Return of the Jedi - Beware the Power of the Dark Side!

Star Wars Disney Canon Junior Novel

by Tom Angleberger, Iain Mccaig (Illustrator)

Acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author Tom Angleberger delivers a captivating retelling of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi like you've never experienced before, infusing the iconic, classic tale of good versus evil with a unique perspective and narrative style that will speak directly to today's young readers while enhancing the Star Wars experience for core fans of the saga.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Audiobook

412 pages, Unknown Binding

First published August 18, 2015

About the author

Tom Angleberger artist-turned-writer. He is a columnist for the Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Virginia, and began work on his first book while in middle school. Tom is married to author-illustrator Cece Bell. He lives in Christianburg, Virginia.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in this series blew me away with its new perspective on a familiar story...but the second one was a major flub due to awkward prose that read like an old-school text-based computer game.

So, was this third one good?

No...

It was amazing!

Just like the movie that inspired it, this book finishes off the literary trilogy with a bang, and a very big one at that. It's Star Wars as you've never read it before...but that makes it all the better!

Even if you've never bothered with the Expanded Universe, if you're a fan of Lucas' space opera, you should definitely check this one out!

[siren ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart:

"But at last Anakin sees him not as a Jedi or a warrior or a threat or a mistake, but as his son and Padmé's son.

And Anakin smiles. Not a smile like the Emperor's. Or a crazed grin like Darth Maul's. Not even a smirk like Anakin might have shown Ahsoka back in his Jedi days.

But a real smile.

The smile that only Padmé ever saw."

This retelling came straight for my feelings and refused to let me out of it without immense suffering. And I loved it.

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

YUB NUB!!!! :')

[Liam || Books 'n Beards · Rating 4 out of 5]

A return to form for this trilogy after a disappointing middle. Return of the Jedi felt a lot more competently written than So You Want to Be a Jedi?, and managed to capture that ageless/timeless feel that A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy did so well - not quite as good, but still, much better than the middle chapter.

Not a fan of how Anakin reminisces about Ahsoka and all this crap but I guess that's the New Canon and we have to deal with it now.

Much like the first two, excellent use of the Star War score and sound effects, and the reader again did a great job capturing Han Solo - if not Leia and Luke so much - and doing the different alien languages and such.

Top hole.

[Eva B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not as good as THE PRINCESS, THE SCOUNDREL, AND THE FARM BOY, this was a solid adaptation of Return of the Jedi. My review is a bit biased by Return being pretty far down my list of favorite Star Wars movies, but this was a good take on it.

[Dexcell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was definitely the best of the three junior novels. It followed the story closely, but it really enhanced the film to me, I think. It went into Vaders thoughts and feelings quite a bit, like how thoughts of Luke made him think of Padme every time. And Palpatine reminded him of being a slave to Watto, even though he couldn't admit that he was a slave still.

Then when Luke takes his mask off and he smiles, but not the grin of Maul, of the cocky grin he'd give Ahsoka, only the happy one he'd show Padme. That was a particularly beautiful moment.

Also, there were footnotes that added a bit of fun information in the book. Overall, it was good and I might read it again some day. It connected the prequel era to this film in a good way.

[Cynthia Nobuta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finalmente termine esta trilogía de libros escritos por diferentes autores, cada uno narrado de manera diferente. Y debo de admitir que de los tres este es el que más me gusto. La verdad tampoco es que sea un gran libro, pero me pareció entretenido y mejor contado. Eso si por dentro sigue siendo hermoso, me encantan las imágenes.

[Yusuf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rewrite of episode 6, is written in a fun way and has good commentary from the author. It may not be the most interesting if you watched the movie recently, but I haven't, so this was a fun revive.

[Joshua Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just like the movie but it has a little bit more description in my perspective.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 4 out of 5]

Благодарение на „Егмонт“ преди време в България долетя романът „Внимавай със силата на Тъмната Страна” на Том Енгълбергер. Авторът вече е познат и на родните Star Wars фенове с наскоро публикуваното заглавие „Странният случай с Оригами Йода”, което вече отразихме на StarWarsBG.com. След като Енгълбергер си спечели популярност сред децата в САЩ с поредицата за Оригами Йода от Дисни му възлагат задачата да се заеме с този нов прочит на Епизод VІ. Както гласи и подзаглавието, „Внимавай със силата на Тъмната Страна” е оригинален преразказ на „Завръщането на джедаите”. Това е третата и последна книга от серията нови интерпретации на епизодите от класическата Star Wars трилогия, предназначени предимно за по-млади читатели. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":

https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these re-writes for a new generation, and for me at least, on audio with the voice actors, score, and sound effects was just as magical as the original films.

Such a great trilogy to make my way through for May the 4th.

[Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's about time. After a mediocre SW4:ANH retelling (A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy) and an unreadable SW5:TESB one (So You Want to Be a Jedi?), Tom Angleberger found the right approach in his re-interpretation of SW6:RotJ. His secret (which the other two authors should've emulated) is that he tells the entire story as we've known to love it, just with a lightly humorous YA spin. No need to change or omit things.

Angleberger breaks the story into what would be a ridiculous number of chapters if they weren't so interestingly titled. He focuses occasionally on some lesser characters to both comic and tragic effect. As with the other two novels, he gets a bit of expository inspiration from the Brian Daley Star Wars: The Complete Trilogy Radio Dramas.

If I had a complaint, it would be that he included some of the Special Edition and Prequel minutiae, like the Sarlacc's "Feed Me Seymour" beak or flashbacks to Anakin's youth, but those I can forgive because the rest of the execution is so exemplary.

The only volume of this updated trilogy that I would recommend at all.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this review and more on my blog.

Beware The Power Of The Dark Side is a retelling of Return Of The Jedi.

Check out my review of the retelling of A New Hope here. Check out my review of the retelling of Empire Strikes Back here.

I am having mixed feeling about Beware The Power Of The Dark Side!, it was better than the Empire Strikes Back retelling, but not as good as the A New Hope retelling. The writing style chosen was a narrating style, which made more sense than the second person used in the Empire Strikes Back retelling, but still did not quite hit the mark.

I found it funny how Angleberger made it quite obvious that Ewoks eat anything, and by anything I mean ANYTHING. Angleberger also touch on why the Ewoks had not attacked the Empire's Shield Generator.

Apart from the scenes on Endor and the subsequent battle of the Second Death Star, the rest of this retelling was quite weak.

Better than the Empire Strikes Back retelling, yet not as good as the A New Hope retelling, this retelling of Return Of The Jedi is still a worth while read to see how Angleberger adapted the final movie in the original trilogy.

[Jay DeMoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part of the novel:

"But at last Anakin sees him not as a Jedi or a warrior or a threat or a mistake, but as his son and Padmé's son.

And Anakin smiles. Not a smile like the Emperor's. Or a crazed grin like Darth Maul's. Not even a smirk like Anakin might have shown Ahsoka back in his Jedi days.

But a real smile.

The smile that only Padmé ever saw."

[Stefanie Foard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic conclusion to this series. Now I really want to watch the movies for the 5 millionth time! Seriously, listen to the audiobook if you're able. Great job again by Marc Thompson, and the original music by John Williams will give you chills. :)

[Wojtek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Byłem trochę zaniepokojony w jakim kierunku pójdzie ta książka po przeczytaniu poprzedniej z tej serii ale na szczęście poszła w najlepszym jakim mogła, bardzo podobały mi się liczne nawiązania do świata gwiezdnych wojen niekoniecznie dotyczące części VI, opis ostatecznej walki na orbicie gwiazdy śmierci sprawił że nie dało się oderwać od kartki, bardzo dynamiczny opis walki Luke'a i Vadera również został napisany znakomicie, zdecydowanie jest to najlepsza książka z tej serii, polecam ją bardzo każdemu który nie zna historii Gwiezdnych Wojen albo chce przeżyć ją na nowo :)

[Elaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

~3.75 stars~

Finally went and got this from the library so I could finish it, and ended up reading the 300 pages left all in a day hahaha It's been a while since I've read, but it feels good to get back at it :D It had some nice artwork throughout so that was a plus too!

[ferr (taylor's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

En conclusión: Star Wars la mejor saga de todos los tiempos, fin

[Brooke ♥booklife4life♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find this review, plus more, on my blog: Booklikes OR Blogger

Basic Info

Format: Audio
Pages/Length: 7hrs
Genre: Young Adult; Sci Fi; Space travel.
Reason For Reading: Finish series

At A Glance

Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: No
Cliff Hanger: No
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 4 stars

Score Sheet
All out of ten

Cover: 7
Plot: 7
Characters: 7
World Building: 8
Flow: 7
Series Congruity: 8
Writing: 7
Ending: 7

Total: 7

In Depth

Best Part: Darth Vader's voice
Worst Part: Not a lot happening.
Thoughts Had: I need a suit like him!

Conclusion

Continuing the Series: n/a
Recommending: Yes

Short Review: I mainly wanted to listen to this one to hear the scene where Darth tells Luke about his parentage, and it was well worth it for sure. Hearing Luke deny the shit out of Darth Vader, so worth it. The narrator did a great job of doing the breathe of Darth Vader as well, i was impressed. Sound effects still on point in this book. Darth should have his own book, for sure.

Misc.

Book Boyfriend: Luke
Best Friend Material: Vader, i mean come on!

Review in GIF Form:

[carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But at last Anakin sees him not as a jedi or a warrior or a threat or a mistake, but as his son... and Pamdé's son.
And Anakin smiles. Not a smile like the Emperor's. Or a crazed grin like Darth Maul's. Not even a smirk like Anakin might have shown Ahsoka back in his Jedi says.
But a real smile.
The smile that only Padmé ever saw."

4.5 stars.

Return of the Jedi is my favourite film from the original trilogy, so I had very high hopes for this book. And wow, did it deliver. It managed to encompass everything that makes Star Wars great - the drama, the humour, the strong characters, a sense of timelessness. I found myself gripped from start to finish, unable to stop myself smiling as I was taken from Han Solo's rescue to the climactic events on the moon of Endor. You can tell the author has a real passion and understanding for what Star Wars is, and he wrote it in such a fun way that it'll be enjoyable for anyone of any age, even if it is aimed towards a younger audience.

What I really liked about it is how different chapters are from the perspective of different characters. It's true that most of the chapters are very short (about ten pages at most, I believe), but even so getting a little glimpse into the minds of Luke, The Emperor, and even some Ewoks was such an interesting take and I absolutely loved it.

This is a very strong conclusion to this enjoyable retellings series, and definitely the one I enjoyed the most. I know that in some point in the future I'll be picking this up again.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

don't mind me, casually crying because of Vader dad feelings

pop sugar challenge notes:
- a trilogy (third book)

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A retelling of Return of the Jedi, this book feels a bit odd in terms of tone. My local library has classified it as teen fiction, but to me, it reads like it's aimed at a younger audience than that, maybe somewhere round about 9-10 years old. The author addresses the reader in a friendly manner, like you're doing a buddy read with your best friend who knows a ton of trivia and wants to share it with you.

The author assumes that the reader will have seen most, if not all, of the previous Star Wars films and series, with references to characters like Ahsoka Tano and attempts to explain inconsistencies between details in the original trilogy and prequels. Some of these are humorous, some are more serious, while other notes and passages ponder how Imperial officers really got their jobs and what they think they're doing aboard something called a Death Star. These sections are used to introduce a moral aspect which varies between sometimes being interesting and a little heavy-handed at other times.

Apart from that, the book mostly follows the film, complete with all the dialogue and scenes that we know, plus the odd extra bit. There are lots of adverbs, which often feel unnecessary and again, make me think it's aimed at a younger audience who might need that emphasis that, yes, that action was done quickly because it's an emergency.

And the attempt to portray the Ewoks as vicious killers really doesn't work...

Overall, it's a decent read. I'd maybe find it funnier if I was a child in the target age group, but I do like the offbeat musings on the smaller details and minor, often-overlooked characters.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t *love* this one, but I think it was better than the second, though not as good as the first. The chatty tone was sometimes slightly annoying but not as much as in the second book, and this one did a better job including more insight into feelings and motivations in its retelling of the movie than the second book did.

The main part I didn’t like was the scene in Jabba’s palace, which this book made even more inappropriate for children by talking about things like how Jabba liked to “lick his barely dressed slave dancers” and was “desirous of dragging her into his greedy, slimy embrace.” Another sentence said “And now, for pleasure of another kind, he tugs on a chain to bring his slave dancer close enough for a kiss.” The movie scene is bad enough, but I don’t know why this book is so intent on emphasizing the sexual slavery and assault involved here. The only slightly redeeming part was the chapter title “In Which The Princess Rescues The Princess.” It also relies heavily on revulsion of fatness to describe why Jabba is gross, which is clearly not the main reason.

[Bel Hernández · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gustó. Bastante. Creo que los tres libros CUMPLEN con lo que prometen; son un resumen novelizado, poco profundo, de la historia que ya conocemos. No pretenden agrandar el universo o dejarnos ahondar en los personajes, las relaciones, o las tensiones.
A mí, que no he leído otras novelas del SW, estos libros me vienen genial para no perder contacto con la saga y conocer autores. Me resultaron ligeros, ideal para cuando no supe qué leer y quería una historia conocida pero sin tener que sea relectura.

[Kelsey Hlavaty (readingwithkelsey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was probably my favourite in this little series of reimagined Star Wars stories. I think Angleberger did an excellent job capturing the magic of the movie, while also adding his own little twist. This book did a fantastic job tying up the trilogy in a really hopeful way (much like the movies themselves). The footnotes sprinkled throughout and the silly chapter titles, while gimmicky, also added some humor and fun to the book that I ended up smiling at some of them. This just made me so happy to read.

[John Zeleznik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I was expecting. Fun and light with some interesting insights. EMPIRE gets credit for being the best Star Wars movie for a reason and I think JEDI gets vilified a little too harshly. This was better than the EMPIRE novelization in this series by ton. The footnotes, while a little gimmicky, were fun and well done. If you're a Star Wars fan looking for something that's part of the canon but fun, this is it.

[Scott Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would probably rate this one more of a 3.5, but overall, a fun read. Given that the Return of the Jedi has its plot flaws, this work does provide an interesting and amusing perspective on the whole tale. It is strictly third person, but there is a great deal of humor in the narrative, which helps with the reading. If you are a fan of Star Wars and of the series of retellings of the original trilogy, then this is worth the time to read.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completed the trilogy on our vacation trip. We enjoyed it but the consensus was that the first book ws the best. Obviously the basic plot is already known for most folks but this does deal in a more detailed way with the role of the dark side and its impact on Luke, his father, their confrontation and the defeat of the dark side.

[Paul Navarro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely retelling of RotJ! Like the first book in the series, I loved the extra details that were fleshed out! A great read for any Star Wars fan!

One thing that I didn't care (maybe it was just an audiobook thing) for was the narrator addressing the reader to give some kind of warning or exposition.

[Katherine "Kj" Joslin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank goodness this installment is back to being a fun retelling. The second book was a little painful and I am glad I read this one, finishing on a good note! I had forgotten how much of Return of the Jedi I had forgotten!