Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne is the third book published in this new canon era. The story centers on Luke, post Battle of Yavin, trying to find his place in the Rebel Alliance as well as attempting to expand his knowledge of the Force, taking on an assignment to recruit an Imperial defector with the help of a skilled pilot/sniper. What follows is a series of smaller adventures that eventually lead to a somewhat rushed conclusion. Hearne makes a surprising move by writing the novel in the first-person perspective, this hasn't been done since the 1997 book I, Jedi. Doing so allows for elements not available in traditional Star Wars novels.This new perspective helps to explore Luke and how he feels. While in older books the reader would know what all the characters are thinking and where their allegiances lie, Luke doesn't have that ability and it adds an air of uncertainty as to who he can trust. It's insightful to hear from Luke himself what he thinks happened to him during his run of the Death Star's trench, wondering if Ben's voice was a hallucination or a glimpse into something greater, and this extends to his thoughts on the Force. Having only been told briefly about the Dark Side and what a Jedi is, it's no wonder Luke has no idea what he should do, and that is one of this book's biggest strengths. I couldn't help but smile every time Luke made progress with self-taught Force Powers, from trying to Mind Trick a guard only to learn it's not all in the hand motion, to something more mundane like moving a fork, Hearne nails it in exploring Luke's progress towards becoming a Jedi.
Where Heir to the Jedi falters is in it's story. It feels like this book would have been served better as a series rather than a one-shot. So many times the smaller stories seemed to be setting up some larger events only to be thrown away in favor of continuing towards Luke's goal. I really wanted to explore the swamp world with a hidden Jedi tomb and the uncharted planet of invisible brain eating spiders, but both of these, and others, are simply stepping stones quickly forgotten as the plot advances. This is only worsened by a somewhat rushed conclusion that leaves a few unresolved issues. The new supporting characters are more than replacements for other more established ones, but few really left much of an impression. Most only serve as providers of exposition or to direct back to the main plot. Luke is given a new romantic interest that could have been developed further had this been serialized, as it is the connection feels a little forced (pun intended) and limits the impact it has on him. On a more positive note, Heir does give readers some new elements to consider when watching Empire Strikes Back. For me, it's hard not to picture Luke's memories of this book's events popping up in his head at certain points, and almost adds to his reaction in certain situations. What could have been a fantastic ongoing series about Luke exploring the Force and having fantastic adventures along the way is unfortunately watered down to an all to brief glimpse into the life of a farm boy turned hero. I hope Hearne is given more opportunities to explore this time in Luke's life, but if not this wasn't an entirely wasted trip.
Final Score 4/5 stars
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