Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi

*All posts in the Star Wars Canon series contain minor spoilers

 

13 weeks until Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

“I am a Jedi, like my father before me.” –Luke Skywalker, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi is about Luke Skywalker’s mission for the Rebel Alliance to rescue Drusil Bephorin, a cryptographer who is willing to join forces with the Alliance, from the Imperial Empire.

Written by: Kevin Hearne

Published: March 3, 2015

When does Heir to the Jedi take place?

Between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.

Or more specifically: 0 BBY which is immediately after A New Hope.

Synopsis:

Luke Skywalker, hero of the Battle of Yavin, is now an important member of the Rebel Alliance. Princess Leia and Admiral Ackbar entrust him with missions vital to the Alliance’s future in the war against the Imperial Empire.

Together with his droid R2-D2 and new Rebel recruit Nakari Kelen, they take her luxury yacht, the Desert Jewel, across the galaxy to rescue a talented cryptographer. Drusil Bephorin has been working for the Empire but now is willing to use her skills to aid the Rebellion in exchange for being reunited with her family.

The rescue isn’t smooth sailing and soon a bounty is placed for the capture of the Desert Jewel’s crew. It takes the various skills of sharpshooter Nakari and Jedi-to-be Luke to deliver Drusil safely to the Rebel Alliance.

~

Heir to the Jedi is all about the math. Yes, I know that sounds a bit odd for a Star Wars book and it was a little odd to read. There is such a strong focus on math that the chapter headings were written as different equations. There was constant dialogue of figuring out mathematical reasoning behind every action, event, and incident.

Getting passed the math, Heir to the Jedi was a really lighthearted book compared to most of the other Star Wars novels I have read so far. It is the first one to be written in first person and is from Luke’s POV, which makes the entire read just a bit too whiny. Some sections also read like fan fiction because there are parts of the film heavily made fun of by fans (i.e. Tosche Station) that are awkwardly referenced in the book. The attempt at a romantic subplot also came across as awkward, furthering the fan fiction feel.

Throughout the book, Luke is trying to figure out how to learn to use the Force without the guidance of Obi-Wan (spoiler: the answer is math) and practices some very basic maneuvers with the Force like moving noodles around on a table. I did really like the character of Nakari and it is too bad she is not in more of the Star Wars universe.

For a Luke Skywalker story chronicling his time between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, I almost prefer Jason Fry’s The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure more despite it being a junior novel. So, overall, not my favourite Star Wars novel, but I did appreciate the deeper look into Luke’s life this novel provided without being a super heavy read.

 

Next week: Battlefront: Twilight Company

Complete list of Star Wars Canon novels