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Star Wars Disney Canon Novel
Master and Apprentice
An unexpected offer threatens the bond between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi as the two Jedi navigate a dangerous new planet and an uncertain future.
A Jedi must be a fearless warrior, a guardian of justice, and a scholar in the ways of the Force. But perhaps a Jedi’s most essential duty is to pass on what they have learned. Master Yoda trained Dooku; Dooku trained Qui-Gon Jinn; and now Qui-Gon has a Padawan of his own. But while Qui-Gon has faced all manner of threats and danger as a Jedi, nothing has ever scared him like the thought of failing his apprentice.
Obi-Wan Kenobi has deep respect for his Master, but struggles to understand him. Why must Qui-Gon so often disregard the laws that bind the Jedi? Why is Qui-Gon drawn to ancient Jedi prophecies instead of more practical concerns? And why wasn’t Obi-Wan told that Qui-Gon is considering an invitation to join the Jedi Council—knowing it would mean the end of their partnership? The simple answer scares him: Obi-Wan has failed his Master.
When Jedi Rael Averross, another former student of Dooku, requests their assistance with a political dispute, Jinn and Kenobi travel to the royal court of Pijal for what may be their final mission together. 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 prophecy grows, Obi-Wan’s faith in him is tested—just as a threat surfaces that will demand that Master and apprentice come together as never before, or be divided forever.
A Jedi must be a fearless warrior, a guardian of justice, and a scholar in the ways of the Force. But perhaps a Jedi’s most essential duty is to pass on what they have learned. Master Yoda trained Dooku; Dooku trained Qui-Gon Jinn; and now Qui-Gon has a Padawan of his own. But while Qui-Gon has faced all manner of threats and danger as a Jedi, nothing has ever scared him like the thought of failing his apprentice.
Obi-Wan Kenobi has deep respect for his Master, but struggles to understand him. Why must Qui-Gon so often disregard the laws that bind the Jedi? Why is Qui-Gon drawn to ancient Jedi prophecies instead of more practical concerns? And why wasn’t Obi-Wan told that Qui-Gon is considering an invitation to join the Jedi Council—knowing it would mean the end of their partnership? The simple answer scares him: Obi-Wan has failed his Master.
When Jedi Rael Averross, another former student of Dooku, requests their assistance with a political dispute, Jinn and Kenobi travel to the royal court of Pijal for what may be their final mission together. 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 prophecy grows, Obi-Wan’s faith in him is tested—just as a threat surfaces that will demand that Master and apprentice come together as never before, or be divided forever.
330 pages, Hardcover
First published April 16, 2019
2,041 people are currently reading
14.9k people want to read
About the author
Claudia Gray
90books13.9kfollowersClaudia Gray is not my real name. I didn't choose a pseudonym because my real name is unpleasant (it isn't), because I'd always dreamed of calling myself this (I haven't) or even because I'm hiding from the remnants of that international diamond-smuggling cartel I smashed in 2003 (Interpol has taken care of them). In short, I took a pseudonym for no real reason whatsoever. Sometimes this is actually the best reason to do things.
I live in New Orleans. So far, in life, I've been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing.
I live in New Orleans. So far, in life, I've been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,381 reviews
January 16, 2025
I was a little disappointed in this book. It was ok and good in most places. I think my main problem with the book is having read the entire Jedi Apprentice series. I had a very different picture in my mind of Qui Gon Jinn and Obi Wan. This being a new universe this could be forgiven, and Claudia Gray does a very good job with her own characters, but for me she just did not seem to get Qui Gon and the Jedi right for me.
My problem with the Jedi was that they seemed to need rescuing as much as the who they went on to rescue. I agree with Qui Gon that they acted more like political enforcers than guardians of justice. In fairness, the Samuri that the Jedi are based did that their Shogun's word as the law without question, but as a Star Wars fan no.
The story is good but a bit slow and does need a heavy dose of action. The parts that were good to great are things with young Qui Gon and Dooku. The book does give a reason Qui Gon was so obsessed with Anakin being the chosen one, the steps of Dooku's eventual turn, as well as Obi Wan's dislike for flying.
It is a good prequel to Episode 1, but not my favourite versions of the main characters. Good new additions (of her own characters), and possible a prophecy for the future, but we will have to see how that one plays out.
My problem with the Jedi was that they seemed to need rescuing as much as the who they went on to rescue. I agree with Qui Gon that they acted more like political enforcers than guardians of justice. In fairness, the Samuri that the Jedi are based did that their Shogun's word as the law without question, but as a Star Wars fan no.
The story is good but a bit slow and does need a heavy dose of action. The parts that were good to great are things with young Qui Gon and Dooku. The book does give a reason Qui Gon was so obsessed with Anakin being the chosen one, the steps of Dooku's eventual turn, as well as Obi Wan's dislike for flying.
It is a good prequel to Episode 1, but not my favourite versions of the main characters. Good new additions (of her own characters), and possible a prophecy for the future, but we will have to see how that one plays out.
May 7, 2024
**4.5-stars**
In anticipation of the publication of the new Star Wars: The High Republic books, I have been in such a mood to devour as much of the current Canon content as I can.
Reading Master and Apprentice hot on the heels of Dooku: Jedi Lost was such a fun experience!!!
This novel follows Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The events of this book fall after the audiobook, Dooku: Jedi Lost, and prior to the film, The Phantom Menace.
Obi-Wan is Qui-Gon's first Apprentice. Their relationship is examined closely, both Qui-Gon's fears of failing his Padawan, and Obi-Wan's frustrations with his Master, who often seems unavailable.
After a secret is revealed, their relationship becomes more fractured than ever and it looks like it may actually be coming to an end.
When Rael Averross contacts his old friend, Qui-Gon, to ask for his assistance with a political issue, the Master and Apprentice travel together to the royal court of Pijal to see if they can help.
This may be their last mission together, so both men are silently dealing with a lot of emotions connected to that.
Even though Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan view their duties to the Jedi Council differently, each is at their heart battling for what they think is right.
There was quite a bit of political maneuvering in this one, as we see a bit more into how the Jedi Council interacts with the various planets, and governments, within the galaxy.
Prophecies were also revealed on multiple occasions. In short, there was a lot going on!
Really great content as far as filling in the backstory of, and providing foundation for, the events in The Phantom Menace. I could probably read this multiple times and still not pick up on everything.
That's one great thing about the Star Wars Canon. It's so vast. You can read, watch and review things over and over and over and the story just keeps on growing and expanding.
It's like the gift that keeps on giving. Overall, super glad I read this. I think Claudia Gray is such a great author for these stories. You can feel her passion for the whole universe coming off the page.
Really well done. I am pumped to continue on with my Star Wars binge.
As a side note, also a really great time to have a Disney+ subscription.
In anticipation of the publication of the new Star Wars: The High Republic books, I have been in such a mood to devour as much of the current Canon content as I can.
Reading Master and Apprentice hot on the heels of Dooku: Jedi Lost was such a fun experience!!!
This novel follows Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The events of this book fall after the audiobook, Dooku: Jedi Lost, and prior to the film, The Phantom Menace.
Obi-Wan is Qui-Gon's first Apprentice. Their relationship is examined closely, both Qui-Gon's fears of failing his Padawan, and Obi-Wan's frustrations with his Master, who often seems unavailable.
After a secret is revealed, their relationship becomes more fractured than ever and it looks like it may actually be coming to an end.
When Rael Averross contacts his old friend, Qui-Gon, to ask for his assistance with a political issue, the Master and Apprentice travel together to the royal court of Pijal to see if they can help.
This may be their last mission together, so both men are silently dealing with a lot of emotions connected to that.
Even though Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan view their duties to the Jedi Council differently, each is at their heart battling for what they think is right.
There was quite a bit of political maneuvering in this one, as we see a bit more into how the Jedi Council interacts with the various planets, and governments, within the galaxy.
Prophecies were also revealed on multiple occasions. In short, there was a lot going on!
Really great content as far as filling in the backstory of, and providing foundation for, the events in The Phantom Menace. I could probably read this multiple times and still not pick up on everything.
That's one great thing about the Star Wars Canon. It's so vast. You can read, watch and review things over and over and over and the story just keeps on growing and expanding.
It's like the gift that keeps on giving. Overall, super glad I read this. I think Claudia Gray is such a great author for these stories. You can feel her passion for the whole universe coming off the page.
Really well done. I am pumped to continue on with my Star Wars binge.
As a side note, also a really great time to have a Disney+ subscription.
Want to read
October 7, 2018This Cover. THIS COVER!!!
�
Claudia stays blessing me. QUEEN OF STAR WARS NOVELS.
�
Claudia stays blessing me. QUEEN OF STAR WARS NOVELS.
April 25, 2019
My history with Claudia Gray’s Star Wars novels hasn’t been very positive. Her first, Lost Stars, was one of the early entries in the new canon, and it has a lot of fans—but for a number of reasons, I didn’t care for it. Nor did I enjoy her two Leia-focused books, Bloodline and Leia: Princess of Alderaan.
But then I read her short story, “Master and Apprentice,� in From a Certain Point of View, and it was by far one of the best things I’ve read in the new canon. That story offered a quiet, reflective glimpse into Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s ongoing friendship during Obi-Wan’s exile on Tatooine.
And so I came to the full-length novel Master and Apprentice with uncertain expectations—little confidence in Gray’s ability to keep a novel-length SW story going, but cautious optimism because of the beauty of the short story featuring the same pair of characters. Added to these author-specific expectations, of course, was the fact that this novel is a prequel of sorts to one of my least favorite SW movies, The Phantom Menace—though I do love it when any author can make the prequel era better than it seemed to be in the movies.
What I wasn’t expecting at all was that Master and Apprentice would be completely brilliant, one of the best SW novels I’ve read. Not only that, but it’s a book that makes me like The Phantom Menace and some of its characters much more than I would have believed possible. And it’s a novel that grows and deepens SW mythology in thoroughly satisfying ways. What an exhilarating surprise!
Gray’s success with this book comes largely because she crafts a SW story that deals with grown-up issues in a mature, thoughtful way. She isn’t piecing together a story simply to get to the big space battle (there’s almost none of that in this novel), and she mostly resists the urge to fill the pages with in-jokes and references to minor things from the movies (there are a just few moments where these references are a bit heavy-handed). The result is that Master and Apprentice doesn’t feel like merely another entry in a franchise; rather, it reads like a really good book that happens to take place in the SW galaxy.
The temptation for any SW author, I imagine, is to revise characters and events as we saw them in the movies. For characters from The Phantom Menace, there must be enormous temptation to offer slightly different, improved versions in a novel. Gray, however, takes Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan as they’re presented to us in the movie. Qui-Gon is flawed, overly interior in his interpersonal relationships, puzzlingly cerebral—just as we see him in the movie. Seventeen-year-old Obi-Wan is . . . well, he’s kind of a smug little dork—full of himself, obsessively devoted to the rules of the Jedi order, a bit arrogant, sarcastic when he should be sincere and questioning. That’s how we see young Obi-Wan all throughout the prequel trilogy, and Gray gives us a younger version of exactly that character. The characters feel true, and thus the story around them works; everything allows us to face the awkwardness of the film but also adds depth to why that awkwardness is there.
These flawed characters don’t exist just to have cool lightsaber battles. In this story, they exist and interact (and conflict) in real ways. Gray explores the Master/Padawan relationship in all its strangeness and difficulty. She shows us Qui-Gon’s struggles, wanting to be a good mentor but often feeling that he’s exactly the wrong guide for Obi-Wan. That’s something that as a teacher, I can relate to. Obi-Wan must also work through the confusion of figuring out whether his mentor is proud of him, whether he’s on the right path, whether his teacher really wants to be teaching him at all. I can understand that, too, from when I was a grad student. These two characters and their evolving relationship are portrayed with care and nuance. The realism keeps the story unpredictable, even though I knew of course where these characters ultimately end up. As I read, however, I couldn’t predict exactly how they were going to get where they needed to be. That is so refreshing for a SW novel.
Gray successfully balances a few different narrative threads that come together at various points, and she creates new characters who are interesting and real. She starts with basic character sketches—a man who was raised by 81 3PO droids on a derelict ship; a woman who was taken into slavery as a child; a Jedi who has always felt (and acted) like an outsider—and builds characters who work really well. They never feel like mildly different versions of existing characters from the films (a problem that plagues SW writing). These are originals.
The basic plot, outside of the master/apprentice relationship, is a political intrigue story on a planet we haven’t seen before. I’ve often complained about SW novels, that the politics is always kept on a very juvenile level and not allowed to be as complex and real-world-mirroring as it might be. The politics in Master and Apprentice are as close as we’ve yet approached to genuinely intriguing, complex politics in SW. The Jedi face multiple unanswerable questions that test their loyalties and priorities: Is it right to abandon one planet to slavery in order to potentially save many other planets? Is it possible to be so focused on one good act that you can be blinded to evil that’s growing all around you? How much insubordination is allowable, and what justifies it? When is it right to report on the insubordination of a superior? I loved the layers of complexity built into every aspect of this story.
At the heart of the story is the question of prophecy, which has been the elephant in the galaxy ever since George Lucas brought prophecies into SW and then never explained what part they play in the story. The questions Gray wrestles with include: Were prophecies meaningful only in the time of those who made them? Do they predict specific events that have happened or are yet to happen? In trying to see into the future, are we really just trying to be in control of that future? All of that is rather more deep than SW usually gets, and it’s watching the characters (Qui-Gon in particular) confront those questions that’s most interesting, even more than reading and wondering about the texts of the prophecies themselves in light of the grand SW mythology. Some of the prophecies mentioned in the book make a lot of sense in reference to the movies (the prophecy of the Chosen One, finally given here, for example), and others seem still elusive (“He who learns to conquer death will through his greatest student live again� (288)—at this point, that seems like it could refer to any number of pairings in the movies, and perhaps will become clearer after Episode 9). But the real question through it all is: What is prophecy, really?
Having finished Master and Apprentice, I’m doing something I very rarely do after reading a SW novel: I’m pondering it. Most of these books are quickly read, as quickly forgotten. This one will stick with me. I’m sorry that I haven’t enjoyed most of Gray’s SW writing up to this point, but with Master and Apprentice she has created a fantastic SW story. I hope that, having found her groove, she will continue to contribute to building the mythology.
But then I read her short story, “Master and Apprentice,� in From a Certain Point of View, and it was by far one of the best things I’ve read in the new canon. That story offered a quiet, reflective glimpse into Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s ongoing friendship during Obi-Wan’s exile on Tatooine.
And so I came to the full-length novel Master and Apprentice with uncertain expectations—little confidence in Gray’s ability to keep a novel-length SW story going, but cautious optimism because of the beauty of the short story featuring the same pair of characters. Added to these author-specific expectations, of course, was the fact that this novel is a prequel of sorts to one of my least favorite SW movies, The Phantom Menace—though I do love it when any author can make the prequel era better than it seemed to be in the movies.
What I wasn’t expecting at all was that Master and Apprentice would be completely brilliant, one of the best SW novels I’ve read. Not only that, but it’s a book that makes me like The Phantom Menace and some of its characters much more than I would have believed possible. And it’s a novel that grows and deepens SW mythology in thoroughly satisfying ways. What an exhilarating surprise!
Gray’s success with this book comes largely because she crafts a SW story that deals with grown-up issues in a mature, thoughtful way. She isn’t piecing together a story simply to get to the big space battle (there’s almost none of that in this novel), and she mostly resists the urge to fill the pages with in-jokes and references to minor things from the movies (there are a just few moments where these references are a bit heavy-handed). The result is that Master and Apprentice doesn’t feel like merely another entry in a franchise; rather, it reads like a really good book that happens to take place in the SW galaxy.
The temptation for any SW author, I imagine, is to revise characters and events as we saw them in the movies. For characters from The Phantom Menace, there must be enormous temptation to offer slightly different, improved versions in a novel. Gray, however, takes Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan as they’re presented to us in the movie. Qui-Gon is flawed, overly interior in his interpersonal relationships, puzzlingly cerebral—just as we see him in the movie. Seventeen-year-old Obi-Wan is . . . well, he’s kind of a smug little dork—full of himself, obsessively devoted to the rules of the Jedi order, a bit arrogant, sarcastic when he should be sincere and questioning. That’s how we see young Obi-Wan all throughout the prequel trilogy, and Gray gives us a younger version of exactly that character. The characters feel true, and thus the story around them works; everything allows us to face the awkwardness of the film but also adds depth to why that awkwardness is there.
These flawed characters don’t exist just to have cool lightsaber battles. In this story, they exist and interact (and conflict) in real ways. Gray explores the Master/Padawan relationship in all its strangeness and difficulty. She shows us Qui-Gon’s struggles, wanting to be a good mentor but often feeling that he’s exactly the wrong guide for Obi-Wan. That’s something that as a teacher, I can relate to. Obi-Wan must also work through the confusion of figuring out whether his mentor is proud of him, whether he’s on the right path, whether his teacher really wants to be teaching him at all. I can understand that, too, from when I was a grad student. These two characters and their evolving relationship are portrayed with care and nuance. The realism keeps the story unpredictable, even though I knew of course where these characters ultimately end up. As I read, however, I couldn’t predict exactly how they were going to get where they needed to be. That is so refreshing for a SW novel.
Gray successfully balances a few different narrative threads that come together at various points, and she creates new characters who are interesting and real. She starts with basic character sketches—a man who was raised by 81 3PO droids on a derelict ship; a woman who was taken into slavery as a child; a Jedi who has always felt (and acted) like an outsider—and builds characters who work really well. They never feel like mildly different versions of existing characters from the films (a problem that plagues SW writing). These are originals.
The basic plot, outside of the master/apprentice relationship, is a political intrigue story on a planet we haven’t seen before. I’ve often complained about SW novels, that the politics is always kept on a very juvenile level and not allowed to be as complex and real-world-mirroring as it might be. The politics in Master and Apprentice are as close as we’ve yet approached to genuinely intriguing, complex politics in SW. The Jedi face multiple unanswerable questions that test their loyalties and priorities: Is it right to abandon one planet to slavery in order to potentially save many other planets? Is it possible to be so focused on one good act that you can be blinded to evil that’s growing all around you? How much insubordination is allowable, and what justifies it? When is it right to report on the insubordination of a superior? I loved the layers of complexity built into every aspect of this story.
At the heart of the story is the question of prophecy, which has been the elephant in the galaxy ever since George Lucas brought prophecies into SW and then never explained what part they play in the story. The questions Gray wrestles with include: Were prophecies meaningful only in the time of those who made them? Do they predict specific events that have happened or are yet to happen? In trying to see into the future, are we really just trying to be in control of that future? All of that is rather more deep than SW usually gets, and it’s watching the characters (Qui-Gon in particular) confront those questions that’s most interesting, even more than reading and wondering about the texts of the prophecies themselves in light of the grand SW mythology. Some of the prophecies mentioned in the book make a lot of sense in reference to the movies (the prophecy of the Chosen One, finally given here, for example), and others seem still elusive (“He who learns to conquer death will through his greatest student live again� (288)—at this point, that seems like it could refer to any number of pairings in the movies, and perhaps will become clearer after Episode 9). But the real question through it all is: What is prophecy, really?
Having finished Master and Apprentice, I’m doing something I very rarely do after reading a SW novel: I’m pondering it. Most of these books are quickly read, as quickly forgotten. This one will stick with me. I’m sorry that I haven’t enjoyed most of Gray’s SW writing up to this point, but with Master and Apprentice she has created a fantastic SW story. I hope that, having found her groove, she will continue to contribute to building the mythology.
December 10, 2020
I enjoyed this so much! I highly recommend the audiobook because the voice acting is awesome and there are so many sound effects that immerse you into the world. It felt like I was listening to a movie!
April 23, 2019
Me, mining this book exhaustively for every tiny detail about Jedi Order tradition, the master & padawan relationship, the layout of the Jedi Temple, and ancient Jedi prophecy: Wait, this book is supposed to have, like, a story?
This book does, in fact, have a story, and the story is mostly about Qui-Gon Jinn.
Obi-Wan is there, and we occasionally dip into his perspective, but the journey is mostly Qui-Gon's, the growth is mostly Qui-Gon's, and the eyes through which we view events are almost always Qui-Gon's. The concept of lineage is a powerful thread throughout this book. Occasional flashbacks take us back to Qui-Gon's childhood, and Dooku is a strongly felt presence in everyone's mind even when he's not physically there. We get to meet Dooku's first padawan, and as Qui-Gon grapples with his current relationship with Obi-Wan, he is just as strongly anchored in the past as he is in the present.
The massive thrust of this book is the moral dilemma(s). Qui-Gon is at a transition point, struggling with his relationship with Obi-Wan, struggling with his understanding of prophecy, struggling with his perception of morality and the role of the Jedi Order... He's pretty much going through it. If you're into flawed, well-meaning characters and debating moral issues that may have no one right answer, you'll probably like this book.
Qui-Gon comes off as a hypocrite half the time, but it's palpable how hard he's trying and how committed he is to doing "the right thing" -- whatever that may be. Confronting your own blind spots and flaws is something that comes up a lot. Obi-Wan totally blanks out when asked what would happen if two Jedi were to fight each other. "They wouldn't," he says. "The Jedi are united." Even though JUST chapters ago they discussed a sad case where a master killed his own padawan. Qui-Gon goes off on another Jedi for having a sexual dalliance (which doesn't technically break the Code) and then we learn that HE literally has a tragic romance (which EXPLICITLY breaks the Code) in his past.
This whole book is a journey of self-knowledge and growth. It's very Jedi.
Personally, I have to admit that my favorite thing about this book was the details I was able to glean about Jedi life. Some things I learned:
Other notable details:
This book does, in fact, have a story, and the story is mostly about Qui-Gon Jinn.
Obi-Wan is there, and we occasionally dip into his perspective, but the journey is mostly Qui-Gon's, the growth is mostly Qui-Gon's, and the eyes through which we view events are almost always Qui-Gon's. The concept of lineage is a powerful thread throughout this book. Occasional flashbacks take us back to Qui-Gon's childhood, and Dooku is a strongly felt presence in everyone's mind even when he's not physically there. We get to meet Dooku's first padawan, and as Qui-Gon grapples with his current relationship with Obi-Wan, he is just as strongly anchored in the past as he is in the present.
The massive thrust of this book is the moral dilemma(s). Qui-Gon is at a transition point, struggling with his relationship with Obi-Wan, struggling with his understanding of prophecy, struggling with his perception of morality and the role of the Jedi Order... He's pretty much going through it. If you're into flawed, well-meaning characters and debating moral issues that may have no one right answer, you'll probably like this book.
Qui-Gon comes off as a hypocrite half the time, but it's palpable how hard he's trying and how committed he is to doing "the right thing" -- whatever that may be. Confronting your own blind spots and flaws is something that comes up a lot. Obi-Wan totally blanks out when asked what would happen if two Jedi were to fight each other. "They wouldn't," he says. "The Jedi are united." Even though JUST chapters ago they discussed a sad case where a master killed his own padawan. Qui-Gon goes off on another Jedi for having a sexual dalliance (which doesn't technically break the Code) and then we learn that HE literally has a tragic romance (which EXPLICITLY breaks the Code) in his past.
This whole book is a journey of self-knowledge and growth. It's very Jedi.
Personally, I have to admit that my favorite thing about this book was the details I was able to glean about Jedi life. Some things I learned:
� Council Masters don't take padawans
� The Jedi Temple has aquatic levels that are completely underwater
� There's a meditation maze (?)
� Padawans are expected to perform some traditional "squire" type tasks, such as caring for their master's tack and boots, etc.
� THERE IS A TRAINING DOJO RESERVED SPECIFICALLY FOR PADAWANS. This means nothing to anyone else, but I'm smug about it because I CALLED it.
� We continue to go with the new canon norm of taking padawans when they're in their mid-teens, instead of the Legends norm of aging out at thirteen years old
� THEY WENT BACK TO CELIBACY. Really? We're seriously doing this? Come on, Claudia.
� You can check holocrons out of the Archives
� Masters and padawans live in separate rooms (I'm never going to accept this. Give me a master/padawan suite or give me death)
� Jedi don't get to choose the color of their lightsabers
Other notable details:
� Despite the "older padawans" norm we're going with, Obi-Wan was 13 at the time he became Qui-Gon's padawan. This, combined with Obi-Wan's overwhelming feelings of inadequacy and how much time Qui-Gon spends vaguely being a jerk? Claudia Gray said JEDI APPRENTICE RIGHTS.
� Qui-Gon's painful past romance??? Tahl, am I right ladies
� Depa Billaba side-eyeing Yoda while saying "the Council needs fresh perspectives" I LOVE
� I'm a BIG fan of Rael. I love him. Poor guy.
� "Up the hell, he should shut."
� I'm so FREAKING glad to get a look at the actual text of the Chosen One prophecy. All the other prophecies are intriguing as well. Some seem to be utter nonsense, while others might have any number of explanations. I'm hoping someone smart will do an in-depth analysis.
� Obi-Wan LOVES TO FLY!!! HE SURE DOES!! I LOVE THIS SHOUTOUT TO HIS CHILDHOOD ENTHUSIASM FOR FLYING AS ALLUDED TO IN ROGUE PLANET.
� His traumatic piloting experience wasn't traumatic ENOUGH to explain such a sudden and extreme flip in sentiment, though. I'm going to need more background on what happened to make him hate flying.
� "People are more than their worst act. They are also more than the worst thing ever done to them."
� Dooku and Qui-Gon having a close and powerful bond is NOT something we have ever� seen before. I’m torn on whether I believe it or not, but it’s definitely an interesting dynamic to think about, especially with Qui-Gon emphasizing all the ways he and Dooku were similar, whereas he and Obi-Wan are so different. Are he and Dooku really THAT similar?!
� Can't believe Rael was literally offered a Sith apprenticeship and went, "Nah... I mean, I kinda like the Light."
� Pretty sure I fought some people from Czerka Mining Corporation once. Were they in KOTOR 2?
� The contrast between how the Jedi Order handled Rael, given the late age at which he came to the Order, and how they handled Anakin. They "erred on the side of mercy" and "treated him with compassion," tolerating Rael's non-conformance and iconoclastic attitude with leniency. Was this deliberately put here as a thought provoker? If so, it's working.
� The situation with the princess escalated SO QUICKLY and then somehow deescalated equally as fast. It was jarring. From "oh what a charming, precocious girl" to "OH GOSH SHE'S MURDERING EVERYBODY" and then suddenly back to "she's confined to her room for now, maybe she'll go to college and do something useful later on." Like yeah, I get that, we all go through a "ruthless murder" stage at the age of fourteen, right?
� I'm SICK of all this SLAVERY in my GALAXY
May 18, 2023
A very unimaginative take on the Star Wars universe. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan deserved better.
This is a franchise that has enthralled millions for decades. From it has come an astounding amount of related media, their varied scope and subject matter demonstrating the myriad ways it has inspired us. While not all are winners - there's far too much content for that - some truly transformative work has been produced under this imprint. At their best, they allow us to not only see the possibilities of what Star Wars can be, but provide insight into our own world, and even our souls.
But Master & Apprentice isn't about exploring Star Wars' potential. It's about reduction - refining the material into its most basic, easily consumable form. It asks no hard questions. It gives no answers that are not already obvious.
Author Claudia Gray was unambitious when it came to worldbuilding and character work. She seemed uncertain of what Qui-Gon's and Obi-Wan's dynamic should be, but was determined for them to have some sort of conflict. She landed on "Qui-Gon's airy-fairy and Obi's a stick-in-the-mud - will these crazy cats ever get along?"
The drama between them is so contrived, and unnatural for what we know of them as characters. For example:
Obi-Wan is slow to get the door on a mission, so Qui-Gon silently resents him and doubts his future as a Jedi(?!?!?)
Qui-Gon didn't tell Obi he had been offered a Council position, so Obi silently resents him and doubts his abilities as a teacher(?!?!?)
This is not behavior becoming of Jedi. I did not need to see the miscommunication trope in Star Wars.
It reflects nothing of what we see between them in The Phantom Menace, wherein they were so in sync, we can infer that years of careful training made them the perfect team. By extension, we know Qui-Gon to be a great teacher and Jedi Master. This works beautifully to set up Obi-Wan's expectations in training Anakin, having learned from the best, knowing despite this that he will fail.
Because Anakin and Obi-Wan had reason to butt heads, unlike the latter and Qui-Gon...
As their relationship was the book's purpose, I have to deem it unsuccessful.
Also, Claudia Gray seems under the impression the Star Wars universe would more or less function just like our world:
~*~Padawans have to do homework~*~ (Jedi school is great for younglings, but I expect more one-on-one on-the-job training at the Padawan stage. I can't believe in a Star Wars book called Master & Apprentice I read about Qui-Gon Jinn working on a history report in Dooku's kitchen. So dumb.)
~*~Big boobs are sexy~*~ (Original character Rael Aveross notes this of a potential conquest. In a universe full of diverse species and body types, reinforcing our arbitrary belief that larger busts are more attractive is just moronic.)
~*~Slavery is bad~*~ (No shit, now what are you gonna do about it? Oh, nothing? Just make the observation and call it a day?)
Just disappointing all around. I've read a lot of Star Wars books - this is one of the worst.
This is a franchise that has enthralled millions for decades. From it has come an astounding amount of related media, their varied scope and subject matter demonstrating the myriad ways it has inspired us. While not all are winners - there's far too much content for that - some truly transformative work has been produced under this imprint. At their best, they allow us to not only see the possibilities of what Star Wars can be, but provide insight into our own world, and even our souls.
But Master & Apprentice isn't about exploring Star Wars' potential. It's about reduction - refining the material into its most basic, easily consumable form. It asks no hard questions. It gives no answers that are not already obvious.
Author Claudia Gray was unambitious when it came to worldbuilding and character work. She seemed uncertain of what Qui-Gon's and Obi-Wan's dynamic should be, but was determined for them to have some sort of conflict. She landed on "Qui-Gon's airy-fairy and Obi's a stick-in-the-mud - will these crazy cats ever get along?"
The drama between them is so contrived, and unnatural for what we know of them as characters. For example:
Obi-Wan is slow to get the door on a mission, so Qui-Gon silently resents him and doubts his future as a Jedi(?!?!?)
Qui-Gon didn't tell Obi he had been offered a Council position, so Obi silently resents him and doubts his abilities as a teacher(?!?!?)
This is not behavior becoming of Jedi. I did not need to see the miscommunication trope in Star Wars.
It reflects nothing of what we see between them in The Phantom Menace, wherein they were so in sync, we can infer that years of careful training made them the perfect team. By extension, we know Qui-Gon to be a great teacher and Jedi Master. This works beautifully to set up Obi-Wan's expectations in training Anakin, having learned from the best, knowing despite this that he will fail.
Because Anakin and Obi-Wan had reason to butt heads, unlike the latter and Qui-Gon...
As their relationship was the book's purpose, I have to deem it unsuccessful.
Also, Claudia Gray seems under the impression the Star Wars universe would more or less function just like our world:
~*~Padawans have to do homework~*~ (Jedi school is great for younglings, but I expect more one-on-one on-the-job training at the Padawan stage. I can't believe in a Star Wars book called Master & Apprentice I read about Qui-Gon Jinn working on a history report in Dooku's kitchen. So dumb.)
~*~Big boobs are sexy~*~ (Original character Rael Aveross notes this of a potential conquest. In a universe full of diverse species and body types, reinforcing our arbitrary belief that larger busts are more attractive is just moronic.)
~*~Slavery is bad~*~ (No shit, now what are you gonna do about it? Oh, nothing? Just make the observation and call it a day?)
Just disappointing all around. I've read a lot of Star Wars books - this is one of the worst.
May 20, 2019
I’ve long maintained that in the time since Disney’s purchase of “Star Wars� in 2012, the very best materials released thus far in the new canon � and I’m including all of the new movies under this umbrella � have been Claudia Gray’s “Star Wars� novels. “Lost Stars,� “Bloodline�, and “Leia: Princess of Alderaan� are all TERRIFIC books, taking characters that we all know and love and placing them in thrilling, very OT-“Star Wars�-esque narratives. Which makes the fact that “Master and Apprentice,� Gray’s newest novel, never quite reaches the heights of her previous “Star Wars� work, admittedly, a tad disappointing � any time an auteur delivers a new piece work, it’s hard not to hope it will live up to the expectations set by his/her past output.
Still � the fact that “Master and Apprentice� isn’t as intriguing as “Bloodline� or as epic in scope as “Lost Stars� doesn’t change the fact that it’s still, on its own terms, a pretty satisfying read, one that plays in a corner of the “Star Wars� sandbox that not a lot of other new-canon-novels have yet dared to venture � the Prequel Era. The fact that Gray also does yeoman’s work taking a relationship that we only saw glimpses of onscreen � the bond between Master Qui-Gon Jinn and apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi � and building it into something that’s genuinely nuanced and complicated is a real treat to behold, and reason alone to make it well worth the time of any “Star Wars� fan.
Still � the fact that “Master and Apprentice� isn’t as intriguing as “Bloodline� or as epic in scope as “Lost Stars� doesn’t change the fact that it’s still, on its own terms, a pretty satisfying read, one that plays in a corner of the “Star Wars� sandbox that not a lot of other new-canon-novels have yet dared to venture � the Prequel Era. The fact that Gray also does yeoman’s work taking a relationship that we only saw glimpses of onscreen � the bond between Master Qui-Gon Jinn and apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi � and building it into something that’s genuinely nuanced and complicated is a real treat to behold, and reason alone to make it well worth the time of any “Star Wars� fan.
August 19, 2019
“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.�
We live in morally grey times, and to its credit the mythos of Star Wars is flexing to incorporate a little more cynicism and divergent points of view (even certain ones) so, for me, the most refreshing part of this book was following Qui-Gon's journey to confront his inner doubts as to how he might best serve the Living Force and his Jedi ethics while inhabiting a corrupted and corrupting Galaxy.
Were there fun chase scenes? the odd clash of lightsabers? odd ball scoundrels with hearts of gold? Sure, all those classic Star Wars elements are there, but at its core this was a story about Qui-Gon, his relationship with a priggish and touchy young Obi-Wan, and also the echoes of his own relationship with his Jedi Master Dooku before he left the order behind and succumbed entirely to the temptations of the Dark Side.
As with all Claudia Gray Star Wars books, highly recommended.
We live in morally grey times, and to its credit the mythos of Star Wars is flexing to incorporate a little more cynicism and divergent points of view (even certain ones) so, for me, the most refreshing part of this book was following Qui-Gon's journey to confront his inner doubts as to how he might best serve the Living Force and his Jedi ethics while inhabiting a corrupted and corrupting Galaxy.
Were there fun chase scenes? the odd clash of lightsabers? odd ball scoundrels with hearts of gold? Sure, all those classic Star Wars elements are there, but at its core this was a story about Qui-Gon, his relationship with a priggish and touchy young Obi-Wan, and also the echoes of his own relationship with his Jedi Master Dooku before he left the order behind and succumbed entirely to the temptations of the Dark Side.
As with all Claudia Gray Star Wars books, highly recommended.
May 2, 2019
4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum
I have been most impressed with Claudia Gray’s books in the new Star Wars canon, and I have to say, she has yet to disappoint me. Now she’s at the top of her game once again with Star Wars: Master & Apprentice, a novel set a handful of years before the events of The Phantom Menace which shines the light on 17-year-old padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi and his complicated relationship with his mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn.
When the book begins, the two Jedi have already been working together for several years, though deep down, both suspect that their current arrangement may be soon coming to an end. They are simply too different in their views of the Force, with Qui-Gon with his unconventional thinking and sometimes flagrant disregard for the Jedi Council’s advice while Obi-Wan is more of a stickler for the rules. These differences have created a tension between master and apprentice that both know can’t go on for much longer.
So when Qui-Gon is unexpected offered a seat on the Council to replace a retiring member, a part of him believes that the change may be for the best. No one would expect him to turn down such a prestigious position, and consequently, Obi-Wan can be transferred to a different master out of necessity. But before the older Jedi can make such a momentous decision, he knows he must meditate upon it, and in the meantime, he and his apprentice are dispatched to the planet of Pijal where an old acquaintance of Qui-Gon’s has requested their assistance in defusing a political situation between the royal house and their opposition.
This contact is Rael Averross, a rogue Jedi who was also a former student of Dooku, like Qui-Gon Jinn. Averross is currently serving as lord regent to Pijal’s princess, her Serene Highness Fanry, who is only fourteen years old and is heir to a throne fraught with a history of political tension. Her planet is now in a position to affect the economic futures of other worlds in the region, and a corporation called Czerka also has stakes in the new hyperspace lane venture that is being discussed. When terrorists threaten to place that all in danger, Averross decides to call upon his old friend Qui-Gon despite the two of them having drifted apart over the years, because he knows Pijal is going to need all the help it can get. The urgency of the situation also leads the Jedi to enlist the aid of a couple of jewel thieves named Rahara, an escaped slave from Czerka, and Pax, a social outcast raised by a crew of protocol droids aboard an abandoned ship. Despite their differences, our motley crew of characters must work together to protect Fanry and safeguard Pijal’s interests. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon also needs to figure out what to do with his apprentice, as well as sort out his doubts with regards to his beliefs in ancient Jedi prophecies.
For a media tie-in novel, Master & Apprentice is surprisingly complex and layered. There’s certainly a lot to unpack here, compared to some of the more recent releases in the Star Wars canon. However, the central theme of the book is undeniably the relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. Gray explores this dynamic using a number of ways, including flashing back to Dooku and Qui-Gon’s time as master and apprentice to show how an individual Jedi’s views can be shaped by their style of training and instruction. It is perhaps no coincidence that both of Dooku’s students, Qui-Gon and Rael Averross, have ended up with rebellious natures, given the kind of person their teacher was and the Dark Side path he chose.
But back to the relationships between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan: in the late 90s, I started reading a series of now-Legends middle grade novels called Jedi Apprentice, the first book of which was called The Rising Force and told the story of how they became master and apprentice. As this series was marketed for children, I didn’t demand too much from it, though I do recall wishing it had been a deeper exploration of the two characters� personalities and bond as it went along. Twenty years later, it’s like Claudia Gray has finally written the kind of story I wanted. Qui-Gon’s fear of failing his apprentice is written incredibly well, and likewise so is Obi-Wan’s struggle to understand his master and his determination not to disappoint him. It was heartbreaking to read about their anxieties, knowing that deep down, they both loved and respected each other very much.
And of course, another one of the novel’s major topics is prophecy. I mean, considering how the Jedi prophecy of the “Chosen One� was the main impetus behind Anakin Skywalker and the whole Star Wars saga, this is huge—and accordingly, Gray gives this theme the gravitas and weight it deserves. Qui-Gon’s views on prophecies, which also explained his motivations in The Phantom Menace, were addressed here in Master & Apprentice, and also sets up a number of theories for Star Wars fans to chew on with regards to the new movies.
Typical of the author’s Star Wars novels, the characterization was also done extremely well. There’s a clear emphasis on developing relationships, and there are a whole web of them here to consider. The story takes a look at both past and present, examining the relationships of multiple sets of masters and apprentices, as well as the role the Jedi Council has played in those dynamics. In addition, we have the side characters and their relationships to each other and the protagonists. Following in the footsteps of a long line of rogue Jedi in Star Wars fiction, Rael Averross� infectious personality and emotional openness completely stole the show for me. Rahara and Pax were also a joy to read about, and their personal stories offer some commentary on darker activities that still go on in the Republic, including smuggling and slavery. And then there are the shadowy villains and other dubious organizations like Czerka and or the Opposition on Pijal, though Gray is so subtle and clever with her writing that there will be twists and surprises you won’t see coming.
Needless to say, in my eyes, Master & Apprentice is one of the new canon’s better books. Personally, I also think it’s one of Claudia Gray’s bolder Star Wars novels, where she tackles more mature themes and uses some modern vernacular and risqué language which felt a little out of place at times (keep in mind I’m talking by Star Wars standards here, and I know some people let their younger kids read Star Wars tie-ins, so reader discretion is advised). To sum things up though, I had a great time with this novel, and after reading it, I also think it would be fantastic to see more prequel or pre-prequel era Star Wars books in the future.
Audiobook Comments: I absolutely adored Jonathan Davis� performance on the Star Wars: Master & Apprentice audiobook. He’s always been known to me as “that Star Wars narrator who can do an amazing Darth Vader voice�, but obviously he’s incredibly talented and can do a lot more than that. Short of getting Liam Neeson himself to read this book, I don’t think you could have gotten a better voice actor for Qui-Gon Jinn. Stellar performance, as always.
I have been most impressed with Claudia Gray’s books in the new Star Wars canon, and I have to say, she has yet to disappoint me. Now she’s at the top of her game once again with Star Wars: Master & Apprentice, a novel set a handful of years before the events of The Phantom Menace which shines the light on 17-year-old padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi and his complicated relationship with his mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn.
When the book begins, the two Jedi have already been working together for several years, though deep down, both suspect that their current arrangement may be soon coming to an end. They are simply too different in their views of the Force, with Qui-Gon with his unconventional thinking and sometimes flagrant disregard for the Jedi Council’s advice while Obi-Wan is more of a stickler for the rules. These differences have created a tension between master and apprentice that both know can’t go on for much longer.
So when Qui-Gon is unexpected offered a seat on the Council to replace a retiring member, a part of him believes that the change may be for the best. No one would expect him to turn down such a prestigious position, and consequently, Obi-Wan can be transferred to a different master out of necessity. But before the older Jedi can make such a momentous decision, he knows he must meditate upon it, and in the meantime, he and his apprentice are dispatched to the planet of Pijal where an old acquaintance of Qui-Gon’s has requested their assistance in defusing a political situation between the royal house and their opposition.
This contact is Rael Averross, a rogue Jedi who was also a former student of Dooku, like Qui-Gon Jinn. Averross is currently serving as lord regent to Pijal’s princess, her Serene Highness Fanry, who is only fourteen years old and is heir to a throne fraught with a history of political tension. Her planet is now in a position to affect the economic futures of other worlds in the region, and a corporation called Czerka also has stakes in the new hyperspace lane venture that is being discussed. When terrorists threaten to place that all in danger, Averross decides to call upon his old friend Qui-Gon despite the two of them having drifted apart over the years, because he knows Pijal is going to need all the help it can get. The urgency of the situation also leads the Jedi to enlist the aid of a couple of jewel thieves named Rahara, an escaped slave from Czerka, and Pax, a social outcast raised by a crew of protocol droids aboard an abandoned ship. Despite their differences, our motley crew of characters must work together to protect Fanry and safeguard Pijal’s interests. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon also needs to figure out what to do with his apprentice, as well as sort out his doubts with regards to his beliefs in ancient Jedi prophecies.
For a media tie-in novel, Master & Apprentice is surprisingly complex and layered. There’s certainly a lot to unpack here, compared to some of the more recent releases in the Star Wars canon. However, the central theme of the book is undeniably the relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. Gray explores this dynamic using a number of ways, including flashing back to Dooku and Qui-Gon’s time as master and apprentice to show how an individual Jedi’s views can be shaped by their style of training and instruction. It is perhaps no coincidence that both of Dooku’s students, Qui-Gon and Rael Averross, have ended up with rebellious natures, given the kind of person their teacher was and the Dark Side path he chose.
But back to the relationships between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan: in the late 90s, I started reading a series of now-Legends middle grade novels called Jedi Apprentice, the first book of which was called The Rising Force and told the story of how they became master and apprentice. As this series was marketed for children, I didn’t demand too much from it, though I do recall wishing it had been a deeper exploration of the two characters� personalities and bond as it went along. Twenty years later, it’s like Claudia Gray has finally written the kind of story I wanted. Qui-Gon’s fear of failing his apprentice is written incredibly well, and likewise so is Obi-Wan’s struggle to understand his master and his determination not to disappoint him. It was heartbreaking to read about their anxieties, knowing that deep down, they both loved and respected each other very much.
And of course, another one of the novel’s major topics is prophecy. I mean, considering how the Jedi prophecy of the “Chosen One� was the main impetus behind Anakin Skywalker and the whole Star Wars saga, this is huge—and accordingly, Gray gives this theme the gravitas and weight it deserves. Qui-Gon’s views on prophecies, which also explained his motivations in The Phantom Menace, were addressed here in Master & Apprentice, and also sets up a number of theories for Star Wars fans to chew on with regards to the new movies.
Typical of the author’s Star Wars novels, the characterization was also done extremely well. There’s a clear emphasis on developing relationships, and there are a whole web of them here to consider. The story takes a look at both past and present, examining the relationships of multiple sets of masters and apprentices, as well as the role the Jedi Council has played in those dynamics. In addition, we have the side characters and their relationships to each other and the protagonists. Following in the footsteps of a long line of rogue Jedi in Star Wars fiction, Rael Averross� infectious personality and emotional openness completely stole the show for me. Rahara and Pax were also a joy to read about, and their personal stories offer some commentary on darker activities that still go on in the Republic, including smuggling and slavery. And then there are the shadowy villains and other dubious organizations like Czerka and or the Opposition on Pijal, though Gray is so subtle and clever with her writing that there will be twists and surprises you won’t see coming.
Needless to say, in my eyes, Master & Apprentice is one of the new canon’s better books. Personally, I also think it’s one of Claudia Gray’s bolder Star Wars novels, where she tackles more mature themes and uses some modern vernacular and risqué language which felt a little out of place at times (keep in mind I’m talking by Star Wars standards here, and I know some people let their younger kids read Star Wars tie-ins, so reader discretion is advised). To sum things up though, I had a great time with this novel, and after reading it, I also think it would be fantastic to see more prequel or pre-prequel era Star Wars books in the future.
Audiobook Comments: I absolutely adored Jonathan Davis� performance on the Star Wars: Master & Apprentice audiobook. He’s always been known to me as “that Star Wars narrator who can do an amazing Darth Vader voice�, but obviously he’s incredibly talented and can do a lot more than that. Short of getting Liam Neeson himself to read this book, I don’t think you could have gotten a better voice actor for Qui-Gon Jinn. Stellar performance, as always.
January 28, 2020
3.5 stars
January 28, 2020: after reading it
For me, Master and Apprentice wasn't easy to get along with, at first: I struggled a bit to get a sense of the characters and found it to be a bit slow, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it!
Every tiny bit of world-building in this galaxy always makes me the happiest: in this, I loved that it explored the prophecies, as well as kyber crystals (I just love when they talk about the kyber crystals, what can I say) and how rebellious Qui-Gon was (he was so right, I'm super mad at the Jedi Council too). Reading about Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's relationship wasn't always easy, as it was quite tense for most of the novel, but I loved how it was developed and how they got closer in the end, it made me so happy. I also really enjoyed getting little glimpses of Count Dooku's past, his relationship with Qui-Gon and the characters wondering what he was up to now, it made me super excited to read in the future! The last chapter, set at the end of The Phantom Menace, made me cry so much though, and now I feel like a prequel trilogy rewatch is more than in order.
All in all, it's not my favourite of Claudia Gray's Star Wars novel (my heart belongs to Bloodline), but it was still pretty good, it made me nostalgic and I had a nice time reading it, so it worked for me. I only have Lost Stars left, then I'll be all caught up with Claudia Gray's Star Wars novels, so I can't wait to get to that one!
July 29, 2018: announcement day
A NEW STAR WARS BOOK BY CLAUDIA GRAY. I NEED IT NOW.
Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
We've been given so much new content for the prequel trilogy lately and it's making me appreciate this era more than I used to, I am so happy.
January 28, 2020: after reading it
For me, Master and Apprentice wasn't easy to get along with, at first: I struggled a bit to get a sense of the characters and found it to be a bit slow, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it!
Every tiny bit of world-building in this galaxy always makes me the happiest: in this, I loved that it explored the prophecies, as well as kyber crystals (I just love when they talk about the kyber crystals, what can I say) and how rebellious Qui-Gon was (he was so right, I'm super mad at the Jedi Council too). Reading about Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's relationship wasn't always easy, as it was quite tense for most of the novel, but I loved how it was developed and how they got closer in the end, it made me so happy. I also really enjoyed getting little glimpses of Count Dooku's past, his relationship with Qui-Gon and the characters wondering what he was up to now, it made me super excited to read in the future! The last chapter, set at the end of The Phantom Menace, made me cry so much though, and now I feel like a prequel trilogy rewatch is more than in order.
All in all, it's not my favourite of Claudia Gray's Star Wars novel (my heart belongs to Bloodline), but it was still pretty good, it made me nostalgic and I had a nice time reading it, so it worked for me. I only have Lost Stars left, then I'll be all caught up with Claudia Gray's Star Wars novels, so I can't wait to get to that one!
July 29, 2018: announcement day
A NEW STAR WARS BOOK BY CLAUDIA GRAY. I NEED IT NOW.
Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
We've been given so much new content for the prequel trilogy lately and it's making me appreciate this era more than I used to, I am so happy.
October 1, 2019
This book takes place before the prequel movies. In this one, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are sent to a planet that is about to sign a treaty that will open a hyperspace corridor which means this planet will be connected to the rest of the galaxy. Obviously, things don't go as planned.
This book is a terrific look into the relationship between master and padawan. It is also a terrific look into each character especially Qui-Gon. Their relationship isn't the smoothest and we get to see why as these two different characters differ in opinion. I believe this is such a strong book for Qui-Gon's character and it explains the character in The Phantom Menace. I loved the look into how he doesn't exactly conform to the Jedi Council and this tells why he believes so strongly in the prophesy of why Anakin is the Chosen One.
The strength of this novel is that it works on so many levels. It touches upon slavery, political maneuverings, and the environment a child is raised in. Some of the new characters are an absolute delight and I demand a novel about a Pax and Rahara adventure. Usually books in this universe are about a contained adventure. This book fits in perfectly in its timeline but works because everything is subtle with its storytelling. Whether it is the road the relationship is on between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan or finding out why Obi-Wan doesn't like flying it comes together perfectly. I did think that the beginning was a little slow so that is why I did not give this five stars.
Once again Claudia Gray has proven that she just gets it with this universe. I did enjoy Lost Stars more by her but I do think this is a better written book. After reading this you will be asking yourself when is the next Star Wars book by Claudia Gray being released?
This book is a terrific look into the relationship between master and padawan. It is also a terrific look into each character especially Qui-Gon. Their relationship isn't the smoothest and we get to see why as these two different characters differ in opinion. I believe this is such a strong book for Qui-Gon's character and it explains the character in The Phantom Menace. I loved the look into how he doesn't exactly conform to the Jedi Council and this tells why he believes so strongly in the prophesy of why Anakin is the Chosen One.
The strength of this novel is that it works on so many levels. It touches upon slavery, political maneuverings, and the environment a child is raised in. Some of the new characters are an absolute delight and I demand a novel about a Pax and Rahara adventure. Usually books in this universe are about a contained adventure. This book fits in perfectly in its timeline but works because everything is subtle with its storytelling. Whether it is the road the relationship is on between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan or finding out why Obi-Wan doesn't like flying it comes together perfectly. I did think that the beginning was a little slow so that is why I did not give this five stars.
Once again Claudia Gray has proven that she just gets it with this universe. I did enjoy Lost Stars more by her but I do think this is a better written book. After reading this you will be asking yourself when is the next Star Wars book by Claudia Gray being released?
June 14, 2024
4.0 Stars
Star Wars Reading Guide
This was a very enjoyable story that sets up the events of The Phantom Menace. I loved seeing the relationship development between the two sets of masters and apprentices. The author did a great job filling out the details surrounding the beginning of the prequels.
Star Wars Reading Guide
This was a very enjoyable story that sets up the events of The Phantom Menace. I loved seeing the relationship development between the two sets of masters and apprentices. The author did a great job filling out the details surrounding the beginning of the prequels.
April 22, 2019
This was...not the book I was looking for.
CG wrote the two (pretty unarguably) best books in the new Star Wars canon, so it's safe to say my expectations for this were pretty high -- especially since Obi-Wan is my favorite character not named Ahsoka Tano.
But...
The political plot was as dull as that of The Phantom Menace. And character-wise, Qui-Gon remains as inscrutable as ever, while Obi-Wan has been shoved into a box labeled "persnickety rule-follower and/or whiny teenager." I mean??? No one has any depth. Honestly, this book felt like it was ghost-written by someone pretending to be CG, because I sensed ZERO emotion in any of these pages.
I'm guessing M&A was supposed to be about, well, Master Qui-Gon and Apprentice Obi-Wan's bond, but literally all we see is them clashing idly with each other. Which is all well and good, if that bond is eventually built back up. But it's not.
I miss Jedi Apprentice. =(
CG wrote the two (pretty unarguably) best books in the new Star Wars canon, so it's safe to say my expectations for this were pretty high -- especially since Obi-Wan is my favorite character not named Ahsoka Tano.
But...
The political plot was as dull as that of The Phantom Menace. And character-wise, Qui-Gon remains as inscrutable as ever, while Obi-Wan has been shoved into a box labeled "persnickety rule-follower and/or whiny teenager." I mean??? No one has any depth. Honestly, this book felt like it was ghost-written by someone pretending to be CG, because I sensed ZERO emotion in any of these pages.
I'm guessing M&A was supposed to be about, well, Master Qui-Gon and Apprentice Obi-Wan's bond, but literally all we see is them clashing idly with each other. Which is all well and good, if that bond is eventually built back up. But it's not.
I miss Jedi Apprentice. =(
February 11, 2021
This book has many shortcomings, but in the end these were irrelevant to me, because I simply enjoyed the story.
The strongest elements are the development of Qui-Gon Jinn’s relationships with both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Count Dooku—these are the best character-based parts to the story, and I was happy that (to the best of my knowledge) they didn’t seriously contradict any of the pre-Disney Legends canon, so that this book can sit comfortably enough in both (or either) continuities. There are some aspects of the prophecies that fit both continuities really well (particularly since Kylo Ren and Darth Caedus are so similar).
There were space battles, lightsabre fights and blaster firefights aplenty, as well as smugglers and jewel thieves and evil corporations—this felt like a proper Star Wars story.
I assume it is intentionally similar to The Phantom Menace, having Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sent to a planet to aid a teenaged monarch in trouble, but it feels somewhat creatively lacking at first. Royalty in Star Wars is a pet peeve of mine—there was an arc about Mon Cala from The Clone Wars that I hated because it was all about hereditary monarchy—but the handling of it here is a little more sophisticated than usual, even though the writing style does not always match the conceptual level.
Early on I felt a little queasy about the whole Jedi Regent Rael Averross / Queen Fanry relationship—him being a middle-aged man and her being a fourteen-year-old girl—I don’t think you’re supposed to read anything romantic into it, but it comes uncomfortably close on Rael’s part, sometimes. Although this is never addressed directly, the conclusion to the book renders any subtext here irrelevant (thankfully), and I think that the author ties the relationship closely enough to the fate of Averross’s padawan sufficiently well that a misreading is averted.
The only real negatives for me were simply a matter of taste:
1. There is still a strong YA quality to Gray’s work here, not as obvious as in the officially titled YA works, but still not quite fully adult. For a book targeted at adults it commits the sin of overexplaining simple terms and concepts that any mature person would already be extremely familiar with (e.g. slavery). I think that a non-YA promoted novel can credit its readership with a little more worldliness!
2. Gray has a tendency to use the word ‘nanotech� in a way that a writer from the 1940s would use ‘atomic’—it feels as though it will be charmingly dated in a few decades, but until then it will sound superfuturistic. Kind of how ‘cybercrime� would have sounded in the 1980s.
3. As with the lack of analytical foundation shown by Gray’s writing in Lost Stars (where she has a pilot compensating for the gravitational field when launching from the Death Star, when in actual fact the Death Star’s gravitational pull would be imperceptible), there are occasional scientific howlers. For example, at one point the protagonists deduce that there is weapons manufacturing going on because they detect protons. I was always under the impression that protons were as common as hydrogen ions, so without any other factor they wouldn’t definitively be indicative of anything. Perhaps in Star Wars terminology this is something different!
For me, the best part of the story was the climax—it was far more satisfying (and unexpected) than I had anticipated, and makes me think that I would be more than happy to give this one a re-read in future. I think it will work particularly well in conjunction with James Luceno's Cloak of Deception, which is also a Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan story.
Recommended to all Star Wars fans, particularly those that feel that the prequels have had short-shrift since the Disney takeover.
The strongest elements are the development of Qui-Gon Jinn’s relationships with both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Count Dooku—these are the best character-based parts to the story, and I was happy that (to the best of my knowledge) they didn’t seriously contradict any of the pre-Disney Legends canon, so that this book can sit comfortably enough in both (or either) continuities. There are some aspects of the prophecies that fit both continuities really well (particularly since Kylo Ren and Darth Caedus are so similar).
There were space battles, lightsabre fights and blaster firefights aplenty, as well as smugglers and jewel thieves and evil corporations—this felt like a proper Star Wars story.
I assume it is intentionally similar to The Phantom Menace, having Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sent to a planet to aid a teenaged monarch in trouble, but it feels somewhat creatively lacking at first. Royalty in Star Wars is a pet peeve of mine—there was an arc about Mon Cala from The Clone Wars that I hated because it was all about hereditary monarchy—but the handling of it here is a little more sophisticated than usual, even though the writing style does not always match the conceptual level.
Early on I felt a little queasy about the whole Jedi Regent Rael Averross / Queen Fanry relationship—him being a middle-aged man and her being a fourteen-year-old girl—I don’t think you’re supposed to read anything romantic into it, but it comes uncomfortably close on Rael’s part, sometimes. Although this is never addressed directly, the conclusion to the book renders any subtext here irrelevant (thankfully), and I think that the author ties the relationship closely enough to the fate of Averross’s padawan sufficiently well that a misreading is averted.
The only real negatives for me were simply a matter of taste:
1. There is still a strong YA quality to Gray’s work here, not as obvious as in the officially titled YA works, but still not quite fully adult. For a book targeted at adults it commits the sin of overexplaining simple terms and concepts that any mature person would already be extremely familiar with (e.g. slavery). I think that a non-YA promoted novel can credit its readership with a little more worldliness!
2. Gray has a tendency to use the word ‘nanotech� in a way that a writer from the 1940s would use ‘atomic’—it feels as though it will be charmingly dated in a few decades, but until then it will sound superfuturistic. Kind of how ‘cybercrime� would have sounded in the 1980s.
3. As with the lack of analytical foundation shown by Gray’s writing in Lost Stars (where she has a pilot compensating for the gravitational field when launching from the Death Star, when in actual fact the Death Star’s gravitational pull would be imperceptible), there are occasional scientific howlers. For example, at one point the protagonists deduce that there is weapons manufacturing going on because they detect protons. I was always under the impression that protons were as common as hydrogen ions, so without any other factor they wouldn’t definitively be indicative of anything. Perhaps in Star Wars terminology this is something different!
For me, the best part of the story was the climax—it was far more satisfying (and unexpected) than I had anticipated, and makes me think that I would be more than happy to give this one a re-read in future. I think it will work particularly well in conjunction with James Luceno's Cloak of Deception, which is also a Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan story.
Recommended to all Star Wars fans, particularly those that feel that the prequels have had short-shrift since the Disney takeover.
January 5, 2021
My thoughts on this book fluctuated as I read on. At times I thought it was really dull, other times I was eager to read it as I waited for my shift to end, and at one point I was certain I was going to give this book five stars. With the ending, I've landed on three stars with the resounding feeling that this book was alright, but nothing exceptional.
I understand that Star Wars is very Disney-esque in their plotlines and that things aren't ever going to get like how I love storylines to be- violent, shocking, and insane plot twists- but I do believe that while this is especially true in movies and TV shows, books are the chance to take the established universes we know and raise them drastically! The Star Wars movies and shows (while I'm a newbie in the Star Wars universe) can be kind intense, I hoped the Master and Apprentice would take those stakes even higher. At times, I thought Claudia Gray might do this as I read this book, but in the end I was disappointed. The ending was very cut and dry and would probably be appealing to a middle school audience. I wanted death. I wanted drama. But everything was so easily resolved that I finished the last page feeling kind of let down by the book.
On the positive side, reading this book greatly increased my appreciation of Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn. I relate to him better than almost all other Star Wars characters now (he comes in at my third favorite, after Ahsoka and Padme, but hey! a male character in third place is very impressive by my criteria) and I now look forward to re-watching the Phantom Menace with this knew perspective. We often wish we can go back and re-watch/read things we love for the first time and I feel like reading this book, and other Star Wars canon novels and comics, gives me a unique opportunity to venture into the realm of Star Wars with a brand new lens, as if I get to experience them all again for the first time.
All in all, this book was anti-climatic and disappointing, but I do not regret reading it. If you don't mind such fairy-tale style endings with low-intensity plot lines (again I get that Star Wars is not Game of Thrones or Red Rising, but hey, Rogue One was excellent in terms of the stakes, so I'm not saying this is true of all Star Wars media, this is just how I personally experienced Master and Apprentice) then this is a book you should read. It also was excellent in terms of world expanding and fleshing out characters such as Qui-Gon Jinn.
Side note, I can appreciate that Master and Apprentice captures much of the theme of this book, as the Master/Apprentice dynamic is present in many of the characters.
I understand that Star Wars is very Disney-esque in their plotlines and that things aren't ever going to get like how I love storylines to be- violent, shocking, and insane plot twists- but I do believe that while this is especially true in movies and TV shows, books are the chance to take the established universes we know and raise them drastically! The Star Wars movies and shows (while I'm a newbie in the Star Wars universe) can be kind intense, I hoped the Master and Apprentice would take those stakes even higher. At times, I thought Claudia Gray might do this as I read this book, but in the end I was disappointed. The ending was very cut and dry and would probably be appealing to a middle school audience. I wanted death. I wanted drama. But everything was so easily resolved that I finished the last page feeling kind of let down by the book.
On the positive side, reading this book greatly increased my appreciation of Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn. I relate to him better than almost all other Star Wars characters now (he comes in at my third favorite, after Ahsoka and Padme, but hey! a male character in third place is very impressive by my criteria) and I now look forward to re-watching the Phantom Menace with this knew perspective. We often wish we can go back and re-watch/read things we love for the first time and I feel like reading this book, and other Star Wars canon novels and comics, gives me a unique opportunity to venture into the realm of Star Wars with a brand new lens, as if I get to experience them all again for the first time.
All in all, this book was anti-climatic and disappointing, but I do not regret reading it. If you don't mind such fairy-tale style endings with low-intensity plot lines (again I get that Star Wars is not Game of Thrones or Red Rising, but hey, Rogue One was excellent in terms of the stakes, so I'm not saying this is true of all Star Wars media, this is just how I personally experienced Master and Apprentice) then this is a book you should read. It also was excellent in terms of world expanding and fleshing out characters such as Qui-Gon Jinn.
Side note, I can appreciate that Master and Apprentice captures much of the theme of this book, as the Master/Apprentice dynamic is present in many of the characters.
September 25, 2019
Years ago, there was a fabulous Star Wars novel series called Jedi Apprentice. Though it was intended for younger readers--after all, it was published by Scholastic--it brought new life to the character of Qui-Gon Jinn, who I always wished we'd seen more of after he got killed in The Phantom Menace. Jude Watson, who wrote all but the first book in that series, did an excellent job of bringing a galaxy far, far away to the page.
So, then...why are they giving us an alternate version of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan prior to Episode I?
Like usual, Disney is bent on reinventing the Star Wars universe...but they're trying to fix something that isn't broken. Instead of giving us characters and situations that never existed before the current film trilogy, why not make movies or television shows out of the stories that already existed, such as the Thrawn trilogy or the X-Wing series?
I hate to say it, because I'm a longtime fan of the House of Mouse...but I think Disney has brought Lucas' space opera into a state of disrepair. Somebody else needs to grab the reins...and soon!
So, then...why are they giving us an alternate version of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan prior to Episode I?
Like usual, Disney is bent on reinventing the Star Wars universe...but they're trying to fix something that isn't broken. Instead of giving us characters and situations that never existed before the current film trilogy, why not make movies or television shows out of the stories that already existed, such as the Thrawn trilogy or the X-Wing series?
I hate to say it, because I'm a longtime fan of the House of Mouse...but I think Disney has brought Lucas' space opera into a state of disrepair. Somebody else needs to grab the reins...and soon!
March 23, 2025
Bardzo dobrze się bawiłam na tej książce, nie brakuje tutaj akcji i do tego lepiej poznałam Qui-Gon Jinna oraz Obiego. Niektóre postępowania bohaterów mogą być niezgodne z tym co widzieliśmy w filmach, ale to dla mnie nie ma większego znaczenia, nie trzymam się kurczowo kanonu SW
March 20, 2021
This novel features Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi in a mystery that takes places prior to the prequel movies. Both of these characters are depicted well and it's interesting to see their personalities clash. Qui-Gon doesn't mind bending the rules to help others and is a bit too deep into prophecies. Obi-Wan is a by-the-books padawan that requires a bit of structure in his life. As for the mystery, there are a few twists that add some interest to it. Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read.
Want to read
July 27, 2018
January 27, 2020
Similarly to the Star Wars films, this novel was action PACKED. From start to finish, it was a quick novel to read due to the action and the pacing of the story, but I forced myself to read it slowly so I didn't miss any details or foreshadowing. Even with paying close attention, I'm sure I missed small details of the story to come.
This novel was my first experience reading a book set in the Star Wars universe and I can't wait to read more. It gave me a better understanding of the story behind the scenes and an even better understanding of the characters Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi (I especially liked the final chapter/epilogue).
For any fans of the movie series, I think this book would be a happy addition. From my understanding, I believe this novel is "canon" but I would happily read this novel even if it was not.
This novel was my first experience reading a book set in the Star Wars universe and I can't wait to read more. It gave me a better understanding of the story behind the scenes and an even better understanding of the characters Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi (I especially liked the final chapter/epilogue).
For any fans of the movie series, I think this book would be a happy addition. From my understanding, I believe this novel is "canon" but I would happily read this novel even if it was not.
December 19, 2022
I never reviewed this for some reason. An Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon novel that takes place 8 years prior to The Phantom Menance, and it's so good! Any book with Qui-Gon is automatically solid.
Read
January 17, 2022Claudia Gray is such a great asset to the Star Wars novelizations. I love how she stays true to the heart of Star Wars. This story is authentic and immersive.
I enjoyed gaining this perspective of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s dynamic. Father and son relationships can be so wholesome and I love it. They struggled so much in terms of getting along and communicating with each other. Qui-Gon is the definition of chaos and ideal thinking and Obi-Wan is the definition of lawful good.
One of my favorite quotes is when Qui-Gon states, “Not every disagreement with Jedi orthodoxy turns you into a Sith overnight.� The Jedi aspire for peace but I think aren’t entirely successful because they are unable to abandon toxic traditions. Visions are not trusted by the council because they are unreliable. However, I think a big lesson to be learned is that everyone’s spiritual experiences are so individual it’s unfair for other people to declare spiritual experiences as unreliable and non-existent because you don’t understand them. I love how Qui-Gon is willing to change but also EXPERIMENTS with the ways of the force to understand it better. He doesn’t wholly declare his visions unreliable, but searches for truth even when he does not fully understand. I love that. The force is constant event when agreements and order are not.
I’ve always enjoyed how Star Wars approaches concepts of good an evil. Especially for younger audiences. In this book Qui-Gon has a particular interaction with another Jedi about the prophecies of the chosen one. He elaborates on how touching darkness is not something you do once, but multiple times and must choose to turn away from over and over again. I love this idea because it casts aside the idea of perfection. We are all imperfect beings who can tap into our light side and dark side depending on which one we choose to acknowledge.
Overall this was just a nice read for a loud brain like mine. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s development was so nice. The end felt like such a bittersweet way to leave their companionship:( I miss them.
I enjoyed gaining this perspective of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s dynamic. Father and son relationships can be so wholesome and I love it. They struggled so much in terms of getting along and communicating with each other. Qui-Gon is the definition of chaos and ideal thinking and Obi-Wan is the definition of lawful good.
One of my favorite quotes is when Qui-Gon states, “Not every disagreement with Jedi orthodoxy turns you into a Sith overnight.� The Jedi aspire for peace but I think aren’t entirely successful because they are unable to abandon toxic traditions. Visions are not trusted by the council because they are unreliable. However, I think a big lesson to be learned is that everyone’s spiritual experiences are so individual it’s unfair for other people to declare spiritual experiences as unreliable and non-existent because you don’t understand them. I love how Qui-Gon is willing to change but also EXPERIMENTS with the ways of the force to understand it better. He doesn’t wholly declare his visions unreliable, but searches for truth even when he does not fully understand. I love that. The force is constant event when agreements and order are not.
I’ve always enjoyed how Star Wars approaches concepts of good an evil. Especially for younger audiences. In this book Qui-Gon has a particular interaction with another Jedi about the prophecies of the chosen one. He elaborates on how touching darkness is not something you do once, but multiple times and must choose to turn away from over and over again. I love this idea because it casts aside the idea of perfection. We are all imperfect beings who can tap into our light side and dark side depending on which one we choose to acknowledge.
Overall this was just a nice read for a loud brain like mine. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s development was so nice. The end felt like such a bittersweet way to leave their companionship:( I miss them.
March 25, 2021
A very nice, little Pre-Clone Wars tale.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a very young Padawan. Sometimes, he has trouble understanding his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Meanwhile, the Jedi Council has made a decision- Qui-Gon will be a member of the Jedi Council. This is somewhat of a surprise since Qui-Gon is not exactly a "team player". As Qui-Gon prepares to enter the Council, he realizes that his time training Obi-Wan must draw to a close. One final mission- to go to Pijal and make sure the Queen's ceremony goes off as planned.
On Pijal, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon meet up with Rael Averross, another Jedi Knight, and try to figure out the mystery of a terrorist group and an evil corporation. While the story is good, I appreciated this book for all the little tidbits that are spread throughout.
Both Qui-Gon and Rael were Padawans of Count Dooku. Dooku has just recently left the Jedi Order. Both Rael and Gui-Gon mull over the reasons for this defection (though no one yet suspects the Sith). As this relationships expounded on, we also see the relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan mature. I enjoyed reading about why Gui-Gon trained Obi-Wan the way he did. There is much about philosophy (Jedi philosophy), the Force and just how different Qui-Gon was from the rest of the Council.
Along the way we also learn a lot about Dooku and Qui-Gon's fascination with Prophecy. There are quite a few hints dropped along the way. One final thing- most Star Wars fans know Obi-Wan HATES flying. Well, it surprised me when, in the start of this story, Obi-Wan is a huge fan of flying. Loves it. Then we find out what happened, it's part of the story, to turn Obi-Wan into the typical "Anakin, I HATE flying" Jedi Knight. Well done!
A fun, exciting and interesting addition to Star Wars. While I do my best to ignore most of the new SJW crapfest movies, the world of Star Wars is still amazing (just ignore anything said during those three wretched failures) and well worth your time.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a very young Padawan. Sometimes, he has trouble understanding his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Meanwhile, the Jedi Council has made a decision- Qui-Gon will be a member of the Jedi Council. This is somewhat of a surprise since Qui-Gon is not exactly a "team player". As Qui-Gon prepares to enter the Council, he realizes that his time training Obi-Wan must draw to a close. One final mission- to go to Pijal and make sure the Queen's ceremony goes off as planned.
On Pijal, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon meet up with Rael Averross, another Jedi Knight, and try to figure out the mystery of a terrorist group and an evil corporation. While the story is good, I appreciated this book for all the little tidbits that are spread throughout.
Both Qui-Gon and Rael were Padawans of Count Dooku. Dooku has just recently left the Jedi Order. Both Rael and Gui-Gon mull over the reasons for this defection (though no one yet suspects the Sith). As this relationships expounded on, we also see the relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan mature. I enjoyed reading about why Gui-Gon trained Obi-Wan the way he did. There is much about philosophy (Jedi philosophy), the Force and just how different Qui-Gon was from the rest of the Council.
Along the way we also learn a lot about Dooku and Qui-Gon's fascination with Prophecy. There are quite a few hints dropped along the way. One final thing- most Star Wars fans know Obi-Wan HATES flying. Well, it surprised me when, in the start of this story, Obi-Wan is a huge fan of flying. Loves it. Then we find out what happened, it's part of the story, to turn Obi-Wan into the typical "Anakin, I HATE flying" Jedi Knight. Well done!
A fun, exciting and interesting addition to Star Wars. While I do my best to ignore most of the new SJW crapfest movies, the world of Star Wars is still amazing (just ignore anything said during those three wretched failures) and well worth your time.
May 29, 2022
this book made me appreciate qui-gon jinn a lot more and definitely developed his and obi-was relationship a lot more then the prequel movies could. I think claudia gray did a really good job will rael and pax/rahara having to make them stand out when the other main characters were qui-gon and obiwan. anyways the middle kind of dragged but the ending was *chefs kiss beautiful. and the epilogue made me tear up. “we choose it because it is the light�
June 6, 2019
This was so good. Plz check out the audiobook of this one! There were a lot of sound effects and nice voice acting as well!(:
January 19, 2021
Ok so let me get this straight: Qui-Gon was one of my first Star Wars crush ever (sorry Anakin, you came long time after). In the Phantom Menace, we don’t have a lot of informations about him except that he seems very close to Obi-Wan despite their differences. With Master & Apprentice, you get to know better the both of them, especially Qui-Gon. Claudia Gray portrays a beautiful character with doubts and strength and gives also a glimpse of his youth and training alongside Count Dooku.
I love how Jinn and Kenobi relationship is built: it’s something they had to work hard on, with a lot of communication and honesty. The storyline is pretty basic but it allows the characters to evolve in a wonderful way.
One of the thing I liked the most about this book is all the discussions about slavery in the Republic and the grey position the Jedi Council have towards it. There is a lot interesting conversations between the characters especially the parallels done between slavery and the way Jesus enrolled by force young babies to be trained.
And the last chapter broke me. I cried. Well, in summary, this one was perfect.
tw : slavery, gun violence, death.
I love how Jinn and Kenobi relationship is built: it’s something they had to work hard on, with a lot of communication and honesty. The storyline is pretty basic but it allows the characters to evolve in a wonderful way.
One of the thing I liked the most about this book is all the discussions about slavery in the Republic and the grey position the Jedi Council have towards it. There is a lot interesting conversations between the characters especially the parallels done between slavery and the way Jesus enrolled by force young babies to be trained.
And the last chapter broke me. I cried. Well, in summary, this one was perfect.
tw : slavery, gun violence, death.
June 24, 2022
There's no emotion - there's is peace.
There is no ignorance - there is knowlegde
There is no passion - there is serenity.
There is no chaos - there is harmony
Propechy in dreams is possible through the illumination of the active intellect over our soul. - Ibn Rushd, Also known as Averros
I loved that i got more time with Qui Gon and Obi-Wan, that i could get to see how they acted together, more. Why they were so good together as master and apprentice and how they overcame differenses and tried to work things out. But we also got to see them grow as a person. The only thing missing? MORE. The last pages broke my heart, even though i knew they were coming... Claudia Gray writes amazing.
There is no ignorance - there is knowlegde
There is no passion - there is serenity.
There is no chaos - there is harmony
Propechy in dreams is possible through the illumination of the active intellect over our soul. - Ibn Rushd, Also known as Averros
I loved that i got more time with Qui Gon and Obi-Wan, that i could get to see how they acted together, more. Why they were so good together as master and apprentice and how they overcame differenses and tried to work things out. But we also got to see them grow as a person. The only thing missing? MORE. The last pages broke my heart, even though i knew they were coming... Claudia Gray writes amazing.
April 24, 2019
Prepare yourself to be dazzled with council meetings, political discussions, teacher/student angst, and characters as flat as the paper they are printed on. Qui Gon and Obi Wan must wrestle with the ethical perils of corporatocracy, cultural imperialism, slavery, prophecies, and the Jedi code. Once again, Claudia Gray sculpts a lengthy and monotonous young-adult sci-fi, baptizes it in a bacta tank, which the Disney Star Wars story group rubber stamped for production. (Are you guys even reading this stuff before it goes out the door anymore??)
Behold, a typical quote: "You’re lord regent Rael. The council wouldn’t have named you to the position and expected you to do nothing. Your mandate is to help govern a world. And if you are willing to shift from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one, why shouldn’t the status of lunar citizens be reexamined as well."
Not quite as memorable as, "That's no moon," but still has its own ring to it.
The plot and characters were set up out of a dungeon master's playbook. New world, new edgy Jedi character, new side characters, all with their distinctive flair and lengthy back story. The history of everything is told with encyclopedic detail, all perfectly superfluous and disposable. The way new Star Wars canon is going, we will likely never hear about any of it anywhere else. Every motivation ends up being entirely arbitrary, and characters are inflexible in cartoony ways.
Master and Apprentice find time in unusual situations to work out their differences. It must be Jedi standard operating procedure to offer criticism or affirmation in the middle of a firefight.
In the end,
Also, I generally enjoy Jonathan Davis's audiobook performances. However, this book was full of the irritating "quiet yell" voice he uses during intense situations, where the characters are supposed to be yelling over the din, but Davis doesn't want to actually yell in the soundbooth, so he does sort of a glottal squeeze and turns everyone into an old man. Also, I'm not sure this was intentional or he just ran out of voices for the panoply of side characters, but every artist or "alternative" character has a sing-song lisp.
This was a great opportunity to add some depth to the prequels, but the opportunity was missed. Star Wars (and Gray) needs to get back to what it is trying to accomplish with these books. Right now, it is diluting the formula, and I'm not sure how long people will stand for it before they get bored and move on. If you are looking to the novels for additional insights and expansion of the core Star Wars story, don't waste your time with this one. There is some discussion of the "prophecies" mentioned in the prequels, and some development of young Obi Wan, but that's about it.
+1 star for reviving the Faleen from canon purgatory. Long live the Black Sun.
Behold, a typical quote: "You’re lord regent Rael. The council wouldn’t have named you to the position and expected you to do nothing. Your mandate is to help govern a world. And if you are willing to shift from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one, why shouldn’t the status of lunar citizens be reexamined as well."
Not quite as memorable as, "That's no moon," but still has its own ring to it.
The plot and characters were set up out of a dungeon master's playbook. New world, new edgy Jedi character, new side characters, all with their distinctive flair and lengthy back story. The history of everything is told with encyclopedic detail, all perfectly superfluous and disposable. The way new Star Wars canon is going, we will likely never hear about any of it anywhere else. Every motivation ends up being entirely arbitrary, and characters are inflexible in cartoony ways.
Master and Apprentice find time in unusual situations to work out their differences. It must be Jedi standard operating procedure to offer criticism or affirmation in the middle of a firefight.
In the end,
Also, I generally enjoy Jonathan Davis's audiobook performances. However, this book was full of the irritating "quiet yell" voice he uses during intense situations, where the characters are supposed to be yelling over the din, but Davis doesn't want to actually yell in the soundbooth, so he does sort of a glottal squeeze and turns everyone into an old man. Also, I'm not sure this was intentional or he just ran out of voices for the panoply of side characters, but every artist or "alternative" character has a sing-song lisp.
This was a great opportunity to add some depth to the prequels, but the opportunity was missed. Star Wars (and Gray) needs to get back to what it is trying to accomplish with these books. Right now, it is diluting the formula, and I'm not sure how long people will stand for it before they get bored and move on. If you are looking to the novels for additional insights and expansion of the core Star Wars story, don't waste your time with this one. There is some discussion of the "prophecies" mentioned in the prequels, and some development of young Obi Wan, but that's about it.
+1 star for reviving the Faleen from canon purgatory. Long live the Black Sun.
March 31, 2024
"I must keep my mind on the present. The future does not exist; the past has ceased to be. Only the present is real."
The first time I picked this up, back in 2019, I remember my expectations for it; I made the assumption that it would be a decent enough read. Maybe being on the same scale as Claudia Gray’s Bloodline, but nowhere near being in the same league as Lost Stars and Leia, Princess of Alderaan. The reason? Quite simple, really. It’s because I wasn’t much of a Qui-Gon Jinn fan.
So I was caught off guard, and pleasantly surprised, by how much I really enjoyed Master and Apprentice.
Gray did an outstanding job of bringing these characters to life. She was able to do something I hadn’t expected which was making me care for Qui-Gon Jinn. Where before my appreciation for Qui-Gon was little, if not pretty much non-existent to some extent, this book caused me to really be appreciative of said character.
I just loved the way she captured and showed the dynamic between Master Jinn and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. And not just those two, but I also loved the flashbacks of Padawan Qui-Gon with his master, Dooku. Additionally, Pax Maripher and Rahara Wick are another favorite duo of mine, and they’ve been that way ever since I first read this book. They’re definitely characters I hope to one day see again.
In regards to the story, it hasn’t failed thus far to keep me engaged and entertained, even though I know what happens, what transpires, and how it ends.
At this point in time, Master and Apprentice ranks as being my third favorite when it comes to Claudia Gray’s Star Wars novels.
The first time I picked this up, back in 2019, I remember my expectations for it; I made the assumption that it would be a decent enough read. Maybe being on the same scale as Claudia Gray’s Bloodline, but nowhere near being in the same league as Lost Stars and Leia, Princess of Alderaan. The reason? Quite simple, really. It’s because I wasn’t much of a Qui-Gon Jinn fan.
So I was caught off guard, and pleasantly surprised, by how much I really enjoyed Master and Apprentice.
Gray did an outstanding job of bringing these characters to life. She was able to do something I hadn’t expected which was making me care for Qui-Gon Jinn. Where before my appreciation for Qui-Gon was little, if not pretty much non-existent to some extent, this book caused me to really be appreciative of said character.
I just loved the way she captured and showed the dynamic between Master Jinn and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. And not just those two, but I also loved the flashbacks of Padawan Qui-Gon with his master, Dooku. Additionally, Pax Maripher and Rahara Wick are another favorite duo of mine, and they’ve been that way ever since I first read this book. They’re definitely characters I hope to one day see again.
In regards to the story, it hasn’t failed thus far to keep me engaged and entertained, even though I know what happens, what transpires, and how it ends.
At this point in time, Master and Apprentice ranks as being my third favorite when it comes to Claudia Gray’s Star Wars novels.
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