Return to Ord Mantell

Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights #12

by Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta

Han Solo's past is about to catch up with him. When he and the twins take the Millennium Falcon to Ord Mantell for a high-speed race, they meet a battle-hungry woman wielding a lightsaber. Her name is Anja Gallandro, and she knows more about Han's history than he likes. But Anja Gallandro guards an even more devastating secret—a secret that could mean disaster for the entire Solo family.

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

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1998

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 5 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

+ I’m floored. This was wayyyyyy better than I expected.
+ Writing is slightly elevated from the middle grade.
+ What makes this story so incredible is its unwavering dedication to discuss tough topics. Drug addiction. Loss. Revenge. Healing.
+ Books for adults don’t go this hard.
+ I actually think Anya may be the rare case of either an Asian or Latina human in a galaxy far far away. From the picture on the book to the way she’s described, it’s obvious to me she is not white. (Though I would think this galaxy might have moved beyond that???)

Jaina, Jacen and their friends are now 16 years old. They aren't quite the naive students from Heirs to the Force; they are truly coming into their own in this Galaxy Far, Far Away. And they've been through it - their friend has permanently lost her arm. They touched noses with fascism and brought it down. They have faced the Dark Side and have turned away from its tempting sirensong.

This story arc opens quite benignly; Han Solo and his son, Anakin, head to Yavin 4 to pick up the twins and their friends to head to Ord Mantell where Han Solo will be heading the Opening Ceremonies of a Famous Race - and incidentally meeting up with some names familiar to his past (and to yours if you've read Brian Daley's Han Solo Adventures). But things go awry almost immediately when the Millennium Falcon is nearly destroyed while journeying through the race course. Was this meant for Han Solo? Or the race in general? Who is responsible - and why? Does it perhaps have anything to do with Anja Gallandro, the daughter of the man that Han Solo once faced off with?

This might be the most grown up of all the Young Jedi Knight books. The teens are nearly adults (this is basically a year before the New Jedi Order when these kids would be facing off against much different adversaries), and they have already brushed up against some pretty dark topics for children/young adult books. This one adds Revenge and Drug Abuse into the mix.

As I write this review I realize that the mystery of who sabotaged the Ord Mantell race course is dropped and exchanged for a different story - however, that story is decent enough that I can overlook it (I know, faint!). Our newest character, Anja Gallandro, is a sad, angry, vengeful woman wielding an ancient Jedi lightsaber and with a terrible secret that the authors did a great job of addressing IMO. I do not feel like the spice addiction was handled in the hamfisted way a lot of 90's anti-drug messaging was - yes, it is not good, but there are many problems in Anja's life, such as her hatred of the villagers and her hatred of Han Solo that are equally if not worse than her drug usage.

I also like how tactful the authors were in addressing the Anja-Jacen-Zekk triangle that is forming. This series has never really been romantic; if it is brought up, it is so subtle one could almost miss it. However, here, there are some really great scenes where Tenel Ka and Jaina are kinda upset about how much time Jacen and Zekk spend with Anja and how Anja almost encourages it in her ploy to enact revenge on Han Solo, the man she perceives as killing her beloved father.

The messaging of the villagers vs mountain people is also absolutely phenomenal, for this age and older. I won't spoil, but how it is resolved is absolutely amazing and did not have to resort to the two sides fighting it out.

I started this series thinking it would be cringy, but I'm happy to say that at least in my opinion, this holds up. This has been nearly solid storytelling from beginning to end (with some blips of course), and is one of the best that Star Wars has to offer, especially for the younger set. I almost always recommend the Jedi Apprentice series by Jude Watson, and this one will probably also get recommended as well.

[Adam Kiewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on some of the general themes and ideas of this book, I would have assumed I'd have disliked it. I was actually surprised to have it become one of my favorites of the series instead. Part of that is due to the suddenly more adult feel to this book. There's been a small time jump and the war themes gave the series a much needed spark. The other part is due to the continued development of the solos and their friends. You can tell they grew up from the last book to this one. We can see a lot of growth in them

[Jaime K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This starts off very strong, with a lot packed in.

My biggest issue was in writing Jaina's "unladylike" snort. Good hell, just let her snort.

We finally get a date range! The twins are 16, a year older than I was thinking they were. The passing of time isn't really done well within the books so I thought it was only a year or so after the first book. This makes the events of the last book and my shipping (and Anderson & Moesta's too) all the more reasonable.

Kyp and Streen are back on Yavin 4 with news for Luke - news the reader isn't told. But Luke uses them for a random meeting with a great message: "challenges and diversity make us strong." I that truth.
But the twins call their father to the planet to see Kyp; a trip he was already making for different reasons. He and Anakin bring the twins to the Blockade Runner's Derby on Ord Mantell - a race Han won three times and is now working in official New Republic capacity as a Grand Marshall. Han shares events from before ESB and Ord Mantell, stories I don't recall. After looking at Wookieepedia, I see this is because Cypher Bos appears/is mentioned in children's books I didn't read.
Czethros, a former bounty hunter, is only in the YJK books though.

I love seeing Han and Jaina work together, and then Han allowing Jaina to take over the Falcon at times. It's like watching a parent help teach their child to drive, and they are beautiful moments between the two.

Czethros greets the Solos. Unfortunately, the reader is quickly led to believe that he didn't go 100% legitimate like he claims. I do wish to see such people be true to these changes.

There is an assassination attempt on the Falcon and the other kids join up with the Solos (gotta get the Young Knights together).

Anja Gallandro - a surname I know! - comes into play. She's a sad character with a very sorrowful past. Life has not dealt her a good hand, and she hasn't handled it well. We learn of how bad her world of Anobis is and how minor worlds suffer as bigger names get the focus. And also of the half-truths she's been fed.

Only now am I wondering how Anakin doesn't even mention Tahiri being on Yavin 4, nor even time he's spent there. It's very odd that he doesn't have a lightsaber and that there seems to be such a huge disconnect between the YJK and JJK series.

This is a sad but good representation of how easily evil grows in already hostile situation.

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that the Young Jedi Knights series should have ended with "The Emperor's Plague", as it was such a fitting finale that tied up so much! I still kind of feel that way. However, this is still an entertaining book that tells a fairly standalone story while also beginning a new trilogy for the Young Jedi Knights.

The best part of this book is the deep themes. This book is filled with themes about war, about governance, and about revenge. Obviously, the New Republic hasn't worked nearly well enough to rebuild the whole galaxy, and some planets slip through the cracks. It can easily be applied to modern foreign policy. There are also great themes about revenge from Anja, the new young character joining the cast of this book.

The book really feels like it was written in two parts. Part 1 is a fun romp on Ord Mantell where Han Solo has been asked to be the Grand Marshall of a race. There is much more under the surface, but its still quite a fun read.

The second half of this book is about the Civil War happening on Anubis (Which I can't think of without thinking of Egypt. This whole storyline is much darker and tackles the deep themes about war and grudges. This war is primarily between the Farmers and the Miners, and all I could think of was the "Oklahoma" song titled "The Farmer and the Cowboy (Miner) should be friends". I think the second half of the book wasn't necessarily as fun to read, but it was really well written.

Even the lesser YJA books are still great, which is a testament to how great of writers Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta are!

Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. Its not a favorite in the Young Jedi Knight Series, but was well done nonetheless. I think that it sets up future books while also telling a fairly standalone story. 8 out of 10.

[John Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the story of the book especially when in the middle of book when they got back to the ord mantell but the longer read through this book the more boring it gets i love this old story of star wars where there is more adventure

[Samantha LaGraves · Rating 5 out of 5]

got a little boring and could not finnsh

[Snickt Snackt · Rating 1 out of 5]

All that build-up across 11 books between Jacen and Tenel Ka, and they toss Jacen at Anja like it is nonexistent. I get that they are trying to provide an in for Anja as the new girl, but they just had to ditch it all because they need help getting the audience to empathize with her. Don't. Do it across the narrative, even if we don't like her in this first book of the trilogy. Don't force-feed it to us. Jacen himself has "no idea why he felt that way" and we're supposed to like this whiny brat of a kid who has apparently been raised on false glory tales of her dad? Someone tell her to grow up, sheesh.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

At this point in the Young Jedi Knights series, you know what you're getting and whether you'll like it or not. Return to Ord Mantell is neither the strongest nor the weakest entry to date; it has some very nice callbacks to the Brian Daley Han Solo trilogy but at this point you expect strong continuity and references from Kevin J. Anderson, whatever his faults. As usual, the plot drags somewhat and the characterisation is extremely two dimensional - but not as bad as the lowlights of this series have been. It's fine, in the end.

[Kerri Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know its a kid series but I loved it. Especially learning about Hans past and the danger he and his family find themselves. I thought for the audience intended it was a very good read. Im glad I found it on my shelves.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

An excessively choppy and dull act I is partner to a surprisingly violent act II for a story that wraps up too cleanly and too quickly. While not the worst outing in YJK, it is a bit lackluster. 2 1/2 stars

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, but clearly the series needed to end a bit before this.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Still love this series overall, but this particular chapter fell a little short for me. I think it's mostly due to personal preferences, but I'd like to hear what others have to say.

[Travis Nacke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and the writing. Great to see the continuing story of these characters.

[Jack · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one is just awful. No redeeming qualities, it feels like the two authors had no ideas left.

Endless chapters on chapters about the kids fighting lizards that just drones on forever. There's a mystery of who tries to kill Han Solo (hint it's the 1 and only suspect)

The entire crisis of a PLANET is solved by two villages in an afternoon. I absolutely despise when entire planets boiled down into one culture and this is one of the worst I've ever seen. There's no scale or idea of how many people are involved and it's literally two villages that control the entire world and solve a multi decade spanning war.

The entire plot of the book is only accomplished by people being idiots and our main characters are just completely reactive, seemingly making no decisions of their own. Han Solo just forgets and trusts the guy who he put in prison. They all go to solve a civil war because one person said they should. Unable to think of a way to get the two warring sides to meet, the authors just say "and then hundreds of lizard monsters attack!".

The absolute worst part is that the book just ignores what came before. Jacen and Tenel don't even talk about the kiss they shared and Jacen is moving on with some girl who's constantly enraged, unhappy, and hates his father.

The only likeable thing about this book is the cover, and that's in an ironic sense. Han Solo (who apparently hasn't aged in 20 years) looks like he's trying to remember where he parked. Jacen looks like the kind of guy you don't accept drinks from at a bar, and newcomer Anja has more belts than a Kingdom Hearts character.

[Briar]

another installment into the young jedi knights series. This one starts a new story arc and we get new characters - which were desperately needed. However, the same old characters remain and wow, do they stay the same. I think my biggest frustration with this series is the lack of character growth, especially since they are teens and they really should be changing! I feel like all the relationships are stuck in this weird space and they make me feel awkward for the characters.

However, the action and adventure is still fun. I do think the young audience these are intended for would have a fun time with this.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty great, actually! We tone the stakes down a little bit as Anderson and Moesta move into the series' final arc, having the story more confined to one (or well, two) planets. But it's more of a village conflict, but one where you get to see our young heroes truly do some good. Some neat call-backs to the Daley books as well, which admittedly I did skip on this read-through of the timeline. Loved seeing Jaina take on some extra responsibility by assuming the Falcon's co-pilot role, and although Han is there throughout and isn't exactly written out, there's plenty of opportunity for our main cast to shine and grow.

I know YJK isn't about him really, but it is a bit of a waste to not make better use of Anakin though - he is literally there for the entire book.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Return to Ord Mantell by Kevin J. Anderson. This is #12 in the Star Wars-Young Jedi Knights middle grade series.

This is the first book in a trilogy that will be the final 3 books in the Young Jedi Knight series.

As always with this series, I enjoyed the pacing. Also, enjoyed storylines that included Han as well as the new character of Anja Gallandro. The friendships deepen and the storylines get a bit heavier. Overall, a good solid entry into the series.

I highly recommend this and give it 4 stars.

My Rating System:
* not worth finishing;
** ok, but...would not recommend;
*** liked it, would recommend;
**** really liked it, would highly recommend;
***** loved it, have/would read again.

[Ola · Rating 3 out of 5]

En avslutande trilogi.
De stridande parterna i boken verkar lite för fattiga och sargade för att kunna finansiera krig.
Rovdjursflocken som anföll byn verkar lite för många, hungriga och aggressiva. Vad äter de i vanliga fall? Buffeljordar?

[Rachael2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This actually has some pretty horrific violence in it that I think went over my head as a kid because I couldn't picture things happening as well as I can now, hence the lower-than-usual rating for a book in this series.

[Gaby Cresswell ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amo a los Solo ❤️
(Extraño a Leia 🥺)

[Leah Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still a good series and it’s the start of a new adventure for the Young Jedi Knights, so there’s a lot of room for growth!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read. I'm not sure how I feel about the new character that was introduced. I'm not greatly impressed with her.

[Don Minus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not except this new story. I really like the enemy. I cannot wait to see what happens in the future. I recommend this book for any Star Wars fan.

[Melkirdin · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is another good book by Kevin J Anderson. Anja's character is very well thought out and defined, and her spice addiction is very well written. Also, I like the way that each of the books in this series is a self-contained adventure as well as being a part of a larger whole. That makes it very nice for folks like me who blunder into the series and start with the second to last book in the saga.

[Bluesalamanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Han's past catches up with him and puts Han and his children in a dangerous situation.

This book is too short for the story in it to be properly fleshed out, which leaves the minor characters flat and unrealistic and the climax, because it hinges on those characters, is abbreviated and completely unbelievable.

The writing is adequate and the first half of the story is more entertaining. Definitely will not read again.

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this whole series several times when I was a kid. These were a lot of fun and easy to read. They really helped me along my way to enjoy reading and becoming obessed with Star Wars. We meet alot of charaters that became close frinds to the reader. I feel Anderson was able to identify what a young adult would be lookig for in characters and hit it bullseye. Kudos for a great series.

[Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things seemed a bit too easy and straight-forward, as far as the war was concerned, but the character of Anja definitely made up for that. She has a lot of nuances that sometimes seem to be lacking from other characters. Also, Anakin was featured, if only minimally, and I have an undying love for Anakin.

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always like reading these Young Jedi Knight books. There is nothing too deep or unexpected but it is a fun read about the Star Wars Universe.

[Jeremy Stephens · Rating 2 out of 5]

weak.

[Beth Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first of the final trilogy in the series and it was probably the weakest so far. Plot was slow and the new characters were flat.