A&A The Official Jude Watson Discussion Thread

YEAH! My question got answered too! I asked about her favorite charector

 

I dont see anything wrong with Watson focusing the story more on Qui-Gon than Obi Wan. Obi-Wan is focused on a lot in her books anyway. She is probably focusing it more on Qui-Gon 'cause we wont get to see any of his character after TPM. In her upcoming JQ series she will probably focus on Obi-Wan and Anakin equally.

 

Since no one has mentioned it here yet, I just thought I'd say that I'm very happy with the Jedi Quest series so far. I liked #2 better, but I look forward to seeing more of the characters introduced in #1. Now we have to wait until AUGUST for #3? I guess getting two new books at once spoils a person.

 

I thought they were very good as well. Impressed because at first, I didn't think I would like the Anakin/Obi Wan relationship as much.

 

Even though I don't like anakin's character as much, I find his relationship with obi-wan, because you know how obi-wan took anakin as a wish from qui-gon, and how you know anakin is going to turn evil. It makes it more interesting I think, because you know obi-wan will re-join the order in #5 and #6. Now don't get me wrong! I adore the JA series! I really like #9 for some reason. I think they are both good, but maybe cause after 18 books they get kinda old if you know what I mean...

 

i like bothe series. i've read all the ja books twice some of them 4 or 5 times. they're fun quick reads. so far i really like jq as well. can't wait for #3.

 

Yep! I've read The Fight for Truth about 10 times now...

 

Honestly I'm with quite a few of you, I started losing intrest at book 13 or so though. It took me over 6months before I'd finish the series... I picked up book 18 read the back of it and laughed. It sounded more like fan-fic than an acutal book.

I really wish that she hadn't killed of Xanatos and Tahl.

**Is it just me or does the Obi-wan in JA seem stronger than the Obi-wan that Lucas put in Ep.II? **

 

**Is it just me or does the Obi-wan in JA seem stronger than the Obi-wan that Lucas put in Ep.II?**

I'm just curious about what makes you say that. I don't necessarily disagree, but perhaps an example?

Personally, I thought Obi-Wan was played just perfectly in Ep2 .. and I mean that in terms of both how the character was written and how the character was portrayed (Ewan obviously understands this character far better than he lets on).

Oh yeah .. and concerning Xanatos.. It was mentioned in JQ#2 about how his body was never found .. and now there's this mysterious bounty hunter that seems to be out for Obi-Wan and Anakin specifically. So it's my wacky (and hopeful) theory that this Granta Omega guy just might be Xanatos. I'm hoping we don't have to wait much longer to find out. Even though book #3 was given a publication date of August, in the computers at Borders it's listed as a July release - I hope that's the case!

 

For example In the battle (AotC) Obi is dodging and ducking, his saber skills appear to be weaker than Ani's. But the Obi we see in book #2 of the JA series is very quick, able to dodge Xanatos, and strong. By book 8 he can hold his own pretty well and even in book 18 he is almost as good as Qui-gon, who according to what I've been told is supposed to be regarded as one of the best saber masters ever. One more differance that really bothered me is the fact that Obi had to earn Qui-gons trust, he was always questioning weither he had it or not, so why would he make the same mistakes with Anikan? Why would he show the boy soo little trust?
This is my personal opinion and I deeply feel that Obi was made a fool and mockery of in the last movie. Worse yet I know that 3 wont get any better.

 

I absolutely LOVE the Jedi Apprentice books.

it has been my first foray into the expanded universe, spurred by a curiosity about the interesting and unexplored relationship between QuiGon and ObiWan, and by my 5-year-old son's love of star wars! So, there I was, having started reading them to my early-reading son as a way of getting him interested in pushing his reading abilities, and next I know I'm reading each of the 18 books in the series night by night devouring them and wishing there were more!

Ms. Watson's character development is truly first-rate I think. All crammed into these small novels. She doesn't just add depth to the obiwan/quigon relationship, but also creates so many memorable characters...she's just a master at quick, evocative, visually stirring character-building.
I do admit that the final of the series proper, the threat within, seemed really thin compared to her previous work..maybe she didn't really want it to end, and was thus less than fully inspired by a series finale prospect?

I write also to bring up a question:

Have folks noticed the similarities in look and feel between her #11 deadly hunter saga and aspects of aotc?
Her " didi's diner" looks an awful lot like dex's diner, no???
And her shape-changing female bounty hunter?!!!
I believe that volume came out in late 2000, before shooting for aotc? before scripting for aotc?

 

well it is stated in either JQ #1 or 2 that Didi's diner is now Dex's Diner.

 

Thanks for that info!

I haven't yet gotten to the Jedi Quest
books--am still finishing JA special editions.
I have some of the same fears about not liking them as much as JA that I've seen others express...but will forge ahead anyway.


Is this a common thing, in the expanded universe world, to throw out a tidbit, like the didi's diner thing, which was very inventive and compellingly kitschy...just the kind of thing Lucas himself might love to do and clearly did ( a galactic greasy spoon, a space diner for goodness sake...american graffiti sprayed on Coruscant, with some 50s-era detective story set thrown in for good measure, and then have it become part of the "official" star wars saga? Have other writers introduced, seemingly, some character or place, and then witnessed it used in TPM, say, or AOTC?
Interesting and strange that Didi's diner "becomes" Dex's Diner? I'm looking forward to seeing that in the JQ book...
I also just kept coming back to how in AOTC, there was no real reason to include the Dex's Diner thing..it didn't become somehow important to the overall plot of Star wars or even the movie in particular...just another cute atmospheric bit, though of course it does embellish our notion of jedi practice generally (having these kind of shady contacts, going beyond and outside the usual channels for info) and of obiwan in particular (his own potential willingness to buck the system, his independent 'cool' searching)...but these are all things that watson did much more completely and compellingly in her novel. I realize that all in the expanded universe is cross-pollinated and inspiration for anything can come from anywhere, but really close parallels like that?

 

well it is stated in either JQ #1 or 2 that Didi's diner is now Dex's Diner.

Which is really ridiculous in my opinion as Obi-Wan and Dex's relationship definitely doesn't seem like one that was simply formed by him taking over the diner of Qui-Gon's friend. Dexter it is mentioned in the other material was a mercenary, miner, jack of all sorts of questionable trades kind of thing and I get the feeling watching Dex and Obi together that their relationship was one forged in danger, possibly with them starting out on opposing sides(though Dex having that sort of honor and conscience as Han Solo ended up having) and then perhaps trading off saving each other's lives.

Look at Obi-Wan with him, he's all lit up. These two are obviously great friends and he obviously trusts Dex WAY more than he trusts Didi. I know the very first information we had mentioning Dex in the spoilers, way back when, included lines strongly implying that it was Obi-Wan's influence on him which sort of got Dex to "settle" down--I believe the words "mercy missions"(for Dex's questionable activities) and "pep talks"(for the way Obi-Wan' finally kind of got him out of it) were used. It said alot about Obi-Wan's character, that he could have this kind of positive influence on someone else's life. I really didn't like the way Watson couldn't give this friendship to Obi-Wan on his own, through his own efforts.

It would have been far better if it had been Obi-Wan introducing Dex to Didi and not the other way around.

 

Hmmm...I haven't read about all that yet, but I'd have to agree that it sure doesn't sound like Obi-Wan could possibly have just had that minimal connection to Dex and then interacted with him the way he did in AOTC.
Maybe Watson was just pissed off about her diner getting commandeered without being given credit for it, and so didn't feel like writing more background-explanatory plot to get used?

thanks for posting those fun links to other ewan work--the moulin rouge bit is great!

 

Thanks, pandawan. And I love your screen name. Very imaginative.

 

JUDE WATSON IS LISTENING TO US AS I SPEAK

 

*Puts on Tin Foil hat*

Better?

But seriously, why would you say that?

 

I kinda lost my love for the Jedi Apprentice series after "The Ties that Bind" I dunno, I suppose that there just wasn't enough of Obi-Wan at this point to please me. Jedi Apprentice books are about the apprentice, not the affairs of a master. Obi-Wan just sort of sat back and let Qui-Gon control over the whole situation when he was completely out of his mind in love with Tahl. No Obi contradictions... no Obi.

Anyway, I personally think that Obi-Wan is the neatest character I've read about in a book (or seen in a movie). And there just wasn't enough of him. It's more fun when he is doing it all! I'd have loved to see this awsome padawan take complete control, help everyone, and sort out all of the problems... Just let Qui-Gon see to his honey. Or something not so predictable. Maybe Obi-Wan gets captured but the captors get more than they bargined for! And then Qui-Gon feels bad for ignoring him and doting on Tahl. possibley. Qui-Gon took up the whole series when what I wanted to read about was OBI-WAN! Oh well, that's what Fan fiction is for.

 

I have read all the JC, including the last one, #3, which came out two weeks ago. I liked them all. They get into the characters and I like that aspect of her writing. Even we adults can enjoy these books. I devour them in a very short time and just can't put them down once I begin.

 

I was just at BN.com doing a Aurthor search for Jude watson, and I found a book called The Race Is On and it has a release date of Oct 2nd or something like that, any idea of what it is? Possible 5th Jedi quest book?

 

OK I figure that this is the place to ask my question about Jude Watson... Does anyone have a bit of biographical info on her, like where she's from, where and what she studied, etc? Just wondering....

 

You can go here and here for more info on Jude Watson.

 

I was always annoyed that they seemed to leave out Cerasi after she died, she was a great character and Jude didn't seem to focus on the greiving process for Obi Wan. I think it is wrong to assume that just because he was young his feelings for Cerasi were any less strong then those Qui Gon had for Tahl

 

I agree, Jude went into alot of detail establishing the Bond between Cersai and Obi-wan, how they got that close in the first place. It was very sad when Cersai died, but after a few pages of Obi-wan Grieving, its like it never happened. For the rest of the series Qui-gon's grief for Tahl was brought up. It got really old after a while.