Saturday 3 August 2013

CLASSIC REVIEW: 'STAR WARS - KNIGHT ERRANT' NOVEL


STAR WARS: KNIGHT ERRANT

By John Jackson Miller

Published in the UK in paperback by ARROW BOOKS

Reviewed by Scott Weller

Fans who have greatly missed Mara Jade’s distinctive presence in the STAR WARS universe will thoroughly enjoy the first of a new STAR WARS book series from LOST TRIBE OF THE SITH author, John Jackson Miller: KNIGHT ERRANT, which admirably adds another female Force user to the esteemed ranks of the universe’s iconic  women: Kerra Holt, who also continues the kind of trend with female heroes in modern literature that we’ve been recently seeing more of with the likes of Stieg Larsson’s MILLENNIUM trilogy (as well as other popular fiction and science fiction): gals who know themselves and who are confident and bold in the face of great dangers and challenges, yet relatable and likable to readers of all ages. Set towards the near end of the dark 1,000 years of war prior to the (eventual) settling down of the Galactic Republic, and a long time prior to the events of THE PHANTOM MENACE (and the re-emerged Sith concept as a duo power for evil), this sees our Jedi heroine, having previously lost her Jedi Master, dispatched into the heart of the unexplored enemy lines and right into the middle of Sith rivalries, individual and group power challenges and other dangerous intrigues, as she faces their challenges and has to survive the hostile new special domain she’s immersed herself in, the Grumani sector (a mixture of story elements that the books author has described as being a cross between the real life Dark Ages of Earth history and its early twentieth century troubles between China and Vietnam: certainly moments in time amongst the most dangerous and historically decisive to have ever occurred to mankind), with further threats to her native Republic from all sides that will have to be conquered, like a tangle of threads, in future books to come, with help to Holt provided by a rogues gallery of supporting heroes/archetypes deliberately not too dissimilar to the ones created by George Lucas. Jackson Miller clearly enjoys creating a whole new region of space and its new multiple Sith characters in a way Mario Puzo would enjoy, and if you’re a fan of the Expanded Universe world of STAR WARS fiction you’ll really enjoy this books dense but well-written set-up for what promises to be an exciting new action adventure series. And with the new DARK HORSE comic intrinsically linked to the book series, and from the same author, you’ll also get a visual peak in to Holt’s world with a lovely full colour middle comic book section, too.

STAR WARS AFICIONADO RATING: Another new section of the STAR WARS universe is explored. It may be heavy going at times to new readers striving to enjoy the saga beyond its regular film and animated heroes, but stick with it, as its still the same kind of adventure story just in a different time and place. Long term Expanded Universers, however, will surely enjoy this- more of the same, no doubt lapping up LUCAS BOOKS attempts to further expand the Jedi/Sith universe as far as it can go. 3.5 out of 5.  

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