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gapagrin's review
3.0
I loved this series as a kid. It follows Anakin Solo, Han and Leia's youngest, when he's 11, first starting to learn to be a Jedi at his uncle Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy. I'd rather liked Anakin, who was quiet and preferred thinking over socialising. He meets his best friend, Tahiri, who talks his ear off, telling him her entire life story, including about her pet bantha (she's from Tatooine, raised by Sand People), before informing him that they're now best friends.
They're immediately presented with a problem that only they can solve (naturally) and that they can't tell Luke Skywalker about for some reason. So they have to break practically every rule Luke Skywalker has put in place in order to solve it and they worry they'll get kicked out of the Academy if (and when) they're caught at it. That seemed a bit silly to me - would Luke really not train his nephew because he sneaked out of the academy one time? But they are kids and at least Anakin is a bit of a rule-follower, even if Tahiri isn't so much, so perhaps it can be expected that they'd overestimate the amount of trouble they'd be in. Not one of the best Star Wars books out there, but a quick read and a fun story, especially for children.
They're immediately presented with a problem that only they can solve (naturally) and that they can't tell Luke Skywalker about for some reason. So they have to break practically every rule Luke Skywalker has put in place in order to solve it and they worry they'll get kicked out of the Academy if (and when) they're caught at it. That seemed a bit silly to me - would Luke really not train his nephew because he sneaked out of the academy one time? But they are kids and at least Anakin is a bit of a rule-follower, even if Tahiri isn't so much, so perhaps it can be expected that they'd overestimate the amount of trouble they'd be in. Not one of the best Star Wars books out there, but a quick read and a fun story, especially for children.
cyris_reads's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
booklover160's review against another edition
3.0
I liked these books, but I got bored part way through. And when a book is this small, it's kind of a big deal! I also read these as a kid and recent returned to them, but I only ready two of this series. I will most likely return to them to finish the series.
twilliamson's review against another edition
2.0
The first in the Junior Jedi Knights series, The Golden Globe features all-new adventures for Anakin Solo and his new friend Tahiri, a Force-sensitive girl from Tatooine. In this first junior novel, Nan Fischer begins a mystery for younger fans of Star Wars to dig into and begin their journey into the broader fiction of the franchise's extended universe.
As far as youth novels are concerned, The Golden Globe doesn't really manage to accomplish very much. The one prominent theme in the book is a question of lineage and destiny versus choice and individual action, and while the book plays at these themes through Anakin Solo, it doesn't offer much by way of plot to keep a narrative hook moving forward. The book's central mystery, which has to do with a series of precognitive dreams Tahiri and Anakin have together, is not settled by the conclusion of this thin volume, and even the story's other questions aren't resolved until the final three pages of the book. The story itself feels less like a fully-contained adventure and more like an hour of aggressive throat-clearing before it can effectively set the stage.
I don't think it's fair to judge a book by the merits of a general audience novel when the primary audience is children in middle grades, but I do find this book to be structurally imbalanced and deeply repetitive in spite of being fairly short. Its main premise--the plot driving the story forward--feels too anemic here, with not nearly enough action to get the story moving forward. The creative hook to sell the series doesn't come until the last chapter, which just feels way too late.
If I weren't reading all Star Wars in order of publication, I likely wouldn't even bother to track down the rest of this series, but I do hope that future volumes provide a more fleshed out adventure than this first story. As a preamble to a larger series, it might serve its purpose, but as a stand-alone adventure, it fails to capture much imagination.
As far as youth novels are concerned, The Golden Globe doesn't really manage to accomplish very much. The one prominent theme in the book is a question of lineage and destiny versus choice and individual action, and while the book plays at these themes through Anakin Solo, it doesn't offer much by way of plot to keep a narrative hook moving forward. The book's central mystery, which has to do with a series of precognitive dreams Tahiri and Anakin have together, is not settled by the conclusion of this thin volume, and even the story's other questions aren't resolved until the final three pages of the book. The story itself feels less like a fully-contained adventure and more like an hour of aggressive throat-clearing before it can effectively set the stage.
I don't think it's fair to judge a book by the merits of a general audience novel when the primary audience is children in middle grades, but I do find this book to be structurally imbalanced and deeply repetitive in spite of being fairly short. Its main premise--the plot driving the story forward--feels too anemic here, with not nearly enough action to get the story moving forward. The creative hook to sell the series doesn't come until the last chapter, which just feels way too late.
If I weren't reading all Star Wars in order of publication, I likely wouldn't even bother to track down the rest of this series, but I do hope that future volumes provide a more fleshed out adventure than this first story. As a preamble to a larger series, it might serve its purpose, but as a stand-alone adventure, it fails to capture much imagination.
cupofteabookblog's review
4.0
I loved this series when I was younger! I remember being so excited when they had Star Wars reading for YA.
cooeeaus's review
5.0
I always loved the character of Anakin Solo and knowing that a nasty author killed him off later in the Star Wars books upset me awfully. He was a truly remarkable character who should have lived on to become a great Jedi. His death destroyed the Star Wars books for me and I haven't continued with them, no wonder, since the authors have really ruined this family from what I have picked up since. They have turned Jacen evil and all sorts of horrible story lines which just shows how awful the novels have become.
If you loved Anakin too, these novels are true gems.
If you loved Anakin too, these novels are true gems.
nate34's review
4.0
Fun to reread this as an adult. It’s crazy that I still remember some of it. Hoping to pick up the rest of the series one day
verkisto's review against another edition
2.0
Even for a juvenile book, this novel feels very basic. Richardson repeats a lot of details, like she's not sure the readers will understand them unless they're beaten into the brain, and there's almost no story here. She's setting the stage for this six-book series, sure, but so little happens here that it's hard to stay engaged. Plus, what EU details there are were already covered in previous books, so there's a lot of rehashed histories for anyone who's reading the books in order.
Speaking of that, I've been reading these books in chronological order instead of publication order, which has sometimes proven to be the wrong choice. That's the case here, since Tahiri, Anakin's friend who joins him for this adventure, is a prominent character in the New Jedi Order series, which is a bit later in the chronology. I think I'd understand her better had I read that series first; here, she just seems to be defined by her overpowering personality.
I think this book would be fine for young readers, but there are better series in the EU for this target audience. I suppose the writers can't all be as good as Jude Watson, though....
Speaking of that, I've been reading these books in chronological order instead of publication order, which has sometimes proven to be the wrong choice. That's the case here, since Tahiri, Anakin's friend who joins him for this adventure, is a prominent character in the New Jedi Order series, which is a bit later in the chronology. I think I'd understand her better had I read that series first; here, she just seems to be defined by her overpowering personality.
I think this book would be fine for young readers, but there are better series in the EU for this target audience. I suppose the writers can't all be as good as Jude Watson, though....
wealhtheow's review
2.0
Perfect for kids who love Star Wars. Little Anakin Solo has started his Jedi training, but he's scared that he'll fall to the Dark Side, as his name-sake did.
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