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Star Wars: Galaxy of Fear #5
Ghost of the Jedi
Zak and Tash hope to defeat the evil scientist Gog by finding the lost Jedi library on the abandoned space station Nespis 8, but that storehouse of knowledge is supposedly cursed and guarded by the ghost of a Jedi
144 pages, Library Binding
First published July 7, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 14, 2025
It started well, then it got bad real quick, because Tash was quite annoying in this one, and there wasn't really MUCh story. Also the plottwist was great - if i didn't already know it because i googled someone =_=. Still I really am so annoyed with Tashs "I trust some rando on the internet, but i dont trust my uncle" bs, it's getting really old.
The idea of the book, especially the thousand years old space station, no one knows who build it, and who also is supposed to have a jedi library, was great. But sadly it wasn't very important at all :/ so hm.
The whole "ghost" story was eh, also Tash being force sensitive isn't a surprise, but it's also a bit eye rolling. I dunno. I guess as a child of 12 i would've liked Tash more.
Also the horror aspect in this vol was literally non-existent. Also i read this one in german and it was a really old translation, it was quite funny :D
The idea of the book, especially the thousand years old space station, no one knows who build it, and who also is supposed to have a jedi library, was great. But sadly it wasn't very important at all :/ so hm.
The whole "ghost" story was eh, also Tash being force sensitive isn't a surprise, but it's also a bit eye rolling. I dunno. I guess as a child of 12 i would've liked Tash more.
Also the horror aspect in this vol was literally non-existent. Also i read this one in german and it was a really old translation, it was quite funny :D
June 6, 2025
Star Wars: Legends: Galaxy of Fear 05 Ghost of the Jedi by John Whitman
challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense
Fast-paced
Plot or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? Yes
3.0 Stars
This story had potential, but (in my opinion) it wasted it.
It felt like a middle book (one that goes from a good story to another good story, hopefully), but the story it's telling at the moment is not the important one.
I'm not sure why this happened. I just didn't get invested with the characters, though I love these characters. Why did this happen?
challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense
Fast-paced
Plot or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? Yes
3.0 Stars
This story had potential, but (in my opinion) it wasted it.
It felt like a middle book (one that goes from a good story to another good story, hopefully), but the story it's telling at the moment is not the important one.
I'm not sure why this happened. I just didn't get invested with the characters, though I love these characters. Why did this happen?
March 1, 2021
I know I’m only five books into this twelve book series, but this is probably the best middle grade series I’ve ever read. John Whitman is a fantastic writer and is able to keep even me - an adult in his thirties - guessing as these stories continue. This time out, Tash, Zak, Deevee, and Uncke Hooke find themselves being hunted by the Empire, so they hideout on Nespis 8. This is believed to house a library of the Jedi, but its supposedly cursed. Tash is still trying to figure out if she really has the Force within her or not, and that plays a big role in this story.
This was the best book in the bunch, which is saying a lot. It’s a lot darker than you might expect for middle grade, and it’s genuinely creepy at points. I love the additional growth we get with all of the characters, and the way Whitman ties everything together - though not perfect - is really fun. It’s one of those situations where you want to go back and read previous books again to see if what is presented here makes sense.
The way this plays out has the potential to change the way the rest of this story goes, so it’ll be interested to see what happens next. These are all just fun stories that are worth reading, and Ghost of the Jedi is probably the best one yet.
4.5 stars
This was the best book in the bunch, which is saying a lot. It’s a lot darker than you might expect for middle grade, and it’s genuinely creepy at points. I love the additional growth we get with all of the characters, and the way Whitman ties everything together - though not perfect - is really fun. It’s one of those situations where you want to go back and read previous books again to see if what is presented here makes sense.
The way this plays out has the potential to change the way the rest of this story goes, so it’ll be interested to see what happens next. These are all just fun stories that are worth reading, and Ghost of the Jedi is probably the best one yet.
4.5 stars
November 16, 2022
Yep, I was able to do this today. I'll be able to do my next book tomorrow and get through this round slightly quicker, yay! Today we head back to Star Wars as we get close to the end of arc 1.
This time we pick up soon after we left off, as Tash and the gang are on the run. They've got bad guys on their tail and need to lay low. Tash recalls her HoloNet friend Forceflow and finally sets up a meeting with them as he could help them out. He plans for them to meet at a space station that is hidden from the empire and possibly features an old Jedi library that is rumored to be cursed. Will this be a safe heaven for them or will Foreflow be another internet predator?
On paper, this is less high concept than some of the others so I expected it to be on the drier end. I can see how that could have been the case but it's pretty good. Quite good even, up for for these for sure. It a bit "chess-piece"-y as it gets things into place as we set things up. Solid but a bit mechanical as we get into gear.
It picks up when we get to the place. There's a good feeling of dread in this one as they are in this place that doesn't have a lot of people. It then gets darker, maybe not as much as Book 2 but it gets an almost slasher vibe. There's at least one on page death which was awesome. And also two scenes with tentacles. Yeah.
It builds nicely as we find out more of what is going on. It does get a bit over complicated as there are a few different things that happen to be going on at once. The main answer is fine and adds stakes, it makes further like our bad guy for how he goes so far for all this. There's one aspect that I love but is kind of goofy, regarding who a certain culprit is.
The story moves forward a fair bit here, mostly regarding Foreflow and Tash possibly having the Force. That's done well and she has a solid arc about moving on from failure after the previous book. The downside is Zak doesn't have much to do, he sometimes can feel like an after thought with how important Tash is.
The climax is good and the ending is cliche in the best way. This one has a few fumbles here and there but is pretty solid overall. The lack of a hook can make it dry but it makes up for it with solid flow, a good sense of dread, some dark stuff and it forwards the story well.
It makes me excited for the finale of this first half, especially with how this ends. This further shows how they took this seriously and were able to do some serious stuff in places. Should be interesting to how this pays off.
Side note, there's a weird reference to smoking, with someone revealing they smoke "T'bac", a clear reference to tobacco. Yes, really.
That ends this one. Next time it's time for Spinetinglers, for one that really be anything based on what I've seen. See ya then.
This time we pick up soon after we left off, as Tash and the gang are on the run. They've got bad guys on their tail and need to lay low. Tash recalls her HoloNet friend Forceflow and finally sets up a meeting with them as he could help them out. He plans for them to meet at a space station that is hidden from the empire and possibly features an old Jedi library that is rumored to be cursed. Will this be a safe heaven for them or will Foreflow be another internet predator?
On paper, this is less high concept than some of the others so I expected it to be on the drier end. I can see how that could have been the case but it's pretty good. Quite good even, up for for these for sure. It a bit "chess-piece"-y as it gets things into place as we set things up. Solid but a bit mechanical as we get into gear.
It picks up when we get to the place. There's a good feeling of dread in this one as they are in this place that doesn't have a lot of people. It then gets darker, maybe not as much as Book 2 but it gets an almost slasher vibe. There's at least one on page death which was awesome. And also two scenes with tentacles. Yeah.
It builds nicely as we find out more of what is going on. It does get a bit over complicated as there are a few different things that happen to be going on at once. The main answer is fine and adds stakes, it makes further like our bad guy for how he goes so far for all this. There's one aspect that I love but is kind of goofy, regarding who a certain culprit is.
The story moves forward a fair bit here, mostly regarding Foreflow and Tash possibly having the Force. That's done well and she has a solid arc about moving on from failure after the previous book. The downside is Zak doesn't have much to do, he sometimes can feel like an after thought with how important Tash is.
The climax is good and the ending is cliche in the best way. This one has a few fumbles here and there but is pretty solid overall. The lack of a hook can make it dry but it makes up for it with solid flow, a good sense of dread, some dark stuff and it forwards the story well.
It makes me excited for the finale of this first half, especially with how this ends. This further shows how they took this seriously and were able to do some serious stuff in places. Should be interesting to how this pays off.
Side note, there's a weird reference to smoking, with someone revealing they smoke "T'bac", a clear reference to tobacco. Yes, really.
That ends this one. Next time it's time for Spinetinglers, for one that really be anything based on what I've seen. See ya then.
January 19, 2021
Star Wars Legends Project #256
Background: Ghost of the Jedi was written by John Whitman and published in July of 1997. It is the fifth in the Galaxy of Fear series, all written by Whitman.
Ghost of the Jedi takes place 7 months after the Battle of Yavin, picking up immediately after the conclusion of The Nightmare Machine (my review). The main characters are Tash and Zak Arranda, their adoptive Uncle Hoole, and their droid caretaker, DV-9. Borborygmus Gog plays a significant role, along with Dannik Jerriko, and minor appearances by Jabba the Hutt and Darth Vader. Most of the story takes place on Tatooine and an abandoned space station orbiting Nespis VIII.
Summary: With the Empire hot on their trail, Hoole and the Arrandas turn to some old underworld contacts, and Tash's mysterious HoloNet friend, in search of both a safe place to hide and hopefully a source of information they can use to fight back. Their search lands them on a massive space station, long-since abandoned by all but the most daring treasure seekers, rumored to contain a hidden Jedi library that is guarded by a deadly curse. Unfortunately, a mysterious assassin is picking off the denizens of the space station one by one, and if they actually do find the lost library, the killer will be the least of their worries!
Review: This story gets top marks for its spooky, atmospheric setting and use of Anzati assassin Dannik Jerriko (who will be shudderingly familiar to anyone who has read the gross/creepy "soup" story in Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina). It's legitimately spooky, it kept me guessing, and it genuinely surprised me with a few revelations. I kind of wonder how much the readers of this book are expected to know who Jerriko is before the reveal, but this specialized knowledge didn't spoil the most significant plot twists . . . If anything, kind of the opposite?
I also appreciate that the title hints that a Jedi ghost may be haunting somewhere . . . and because we know that that's a thing, it leaves an open question as to whether they'll actually encounter a Force ghost (and will it be a malicious Dark Jedi?), or is this a Scooby Doo scenario? Obviously the answer to this question is of particular interest to Tash and her growing interest in the Force, and her growing awareness (despite a devastating blow to her confidence and self-image in the last book) that she may indeed be Force-sensitive herself. Again, I appreciate how this is handled, both in this book and in the series as a whole.
The part of the plot that ties back in with Gog and Project Starscream was a bit of an eye-roll. This was the first book that felt like it might have been better served if it weren't part of that narrative, even though I appreciate that there's a driving arc to this whole thing. Thematically and as part of the larger series, it works. I just didn't care for it within this story. Otherwise, another really solid entry in a surprisingly consistent series.
B
Background: Ghost of the Jedi was written by John Whitman and published in July of 1997. It is the fifth in the Galaxy of Fear series, all written by Whitman.
Ghost of the Jedi takes place 7 months after the Battle of Yavin, picking up immediately after the conclusion of The Nightmare Machine (my review). The main characters are Tash and Zak Arranda, their adoptive Uncle Hoole, and their droid caretaker, DV-9. Borborygmus Gog plays a significant role, along with Dannik Jerriko, and minor appearances by Jabba the Hutt and Darth Vader. Most of the story takes place on Tatooine and an abandoned space station orbiting Nespis VIII.
Summary: With the Empire hot on their trail, Hoole and the Arrandas turn to some old underworld contacts, and Tash's mysterious HoloNet friend, in search of both a safe place to hide and hopefully a source of information they can use to fight back. Their search lands them on a massive space station, long-since abandoned by all but the most daring treasure seekers, rumored to contain a hidden Jedi library that is guarded by a deadly curse. Unfortunately, a mysterious assassin is picking off the denizens of the space station one by one, and if they actually do find the lost library, the killer will be the least of their worries!
Review: This story gets top marks for its spooky, atmospheric setting and use of Anzati assassin Dannik Jerriko (who will be shudderingly familiar to anyone who has read the gross/creepy "soup" story in Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina). It's legitimately spooky, it kept me guessing, and it genuinely surprised me with a few revelations. I kind of wonder how much the readers of this book are expected to know who Jerriko is before the reveal, but this specialized knowledge didn't spoil the most significant plot twists . . . If anything, kind of the opposite?
I also appreciate that the title hints that a Jedi ghost may be haunting somewhere . . . and because we know that that's a thing, it leaves an open question as to whether they'll actually encounter a Force ghost (and will it be a malicious Dark Jedi?), or is this a Scooby Doo scenario? Obviously the answer to this question is of particular interest to Tash and her growing interest in the Force, and her growing awareness (despite a devastating blow to her confidence and self-image in the last book) that she may indeed be Force-sensitive herself. Again, I appreciate how this is handled, both in this book and in the series as a whole.
The part of the plot that ties back in with Gog and Project Starscream was a bit of an eye-roll. This was the first book that felt like it might have been better served if it weren't part of that narrative, even though I appreciate that there's a driving arc to this whole thing. Thematically and as part of the larger series, it works. I just didn't care for it within this story. Otherwise, another really solid entry in a surprisingly consistent series.
B
January 3, 2018
As Tash's character develops, we learn that she's Force-sensitive. She has feelings and intuitions that Zak and Hoole both trust, so when they wind up on a lost space station that gives her bad feelings, they know something is up. That squatters on the station are slowly disappearing is just a confirmation that something bad is happening there.
It's probably easy to tell what the big scary thing is in this book -- a ghost! Of a Jedi! Yes, it turns out that the space station is more than it appears, though only Tash can tell due to her Force-sensitivity. She has her doubts about herself, as any young teenager does, and Whitman balances the story against its theme pretty well. Plus, there are no cameos in this volume, which makes it feel more self-contained in its own universe, which I appreciate.
The books are still hinting at a larger story, and I have to admit, I'm ready for that to resolve itself. That larger story only comes into play through the prologues and epilogues of these books, so it doesn't feel like it's a big important part of the story. The characterization carries over from book to book, but the plots are all stand-alone. After reading Jude Watson's juvenile series (and even Alex Wheeler's), I've gotten used to that larger story being significant. Here's hoping it becomes a part of the story soon.
It's probably easy to tell what the big scary thing is in this book -- a ghost! Of a Jedi! Yes, it turns out that the space station is more than it appears, though only Tash can tell due to her Force-sensitivity. She has her doubts about herself, as any young teenager does, and Whitman balances the story against its theme pretty well. Plus, there are no cameos in this volume, which makes it feel more self-contained in its own universe, which I appreciate.
The books are still hinting at a larger story, and I have to admit, I'm ready for that to resolve itself. That larger story only comes into play through the prologues and epilogues of these books, so it doesn't feel like it's a big important part of the story. The characterization carries over from book to book, but the plots are all stand-alone. After reading Jude Watson's juvenile series (and even Alex Wheeler's), I've gotten used to that larger story being significant. Here's hoping it becomes a part of the story soon.
May 16, 2024
This is one of my favourite books OF ALL TIME. I've read it many more times than the rest of the books in the series. As a kid, I was obsessed with ghosts and Jedi, so the ghost of a Jedi was incredibly exciting to me. I am still very fond of Aidan Bok. I spent so many years wishing he would appear in pre-ROTS media. Alas. I also love Tash's journey in this book, as she gains more confidence and more awareness of herself. Something I went through when I was younger, when I was reading about her adventures. Yep, these books aren't just horror and Star Wars cameos (oh hai, Dannik Jerriko!).
May 2, 2023
Another light, atmospheric adventure as our heroes come across an abandoned and seemingly haunted space station rumored to house an ancient Jedi Library. There's some nice twists, good use of the geography of the setting, some unexpected guest stars. Definitely feels undercooked, like they could have dug into it more. But at the novella length of these books, it is what it is.
May 14, 2017
Unfortunately the plot drops with this one. The only noticeable thing being a small hint into Hoole's past. Otherwise it's the same recipe as before with the guest star being an obscure character that only those of us who read the "Tales" book know about.
October 19, 2019
I was planning to get around to this series eventually but the library put this in their display of ghost books and I thought.... what the heck.
The premise was kind of goofy but it was written pretty well.
The premise was kind of goofy but it was written pretty well.
July 3, 2020
This one was really good! Dark Empire references are a great way to get me into something, and I legitimately did not see the twists and turns coming. Some of the moments with Tash and Zak genuinely made me smile as well. I'm gonna be sad when I'm out of Galaxy of Fear books to read.
November 11, 2021
Quite liked this continuation of the Galaxy of Fear series. It had a satisfying turn of events with a somewhat unexpected revelation. And in comparison to the previous novels of the series, this one does not rely much on the 'popular' main characters of the Star Wars original trilogy.
October 28, 2019
Not as exciting as some of the galaxy of fear books. This one confirms Tash's force sensitivity, includes secret passages a mystery and assassins.
October 12, 2020
I really sincerely liked this one. A little hokey in places but I love the way Tash's doubts about her ability to be a Jedi are handled.
November 30, 2020
Murder mystery lite when the Shroud ends up at an ancient space station...
Some intriguing Jedi lore, bit we skirt dangerously close to Disney-era Force ghost rules...or lack thereof.
Some intriguing Jedi lore, bit we skirt dangerously close to Disney-era Force ghost rules...or lack thereof.
October 25, 2021
Another spooky adventure as the kids and their uncle find themselves searching for a missing library.
September 23, 2022
My introduction to scifi horror.
Read
August 3, 2023I loved this series and this book in particular when I was twelve. Haven't read it since but hoping to see if it holds up as an adult.
December 12, 2024
Neat little Star Wars adventure for kids. I really enjoyed it. Plus, it's a quick read, too.
December 13, 2025
i can't believe i forgot about how there's internet catfishing and stranger danger in star wars
September 11, 2016
More of a 3.6-star rating.
Tash finally meets Forceflow, who had asked to meet her in the Auril system. Hoole finds this odd as Jabba the Hutt also made mention to the Outer Rim area. They hope to find Rebels there.
Instead, they find Nespis 8, an abandoned space station that has an old Jedi library on it. Forceflow is adamant about the curse on the library. Tash, Zak, DV-9, and Hoole are uncertain about this at first, but as people start dying they suspect that a curse is likely.
That, and Tash is hearing a voice say "get out" - a voice no one else can hear.
I found it strange when Forceflow talked about Tash's "friends" and not her "family." I don't know if that came up in previous books, but it's odd.
The identity of Forceflow isn't fully unexpected given the hints Whitman drops in the book, but it's still a sad revelation.
Tash finally meets Forceflow, who had asked to meet her in the Auril system. Hoole finds this odd as Jabba the Hutt also made mention to the Outer Rim area. They hope to find Rebels there.
Instead, they find Nespis 8, an abandoned space station that has an old Jedi library on it. Forceflow is adamant about the curse on the library. Tash, Zak, DV-9, and Hoole are uncertain about this at first, but as people start dying they suspect that a curse is likely.
That, and Tash is hearing a voice say "get out" - a voice no one else can hear.
I found it strange when Forceflow talked about Tash's "friends" and not her "family." I don't know if that came up in previous books, but it's odd.
The identity of Forceflow isn't fully unexpected given the hints Whitman drops in the book, but it's still a sad revelation.
April 19, 2011
The best of the series so far.
February 26, 2016
The ghost story line didn't do as much for me as some of the previous ones.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews