 | | |
| Heirs of the Force (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, Book 1) | 
 enlarge | List Price: $5.99
Buy New: $2.73
You Save: $3.26 (54%)
Buy New/Used from $2.73
Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 46 reviews)
Sales Rank: 439265
Category: Book
Authors: Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta
Publisher: Berkley
Studio: Berkley
Manufacturer: Berkley
Label: Berkley
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.7
ISBN: 0425169499
EAN: 9780425169490
ASIN: 0425169499
Publication Date: March 15, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Exploring the jungle outside the Jedi Academy, twins Jacen and Jaina Solo discover the remains of a TIE fighter that went down during the first Death Star battle, and their plans to repair it are overseen by a stranded Imperial trooper. Original.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 41 more reviews...
 Warmhearted fun September 7, 2008
HEIRS OF THE FORCE: HEIRS OF THE FORCE is the first volume of Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta's popular Young Jedi Knights series. You certainly can't fault the book for a lack of exuberance. It's a bouncy introduction to a generally lighthearted series but nevertheless maintains some grounding in reality.
Significantly, the protagonists have their own adventures instead of tagging along after the adults. They are, after all, teenagers, and they get into precisely the sort of trouble one might expect teenagers to find in a galaxy far, far away. Most importantly, the emphasis on adolescent concerns spares the authors the trouble of "dumbing down" adult affairs to a level comprehensible to the reading audience. When I asked a friend in the publishing business why he thought Young Jedi Knights was so much more popular than its predecessor, THE GLOVE OF DARTH VADER, he quipped, "Because kids want to read about kids acting like kids; they don't want to read about adults acting like retards." There are adult characters, of course, but their priorities exist on the periphery of the young Jedi's world - a youthful preoccupation which subtly enhances the kid's-eye view of the galaxy.
As one would expect from a children's series, the characters' personalities are clearly defined: The Goofy One, The Smart One, The Sassy One, etc. However, there's enough color in this cast that it seldom descends into monotony. The characterization may be oversimplified, but the reader cannot escape the conviction that the authors actually know something about children. (Of course, Hollace Davids was a child psychologist, and that qualification didn't save THE GLOVE OF DARTH VADER.) Even as an adult, I can't help but want to befriend these fictional teenagers.
Um, okay, I probably could have phrased that last sentence less...creepily. But it really is a relief to find such a lovable cast of characters.
While Anderson is infamous for overloading the first chapters of all his books with exposition, HEIRS OF THE FORCE manages to demonstrate the interplay between the young Jedi fairly naturally. The plot begins so immediately that the human interactions feel as though they're already in place; the authors never have to stop to spell out the various relationships for us. Frankly, it would be a tremendous relief if Anderson began all his books so confidently.
The authors' prose is breezy but enriched by a consistent stream of sensory details. No, it's not as visually rich as Harry Potter, but on the other hand, the narrative never lurches to a sudden stop to dump imagery on the reader. The setting simply suffuses the text. This simplicity of style belies the care with which the descriptions are chosen: one of the female protagonists is said to wear her hair straight and unadorned, an indication of her tomboyish personality; her mischievous brother always has sticks and leaves in his curly locks, presumably from his daily romps through the woods. Anderson and Moesta lay out the details and allow the readers to follow them to their logical conclusions.
HEIRS OF THE FORCE is written with a twinkly-eyed subtlety that exists on levels the target audience will probably overlook. What's important is that the twinkle is present in the event that the odd reader (or an adult Star Wars nerd) does notice it. Anderson and Moesta have covered all their bases with multilayered realism. Kids will enjoy the book because it's unpretentious, fun, and true to life. And adults like me...we'll enjoy it because it reminds us of the pleasure with which we once submerged ourselves in similar literary wonderlands.
Great for any kid to read. July 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you have a kid that is into science fiction, this series is a must. The first book in this series made me want to read the rest. It is older, but is timeless. Even if your an adult, you should read this if you want to get more into the expanded Star Wars universe. It gives deeper meaning into the lives of the three jedi knights, information that must be known to understand more books deeper into their lives.
Great Beginning to the Young Jedi Knight Series July 18, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This was a great introduction into the Young Jedi Knight Series and to Jacen and Jaina Solo, the twin children of Han and Leia. Before this series we saw glimpses of the children growning up. Now at the age of fourteen they are studying at Luke's Jedi Academy learning the ways of the Force. Jacen uses the Force to communicate with animals which he keeps in cages in his room and loves jokes. Jaina is more into mechinal things. They become friends with Tenel Ka from Hapes and Dathomoir humorless and prefers refering on her strenght then the Force and Chewie's nephew Lowie. It was fun seeing what each charactor was like and what the Jedi Academy was like.
 Interesting back stories. December 28, 2005
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I read the NJO series before reading these and so I was familiar with the characters that were introduced. Jaina and Jacen Solo appeared in other books first. It is a pretty interesting read, but of course it was ment for a teen audience. I read it in probably less than two hours total time. It wasn't ment to be too indepth. It was an introduction for the series. I'm looking forward to reading the rest. It is worth your time to read because these characters play big parts in both the NJO and Dark Nest series.
 I wish George Lucas had asked me to read this first... October 17, 2005
0 out of 5 found this review helpful
Please know that I LOVE all things Star Wars--movies, books, figurines, articles, the website--everything. This book, on the other hand, was a dismal failure to put it positively. What it has going for it: multisyllabic words, two of four protagnoists are females, and...that's it! This book was boring! It took about 5/6 of the book to introduce the boring characters and then the horrible TIE fighter just flew away.
Am I missing something? Please, save your money; read the other series, but don't waste a penny on this book (and I'm guessing anything written by Mr. Anderson and his ghost writer Ms. Moesta.
GEORGE L.: If you are reading this, please find new and more interesting and inspiring writers. Thanks! Don
|
|
|
Included with most items on sale are editorial reviews and customer reviews | | |
