Do you want to make people smile? Get The Jedi Path (Vault Edition) and tell them to push the button.
I brought this to my local Star Wars club meeting, yesterday, and people actually squealed with delight when the vault opened. And when they calmed down enough to do it again and listen to the sound effects? Delighted claps that made them look like five-year-olds on their birthdays.
Going beyond the coolness of the vault, the book itself is fantastic! It’s designed as an orientation manual/text book for younglings at the Jedi Temple that has been passed from master to apprentice in a line descending from Yoda to, belatedly, Luke. (And, yes, they explain how this happens.)
As with many textbooks, it’s filled with notes scribbled in the margins. And I think this is my favorite part. It represents a conversation through the ages. And Dan Wallace really captures each owner’s voice in these notes. Of particular amusement, however, are Darth Sidious’ notes after he captured the book in the Order 66 aftermath.
There are also tons of keepsakes inserted by its various owners that are hilarious. My only complaint would be a coin that keeps falling out of the book and rolling across the room; a particular source of amusement for my dogs. I suspect that will make it difficult to keep this collectible intact in the future.
As to the book itself? It’s a brilliant compilation of thirty-three years of Star Wars lore in a spackle job at a level not seen since Michael Stackpole’s I, Jedi untangled the Bantam Era. Contradictions are explained. Disparate details from several different authors are melded into a coherent theory. And it’s all in the style of textbook; along with some stunning illustrations.
I’m no Santa Maul, but I would definitely add this one to your holiday/birthday wish list.
And Mandy’s in it!
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sabla-Mandibu
How could I forget Mandy?!!
Great review, Paula, and thanks!
You’re absolutely right about the coin. I was sent an advance copy of the book and a couple of the removables, and the coin dropped out and rolled away on day 1. I didn’t bother to search for it since I figured it would turn up on its own before the day was done. That was four months ago.
You convinced me, I’ll go buy this!
Thanks for mentioning the humor of the book… I somehow got the impression that this was a “serious” look at Jedi, um, theology. I’m much more interested now.
The basic textbook is written with seriousness. But the style is much like reading a school textbook from the 1950’s. So even that’s rather amusing.
But the written notes in the margins and the inserts are what makes it truly fun.