Heir to the Jedi: Star Wars (Star Wars, Empire and Rebellion, #3)

by Kevin Hearne and Marc Thompson

[inlibrisveritas]

Heir to the Jedi follows Luke directly after the events of A New Hope. He’s still getting use to the idea of being force-sensitive without a teacher and trying to avoid being in the lime light as much as possible. This turned out to be just he sort of book I needed in order to really enjoy Luke as a character. Of the three main characters from the original series, Luke was firmly in second behind his sister Leia…with Han in last…and to be honest the trio sort of bored me until this year thanks to books like Heir to the Jedi.

The story itself isn’t one I would call plot important, but it definitely hits some major character development that was needed between the two films. More importantly this is a solo book for Luke, he doesn’t have his sister to plan things out or Han to basically take the spotlight by force, it’s just Luke and a few new companions. We get those moments of mourning we didn’t see in the movies, we get to see him struggle with the Force as he tries to teach himself, and we get to see new bonds form. Of course it’s also full of action and enw places to see, which really help make this a really quick and fun read.

But to me the characters are what drove this book to being one I enjoyed. Luke is still whiny, but it’s endearing because he’s trying to move passed that and come to terms with the things he’s lost. Nakari, who is a rebel sympathizer, is the perfect companion for Luke. She adds a nice touch of humor to situations and serves to buoy his spirits when they start flag. I loved her bravado and willingness to help out even though she’s well off and not int he Empire sights, and I loved the friendship they cultivate through out the issues they encounter. Drusil was another fantastic addition, though her race is one that would I would avoid…not because of their Scream (painting) like appearance but because of the math they love so much. They greet each other with math problems…I would implode instantly if someone did this to me. However Drusil turned out to be a really awesome addition to the story and I loved her analytical thought process. I think the most important thing about each of them is that they are not these larger than life characters acting out an epic adventure, but instead they come across as real people with real problems as they fight in a fight way bigger than themselves.

Heir to the Jedi was another solid addition to the new Extended Universe, and an excellent peek into the happenings between New Hope and Empire.