Heir to the Jedi Heir to the Jedi is a novel written by Kevin Hearne . It was intended to be the final installment in the " Empire and Rebellion " series , but was instead made into stand - alone book , with the story taking place between and . It was released on March 3 , 2015 . Publisher ' s summary . Hardcover . Back cover . He defeated the Empire ' s ultimate weapon and gave the Rebel Alliance new hope . But Luke Skywalker ' s battles — and the galaxy ' s fight for freedom — have only just begun . Internal flap . " Luke Skywalker ' s game - changing destruction of the Death Star has made him not only a hero of the Rebel Alliance but a valuable asset in the ongoing battle against the Empire . Though he ' s a long way from mastering the power of the Force , there ' s no denying his phenomenal skills as a pilot — and in the eyes of Rebel leaders Prince ss Leia Organa and Admiral Ackbar , there ' s no one better qualified to carry out a daring rescue mission crucial to the Alliance cause . " " A brilliant alien cryptographer renowned for her ability to breach even the most advanced communications systems is being detained by Imperial agents determined to exploit her exceptional talents for the Empire ' s purposes . But the prospective spy ' s sympathies lie with the Rebels , and she ' s willing to join their effort in exchange for being reunited with her family . It ' s an opportunity to gain a critical edge against the Empire that ' s too precious to pass up . It ' s also a job that demands the element of surprise . So Luke and the ever - resourceful droid R2 - D2 swap their trusty X - wing fighter for a sleek space yacht piloted by brash recruit Nakari Kelen , daughter of a biotech mogul , who ' s got a score of her own to settle with the Empire . " " Challenged by ruthless Imperial bodyguards , death - dealing enemy battleships , merciless bounty hunters , and monstrous brain - eating parasites , Luke plunges head - on into a high - stakes espionage operation that will push his abilities as a Rebel fighter and would - be Jedi to the limit . If ever he needed the wisdom of Obi - Wan Kenobi to shepherd him through danger , it ' s now . But Luke will have to rely on himself , his friends , and his own burgeoning relationship with the Force to survive . " Development . Hearne ' s novel , unnamed at the time , was first announced in August 2012 at Celebration VI . According to Senior LucasBooks Editor Jennifer Heddle in January 2013 , the outline for the novel was very funny when turned in . The title was released in a StarWars . com press release on April 25 , 2014 . As of May 18 , 2014 , Hearne reported that he was in the process of editing the novel . On June 23 , Del Rey announced that the book ' s release date had been moved from January 13 to February 17 . On October 24 , it was announced that the novel would be released on March 3 . Continuity . The novel was composed with input from the Lucasfilm Story Group , making it part of the new " Star Wars " canon . As one of the first releases in the new canon , the story ' s title is partially a homage to author Timothy Zahn ' s 1991 novel " Heir to the Empire " , which some consider to have begun the Expanded Universe . Author Kevin Hearne has stated that " Heir to the Jedi " takes place prior to the Marvel comic book series " Star Wars " . Reception . " Heir to the Jedi " debuted on " The New York Times " Best Sellers List in the paper ' s March 22 , 2015 edition .