Star Wars: Dark Forces : Jedi Knight [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Various (Adapter), William C. Dietz (Author)

Book Description

Series: Star Wars | Publication Date: November 1, 1998

In Jedi Knight, Jerec, the Dark Jedi, brings his forces to Ruusan in the final part of his search for the Valley of the Jedi. Destroying anything that gets in his way, Jerec reaches the Valley just ahead of Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors. With the help of the indigenous inhabitants of the planet, Kyle and Jan confront Jerec's Jedi and prepare for a final showdown with Jerec. If Jerec defeats Kyle, the unlimited power contained in the Valley will enable him to rule the galaxy. Are Kyle's untrained Jedi powers enough to defeat Jerec?

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In Soldier for the Empire, writer William Dietz and painter Dean Williams have accomplished something rare among the numerous spinoffs of the Star Wars films: a story that captures the essence of Star Wars while charting new territory in terms of character development.

The story is a simple one. Like Luke Skywalker, Kyle Katarn is a young farm boy who dreams of the stars. But for Kyle, the way off his home world is through the Imperial Military Academy, not through a Jedi mentor. Just as Kyle reaches the end of his training in a vicious firefight on a Rebel-held asteroid, his father, Morgan, is killed in an Imperial attack. As he learns the truth behind his father's death, Kyle is awakened to a terrifying vision of the Empire that he has grown to respect, and he suddenly finds himself working for the Rebels to steal plans for the newly completed Death Star.

By integrating Kyle's tale into the actual plot of Star Wars, Deitz makes his novel especially relevant for Star Wars fans. But what really drives Soldier for the Empire are the grim details that bring the war to life. Dietz's vision of the Empire recounts the awesome discipline of Nazi Germany, and his descriptions of Dark Jedi Jerec are reminiscent of the twisted minds that must always stand behind organized evil. At the same time, by going inside the Empire (and into the psyches of Storm Troopers), Dietz reveals the seductive power of that evil. Dean Williams's award-winning paintings are a perfect complement to the story, creating a cinematic life for the text. Kyle's tale continues in Rebel Agent and Jedi Knight. --Patrick O'Kelley --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Highbridge Audio; Fully dramatized edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565112768
• ISBN-13: 978-1565112766
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,543,038 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.