So glad this didn't become the second Star Wars movie! - Rated 
I am so glad this didn't become the second Star Wars movie! Set between Episode IV and episode V this is the story of Luke and Leia (who don't know that they're brother and sister) on a diplomatic mission to recruit some more rebels. On their way they crash land on a swamp planet and discover it's full of Imperials.
A week storyline with a "crazy old women" taking the place of Obi-Wan as Luke's teacher of the Force, a slightly week and pathetic Imperial officer for a villain and two big furry aliens taking the place of Han and Chewbacca, this story doesn't really have anywhere to go.
I've given it three stars because as it's by nowhere the greatest Star Wars book ever written, it's by no means the worst
I don't want to ruin the ending, but the final battle at the end is a bit of a laugh!
Dull as dishwater - Rated 
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.
Very dull storyline - Rated
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.
Often trashed, but pretty darn good - Rated 
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
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