Jedi Knight (Star Wars: Dark Forces) [Hardcover]

William C. Dietz (Author)

Book Description

Series: Star Wars: dark forces | Publication Date: November 9, 1998

As 1999 approaches, anticipation for the release of the first of the new trilogy of Star Wars prequel films is growing. But this interest in what went before has in no way diminished enthusiasm for the continuation of stories set in the familiar universe where Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance still battle the evil Empire. The Dark Forces trilogy is set firmly in that universe. And in Jedi Knight, the final volume, Star Wars fans will learn more about a hero whose actions helped change the course of the struggle. The worst has happened--the Dark Jedi Jerec has learned the location of the fabled Valley of the Jedi. Kyle Katarn,

former Imperial soldier-turned-Rebel agent, and his partner, Jan Ors, race across the galaxy to head him off. But they arrive too late. The planet Ruusan has been taken over by Jerec and his followers, who are plundering at will,

brutally crushing all opposition. Now only Kyle Katarn, who is only just learning to use the Force within him, can stop the Dark Jedi from fulfilling his plan to seize control of the

enormous power trapped in the Valley. The stage is set for a final confrontation between Katarn and the man who killed his father. But will he be able to get beyond his hatred of Jerec and become, truly, a Jedi Knight?

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

As the title suggests in this final volume of William Dietz's illustrated trilogy of Star Wars: Dark Forces novels, this is a tale of a Jedi Knight. But which Jedi Knight? While the ex-storm trooper turned Rebel spy Kyle Katarn is the ostensible hero of the three books, his father is also a Jedi Knight of sorts. Kyle has done the impossible and trained himself in the way of the Force, but readers learn that his father had also glimpsed the Jedi way and had turned back. In addition, the novel is populated with a number of Dark Jedi, notably Yun, who sometimes question their Dark path. And then there are the Jedi Masters--Rahn and Luke Skywalker--who stand literally and figuratively as spiritual guides to Kyle. Finally, there is the Valley of the Jedi. The Valley is the heart of the book: Dark Jedi Jerec wants to harness its concentration of the Force for his dreams of interstellar domination; and the Jedi Rebels want to protect it or destroy it before it falls into the Empire's hands. As Kyle races his Dark Side counterparts to the secret of the Valley, readers will recall the best mythic moments (Luke's attack on the first Death Star or his final duel with Darth Vader) from the Star Wars films.

In the end, Jedi Knight is a short novel of epic proportions that neatly ties up the many threads presented in Dietz's first two installments (Soldier for the Empire and Rebel Agent). Eisner-winning artist Dave Dorman brings Kyle and his love, Jan, to vivid life in his series of painted scenes scattered throughout the text. --Patrick O'Kelley

From School Library Journal

YA-After Kyle's father is killed by an evil Jedi and Kyle has come over to the positive side of the Force, he discovers that his father has left behind the secret to the Valley of the Jedi. Kyle accepts the power of the Force and begins his initiation as a Jedi Knight even as he battles great odds to prevent misuse of the valley. Aided by his female superior officer, he completes his quest for the highly guarded information. As the story ends, they acknowledge their love for one another and as Luke Skywalker arrives, they begin plans for the next great adventure. Dietz moves the story along with plenty of battle scenes and odd space-alien life-forms. There is a seemingly never-ending supply of technological wonders and weapons. Blood flows freely, both humanoid and from the multitude of beings that inhabit that particular space environment. Droids appear frequently and carry the same importance as their humanoid counterparts. Action takes place inside of trees; along narrow passages; across the great expanse of space; and in, under, and through all sorts of buildings. For young adults who enjoy CD-ROM interactive games like Star Wars or reading space adventures, this second part of the trilogy will be of interest. A caveat: the book does differ from the LucasArts Dark Forces game.
Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 126 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (November 9, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399144528
• ISBN-13: 978-0399144523
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #758,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Game was better, March 28, 2000

By 

Mike - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soldier for the empire: dark forces (Star Wars, Dark Forces) (Paperback)

Soldier for the Empire is a rather odd graphic novel. It combines a short book with illustrations that vary from strong to below average. It expands on the Dark Forces series of video games, and follows Kyle Katarn from his days as an Imperial agent to becoming one of the most trusted agents of the Alliance, to his days as a Jedi Knight.

The book had its moments, and most of the illustrations did the games, and the Star Wars universe credit. Unfortunately, there were some problems with the story (the sequence on the asteroid was a bit questionable so far as realism goes), and the drawings sometimes referred to the wrong pages. The book is better than its sequel, Rebel Agent, but comes up short when taking on the finale to the series, Jedi Knight. Buy that one instead, it isn't hard to figure out what's going on, particularly if you have played the game.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Star Wars....love this book., March 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Soldier for the empire: dark forces (Star Wars, Dark Forces) (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book AND the illustrations. These beautiful paintings are really imaginative. It is an exciting adventure with new characters and some really amazing images. It made me want to know more and more about Kyle Katarn and the other characters they introduced. Although I don't get into the computer games, if they are anything like the images in the book, I bet they're really cool looking. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in THE DARK FORCES series while I wait for the new film.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good Star Wars story if you're looking for a light read., February 25, 1998

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soldier for the Empire (Star Wars: Dark Forces) (Hardcover)

"Soldier for the Empire" is an entertaining and fun Star Wars story on its own, but it's really geared toward those who are already fans of the "Dark Forces" computer game. While I enjoyed this book, I felt that the (often odd) illustrations hampered my experience as a reader. The book would have been better served using the artwork as chapter breaks, rather than having it so often disrupt your own mental picture of the story. Also, and more purely from a continuity point of view, "Soldier for the Empire" takes some liberties with established Star Wars characters, which may be annoying to those readers who are fans of the "Dark Forces" games and the Star Wars universe in general.

All in all, "Soldier for the Empire" is an entertaining piece of Star Wars fiction, but it is not particularly well-written or especially well-illustrated.