Children of the Jedi : Star Wars Series

Rating:
Summary: How Does Lucas Allow This?
Review: Only reason its not a 1? Its still a visit to the Star Wars Universe. Nonetheless, this is a pointless, boring, and torturous book. I dont know how Hambly got away with writing a Star Wars book without a major space battle in it. Along with the Force, the fantastic military machines are what make Star Wars special.

Rating:
Summary: A suspenseful adventure filled with interesting mysteries
Review: A feeling of danger prompts Luke Skywalker and two of his students to investigate a remote region of space. What they find is definately worth exploring. It is a giant ship with a mysterious will which is bent on destroying a former Jedi colony. So what? Well, Han and Leia happen to be at that former colony investigating a message from a former associate of Han's. But, there is someone else on the ship, someone who wants to help. Someone who may be the only hope for our heroes.

Rating:
Summary: May the Duct Tape be with you?
Review: This book is weird. It is full of bad plots, silly situations, and a lot of campiness that seems unitentional. We have a ship roaming around the universe and converting Gamoreon guards into Stormtroopers, we have Luke falling in love with a ghost, and we have an author with a fetish for duct tape (at several points, people get captured so they can be bound and gagged with it.) And so it wanders on it's merry little way, content at being pointless, and delivers no payoff. Yet, at the end of it all, you're glad you read it. I can honestly say I can't remember why. All I can remember is the weirdness of it all. That, and the duct tape.

Rating:
Summary: Cheesy ending, but everything else more than makes up for it
Review: The core of the story is really about Luke and his love for the Jedi Callista aboard the EYE OF PALPATINE. Hambly does a good job of painting the inside of the ship as a dark and eerie place with dozens of aliens walking around hypnotized into thinking they're Imperial agents. It's like the Mos Eisley cantina meets the Haunted House. The ending would feel stronger if it were done the other way (that's the best I can do without giving it away) however Hambly still manages to use the characters to express a deep sense of love. Ultimately, "Children of the Jedi" is a love story.

Rating:
Summary: Finally! A writer who respects the characters
Review: Barbara Hambly respects the characters-especially Luke. I have read all of the SW books, and it seems that none of the authors have the courage to write about Luke in a compelling, sensitive way. (Others like to see the Jedi Master brought to his knees again and again. Do they have an inferiority complex?) The story is interesting and takes many unexpected turns. For those of you who don't like it, I wonder if action is the ONLY criteria that you place on the SW universe. Thank the Force that this book did not have the entire galaxy in terror. (Sun-Crusher! Give me a break). Hambly takes the time to develop characters in a way that none of the other authors did-she took the time and carefully crafted some tenderness without wimpiness into all of the characters. There were some errors in consistancy, however, and some of the facts and description of all the alien races got a bit confusing. She doesn't let you in all aspects of the places and descriptions at once-she gives you only a bit of information at a time so the reader can digest the scene one bite at a time. All and all, a very good book and vital to the character development of Luke, Han and Leia. Thank-you, Ms. Hambly.

Rating:
Summary: A marvellous book, highly recommended.
Review: Where to begin? I enjoyed so many aspects of this book...human characters acting from complex motivations, sublime language and vivid, wierd imagery, humor, suspense, all that stuff. But mostly I enjoyed Hambly's understanding of the Force as a source of tremendous power, but not a magic wand. For example, many SW fans were upset that Luke couldn't twitch his nose and make his leg all better. I found much more compelling a situation where Luke's considerable ability was just enough to keep him from passing out (where an y one of us would have puffed up and died long since), and he had little left to fall back on except courage, inventiveness and plain ol' grit. And what in the hands of a lesser writer would have been a stock happy ending was given an ironic, bitter twist. C'est la vie, even with the Force on your side. This was the first book I read by Barbara Hambly; I enjoyed it so much I started reading her other titles voraciously, and she's now one of my favorite authors. Ms. Hambly, keep up the exceptional work!

Rating:
Summary: AN AWFUL, UNREADABLE BOOK.
Review: I do not agree with anyone who said this book was good. Callista was boring(I preferred Mara Jade). Every two pages Luke would start whining about his leg. It felt like someone scratching the blackboard with their nails. I was going to scream with torture. I should think that Luke, the powerful Jedi Master, could heal a simple wound on his leg. All that stuff with Han and Leia was boring. The beginning was pyscho and confusing. The only reason I did not give it a 1 was because of the Jawas and the Affeytechans. How can coffee exist in the SW universe? That makes it seem normal & boring. The topatoes & pittins were also silly. Changing one letter does not make that much of a difference. At least change all of the letters and make it exotic sounding. To sum it up, Hambly needs to take a few lessons from Zahn.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Book!
Review: This book was pretty good, although I've read better. I liked the romance in it between Luke and Callista,Luke needed a girlfriend. I also liked the way they depicted Leia's aunts. But all in all, it could use improvement.

Rating:
Summary: Awful. A read like being stepped on by an AT-AT.
Review: This is a book that makes you wonder why some writers even get paid. Lousy story full of contradictions, and I agree heartily with those reviewers who wondered how a few scratches can impair a Jedi Master. It's too bad someone didn't find the manuscript of this one and turn it to ash with a lightsaber before it hit the press!

Rating:
Summary: Action and good literature actually in one novel!!
Review: I've already enjoyed many "Star Wars" novels, but this one is by far the best example of good writing. Although both Anderson and Wolverton have terrific plots, their language usage cannot compare with that of Hambly. Her color and images bounce from the pages to your mind. The story itself is commendable, and enjoyable. It's Star Wars with the polish of Dickens.