Reading the EU: Children of the Jedi

[maplemood]

Author: Barbara Hambly
Stars: 3 (out of 5)

Only a couple notes for this one, and they all pretty much boil down to "Boy, am I glad I didn't look it up on Goodreads before reading it". I just double-checked, and this poor sucker has a whopping 3.26 star average; the top four reviews are all 1-star. And, to be fair, Children of the Jedi didn't exactly blow me away, but there's a lot to like (if maybe not love) about it. You've got a long-lost Jedi colony on a remote planet, a power-hungry but somewhat emotionally complicated villain, two main storylines that were both interesting enough to keep me flipping pages, and the fact that Luke has to team up with a pack of Jawas for his own survival. Also, Force ghosts. And a sharp-and-slightly-bitter Mara Jade cameo that's (in my opinion, anyway) worth reading the rest of the book for. The writing's also a little more detailed and a little more emotional than Heir to the Empire; though Heir to the Empire is definitely the better book, it was nice to read something set in the same universe that had a bit of a warmer, space-fantasy feel to it. So, yeah, Children of the Jedi's no masterpiece, but I enjoyed it anyway.

(And apparently concubines were a thing in the Imperial court, which...part of me would rather not think about a guy like Palpatine having concubines. Ever. On the other hand, it presents so many interesting story possibilities. SO MANY.)

 

Comments

[paynesgrey]

That's actually interesting about the concubines in the EU (I haven't really ventured in the EU yet). In the dark terrible recesses of my fandom brain, I presumed Snoke had slave girls, because you know, he's gross and evil and all.

[maplemood]

Oh, yep, it's not something I'd put past Snoke, either! And as awful as it is, I can imagine a story set in the Imperial court and just full of all the backstabbing and intrigue you'd get within that kind of system. It'd probably be super dark, but I'd read it!