Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Volume 2: Flashpoint »

Nearly 4,000 years before the Death Star, fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick's quest to clear his name for the alleged murder of his fellow Jedi-in-training brings him head to head with the galaxy's most feared fighting force - the Mandalorians!

Along with a petty crook named Gryph and Elbee the grouchy droid, Zayne is a passenger aboard the Last Resort, a renegade ship piloted by the senile genius Camper and his fierce protector Jarael. Together, this motley crew will face kidnappings, hijackings, maniacal scientists, Mandalorian traitors, bumbling bounty hunting brothers, and a few really big explosions.

School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up Many generations prior to Luke Skywalker or any other familiar names in the Star Wars universe, Padawan Zayne Carrick is framed for murdering fellow Jedi students. On the run with oddball companions like the smuggler Gryph, the female bodyguard Jarael, and a lazy Droid named Elbee, he falls into a number of adventures as he tries to stay ahead of the authorities and discover who set him up. Readers following the full series get more pieces of the larger plot against Zayne, cluing them in to an evil cabal hidden within the Jedi Knights themselves. This title, however, is largely built around a self-contained plot arc, making it an easy entry point into the series. Pitting Zayne against evil scientists, Mandalorian Bounty Hunters, and incompetent kidnappers, Flashpoint is filled with action, tricks, and no small amount of humor. Zayne himself is a great character; while he lacks experience using the force, he holds the twin talents of fast quips and daring escapes that still make Han Solo so popular in the original stories. Although drawn and colored by a large team of artists, the graphics have a unified feel, with solid lines and hyper-neon colors that enhance the action. Set so far in the past, the story has little to do with the events fans know so well, but Miller has created an excellent adventure filled with characters and fast-paced action within the spirit of the original, making this a must-have for rabid fans of the Star Wars universe.-Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VA