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graff_fuller's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
These novellas are wonderful character studies of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Of a master and a padawan.
The growth of EACH. For Obi-Wan at this time...is still grieving the loss of his master, Qui-Gon Jinn (taken too early), but then "saddled" with the request/charge of his master...to take up the training of Anakin...for he's the Chosen One (that will bring balance to the Force).
Each of these adventures show the push/pull of their relationship, and how they are both growing and learning each other (strengths/weaknesses), to also find that balance there, too.
I had fun reading this story.
The growth of EACH. For Obi-Wan at this time...is still grieving the loss of his master, Qui-Gon Jinn (taken too early), but then "saddled" with the request/charge of his master...to take up the training of Anakin...for he's the Chosen One (that will bring balance to the Force).
Each of these adventures show the push/pull of their relationship, and how they are both growing and learning each other (strengths/weaknesses), to also find that balance there, too.
I had fun reading this story.
cyris_reads's review
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jaredkwheeler's review
3.0
Star Wars Legends Project #92
Background: The Shadow Trap was written by [a:Jude Watson|11912|Jude Watson|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1403530689p2/11912.jpg] and published in May 2003. It is the sixth book of the Jedi Quest series, following [b:The School of Fear|359790|The School of Fear (Star Wars Jedi Quest, #5)|Jude Watson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328869632s/359790.jpg|777687] (my review).
The Shadow Trap is set a few months after The School of Fear, 26 years before the Battle of Yavin, when Anakin is 15. Obi-Wan and Anakin are the main characters, along with Jedi Masters Yaddle and Yoda, and the recurring series villain Granta Omega.
Summary: The infrastructure of the planet Mawan has collapsed and various criminal organizations have moved in to take advantage of the chaos. Obi-Wan and Anakin accompany Master Yaddle on a mission to "persuade" the crime lords to move on, but Anakin is troubled by ominous visions of a possible future that may not bode well for the Jedi. Meanwhile, an old enemy has a plan of his own, and the Jedi have just walked directly into his path.
Review: I'm just going to get this out of the way first . . . The Shadow Trap runs right up against the biggest problem I've had with this portion of the timeline ever since I first sat in a theater and watched Attack of the Clones many years ago: Shmi Skywalker is still a slave on Tatooine. There is no good reason for this, and it isn't Watson's problem to fix. But she doesn't have to bring it up and then totally not explain it. A major piece of Anakin's emotional journey in this story hinges on an offer for him to go free his mother on Tatooine, and Obi-Wan commiserates with him about the difficulty of that choice.
No. Nope. No way. Obi-Wan is a major reason why Anakin had to make a choice he should never have had to make, because Shmi should long since have been rescued by the Jedi and set up for life. And we never get any kind of remotely reasonable explanation why she hasn't. We know the Jedi have huge monetary and political resources. They have plenty of time (Anakin and Obi-Wan frequently go on R&R missions where they just hang out on cool planets for a few weeks to bond . . . how about a bonding mission to go rescue Anakin's freaking mom from slavery?!). There have even been Jedi missions on Tatooine during this time period. This completely unexplainable "oversight" is, to me, easily one of the most infuriating details of this entire era, and Watson shouldn't have brought it up if she wasn't prepared to offer a rationale for it.
Anyway, that aside, this book continues the trend of solid storytelling of most of the series so far. I grow a bit weary of the "Next time, Gadget" narrow escapes by Omega, and I really don't buy the big reveal about his identity here. It strikes me as unnecessary and implausible, but your mileage may vary. I know she was going for interesting links to her earlier series, I'm just not sure this lands that way. But, there are several interesting twists and turns, and this is probably the best portrayal of Yaddle I've come across. I really feel like she deserved more time in the spotlight as a character. She's not really just Lady Yoda.
However, I've probably hinted at too much already, and I don't want to give things away. I'm definitely hooked into where all this is going, particularly with Anakin and Obi-Wan's relationship. I felt like drama between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon was dragged out too long in the Jedi Apprentice series, and this series could be in danger of doing the same thing, but it's not there yet. We'll see.
B-
Background: The Shadow Trap was written by [a:Jude Watson|11912|Jude Watson|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/authors/1403530689p2/11912.jpg] and published in May 2003. It is the sixth book of the Jedi Quest series, following [b:The School of Fear|359790|The School of Fear (Star Wars Jedi Quest, #5)|Jude Watson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328869632s/359790.jpg|777687] (my review).
The Shadow Trap is set a few months after The School of Fear, 26 years before the Battle of Yavin, when Anakin is 15. Obi-Wan and Anakin are the main characters, along with Jedi Masters Yaddle and Yoda, and the recurring series villain Granta Omega.
Summary: The infrastructure of the planet Mawan has collapsed and various criminal organizations have moved in to take advantage of the chaos. Obi-Wan and Anakin accompany Master Yaddle on a mission to "persuade" the crime lords to move on, but Anakin is troubled by ominous visions of a possible future that may not bode well for the Jedi. Meanwhile, an old enemy has a plan of his own, and the Jedi have just walked directly into his path.
Review: I'm just going to get this out of the way first . . . The Shadow Trap runs right up against the biggest problem I've had with this portion of the timeline ever since I first sat in a theater and watched Attack of the Clones many years ago: Shmi Skywalker is still a slave on Tatooine. There is no good reason for this, and it isn't Watson's problem to fix. But she doesn't have to bring it up and then totally not explain it. A major piece of Anakin's emotional journey in this story hinges on an offer for him to go free his mother on Tatooine, and Obi-Wan commiserates with him about the difficulty of that choice.
No. Nope. No way. Obi-Wan is a major reason why Anakin had to make a choice he should never have had to make, because Shmi should long since have been rescued by the Jedi and set up for life. And we never get any kind of remotely reasonable explanation why she hasn't. We know the Jedi have huge monetary and political resources. They have plenty of time (Anakin and Obi-Wan frequently go on R&R missions where they just hang out on cool planets for a few weeks to bond . . . how about a bonding mission to go rescue Anakin's freaking mom from slavery?!). There have even been Jedi missions on Tatooine during this time period. This completely unexplainable "oversight" is, to me, easily one of the most infuriating details of this entire era, and Watson shouldn't have brought it up if she wasn't prepared to offer a rationale for it.
Anyway, that aside, this book continues the trend of solid storytelling of most of the series so far. I grow a bit weary of the "Next time, Gadget" narrow escapes by Omega, and I really don't buy the big reveal about his identity here. It strikes me as unnecessary and implausible, but your mileage may vary. I know she was going for interesting links to her earlier series, I'm just not sure this lands that way. But, there are several interesting twists and turns, and this is probably the best portrayal of Yaddle I've come across. I really feel like she deserved more time in the spotlight as a character. She's not really just Lady Yoda.
However, I've probably hinted at too much already, and I don't want to give things away. I'm definitely hooked into where all this is going, particularly with Anakin and Obi-Wan's relationship. I felt like drama between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon was dragged out too long in the Jedi Apprentice series, and this series could be in danger of doing the same thing, but it's not there yet. We'll see.
B-
verkisto's review
4.0
Mawan's economy has collapsed, leading a few criminal organizations to move in and profit from the chaos that ensues. The Jedi have been sent to monitor the events and return the planet to the peace it experienced before. Before the mission, though, Anakin has a vision regarding an old, revered Jedi Master who is also going on the mission. What they don't expect is to find an old enemy also on the planet, taking advantage of the chaos on Mawan.
Like the previous books, this one focuses on Anakin and his ego. Ferus is among the Jedi sent to Mawan, so of course the rivalry between him and Anakin continues. It's a tricky relationship to balance here, since Anakin is our main character, but Ferus winds up being more sympathetic due to him not being driven by the need to be the best, to be number one, to be first in everything. Anakin is, honestly, pretty insufferable not just in this book but throughout the series. I can't fault Watson for his personality -- I think this is the point she tries to make throughout the series -- but it doesn't make for interesting reading.
In this book, Watson attempts to garner some sympathy for Anakin by giving him guilt over events that happen in the book. Obi-Wan has said before and since that Anakin's strength is his compassion, so when he sees something that believes to be his fault, it preys on him. The thing is, Jedi are supposed to feel an emotion and then shrug it off so it doesn't interfere; Anakin holds on to this guilt for much of the book, to the point where he's holding on to it just to make him more emo.
Also, Obi-Wan has several internal monologues throughout the series where he questions Anakin's emotions and stability as a Jedi, while also recognizing how powerful he is with the Force. For all his instability, Anakin clearly isn't the right material to be a Jedi, so why does Obi-Wan keep insisting that he just needs training? Obi-Wan's mission as a trainer is myopic, and is a direct threat to the Jedi Order. Book after book shows us this; why is Obi-Wan so blind to it?
The story is decent enough, and continues the overarching story that bridges the entire series by bringing Granta Omega back into the story, but it starts to show some cracks due to Anakin. Again, I can't fault Watson for this issue -- she's working with an established character, trying to show how he fell to the Dark Side -- but it's frustrating. What makes it even worse is that we already know there's not going to be any redemption for him by the end of this series. If nothing else, it will be even worse, since Watson will have to show how isolated and angry he is.
Like the previous books, this one focuses on Anakin and his ego. Ferus is among the Jedi sent to Mawan, so of course the rivalry between him and Anakin continues. It's a tricky relationship to balance here, since Anakin is our main character, but Ferus winds up being more sympathetic due to him not being driven by the need to be the best, to be number one, to be first in everything. Anakin is, honestly, pretty insufferable not just in this book but throughout the series. I can't fault Watson for his personality -- I think this is the point she tries to make throughout the series -- but it doesn't make for interesting reading.
In this book, Watson attempts to garner some sympathy for Anakin by giving him guilt over events that happen in the book. Obi-Wan has said before and since that Anakin's strength is his compassion, so when he sees something that believes to be his fault, it preys on him. The thing is, Jedi are supposed to feel an emotion and then shrug it off so it doesn't interfere; Anakin holds on to this guilt for much of the book, to the point where he's holding on to it just to make him more emo.
Also, Obi-Wan has several internal monologues throughout the series where he questions Anakin's emotions and stability as a Jedi, while also recognizing how powerful he is with the Force. For all his instability, Anakin clearly isn't the right material to be a Jedi, so why does Obi-Wan keep insisting that he just needs training? Obi-Wan's mission as a trainer is myopic, and is a direct threat to the Jedi Order. Book after book shows us this; why is Obi-Wan so blind to it?
The story is decent enough, and continues the overarching story that bridges the entire series by bringing Granta Omega back into the story, but it starts to show some cracks due to Anakin. Again, I can't fault Watson for this issue -- she's working with an established character, trying to show how he fell to the Dark Side -- but it's frustrating. What makes it even worse is that we already know there's not going to be any redemption for him by the end of this series. If nothing else, it will be even worse, since Watson will have to show how isolated and angry he is.
groundedwanderlust's review
5.0
I'm glad to have gotten to meet Yaddle as a character and to see a little of Yoda. The problems between Anakin and Obi-wan really hurt my heart.
toggle_fow's review
3.0
At last... Granta Omega's identity is revealed.
This is the story of the mission to Mawan, where Jedi Master Yaddle sacrifices her life. Anakin did really well here, actually; I would have thought that Granta Omega's temptations would have got to him a lot more than they actually did. I just wish he and Obi-Wan would talk.
This is the story of the mission to Mawan, where Jedi Master Yaddle sacrifices her life. Anakin did really well here, actually; I would have thought that Granta Omega's temptations would have got to him a lot more than they actually did. I just wish he and Obi-Wan would talk.
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