Force Collector – Review

The Journey to The Rise of Skywalker continues with the young adult novel, Force Collector by Kevin Shinick. Imagine you’re growing up in the Star Wars universe sometime after the fall of the Empire. The Jedi are myths that have almost been forgotten. You have a strange ability to see visions when you touch certain objects, but the only one that believes you and tries to help you is your grandmother. This is Karr’s life. When his grandmother dies, it leads him on an adventure with his new friend Maize and his trusty droid, RZ-7 to uncover the history of the Jedi and his place in the story of the galaxy. In an echo of Lost Stars, Karr’s journey will allow him to experience important moments in the Jedi’s past, visit some of the most important places and become a historian of things that should not have been lost.

The Importance of History 

They say history is written by the victors and for the Jedi this means that the lies perpetrated through Palpatine’s propaganda have become what most of the citizens of the galaxy believe about the them. Karr’s journey leads him to discover the truth about the Jedi and their place in the galactic story. One of the beauties of this is how it reinforces the importance of history. And it’s not just history, but it’s the dedication to remembering and passing on the truth, the good and the bad. It’s only through the truth of the past that we can know what is important for the future.

This impact of history is not just about the vast movings of galactic empires and republics, but also the history of individuals. Karr is able to discover along the way, not just the history of the Jedi, but of himself as well, his family and the two things, when put together, help him find his place in the story of the galaxy. History helps give Karr the context to choose the wisest path for himself and how he can best help righting the narrative about the Jedi.

The Book

Shinick has a great style for Star Wars, his prose fits the sarcastic, serial dialogue of the series. His character of Karr, who’s power in the Force will remind readers of Quinlan Vos, is a very unique creation. It’s rare that Star Wars tells the story of a Force user that does not lead them to becoming a Jedi or Sith and because this is not where Karr’s story goes it makes him fascinating. There are so many ways this character could be used in The Rise of Skywalker and beyond and will leave readers hoping his story is not complete. Maize has the roguishness of Han Solo and the sarcasm. She’s a good foil for Karr, while Rz-7 is the classic droid sidekick that is a must for a Star Wars adventure.

I was surprised how much I loved this book. The way it dove into Jedi lore made me hungry for more. I hope that Kevin Shinick will be allowed to follow up on this character and allow him to interact with someone like Rey and other Force sensitives in the Sequel era. Force Collector is rated 4 out of 5 stars.

This review was completed using a copy of Force Collector provided by Disney Lucasfilm Press.

Author: Matt Rushing

Matthew Rushing is the host of Trek.fm‘s The 602 Club and co-host of TheNerdParty.com‘s AggressiveNegotiations: A Star Wars Podcast. He can be found on Twitter @mattrushing02.