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Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights #7
Shards of Alderaan
Setting off to the devastated Alderaan system in the hopes of salvaging a piece of the lost planet for their mother, twins Jacen and Jaina are surprised when a long-believed-dead enemy of their family returns for revenge
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
9 people are currently reading
1197 people want to read
About the author
Kevin J. Anderson
1,027 books3,110 followersYes, I have a lot of books, and if this is your first visit to my amazon author page, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are new to my work, let me recommend a few titles as good places to start. I love my Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, humorous horror/mysteries, which begin with DEATH WARMED OVER. My steampunk fantasy adventures, CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, written with Neil Peart, legendary drummer from Rush, are two of my very favorite novels ever. And my magnum opus, the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns, begins with HIDDEN EMPIRE. After you've tried those, I hope you'll check out some of my other series.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 23, 2021
Bullet Review:
I get this is a kid's series - but this is unimpressive. It's painfully obvious that this was tacked on to the initial 6 book run. The ending of "Jedi Under Siege" is retconned (Zekk is suddenly in a coma!); plot points are dropped like bricks; far too much time is spent clearing the temple on Yavin4; ; 15 year old kids are given the keys to a fully kitted out galactic car and told "Have fun"; supposed feared professionals can be outwitted by kids who in our world can't vote or smoke or drink. I guess Zekk's story is interesting, if eye-roll inducing by the end.
I am hoping that this Nolaa Tarkona and Bornan Thul plotline compensates for the pathetic intro; it definitely doesn't leave a pleasant taste in the mouth.
Full Review:
The setting is probably about a week or so away from the last book. The Jedi Academy is being rebuilt by our intrepid teenagers; Zekk is suddenly in a coma (last book he was moody, but standing); Raynar is walking around humbled and now concerned about his missing father. This stuff happens for a good half of the book when suddenly, it's almost Leia's birthday and Jaina and Jacen decide to look for a gift for their mother in the Shards of Alderaan. They steer Tenel Ka's ship (yes, she gets a ship in this book) to Alderaan where they almost immediately get into trouble with Boba Fett, which isn't a spoiler because he's on the cover and very badly hinted on the blurb.
Okay, this is more of what I had been expecting when I started this whole project. This book was cringey, littered with childish devices to set up a lackluster plot that undermines characters that in previous books, were pretty well done and complex. The one and only highlight was Zekk's story, one of trying to move on and ahead after some pretty awful things he's done in the past. The rest of the story plods along; there are lots of things that happen that don't really make sense; our primary teenaged characters (Jaina, Jacen, Tenel Ka and Lowbacca) never really grow or develop or change at all, nor are the events they go through anything more than a desperate attempt to kick start a new arc.
In some ways, I'm not surprised this book turned out this way. It is clear from the Author's Notes and the ads you can see at the back of some of these books that this book was greenlit after the success of the first 6. This book spends unnecessary time cleaning up from book 6 both literally and figuratively - too much time spent repairing the Academy and haphazardly tossing in mentions of Raynar's dad and Boba Fett in an attempt to set up the rest of the plot arc for the subsequent books. I could have done with much less time at the Jedi Academy lifting rocks or guiding dewbacks and more time establishing this Diversity Alliance/Bornan Thul plot line. And the Boba Fett POV is the height of nerdom pandering - it was completely unnecessary.
This book also broke my suspension of disbelief multiple times, one of the biggest crimes in fantastical fiction. The first is the fact we have teenagers gallivanting on scaffolding to repair the temple. I'm sorry, but I cannot believe in this galaxy far, far away that Leia couldn't pull some strings and bring in a professional, experienced adult crew to safely repair the temple after a major conflict. There are multiple times when the kids nearly die while trying to repair this ancient edifice - one involving a dewback so we can see Jacen shine instead of being thrust into the background (he's starting to feel like the group's Aquaman at this point). I know why this was done - to keep the child audience engaged - but as an adult, that broke me out of the story immediately. The New Republic doesn't have an OSHA? There are no construction crews that could be redirected to repair an imminently important facility?
The second is how not one but two ships get doled out to teenagers in this book. I suppose I could understand Zekk getting "the keys to the car", but Tenel Ka too? She can't be more than 15, and yet that's old enough to travel the stars? With no less than a fully equipped ship (it even has an illegal slicer!)? What happens if, perhaps, they come across a bounty hunter who damages their ship? That's hard enough for an adult, but for someone who has barely entered puberty and likely doesn't have the same technical acumen as an adult with decades of experience?! Do the parents even think in this book?
The pacing of this book is completely off. Most of this book is spent repairing the Academy, a scene with Boba Fett and some (admittedly interesting) scenes with Zekk, not the content that the blurb mentions. I suppose if the second half were much better than the first, maybe it wouldn't matter, but honestly, it's hastily done and absolutely undermines the threat of Boba Fett, the supposedly professional, adept and feared bounty hunter. How am I supposed to take him as a threat when he can be easily eluded by a half dozen or so teenagers? And how can you bring Boba Fett back and not have him face off with Han Solo?
Up until this point, I haven't had to write up any Nerd Nitpicks, the part of the review that is cathartic to me and no one else, but this particular book had a couple of tidbits.
Return of Nerd Nitpicks:
Nerd Nitpick 1: Raynar is Jaina and Jacen's age - however could he be considered "a son of Alderaan" as he is multiple times in this book? The planet was destroyed before he was born! (We find out in the next book, he's actually born on the lead ship of his parents' merchant fleet.)
Nerd Nitpick 2: To repeat above: Apparently there is no funding for reconstruction after a serious battle, as Chief of State Leia Organa-Solo has no issue with untrained teenagers doing serious repairs on a thousands year old temple (oh the safety violations that abound here!). I get there are adults too, but since the story is about teenagers, all the scenes we have are ones where they barely escape with their lives due to falling rocks.
Nerd Nitpick 3: Peckham's ship "Lightning Rod" conveniently has weapons when they are needed as does "Rock Dragon" get an illegal slicer when the characters need to learn information. Last book, it was a key element that the "Lightning Rod" had no way of defense. Just in the nick of time, we learn that off camera, someone rectified that. Similarly, supposedly Ta'a Chume made sure "Rock Dragon" had all the most important deus ex machina for her granddaughter's ship.
I want to end on a good note - Zekk's story. Zekk has been through some stuff in these last 7 books; he doesn't feel right in accepting a place in the Jedi Academy so he returns to his homeworld to try to find what his purpose is in life. His journey is fascinating (okay his decision at the end had me eye-rolling - this will end up coming up in the next book so I won't spoil it yet), complex, realistic, and rather dark (I won't say much but more people end up dying - for a kid's book, this is rather violent, if not bloody and gory).
I am really glad that this was not the first book of the series or I would want to quit now. This was easily the worst of the 7 books I've read so far - childish, silly, nonsensical, haphazard and kinda sloppy. Basically what most adults think of when they think of children's or young adult books - lesser quality than adult books. It's obvious the authors were riding off the success of the first arc and really didn't have a long-term plan, which is a shame because when they did have an arc, they executed it well. This attempt at bridging the two plot arcs is rather poor; I hope the next book picks up (and by my investigation at this point, it actually is an improvement).
I get this is a kid's series - but this is unimpressive. It's painfully obvious that this was tacked on to the initial 6 book run. The ending of "Jedi Under Siege" is retconned (Zekk is suddenly in a coma!); plot points are dropped like bricks; far too much time is spent clearing the temple on Yavin4; ; 15 year old kids are given the keys to a fully kitted out galactic car and told "Have fun"; supposed feared professionals can be outwitted by kids who in our world can't vote or smoke or drink. I guess Zekk's story is interesting, if eye-roll inducing by the end.
I am hoping that this Nolaa Tarkona and Bornan Thul plotline compensates for the pathetic intro; it definitely doesn't leave a pleasant taste in the mouth.
Full Review:
The setting is probably about a week or so away from the last book. The Jedi Academy is being rebuilt by our intrepid teenagers; Zekk is suddenly in a coma (last book he was moody, but standing); Raynar is walking around humbled and now concerned about his missing father. This stuff happens for a good half of the book when suddenly, it's almost Leia's birthday and Jaina and Jacen decide to look for a gift for their mother in the Shards of Alderaan. They steer Tenel Ka's ship (yes, she gets a ship in this book) to Alderaan where they almost immediately get into trouble with Boba Fett, which isn't a spoiler because he's on the cover and very badly hinted on the blurb.
Okay, this is more of what I had been expecting when I started this whole project. This book was cringey, littered with childish devices to set up a lackluster plot that undermines characters that in previous books, were pretty well done and complex. The one and only highlight was Zekk's story, one of trying to move on and ahead after some pretty awful things he's done in the past. The rest of the story plods along; there are lots of things that happen that don't really make sense; our primary teenaged characters (Jaina, Jacen, Tenel Ka and Lowbacca) never really grow or develop or change at all, nor are the events they go through anything more than a desperate attempt to kick start a new arc.
In some ways, I'm not surprised this book turned out this way. It is clear from the Author's Notes and the ads you can see at the back of some of these books that this book was greenlit after the success of the first 6. This book spends unnecessary time cleaning up from book 6 both literally and figuratively - too much time spent repairing the Academy and haphazardly tossing in mentions of Raynar's dad and Boba Fett in an attempt to set up the rest of the plot arc for the subsequent books. I could have done with much less time at the Jedi Academy lifting rocks or guiding dewbacks and more time establishing this Diversity Alliance/Bornan Thul plot line. And the Boba Fett POV is the height of nerdom pandering - it was completely unnecessary.
This book also broke my suspension of disbelief multiple times, one of the biggest crimes in fantastical fiction. The first is the fact we have teenagers gallivanting on scaffolding to repair the temple. I'm sorry, but I cannot believe in this galaxy far, far away that Leia couldn't pull some strings and bring in a professional, experienced adult crew to safely repair the temple after a major conflict. There are multiple times when the kids nearly die while trying to repair this ancient edifice - one involving a dewback so we can see Jacen shine instead of being thrust into the background (he's starting to feel like the group's Aquaman at this point). I know why this was done - to keep the child audience engaged - but as an adult, that broke me out of the story immediately. The New Republic doesn't have an OSHA? There are no construction crews that could be redirected to repair an imminently important facility?
The second is how not one but two ships get doled out to teenagers in this book. I suppose I could understand Zekk getting "the keys to the car", but Tenel Ka too? She can't be more than 15, and yet that's old enough to travel the stars? With no less than a fully equipped ship (it even has an illegal slicer!)? What happens if, perhaps, they come across a bounty hunter who damages their ship? That's hard enough for an adult, but for someone who has barely entered puberty and likely doesn't have the same technical acumen as an adult with decades of experience?! Do the parents even think in this book?
The pacing of this book is completely off. Most of this book is spent repairing the Academy, a scene with Boba Fett and some (admittedly interesting) scenes with Zekk, not the content that the blurb mentions. I suppose if the second half were much better than the first, maybe it wouldn't matter, but honestly, it's hastily done and absolutely undermines the threat of Boba Fett, the supposedly professional, adept and feared bounty hunter. How am I supposed to take him as a threat when he can be easily eluded by a half dozen or so teenagers? And how can you bring Boba Fett back and not have him face off with Han Solo?
Up until this point, I haven't had to write up any Nerd Nitpicks, the part of the review that is cathartic to me and no one else, but this particular book had a couple of tidbits.
Return of Nerd Nitpicks:
Nerd Nitpick 1: Raynar is Jaina and Jacen's age - however could he be considered "a son of Alderaan" as he is multiple times in this book? The planet was destroyed before he was born! (We find out in the next book, he's actually born on the lead ship of his parents' merchant fleet.)
Nerd Nitpick 2: To repeat above: Apparently there is no funding for reconstruction after a serious battle, as Chief of State Leia Organa-Solo has no issue with untrained teenagers doing serious repairs on a thousands year old temple (oh the safety violations that abound here!). I get there are adults too, but since the story is about teenagers, all the scenes we have are ones where they barely escape with their lives due to falling rocks.
Nerd Nitpick 3: Peckham's ship "Lightning Rod" conveniently has weapons when they are needed as does "Rock Dragon" get an illegal slicer when the characters need to learn information. Last book, it was a key element that the "Lightning Rod" had no way of defense. Just in the nick of time, we learn that off camera, someone rectified that. Similarly, supposedly Ta'a Chume made sure "Rock Dragon" had all the most important deus ex machina for her granddaughter's ship.
I want to end on a good note - Zekk's story. Zekk has been through some stuff in these last 7 books; he doesn't feel right in accepting a place in the Jedi Academy so he returns to his homeworld to try to find what his purpose is in life. His journey is fascinating (okay his decision at the end had me eye-rolling - this will end up coming up in the next book so I won't spoil it yet), complex, realistic, and rather dark (I won't say much but more people end up dying - for a kid's book, this is rather violent, if not bloody and gory).
I am really glad that this was not the first book of the series or I would want to quit now. This was easily the worst of the 7 books I've read so far - childish, silly, nonsensical, haphazard and kinda sloppy. Basically what most adults think of when they think of children's or young adult books - lesser quality than adult books. It's obvious the authors were riding off the success of the first arc and really didn't have a long-term plan, which is a shame because when they did have an arc, they executed it well. This attempt at bridging the two plot arcs is rather poor; I hope the next book picks up (and by my investigation at this point, it actually is an improvement).
November 19, 2013
Firstly, I am a Mandalorian fan. Boba Fett is like a Jesus to me, (the whole 'resurrection' from the sarlaac pit is fitting this way I think), so when I heard that he was in this book I had to get it.
Suffice it to say, I was disappointed. It was just over half way through the book when they hinted that Boba, (yes I feel comfortable referring to him on a first name basis as he is my homeboy yo), was entering the story. It was quite a few pages later when you actually have it confirmed that it is one of his ships, (Slave 4 to be precise), and it was hardly two chapters that brought him physically into the picture.
Disappointment was had on my part for sure.
The cover was misleading too, (yes I know, "I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover" but come on, who doesn't?). There's Boba with the biggest portion of the cover! He even takes up as much of the picture as the Young Jedi Knights! The main characters!
I'm not even going to get into the fact that his range finder is missing from his helmet. That would be too much.
The summary of this review is that the book was fine, well written, but could use more Fett.
Suffice it to say, I was disappointed. It was just over half way through the book when they hinted that Boba, (yes I feel comfortable referring to him on a first name basis as he is my homeboy yo), was entering the story. It was quite a few pages later when you actually have it confirmed that it is one of his ships, (Slave 4 to be precise), and it was hardly two chapters that brought him physically into the picture.
Disappointment was had on my part for sure.
The cover was misleading too, (yes I know, "I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover" but come on, who doesn't?). There's Boba with the biggest portion of the cover! He even takes up as much of the picture as the Young Jedi Knights! The main characters!
I'm not even going to get into the fact that his range finder is missing from his helmet. That would be too much.
The summary of this review is that the book was fine, well written, but could use more Fett.
May 24, 2020
The Young Jedi Knights Series really feels like each book is 1 or 2 episodes of a T.V. series. And this book is no different.
I really liked the relationship between Jaina and Zekk in this one. I love her determination to get him to rejoin the Jedi and his guilt at all he's done. The entire story of him returning to Enth was fascinating and I'd love to see more of that planet.
The entire plot on Alderaan was fairly boring and predictable. I know that this is a kids series, but Anderson and Moesta seem to be too predictable sometimes.
There were actually some funny moments from the story that made me laugh, and Jacen was quite fun this book. I really like his innocence and Em Tedees sense of humor.
Overall, this is a much better start to the "Diversity Alliance" arc than "Heirs to the Force" was to the "Shadow Academy" Arc. This is a solid book, but nowhere near some of its predecessors. 7.0 out of 10!
I really liked the relationship between Jaina and Zekk in this one. I love her determination to get him to rejoin the Jedi and his guilt at all he's done. The entire story of him returning to Enth was fascinating and I'd love to see more of that planet.
The entire plot on Alderaan was fairly boring and predictable. I know that this is a kids series, but Anderson and Moesta seem to be too predictable sometimes.
There were actually some funny moments from the story that made me laugh, and Jacen was quite fun this book. I really like his innocence and Em Tedees sense of humor.
Overall, this is a much better start to the "Diversity Alliance" arc than "Heirs to the Force" was to the "Shadow Academy" Arc. This is a solid book, but nowhere near some of its predecessors. 7.0 out of 10!
February 29, 2020
Hands down, the worst of the Young Jedi Knights series.
While the previous 6 books in this series weren’t amazing, they at least felt fun, especially for their intended reading audience. That’s not the case with Shards of Alderaan.
This one felt pointless, boring, and repetitive. Even with the return of Boba Fett, anything that happens in this book was a pain to get through.
While the previous 6 books in this series weren’t amazing, they at least felt fun, especially for their intended reading audience. That’s not the case with Shards of Alderaan.
This one felt pointless, boring, and repetitive. Even with the return of Boba Fett, anything that happens in this book was a pain to get through.
August 21, 2022
I’m sure it was hard to come up with another multi-book story arc after the first six books concluded, but this one just felt repetitive and slow. Hoping this arc picks up over the next few books.
Also, they celebrate Leia’s birthday — I guess ol’ Luke doesn’t matter.
Also, they celebrate Leia’s birthday — I guess ol’ Luke doesn’t matter.
August 30, 2025
3,5 stars
i really liked jacen and jaina's speech about importance of alderaan
i really liked jacen and jaina's speech about importance of alderaan
July 18, 2024
I've never seen a book introduce so many plot ideas and then refuse to elaborate on any of them. I guess we'll see more in the next few, but this one would have benefited a lot from some plot.
August 5, 2017
There is a lot that goes on from the start, leading me on a mini-research trail.
The Jedi are rebuilding the temple on Yavin IV, and they're using a ronto to help move the materials. I think that's awesome.
Zekk is in a coma (which I didn't realize) and the four young knights take turns keeping vigil over him. I think it's beautiful. At first I thought that Jaina should have been the one there when he woke, but I think that since he hurt Jacen a little less, it'd mean a bit less awkwardness to have the male Solo twin in with Zekk.
Tenel Ka is a great role model to even the reader. If we're able to, we have to challenge ourselves to be our best.
I love the changes in Raynar Thul and how he uses the four as a model for how to best act ad even use the Force.
The fact that he kind of follows them then adds to the fact that this book is about Raynar.
Or really, his father.
The 'shipping between Jaina/Zekk and Jacen/TK is blatant here (and I love it).
Bornan Thul was on his way to a meeting when he disappeared. Since Han was at the summit, he comes to tell Raynar this news.
We then immediately learn that a political movement called the Diversity Alliance is also looking for Bornan, as they have been using him in a way against the New Republic.
The bounty hunger looking for him is Boba Fett.
This book was written in 1997. Fett's survival was published in 1996 (in an anthology Anderson contributed to). So it's great that this is likely one of the first novels (if not THE first) to include Fett since that revelation.
But the first "Junior Jedi Knights" book was published in 1995. Anderson and Moesta don't include topics from those books, including Ikrit. I want Ikrit!
There are actually quite a few subplots, leading me to believe subsequent stories in the series may focus on some of them a bit more than in this book. This includes Zekk's background (and his home planet Ennth) and Leia's birthday/the kids going to Alderaan.
Zekk and Tenel Ka get their own ships.
This is becoming ridiculous. It was bad enough that as an adolescent Wookiee (despite being 19) Lowie received one, as it became easy convenience for the kids to travel.
Zekk receiving Lightning Rod makes the most sense because although he's "only" 17, he's going off on his own and is a bit like Han in that aspect.
TK getting hers is almost laughable because there's no reason for it, despite her parents wanting her to have one. *rolls eyes hard*
Oh! But it allows the kids to go off to Alderaan on their own (seriously, Han?) for a present for Leia! QUITE CONVENIENT, HUH?!?!
So. Annoying.
(I do REALLY like though that TK's parents asked Leia's permission to have a Hapan ship on Yavin IV; that's awesome politics there).
What else is annoying is some of the dialogue:
- "My mother's home planet, Dathomir." (yes, we know it's your mother's home planet)
- "I've always been good at puzzles, you know." (Yes, Anakin, there is no need to say that. It's almost patronizing).
- The mention of paper
- Calling Em Teedee "Quicksilver"
Why are remote slicers a thing? This is the only series in which they're mentioned. It makes no sense to have such a contraption that even Fett can't prevent it.
If it's Leia's birthday why is it not Luke's?
The Jedi are rebuilding the temple on Yavin IV, and they're using a ronto to help move the materials. I think that's awesome.
Zekk is in a coma (which I didn't realize) and the four young knights take turns keeping vigil over him. I think it's beautiful. At first I thought that Jaina should have been the one there when he woke, but I think that since he hurt Jacen a little less, it'd mean a bit less awkwardness to have the male Solo twin in with Zekk.
Tenel Ka is a great role model to even the reader. If we're able to, we have to challenge ourselves to be our best.
I love the changes in Raynar Thul and how he uses the four as a model for how to best act ad even use the Force.
The fact that he kind of follows them then adds to the fact that this book is about Raynar.
Or really, his father.
The 'shipping between Jaina/Zekk and Jacen/TK is blatant here (and I love it).
Bornan Thul was on his way to a meeting when he disappeared. Since Han was at the summit, he comes to tell Raynar this news.
We then immediately learn that a political movement called the Diversity Alliance is also looking for Bornan, as they have been using him in a way against the New Republic.
The bounty hunger looking for him is Boba Fett.
This book was written in 1997. Fett's survival was published in 1996 (in an anthology Anderson contributed to). So it's great that this is likely one of the first novels (if not THE first) to include Fett since that revelation.
But the first "Junior Jedi Knights" book was published in 1995. Anderson and Moesta don't include topics from those books, including Ikrit. I want Ikrit!
There are actually quite a few subplots, leading me to believe subsequent stories in the series may focus on some of them a bit more than in this book. This includes Zekk's background (and his home planet Ennth) and Leia's birthday/the kids going to Alderaan.
Zekk and Tenel Ka get their own ships.
This is becoming ridiculous. It was bad enough that as an adolescent Wookiee (despite being 19) Lowie received one, as it became easy convenience for the kids to travel.
Zekk receiving Lightning Rod makes the most sense because although he's "only" 17, he's going off on his own and is a bit like Han in that aspect.
TK getting hers is almost laughable because there's no reason for it, despite her parents wanting her to have one. *rolls eyes hard*
Oh! But it allows the kids to go off to Alderaan on their own (seriously, Han?) for a present for Leia! QUITE CONVENIENT, HUH?!?!
So. Annoying.
(I do REALLY like though that TK's parents asked Leia's permission to have a Hapan ship on Yavin IV; that's awesome politics there).
What else is annoying is some of the dialogue:
- "My mother's home planet, Dathomir." (yes, we know it's your mother's home planet)
- "I've always been good at puzzles, you know." (Yes, Anakin, there is no need to say that. It's almost patronizing).
- The mention of paper
- Calling Em Teedee "Quicksilver"
Why are remote slicers a thing? This is the only series in which they're mentioned. It makes no sense to have such a contraption that even Fett can't prevent it.
If it's Leia's birthday why is it not Luke's?
August 19, 2022
Honestly my favorite of these books so far. I’ve enjoyed the others don’t get me wrong, but it probably had something to do with this book having way more Zekk in it than the others. Not gonna lie he’s my favorite and the other books all just sprinkled him here and there but this one actually had a decent amount about him. Looking forward to seeing where he goes from here.
December 17, 2022
This was written for kids, and I'm an adult, so of course it was simpler than many other books I read, but for what it was intended to be, it was good. The adventures were enjoyable and the characters more than mere cardboard cutouts. I particularly liked Jaina's spirit and leadership. I'm not a huge fan of Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy books (mainly because they didn't quite match up to The Thrawn Trilogy), so I wasn't sure this would be worthwhile, but I think it was exactly what it intended to be and a nice book for kids. It wasn't bad for a few hours of entertainment for this adult either.
August 13, 2019
I was curious about this older attempt at a young-adult "Star Wars" line, especially in comparison to the more recent YA Lucasverse novels. While these are well-written (they remind me of many of Terrance Dicks' "Doctor Who" Target novelizations), the scope of the storytelling feels rather small-scale and ordinary compared to recent novels by EK Johnston & Claudia Gray. The most recent YA novels manage to easily transcend their label and appeal to all ages. But this is clearly aimed at a younger set, and we oldster aren't likely to get too much out of it. Not for me, I'm afraid.
March 21, 2021
I would rate this a three and a half star book. Why because it could have been much more. It had a great character Boba Fett in here but yet he wasnt used much.
The story Boba Fett is hired to find Raynar’s father and Jaina , Jacen and crew go to the Alderaan system to find a piece of the planet for Leia . They want to give it to her as a birthday present. I see this book as wasted potential. It’s a shame this book could have been better than all the books in the series instead it was just ok.
The story Boba Fett is hired to find Raynar’s father and Jaina , Jacen and crew go to the Alderaan system to find a piece of the planet for Leia . They want to give it to her as a birthday present. I see this book as wasted potential. It’s a shame this book could have been better than all the books in the series instead it was just ok.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2024
A bit repetitive but it was fun enough. Almost a teenage road trip vibe.
It annoys me to no end that Jaina is considered the captain of the ship. She's the pilot and it's not even her ship. I've never read anything else where the pilot is designated the captain, I'm pretty sure the only time that's a rule is in commercial airlines lol
It annoys me to no end that Jaina is considered the captain of the ship. She's the pilot and it's not even her ship. I've never read anything else where the pilot is designated the captain, I'm pretty sure the only time that's a rule is in commercial airlines lol
August 4, 2024
This just feels incredibly unnecessary. I honestly don't remember much about this arc the last time I read it, but I really hope it picks up. And half the plot of this centres around Leia's birthday, but I guess Luke has been forgotten.
Zekk's arc of trying to figure out who he is is kind of cool though.
Zekk's arc of trying to figure out who he is is kind of cool though.
July 3, 2018
Nästa del av serien verkar handla om prisjägare.
February 1, 2021
This series is getting better and better. I am really enjoying it.
November 8, 2023
I love this story. I love the crew. I love the appearance of Boba Fett. The entire adventure was great.
August 31, 2024
Did nobody in the book (or at LF at the time) ever stop to realize that Leia and Luke were twins, and therefore SHARED THE SAME BIRTHDAY? Somehow, it never came up. Lo f-ing l.
May 13, 2025
I wouldn't give my mom a piece of her exploded planet as a birthday present, but I'm built different
March 15, 2017
Slow. Rather boring. The appearance of Boba Fett was a big positive. I'm still trying to get a feel for how old the kids are. 16? 17? The four friends go to the remains of Alderaan (just an asteroid field now) to grab a souvenir for their mother's (Leia) birthday. At the same time, their friend Raynar's father goes missing and Boba Fett's search for him leads to his run-in with the young Jedi. But this felt like more of an introduction to the real book that's still to come, and that the Boba Fett run-in was simply tossed in there to give it some token action.
May 26, 2022
Pretty good start to the next cycle of this series. The situations in this one are a little goofy, and I started to think the characters felt a little young in this one for their ages. It's seems a little far fetched to me that the adults in this book are giving out spaceships like Oprah gives out cars, but hey, they're all mega rich so what do I know? These are still fun. We get to see Boba Fett in this one and he's a prickly bastard, as always.
December 30, 2016
Fun and easy to read. It's nice to read more about Boba Fett.
May 15, 2011
My first Star Wars "Expanded Universe" book ever. The start of my love of Star Wars books and some of the "next generation" Star Wars characters: The Solo children: Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin. Zekk and also Tenel Ka . . . =)
February 7, 2015
This seemed more like an intro for later books than a book unto itself. For the first 100 pages there is no antagonist or challenge the characters must overcome, just a sequence of events. The other books in this series have been surprisingly good, so I hope this is just an anomaly in the series.
May 6, 2015
With this book, the series shifts from the Second Imperium and Shadow Academy to the Diversity Alliance and the emergence of bounty hunters. Not a lot of plot in this book, but it's the set up for the new plot line, plus the charters have been nicely developed and are enjoyable.
July 24, 2007
I'm totally in love with the Young Jedi Knights books. They're so silly, but they were a big part of my childhood, from about age 10-13. I wanted to be Jaina Solo so badly. XD
July 29, 2008
There are so many adventures in these books, it makes me feel like im there.
March 19, 2009
I read this whole series several times when I was a kid. These were a lot of fun and easy to read. They really helped me along my way to enjoy reading and becoming obessed with Star Wars.
Read
February 24, 2010F AND yjk bk. 7
Based on Star Wars
Science Fiction
Based on Star Wars
Science Fiction
December 25, 2011
The Young Jedi Knights series is a great jumping on point for people still new to the franchise like myself. Shards of Alderaan begins a new story arc for the titular young Jedi.
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