Review: Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi

Heir to the Jedi: Star Wars by Kevin Hearne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an eARC copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

3.5 stars.

To be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed for the majority of the time I spent reading this book. Once again, a big name author was chosen to write a Star Wars novel, and like with the previous few, it didn't capture my attention the way I'd hoped. It was a good story, but not real exciting or engaging.

But then the last couple of chapters brought it home and was enough to bump my rating by a half star. I finished the book feeling satisfied with the read, though not compelled to run out and buy books by Kevin Hearne or other Star Wars novels.

This book does take an interesting perspective that I haven't seen in the others I've read. That is, a first person narrative from the perspective of Luke Skywalker. It was intriguing to get into his head and see how he felt about events in the Star Wars: A New Hope film, after which this novel is set. It was also interesting to watch him deal with his powers with the Force, and his role in the Rebellion. The final climactic scene really delved into his mind, and his heart. It was a bit gut-wrenching, and very significant to a reader that is familiar with all of the films (so far). The fact that Skywalker himself doesn't catch this significance is great. He will later, of course. But for now the author was skillful at keeping his insights limited to the character as he was before The Empire Strikes Back.

So all in all, I'd recommend this book to the Star Wars fan. I wouldn't say it ranks among the best of the EU novels, but it's a decent read on its own.



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