Andrew's Review of I, Jedi

3/5 Rancors - A unique quality of Michael Stackpole's I, Jedi is it is the only novel in the Star Wars Expanded Universe to be written in first-person. This choice of perspective brings an immediacy and focus to the story often not found in the sprawling casts of his X-wing series. I, Jedi runs parallel to Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy Trilogy, a series that has many important story points for the Star Wars universe but is a rather average read at best. Stackpole weaves Corran into the events of that trilogy and also takes Corran on a brand-new adventure around the midpoint of the book.

In essence, Corran Horn seems to be Stackpole's avatar in the galaxy far, far away. Despite the large number of characters he has created in the X-wing novels, there has always been a very strong focus on Corran, a character who spends a lot of time thinking about his flaws but generally comes out with the perfect answer to any situation he is put in. I enjoy getting to know one character so well, but at times I found myself resenting the placement of Corran on such a high pedestal, especially when building him up comes at the expense of a character as beloved as Luke Skywalker. However, this tendency of Stackpole's does get balanced out periodically with his exploration of Corran's flaws, especially in the temptation he feels around Leonia Tavira, the young, gorgeous Imperial adversary of this story.

I enjoyed the juxtaposition of this tale with the Jedi Academy Trilogy. Anderson writes in a brisk manner and it was intriguing to spend more time learning details about the early days of Luke's Jedi Academy on Yavin IV. Stackpole also explicitly nods to events from the comic series Dark Empire. There is plenty of original story as well, once Corran departs the Academy and sets off across the galaxy looking for his missing wife Mirax. One thing that would challenge a new Star Wars reader is that Stackpole doesn't recap the full events of Anderson's stories. To understand what happens between Luke and Exar Kun, it is necessary to read those books as well.

Corran's Jedi heritage has been touched upon in the X-wing series but in I, Jedi we are given significantly more detail about his abilities and ancestry. This book was written right as The Phantom Menace was being released; for the most part it fits well with what we've learned of Jedi from the prequels. There is a focus on family that the prequel Jedi didn't have or agree with, but some of the differences can be attributed to the particular philosophies of Corellian Jedi. Stackpole illuminates interesting characteristics of the Halcyon (Corran's original last name) line's ability to interact with the Force. It seems all Jedi are not created equal, and try as they might, the line Corran comes from has never had any strength in telekinesis. They do have another ability to absorb and release energy to compensate. I like the notion that all Jedi are not equal, and sometimes they may not be able to do certain things regardless of their level of training or commitment.

I, Jedi is a worthy companion piece to Anderson's trilogy. I didn't find the story terribly memorable but it does shed new light on some aspects of Luke's Jedi Order. The first-person narrative also adds interest. Recommended, although it is best to be familiar with the Jedi Academy Trilogy first.