Review – Jedi Prince: “The Lost City of the Jedi” (1992)
“I’ve never seen a cat or a dog.” – Ken
Going into the second book in the Jedi Prince series, The Lost City of the Jedi, was both better and worse than going into the first book, The Glove of Darth Vader. It was better because I already knew pretty much what to expect in terms of quality and how bad it would probably be. It was worse for the same reason.
However, after getting through the first book and just accepting that the rest of this series is going to be goofy and stupid, it kind of made it easier to read. Though this book has plenty of problems, I actually didn’t mind it nearly as much as the first book. In fact, I actually thought this one was kind of fun, even with all the things I didn’t like about it.
The best comparison I can make for this book (actually for the series) is that it feels like you’re reading a book version of the original run of Marvel Star Wars comics. Those comics are so goofy, so campy, and so incredibly ridiculous. They don’t really feel that much like Star Wars, but you forgive them because they’re fun and they’re a product of their time with their retro charm. You don’t judge the old comics the same way you judge the novels. You know and accept that they’re very different. And I think that’s the mindset I have to be in to read and review these books. They’re goofy, they don’t feel that much like Star Wars, but they’re still kinda fun. They’re not good, but they’re not completely garbage either… They’re just mostly garbage.
The Lost City of the Jedi takes place immediately after The Glove of Darth Vader. Luke goes visit Han Solo who’s building his floating sky-house on Bespin. After an accident which leaves Luke unable to fly, Han takes Luke back to the Alliance base on Yavin 4.
One cool thing is that this book makes reference to the ancient Massasi tribe, who lived on Yavin 4 and built the temples there thousands of years ago. The Massasi are mentioned several times throughout the Expanded Universe (and were even referenced on Star Wars Rebels!) and while I believe they were first mentioned in some of the old Marvel comics, this is the first time they are ever mentioned in a novel.
Back on Yavin 4, Luke sees Obi-wan in a dream. Obi-wan shows Luke the entrance to the Lost City of the Jedi, which is hidden city, built miles under the surface of Yavin 4 by some of the earliest Jedi. Obi-wan tells Luke “your destiny is linked to the one who lives down there.” Then Obi-wan gives Luke a secret code and tells him to memorize it.
The secret code is JE-99-DI-88-FOR-00-CE.
What a STUPID code.
Chapter 2 introduces us to Ken, a 12-year-old boy who is the only human inhabitant of the Lost City of the Jedi. He and the city are taken care of by some ancient droids. Ken was dropped off at the Lost City as a baby by a mysterious Jedi Master, and Ken has no idea where he came from or who his parents are.
In the Lost City of the Jedi is a Jedi Library that holds records containing “the entire histoy of the galaxy and all its worlds.” Ken studies these records, and Ken weirdly knows a TON about Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, C-3PO, and basically all the main characters of the original trilogy of films. This is really weird because the Battle of Endor happened only months before this book takes place. Ken knows that Luke Skywalker is a Jedi Knight, even though Luke just barely became a Jedi Knight. How does Ken already have detailed records about those events and all the individual people (and droids) who had anything to do with it? Ken also mentions that he has wanted to meet Han Solo all his life. How has he known about Han Solo all his life?? Again, the Battle of Endor just happened! Who is making these records?! Ken takes Jedi Philosophy classes from the droids, and he basically just studies Star Wars trivia at school.
One thing I like about these books is the illustrations. You don’t get illustrations in the adult novels so they’re kind of fun to have in these books. We get one good picture of Ken in his bedroom, and Ken has lots of Star Wars toys. He has toy X-wings, and TIE Fighters, but again, he has some stuff that he shouldn’t have. He has a toy Millennium Falcon, a toy Yoda, a toy Jabba the Hutt, a toy Darth Vader, and weirdest of all, a toy of Han Solo frozen in carbonite. Who is making these toys and action figures, and how is Ken getting them?? These aren’t important plot points. They’re never even mentioned. I just think it’s really weird.
Anyway, Ken is an important character, because he is the Jedi Prince that this entire series of books is known for, even though he wasn’t even mentioned in the first book.
Oh yeah, did I mention that Ken’s address is Dome-house 12, South Jedi Lane? Because it is, and it’s stupid.
As mentioned in my review of The Glove of Darth Vader, a prophet of the Dark Side has prophesied that the new leader of the Empire will wear the indestructible right-hand glove of Darth Vader. Trioculous, a three-eyed mutant human who is the villain of this series found Vader’s glove in the last book and now wears it. He seeks out Kadann, the one who made the prophesy, to show him that he is now the rightful heir to the Empire. Kadann tells Trioculous that there was another part of the prophesy: that whoever wears the glove of Darth Vader can be destroyed by a Jedi Prince who lives in the Lost City of the Jedi.
Obviously, Trioculous doesn’t like this, so he flies to Yavin 4 to find the Lost City and to find the Jedi Prince.
Luke eventually finds Ken and the Lost City. We learn that the weather on Yavin 4 is artificial and that it is controlled in the Lost City. When massive fires spread on the surface of the planet, thanks to Trioculous, Luke and Ken decide to make it rain to put out the fire. But wait! They need a code to change the weather! What could it be?!
Oh, yeah…
JE-99-DI-88-FOR-00-CE
STUPID.
Ken goes with Luke, and we are told “from now on, Luke would give Ken guidance and instruction in the ways of the Force.”
I don’t remember Ken appearing in any of the other Star Wars books I have ever read, so I am very curious to find out if he survives this series or not. I assume he will. This is a series made for kids. Would they really kill a 12-year-old boy in a series like this? I doubt it.
Anyway, I found this book to actually be somewhat enjoyable. Definitely better than the first book. The next book, Zorba the Hutt’s Revenge, is actually the first Star Wars book I ever read, years and years ago when I was a kid. I don’t really remember much about it, except for what Zorba the Hutt looked like based on the cover artwork. As a kid, I remember enjoying it. Not enough for me to go out and look for the other books in the series (I actually didn’t even know it was part of a series) but at least I don’t remember it being bad.
Again, I can’t really recommend this book or this series to anybody yet. However, The Lost City of the Jedi was a more enjoyable experience than The Glove of Darth Vader was.
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