Star Wars: Knight Errant

In the waning days of the old Star Wars EU, they experimented with more cross-fertilization between Dark Horse's comics and Del Rey's novels, with series that would cross back and forth between them. One example of this was the Knight Errant series, where the story begins in the comics, then goes into a novel, and then returns to the comics. (Somewhat confusingly, the novel is just called "Knight Errant" with no subtitle, and also confusingly this mean the comic collection branded "volume two" is actually the third Knight Errant book.) The novel picks up a bit after the end of the first trade paperback, with Kerra trapped in Sith space, still doing her best to cause problems.

Different media obviously have different strengths. Two show more of the benefits of a novel over a comic are worldbuilding and interiority. Though obviously comics can handle these in their own way, I think it's probably easier to work in a little touches in a novel; also given this novel is almost 400 pages but the Knight Errant trades are just 100, Miller has a much bigger canvas here. That to me was the real triumph of the novel: I can't think of any Star Wars story that's ever really shown us what it would be like to live under the Sith, what a realm under Sith thrall would actually be like. (Technically, the Empire was such a thing, but Darth Sidious kept this secret from his Empire.) Miller's novel carries us through several different kingdoms within the Sith empire, each with its own ruler with their own ethos. There's the Sith who believes no one exists but him, the Sith who believes no one deserves to exist, the Sith who directly controls their entire kingdom, and so on. I thought this stuff was fascinating and all very well done. It does what a good tie-in story should do, giving us a previously unseen angle on a familiar universe.

We also get a mercenary who operates in Sith space; I liked this guy a lot. He's an interesting character and he shows a new angle on Sith dominance. It seems a real shame he didn't pop up more in future Knight Errant installments.

On the other hand, I found the characterization of Kerra a bit of a squandered opportunity. Kerra is very much a character who is always on the move, and not given to introspection very much. This works to the strengths of the comics medium to an extent, but does leave me feeling like we mostly know Kerra at a bit of a remove. I do think lots of introspection wouldn't have felt right for her, but I also think the medium of a novel provided more opportunities for developing her as a character than we got. Specifically, Kerra befriends a young woman on one of the Sith worlds; she helps liberate this girl and some other Sith thralls, but then struggles to find a place of safety for them. Unfortunately, this friend character feels more like a plot point than a person. Kerra does a lot of stuff to help her, but rarely actually interacts with her or even thinks about her. I think this was a real missed opportunity; if Kerra is not inclined to reveal herself voluntarily, seeing her build a relationship with a young protegee could have done a lot to develop her.

Like a lot of Miller books, I did find that in the last quarter or so it felt like, despite the presence of fast-paced action, the book was treading water. I don't know if I could exactly put my thumb on what causes this, but I felt similarly when reading Rogue Elements and The High Country.

Despite all this, I enjoyed the experience of the novel. Overall, I found Knight Errant a mixed bag as a series, and this was probably the best it was in execution. show less

My second book by John Jackson Miller in the Star Wars Legends.

The writing was good, and I liked how the puzzle started fitting, giving you the bigger picture.

The downside of this novel is Kerra Holt. I understand that there are comics based on this character and all honesty - I won't read them.

I have no words to describe her as a character, which is a shame, really. She is the only Jedi stuck in Sith controlled sectors and out for revenge. But, gets pulled into the grander scheme of things that she doesn't understand.

The Sith were fleshed out more with a dynasty and how each 'controls' their own sector. So, thank the Sith in this novel for the 3 star rating.

This book is everything that "Cloak of Deception" should have been. It has fast flowing action, great
characters, and layer upon layer of political mystery and intrigue. In essence, it contains almost
everything I look for in a book.

The one thing that I don't believe it has is a strong plot. I expect that this is because, while it IS a
standalone book, it follows the story-arc started in the two Knight Errant comic series (Aflame and
Deluge). However this didn't seem to be that much of a problem, since despite not knowing where the
book was going, I couldn't put it down.

While it isn't the earliest book in the star wars timeline, it almost is, being set in the dark ages of the
Republic. That means it's pretty different from the films (lots of show more Sith, one Jedi) and as such, it's probably
not the best to read as an introduction to the expanded universe (try Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter for that), but
it IS an incredible book, and one that should be read by every star wars reader.

The Sith in this book are written particularly well. There is quite a few of them (Seven Sith Lords make
an appearance, as well as their minions), and they are all unique. Each of them adds a new aspect to the
book, and in some ways, each Sith Lord represents a different story. This is part of what helps it flow so
well, the story is constantly changing, there isn't a dull moment. And that's just the bad guys.

The main character herself is... Not the greatest. She feels a little under-developed, but again I feel that
this is due to the fact that half the story is in comic form, and we don't know a lot of what's happened
to Kerra. The one thing we do see is that she's not the model Jedi, which is refreshing after many ideal
Jedi in the Expanded Universe. But my favourite characters are the artillery captain, Rusher, and the
mysterious demolitions expert, Narsk.

These two characters are the two that really add depth to the book. They work for the Sith, but only because the Sith are the only people around. This idea is an interesting one, because it allows the author to show prejudice against them (working for bad guys), while also showing that there are just ordinary people in the star wars universe. Too often the main characters in the star wars books are all "professional heroes", or fighter pilots, or basically full-time good guys. It's nice to see more realistic people.

This is probably one of my favourite books in the Star Wars universe (and given the general quality of the books, thats saying something). As I mentioned earlier, not the best book to start your expanded universe experience. But once you've read a couple with the movie characters in, read this. It's easy to read, while still being complex, and a great addition to the Star Wars series. show less

John Jackson Miller is an amazing author, which is why this novel was so disappointing. I've read the Knight Errant comic series that precedes this and was hoping to get into the head of Kerra more. What is the role of a Jedi alone in Sith space, or how does Kerra deal with her desire for vengeance, were some of the questions I was hoping the novel would address.

Instead we follow Kerra on a series of adventures across Sith space, but along the way are not given a clear indication of the larger plot. During the last third of the book everything eventually comes together, but I could see a less determined reader dropping out much earlier in the book.

While this book takes Kerra on quite a wild ride, where one event leads right into show more another, any momentum gained is lost whenever the focus transitions to a variety of secondary characters. This happens a lot and personally I would have preferred the entire novel from Kerra's point of view.

Kerra is an interesting character that could have been more fleshed out in the novel format, and have been part of a much more interesting story. show less

This is a great look inside the various machinations of sith lords and how they each choose to rule their empires. I also like the realizations that Kerra (main character) made during her dealings / battles with the various sith she encountered. I enjoyed reading about a classic bothan spy again even though he was a sith agent (double, triple, ???). I've now have to go find Kerra's continued adventures in graphic forms.

A razor thin plot with forced jumps from one sith lord/action scene to another. Kerra Holt is a pathetic excuse for a jedi character and she seems to really be skirting the darkside edge, with all her anger and hate. Miller needs to stick to his short stories and leave the novels to those who can handle it.

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 you are 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.