Star Wars: Adventures in Wild Space: The Dark: The Dark: 4

Set in the very familiar world of the Star Wars franchise, this series of science fiction books is designed to appeal to boys between the ages of 7-10. We discovered this series last year when Oscar had his World Book Week £1 token and picked up the prequel, full of excitement that he had found something he really wanted me to read to him. The covers are attractive, the font a friendly size and there are a number of black and white illustrations dotted throughout that help the story along, but it is designed for newly independent readers.After following Lina and Milo in their desperate search for their parents through the previous four books, we were keen that they should be able to escape from their current predicament. Locked up in a cell and heading towards the vicious Captain Korda, their prospects look bleak – and indeed, I was surprised at just how genuinely creepy this offering is. Rapidly, things start to go wrong on this freighter and when the lights go out, there is a rushing, scuttling sound as it appears some of the cargo has escaped…We ended up reading this not just before bed and first thing in the morning, but we also slotted in a reading session mid-afternoon as we both wanted to discover what would happen next, when two new prisoners are picked up. One has the title the Butcher of Brentaal IV – and it’s easy to see how the huge alien came by his grim title, with his scarred face and growling voice – Lina and Mira are very relieved that he is safely locked up, though they decide not to let the friendly Stel out, either. After all, they had trusted another character earlier in their adventures and look where that led them…We were both gripped by this one and although I guessed one of the main plot twists that changes the fortunes of our two brave prisoners, it didn’t really matter as there was so much going on. Like Oscar, the moment we came to the end of this one, I was keen to find out when the next instalment in this entertaining series was coming out. This is an enjoyable read and comes highly recommended particularly for boys between 7-10, depending on maturity and reading ability.9/10

Great addition to my boy's collection. My son has enjoyed reading these books. They built his confidence with reading and set him on the road to enjoying books.

My 8 year old reluctant reader loves this series and keeps asking if there are any more! I even had to insist he turned his light out and stopped reading which is a first for him.

Very nice my son is collecting them

My five year-old loves these.

This review is written my my son who is an avid Star Wars fan..."The Dark" is the 4th book in the Adventure In Wild Space series. Brother and sister Milo and Lina continue their perilous journey to find their kidnapped parents and rescue them from the evil clutches from the wicked empire. Unfortunately our two heroes get kidnapped by the two-faced bounty hunter who has been hired to transport the duo to the Empire. Aboard the ship they make an unlikely ally and bust out of the ship containment cells. But they soon discover that the bounty hunter who captured them isn't the real enemy ....I would like to highly recommend this book as I like the way the suspense and tension is built up. I would say this book is aimed for both boys and girls aged 8-10. The illustrations make the book feel more grown up as compared to other books that are aimed for similar ages.

This is the fourth book in the Star Wars Wild Space series. It follows directly on from the cliffhanger ending to 'The Steal', and I would strongly recommend reading that before attempting this book.Trapped aboard the ship of the mysterious bounty hunter 'the Shade', Milo and Lina Graff find themselves adrift in space with only two other convicts for company, but is either what they first appear, and what is lurking out in 'the Dark'.As ever, this Wild Space adventure is fast paced and compelling. Drawing on the backdrops of the Star Wars universe for characters, villains and plotting, these stories are refreshingly not reliant on the central narrative of Empire vs Rebellion. Instead the Graff's are normal children whose inquisitive nature and determination to save their parents both leads them into danger and saves the day.

This is book 4 in a series, following the adventures of a brother and sister & their droid. I would strongly recommend reading book 3, before this one, as the immediate history of their story is very relevant.The writing style is excellent, using an extensive vocabulary and employing some interesting concepts.It's fast pace and exciting story-line captures the reader's interest throughout.The 10+ age range will enjoy reading this independently, whilst younger readers will no doubt enjoy having it read to them. It will appeal to both boys and girls.