| Star Wars: Dark Apprentice |  | Author: Kevin J. Anderson
Category: Book
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Avg. Customer Rating:  69 reviews
Sales Rank: 4696586
Media: Library Binding
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4 x 1.1
ISBN: 1435270142
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9781435270145
ASIN: 1435270142
Publication Date: May 9, 2008
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Product Description
At Luke Skywalker's Jedi academy a brilliant young student, Kyp Durron, delves dangerously into the dark side of the Force. Impatient to rid the universe of its conflicts, Kyp steals a doomsday weapon - the Sun Crusher - to subjugate the Republic's last enemies.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 64 more reviews...
 Jedi Academy Trilogy loses steam in this second novel November 27, 2008
Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy Trilogy continues in this second volume, Dark Apprentice. At the conclusion of the first entry, Jedi Search, Luke Skywalker had laid the groundwork to start his new academy for training potential Jedi on the planet Yavin IV. Here Anderson explores the early days of the Academy itself, along with continuing the plotline of Admiral Daala's exploits and also devoting a large amount of the story to a new storyline involving Princess Leia and Admiral Ackbar.
There is a reasonably interesting story present in this book. Unfortunately, it is dragged down by pedestrian writing and Anderson's inclination to directly spell out exactly what the characters are feeling and thinking. There's not any room for subtlety and what drama there is gets undercut by passages that feel more like summaries than prose.
The most engagingly written plotline in this book is the tragedy that befalls Admiral Ackbar on a trip to Vortex to visit the legendary Cathedral of Winds. In the aftermath of the Vortex disaster, Ackbar resigns from the New Republic government and returns home to Mon Calamari. Soon after, Chief of State Mon Mothma falls gravely ill and Leia realizes she will need Ackbar's support to ensure moderate voices are still heard on the Council. Leia sets off to Ackbar's watery homeworld Mon Calamari to make her case for Ackbar's return. Anderson writes a fun little voyage through the world's oceans to find the ex-Admiral. He does a nice job of tying into the Dark Horse comic series Dark Empire, in which the resurrected Emperor's World Devastators wreaked havoc on Mon Calamari.
Luke's story is less successful, and unfortunately the Academy is the focal point of this trilogy, at least in theory. Luke comes across as weak and indecisive: granted, reviving the Jedi Order is going to be incredibly challenging, but it's not much fun to read about a waffling Jedi Master, especially the one so loved from the films. His Jedi candidates are only briefly sketched out, and several are pointedly never identified at all, presumably to leave room for other authors to fill in later. This storyline ties heavily to the comic series Tales of the Jedi, also written by Anderson, as the spirit of 4000-year old Exar Kun starts influencing the more pliable candidates on Yavin to the Dark Side.
One story point was outright corny and irritating. In a fit of pique, Han Solo sits down to a high-stakes sabacc match with Lando Calrissian that ends up with him losing his beloved Millennium Falcon to Lando. That's just ridiculous and it didn't add a thing to the story. Worse, the Falcon changes hands between them in two follow-up games later in the book. The Han I see in the films would never put himself in the situation where he might lose the Falcon in the first place, unless it was to save someone's life or something of equally high importance.
Overall, this trilogy contains too many events referenced in other Star Wars novels to skip. The good news is it is a very fast read, and there are places in which it successfully engages the imagination. However, the weaknesses I've outlined above prevent this second book from rising to the heights some of the other novels achieve.
 Bravo! November 1, 2006
I just finished the second installment of the Jedi Academy trilogy and I cannot wait to read the final installment. I was wary at first due to some of the reviews I read about this trilogy but I have to disagree with the majority. I have been a Star Wars fan since birth practically and decided to explore the expanded universe novels. Up until this trilogy I have to say it has been hit and miss some were just lame and yes Timothy Zahn's trilogy was good but this one has more action, more plot and great character development I only hope the last book lives up to the first two.
Read it if you must August 2, 2006
Good story, terrible writing.
Anderson's prose is trite, unimaginative, and, far too often, simply laughable. Which is a shame because the story is compelling.
This is a key part of the Star Wars extended universe, however. So, read it if you must. But you've been warned.
Oh dear... April 17, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
First off I'd like to tell you that this is only the second Star Wars book I've ever read, 'Jedi Search' being the first. I actually liked the first book, it drew upon the Star Wars lore well and was a decent read. However, this book made me groan in so many places that I felt almost compelled to create an account here to have a little rant about it (BE WARNED, THIS MAY CONTAIN A FEW SPOILERS). Thusly:
How much of the book was wasted with overly long descriptions? It reminds me of a 'Little Britain' sketch where a woman author is dictating her new book and starts reading the Bible out to make up the space! I don't mind the story being 20-odd pages shorter if it comes to the point!
For some bizarre reason the author seems to have taken every opportunity to 'ground' the story by CONSTANTLY relating to the Star Wars films. For example, when Wedge and the scientist go to that forest-resort planet and meet the alien ambassador there, he says something along the lines of: I was actually in the cantina in Mos Eisley when Luke met Han and Chewbacca, little did I know the brush I had with history there.... GAHHHHHHH!!! WHY!? HOW DID HE KNOW!? it didn't need it!! *bangs head on desk*
He does this throughout the two books I've read so far!! how about the will to stick your own neck out and come up with something new without 'proving' that it's true by telling the readers that it was from a certain scene in one of the films?
Then there's Admiral Daala. Made an Admiral because of her brilliant military skills and quick thinking.... so what is she doing in this? she's reviewing recordings of speeches given by Tarkin over military tactics and following them to the letter and losing! It's only the end of the second book and she's down to 1 star destroyer! She should live up to her reputation and at least have a few successful campaigns before the inevitable happens. (i.e. the rebellion win)
He then goes on to waste an absolutely brilliant idea, that of having a Jedi Academy (the point of the trilogy!). There's so much that could have been done here - new and original training for the Jedi, but no - he has the Jedi go two-by-two into the forest (holding hands?) to *sense* things... it's meant to be a sci-fi series! something could have been done to make this SO much better!
I was incensed to find that Luke was actually made 'boring' in this book. Part of my motivation for starting to read the series in the first place was to see how Luke had grown. It all started very promisingly in the first book, having learnt that Luke had turned to the dark side and come through it all with the love of his friends and was now more powerful than ever! (cool! I thought). It got to the stage where I'd dread coming back to the Jedi parts of the story because he was so dull.
The other trainee Jedi needed serious character development (they were 1 dimensional!) - entering every scene with Luke surveying them noting how well they were progressing just wasn't good enough.
As other reviewers have said - one of his students goes rogue, somehow gains the knowledge of building a super-lightsabre (great idea btw!! we need more of that!) then is discovered burnt to death in his quarters... and Luke just meditates about it!? *grr*
Okay all that being said it was 'okay' and on the strength of the first book I will be reading the next book (it's like a car accident - you've just got to look!).
A good book! March 14, 2006
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I thought that this was a very good book. Not really one of my favorites, but still a good one.
I also want to say to all of those that try to sniff out all of the little details about the book... Shut Up! Nobody cares if Han Solo was right handed but Kevin J Anderson made him left handed. Nobody cares if Luke wears one glove or two gloves. I mean SHUT UP! It is so annoying. Just enjoy the damn book! It was good and I thought it was very great.
p.s. Kyp Durron is awsome. He was and is my favorite Star Wars character. That is also why I liked this book.
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