Star Wars: Knight Errant

This reminds me of early Star Wars fiction. The galaxy wasn't quite as developed or kid friendly, the writers had a little more freedom in what they wrote. More importantly, it is a new author to add to the dwindling ranks since Del Rey took charge of the franchise again. I am a huge fan of The New Jedi Order series, which seemed to just get it, and am a little sad that Del Rey is using fewer and fewer writers to add to the saga. Sure, it makes continuity a little easier, but if I hear about those stupid Squibs again, I'm likely to scream. To those who say it doesn't "feel" star wars enough, well, I challenge you to read The Black Fleet Crisis Before the Storm (Star Wars: The Black Fleet Crisis, Book 1) or The Crystal Star. The Crystal Star (Star Wars) Both are good stories where the main characters are a bit out of character. Or, try out The Jedi Academy Trilogy, Jedi Search (Star Wars: The Jedi Academy Trilogy, Vol. 1) where Luke's character is essentially turned into one you dislike.
Yes, Aaron Allston is a good writer. Was glad to hear that he is planning new Wraith Squadron novels. And Star by Star by Troy Denning is one of my favorite books. But give these guys a break, and give someone new a shot.
Sorry to rant, but as a sci-fi novel, or an Adventure Novel, this book is great. And I am happy to say that it does feel Star Wars, if you remember what it was like in the 90s. A great read.

Someone at Lucasfilm's marketing department probably got fired over this one. Despite their best efforts to run the Star Wars brand into the ground through titles such as the Clone Wars cartoon, The Force Unleashed, and Fate of the Jedi, this surprisingly original and interesting novel somehow slipped past. The book features dozens of Sith Lords (there seem to be Sith hiding under every rock in the SW galaxy), normally a condition for extreme boredom. However, Miller found a way to make each of his Sith Lords unique, as opposed to the black-clad, humorless Sidious or Vader knockoffs we normally see in Star Wars fiction. The realm of Sith space turns out to be as varied as our own world. Insert Kerra Holt, a lone wolf Jedi operating alone behind enemy lines, a self-styled mercenary general, and an enigmatic Bothan spy, and it adds up to the best Star Wars novel I've read in months. I hope to see more, but given the current status of the publishing line, I wouldn't count on it.

Spunky female Jedi Kerra Holt finds herself in a fix, when her attempt to liberate the people of her homeland is hampered by the fact that the Sith have addicted them to a drug that makes them feel content. A villainous Hutt, and badboy sith lord make their ominous presences felt, while her fly girl friend proves to be unscrupulous in her attempts to take care of the sith problem once and for all.

While I enjoyed it, I felt the storyline wasn't the hottest. It had a rather generic sci-fi feel and I just didn't get much of a star wars vibe from it. Kerra seems a bit more like an action heroine than a Jedi. Her snappy comebacks and skin-tight clothes would have this character fit in nearly any teen title. Yeah, she can levitate stuff, but she seemed aside from having a 'good heart' to be just late teen girl with super powers and really tight pants. Where is the training? The strategy? I need more to impress me from both a heroine and a Jedi.

The other characters are barely touched on and sort of bland. There is a female pilot who plays Han solo to Kerra's Luke and a beatnik looking mechanic-addict. All kind of just blah.

This was an average read. It isn't deep, it is what it is: action and adventure in the Star Wars universe with some weak writing hidden behind good pencils and a brand name. Entertaining enough to read if you want action, but not especially deep or gripping.

Review Courtesy of Netgalley

Star Wars Knight Errant is perhaps one of the most action packed Old Republic novels ever written. The story takes place a thousand years before Luke Skywalker and a generation before Darth Bane, in a galaxy far, far away. Of course the rule of two has not yet been initiated and thus hundreds and hundreds of Sith roam the galaxy unchecked. But there is one lone Jedi, whom this story revolves around, that dares to defy them. Her name is Kerra Holt.

If your looking for an intriguing tale full of wild adventure, awesome new worlds, crazy plot twists, Sith vs Jedi and every thing you've come to expect from Star Wars, this is your book.

Knight Errant is everything that Star Wars readers look for in these pulpy books. JJM has a honed and prolific understanding of world building, plot construction, and character development; all of which made Knight Errant one of the most dense, comic, beguiling, and fulfilling books I've ever read in the SW EU.

It's really kind of staggering how much John Jackson-Miller packed into this book. The payoff was sweet but there was so much to take in. Nearly too much. It makes a couple of those FOTJ books look kinda weenie by comparison. I wish I could distill in words how much hope this book gives me for the future of the EU in print. KE is its own era and it has it's own homegrown well fleshed out characters.

If the book has a fault it's that it goes full tilt for the first two thirds of the novel, giving us little time to take in all that is being thrown at us. It really isn't until the last movement, or third of the novel that we really get to truly know Miller's characters. As I said though, the payoff is sweet. So much so that any time wading through the seemingly crazed wall to wall action becomes utterly worthwhile.

Strong female Jedi character kicking ass. That makes me happy. I also found the Sith characters in this book a more interesting than I usually do. There were a group of Sith who ended up being related, all part of the same extended family, and I think that gave them a few more layers. Some of them cared about each other, which is an unusual quality for a Sith. That was different.

I loved The Knight Errant comics very much. Kerra Holt instantly became one of my favorite new Jedi characters so I bought the novel as soon as it came out. What I was met with was a choppy, poorly written novel that was tedious to get through. I even stopped to refocus, thinking it was my love for the comic getting in the way of being impartial when I read the book. I picked it up again and just could not get through it as it was dull and corny. I will stick to the comics when I read about Kerra's adventures.

The Knight Errant era is reminiscent of what they have done with The Old Republic, with loadfuls of Sith at every corner. But the two main differences, which make the comics and this novel much better, are the peculiarities of all the Sith Lords and the concept of the lone Jedi surviving alone. While the first comic arc was engaging and exciting, this novel deals more with the inner psychology of the characters and drops hints of the next two comic arcs. The fact that John Jackson Miller has written the entire series ensures that his witty writing style remains constant in both mediums. I'd suggest you to pick the first comic Trade Paperback before reading this novel, although it's also enjoyable otherwise

A millennium before Skywalker became a galaxy name, the Sith traveled destructively across the Republic as everyone is considered a slave on a chain. No one except a Sith Lord would dare challenge any of these predatory superego maniacs who share in common the belief they are the dictators of the galaxy and collateral damage of innocent bystanders is desired as a means to control everyone.

In this brutal Dark Age, one light shines and that is Jedi Knight Errant Kerra Holt, who does not fear using the Force to destroy the Dark Lords. Her quest has made her Sith Lord public enemy number one; number two is each other. However, her battles with Lord Daiman who knows he created the universe in his image with a big bang and his older jealous brother Lord Odion who knows he destroyed the universe in his image with a big crunch suddenly seems minor. In Daiman's capital Darknell, Kerra meets Narsk an Odionite enabler, which leads her to realize an interwoven diabolical family affair with previously unheard of modern technology rather than individual megalomaniac exists. She must find a way to divide and conquer amidst the chaos of combat.

Based on the Dark Horse comic book, Knight Errant is a fun Star Wars tale occurring even before Lord Bane. The story line is faster than the Force and loaded with action as obsessed Holt assumes everyone is her enemy though she knows she needs allies if she is to end the threat. The heroine is a sort of Paladin (from Have Gun Will Travel), but not for hire. Though none of the cast is developed beyond their prime trait, readers will enjoy Kerra's saber butt kicking escapades in a Republic overwhelmed by incestuous infighting Sith Lords who bring new insanity to the meaning of the Dark Ages.

Harriet Klausner

Knights of the Old Republic are some of my favorite stories and after reading the DH comic I delved into this novel with the same excitement. The novel expands upon the characters the only way that novels can.

This book was interesting to say the least. Will everyone who's a star wars fan like it I would have to say no. First off this book is split up into three parts of which you come to the end of each part and your scratching your head waiting for something to be done. The book is predictable but most star wars books are. I liked the comic book section squeezed in the middle.

Fun, exciting and packed with enough Sith to ruin anyone's day. This book almost outdoes itself with the setup potential it has for other stories all while maintaining a cohesive story on its own. I would definitely recommend this as a read.

This book definitely kept me interested! The humor and sarcasm between characters was the perfect balance between the author's use of detailed descriptions and heavy action. Without giving anything away, the only thing that disappointed me and kept me from giving it a 5 was the ending. The story seemed to be building to a frentic ending or, at least, a cliffhanger. But in the end, it just seemed to end with a sputter.

This book was a fun read overall. There have been Star Wars EU novels that have been a chore to make myself read, but I didn't have that problem with this book. Those unfamiliar with the character of Kerra from the comics can still jump into this novel and get a really good sense of the character. I really enjoyed seeing more of the multiple-Sith culture that existed prior to the Rule of Two, as JJM also depicts in his Lost Tribe of the Sith e-book series.