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poncho4255's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stymieurgeson's review against another edition
4.0
I've been watching The Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian lately, and a segment where Dave Filoni talks about the meaning behind the big duel in The Phantom Menace got me interested in the character of Qui-Gon Jinn again. This novel is a great exploration of what kind of person and Jedi he was. The contrast between him and Obi-Wan is really interesting and something I didn't pick up on from watching the movie. Reading this book I could tell that Qui-Gon was the hero that the Jedi Order needed (but not the one it deserved?), and things would have turned out quite differently if he had lived through the films.
It was also fun to have a book that's not set against a backdrop of a huge conflict between major powers. For the most part it's about individual people causing problems. Granted, the Czerka Corporation is huge and evil with its slavery, but it's not quite the same kind of antagonist as, say, the Empire. It was an interesting change of pace.
Overall it's a very enjoyable book and a fun chance to explore a part of the Star Wars universe we haven't seen a lot of yet.
It was also fun to have a book that's not set against a backdrop of a huge conflict between major powers. For the most part it's about individual people causing problems. Granted, the Czerka Corporation is huge and evil with its slavery, but it's not quite the same kind of antagonist as, say, the Empire. It was an interesting change of pace.
Overall it's a very enjoyable book and a fun chance to explore a part of the Star Wars universe we haven't seen a lot of yet.
madqueeen's review against another edition
5.0
This book was the first Star Wars book I’ve read since elementary school, and it was definitely worthy of being the first one in my long list of books.
The story followed teenage Obi-Wan and his master Qui-Gon as they navigated their relationship as Master and Padawan. It gave me a lot of insight into their relationship that isn’t shown in the short period we know Qui-Gon in TPM. I definitely recommend!
The story followed teenage Obi-Wan and his master Qui-Gon as they navigated their relationship as Master and Padawan. It gave me a lot of insight into their relationship that isn’t shown in the short period we know Qui-Gon in TPM. I definitely recommend!
immabehazzie's review against another edition
4.0
I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. Obi-wan continues to be a favorite character of mine and thanks to this book I feel like I have a more solid understanding of Qui-Gon’s character.
I also very much enjoyed the story that was being told and the new characters introduced. I hadn’t expected “Qui-gon and Obi-wan go on a mission and enlist the help of jewel thieves” when I picked up this book but it was a storyline that was fun and deep.
I also felt like this book did a better job at telling the story of how slavery can impact a person than the movies did. Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I also very much enjoyed the story that was being told and the new characters introduced. I hadn’t expected “Qui-gon and Obi-wan go on a mission and enlist the help of jewel thieves” when I picked up this book but it was a storyline that was fun and deep.
I also felt like this book did a better job at telling the story of how slavery can impact a person than the movies did. Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
rudiboiii's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lrose02's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book was a wild ride. I will say it’s a slow start and I really struggled. But then once the plot finally begins you settle into it. And then the last 100 pages are intense. This book had honestly one of the best plot twists I’ve read in a while. I was completely bamboozled. Cause nothing led up to it in my mind. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t built up to. It was, but I just couldn’t see it. All the political intrigue is amazing and it fits so well within the wider Star Wars Universe. It was so good to delve into Qui Gon more and see baby Obi Wan. Cause you read it wondering how on earth they get to the relationship they had in Phantom Menace but you see that develop before your eyes. I loved the hints at Dooku. Rael is a complicated character. He’s almost like Anakin, trained too late and too attached. Parallels between Nim and Ahsoka. But Rael is more like a slutty mess of an Uncle. It was a funny inclusion to see a Jedi who actually fucks. The epilogue was devastating and I don’t know how I’ll recover for the next 3-5 business days. It’s three pages of pure devastation. Overall the book was hard to get into and I debated a DNF but then it really does pick up. I loved the side characters. Pax and Rahara I didn’t get at first but soon came to love, and became a favourite dynamic of mine. Definitely one I ship together. It’s also really interesting to see the Jedi Council’s arrogance and failures knowing what it leads to in the next few decades.
basharria's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
A fun, enjoyable read, though flawed and not particularly deep. The strongest part is the characterization of Qui-Gon Jinn, and they way he is defined by his principles, his adherence to ideals, and his relationships to his padawan Obi-Wan, his former master Dooku, and an old friend, Rael Averross. His complicated partnership with the Force manifests throughout, particularly when it runs in conflict with galactic law and Jedi code and in his research of the Jedi prophecies.
The plot is quite weak. There are numerous factions, people, and story threads, and none of them intertwine in a satisfying way. Gem thieves/smugglers Rahara Wick and Pax Maripher are only loosely connected to the plot. Worse, Rahara is at one point captured and re-enslaved by Czerka and then proceeds to be a non-factor for the rest of the book. Pax serves a minor role in the climax, begging the question as to why these two had so many chapters beforehand. Likewise, enslaved royal attendant Cady, who is barely a character throughout most of the book, ends up playing a pivotal and outsized role in the ending. I didn't like this much at all. The ending is by far the weakest portion of the book, and a good chunk of it resolves off screen. The flash-forward to the scene from The Phantom Menace is mixed. While I liked it, I'm not sure this book should've been the one to do it. It feels like a scene out of a sequel to this novel.
The twist felt unearned, hardly hinted at, and resolved far too quickly, as well. The whole ending feels rushed as a result. There should've been more scenes dedicated to Princess Fanry, and less about Pax and Rahara considering how little of importance they ended up being. I did enjoy the worldbuilding and how many threads in this story mirror Phantom Menace, making this feel like a snug little prequel to the movie that helps to support it, as well.
A fun, enjoyable read, though flawed and not particularly deep. The strongest part is the characterization of Qui-Gon Jinn, and they way he is defined by his principles, his adherence to ideals, and his relationships to his padawan Obi-Wan, his former master Dooku, and an old friend, Rael Averross. His complicated partnership with the Force manifests throughout, particularly when it runs in conflict with galactic law and Jedi code and in his research of the Jedi prophecies.
The plot is quite weak. There are numerous factions, people, and story threads, and none of them intertwine in a satisfying way. Gem thieves/smugglers Rahara Wick and Pax Maripher are only loosely connected to the plot. Worse, Rahara is at one point captured and re-enslaved by Czerka and then proceeds to be a non-factor for the rest of the book. Pax serves a minor role in the climax, begging the question as to why these two had so many chapters beforehand. Likewise, enslaved royal attendant Cady, who is barely a character throughout most of the book, ends up playing a pivotal and outsized role in the ending. I didn't like this much at all. The ending is by far the weakest portion of the book, and a good chunk of it resolves off screen. The flash-forward to the scene from The Phantom Menace is mixed. While I liked it, I'm not sure this book should've been the one to do it. It feels like a scene out of a sequel to this novel.
The twist felt unearned, hardly hinted at, and resolved far too quickly, as well. The whole ending feels rushed as a result. There should've been more scenes dedicated to Princess Fanry, and less about Pax and Rahara considering how little of importance they ended up being. I did enjoy the worldbuilding and how many threads in this story mirror Phantom Menace, making this feel like a snug little prequel to the movie that helps to support it, as well.
jarwhal3's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
maximusvitale66's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
megrasmussen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25