What do you think?
Rate this book
Star Wars: Jedi Prince #6
Prophets of the Dark Side
The battle against the evil Empire rages on as heroic men, women, and aliens of the Rebel Alliance continue their struggle to end the era of darkness. But by rescuing an Imperial prisoner, have the Rebels brought disaster upon themselves?While on a perilous quest in the mushroom forests of Arzid, Luke and Ken are captured by Kadann, Supreme Imperial Prophet. Having tempted the young Jedi Prince into revealing the location of the Lost City of the Jedi, the Supreme Prophet plans to steal the ancient knowledge of the Jedi Knights. Now Kadann will rule over a new tyrannical empire, as foretold by the... "Prophets Of The Dark Side"
95 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1993
7 people are currently reading
495 people want to read
About the author
Paul Davids
15 booksLibrarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Paul^Davids
Paul^Davids
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
December 19, 2020
2.5. Still cringey but probably the best out of the series.
January 1, 2023
Star Wars Legends Project #320
Background: Prophets of the Dark Side was written by Paul Davids and Hollace Davids and published in April 1993. It is the sixth and final book in the Jedi Prince series. The Davids are responsible for the whole series.
Prophets of the Dark Side picks up immediately after Queen of the Empire (my review), a year after the Battle of Endor (5 years after the battle of Yavin). The main characters are Ken the Jedi Prince, Luke, Leia, Han, Artoo, Threepio, and Chewie, plus Triclops, the evil Kadann, et al. The story takes place mostly on Yavin IV.
Summary: Kadann's final dark prophecy is about to come to fruition as he closes in on the location of the Lost City of the Jedi, which will give him ultimate power in his bid to control the galaxy. Meanwhile, the Alliance struggles with whether they can trust Triclops, and how to deal with his unintentional transmissions of their greatest secrets.
Review: This isn't a review so much as a post-mortem. In keeping with the theme of taking the same amount of time to write these stories as it takes to read them, it really seems like the last half of this series was done with no plan beyond the next page. After freezing the series' main villain in carbonite at the end of book 3, and seemingly destroying him in book 4, they brought him back at the end of book 5, only to kill him off immediately at the beginning of this book. So we're stuck with the rhyming villain to bring things to a final conclusion, and it feels perfunctory at best.
There's something poetic (and I'm going into spoiler territory here, though I can't imagine why anyone would care in this case) about the reveal that Ken, the Jedi Prince, is the grandson of Emperor Palpatine. It's oddly appropriate that when JJ Abrams was making the worst Star Wars movie of all time, he stole his main plot point from the worst Star Wars books of all time. Incidentally, we finally have an answer as to why Ken is specifically a Jedi Prince! See, it's because his mother was a Jedi Princess . . . I didn't think it was still possible for the Davids to disappoint and fall short of expectations, but damned if they didn't do it one last time here at the end. Incredible.
And the absolute audacity of these people to write a wedding scene for Han and Leia here! As if! In what universe would these two clowns be entrusted with filling in that major event in the timeline?! I'm trying to think of what I hope the consequences were for anyone and everyone involved in this project seeing the light of day, but it's an injustice of too great a magnitude. Some wrongs are too great to ever be made right.
But it's over. Thank the Force.
F
Background: Prophets of the Dark Side was written by Paul Davids and Hollace Davids and published in April 1993. It is the sixth and final book in the Jedi Prince series. The Davids are responsible for the whole series.
Prophets of the Dark Side picks up immediately after Queen of the Empire (my review), a year after the Battle of Endor (5 years after the battle of Yavin). The main characters are Ken the Jedi Prince, Luke, Leia, Han, Artoo, Threepio, and Chewie, plus Triclops, the evil Kadann, et al. The story takes place mostly on Yavin IV.
Summary: Kadann's final dark prophecy is about to come to fruition as he closes in on the location of the Lost City of the Jedi, which will give him ultimate power in his bid to control the galaxy. Meanwhile, the Alliance struggles with whether they can trust Triclops, and how to deal with his unintentional transmissions of their greatest secrets.
Review: This isn't a review so much as a post-mortem. In keeping with the theme of taking the same amount of time to write these stories as it takes to read them, it really seems like the last half of this series was done with no plan beyond the next page. After freezing the series' main villain in carbonite at the end of book 3, and seemingly destroying him in book 4, they brought him back at the end of book 5, only to kill him off immediately at the beginning of this book. So we're stuck with the rhyming villain to bring things to a final conclusion, and it feels perfunctory at best.
There's something poetic (and I'm going into spoiler territory here, though I can't imagine why anyone would care in this case) about the reveal that Ken, the Jedi Prince, is the grandson of Emperor Palpatine. It's oddly appropriate that when JJ Abrams was making the worst Star Wars movie of all time, he stole his main plot point from the worst Star Wars books of all time. Incidentally, we finally have an answer as to why Ken is specifically a Jedi Prince! See, it's because his mother was a Jedi Princess . . . I didn't think it was still possible for the Davids to disappoint and fall short of expectations, but damned if they didn't do it one last time here at the end. Incredible.
And the absolute audacity of these people to write a wedding scene for Han and Leia here! As if! In what universe would these two clowns be entrusted with filling in that major event in the timeline?! I'm trying to think of what I hope the consequences were for anyone and everyone involved in this project seeing the light of day, but it's an injustice of too great a magnitude. Some wrongs are too great to ever be made right.
But it's over. Thank the Force.
F
January 12, 2021
1/12/
Ok, I lied, I did not come back with a review the same weekend I finished this. But here it is.
After initially planning to make this my final book of 2020, I decided that this was the energy I needed to start 2021 with instead.
The bad takes are all still here (casual ableism, the othering of what is not treated as the default, beings who have a human and a non-human parent are “mutants,” etc.), but this one is somehow more readable than the rest in terms of writing quality? I am not sure how to feel about this, as I am here for clownery, not quality; there was enough to keep me invested, but I miss the “hey, what the FUCK??” moments of previous installments. Maybe I’m just immune to it now?
Anyway, have some bullet points. Here there be spoilers for the book, the series, and Rise of Skywalker, of all things.
• “Luke Skywalker and his twin sister Princess Leia follow the path of the Jedi.” MY LONGEST YEAH BOI EVER (and yes, I know there should be a comma there, and no, she doesn’t really get to do much other than move the plot a long and plan her wedding, but lET ME HAVE THIS)
• Idk why we’re still insisting that the Empire is, like, super aligned with the Dark Side when even the movies show that they are, Palpatine and Vader excluded, indifferent to Sith Nonsense at best. Eh.
• “confined to a hover-chair” yeah, don’t like that, that’s Bad
• Bold of them to off the main antagonist in the first chapter. Did not remember it happening that early, but it’s been a while.
o Rest in piss, Space Gaston.
• The Empire is using a MIND CONTROL DENTAL IMPLANT to make Triclops, like, dig through Alliance filing cabinets in his sleep lol
• “I couldn’t help overhearing” SURE, KEN
• Ken starts talking about the “wisdom” he feels he’s acquired and Luke slaps him down in a way that…wasn’t as mean as it could have been lol, but still
• A prophecy concerning a Jedi Knight is regarded as potentially applying to Luke or Leia. She is a Jedi KNIGHT in this timeline and that automatically makes it better than the Disney one, sorry, I don’t make the rules.
• The Prophets of the Darkside have all black table settings – black table cloth, black plates, etc. Ngl, kind of respect their commitment to the Aesthetic
• They invite Zorba to dinner to get info out of him, and they all hate it. Zorba and I enjoyed ourselves immensely, tho.
o Zorba: *huge onomatopoeia’d belch* Congratulations on the accuracy of your prophecies (WHY IS THIS FUNNY THO???)
o Several Moods
o They have a rug that took 100 Ewoks 5 years to make, presumably not by choice.
o One last hurrah for zoochberries
• Han is weirdly uninterested in planning HIS OWN WEDDING, doing like some A/V setup at most, and leading Leia to have to make all the decisions on her own
o Ugh ugh ugh we still can’t do gender well, huh? I’m so tired, y’all
o “…do you think Admiral Ackbar should sit with the delegation from Calamari?...Or should we put him at the table with the top Alliance officials like Mon Mothma?” “…do you think Chewbacca should sit at the Wookie table or with us?” Are…are we segregating guests by species? Maybe that’s not what it means, but that’s what the wording makes it sound like??? WHY WOULD THE BEST MAN NOT SIT WITH THE WEDDING PARTY?????
o Also, did the Davidses kinda sorta name Mon Calamari??? Huh.
• Zorba @ Grand Moff Hissa:
• Big Fuckin Spiders :/
• IM SCREAMING they actually acknowledge that a regular Y-Wing couldn’t hold The Squad and say that Luke’s is a modified one. They must have heard me yelling about it. Incredible.
• “The grand moffs are all guilty, but we conclude that Hissa is the guiltiest.” asjdgahjdf
• “’Zneeeech Kbooooop!’ Artoo-Detoo tooted”
• Molasses exists in the Star War
• Stun blasts don’t knock your ass out here, they just sorta mess up your nervous system. Which? Maybe there’s different levels of stun? Idek.
• Ken is three for three in terms of consuming food and/or beverages given to him by a known enemy. Did the robots not teach him about Stranger Danger????
• I thought it was going to be a tea made out of the psychotropic tree bark mentioned a few books ago, but it’s just the usual truth serum spice stuff apparently, boooooo.
• “His face wore a bitter scowl” LMAO
• So we learn about Ken’s parents, which is not really a big shocker given stuff mentioned in previous books, BUT – and this is a SPOILER, but if you’re this far in I don’t think you care- his daddy is Triclops and his mama is Kendalina, (a “””Jedi Princess”””” mentioned in passing a book or two ago.
o Oh no, Ken really is a Jedi Prince :p
o What does it mean to be Jedi royalty?? I know we didn’t know that much about them circa 1993, but still
o Triclops being his dad means the Palpatine is his grandpa (news Ken does not take well). Palpatine Fucks. Palpatine Has Always Fucked.
o Rey is Ken’s cousin and this delights me
• Luke gives Ken a nice talk about how the sins of our parents/grandparents aren’t ours and how we’re responsible for our own lives and choices 👍👍
• Look, ok, it was 1993, but why do the robots have all that data on one computer with no backups? How do they get their very up-to-date information?? We just don’t know.
• I’m actually very sad about the underground city shutting down?? I…don’t know what to do with this feeling, I did not come here to feel SAD, I am here for the ZOOCHBERRIES
o Word has stopped putting red squigglies under “zoochberries,” incidentally
• Ken does not get that good good closure with his dad, which is…idk? A nice twist on what you might normally get in a children’s book? Disappointing? Not sure.
• “I know what a shock it must have been for you to realize that your grandfather was Emperor Palpatine. And the things I must do in the days ahead will surely shock you just as much.” hey what the fuck, Dad??
o Direct Action, I guess??
o And then there were no other books, womp womp
• Ken is understandably v bummed about losing his home and droid family and a chance to connect with his dad, but Luke says that they must focus on the wedding!
o Luke no
o Luke let him be sad, you doughnut
o At least Zeebo is ok!
• Ok, but it is wedding time!
o Mon Mothma is officiating, yaaaaassss
o Chewie is best man!!
o Artoo and Threepio get to be Best Droids, aw
o Leia has a vision of their babbies, possibly twins
o “…Leia wondered if she and Han could possibly handle twins.” who wants to tell her
• Maybe you can just go on to the Thrawn trilogy from here?? Idk, I haven’t read those in 20 years either.
• Apropos of nothing, I remember thinking as a child that Pierce Brosnan would make a good Trioculus, like in case you wanted to know that.
• I’m guessing that Ken’s robo dad looks like a Transformer because Paul Davids used to write for Transformers. The more you know.
• All human replica droids shoot frickin laser beams out of their frickin eyes, IT IS KNOWN
And that’s it! There are no more of these, and I’m pretty sad about that, actually. These very silly books made for a nice nostalgic distraction in these Trying Times, and I’m glad I revisited them.
1/2/21
I'll be back with a review in a bit 👍
Ok, I lied, I did not come back with a review the same weekend I finished this. But here it is.
After initially planning to make this my final book of 2020, I decided that this was the energy I needed to start 2021 with instead.
The bad takes are all still here (casual ableism, the othering of what is not treated as the default, beings who have a human and a non-human parent are “mutants,” etc.), but this one is somehow more readable than the rest in terms of writing quality? I am not sure how to feel about this, as I am here for clownery, not quality; there was enough to keep me invested, but I miss the “hey, what the FUCK??” moments of previous installments. Maybe I’m just immune to it now?
Anyway, have some bullet points. Here there be spoilers for the book, the series, and Rise of Skywalker, of all things.
• “Luke Skywalker and his twin sister Princess Leia follow the path of the Jedi.” MY LONGEST YEAH BOI EVER (and yes, I know there should be a comma there, and no, she doesn’t really get to do much other than move the plot a long and plan her wedding, but lET ME HAVE THIS)
• Idk why we’re still insisting that the Empire is, like, super aligned with the Dark Side when even the movies show that they are, Palpatine and Vader excluded, indifferent to Sith Nonsense at best. Eh.
• “confined to a hover-chair” yeah, don’t like that, that’s Bad
• Bold of them to off the main antagonist in the first chapter. Did not remember it happening that early, but it’s been a while.
o Rest in piss, Space Gaston.
• The Empire is using a MIND CONTROL DENTAL IMPLANT to make Triclops, like, dig through Alliance filing cabinets in his sleep lol
• “I couldn’t help overhearing” SURE, KEN
• Ken starts talking about the “wisdom” he feels he’s acquired and Luke slaps him down in a way that…wasn’t as mean as it could have been lol, but still
• A prophecy concerning a Jedi Knight is regarded as potentially applying to Luke or Leia. She is a Jedi KNIGHT in this timeline and that automatically makes it better than the Disney one, sorry, I don’t make the rules.
• The Prophets of the Darkside have all black table settings – black table cloth, black plates, etc. Ngl, kind of respect their commitment to the Aesthetic
• They invite Zorba to dinner to get info out of him, and they all hate it. Zorba and I enjoyed ourselves immensely, tho.
o Zorba: *huge onomatopoeia’d belch* Congratulations on the accuracy of your prophecies (WHY IS THIS FUNNY THO???)
o Several Moods
o They have a rug that took 100 Ewoks 5 years to make, presumably not by choice.
o One last hurrah for zoochberries
• Han is weirdly uninterested in planning HIS OWN WEDDING, doing like some A/V setup at most, and leading Leia to have to make all the decisions on her own
o Ugh ugh ugh we still can’t do gender well, huh? I’m so tired, y’all
o “…do you think Admiral Ackbar should sit with the delegation from Calamari?...Or should we put him at the table with the top Alliance officials like Mon Mothma?” “…do you think Chewbacca should sit at the Wookie table or with us?” Are…are we segregating guests by species? Maybe that’s not what it means, but that’s what the wording makes it sound like??? WHY WOULD THE BEST MAN NOT SIT WITH THE WEDDING PARTY?????
o Also, did the Davidses kinda sorta name Mon Calamari??? Huh.
• Zorba @ Grand Moff Hissa:
• Big Fuckin Spiders :/
• IM SCREAMING they actually acknowledge that a regular Y-Wing couldn’t hold The Squad and say that Luke’s is a modified one. They must have heard me yelling about it. Incredible.
• “The grand moffs are all guilty, but we conclude that Hissa is the guiltiest.” asjdgahjdf
• “’Zneeeech Kbooooop!’ Artoo-Detoo tooted”
• Molasses exists in the Star War
• Stun blasts don’t knock your ass out here, they just sorta mess up your nervous system. Which? Maybe there’s different levels of stun? Idek.
• Ken is three for three in terms of consuming food and/or beverages given to him by a known enemy. Did the robots not teach him about Stranger Danger????
• I thought it was going to be a tea made out of the psychotropic tree bark mentioned a few books ago, but it’s just the usual truth serum spice stuff apparently, boooooo.
• “His face wore a bitter scowl” LMAO
• So we learn about Ken’s parents, which is not really a big shocker given stuff mentioned in previous books, BUT – and this is a SPOILER, but if you’re this far in I don’t think you care- his daddy is Triclops and his mama is Kendalina, (a “””Jedi Princess”””” mentioned in passing a book or two ago.
o Oh no, Ken really is a Jedi Prince :p
o What does it mean to be Jedi royalty?? I know we didn’t know that much about them circa 1993, but still
o Triclops being his dad means the Palpatine is his grandpa (news Ken does not take well). Palpatine Fucks. Palpatine Has Always Fucked.
o Rey is Ken’s cousin and this delights me
• Luke gives Ken a nice talk about how the sins of our parents/grandparents aren’t ours and how we’re responsible for our own lives and choices 👍👍
• Look, ok, it was 1993, but why do the robots have all that data on one computer with no backups? How do they get their very up-to-date information?? We just don’t know.
• I’m actually very sad about the underground city shutting down?? I…don’t know what to do with this feeling, I did not come here to feel SAD, I am here for the ZOOCHBERRIES
o Word has stopped putting red squigglies under “zoochberries,” incidentally
• Ken does not get that good good closure with his dad, which is…idk? A nice twist on what you might normally get in a children’s book? Disappointing? Not sure.
• “I know what a shock it must have been for you to realize that your grandfather was Emperor Palpatine. And the things I must do in the days ahead will surely shock you just as much.” hey what the fuck, Dad??
o Direct Action, I guess??
o And then there were no other books, womp womp
• Ken is understandably v bummed about losing his home and droid family and a chance to connect with his dad, but Luke says that they must focus on the wedding!
o Luke no
o Luke let him be sad, you doughnut
o At least Zeebo is ok!
• Ok, but it is wedding time!
o Mon Mothma is officiating, yaaaaassss
o Chewie is best man!!
o Artoo and Threepio get to be Best Droids, aw
o Leia has a vision of their babbies, possibly twins
o “…Leia wondered if she and Han could possibly handle twins.” who wants to tell her
• Maybe you can just go on to the Thrawn trilogy from here?? Idk, I haven’t read those in 20 years either.
• Apropos of nothing, I remember thinking as a child that Pierce Brosnan would make a good Trioculus, like in case you wanted to know that.
• I’m guessing that Ken’s robo dad looks like a Transformer because Paul Davids used to write for Transformers. The more you know.
• All human replica droids shoot frickin laser beams out of their frickin eyes, IT IS KNOWN
And that’s it! There are no more of these, and I’m pretty sad about that, actually. These very silly books made for a nice nostalgic distraction in these Trying Times, and I’m glad I revisited them.
1/2/21
I'll be back with a review in a bit 👍
December 16, 2025
luke skywalker and his obsession to adopt palpatine's grandchildren
October 10, 2023
Probably the strongest of the series and that’s not saying a whole lot 😬😬😬
December 28, 2019
This series is full of narrative gems like, "His face wore a bitter scowl, the look of a soldier who had long served the Empire and now felt betrayed by the new Imperial leader" to describe a soldier who who already know had long served the Empire and now felt betrayed by the new Imperial leader.
February 6, 2021
This is not the worst of the series, but it is the last and I am thankful for that. The end seems to set up potential for a follow-up series; I don't know if it exists or not but I have no interest in reading it. As for this last entry... well, Luke, if you will take a child on a mission you deserve what you get when they act like a child, don't listen, and fuck everything up, leaving you hostage, without your lightsaber, and covered in spider web. You have no-one but yourself to blame.
Sadly, that's not the worst of it. Irritating as the above is, you can sort of excuse it as this series is meant for kids so the child character is going to be front and centre, even if it means to get him there every adult loses every bit of common sense they ever had. No, what's worst is the parentage reveal. It was hinted at pretty heavily in book five, and I had hoped to be wrong because what's the point of writing the same damn story over again? Alas, I was not wrong. If you imagine the laziest, most unoriginal, repetitive ancestral reveal you could possibly have for young Prince Ken you would be right, and then you would rethink your life and reading choices, as I am currently doing.
Sadly, that's not the worst of it. Irritating as the above is, you can sort of excuse it as this series is meant for kids so the child character is going to be front and centre, even if it means to get him there every adult loses every bit of common sense they ever had. No, what's worst is the parentage reveal. It was hinted at pretty heavily in book five, and I had hoped to be wrong because what's the point of writing the same damn story over again? Alas, I was not wrong. If you imagine the laziest, most unoriginal, repetitive ancestral reveal you could possibly have for young Prince Ken you would be right, and then you would rethink your life and reading choices, as I am currently doing.
October 29, 2009
this is an ok book in my opion but i thought it could of been a little more suspicful. this is a great book for people who love star wars. so read this book today. or not.
September 12, 2019
This is getting two stars only because it was marginally less ridiculous than the last couple books.
December 10, 2025
When I started reading these, I thought they had come out prior to The Heir to the Empire trilogy, but apparently, they came out at roughly the same time. Also coming out on top of Dark Empire.
I really don't think Lucasfilm was prepared for the popularity of Heir to the Empire (or Dark Empire) or that fans would care about extended universe continuity, (even up to NJO I'm not sure they understood adults were also reading the "kid" books) so things were a bit messy and needed spackling. Spoilers....
Ken finally goes to school, but it's completely off screen, which is a shame because his first time interacting with other kids could have been interesting and let him develop some much needed personality.
Other than Ken and Trioculus falling off the radar nothing in Jedi Prince blatantly contradicts Heir to the Empire. But kind of a sadly unsatisfying end to the series. They were clearly setting up for more books that did not happen. And they also were clearly aware of Zahn's work and trying to step up their game a bit at this point (1993). Leia's vision of the twins as she walks down the aisle is a nice tie-in.
Apparently, this wedding was supposed to be interrupted by an Imperial Attack in the next book which never happened. Han and Leia having romantic moments interrupted is an ongoing theme.
The concept of the Jedi library is fun, but the library itself makes no sense because it's full of recent information that would have had to be added after Ken and the City were abandoned. My personal spackle for this is Kendalina and/or Triclops in his lucid moments had set things up so that intelligence reports fed into the central computer... but probably the better spackle is that Jedi Prince is an in universe holodrama that gets some things right.
Kendalina being a "Jedi Princess" is an easier spackle. Like Tenel Ka, she's a princess who is also a Jedi. This princess status/royal connections is how she was able to survive the purge.
I already had Ken's big twist spoiled for me, so it's hard to judge the emotional impact. But he had more reaction to finding out he was Palpatine's grandchild than Rey did, so that's something. In a way, it feels like just an attempt to repeat the impact of Vader's ESB reveal, but I think it still works because it's handled very differently.
I did see a lot of concepts in this that have been reused intentionally or accidentally in later Star Wars, like having a droid controlling implant. Honestly think Triclops was a wasted character. His name and giving him a third eye are a bit much, but his unbalanced sanity had a lot of story potential.
Finally, I love Drew Struzan's covers. The cover art is way too good for these books, but it's the main reason I bought them. Interior art by June Brigman/Karl Kesel is also solid and enhances the experience, particularly since there's minimal description.
P.S. I learned later these were originally sold as "reader books" and for reader, they're pretty decent, but do not hold beside the other middle grade childrens Star Wars series that came out later like Jedi Apprentice or even Junior Jedi Knights.
I really don't think Lucasfilm was prepared for the popularity of Heir to the Empire (or Dark Empire) or that fans would care about extended universe continuity, (even up to NJO I'm not sure they understood adults were also reading the "kid" books) so things were a bit messy and needed spackling. Spoilers....
Ken finally goes to school, but it's completely off screen, which is a shame because his first time interacting with other kids could have been interesting and let him develop some much needed personality.
Other than Ken and Trioculus falling off the radar nothing in Jedi Prince blatantly contradicts Heir to the Empire. But kind of a sadly unsatisfying end to the series. They were clearly setting up for more books that did not happen. And they also were clearly aware of Zahn's work and trying to step up their game a bit at this point (1993). Leia's vision of the twins as she walks down the aisle is a nice tie-in.
Apparently, this wedding was supposed to be interrupted by an Imperial Attack in the next book which never happened. Han and Leia having romantic moments interrupted is an ongoing theme.
The concept of the Jedi library is fun, but the library itself makes no sense because it's full of recent information that would have had to be added after Ken and the City were abandoned. My personal spackle for this is Kendalina and/or Triclops in his lucid moments had set things up so that intelligence reports fed into the central computer... but probably the better spackle is that Jedi Prince is an in universe holodrama that gets some things right.
Kendalina being a "Jedi Princess" is an easier spackle. Like Tenel Ka, she's a princess who is also a Jedi. This princess status/royal connections is how she was able to survive the purge.
I already had Ken's big twist spoiled for me, so it's hard to judge the emotional impact. But he had more reaction to finding out he was Palpatine's grandchild than Rey did, so that's something. In a way, it feels like just an attempt to repeat the impact of Vader's ESB reveal, but I think it still works because it's handled very differently.
I did see a lot of concepts in this that have been reused intentionally or accidentally in later Star Wars, like having a droid controlling implant. Honestly think Triclops was a wasted character. His name and giving him a third eye are a bit much, but his unbalanced sanity had a lot of story potential.
Finally, I love Drew Struzan's covers. The cover art is way too good for these books, but it's the main reason I bought them. Interior art by June Brigman/Karl Kesel is also solid and enhances the experience, particularly since there's minimal description.
P.S. I learned later these were originally sold as "reader books" and for reader, they're pretty decent, but do not hold beside the other middle grade childrens Star Wars series that came out later like Jedi Apprentice or even Junior Jedi Knights.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2023
Just when I thought this series couldn’t possibly be any worse, along comes Prophets of the Dark Side and proves me wrong.
No joke, this last book in this already terrible series somehow manages to up the ante in outright stupidity at nearly every single turn. The plot revolves around trying to get secret files from a secret city buried on Yavin IV. This could be interesting except the Davids squander every opportunity, dumbing down every moment to its absolute lowest possible denominator.
Things just…happen because, well, “reasons” I guess. With no buildup or even any plot to speak of, the pointless baddies from this series show up and are completely worthless, especially considering some of them are supposed to be imbibed with the Dark Side. They stumble around for pages and when they finally get to their goal, it’s ruined by one of the most asinine and inane reasons possibly to ever be conceived. Furthermore, they’re just left there with no closure. No explanation. Instead they’re entirely forgotten in order to finish this book with Han and Leia’s stupid wedding.
Oh, and remember Triclops (or was it Trioculus…who the hell knows or even cares) who may or not be an imperial spy? Well suddenly he’s one of the main character’s dad because this is young reader’s Star Wars from the early 90s when I guess anything goes.
Honestly, it’s shocking just how freaking awful this, and the entire damn series was. Actually makes Disney’s own awful example of Star Wars look competent by comparison.
No joke, this last book in this already terrible series somehow manages to up the ante in outright stupidity at nearly every single turn. The plot revolves around trying to get secret files from a secret city buried on Yavin IV. This could be interesting except the Davids squander every opportunity, dumbing down every moment to its absolute lowest possible denominator.
Things just…happen because, well, “reasons” I guess. With no buildup or even any plot to speak of, the pointless baddies from this series show up and are completely worthless, especially considering some of them are supposed to be imbibed with the Dark Side. They stumble around for pages and when they finally get to their goal, it’s ruined by one of the most asinine and inane reasons possibly to ever be conceived. Furthermore, they’re just left there with no closure. No explanation. Instead they’re entirely forgotten in order to finish this book with Han and Leia’s stupid wedding.
Oh, and remember Triclops (or was it Trioculus…who the hell knows or even cares) who may or not be an imperial spy? Well suddenly he’s one of the main character’s dad because this is young reader’s Star Wars from the early 90s when I guess anything goes.
Honestly, it’s shocking just how freaking awful this, and the entire damn series was. Actually makes Disney’s own awful example of Star Wars look competent by comparison.
April 30, 2021
I did it! I made it through the so-called Jedi Prince series! Go, me, go!
But let's get serious. I am, after all, a scholar. I have to button the top button of my shirt sometimes, right?
As far as that goes, what drew me to read all of these is the motif of Emperor Palpatine having offspring, children, descendants, clones, whatever you want to call 'em. And in terms of all of that, the story hashed out here is quite intriguing in its imaginative take -- and also curious, because it is a dead end. The Palpatine line presented here was never taken up in Star Wars again, with at least two central characters in that family line left here like loose strings. Curious. Was the series just not popular? Was the more adult-geared book-line simply more successful, drowning out these chapter books? I mean, Leia and Han's wedding closes this book -- until you wade through (more) apocrypha and find out Triclops apparently showed up and disrupted the wedding just after the book ends and Han and Leia had to wait another three years to get married... What a mess it all is, at least if we're seeking to control the narrative. Otherwise it's just a lot of fun, right?
Will definitely be talking about this series quite a bit in my book on SW. Lots to unpack, for sure!
But let's get serious. I am, after all, a scholar. I have to button the top button of my shirt sometimes, right?
As far as that goes, what drew me to read all of these is the motif of Emperor Palpatine having offspring, children, descendants, clones, whatever you want to call 'em. And in terms of all of that, the story hashed out here is quite intriguing in its imaginative take -- and also curious, because it is a dead end. The Palpatine line presented here was never taken up in Star Wars again, with at least two central characters in that family line left here like loose strings. Curious. Was the series just not popular? Was the more adult-geared book-line simply more successful, drowning out these chapter books? I mean, Leia and Han's wedding closes this book -- until you wade through (more) apocrypha and find out Triclops apparently showed up and disrupted the wedding just after the book ends and Han and Leia had to wait another three years to get married... What a mess it all is, at least if we're seeking to control the narrative. Otherwise it's just a lot of fun, right?
Will definitely be talking about this series quite a bit in my book on SW. Lots to unpack, for sure!
October 7, 2021
"The fact that my father chose a path of evil is no reflection on me," Luke explained. "It doesn't mean that I'm any less of a person, or any less of a man. Unlike my father, I proved myself strong enough to risk the lure of the Dark Side. And you've got to prove yourself strong enough to do the same too."
"And what if I'm not strong enough?" Ken asked.
"You will be," Luke replied. "Ken, no one is responsible for who their parents are. Or their grandparents. The choices they made in their lives are their own. But the choices we make are our own. We can't blame ourselves for the evil that our parents and grandparents did- only for what we do. And so it's up to each of us to make the right choices in life, to trust in the Force, and become the person that we know we should be."
(Also the way my jaw dropped when we found out who Ken's father is. And omg the wedding scene at the end, help.)
"And what if I'm not strong enough?" Ken asked.
"You will be," Luke replied. "Ken, no one is responsible for who their parents are. Or their grandparents. The choices they made in their lives are their own. But the choices we make are our own. We can't blame ourselves for the evil that our parents and grandparents did- only for what we do. And so it's up to each of us to make the right choices in life, to trust in the Force, and become the person that we know we should be."
(Also the way my jaw dropped when we found out who Ken's father is. And omg the wedding scene at the end, help.)
January 2, 2021
Goodness sake, I realize this series wasn't that great to begin with, but what a dud of a way to end things. Which is disappointing, because I actually think this might've been the best of the six books. The writing had definitely improved, and the authors were actually doing a good job of inventing new things, rather than relying on planets and species we all are intimately familiar with, thanks to the films.
I don't know why the abrupt ending, maybe there wasn't enough demand for a 7th book. I will say there were enough questions in this answered to be satisfied, but at the same time, there's a difference between "Always leave 'em wanting more" and "Hi, there's an entire books worth of information still outstanding. Stay tuned."
I don't know why the abrupt ending, maybe there wasn't enough demand for a 7th book. I will say there were enough questions in this answered to be satisfied, but at the same time, there's a difference between "Always leave 'em wanting more" and "Hi, there's an entire books worth of information still outstanding. Stay tuned."
October 25, 2023
Whew, finally done with this series...this one was the best of the six, by far (which is saying a lot), so it merits some sort of review. The whole Jedi Prince series is written quite poorly, even from a children's book perspective. In fact, I think the style of writing was in an attempt to be easier to understand but is just so far from typical speech that it seems more complicated.
The series is ridiculous, full of dumb lines and awkwardly placed environmentally-friendly commentary. The characters are not true to the movies. And yet...a 10 year old boy reading this could totally connect with the protagonist kid and live out his star wars make believe!
Too bad I'm no longer 10.
The things I go through to read all the pre-2000 star wars novels...
The series is ridiculous, full of dumb lines and awkwardly placed environmentally-friendly commentary. The characters are not true to the movies. And yet...a 10 year old boy reading this could totally connect with the protagonist kid and live out his star wars make believe!
Too bad I'm no longer 10.
The things I go through to read all the pre-2000 star wars novels...
Read
August 25, 2025Finally finished with these and woof. I remembered this one the least and I can see why. It's super boring, somehow even more than the other books lol
Hissa suffers in a graphic way yet again, which I still find crazy.
It's kinda wild that Trioculus, the supposed villain of the whole series, just flat out dies right at the beginning of the book LMAO it's like if Vader died at the beginning of Return of the Jedi and you're just like, "the hell???"
I forgot that Han and Leia get married at the end of this, which I thiiiink got retconned later and they actually got married in The Courtship of Princess Leia, which holds the title of "Most Insane Star Wars Book That Had A Weird Amount Of Influence On The Current Canon."
Hissa suffers in a graphic way yet again, which I still find crazy.
It's kinda wild that Trioculus, the supposed villain of the whole series, just flat out dies right at the beginning of the book LMAO it's like if Vader died at the beginning of Return of the Jedi and you're just like, "the hell???"
I forgot that Han and Leia get married at the end of this, which I thiiiink got retconned later and they actually got married in The Courtship of Princess Leia, which holds the title of "Most Insane Star Wars Book That Had A Weird Amount Of Influence On The Current Canon."
June 25, 2025
I like the "Who's Your Daddy?" moments... Ken
finally knows for sure who his father is.
Kadan tries to control the fate of our favorite characters...
While they're on a journey to find something to help
Triclops with his brain chip that the empire's controlling.
I really wish this wasn't the final book in the series, since it's
unfinished... The story still has more to tell.
Would be cool to see the underground City of the Jedi...
All those droids working every day to keep things clean and up
to date incase the Jedi were to return to occupy the place.
Planning a wedding seems like a headache lol. Poor Han and Leia.
finally knows for sure who his father is.
Kadan tries to control the fate of our favorite characters...
While they're on a journey to find something to help
Triclops with his brain chip that the empire's controlling.
I really wish this wasn't the final book in the series, since it's
unfinished... The story still has more to tell.
Would be cool to see the underground City of the Jedi...
All those droids working every day to keep things clean and up
to date incase the Jedi were to return to occupy the place.
Planning a wedding seems like a headache lol. Poor Han and Leia.
December 29, 2025
Star Wars: Legends: Jedi Prince 06 Prophets of the Dark Side by Hollace Davids, Paul Davids
3.25 Stars
adventurous
Fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
Okay. I'm glad this series is over. It just wasn't for me. If others have connected with it, I throw no shade on their thoughts (nor yours...if you enjoyed it).
I just didn't enjoy it. I do look forward to the next book on the docket: Star Wars: Legends: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor by Matthew Stover.
3.25 Stars
adventurous
Fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
Okay. I'm glad this series is over. It just wasn't for me. If others have connected with it, I throw no shade on their thoughts (nor yours...if you enjoyed it).
I just didn't enjoy it. I do look forward to the next book on the docket: Star Wars: Legends: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor by Matthew Stover.
July 22, 2020
Probably some of the worst starwars I have read. Not all the young adult starwars books are a waste. Some are decent. This stuff still stinks even compared to the early lando and solo trilogy sets. Seems like the authors were fans but their efforts fall flat.
I always enjoy reading the expanded universe stuff every summer. Total grab bag attitude is critical. Some garbage. A lot of 3 star averages. Occasional gems. I did like these books as a child and the illustrations were great so a bit of a nostalgia factor looking at pages I haven't seen in 20 years.
I always enjoy reading the expanded universe stuff every summer. Total grab bag attitude is critical. Some garbage. A lot of 3 star averages. Occasional gems. I did like these books as a child and the illustrations were great so a bit of a nostalgia factor looking at pages I haven't seen in 20 years.
April 3, 2024
Prophets of the Dark Side (Star Wars: Jedi Prince #6) by Paul and Hollace Davids.
Basic storyline: Luke and Ken (the young Jedi Prince) are captured by Kadann, the Supreme Imperial Prophet. Kadann wants to steal the knowledge of the location of the Lost City of the Jedi so he can rule over a new empire.
As the final book in the six book series this story does wrap up the storyline that connects all the books together.
I gave this 2 stars. Overall, a very mediocre series for 8-12 yr old readers.
Basic storyline: Luke and Ken (the young Jedi Prince) are captured by Kadann, the Supreme Imperial Prophet. Kadann wants to steal the knowledge of the location of the Lost City of the Jedi so he can rule over a new empire.
As the final book in the six book series this story does wrap up the storyline that connects all the books together.
I gave this 2 stars. Overall, a very mediocre series for 8-12 yr old readers.
May 28, 2024
Overall Series Rating: 1.5/5
The following review considers all 6 books.
I didn't expect much form this series because they are children's books, but oh boy... What a fever dream of a series. It has its charm, and there are some decent ideas in it, but overall not the best the EU has to offer. Set up like an "adventure of the week" kids show, I appreciated that each book tries to teach a lesson and/or promote good values. However, this series can be skipped. Heavy emphasis on "Legends". No amount of mental gymnastics can get you past some of the stuff in this series.
The following review considers all 6 books.
I didn't expect much form this series because they are children's books, but oh boy... What a fever dream of a series. It has its charm, and there are some decent ideas in it, but overall not the best the EU has to offer. Set up like an "adventure of the week" kids show, I appreciated that each book tries to teach a lesson and/or promote good values. However, this series can be skipped. Heavy emphasis on "Legends". No amount of mental gymnastics can get you past some of the stuff in this series.
December 9, 2022
Oh vey. Even as a child I always preferred other Star Wars books to this series. Looking back on highlights people have posted recently I'm sure I would be even less kind than I am now. Fans complain about Disney making the old EU non Canon to the Star Wars films but I think even Disney's harshest critics can agree these books are best left behind (although ironically Disney mimicked a major plot point from this in the Sequel Trilogy).
November 17, 2021
First, I'm glad it is over. Second, the last book was probably the best of the six. Third, was reading this series as part of my goal to read all Legends books, worth it? Ummmm probably not, but at least I got to see the Ark of the Covenant Easter Egg illustration, which I guess made it worth it! Good for chuckles anyway!
August 31, 2025
The worst Star Wars books I've ever read, in the sense that they just dont work as Star Wars books and don't even really fit in the Legends Timeline, feeling more like childish fanfiction.
But there are "better" Star Wars books that I cared about way less.
As an experiment in experiencing Star Wars literary history, these were just dumb fun.
But there are "better" Star Wars books that I cared about way less.
As an experiment in experiencing Star Wars literary history, these were just dumb fun.
February 1, 2023
I genuinely don’t know why I’m still trying this series, it’s not good. Even as a kid, I know I would’ve found it patronising and poorly-written. Which is a great shame because there is potential for something interesting, but it just isn’t here.
February 4, 2023
A middling end for a very average series. I think some of the ideas overall could have worked and would have done better be rewritten and aimed at an older demographic but alas, it's all for naught.
Still, it's interesting what could have been if handled more maturely.
Still, it's interesting what could have been if handled more maturely.
December 8, 2023
My nostalgia trip careens into the final station, end of the line, everybody off. Somehow, this has left me curious about some of the other 90s extended universe books, but I don't think I can reasonably recommend this series to others. Read the first book and imagine the rest.
December 13, 2019
it kinda destroyed what george luckas started
July 20, 2021
Classic and quirky SW tale.
March 9, 2022
Surprisingly, the reveal was surprising... Cute ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews