The Lost Ones

Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights #3

by Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta

During a break in training, Jacen and Jaina are reunited with their old friend Zekk, an orphan living in the streets on their home planet of Coruscant. Young, wild, and free, Zekk has never had a care in the world…until now. He sees the changes in his friends. Jacen and Jaina have learned so much, have grown in so many ways. Compared to them, he is only a lost little boy.

However, a powerful being has seen his potential. Someone who knows about shame and jealousy—and how to make use of them. Someone who knows that the dark side of the Force is especially attractive when you've got nothing to lose…

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Space Opera

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Yes, I have a lot of books, and if this is your first visit to my amazon author page, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are new to my work, let me recommend a few titles as good places to start. I love my Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, humorous horror/mysteries, which begin with DEATH WARMED OVER. My steampunk fantasy adventures, CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, written with Neil Peart, legendary drummer from Rush, are two of my very favorite novels ever. And my magnum opus, the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns, begins with HIDDEN EMPIRE. After you've tried those, I hope you'll check out some of my other series.

I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.

I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.

My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.

Reviews

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

Grrrrrrr...this was quite a bit more frustrating than the previous books. I like how Brakiss talks to Zekk - and he actually makes more than a couple of good points. But the story feels overlong, the eponymous Lost Ones are virtually non-existent and there’s a heap of Protagonist Centered Morality and even more massive classist privilege.

Full Review:

Jaina and Jacen return home to Coruscant with their friends, Lowbacca and Tenel Ka in tow. They plan to meet up with their before-unmentioned friend, Zekk, a rapscallion orphan who survives by scavenging the dangerous Coruscant underworld. But although they are friends, they come from completely different worlds, and when Zekk tries to join Jaina and Jacen's super privileged silver spoon world, he inadvertently embarrasses himself. He leaves and is caught by Tamith Kai and the Nightsisters, who take him to Brakiss. And Brakiss has an offer Zekk can't refuse...

I was very impressed with "Heirs to the Force" and "Shadow Academy". Both books did a good job of having engaging characters, an interesting story and even some good discussions on morals and ethics. And while this book does have an intriguing dialoge between Brakiss and Zekk, there are parts that are irritating - and some make no sense and break me out of the story all together. And yes, I get this is a children's series, but I think even children deserve a modicum of logic in their stories.

Let's rip the band-aid off: Shame on Han and Leia for knowing about Zekk's life and doing absolutely nothing about it. Shame on Leia for not raising an alarm when her children expressed concern about Zekk's whereabouts. Shame on all these privileged a-holes for treating Zekk like a toy, a second-class citizen, for having no compassion when he spent his modest income on outdated clothes. I suppose one could say that in this book, Anderson and Moestra did a better job of making nuance in the New Republic than most authors - here, the New Republic is bloated and inept, unable to clear out debris or upkeep the most important equipment. Children roam in the underworld, scavenging to get by. Sure, life is great for the Solos and Skywalkers, the ones with the big names, but what about everyone else? Do they really see any good from this New Republic?

So yeah, I'm a bit tweaked at our leads for being privileged, exclusive a-holes. If that gives them a place to grow, good. Growth and change is good - and this topic can be great to show for our youths.

Another very minor point: Norys is said to be dark. Garowyn was as well - the same description used on Lando, the only Black Person in Star Wars (other than Finn...). The troublesome part is that Norys, like Garowyn, is a "bad guy" - so out of 3 black people in Star Wars, 2 of them are evil. Yikes. (Yes, I’m aware of Salla Zend, who is another black person in Star Wars. But in these books, the ratio is kinda skewed.)

Then we have the little things that pile up and make no freakin' sense. Why is the book called the Lost Ones, when they so infrequently appear and have little effect on the story? How did a merchant ship get captured around the New Republic's capital? The children cannot directly sense Zekk until they can (they sense he sent them something in a message pod) - and they said that the Force wasn't capable of exactly pinpointing a person's location, even for the likes of Luke Skywalker. So Force inconsistencies abound even still. Where the Shadow Academy is eventually found to be makes no sense - and even though this series is over 20 years old, I still won't spoil it. And the other spoiler - the revelation of who the Big Leader is - well, let's just hope that it's not what I'm afraid it is!

I felt this book was just a whole lot more loosely connected - not necessarily bad thing, but in light of the first two books, it feels sloppy and bloated. The Lost Ones may be in the title, but they hardly appear in the book; it's still weird to think that the kids stole a hawkbat's egg at the beginning of the book and it ends with Zekk at the Academy. However, I do think some interesting plot points were brought up and it could make a better book 4 (which I remember being HUGELY dramatic when I first read it).

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the previous entries in the series.

EDIT: I enjoyed this one more the second time around.

[T.R. Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these underrated stories so much.

Jaina is who Rey wishes she were.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Solo family on Coruscant is almost like something out of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

While Jacen continues to practice his one liners before a test audience, this book relies far too much on previous source material.

"Stay on target," "Don't get cocky kids," "scruffy-looking," tauntauns, banthas, even Em Teedee has a moment with Threepio! (Thank the maker?) Em Teedee is fluent in over six forms of communication, whereas Threepio is fluent in over six MILLION forms of communication.

"Lowie ate steaming pieces of heated (but still raw) read meat." I don't think Porgs were anywhere close to being canon at this point.

Old stormtrooper rations are also mentioned. "They don't taste like much, but they have all of our nutritional requirements." Are these the same type of rations traded on Jakku?

The twins' friend Zekk is an independent Indiana Jones type who has freedoms Jacen and Jaina don't have. He feels underappreciated and decides to join the Shadow Academy after a strong pitch from Brakiss and is rewarded with new clothes and a good night's sleep. Gang members from The Lost Ones, abandoned kid scavengers on Coruscant who live underground, also factor into this tale's equation. Their gang symbol is an equilateral triangle surrounding a cross.

Hyperdrive cores and turbo laser batteries have great value and are being stolen by the "bad guys" from "the good guys."

Brakiss continues to make some rather sound arguments:

"Your friends have told you to hate the Empire, but you never witnessed any of it firsthand. You realize, of course, that whichever government is in charge always makes the defeated enemy look like a monster. I will tell you the truth. The Empire had very little political chaos. Every person had opportunities. There were no gangs running wild through the streets of Coruscant. Everyone had a task to do, and they did it willingly."

"As I told you, the Force moves as strongly within the less-fortunate as those who are rich and powerful."

"I wouldn't want you to do it for me. Or for a government or institution you know little about. I'm asking you to do this for yourself. Haven't you always wanted to develop your skills, your talents?"

Somehow Emperor Palatine is still alive??? It was a big deal his clothes were destroyed six years after the destruction of the second Death Star. The Emperor needs new clothes...

Tenel Ka says, "This is a fact." far too frequently for it to be charming.

On a plus note, Admiral Ackbar is still alive!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first look at Coruscant-outside the movies that is. And a bit of a view of it's seedy underground. The twins and their academy friends go home for a while and meet up with Jaina and Jacen's old friend Zekk. A major difference in their backround causes trouble. I liked seeing how they treated and reacted to Zekk's upbringing and home. While they have always lived a fairly posh life s the children of the Chief of State, Zekk is lucky to be able to afford a small "apartment." He scrouges form parts and salvage in the scummiest parts of the planet just to be able to eat. It broke my heart a bit. Add a major city gang, and trouble from the past and it is a busy yet a bit emotional read. I almost cried toward the end-I won't say why though.

[Adam Kiewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in this series showed a lot of heart and humor, while introducing new characters and continuing to develop others. The pacing hit a wall toward the end, that and a confusing reveal (hopefully it's not what it seems like) keep it from hitting 5 stars

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a perfectly serviceable EU novel. It's a bit simplistic, considering it's intended for a younger audience (technically YA, but seriously, it feels dumbed down to a juvenile level, which is a bit of an insult to other juvenile books that don't feel dumbed down), but that explains why things like a potential romantic subplot between Jacen and Tamith Kai come out of nowhere.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost Ones by Kevin J Anderson and Rebecca Moesta.

Pro: A very good story with quite a bit of character development.

Con: The Lost Ones from which the title comes could have been more prevalent in the storyline.

Overall, this was a very good story which I would read again. I gave it 5 stars.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just don't understand. These books have the right pedigree...but they seem like they come from a different universe entirely, compared to the YA Lucasverse of the present day. There's just something so stilted about them...almost to a preposterous level, considering the co-author is the man who gave us novels such as "Darksaber". I don't find them engaging, no matter how much goodwill I offer on my part.

[Jess Neuner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this may be my favourite of this series. The Solo twins head home to Coruscant for a visit, bringing their friends from the Jedi Academy, Tenel Ka and Lowbacca, home with them. No Luke Skywalker in this one, but we see a lot of Han and Leia and Anakin. I rather like when the whole family is together - reminds me a bit of my own.

Of course, the family visit isn't all fun and games - although there is a formal diplomatic dinner that gives Tenel Ka the opportunity to save the day with Anakin's help, leaving Jacen, Jaina, and Lowbacca wondering how their warrior friend from Dathomir knew the protocols of meeting with an ambassador. That is, before Zekk, Jacen and Jaina's scavenger friend, accidentally eats the centrepiece, thinking it's a salad, resulting in EVERYONE having to eat theirs (and Han getting kicked under the table by Leia). He's embarrassed and disappears, kicking off the main part of the plot.

Jaina and Lowbacca go up to an orbital mirror to make repairs (and discover a bigger problem than they imagined) while Jacen and Tenel Ka disappear into the dangerous lower depths of Coruscant to search for Zekk. Prompting Anakin and Leia to search for THEM when that doesn't go as planned, either. Because naturally, the Shadow Academy is up to its old antics of kidnapping people and trying to convince them to join, whether they can use the Force or not.

Zekk is an interesting addition to the cast of characters - a poor orphan who makes a living scavenging things and avoiding the lower level street gangs. Being friends with the very privileged children of the New Republic's Chief of State is hard - while they have never wanted for anything in their lives and have extraordinary powers they're only beginning to learn how to use, he's struggling just to afford food. Whenever they visit him, he's got to be careful because their presence makes a lot of his normal haunts far more dangerous and he embarrasses himself whenever he visits them. It's understandable that he tries to convince himself that he values freedom far more than family or security and then that he jumps at the chance to make something a bit more of himself, right or wrong.

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Re-read

While many would consider the "Shadow Academy" as one of the best in the series, "The Lost Ones" gives it a run for it's money.

I really liked the whole story being on Coruscant. The city environment was a nice change of pace from the previous books.

The strongest aspect of this book is the character of Zekk. I have always felt that in the Young Jedi Knights books, Zekk was the most relatable character because of his insecurities and his desire to impress his friends. I felt bad for his character at his fall in this book.

The book plot is fairly boring, but it is made up for with some great scenes. The scene of the banquet is still one of the first scenes I remember reading in a book because it was one of the first times I actually enjoyed reading something.

The rest of the book was fairly par for the course. The humor was standard and thew portrayal of Tenel Ka and Lowbacca was mostly to the side(Though they advance in later books).

Overall, good book. Not the definitive best in the series, but some seriously good writing. 7.0 out of 10!

[Wealhtheow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jaina and Jacen return to Coruscant for a vacation and see an old friend, Zekk. But though the twins have had plenty of adventures, they've never experienced the problems Zekk has. Orphaned, destitute, without any support, Zekk has been making a living in the underworld of the city. He feels humiliated by his old friends' success and obvious privilege. They try to include him, but after he eats the centerpiece at a feast (thinking it to be a salad), he refuses to have anything to do with them. Instead, he is recruited by the Shadow Academy, where the witches twist and train him to be a dark Jedi.

It's fascinating to me that there are still serious class issues and poverty in the New Republic, but it makes sense--Lucas's universe is based on the ideal of elitism. For a young adult book, there is a great deal of tension here.

[[boredom.is.overrated] · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this entry in the series; and I remember having the same feelings when I read it as a kid. I don’t want to diss the book without offering some objective feedback, so I’ll try to break it up.

Spoilers ahead...
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The good:
The banquet where Zekk accidentally eats the flowers as a salad was legitimately hilarious. KJA/RM really did a good job showcasing a dinner between both locals and foreigners and upperclass and lowerclass and how those differences can both be advantageous and disadvantageous. The last half of the book (actually starting around page 100) seems to be much better written; the authors spend the first hundred pages explaining things as if one is brand new at reading. This simplified overexplanation would probably have annoyed a middle schooler. But the last half is spent with direct character development, which really made the book much more enjoyable. The interactions between Jacen and Tenel Ka were rewarding enough to make it through the first half and it was great to finally see Jaina emit some (any) emotion.

The bad:
KJA/RM take an entire 100 pages to really get around to character development. And these 100 pages are mostly downright silly. Getting a hawkbat egg? Family snowball fights? *snore*. I could have stomached 20 pages of this but I agonized over 100 pages. Thank goodness for the banquet scene. Also, Peckhum really is the worst. He seems to be the most incompetent adult in the series, and yet HE is the guy picked to run the mirrors? Thousands of people are relying on those mirrors to stay warm and they pick this guy? On a planet made out of one giant city, I’m sure the New Republic could find somebody (anybody) more qualified for this job.

The frustrating:
Zekk is super annoying. When I was a kid, I thought he was super cool and edgy. Now I just think he’s a jerk. He’s been friends with the Solos for a long time - I’m sure they could’ve used their status to help him get a job or some sort of schooling/training. The relationship seems illogical; despite the fact they’re children. Lastly, the mistreatment is Anakin, who becomes an integral part of the NJO. There is very littler interaction, development, or even emotion put into Anakin’s character. What a wasted opportunity.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think this book is as interesting as perhaps the first in the series, but as a continuation of the Shadow Academy storyline it's much more gripping than the previous novel. The Lost Ones is, however, a terrible title, as the eponymous gang barely appears in the story at all. Occasionally the name is a whispered threat, and one time the organization appears in an almost cartoonish ambush that barely serves the story overall.

I do enjoy the sort of A plot B plot where there's one major galactic threat (the shadow academy and the growing Second Imperium) and one minor - perhaps "down-to-earth" - story (the civic maintenence of the capitol city). Seeing things like the Coruscant under city, or the orbital mirror stations, or even mapping the space debris, gives the universe a texture, it adds a depth that lightsaber fights and daring space combats simply can't. This book isn't a masterpiece of action prose, but it certainly adds a lot of texture.

My biggest complaint is tacky romance stuff. I felt from the very first book that there was an obvious set of romantic pairings clearly laid out. They were practically tropes: dopey boy trying everything to impress a woman who barely notices he exists, and also the couple so perfect for each other that they don't even realize they've been dating for six months now. Plus Zekk. My man Zekk in here ruining my Jaina Lowie ship and I don't love that. I know Jaina ends up with someone else, but if she doesn't kiss this wookiee at least once I'm going to riot.

Ultimately, The Lost Ones is book three of fourteen and I can't imagine being on the fence after two 25-year-old books and being swayed by a review to continue. But, if that's you, I recommend it. It's a short read, and it has all your favorite Young Jedi Knight characters (unless your favorite character was that one kid from the first book. He's not in this one. What ever happened to him, he was sort of an antagonist for the first chapter then disappeared?).

[Trevor Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Young Jedi Knights series is consistently the best Star Wars around, grounded in the believable characters Anderson and Moesta make together. In this third installment, Jaina and Jacen must face their life of privilege as one of their close friends is suddenly seduced by the Dark Side of the Force.

Maybe it's just the class warrior in me, but that this book takes on a class consciousness as it pertains to the heroes of the New Republic in distinction with the Second Imperium and its more fascist inclinations disguised as populism is just really, really cool. In much of Star Wars to this point, the politics of the galaxy have often been underexplored, so Anderson and Moesta's characterization of Zekk and the Lost Ones gives the series some much-needed political soul. It works really well here, in spite of the lack of clear resolution for the ongoing plot.

Even without a clear resolution to this series' major ideas and plotlines--like the Emperor just suddenly being back?--this book in particular gives us more and more of a look at the lives of the Solo children and their core values, building up believable characters whose lives are full of actual stakes.

This is great children's fiction, and it's even better Star Wars.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I owned a copy of this book as a child, bought at a used book store in La Plata, MD which has since gone out of business. I re-read this both to revisit the Young Jedi Knights series (which I have fond memories of) and because despite owning it, I don't think I ever actually read this one to completion.

It was just okay. The story had potential, and I liked Zekk as a character, but the concept never quite paid off. I don't have a hard time believing that Zekk's Force potential would've gone unnoticed, or that his stubborn pride in his impoverished but independent lifestyle would prevent him from accepting any handouts from the Solo family. What I do wish is that the book dived more into the complexities of his relationship with the Solo kids. I'm not sure if Zekk was ever even mentioned prior to this book, yet we're told he's been friends with Jacen and Jaina for years. I feel like this is the main issue with the book, and resolving it would've been a major improvement on the story.

[Jordan Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh that silly Shadow Academy, always showing up and putting their noses in everyone’s business.

The Lost Ones marks the 3rd Anderson/Moesta YJK novel and, up to this point, it’s the weakest of the bunch.

It was still mildly entertaining and it felt more Star Wars than any of the new canon, but still, it lacks the excitement and newness of the first book in the series, and it’s already begun to repeat many of the plot points that The Shadow Academy introduced.

Obviously this series isn’t meant to be the “sacred texts” of the legends stuff, so I’m willing to not be too hard on it, but I’m hoping that Lightsabers goes a different path and gets the series back on the right track.

[Stasia Bruhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading a young jedi knight book is like coming home to a family you actually like lol You miss them when the book is done. Maybe its just me.

I have always enjoyed reading about young Jacen and Jaina and of course Tenel Ka

Zekk (their friend ) is invited to come to a banquet with them. Unfortunately he lives a hard life and doesnt understand proper etiquette. He makes a mistake and starts feeling out of place. He starts doubting his self . He is distracted by his thoughts and is kidnapped by people who think he has jedi potential . He decides to train at the shadow academy. He wants to b something better . He wants his life to b better. He doesnt understand yet you cant mess with dark forces.

[Alexander Röck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star wars: young jedi knights the lost ones was written by Kevin j Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, and features jacen and jaina returning home to coruscant and reuniting with an old friend in the form of zekk, a boy who lives in coruscants undercity. When zekk embarrasses himself at a diplomatic meeting, he gets pulled into the dark clutched of the shadow academy, and jacen and jaina fear they might lose their friend to the dark side.

While this book was not as good as the first 2, as zekks motivations where very shaky and unbelievable at times, and it's more of a setup book for the next couple books in general, it's still an enjoyable read, especially because it gives us more of a glimpse of what normal life was like in the non war times of the new republic era. Rating:7/10

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a strange book. It's very much a middle chapter of a larger story. This book would be very unsatisfying to read on its own, I must say. Almost the entire story took place on Coruscant, and its primary purpose is to set up the new character Zekk, and show his fall. There was some cool stuff along the way for sure, the layers of Coruscant is honestly one of my favorite star wars locations to explore. But compared to The Shadow Academy (the previous book) it's really lacking in story. The next book is Lightsabers, which I remember as being my favorite of the entire series. So, looking forward to that!

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

The momentum of the series continues to slow with this one. I was really excited by the first book with the potential of the world and characters that it set up, but it seems that now that the pieces are in place, the authors are settling into a pace of storytelling more befitting of an episode or two of a TV show as opposed to that of a movie or typical book. These were still the bad old days of the YA market where the gulf to middle-grade wasn't as wide as it is now and I think this series suffers from that fact. Unless things start to pick up soon, I imagine my commitment to the series is in jeopardy.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways I enjoyed this a little more than the myriad of Star Wars (now non canon) books I have read up till now.
I think the fact it was so concise and in some ways acts more of a novella or short story that helps..some of the longer novels(which have a tendency to extend to Trilogys) I do think feel a little leaden and cumbersome by comparison.
I'm some ways this feels episodic but within itself it's a decent enough read and is really a Jedi academy tale and one showing the seeds of a shadow academy and the rise of a second empire.

[Philippe Yaworski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Might have been 3.5 stars, knocked out a star and a half because Anderson's writing style is horrible and because Tenel Ka is a bad character with an overused, grammatically incorrect, meaningless catchphrase.
(Then again, I don't know why I'd expect grammatical accuracy from someone who writes things like "night of space" as if space itself had a day/night cycle)

[Patrice Cazeault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mon garçon donne 5 étoiles !
Relecture de la série à voix haute avec mon garçon. J'ai bien aimé comment Zekk est attiré par le côté obscur, les relations qui se développent entre les jeunes chevalier jedi.
Très heureux du retour de MON personnage préféré ever dans Star Wars, ça me permet de beaucoup rire en imitant sa voix 😁

[Amalia Dillin]

I do not know why I loved Zekk so much as a kid, because his characterization is almost non-existent but maybe that was the appeal--I could read whatever I wanted into him and his big conflicted mess of resentment and entitlement while refusing any overtures of support from the people who loved him because of his pride. oof.

[Malcolm Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book of the series introduces Jacen and Jayner's childhood friend - who we've never even heard of before.
Apart from that, this was pretty good with some nice socio-economic commentary.
Also nice to see some growth with the bad guys as they learn from their mistakes from the previous book.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad story. A lot has changed within the cannon, though. I think I should have started at the beginning of the series. This book probably would have been more enjoyable, if I had. There isn't a lot going on in this book. Friendships are tested and broken.

[Zack Parkerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continues the fun adventures of the Solo children. The identity of the big bad is finally revealed, and it sucks. But everything else is just a lot of fun, and it’s great to see Jaina and Jacen see the galaxy.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

You could probably cut this in half and not really lose out on very much..., and somehow Palpatine returned (again, although of course it's some kind of fraud.) But yeah, there are some decent moments in this, but generally unspectacular.

[CB Stormblessed · Rating 2 out of 5]

These are alright. They provide enough back story on this generation of Jedi who are becoming the focus of the story in New Jedi Order and (I assume) beyond that they're worth reading. However, they really aren't good. I could only reccomend them to completionists like myself.