o a really long time ago, "approximately" 36,453 years before Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, the Thor Yor gathered together people from distant planets and brought them to the planet Tython at the galactic core, where they could study the Force. You'd think they would have become Tythonians but instead they became Tythans, a spelling change that only the Force truly understands. The Tythans learned to meditate. They learned to balance the darkness and the light. Mostly, they learned how to kick ass. They called themselves the Je'daii. The Je'daii warriors eventually battled Queen Hadiya, a despotic ruler who defied the will of the Force. How stupid was she?

For the first twenty pages, the story is told in narrative (i.e., not a lot of dialog balloons) which makes sense given that the story is largely an historical overview. The story then shifts to the Infinite Empire's attempt to cull those who might be sensitive to the Force from every planet they find. After a Force Hound senses the planet Tython, Predor Tul'Kar claims the right to conquer it. A Force Hound named Xesh arrives on Tython, leading to Force-wielding battles with Je'daii-in-training, while Je'daii masters try to prevent the dark side from engulfing their world.

Dawn of the Jedi tells an interesting, multi-faceted story that links a variety of worlds and early Jedi warriors. The themes are familiar: light vs. dark, the need for balance, impetuous youth who don't listen to their sage elders. Speaking of balance, the story does a nice job of balancing development of the Jedi history with blistering action. The prose isn't bad at all and the artwork, supported by vivid coloring, is richly detailed. This is a worthy addition to the Star Wars legacy. I would give it 4 1/2 stars if I could.

I know most people would probably yell at me for this one, but this book just wasn't for me. I really enjoy Star Wars, but the writing style just didn't hit it for me. I didn't hate the book, but I didn't fully love it as much as I thought I would.