Product Description

The sequel to "Return of the Jedi". When Luke Skywalker accompanies Princess Leia on a mission to Circarpous, they hear of the Kaiburr crystal, which promises invincibility to whoever possesses it. They must find the treasure fast - in the wrong hands it could be deadly.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #217219 in Books
• Published on: 1996-05-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 297 pages

Customer Reviews

Often trashed, but pretty darn good
There are a few SW fans, probably canonists, that hate this book. I don't see why. Although it doesnt fit with the chronology of the Expanded Universe, Alan Dean Foster has done a nice job of this. The story is a fairly gripping one, a race against time to get to a Force powerful crystal, before evil Vader does. A cool ending, and with a fair bit of humor and good characterisation, ensures that Splinter will always be fondly remembered to me as the greatest SW book that didnt fit in right :p

Very dull storyline
Interestingly, George Lucas approached Foster after he made A New Hope to ask him to come up with a story for a spossible follow up. Because Lucas didn't think he'd have a big budget for a follow up he didn't want too many lavish sets, so instructed Foster to keep things realistic. Thank goodness the film was a major success because this as a follow up would have been dreadful!
Foster decided to set the follow up on a swamp planet (to allow cheap, foggy sets should it become a film) and as such is stuck on a miserable location throughout. That would be OK if the story was any good, but this is both incredibly dull and hugely unlikely.
The plot sees Luke and Leia heading out to a backwater world to try to drum up support for the rebellion. Here they discover the existence of the Kyber Crystal, reputed to enhance force powers, and set off in search.
They get captured, vader is alerted and sets off to find them. Pretty hum-drum. Eventually they meet in the temple where the crystal is stored and battle it out, with Luke ludicrously lopping off Vader's arm and then the Dark Lord suffering the ultimate embarassment by bungling off a cliff edge!
So far-fetched as to be uterly ridiculous, we can only thank the maker that this was never a plot for a film, or Star Wars would very quickly have faded away! Not only that, it's one of those stories that has tried to be slipped into the Expanded Universe as really happening. But in my opinion, it's something that ardent fans will discount as canon.

Dull as dishwater
Interestingly, george Lucas approached Foster after he made A New Hope to ask him to come up with a story for a spossible follow up. Because Lucas didn't think he'd have a big budget for a follow up he didn't want too many lavish sets, so instructed Foster to keep things realistic. Thank goodness the film was a major success because this as a follow up would have been dreadful!
Foster decided to set the follow up on a swamp planet (to allow cheap, foggy sets should it become a film) and as such is stuck on a miserable location throughout. That would be OK if the story was any good, but this is both incredibly dull and hugely unlikely.
The plot sees Luke and Leia heading out to a backwater world to try to drum up support for the rebellion. Here they discover the existence of the Kyber Crystal, reputed to enhance force powers, and set off in search.
They get captured, vader is alerted and sets off to find them. Pretty hum-drum. Eventually they meet in the temple where the crystal is stored and battle it out, with Luke ludicrously lopping off Vader's arm and then the Dark Lord suffering the ultimate embarassment by bungling off a cliff edge!
So far-fetched as to be uterly ridiculous, we can only thank the maker that this was never a plot for a film, or Star Wars would very quickly have faded away! Not only that, it's one of those stories that has tried to be slipped into the Expanded Universe as really happening. But in my opinion, it's something that ardent fans will discount as canon.