''The Crystal Star'' is a bestselling 1994 ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'' novel written by

Vonda N. McIntyre Vonda Neel McIntyre () was an American science fiction writer and biologist. Early life and education Vonda N. McIntyre was born in Louisville, Kentucky, the daughter of H. Neel and Vonda B. Keith McIntyre, who were born in Poland, Ohio. She s ...

and published by Bantam Spectra. The novel is set ten years after the Battle of Endor in the ''Star Wars'' expanded universe.

Plot

Background

Jacen and

Jaina Solo The Skywalker family is a fictional legendary human family in the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Within the series' fictional universe, the Skywalkers are presented as a bloodline with strong inherent capabilities related to the Force and sometimes ...

are now five years old, and their brother Anakin is three, all at an age where they are easily manipulated.

Summary

On Munto Codro, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin are kidnapped by a man named Hethrir. Their mother Leia Organa Solo immediately dispatches a rescue operation. Meanwhile, Leia's husband Han Solo and brother Luke Skywalker go to Crseih Station on a supposed "vacation", and learn of a secret cult that influences the Crystal Star, which could possibly threaten the very existence of the galaxy. Hethrir continues to manipulate the children for several days, as he leads the Empire Reborn, an organization looking to resurrect the Galactic Empire. Eventually, Leia and

Chewbacca Chewbacca ( ), nicknamed "Chewie", is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a Wookiee, a tall, hirsute, bipedal, intelligent species originating from the fictional planet of Kashyyyk. Chewbacca is the loyal friend and firs ...

manage to rescue the children, but Hethrir is still connected to the events that transpire around the Crystal Star. After an intense series of events, Hethrir is killed, the Crystal Star explodes, Crseih station moves out of the area beforehand, and Luke, Leia, Han and the children are safe.

Reception

''The Crystal Star'' was a New York Times Bestseller, and the sixth consecutive ''Star Wars'' novel to reach the bestseller list. Critical reception was generally hostile. It was dubbed "The most derided novel in the entire Expanded Universe" in a 2013 retrospective with criticized elements including recycled plot elements from other EU novels such as the Solo children being kidnapped and Luke losing his Force powers, as well as the novel's stranger aspects making little sense, such as centaurs and werewolves in a science-fiction settings and Luke joining Hethrir's "transparently evil" cult.

Editions

* ''The Crystal Star'', 1st hardcover, 1994. Vonda McIntyre,

References

External links

* 1994 novels 1994 science fiction novels Star Wars Legends novels Novels by Vonda McIntyre Bantam Spectra books {{1990s-sf-novel-stub