Luke Skywalker’s game-changing destruction of the Death Star has made him not only a hero of the Rebel Alliance but a valuable asset in the ongoing battle against the Empire. Though he’s a long way from mastering the power of the Force, there’s no denying his phenomenal skills as a pilot—and in the eyes of Rebel leaders Princess Leia Organa and Admiral Ackbar, there’s no one better qualified to carry out a daring rescue mission crucial to the Alliance cause.
Challenged by ruthless Imperial bodyguards, death-dealing enemy battleships, merciless bounty hunters, and monstrous brain-eating parasites, Luke plunges head-on into a high-stakes espionage operation that will push his abilities as a Rebel fighter and would-be Jedi to the limit. If ever he needed the wisdom of Obi-Wan Kenobi to shepherd him through danger, it’s now. But Luke will have to rely on himself, his friends, and his own burgeoning relationship with the Force to survive.”
Heir to the Jedi is the third book to be released in the ongoing “re-imagining of the Star Wars Expanded Universe”. I suppose at this point, it’s safe to say that we can go ahead and dump the “Expanded Universe” moniker. Lucasfilm and Disney have made it perfectly clear that there is no more expanded universe…simply Star Wars. We have the two animated series, the 6 films, and these books. This is the timeline, this is canon, this is the story. Anything that came before didn’t happen, they are simply campfire stories told within the Star Wars universe.
I found Heir to the Jedi to be more interesting than entertaining. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the book, just not for the usual reasons. First, this story is told in the first person. This is virtually foreign territory for a Star Wars novel. It’s not the first time “first person” has been used in a Star Wars novel, but it’s certainly a VERY rare occurrence. Had the story been told in the usual style, I’m afraid that the book would have fallen flat. As this little adventure is told by Luke Skywalker himself, I found myself far more intrigued by his thought process than what was going on around him.
The story takes place shortly after Episode 4. I found it a bit odd that the Rebellion would send Luke out on solo missions at this early stage in his career. Yes, he proved to be a talented pilot, but let’s face it, this kid is a farm boy that for all intents and purposes is just now getting a taste for life off of his home planet. How does this qualify him to play secret agent for the Rebellion when there are clearly far more suited applicants out there? The answer, it’s movie logic. Let’s face it, are you more likely to pick up a book about Luke Skywalker or Joe Blow the Rebel spy that you’ve never heard of? That said, let’s move along. The love interest in the story seems forced and shoehorned in, and to be honest, we all know that at this point in our story, Luke (shudder) has the hots for Leia It seemed odd that the author would even try and get Luke flirting with another girl. Perhaps he was just trying to distract us from that fact that by the time Empire Strikes Back roles around, Leia would be kissing Luke to make Han jealous…and Luke (shudder) enjoyed it. How were these two not freaking out by Return of the Jedi?
I know, it still sounds like I didn’t like this book, right? So why did I keep reading, and why am I STILL saying that I enjoyed this book? I really got into the fact, that at this point, Luke knew he was a Jedi and that the Force was with him. He received a little training from Obi Wan while traveling aboard the Millennium Falcon, but that was it. Luke saw Obi Wan “Jedi mind trick” a Sandtrooper. “I have Jedi Powers, I can do that.” he says to himself. However, when Luke takes his first shot at it…it doesn’t go so well. The big payoff is Luke harnessing the power of telekinesis for the first time. I mean he had to figure it out at some point between not being able to do it in A New Hope, and grabbing his lightsaber with his mind in The Empire Strikes Back to save himself from the Wampa…and here’s that moment.
My entire enjoyment of this book is based on Luke’s internal monologue and his early foray into his Jedi skills and the Force. If that sounds interesting to you too…read the book
May the Force be with you!