Book Review of The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force
A book review by Marilyn Belsham, Jedi Master and Star Wars aficionado.
Know Your Star Wars History
The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force is written as an ancient training manual for the Jedi that is passed down from Master to Padawan through the generations. This particular book was an artifact found in a salvage scow and is now in the possession of Luke Skywalker. Luke, as readers of the Jedi Academy books may know, has now started his own Jedi Academy on the planet of Yavin 4, and is therefore understandably interested in maintaining the history of the Jedi.
According to an introduction written by Luke Skywalker, the manual was passed from famous Jedi such as Yoda, Count Dooku, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Darth Sidious (among others). One of the best parts of this book are that all of the previous owners of the manual have made “hand-written” annotations in the margins. These notes provide a peek into the mind of young Jedi that would later go on to become great Jedi, or members of the Sith, and it’s a fascinating read indeed.
Book Review: What’s the Verdict?
The manual is filled with Jedi history and lore of the Order, the ways of the Force, description of lightsaber combat, and discussions on the dangers of the Dark Side. I was particularly interested in the section on force-resistant species as well as the detailed illustrations of force-wielding animals. In fact, if the handwritten notes of former Jedi are the best part of the book, the illustrations are a close second. The book was created in collaboration with Lucasfilm and used respected Star Wars illustrators to showcase never-before-seen elements and details about the Star Wars galaxy.
The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force is a book for Star Wars fans who are familiar with the extended Star Wars universe. If you’ve seen every movie (even the dreaded prequels) a number of times, and possibly read at least a few of the many Star Wars novels, this book should not be missed. However, even a true Star Wars geek such as myself can admit that this book isn’t for everyone. My husband, for example, didn’t understand the appeal. That said, this is a book that will be deeply appreciated by many, and I, for one, am glad I read it.
Buy the Book
The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force is available in two editions: the regular edition has a cover price in Canada of $22.95, while the heavily tricked out vault edition has a suggested retail price of $116.95 (but I found it listed as low as $42.75 on Amazon.ca).
Marilyn Belsham’s first crush was on R2-D2, and she rarely passes a day without reminding her kids of Yoda’s best life lesson: Do or do not, there is no try. She writes about parenting, food and the domestic life at her site, A Lot of Loves.
