Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne

 

Book Synopsis

The Galactic Civil War rages on after the destruction of the Death Star and Luke Skywalker struggles to learn more about the Force without the aid of Obi-Wan Kenobi – or indeed without any aid at all. But the few memories he has of Obi-Wan’s instruction point the way to a stronger control of the Force, and he is encouraged to pursue it by a new friend in the Alliance. When Luke, R2-D2 and his new ally are tasked with liberating a valuable asset from the Empire and delivering her to a safe planet where she can aid the Alliance, their journey across the galaxy is fraught with peril – and opportunities for Luke to discover the mysteries of the Force.

Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne , the author of the popular Iron Druid series, is the third book in the Empire and Rebellion series.

I have read well over 100 books in the Star Wars Expanded Universe and I still get chills of excitement whenever I read “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…..”.  I love the stories of the iconic Star Wars characters while they were still young and finding their place.  I especially like ones about Luke Skywalker.  Luke, son of the infamous Darth Vader, founder of the new Jedi Order, and probably the most powerful force user in the galaxy.  How does he go from unsure farmboy to Jedi master?  How does he learn to master the force when everyone that could have taught him the ways of the force are gone?  Heir to the Jedi gives us some insight into that.

I had originally given this a book a 3 out of 5 but I went back and watched Star Wars A New Hope and bumped it up to a 4 because, for me,  this book does have that “Star Wars feel”, that newness and excitement that I got from watching A New Hope for the first time. Yes, there are several few laughable, eye-rolling moments in the book, but for readers of Hearne’s Iron Druid series, this is one of his strong suits.  I also liked the first person view from Luke’s perspective.

Heir to the Jedi was a fast paced, hyperspace ride through the galaxy with a young Luke Skywalker coming to gripes with the loss of loved ones, and becoming part of something bigger to make a galaxy a better place.  This Star Wars fan loved it.

I received an electronic review copy from the publisher through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Kenobi by John Jackson Miller

Kenobi

 

The Republic has fallen.

Sith Lords rule the galaxy.
Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has lost everything . . . 
Everything but hope.
 
Tatooine—a harsh desert world where farmers toil in the heat of two suns while trying to protect themselves and their loved ones from the marauding Tusken Raiders. A backwater planet on the edge of civilized space. And an unlikely place to find a Jedi Master in hiding, or an orphaned infant boy on whose tiny shoulders rests the future of a galaxy.
 
Known to locals only as “Ben,” the bearded and robed offworlder is an enigmatic stranger who keeps to himself, shares nothing of his past, and goes to great pains to remain an outsider. But as tensions escalate between the farmers and a tribe of Sand People led by a ruthless war chief, Ben finds himself drawn into the fight, endangering the very mission that brought him to Tatooine.
 
Ben—Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, hero of the Clone Wars, traitor to the Empire, and protector of the galaxy’s last hope—can no more turn his back on evil than he can reject his Jedi training. And when blood is unjustly spilled, innocent lives threatened, and a ruthless opponent unmasked, Ben has no choice but to call on the wisdom of the Jedi—and the formidable power of the Force—in his never-ending fight for justice. (from Amazon description)

Book Info

Author: John Jackson Miller

Release Date: August 27, 2012

Format: Hardcover, Ebook, CD, and Audible

Of all the characters in the Star Wars universe Obi-Wan Kenobi has always been my favorite.  His wisdom and calm, patient demeanor always resonated with me.  I always wondered what happened to Obi-Wan after bringing Luke to live with the Lars on Tatooine.  Well gentle readers wonder no more for his story is told.

Miller did an excellent job of keeping things on a smaller scale, but keeping it action packed.  It would have been easy for Obi-Wan to face the threats head-on but that would expose him, and possibly Luke, to the Empire. Obi-Wan must find a subtler way to protect Luke and his new neighbors, while at the same time retaining his anonymity. Miller does a fantastic job at weaving this conflict into the story.  The book had a bit of a wild west feel;  the general store , the bar, and the moisture farmers.  All of this gave the story great atmosphere.

It must have been difficult for a man of action such as Obi-Wan to adopt such a hermetic lifestyle as he did on Tatooine.  I am sure that his Jedi training helped because of the focus of non-attachment to people and things. It still must have been difficult for him given Anakin’s fall to the darkside and the eradication of the Jedi order. Kudos to Miller on how Obi-Wan’s inner turmoil is played out in the story.

The book also touched on his loneliness, and you get to see an even gentler side of Obi-Wan.  There were some very touching scenes and your heart goes out to him because you get a true picture of what he gave up to keep Luke safe.  We also get to see how the legends of “crazy of Ben” came to be.

This is one of the best Star Wars books I have read in years and hats off to Miller for an absolutely amazing job on Kenobi. I think this book will become canon in the Star Wars expanded universe and will the be reference point for all readers when asking the question, “what did Obi-Wan do all those years on Tatooine?”.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.