JA #14 (Spoilers!!!)

I liked this book. I also liked the Qui-Gon/Tahl romance. I too suspect she will die--and that he will have a good reason to blame the council for not being there to save her or something. It's just one more step in Qui-Gon's growing defiance of the council that we saw in TPM and even more so in Cloak of Deception.

Do we add two weeks to the scheduled release for the next one too?

 

Actually, Jedi-Faith, I'd quite like it if Obi-Wan ended up getting hurt in all this. Okay, maybe "like" isn't quite the right word...no...it is, it is the right word.

Anyway, yeah, you know maybe Qui-Gon would start paying a little more attention to his padawan, although then again maybe not, he didn't pay much attention to him in TPM. But at least it would nice to see some real good guilt scenes regarding Obi-Wan on Qui-Gon's part. I'd enjoy that.

 

Well, I don't know much about American history, so I can't really compare the book to it...

Hmmm, yes, sacrificing Obi for Tahl would make a really good twist to the series... I remember that in the Insider article, Jude Watson mentions about Qui and Obi's "volitile" relationship... It didn't seem very volitile in 14, so maybe that's something to look forward to as well

Why would we need to add two weeks to the scheduled release for the next one? I didn't know there was a set date for it, actually. I just know that the Official Site originally had it listed for October, which usually means late September where I live. The exception thus far is Special Edition, which I apparently won't see until August.

 

The planet in 14, Apsolon (aka New Apsolon), is not really anything like 1960s America. Yes, there's an assasination, but there's assasinations in every decade in every country around the world.

Actually, Apsolon seems to be based Marxist thought. The Civilized are clearly patterned after the bourgeousie, with Manex as the quintessential capitalist pig, and the Workers as the proletariats. There's even talk of a bloodless revolution.

 

I just finished reading this book. It was outstanding, easily one of the best of the series. I really enjoyed the relationship between Qui-Gon and Tahl. I was afraid that they would never develop it in this way. I have to say for a "young adult" novel, these characters have some complex emotions.

I haven't seen this mentioned but another thing I enjoyed was the political situation. I thought I had had my fill of the various government intrigue in JA but this situation is very well done and has a certain freshness to it. In this case, Qui/Obi are attempting to preserve a government instead of overthrow it.

I don't mind Obi-Wan not being a main character in this story. I do hope he gets more time in the next book. How his relationship with Qui-Gon now should be very interesting.

I too, am convinced that Tahl won't make it out of this story arc alive. The moment she pledged her life to Qui-Gon was the moment that her future life was over. Tahl will become another victim of the Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan connection. That list includes Anakin, Amidala, the Jedi, Cerasi, Xanatos, etc. Some people are just not good to hang around.

 

Heehee!

Manex? I wonder who Jude is trying to reference to...

 

Ummmmm....do you want to share with us your speculation, Bubba?

 

Karl Marx.

 

also--i don't think anyone's mentioned this--the assassinated character was named "ewane". i'm sorry, but as a ewan lover, i just think that's really cute...

 

I noticed that but I didn't really give it much though. Nice touch.

The only possible thing that might keep Tahl alive is the fact that Bant is her padawan and she hasn't made peace with her. But I doubt that that is enough.

 

Anyone one else get a hold of this book?

 

I saw an ad for it in the New York Time yesterday that said it came out yesterday.

 

I found it last week at a B&N. This particular branch seems to always have them earlier than expected!

I really enjoyed the book, although I was quite surprised by the Qui/Tahl romance. I admit that I saw it coming, but I guess I was in denial that there would be a Jedi romance. I thought it was done quite nicely and I also think that Tahl is doomed. It will be interesting to see how her death would affect Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's relationship.

 

I think her death would affect the series--it would become redundant and predictable.

But, I always hold hope that Jude will do it in a way that will surprise the reader instead of them guessing what'll come up ahead.

She'll do it. How? Ours not to question how.

 

Like Darth Pipes, I'm impressed at the complexity of the emotions explored in this book -- adult,intense emotions. I'm not sure how well the story and its treatment will play to the supposed target audience of 8-12 year olds, but I loved it.

I'm also glad that Watson had the courage to leave Obi-Wan on the sidelines, confused and unable to comprehend the emotional currents between Tahl & Qui-Gon. That's a realistic decision, and now that I think about it maybe it will resonate with kids who've watched their parents go through rocky times.

And as for finding the book: check for a Scholastic cardboard standup display in B.Dalton bookstores.

 

I finally found a copy of JA:SE!

I finished the first half, and I've been thinking... Right now, we're assuming that JA14 is the first book in a trilogy. So the natural course of the plot is: Ties that Bind - Tahl and Qui profess their love for one another; Death of Hope - Tahl dies; Call to Vengeance - Qui goes after those responsible with very unjedi thoughts in mind... But what if 14 is actually the second book?

When Amazon.com messed up their computer entry for JA15, Jude Watson emailed TF.net and said, ""The Death of Hope" is one of my favorites in the series, as it ties up what I'm hoping will be a surprising and moving three-book story arc for my readers." So is JA15 the second book or the third book in the trilogy?

I haven't finished SE yet, so I can't be sure. But to me, SE Part 1 seems like the first "book" in the trilogy, because the underlying theme is the same: Obi-Wan feels that Tahl is more important to his Master than he is...

ARG! I hope JA15 comes out in September and not October like the official site listed... the anticipation will kill me!

Anyway, I think I'll stop speculating now and actually go and finish SE

 

I got it!!!!!!!!!

Finally!!!! I'm going to come back to this once I have read the book (I've mostly been skimming as to not be spoiled).

~*~Bria

 

It's not just B. Dalton that has that Scholastic cardboard thing. B&N and Borders here both have it. I think they sent it to every store or something.

 

Hope you enjoy it, Bria. Looking forward to your review.

 

Top!

 

Jedi-Faith has a good point
What did jude watson mean when she said that it would wrap up a story arc?
I found that with the JA series sometimes the title of the story may give away the theme of the book...and I'm sorry but I'm really confused, if #15 wrap's up the arc. Becuase if the "The death of hope" is the end of the entire Qui-gon/Tahl thing, then what will the "call to vegeance" be about then!
Just the rambling of a very bored person

 

Does anybody know why Dave wolverton wrote the first book and then Jude watson took over for the rest of the series? Not that I'm not complaining or anything....
Just wondering...

 

I've been wondering about the number of political stories in JA in general...

This is a time of increased political turmoil, things are changing in the galaxy--just that no one realizes why.

I suspect we will never be told one way or another, but I wouldn't be surprised if Palpatine--through his minions--is furthering the turmoil.

 

Sometimes one can forget that Dave Wolverton wrote the first book. Watson has done an amazing job with the series.

I'm sure Palpatine had a hand in the turmoil. I don't think he was responsible for all of it. But he definately took advantage of it when the time was write.

 

I personally believe that they used Dave Wolverton so that there was an author who's worked with Star Wars before that would attract an older audience to the books. Considering the number of posts in this thread, I'd say it might have helped. It surely wasn't just the name but I'd say the older EU fans have responded well to the Jedi Apprentice series so something has obviously worked.