Master & Apprentice (Star Wars)

Set in 37BBY A Great book. A well written book, that doesn't stop there. Lots of action and politics and schemes, and problems within the order and a lot more. "I must keep my mind on the present. The future does not exist; the past has ceased to be. Only the present is real." - Obi Wan A story that takes you and dips you inside the world of Star Wars for sure. This one finally is one of the few (that I read so far) canon books that really felt like Star Wars. Thank you Claudia Gray. “People are more than their worst act and they are also more than the worst thing ever done to them." - Qui Gon Jinn What I truly loved here, was Qui Gon Jinn and his issues with slavery, every thought, every conversation with Yoda, the Order, Obi Wan, every little thing about this whole issue throughout the book was a page-turner that I only wanted more of it, this is one of those few rare occasions that I was yelling at the book, or better yet, at Yoda. I loved it. Qui Gon Jinn: this is something humans do to one another, an atrocity we should put an end to. Yoda: we? Not the chancellor, not the galactic senate, not even the people of the Republic, but the Jedi? Want to rule, do you? Dangerous this is, in one who would join the council. Dangerous it is in any Jedi. The main story as a story was great too, and the main thing to remember here (and that comes from someone who reads/watches/listens/plays everything Star Wars again and again) is that this is a great Star Wars story and not a generic sci-fi adventure. "We don't choose the light because we want to win. We choose it because it is the light."- Qui Gon Jinn

This was a different take on Obi & Qui Gon’s relationship and I really enjoyed it! It’s nice seeing that they didn’t always get along, and they really had to learn to adapt to each other. Shows great character development for the both of them! I also really enjoyed learning about Rael!!

This book was extremely slow to start and dry. It got better as it went on but It felt pointless to me.

I'm just gonna say it: I was disappointed in this book. I have been most impressed with Claudia Gray’s books in the new Star Wars canon, and I have to say, this book was a bit of a let down. It wasn't terrible but it also wasn't great. Claudia in the past has been a master of characterization and plotting. Here not so much. Characters’ modes of speaking are distinct enough, but what they have to say feels empty. And no one really has any depth. Star Wars: Master & Apprentice, a novel set a handful of years before the events of The Phantom Menace, attempts to shines the light on 17-year-old padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi and his complicated relationship with his mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn and what we end up with is mostly stuff we are already aware of: Qui-Gon is not a rule follower, is sympathetic to slaves, and is obsessive about the prophecies. Meanwhile Obi-Wan learns to hate flying....and really likes following the rules. My complaint is that this story feels regressive. Gray previously penned Bloodline, one of the most well-crafted Star Wars books of the new canon, but Master & Apprentice can’t compete with Bloodline’s tense reveals. Instead, it’s flat, even as it investigates some big topics like Jedi prophecy and slave trade (which is a reoccurring theme in the SW universe: see the story of Anakin as well as the stable-hand children on Canto Blight). Side characters like Rael Averross, a rogue Jedi who was also a former student of Dooku, like Qui-Gon Jinn, should be fascinating. However, Rael exists to simply prove that some Jedi rebel from the ideals of the Jedi Order. He's a hallow character with no real importance. Instead of elevating what existed in the Prequels, Master & Apprentice leans into the worst things about them: unexciting political ideas delivered in talky bursts of stiff dialogue. Be prepared. There are a few interesting things about this book, one of them being that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon both push back against their mentors, which calls ahead to Anakin. This was not a terrible book by any means, and had some fairly interesting bits in it regarding the Jedi prophecies, but compared to the previous three books by Claudia Grey, this book was not a revelation but a rather lack-luster dive into some of the worst aspects of the prequels.

Greatly enjoyable prequel to The Phantom Menace (a pre-prequel, if you will). Adventure that didn’t take itself too seriously, featured many memorable characters, and provided plentiful foreshadowing into the Skywalker saga. Only complaint is that the character POV switched so often that it felt like head hopping.

This one was somewhat of a disappointment. The dynamic between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon has always been one of my favorites and this part of their story, though canon, doesn't feel quite like it fits for me. And the actual mission story struggled to hold my interest. I think my hopes were simply too high.

Wow. Wow. Wow. What a beautiful book. I not only learned so much about Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s relationship, but I was also introduced to a character I’d never heard of before and fell in love with him, too. Rael Averross is one of the best portraits of grief, sarcasm, and perseverance in any soul I’ve ever seen portrayed in a piece of literature. This story was action-packed, beautiful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable from beginning to end. I’m in love.

This was epic. The last chapter really didn't have to go that hard 💔

Completa bastante del universo de personajes que ya conocemos de las películas, y ayuda a entenderlos mejor. Me costo un poco entrar a la historia al comienzo, pero después pude avanzar mejor. Si bien esta muy buena la historia, no es mi preferido del universo expandido.

Surprisingly good, especially on audible with a full cast and sound effects. It was deeper than expected, interrogating a few of the things that feel like an oversight in the republic, such as slavery. It still very much read like commercial fiction and is quite straight forward but the willingness to examine things introduced in the movies more critically, especially in relation to the Jedi, was a pleasant surprise.

Just thinking about this book makes me tear up because Obi-Wan! and his relationship with Qui-Gon! and forshadowing! Ahhh, if you're a Star Wars fan, if you're an Obi-Wan fan, if you're a fan of the prequels, I don't care, make yourself comfortable and enjoy a healthy dose of Jedi, a master-padawan adventure on a remote world and rebellions and spies. Jedi Rael Averross, a former student of Dooku and an old friend of Qui-Gon's, requests Obi-Wan's and his master's assistance with a political dispute. Jinn and Kenobi travel to the royal court of Pijal for what may be their final mission together because Qui-Gon has been asked to join the Jedi Council which would mean giving up Obi-Wan and losing him as his padawan. What should be a simple assignment quickly becomes clouded by deceit, and by visions of violent disaster that take hold in Qui-Gon's mind. As Qui-Gon's faith in the prophecy grows, Obi-Wan's faith in him is tested. Although the beginning was a bit slow, the story was entertaining enough for me to keep reading. I liked the introduction of new and fun side characters whose story makes for a second narrative arc throughout the book. The first third, though intriguing because we get to explore Qui-Gon's and Obi-Wan's relationship on a deeper level, was a bit slow in my opinion but the story picks up pace afterwards and that plot twist at the end! The most beautiful and poignant thing about "Master and Apprantice" was getting to know more about Obi-Wan and his feelings, why Qui-Gon is so passionate about abolishing slavery and why Obi-Wan goes from loving to fly to hating it. This book provides its readers with so many insights into Qui-Gon's and Obi-Wan's life, relationship and emotions and it was simply beautiful. PS If you're familiar with the movies and what's to come for those characters, keep tissues close at hand because you will notice the forshadowing and it'll make you cry.

4.5 Stars The events of this book happen pre-Episode I and goes in depth in the relationship between Obi Wan and Qui Gon Jinn. I was never a huge fan of Jinn based on just the movies, but I feel that this book gave him a lot more depth and emotion and really gave meaning to the events of Episode I. There was a good amount of action happening to keep the story from getting boring while also not being overwhelming. I found it particularly interesting all that was revealed about the Jedi council and prophecies in this book. Getting to see more in-depth information on these things really did a lot for my connection to the Star Wars universe. Overall I think this book does all good things for the star wars universe and explains things further in depth that were more glossed over in the movies. This is a great book for people who like Star Wars and want to learn more about what preceded the Skywalker Saga movies.

This book gave me a better understanding of the relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

Completa bastante del universo de personajes que ya conocemos de las películas, y ayuda a entenderlos mejor. Me costo un poco entrar a la historia al comienzo, pero después pude avanzar mejor. Si bien esta muy buena la historia, no es mi preferido del universo expandido.

“It matters which side we choose. Even if there will never be more light than darkness. Even if there can be no more joy in the galaxy than there is pain. For every action we undertake, for every word we speak, for every life we touch-it matters. I don’t turn toward the light because it means someday I’ll ‘win’ some sort of cosmic game. I turn toward it Because It Is The Light.”

If you have watched Star Wars Episode 1 and are wondering the back story to the characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi, then this book is a great read. It goes back and forth between each character's point of view and their insight into what life is like. It's filled with twists and turns and I loved that. There wasn't a dull moment in this book.