The Brain Spiders by John Whitman (Star Wars: Galaxy of Fear Book 7)

Like Zorba the Hutt’s Revenge, this is a “young readers” book. Published in the late 90s, it is part of the “Galaxy of Fear” series, which was apparently an attempt to cash in on the “Goosebumps” series of books (mildly scary books for young adults). It tells the story of Zak and Tash, a brother and sister who were orphaned when the Empire destroyed Alderaan, who have various adventures with their adopted uncle Hoole, a Shi’ido shapeshifter. The book is set between the events of A New Hope and Return of the Jedi, and the plots involves some intrigue with the B’Omarr monks — the original inhabitants of Jabba’s Palace.

I actually enjoyed reading this more than I would have expected. It’s pretty well written and does a good job of capturing the “Star Wars” feel. The “scary” aspect of the book is a little tacked on, with almost every chapter ending with some sort of surprise or cliffhanger (most of which turn out to be just misunderstandings of some sort). But it seemed to do a good job of writing to its intended audience without talking down to them. The book is only 122 pages long, so you can easily read it in one sitting. My copy is labeled “Limited Collector’s Edition,” which may be a reference to the fact that it is hardcover.