Rebel Agent (Star Wars: Dark Forces) [Hardcover]

William C. Dietz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 1998

The phenomenal success of the 1997 release of the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition proved beyond a doubt the timeless power of the much-loved story about the struggle between good and evil. Original enthusiasts of the films rushed to the theaters to see them again, joined by a whole new generation--young people discovering the wonder of George Lucas's vision for the first time. For those Star Wars fans--old and new--Rebel Agent, the second of the Dark Forces trilogy, adds a fascinating sidebar to the story told in the films. Kyle Katarn, former Imperial trainee, has put his past behind him. Now partnered with Jan Ors, the woman who recruited him, he is a valued member of the Rebel Alliance. Yet Katarn has one piece of unfinished business more important to him than his next assignment: tracking down the Dark Jedi Jerec, the man who killed his father. But in his search for Jerec, he finds instead what the Dark Jedi himself is after--the location of the fabled Valley of the Jedi. The power that waits there is beyond measure, and Jerec will stop at nothing to be the first to reach it. It is written, Luke Skywalker said, that a Knight will come, a battle will be fought, and the prisoners go free. In Rebel Agent, Kyle Katarn will discover that he is that Knight.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A Knight shall come, a battle will be fought, and the prisoners go free."

Like The Empire Strikes Back, Rebel Agent is the middle story in an epic Star Wars trilogy (in this case, the illustrated Dark Forces trilogy that begins with Soldier for the Empire and ends with Jedi Knight). As a middle story, it is written with the expectation that you already know that the hero, Kyle Katarn, is an ex-storm trooper who defected to the Rebellion after his father was brutally murdered by the Empire. But Rebel Agent actually begins with a flashback to the years before the action of the trilogy. Kyle's father, Morgan, stumbles onto the legendary Valley of the Jedi while fleeing an Imperial crackdown on Sulon. The Valley is a resting place for thousands of ancient Jedi souls, and its potential power as a tool for good or evil will remind readers of the ark of the covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark. After making a map, Morgan hides his discovery since he knows that the ascendant Empire is likely to make use of it long before the struggling rebels can.

The story then shifts to the days after Kyle's first successful rebel mission (detailed in Soldier for the Empire). From a scheming droid named 8t88--and through communications with a ghostly Jedi named Rahn--Kyle learns of the Valley and is drafted by Luke Skywalker and Mon Mothma to find his father's map at all costs. The action intensifies as Kyle--now a Jedi-in-training--races with Jerec and his band of Dark Jedi to uncover the coordinates of the Valley.

One of the best parts of Dark Forces is Dietz's characterization of the Empire, and in this volume it is the power-hungry droid, 8t88, who steals the show with lines like: "The malfunction is in your skull, a difficult place to make repairs.... A CPU makes more sense." In the end, though, the book is not as strong as the first and third volumes. One wonders, for example, why the budding romance between Kyle and Jan is interrupted by their long separations. Also, while Ezra Tucker's paintings perfectly capture the tattooed, lined face of Jerec, they are often cartoonish in comparison to Dean Williams's hyperrealism in the first volume. And the ending finds almost nothing resolved: you'll want Jedi Knight in hand right away when you turn the last page of Rebel Agent. --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.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse Comics / Boulevard / Putnam (April 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399143963
• ISBN-13: 978-0399143960
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.9 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: #767,448 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.