Customer Reviews

Heirs of the Force (Star Wars)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read this book about a year ago, but I still remember it very well. Because the series (Young Jedi Knights) was all about Jacen and Jaina Solo, they were the first books to really develop their characters. Jaina is spunky and adventurous and has a real talent for mechanical stuff and for flying. Jacen's talent is communicating through the force with animals, and he keeps a collection of them in his room. In this book, when the series stars off, the twins are fourteen years old and have left their home on Coruscant to attend Luke's Jedi academy on the fourth moon of Yavin. The plot involved the two adjusting to life at the academy and making some new friends, including Tenal Ka, a warrior girl, and Lowie, a Wookie who is Chewie's nephew. Jaina's father, Han Solo, gives her a hyperdrive to toy around with, because she loves mechanical thigns so much. She finds the wreckage of a TIE fighter from the battle of Yavin when the first Death Star was destroyed. So she'll have her own ship with hyperspace capabilities, she decides to install the hyperdrive in the fighter. That's where the trouble starts. It turns out that the pilot of the ship has been hiding in the jungle for twenty years. He doesn't know that the Empire has fallen, and when he learns his ship has been repaired, he decides to steal it and return to his command. And he doesn't care if he gets the kids hurt or killed in the process. What I liked best about this book was that it was a Star Wars story in which the main characters were my age. You don't have to be a kid or teenager to enjoy the book, though. I think all Star Wars fans will find it entertaining if they don't mind the simpler writing style.

I'll start from the very beginning.

The YJK series is a spectacular read for teens or for any Star Wars fan who doesn't mind the upper primary to middle school level reading. Hey, I'm 18 and I don't mind reading a young teen book because I LOVE THE STORY. It's a change from all the blood, gore, goose-chase plots, and meaningless sex that have frequented the shelves more and more. I own all 14 volumes in their original paperback form. ^_^ Great for passing by the time and relaxing or for a little Jedi-action - geared for teens of course. The series basically takes off where the Jedi Academy series ended -- with the introduction of the children of Lei and Han at the Yavin 4 Jedi Training grounds with Luke. Albeit it starts quite a few years later, but just the same...

Heirs of the Force introduces the twins of the Solo family -- Jacen and Jaina, and their Jedi comrades -- Tenel Ka and Lowbacca. The story moves in different ways for different people. If you are like me and want a change from total slam-bang action and could use a little more descriptions, then you'll prolly think the beginning of the story is great. It doesn't move too fast I'll admit because Anderson and Moesta are introducing the people and places and the circumstances. TERRIFIC USE OF DESCRIPTION AND IMAGERY! If you're not all that familiar with Star Wars and didn't keep up with everything (I did! Star Wars forever!), then the long-winded intro may do you a little good. The existence of the Imperials (HA! Can't be missing for long!) are reintroduced by the means of a stranded Tie-fighter pilot and when Jacen and Jaina come across a wrecked tie-fighter and its pilot in the forests, they know that the Imperial forces may not be as dead as the Republic thought. And since this is a series, you just have to wonder exactly what's to happen next and how it correlates. And I assure you - it DOES correlate! The main ideas? JEDI TRAINING, CHARACTER AND SETTING DEVELOPMENT, AND SOME GOOD 'OLE IMPERIAL TROUBLE.

The physical aspect of the book? I bought the book many years ago when it first came out and I am the proud owner of the first edition -- complete with the foil-embossed covers that gives it a super trendy look. David Dorman's cover artwork is AMAZING and I'll admit that in this case -- it's A-OK to judge a book by its cover! ^.^ If you collect Star Wars books -- this is a terrific series to collect -- not as hardcore, but still your Star Wars, BEAUTIFUL covers, and it's MORE JEDI! More from the teens' perspective that is. Perhaps this series is most powerful to the teen readers because all of a sudden with the intro of teen Jedi Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka, and Lowbaccca -- the fantasy of becoming a Jedi Knight seems closer to home... It doesn't matter how old you are -- you are never too old to dream!

This is a exciting continuation from Return of the Jedi.
Han and Leia get married and have twin children,Jacen and Jaina, brother and sister. One day Lowbaca, Chewbaca's nephew, Tenel Ka, Jacen, and Jaina were in the jungel and found a crashed X-Wing Tie Fighter. As they search deeper into the jungle they found the pilot of The X-wing fighter and they all were scared because he was shooting at them. They knew that The Impire, Darth Vader, was evil and so if he was evil then his men were also. Tenel Ka and Lowbaca got away but Jacen and Jaina were stuck with the Imperial Pilot and they were slaves.
Star Wars fans READ THE WHOLE BOOK!!!

Written by the terrific husband and wife team, Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, the Star Wars Young Jedi Knights series are not to be missed! These series of books center on the young twins of Han Solo and Lei Organa, Jacen and Jacen, and their friends, Lowbacca and Tenel Ka, as they journey on the road to becoming Jedi Knights.

The first book, "Heirs of the Force", begins on the planet Yavin 4. There, Luke Skywalker has his Jedi academy where his nephew and niece, Jacen and Jaina, are enrolled. Both of them are fourteen and are being trained as Jedi Knights, along with their good friend Tenel Ka. One day, the twin's father, Han Solo, drops by, along with Chewbacca and his nephew, Lowbacca. Lowbacca is also going to be trained as a Jedi and soon, he and the other three humans are good friends. While Lowbacca is riding his T-23 skyhopper in the jungle, he chances upon a wrecked TIE fighter. Jaina, who loves mechanics, is eager for a challenge, to try to fix the broken fighter. So along with her friends, they begin the task of repairing it, and to also install a hyperdrive which Jaina's father had given her. Little do they know that the original Imperial pilot, Qorl, is still a live and watching them as they work. He has been waiting for years for a chance to return to the Empire and it seems that his chance has come...

I must say that I just love the Young Jedi Knights! I really like all Star Wars books but this series one of my favorites for the reasons that, 1) the characters are very interesting and close to my age, 2) superbly and well written, and 3) all books are exciting and full of adventure. The five main characters of the books are well likable because each of them have their own personalities, characteristics, and quirks.

JACEN: He loves all living thing from plants, animals, to insects. In his own room he has his on menagerie of them. He has a special talent in using the Force to communicate with living creatures, though he doesn't know exactly how.
JAINA: An almost complete opposite of her brother, she takes after her father, Han Solo. She is a mechanical whiz and just loves taking apart and putting together droids, machines, and just almost anything. Also like her father, she is very spirited and has a self-confidence which makes her a natural leader.
LOWBACCA: Called Lowie by his friends, he is a Wookie and the nephew of Chewbacca. Very courageous and strong, he loves his friends very much. But sometimes he can't but just help missing his home planet Kashyyyk.
EM TEEDEE: Very much like C-3PO (almost to a fault), Em Teedee is a miniature translating droid who is always kept on Lowie's belt. Though talkative and annoying at times, Em Teedee is a member of the five friends.
TENEL KA: My personal favorite character, Tenel Ka is the daughter of Teneniel Djo, one of the witches of Dathomir, and Prince Isolder of the Royal House of Hapes. Loyal, a little humorless, brave, and strong, she is a warrior and most of all a true friend. Though strong in the force, she tries not to rely too much in it so she is very athletic.

But the reason I gave only four stars for this book is not one of best in the series since, in my opinion, the books just get better. So I highly recommend you read all of the fourteen books in order. The series are divided mostly into three parts. The first six books are about the rising force of the Empire and its Dark Jedi Knights. The next five books are about how the Jedi's must stop the Diversity Alliance. And the last three books are how the Jedi's deal with Czethros and Black Sun. Another Star Wars series I very much recommend are the "Jedi Apprentice" series. Don't miss them!

I am fairly new to the Star Wars world, and loving every minute of it. My husband has been a fan for many years so I decided to give it a try. This is only the second Star Wars book I have read, the first being Darth Maul-Shadow Hunter.

The development of the characters and story-line of this book, Heirs of the Force, are very good. I do think the authors do a great job of writing from a 14-year-old perspective. So, this would be a wonderful book for children and teens. I do not, however, recommend this book to adult readers. I read it in one evening. The biggest problem I had with this book is that Luke and Han don't seem to act in a manner that is true to their characters. One huge plus for this book, though, is that there are a few jokes in it that had me laughing out loud. I do plan to continue in the series with hopes that it will get better as the characters develop.

The bottom line is if you, the adult, can handle reading a book on a very young level, read it. The story has it's good points. I would definately recommend this book for children. It reminds me of something I would have rather enjoyed when I was around the pre-teen years.

Hope this review helps. It is my first, so hopefully I too will get better as my reviewing develops.

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.

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.

This book is based 20 years after the Empire's attempt to destroy Yavin4. Before Jedi Master Luke Skywalker turned it into his very own jedi training ground, it was a rebel base, hidden from the evil clutches of Emperor Palpatine. Now, 20 years after the battle at Yavin, the Solo twins, Jacen and Jaina Solo, are training to become Jedi knights under the wing of the their Uncle, Luke Skywalker.

In this book, the twins meet their new friends and explore the jungles of Yavin in Lowbacca's skyhopper, a gift given to him by his uncle, Chewie. Lowbacca ventures out into the jungle and comes across something mysterious. He returns to the academy and emediatly tells his find to his new friends.

Later, Lowbacca takes Jaina, Jacen, and Tenal Ka out into the forest in search of what he found, eager to show his new friends. Jaina comes to the conclusion that it it a crashed TIE fighter, obviously from the battle at Yavin. It must have crashed down in the forest. Jealous of Lowbacca's Skyhopper, Jaina convinces her friends to repair it so she can have a vehicle of her own.

When the repairs are nearly done, a mysterious man approaches the twins and watches them. Unknown to the jedi, the pilot that lost his craft was still alive. Living in the forst of Yavin4 for 20 years. When Jacen stumbles upon the pilot's home, he startles the pilot and chases Jacen back to the crash site. There he captured the twins and help them captive while the others ran off for help.

I enjoyed this book the most because it shows the bond of friendship. This is only book one of a very interesting and great book series, where children learn and train as Young Jedi Knights.

This is the first book in the "Young Jedi Knights" series. This book wasn't as fun as the others, but I still liked it alot.

Jacen and Jaina are twins of Han Solo and Princess Leia. They are training to become Jedi Knights at their Uncle Luke's Jedi academy on Yavin 4. Jaina takes after her father: She is loves to tinker with mechanical stuff.
Jacen has a special talent of speaking to animals,insects,or plants by using the Force.They have lots of adventures together with their friend Lowie or Lowbacca, who is a Wookie computer whiz, and Tenel Ka, who is a tough warrior from the planet Dathomir. (Tenel Ka is my favorite character!)

In "Heirs of the Force", the friends, while exploring the jungle outside the academy, discover a TIE fighter that had crashed years ago during the battle against the first Death Star. Jaina thinks she can repair it with her friends.
Unknown to them, the pilot of the TIE fighter is still alive in the jungle. He has been waiting to 'return to duty' for the Empire, he does not know that the Empire had been destroyed. The Imperial trooper captures the twins and forces them to continue repairing his ship.

Will the twins be able to get away? What will happen if Qorl attacks the Jedi academy?

If you liked this book, I'm sure you'll love other books of this series!

When I read this book, I was a little too old for it, but still found it enjoyable. The characters are very well-created, and this book does not discriminate, the female characters are as strong (mentally and physically as the males) which is a very good quality in a young adult book. After reading it, I read it to my little brother out loud, and he was on the edge of his seat, and wanted me to "keep reading! Keep reading!" Also, he and I both agree, Heirs of the Force is the best of the Young Jedi series.