TheForce.Net - Books - Reviews

Knight Errant

Adrick's Rating

4 / 4

An original adventure featuring Jedi Kerra Holt?star of the hot new Dark Horse Knight Errant comic series.

A thousand years before Luke Skywalker, a generation before Darth Bane, in a galaxy far, far away?

The republic is in crisis. The Sith roam unchecked, vying with one another to dominate the galaxy. But one lone Jedi, Kerra Holt, is determined to take down the Dark Lords. Her enemies are strange and many: Lord Daiman, who imagines himself the creator of the universe; Lord Odion, who intends to be its destroyer; the curious siblings Quillan and Dromika; the enigmatic Arkadia. So many warring Sith weaving a patchwork of brutality?with only Kerra Holt to defend the innocents caught underfoot.

Sensing a sinister pattern in the chaos, Kerra embarks on a journey that will take her into fierce battles against even fiercer enemies. With one against so many, her only chance of success lies with forging alliances among those who serve her enemies?including a mysterious Sith spy and a clever mercenary general. But will they be her adversaries or her salvation?

Reviews

Adrick:

John Jackson Miller probably needs no introduction to Expanded Universe fans, having written the extremely well-received Knights of the Old Republic comic series and the Lost Tribe of the Sith series of e-books,. Although I hate to admit it, I have not read the Knights of the Old Republic series, but I have enjoyed the e-books quite a bit. (If you haven?t checked them out yet, do yourself a favor; they?re free.)

So I was intrigued when Knight Errant was announced. A comic launching at almost the same time as a tie-in novel? With each one telling a unique story? Definitely an interesting way of cross-promoting the comics?the book even comes with a preview of the comic, which I thought was a nice bonus. But does the novel work as a standalone?

Knight Errant picks up after the first arc of the comic book story ends, in the era of the last great Sith Lords before Bane?s Order of Two, with Kerra Holt stranded behind enemy lines in Sith space. It is an area filled with weird and fascinating Sith Lords, some oppressive, some brutal, some charming, and all dangerous.

The Sith Lords are one of the most enjoyable parts of the book. Miller has succeeded in creating an intriguing rogues gallery of evil to pit against his heroine. It?s a welcome change from the paint-by-numbers Sith Lords that dominate the Legacy and Old Republic eras.

Not that the light side characters are any less interesting. Kerra picks up some colorful allies during the course of the story, including a bumbling soldier, a Sith spy, and a mercenary artillery specialist. Miller has a remarkable ability to dip into the incredible number of species and occupations available in the Star Wars galaxy in order to create memorable characters.

My only complaint is the number of times the title is worked into the narrative. Knight Errant is a really clever title, I admit, but it got a little old after the third time it was used. I have to wonder if the comics have this problem too?

Does the book work if you haven?t read the comic series? Well, fans who intend to follow the comic series would do well to read the first storyline, Deluge, before beginning the novel. Spoilers surrounding Kerra?s entry into Sith space are inevitable. But Knight Errant is an enjoyable journey through planets barbarous and wonderful, suitable for comic and novel fans alike. I wouldn?t be surprised if novel readers find themselves following Kerra in her new comic series?I know I will!