Audiobook Review: 'The Jaws of Jakku'
Image Source: StarWars.com
The fourth Audible Original Star Wars story has arrived! Released on October 9th to any subscriber of Audible Premium Plus, Star Wars Adventures: The Jaws of Jakku is an enjoyable exploration of Sequel Trilogy characters with a fresh perspective. Written by Cavan Scott, this audiobook joins the ranks of Padawan’s Pride and two High Republic offerings to build out a growing catalog of fun and meaningful stories in the galaxy far, far away.
WARNING: The following review contains LIGHT spoilers about Star Wars Adventures: The Jaws of Jakku.
Voiced by Helen Sadler, The Jaws of Jakku is set between Episodes 8 and 9, and is centered around Rey’s return to her adoptive homeworld nearly two decades after reaching a roadblock in her Jedi training. She has feelings of inadequacy in comparison to the men and women around her in the Resistance, and decides to return to Jakku to face her past. However, the story is not framed through Rey’s eyes.
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The cover art for The Jaws of Jakku, Image Source: Bluesky
Instead, we are given a first-person narration of events by a 12-year-old girl named Leesa Chaffni who has grown up on Jakku with her father. With their family falling on hard times, Leesa has begun to work at a local bar, which is where she encounters Rey and Finn, but also a rival, who plans to delve into a supposedly untouched wreckage of the Graveyard of Giants to locate a treasure for a buyer using old Imperial channels. While Leesa has never scavenged a day in her life, one thing leads to another, and soon she is off on an adventure.
Leesa is rendered very authentically as a child who acts a bit too impulsively at times, but who also has a sweet side with a deep caring for her family, alongside a socially awkward streak, making her quick to pursue friendship with a person like Rey. Rey and Finn (with BB-8 tagging along) are also each rendered quite well, Finn energetic and determined with kind words to say while always seeking to lend a hand, and Rey being similarly steadfast and caring for the young people she encounters from her homeworld. BB remains an adorable canine-esque companion throughout the story, though with a few surprising moments during this particular adventure.
With Cavan Scott as the writer, you can also bet on some connections to other Star Wars storytelling, which does pay out here. While these are small, they are impressive, linking to everything from Forces of Destiny (the series of animated shorts created for various female Star Wars characters several years ago now) all the way to The High Republic.
We’ll be ending our review here, as discussing the prize of the various parties as well as the main antagonists would be to reveal a nice surprise for fans of Cavan Scott’s Star Wars work and unravel more of the mystery plot. But, we have to note our worry that this story might signal the end of his contributions to Star Wars. Due to the nature of the details found within Jaws, it rings similarly to Justina Ireland’s Star Wars send-off in The Acolyte: Wayseeker and The High Republic: A Valiant Vow. We can only hope that we are incorrect, and Scott continues to make his excellent contributions to the franchise.
Review: 9/10
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Source(s): The Jaws of Jakku
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