Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, I was all about Star Wars all the time, which is why I immediately picked this book up when I saw that Darth Vader cover. And while Splinter of the Mind’s Eye isn’t the greatest Star Wars story I have ever read, it has always held a fond place in my memory, because not only was it the first Star Wars novel I ever read but it also was a really fun story from the King of Movie Novelizations: Alan Dean Foster.

Here the story begins with Luke and Leia traveling to a rendevous with the Rebel Alliance. Naturally, though, things immediately do awry as the Princess’ fighter forces them to make an emergency landing on the planet Mimban, and almost immediately they stumble upon an unknown Imperial mining operation.

At the small Imperial town, our rebel heroes are hoping to find a way to repair the ship but instead meet an old lady named Halla, who senses that Luke is more than he seems and is “strong” in the Force. After revealing herself to the pair and finally getting them to grudgingly acknowledge Luke’s abilities, Halla tells them a great secret: upon Mimban lies a fantastical jewel that will magnify a person’s ability with the Force; the reason that the Imperials are on the jungle planet in the first place.

From this revelation, the fun really begins as Leia and Luke frantically try to find the jewel and get off the planet before Darth Vader shows up. Because yes, the Dark Lord is definitely on his way.

Like I said, I still fondly recall reading this book as a young teen. In the intervening years, I have reread it a few times, and it is still fast paced, fun, action-packed, and spotlights some of my all-time favorite characters: Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader. So even if it isn’t the best science fiction or Star Wars novel that I have ever read, it is definitely not the worst. However, the reason I wanted to spotlight Splinter of the Mind’s Eye is because Alan Dean Foster’s story could have been the second Star Wars movie if “A New Hope” had not been a wild success. Something that I personally had never known until reading this article that was linked to my Goodreads friends review. (Shout out to Rabindranauth, whose great review blog you should now check out.)

So with that interesting fact in mind, I’d recommend this forgotten Star Wars classic to all Star Wars fans, cravers of sci-fi adventures, and lovers of all things Vader. Hope you enjoy reading this one!

Buy Splinter of the Mind’s Eye: Star Wars (Star Wars – Legends) at Amazon.