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Heir to the Jedi

(Star Wars Disney Canon Novel)

Kevin Hearne (Goodreads Author)

3.35 · Rating details · 8,423 ratings · 991 reviews

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . .

A thrilling new adventure set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and—for the first time ever—written entirely from Luke Skywalker’s first-person point of view.

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Hardcover, 291 pages

Published March 3rd 2015 by Del Rey

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Start your review of Heir to the Jedi (Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion, #3)

May 01, 2015 Alejandro rated it liked it

Shelves: novel, star-wars, espionage, politics, horror, science-fiction, military, media-tie-in

The Force isn’t as strong here.

This is an odd novel due it was initially announced as the third book in a trilogy titled “Empire and Rebellion” where each novel would be focused in one of the “Big Three” (Luke, Leia & Han), and while the first two books were published as such, by the time that this novel were published, Lucasfilms declared non-canon all previous novels (except few cases) and declared the first two books of this trilogy as part of the now known as “Legends” novels. While this ...more

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Apr 26, 2015 Troy rated it did not like it

Shelves: star-wars-new-canon

My name is Luke Skywalker and I'm going to tell you a story. Like, in first person and what not. It's an easy story to follow: I sort of experience a bunch of completely non-sequitur encounters with wholly unrelated characters in random locations. Sometimes it's an Aliens ripoff; sometimes it's a RomCom–there's something for everyone! It doesn't really piece together, so you won't have to bother thinking too much. Also, I'll explain it all to you in super casual, Earth teen lingo so that it feel My name is Luke Skywalker and I'm going to tell you a story. Like, in first person and what not. It's an easy story to follow: I sort of experience a bunch of completely non-sequitur encounters with wholly unrelated characters in random locations. Sometimes it's an Aliens ripoff; sometimes it's a RomCom–there's something for everyone! It doesn't really piece together, so you won't have to bother thinking too much. Also, I'll explain it all to you in super casual, Earth teen lingo so that it feels intimate and relevant and such.

Hey, remember that time I destroyed the Death Star, or that time when my Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru got burned. Yep, I'm *that* Luke Skywalker. See, every now and then while telling this story, I'll free associate memories like those from my previous exploits in order to remind you that, despite the fact that I in no way seem to think or act like the Luke Skywalker whose hero's journey and dynamic character development resulted in the courageous destruction of the Empire's ultimate weapon, I AM ACTUALLY *that* Luke Skywalker. Which is kind of weird and stuff. Because, in this story, I seem to have regressed so much emotionally and mentally that it's going to be REALLY HARD for you to believe I'm legit that same guy. In fact, my nearly paralyzing inability to interact with a human woman may be utterly confounding to you. It is to me. It's as if instead of exhibiting signs of some sort of latent teen angst fueled by a potential love interest, I may actually be suffering from brain trauma or mad Bantha disease (see what I did there?) Relationship goals, amirite?

Oh, remember that time when I wanted to go into Tosche station to pick up some power converters? I'll actually utter those exact same words in this story completely out of context to make sure you connect the dots. I'll also make non-sensical references to Han and Chewie and have jaw-droppingly benign scenes with Leia just so you and me are on the same page about the whole "I'm *that* Luke" thing. Don't even get me started on "Nerf nuggets" or "Daddy Issues": your eyes can't roll that far back in your head. Literally. Cool? Ok, kewl.

Listen, I'm going to see if I can figure out what to do with this new lightsaber I picked up around chapter 3 or 4 which ultimately has no bearing on the story and disappears in one of a number of plotholes. #maytheforcebewithyou ...more

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Sep 03, 2016 Sean Barrs rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-star-reads, sci-fi

"There’s no one around to answer all my questions now that Ben has gone. It’s a stark fact that reasserts itself each time I wonder what I’m supposed to do now. The brown robe he wore may as well have been made of pure mystery; he clothed himself in it and then left nothing else behind on the Death Star. I know Han likes to scoff at the idea of the Force, but when a man’s body simply disappears at the touch of a lightsabre, that’s more than “simple tricks and nonsense.”

And I know the Force is re "There’s no one around to answer all my questions now that Ben has gone. It’s a stark fact that reasserts itself each time I wonder what I’m supposed to do now. The brown robe he wore may as well have been made of pure mystery; he clothed himself in it and then left nothing else behind on the Death Star. I know Han likes to scoff at the idea of the Force, but when a man’s body simply disappears at the touch of a lightsabre, that’s more than “simple tricks and nonsense.”

And I know the Force is real. I’ve felt it.

description

This worked so well. The entire story was entirely introspective with Luke narrating the entire plot and his personal journey. He has taken the very first few steps down the road of becoming a Jedi, but his master was slain before he could reach the end. This leaves the student without a teacher, though his hunger for knowledge still remains: a dangerous position to be in for a force wielder. The author has done a great job at channelling the voice of Luke. I could actually hear a young Mark Hammil’s voice in my head as I was reading. So this did feel like Star Wars which is obviously the most important requirement for a book of this type. I think an audio book read by Mark would be wonderful.

So the accurately characterised Luke begins his mission. His task is to acquire aid for the rebellion. The details aren’t important. The plot felt like a backdrop, a mere vessel in which Luke’s personal journey was told. During his travels he finds an old lightsabre that once belonged to a Rhodesian Jedi; he studies it with the force and slowly begins to understand a little bit more about whom he actually is. He feels the fringes of other Jedi powers such a telekinesis and mind control. He begins to realise how much he has left to learn.

This was a great chance for Luke, a chance to stand on his own two feet and use the confidence he developed after the battle of Yavin. He utilises the advice of his mentor Ben, harbours some of the recklessness of Solo and listens to the reassurance of a girl; yes, a girl. For this has a romance sub-plot that works surprisingly well, and the ending of it was everything it needed to be.

The biggest success of the book resides with the author’s choice to use a first person narrator. I’ve not seen this before in a Star Wars novel and it did work really well. It had the Star Wars feels, space battles, bloodthirsty bounty hunters, conniving politics and action layered over a great plot, but it also had great characterisation. This felt like the authentic voice of Luke Skywalker, and this felt like a story that belongs in the galaxy.

...more

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Jan 27, 2018 Lyn rated it liked it

I like Star Wars and I like Kevin Hearne so …

What do we get?

Star Hearne?

Oberon strikes back?

Return of the Druid?

I always liked the way Hearne described the Iron Druid’s bindings and his approach to writing magic so I was intrigued and curious to see how he explained Luke’s exploration of the Force. This is set after A New Hope but before Empire so Luke had only begun his incomplete lessons with Ben and had not yet met Master Yoda on Dagobah. This is a good setting for Hearne to apply his own Jed ...more

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Dec 28, 2014 Rolo rated it it was ok

Shelves: science-fiction

First reaction, "Hey awesome, Kevin Hearne is writing a Star Wars book."

Second reaction, "What the hell! Why isn't he writing the next Iron Druid book?"

photo happy to angry_zpssj8jtvel.gif

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Now that I've read it, I give it a great big meh. It wasn't exactly a page turner. I kept getting distracted and putting the book down. This being a Hearne book may have been the biggest reason I finished it. I did like the idea of their being a alien cult ...more

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Jan 08, 2015 Elspeth rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, fantasy, sci-fi, twenty-fifteen

Beware: There be spoilers ahead.

description

Wow, what a letdown, I was so looking forward to this book too. I mean Kevin Hearne doing a Star Wars book, what is not to love about that.
Well for starters the book was just plain boring. It’s pretty much Luke racking up some SkyMiles, going from planet to planet picking up things, and talking to people.
I mean I went in thinking this was going to be exciting and action packed with a lot of Hearne’s witty banter tossed in.

description

No it was Luke running errands for the ...more

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Mar 06, 2015 Ala rated it it was ok

I just...

Dude... dude

My beloved EU was scrapped for THIS ?

I like Hearne. I enjoy the hell out of his Iron Druid series. But here he's let me down. Tremendously.

Instead of a fun adventure story we get Errand Boy Luke running a string of pointlessly stupid missions that feel like shitty time wasting sidequests from a grindfest MMO. You know the ones where you have to go on 4 separate runs to get 3 different ingredients and the skull of an aardvark just to open the way to the boss battle.

Except ...more

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May 09, 2019 Holly (The Grimdragon) rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, the-infinite-library, may-the-force-be-with-you

“Betrayal always comes wrapped up in a friendly cloak. It's one of the first things I learned in the Senate.”

When Disney bought Lucasfilm, much of the lore was thrown away and the slate was wiped clean after Return of the Jedi. Heir to the Jedi was originally intended as part of the Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion series. I recently read (and loved) Honor Among Thieves, which ended up being the last book published under the Legends continuity. Heir to the Jedi then became one of the first canoni “Betrayal always comes wrapped up in a friendly cloak. It's one of the first things I learned in the Senate.”

When Disney bought Lucasfilm, much of the lore was thrown away and the slate was wiped clean after Return of the Jedi. Heir to the Jedi was originally intended as part of the Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion series. I recently read (and loved) Honor Among Thieves, which ended up being the last book published under the Legends continuity. Heir to the Jedi then became one of the first canonical releases after the relaunch, as a standalone.

Heir to the Jedi follows Luke shortly after A New Hope. He is embarking on a mission for the Rebel Alliance to break out a cryptographer who could become a spy. Along the way, Luke slowly discovers what his Force powers are capable of and tries to manage them on his own, while also learning everything he can about the Jedi.

I have read upwards of 70 Star Wars books and for the most part, I've enjoyed each one in some way. Unfortunately, this is probably right there with Jedi Trial as my least favorite. Although Jedi Trial was so cheesy that it was almost.. more readable? Heir to the Jedi was just such a slog fest. The most obvious reason for that is because it is written entirely in Luke's narrative. As far as I know, this is only the second use of first-person POV within Star Wars. The other was I, Jedi - a book that holds a special place in my heart because it was my first ever Star Wars book that I picked up as a 14-year-old!

I struggled with Heir to the Jedi, not going to lie! I felt as though the characterizations were wooden, the plot incredibly slow-moving and the writing was just.. well.. I had some issues with it, let's just say that. The tone felt off and the prose never managed to fully capture me. Truthfully, the main thing about the writing that stood out was when Luke says that Admiral Ackbar has a kind of "moist charisma" I just.. I -

Oof.

For the most part, the new canon books have been brilliant! This one? Not so much. It lacked the usual Star Wars magic for me. ...more

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Mar 29, 2014 Chris rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy-net-galley, 2015-dark-room-challenge, 2015-series-challenge

I received an eARC copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

3.5 stars.

To be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed for the majority of the time I spent reading this book. Once again, a big name author was chosen to write a Star Wars novel, and like with the previous few, it didn't capture my attention the way I'd hoped. It was a good story, but not real exciting or engaging.

But then the last couple of chapters brought it home and was enough to bump my rating by a half star. I finished th ...more

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Mar 03, 2015 Nehemiah Lacayo rated it did not like it

My first impressions before reading: less than 270 pages and the font of the print is super big. What is this?A junior novel for middle schoolers?

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

My God, what a sick pathetic joke this book is. I have consistently been reading Star Wars novels for the longest time...having just finished the Heir to the Empire trilogy, Darth Plagueis, Shadows of the Empire and the Bane Trilogy...and to come to this worthless drivel is a total insult to me and all the previous a ...more

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Feb 12, 2015 Michael rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, tie-in-novel, read-in-2015, winter-reading-2015

In his introduction to Heir to the Jedi, Kevin Hearne says that the inspiration for his first novel set in "a galaxy far, far away" was a question that many Star Wars fans of a certain age may have pondered when The Empire Strikes Back made its debut -- how did Luke Skywalker go from a novice in the Force to being able to pull his lightsaber to him in the ice cave on Hoth?

The movie series doesn't give us any answers or explanation, but Hearne's novel does. Narrated by Luke, Heir to the Jedi take In his introduction to Heir to the Jedi, Kevin Hearne says that the inspiration for his first novel set in "a galaxy far, far away" was a question that many Star Wars fans of a certain age may have pondered when The Empire Strikes Back made its debut -- how did Luke Skywalker go from a novice in the Force to being able to pull his lightsaber to him in the ice cave on Hoth?

The movie series doesn't give us any answers or explanation, but Hearne's novel does. Narrated by Luke, Heir to the Jedi takes place between A New Hope and Empire and not only gives looks at how Luke developed his Jedi powers before he headed off to Degobah for training but also some of the realities of the day to day running of a rebellion. Hearne lets us spend some time with a few old favorites and introduces a few new characters for this novel that quickly grow on Luke and the reader.

I'm sure that fans who read every single page of the Extended Universe novels will be annoyed to learn that LucasFilm and Disney have rebooted the novels. But as a reader who fell behind on the EU and increasingly felt like the cool kids were having a party that I wasn't invited to, I'm happy to see the novels get a reboot and start fresh. And if Heir is any indication, these novels are in good hands and headed in an interesting direction as we all count down to later this year when Episode VII arrives on our movie screens.

The combination of one of my favorite genre universes with one of my favorite genre authors is pays off extremely well here. Hearne quickly settles into the Star Wars universe and you can tell he's having a great time answering a question that has consumed his curiosity over the years. He ties in enough continuity to keep Star Wars fans happy but still keeps the novel accessible and entertaining enough that a casual reader can drop in and enjoy a well done tie-in novel.

This is a solid example of a tie-in novel done right.

And I hope that Star Wars fans who haven't dipped their toes into the wonderful urban fantasy universe that Hearne has created will like what they read here and pick up one or more the Iron Druid Chronicles.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Mar 04, 2015 Lisa rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: No one

Shelves: 2015, speculative-fiction, sci-fi, star-wars, male-author

This is one of the worst Star Wars-branded books I've ever read (and I read the Lando Calrissian trilogy, along with the vast majority of SW books in existence). I don't even know where to start. As another reviewer has mentioned, I was initially put off by how large the typeface was - it made me feel like this book was written for the 12-16 age group, and what I read really just confirmed that impression.

1) The idea of a first-person book narrated by Luke Skywalker is fantastic. Get inside the This is one of the worst Star Wars-branded books I've ever read (and I read the Lando Calrissian trilogy, along with the vast majority of SW books in existence). I don't even know where to start. As another reviewer has mentioned, I was initially put off by how large the typeface was - it made me feel like this book was written for the 12-16 age group, and what I read really just confirmed that impression.

1) The idea of a first-person book narrated by Luke Skywalker is fantastic. Get inside the head of the character everyone loves, see what motivates him and drives him, change up the typical format for Star Wars novels and how that the new EU is gonna be different. But it fails so, so hard. First-person narration gives a lot of opportunity for characterization, but it also demands an actual character that has a particular perspective and doesn't automatically know everything. This book felt like it was originally in third person and then they changed all of the instances of "Luke" to "I." When the author DOES try for characterization, Luke ends up being a clueless caricature of ANH!Luke and also using the word "awkward" six times a page. HEY I'M SO AWKWARD WITH GIRLS. I WISH I WAS LESS AWKWARD. WOW IT TURNS OUT THIS GIRL MIGHT BE INTO MY AWKWARDNESS?? Luke sounds like a 14-year-old boy who's never spoken to a girl before. Part of this may be due to how naive Luke is in ANH, and how bland he tends to be as a character in general, but I'd definitely blame the execution over the source material in this case (because I actually LIKE Luke in the original trilogy). There's just no subtlety in any of the characterization or dialogue (when Luke meets Nakari, he almost literally says 'Wow, we're both from desert planets and we both like ships. She understands that I like ships because ships take you away from desert planets').

(There were also some weird places where it changed tense. Things like starting a sentence with "I think" or "I believe" and then commenting on what's happening in the plot, with the rest of the sentence in past tense. Like, what? I guess Luke is telling the story to us at some point in the future? Even though that's not explicitly stated or even implied anywhere except in those weird, out-of-place sentences?)

2) The pacing was terrible, from the arc of the novel as a whole to individual scenes. The story arc felt more like a video game than a novel - Luke starts with small missions, basically gaining XP, a party, and weapons upgrades before going off on the main quest. Every time he leaves the Alliance base, Leia runs after him and tells him something he needs to know right before he leaves (why didn't she tell him in the briefing, which was the previous scene, if this is so vital to the mission??). There is literally no time unaccounted for from the start of the novel to the end and there are almost no scene transitions; Luke will finish up doing an activity, then describe how he spent the next six hours in one sentence, and then do another activity while still in the same paragraph. It was really disjointed and jolting, and could've been solved by a simple break in the page.

Individual scenes also felt mis-ordered. When Nakari's father is introduced, Luke has one of his present-tense moments and says that he's not sure whether he made a good impression on Nakari's father, and then tells the reader that Nakari's father likes to yell at his employees and calls them minions, but always ends the request with a softer, kinder aside. And then we meet Nakari's father and he does just that. Why did we need Luke to explain to us a character trait that evidenced was right there, two paragraphs down? Why did we need him to talk about the impression he left BEFORE the scene where he meets the guy?

3) There was a lot of unnecessary explanation that didn't read well at all. I read a lot of sci-fi and I'm very familiar with the infodump and how clunky it can be - but most infodumps actually flesh out the world and make it interesting. Luke's occasional attempts to understand the Force were dull reiterations of knowledge the reader already knows (maybe an attempt to re-canonize certain aspects of the Force, I guess?), and there was a lot of time spent explaining why Luke knows things that are going on in other places that he shouldn't know (because this book doesn't understand how first person narration works, but it knows that it's not doing it right).

4) The other characters were either boring or paper-thin, with one characteristic that was hammered into you. Nakari was a pretty-female-sniper version of Luke, didn't have any flaws, and liked to state as obviously as possible that she likes how awkward Luke is (because at this point, the book is obviously directed at awkward teenage boys who just want pretty, not-awkward girls to tell them they're cute), and really made Luke unnecessary. The mission was originally a one-person mission, and she had a great ship, was a great pilot, and was a much better shot than Luke, and he asks her to come along to help, and then she basically stands there and lets Luke do almost everything. Dursil, the Givin woman they rescue, comes from a species that likes math a lot, so obviously, she doesn't understand subtleties of emotion and all of her dialogue and actions involve liking math. She reminded me a lot of Sheldon, from The Big Bang Theory, possibly one of the most tired and unfriendly portrayals of nerds in existence. Nakari's dad had his one thing, mentioned earlier. (They also forced in an anachronistic joke about "foiling" an equation that the characters found a lot funnier than the reader did.) And even Luke was just awkward, with little other characterization.

And last, but possibly the worst (major spoiler alert):

4) The main female character lasts long enough to encourage Luke to actually use the Force, and then dies, which finally allows Luke to grieve. FUCK THAT SHIT. Luke had ENOUGH love interests die in various (much more interesting) ways in the old EU. I am goddamn tired of introducing females as love interests only to kill them off when the main male character has gotten all the character development he can suck out of them. It's boring, it's misogynistic, and it's incredibly frustrating. She literally dies at the end of the mission, after she's done everything she can to help Luke finish the mission (which is really very little, since this book is just about how awesome Luke is), and her death only serves to help Luke process all of his repressed feelings of loss cf. Uncle Owen/Aunt Beru/Biggs Darklighter.

There were a few good things - once the action got rolling, I could get immersed for at least a few pages before some stilted dialogue or strange pacing or really unsubtle attempt at characterization distracted me. I really liked the idea of the Givin (though not the execution), and several alien species were interesting too. There were also a couple of funny moments.

To sum up: I think this book should not have been geared toward an adult audience. The bland characterization, the completely unsubtle nature of all the dialogue and plot, and the emphasis on Luke's awkwardness and his infatuation with Nakari make it a much better fit for younger readers. However, the lack of any voice or perspective in a first-person story, the uneven and sometimes confusing pacing, the lack of interesting/developed characters, and the existence/fridging of the main female character solely to serve the main male character's development really make it unsuitable for ANY audience.

Edit: I also feel incredibly ripped off, because one of the last (sort-of) trilogies published in the old EU started with Razor's Edge (featuring Leia) and Honor Among Thieves (ft. Han) and was presumably going to end with a Luke centric book (with a suspiciously similar plot), and the first two were definitely in my top 10 SW books. To have the old EU end when it was going in such a positive direction and to start the new one with this and Tarkin... such a bummer. ...more

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Jul 22, 2014 Ashley rated it really liked it

Shelves: addictive, professional-fanfic, space-opera, thrillers-suspense, espionage, nerd-lit, treasure-and-adventure, not-quite-five-stars-but-sooo-close, sci-fi

If this is what the new Star Wars canon is going to look like, sign me up.

Of course, I'm sort of being facetious, because Kevin Hearne isn't going to be writing all of those books, and he's largely why this book works as well as it does.

Heir to the Jedi is the third book in the Empire and Rebellion series, but because this one was published after Disney bought Star Wars, it's the only one that is still considered canon. I have no idea how that has affected the content of the book. For all I know ...more

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Jun 14, 2017 Khurram rated it it was amazing

The best thing about this book is Kevin Hearne nailed Luke's personality (for this time in his life) perfectly. He strikes a perfect balance between Luke's farm boy naivety (especially when it comes the pretty girls) and tactical and battle skills, that allowed him to climb the military ranks of the rebel/alliance long before he became a Jedi. Through Luke is referred mostly as a pilot. This is a good touch as that is at the time the only battle skill Luke really excels at, he is not a great han The best thing about this book is Kevin Hearne nailed Luke's personality (for this time in his life) perfectly. He strikes a perfect balance between Luke's farm boy naivety (especially when it comes the pretty girls) and tactical and battle skills, that allowed him to climb the military ranks of the rebel/alliance long before he became a Jedi. Through Luke is referred mostly as a pilot. This is a good touch as that is at the time the only battle skill Luke really excels at, he is not a great hand to hand fighter, sniper or even solider.

This is not the most exciting Star Wars story. The book consists of two mini missions and main mission which are all interconnected. The first mission has Luke sent to negotiate a deal which is more Leia's speciality. On a side note Leia makes small cameo appearance in the book. Han and Chewie are mentioned in the book but they do not appear in it. Main mission is for Luke to extract a high level slicer (hacker), from the Imperials, to reunite her with her family in exchange for her skill used for Rebels.

This book is not really about Luke's journey to becoming a Jedi, if anything this is really his first couple of steps on the journey. As far as Jedi training goes till the Battle of Yavin Luke has only had the very basic of instruction of really how the touch the force then actually use it. He is not yet proficient with a Lightsaber ever though he carries it. There are a comical scenes that Luke tries his hand at the mind manipulation, in my head I could see hundreds of Star Wars fan boys (like me) trying every day, with unfortunately the same results as the rest of us. He also learns the basics of a couple of skill he used at the beginning of the Empire Strikes Back before he met Yoda.

The part of the books Luke is at his best is in the star fighter cockpit. Yes he still uses the force to enhance his skills, but he show he has a good grasp of battle tactics, on how to deal with different Imperial ships, the design faults of different models. I especially like the way Luke has a chance to mourn as well. If you think during A New Hope, he has lost his aunt, uncle, his mentor in Ben (Obi Wan), and even his childhood big brother figure in Biggs Darklighter during the battle. However he was on the run or in the middle of a battle so he did not really get his chance to say a proper good bye towards the end of the book.

A great book showing Luke's small and sometime stumbling progress to one day the Grandmaster of the Jedi. I like the way Hearne has done his research and not given Luke any abilities he did not exhibit by the beginning of the Empire Strikes Back. I also like how Luke feels when he first touches the Darkside of the force. So far the Disney era of Star Wars books have impressed me with their continuity. ...more

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Feb 18, 2015 Beth Cato rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, science, 2015

I received this advanced-release ebook through NetGalley.

I requested this book because it's by Kevin Hearne. He's a friend and a darn good writer. I was really curious to see how he would write Luke in a book set between Episode IV and V. I haven't read a Star Wars book since the Episode III novelization, but back in the 1990s I read a ton of books in the expanded universe before burning out on them.

Hearne does a great job granting Luke a first person voice during that awkward time soon after th ...more

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Mar 04, 2015 Sean rated it it was ok

Sigh...I don't even know where to begin with this one.

While I enjoyed both A New Dawn and Tarkin, it was Heir to the Jedi I was most excited about. A book that takes places after A New Hope and promised to not only fill in the details of what happened before Empire that enabled Luke to use the Force to move his lightsaber in the Wampa cave, but to also tell it from Luke's point-of-view!

You wanna know what happens with Luke after A New Hope? A whole lotta nuthin!

My mind was swimming with ideas of Sigh...I don't even know where to begin with this one.

While I enjoyed both A New Dawn and Tarkin, it was Heir to the Jedi I was most excited about. A book that takes places after A New Hope and promised to not only fill in the details of what happened before Empire that enabled Luke to use the Force to move his lightsaber in the Wampa cave, but to also tell it from Luke's point-of-view!

You wanna know what happens with Luke after A New Hope? A whole lotta nuthin!

My mind was swimming with ideas of how they would tell this story. Then I read the reviews and I started to get worried. I think what's most upsetting is that this is all considered canon now and while I was halfway through the book all I could ask myself was "Why even write this?" What do we gain from this story? There isn't really much plot to speak of and I was hoping I'd be able to overlook that as long as we got Luke's inner monologue and his feelings about the Force and how he was struggling to harness his power. But it's not really there. The first person story telling is incredibly weak and feels like a wasted opportunity.

Now I know I set the bar pretty high going into the book so some may say I set myself up for failure but that's just simply not the case.

When you imagined Luke first learning to use the Force, what did you picture? I'm sure whatever it is you choose is about 10x better than what they went with...

**Spoilers below**

Luke and his new (awkwardly forced) lady crush, Nakari, are chillin at some sort of intergalactic food court munching on nerf nuggets like a couple of teens at the mall. Then he tries to demonstrate his power by moving a noodle.

A noodle...

Hey I'm all for choosing something simple for a first try. I mean it would make sense for him to be sitting around trying to move everyday objects as practice but really? A noodle? And not just one. It becomes a reoccurring thing! And while we're on the subject, food like "nerf nuggets" and "rancor sauce" are about as cringeworthy as "jawa juice." And don't get me started on Nakari's mother's band name and hit single. None of it felt right. There were a few things that I did enjoy, which is why I at least gave it a 2 star rating, but those moments were too few and far between.

I'm holding out hope that Lords of the Sith will redeem the new canon books cause this was just a severe step in the wrong direction...

A noodle! ...more

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Dec 18, 2014 Tatum rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sweu

Basically this book is awesome and if you enjoy Luke Skywalker as a dorky, awkward Rebel hero you must purchase this. This book has much of the same magic as the original trilogy. Each page is a new entertaining adventure that makes the reader want more. This story is well written and captivating. Heir to the Jedi is a definite must to any Star Wars collection.

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Sep 30, 2020 Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight rated it it was ok

*2.5

I knew all about what she was feeling right then. And the shock of seeing someone you know dead. One of the first things you think of is how you will remember them. Things like "He could cook," or "She could sing" or "He was my best friend, and I'll miss him forever." The crush of grief rolls in behind that, but sometimes you can shove that in a closet for a while until you have time to deal with it. I knew I still had plenty to deal with.

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This was... strange.

I mean, first thing ...more

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Sep 08, 2015 Jesse A rated it it was ok

Shelves: library-it-up

Bleh.

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Aug 03, 2016 Jerry rated it it was ok

It's great to see a story narrated from Luke's perspective, but this definitely wasn't the best novel from this franchise that I've read. ...more

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Dec 18, 2019 Chris Greensmith rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: star-wars

"The destruction of the Death Star brought new hope to the beleaguered Rebel Alliance. But the relentless pursuit by Darth Vader and the Imperial fleet is taking its toll on Alliance resources. Now he rebels hide in an Outer Rim orbit from which they can search for a more permanent base and for new allies to supply much-needed weapons and materials.Luke Skywalker, hero of the Battle of Yavin, has cast his lot with the rebels, lending his formidable piloting skills to what-ever missions his le ...more

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Oct 17, 2019 Joe Davoust rated it it was ok

Another Star Wars story shoe horned between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, this one seems both meaningless and forced. It includes a couple of missions whose value is questionable and danger is disproportionately high. It is told in the first person by Luke Skywalker and includes far too much detailed and boring introspection that only sometimes matches the character described in the movies. While occasionally entertaining, the attempts to make this a personal coming of (Jedi) age story ...more

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Mar 06, 2015 Edward rated it it was ok

Shelves: star-wars

This is supposed to be one of the first books of the "New Canon" of Star Wars, so I was interested to see what it would have to offer. Honestly, it doesn't bode terribly well for the future.

I wasn't familiar with Kevin Hearne's work, but this effort doesn't leave me inclined to check out his other material.

The novel is set in between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back and follows a young Luke Skywalker dealing with life after destroying the first Death Star and being fully involved i ...more

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Jan 26, 2015 Cape Rust rated it really liked it

Heir to the Jedi

By: Kevin Hearne
Genre(s): Star Wars, Fiction, Adventure, Sci-Fi,
Publisher: Lucas Books

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book but got no Darkside points or any points for that matter for reviewing this book.

Description: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . A thrilling new adventure set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and—for the first time ever—written entirely from Luke Skywalker’s first-person point of view. Luke Skywalker’s game-changing Heir to the Jedi

By: Kevin Hearne
Genre(s): Star Wars, Fiction, Adventure, Sci-Fi,
Publisher: Lucas Books

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book but got no Darkside points or any points for that matter for reviewing this book.

Description: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . A thrilling new adventure set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and—for the first time ever—written entirely from Luke Skywalker’s first-person point of view. 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. A brilliant alien cryptographer renowned for her ability to breach even the most advanced communications systems is being detained by Imperial agents determined to exploit her exceptional talents for the Empire’s purposes. But the prospective spy’s sympathies lie with the Rebels, and she’s willing to join their effort in exchange for being reunited with her family. It’s an opportunity to gain a critical edge against the Empire that’s too precious to pass up. It’s also a job that demands the element of surprise. So Luke and the ever-resourceful droid R2-D2 swap their trusty X-wing fighter for a sleek space yacht piloted by brash recruit Nakari Kelen, daughter of a biotech mogul, who’s got a score of her own to settle with the Empire. 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.

This novel takes place after the first Death Star was destroyed. Luke is not as far removed from his moisture farmer past and the force is still a mystery to him. Han Solo is still trying to square his debt to Jabba the Hutt away and the Rebels are looking for a new base of operations. All of this leaves our budding Jedi Luke Skywalker as the fetch quest guy. This is yet another good fix for Star Wars fans and while well written, especially from a first person perspective, this book very much has the structure of RPG adventure.

Getting into Luke Skywalker’s head at this point of his life story was a real treat. Some books have dipped their toes into his complex mind, Hearne on the other hand busted down the door tossed in a flash bang went in guns blazing and established points of dominance. I felt like writing this book in the first person was a risk, but a well calculated one. If this story had taken place later in Luke’s life, I don’t know how well it would have worked. Hearne caught Luke just at the right time, a time where the force was a thing of wonder and mystery, rather than what it became to him in later stories in the Expanded Universe. With the new order… I’m not sure how things will pan out for Luke, but it was really great to see him, young, fresh and still innocent.

One of the great things about this story is that it took us to oft herd of but seldom seen locals. Luke going to Greedo's home world and meeting some really interesting folks was cool. I’ve read accounts of this humid and stinky world, but I really enjoyed Luke’s foray onto Rodia. Between these exotic locations there is plenty of hyperspace travel as well as several combat enguagements. These engagements for the most part were standard Rebels VS. Tie Fighters, however when Luke runs up against an interdictor class cruiser, things got really interesting. Not only was that combat well written, but there are parts of it that hinted at the growing sophistication of the Rebels as they were transiting into the next stage of their insurgency.

This novel not only let us into Luke’s head but it showed that one does not always need to be a Jedi to teach someone else about the force. There are a few moments where some distinctly no-Jedi folks really help Luke along his path. This just goes to show how interconnected the force is with every living thing. During some of these moments we see Luke learning how to do things that many Jedi wouldn’t give a second thought and this makes those moments all the more important. It was almost sweet reading about Luke learning about moving things with his mind.

MY biggest problem with this book is how much it seemed like a typical RPG adventure path. Some people get together, the complete a quest or two (teambuilding) then they are given a bigger quest, however they have to go on several sub quests to upgrade their equipment so that they can complete the big quest. This formula works just fine, but it seemed just a bit overt during this book. I could just be me and if I have you looking for that because you read this review well then at least you know you were paying attention.

Heir to the Jedi was another appetizer on the road to the much anticipated The Force Awakens and in many ways is very fitting. The writing is great and the first person perspective was really well done. Luke felt like the Luke I knew in my youth and his thoughts felt genuine and very Luke-ish. While the story moved along like a table top RPG, it had plenty of high points and there were several smaller stories that made the big stuff matter much more. Thanks to Heir to the Jedi, I’m not near as thirsty as I was, but December 18th can’t get here soon enough.
*This Review orginally was posted on www.popcults.com ...more

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Dec 18, 2014 Althea Ann rated it liked it

After reading 'The Iron Druid,' I was curious to see what Hearne would do with Star Wars and Luke Skywalker.

Here's my main problem with this book. I've always felt that the scene in the ice cave on Hoth is very powerful. In dire extremity, Luke breaks a kind of mental barrier and uses the Force to retrieve his light saber and escape the wampa. It's clearly illustrative of the strength that people can find within themselves when pushed to their limits. (Needs must.)

The main focus point of this bo ...more

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Aug 27, 2015 Andrew Obrigewitsch rated it it was ok

Shelves: sci-fi, fantasy

This was not the worst story ever written, but it was far from the best as well. And honestly a particularly good narrator saved it from being a one star book.

It was mildly entertaining at points, but I can't recommend it, even to the most die hard star wars fan, because it didn't really feel like a real star wars story.

And I don't think Math is the authors strong suite. He has a character that is supposed to be some math wiz, yet the character's use of fundamental calculus is touted as the mos ...more

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Mar 07, 2015 David Monroe rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Only those curious about the new Star Wars EU Cannon.

Shelves: fantasy, audio, media-tie-in, expanded-universe

I have often been disappointed by an EU Star Wars book, but I've never been disappointed in a Kevin Hearne book. It felt... neutered. It was devoid of most of the things that make Hearne's books so fun. Fun. That's what is missing. There are sparks. Enough to keep me reading (listening). But every hope was soon dashed into a wall of endless and pointless exposition, and missions. So many missions. Diplomatic missions. Trade mission. Smuggling mission. Punctuated by Luke's Jedi naval gazing. Neut ...more

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Oct 04, 2016 Agnieszka "Aeth" Jędrzejczyk rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: star-wars, meh

Now that I've read it, it's clear to me why this book was chosen to be a part of the new canon - after being originally meant to be included in the "trilogy" comprised of "Honor Among Thieves" about Han and "Razor's Edge" about Leia - but I think I would much rather have it stick to the original plan - because "The Heir of the Jedi" is an absolutely unnecessary addition to anything Star Wars has to offer. I may be a bit biased - Luke Skywalker never was and probably never will be my favorite per ...more

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Sep 22, 2015 Sean Kennedy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I can't believe this is by the same author of the excellent "Iron Druid Chronicles", and perhaps shows the constraints of having to write within a universe tightly controlled by others. Because this, unfortunately, is boring. If you thought Phantom Menace with its trade delegations and long winded political chamber scenes was boring, welcome to Heir of the Jedi which is really just extended car trip scenes with neverending choruses of "Are we there yet?" Any actual interesting scenes of Luke's i ...more

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Mar 05, 2015 Marc-Antoine rated it it was ok

Shelves: star-wars, science-fiction, canon

Felt like I was reading the outline of a video game.

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About Kevin Hearne

Kevin Hearne

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Kevin is the NYT bestselling author of the Iron Druid Chronicles, as well as The Seven Kennings, an epic fantasy trilogy, and the Tales of Pell, a humorous fantasy series co-authored with Delilah S. Dawson. INK & SIGIL, a new urban fantasy series set in the Iron Druid universe, will be out in 2020.