Kenneth C. Flint

Kenneth C. Flint’s Star Wars: The Heart of the Jedi was originally meant to take place early in the continuity of Bantam Spectra’s post-Return of the Jedi series of Star Wars novels. It would have been preceded by the comic book miniseries Exiles of the Force and followed by Margaret Weis’s novel, Star Wars: Legacy of Doom. Of the three works, only Flint’s book survived in manuscript form despite Spectra’s decision to cancel it in 1995. Joseph Bongiorno later edited the book to fit show more the Expanded Universe and published it online in May 2015, with this paperback edition of the novel appearing unofficially in May 2021. These edits set the novel sometime shortly after Kathy Tyers’s The Truce at Bakura but before the X-Wing comic book series from Dark Horse.

The story begins with an apparent truce between the fledgling New Republic and the Imperial Remnant, similar to The Truce at Bakura, though High Admiral Tharkus bristles at the reformed Imperial Senate’s desire to sue for peace (pgs. 28-30). While Leia Organa and Han Solo travel to a neutral world for negotiations, Luke Skywalker departs on his own to Tatooine. After the events of the Original Trilogy, Luke hopes to reconnect with the young man he was and rekindle his idealism. He worries that, in becoming a warrior for the Rebel Alliance, he has strayed toward the Dark Side of the Force. Flint depicts Luke having a touching moment remembering his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru (pg. 64) before visiting Obi-Wan Kenobi’s dwelling, where Kenobi’s spirit appears to Luke and tells him he must seek the Heart of the Jedi on Angorathea to renew his Jedi spirit (pgs. 69-70). Similar to Grand Admiral Mitt’raw’nuruodo and his Noghri assistants, High Admiral Tharkus employs an alien as his agent for delicate tasks, in this case the shape-shifting Dioskouroi, Pollux.

Luke’s journey recalls elements of his story in A New Hope with him beginning his visit to Tatooine at his aunt and uncle’s old moisture farm before traveling to Ben Kenobi’s house. He later has a run-in with the Tusken Raiders, but his experiences over the years lead him to seek peace between the Tuskens and himself rather than rushing into conflict. He later travels to Mos Eisley to purchase a long-range ship, running into Ponda Boba, but defusing a possible fight rather than take Ponda’s other arm. Meanwhile, Han bristles at the inclusion of Prince Gowan of Galvoni III on his and Leia’s diplomatic mission, recalling some of the tension in Leia and Han’s relationship found in other novels set after Return of the Jedi but prior to Heir to the Empire. Flint, like many authors who covered that period of time, doesn’t seem to know how to portray their relationship from the awkward romantic conflicts of the Original Trilogy to the married couple Timothy Zahn depicted in the Thrawn Trilogy. Finally, In a fun reference to the 1970s – 1980s Marvel Comics Star Wars stories, Flint depicts Chewbacca announcing himself by saying “gronk” (pgs. 142, 194). The story itself is very much in the spirit of the early Bantam Spectra Star Wars novels. Those who enjoy these early stories continuing the Saga past the events of the Original Trilogy will find this a great addition to official works. show less

7/10
Modern life mixes with the 4th century Ireland in this time-traveling tale of Colin McMahon, graphic artist, warrior, and reluctant hero who battles the evil god Cromm and his minions with the help of a nurse, a saint, and a mysterious man of the Others.

It was a different tale of The Hound, Cuculain, that first piqued my interest in the ancient legends of Ireland, but this version is very satisfying as well. The main characters, Cuculain, Fervus, and Maeve are more complex than one might expect for legends. Even Calatin, if his final speech is to be believed, has more depth to him than simply a lust for power.

My late mother-in-law was born in ireland and her hometown, Dundalk, is where Cuculain was said to have lived. My first visit to that show more area was magical, as I was able to visit places that were associated with these ancient tales of queens and hereoes. Books like this hold a special interest for me, and A Storm Upon Ulster did not disappoint. show less

I really enjoyed Flint's take on the Celtic deities, writing about them as if they were characters in a legendary story. While this mainly concerns Lugh, many of the other beings from this mythology make an appearance. A fun and enjoyable novel.