freedom to tell the story. The first book was a prequel to the Dark Forces video game, and it has to work within the confines of the character established by the game, but beyond that Dietz seems to have had a lot more freedom to tell a story in his own way. This is a rigid adaptation of Jedi Knight, the next game in the series, so Dietz is locked into just . . . describing a playthrough of the game. And as fond as my memories of playing that game are, this is a really dull way to experience that story.

The story is also riddled with weird inconsistencies of canon because it's from a video game version of Star Wars (and pre-prequels besides), but that's not that big of a deal compared to the lifelessness of watching Dietz trudge through a pre-determined outline. And I don't even remember the game THAT well, you could just feel how rote the whole exercise is. The only parts of the book with any life in them are the flashbacks detailing Morgan Katarn's discovery of the Valley of the Jedi. Dietz is a competent writer, it's just a shame he couldn't do better with this material.

C-

[William Galaini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Often books that are a larger part of an established cannon are shackled in their scope and packing very few surprises. Star Wars: Rebel Agent is no exception.

Pulled from the award-winning computer game series 'Dark Forces-Jedi Knight' this novel clarifies various gaps in Kyle Katarn's journey from Imperial Stormtrooper to Jedi Academy trainer. What compelled me to read it is that the first act of this novel deals primarily with Stormtrooper training and Stormtroopers in general.

What a great idea for a book! What was it like being a Stormtrooper? What was the training like? What went on under their helmets? Why can't they shoot straight? This was a golden opportunity to read about the racially pure Empire and delve into an exploration of a childhood mainstay in American culture.

Either the author shied away from it or even more likely Lucasarts itself couldn't permit anything radical or impacting toward the cannon. What we get is an almost entirely non-committal novel. Literally not a single narrative decision is made and the character arc is completely on rails without any deviation. The road map for this book was produced in a boardroom long ago and this particular segment was locked into place.

To be fair, there was one great scene, however. For Stormtrooper graduation a high cadet would receive the honor of leading the march of their battalion to the ceremony. Over the years each of these leaders would try and out-do their predecessor by marching their column as close to a nearby cliff as possible without anyone slipping off the edge. It was a brilliant idea and very indicative toward totalitarian military-mindset.

Short, inconsistently engaging, and blandly written we get a book that might act as fan service but by no means could this stand as a complete novel of any kind. There just isn't enough, and it says so little it almost says nothing at all.

[JediKnight26 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that the first book of the series was pretty good, but I like this one even more, since it reveals more about the character of Kyle Katarn, a former imperial officer, who has now become a soldier for the Rebel Alliance and a self-taught Jedi Knight. It is especially interesting to see Kyle learning how to use his Jedi powers, especially since he has not had any formal training and to see him struggle with light-side & dark-side issues.
The plot of the story is very intriguing since it links a significant event in the Old Republic Era with the New Republic area. Also a certain Jedi Knight makes an appearance in this book (Luke Skywalker)! The addition of Luke, with Jan Ors, who is a rebel agent & Kyle's partner & love interest, along with the Katarn family droid, WeeGee, makes for a likeable and interesting cast of characters.
It will be interesting to see how they handle the imperial threat of Jeric (a dark jedi) & resolve the issue of the aforementioned significant incident from the Old Repulic Era, which has lingered for all these years.

[Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm posting one review for all 3 books since I read them in a fan bind-up.

B+ Just finished today and it was overall pretty solid. The first book was probably the best since it gave some really good backstory for Kyle's imperial days along with some much needed characterization for Morgan. The second and third books are much more action heavy but you do get some characterization for side characters like Jan and even Yun which was nice. The OT crew also show up (albeit in smaller roles) which was cool and helped to tie it to the greater EU better. Dietz seemed to focus more on action scenes (which were great) but it's at the expense of characterization/worldbuilding which I felt could have been a bit better. As a long time fan of the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight saga I would definitely say it's worth a read as the extra scenes make it well worth it. If you're a SW fan in general I would probably still give it a mild recommendation as there is enough there to justify its existence and Kyle does show up in the later EU more frequently so you'll get more context for his character.