Genre : Science Fiction Published : 1978 Format : Paperback Pages : 199

“How beautiful was the universe , Luke thought . How beautifully flowing , glorious and aglow like the robe of a queen . Ice-black clean in its emptiness and solitude , so unlike the motley collage of spinning dustmotes men called their worlds , where the human bacteria throve and multiplied and slaughtered one another . All so that one might say he stood a little higher than his fellows . “

Summary : Sometime after ” A New Hope ” Luke and Leia are heading to recruit some new planets to the Rebel cause . Which planets ? Doesn’t matter because they end up crash landing on a secret Imperial planet named Mimban . It’s primarily a mining planet covered in a constant fog and it doesn’t look like there is an easy way out for our heroes . Luckily , they are found by an old woman named Halla who is willing to help … for a price . You see Halla is a bit of a mystic and she has a piece of a crystal ( Kaiburr ) that amplifies someone’s abilities in the Force and she wants help in getting the rest . Our heroes agree and set forth on an adventure that involves imprisonment , cave brawling natives , a beast filled jungle , angry Imperials , and some dude named Darth Vader .

” By touching the fragment , Luke here set up a tiny but perceptible stirring in the Force . “

Review : I read this once in high school but couldn’t remember much so decided to try it again . I’m glad I did because it’s a pretty damn solid Star Wars story . All the characters feel like they did in the first movie with a little more grit mixed in . So get it ! Also as a sidenote this book was made right after the original film so not even George Lucas knew Luke and Leia were siblings yet … so let’s just say there is a few things in here that are either uncomfortable or funny depending on your point of view . I choose funny .

“one can do some interesting things with a saber , you know . I’ll do my best to show you all of them if you’ll co-operate by not passing out . “

Recommendations : Books 1. A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs 2. The Green Berets by Robin Moore 3. Vampire Hunter D Volume 1 by Hideyuki Kikuchi 4. The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson 5. Star Wars by George Lucas ( Alan Dean Foster )

Songs 1. Star Wars ( Disco Version ) – The Force 2. Welcome to the Jungle – Guns and Roses 3. Witchy Woman – The Eagles 4. Tiger Man – Elvis Presley 5. Princes of the Universe – Queen

Movies 1. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) 2. Silent Hill (2006) 3. The Descent (2005) 4. Star Princess Defender (2012) 5. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)