Trouble on Tatooine

Star Wars Episode I Adventures #8

by Dave Wolverton

Anakin Skywalker and his friends are in big trouble. Slave hunters are after them. The fate of the Ghostling children rests in their hands. And they have only one chance to find freedom.

Will they make it?

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Media Tie In, Gamebooks

97 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

About the author

Dave Wolverton (born 1957) is a science fiction author who also goes under the pseudonym David Farland for his fantasy works. He currently lives in St. George, Utah with his wife and five children.

(Wikipedia entry: Dave Wolverton)

Reviews

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part of a series and the others before this should be read before this offering. In this one, Anakin, his friends, and the Ghostling children are on the run from Selbulba and his gang as they try to capture the escaped slaves.

I am eight books into this series and I finally found one that I liked as I thought this was the best one yet. This one had a message about sacrifice and a conclusion to it. Others in this series have been a detailed look at a scene and then just ended. This one was a quick little story but it had the basic elements of a complete story. There was no surprise with the outcome and there was a part with the ending that did feel a little contrived but it can be forgiven because of the message of sacrifice and doing the right thing.

These books are meant for the younger generation and up to this point it clearly showed. After finishing this story I have a little hope for this series.

[Robert Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐⭐ Star Wars for Very Young Readers

Trouble on Tatooine is an incredibly simple book, written clearly for young readers. The plot moves quickly and can be finished in a single sitting. Everything unfolds exactly as expected, with low stakes and a guaranteed positive outcome. Anakin is presented as helpful and well-meaning, and the story focuses on small acts of assistance rather than real danger or conflict. This makes the book accessible, but also extremely limited.

As a Legends novel, this feels less like a true entry in the line and more like a companion to the game series. The characters are thin and largely interchangeable, and there is no attempt at depth or moral tension. While this simplicity works for its intended audience, it leaves little for adult readers to engage with. This book is best recommended for young children or for readers familiar with the game who want a light, inconsequential addition to their Star Wars shelf.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in 32BBY

This was actually decent. It was an ok story that was surprisingly a fun little adventure with Anakin and his friends, mainly Kitster, that gets into trouble, almost gets killed, then him and a bunch of other slaves get caught and Anakin tries to free them and help them escape before they all die.

Fun times on Tatooine!

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another thrilling chapter in Anakin and his friends' story to save the Ghostling children (and themselves). I was worried about Dorn, even though I knew he would make it on the ship with Pala and the Ghostlings. I liked Kitster's sacrifice. He was finally reunited with his father, who didn't even realize who he was, and then chose to save his friend Dorn by giving him his seat on Rakir's ship. I hate that Anakin and Kitster never see their friends again, though. I love that Sebulba, his goons, and the Hutts lose to a group of children. I love that Anakin found pirate treasure within the sand drain pipes, which allowed him to help Jira pay the smugglers to get the kids off Tatooine. I hate that we still get no explanation for the cube/box that Anakin bought from the Jawas in The Ghostling Children. I really wanted to know if it was a Holocron or not.

[Zuzana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book concludes Anakin’s mission to rescue the Ghostling children. After being captured by Sebulba, Pala, Dorn, Kitster, and the Ghostlings are handed over to Gardulla the Hutt. They all face execution—an automatic punishment for escaped slaves on Tatooine. With time running out, Anakin must reach them in the Mos Espa arena and get them to the rendezvous point, where smugglers await to take them off-world.

This story would have worked far better as a single, more substantial 140-page middle-grade adventure rather than being stretched into four shorter books. That said, while it has its share of silly moments, it’s still a better-written arc than the previous Jedi-focused one by Ryder Windham.

[Barbara Oudová Holcátová · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is better again, but I'm also very confused about like... Are you sure it's book for children? There afe some way heavy topic in here (well, the whole quadrilogy is about slavery, so duh, but they'd been mostly downplaying the ugly in the previous three books).

[Cat {Pemberley and Beyond} · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fluffy reads but the gaming books are great kids' introductions to gaming. Kitster's backstory was oddly touching

[Kat V · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the books by Dave Wolverton are worth a reread. They’re interesting and well-written. I definitely enjoyed these.

[Alyce Caswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very strong conclusion to the Tatooine arc. I didn't expect such an emotional finale or that I'd ever feel so attached to Kitster, a character I only had a passing interest in before now.

[Gary Varga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of fun and certainly more feelings as there was risk, jeopardy, and sacrifice.

[Shawn Fairweather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mindless fluf even for a young reader. Not every SW character is important enough to have their own storyline.