Books A/V Dooku: Jedi Lost, a stand-alone original audio drama

I suppose one of my main complaints about the story, would be the fact that aside from Dooku and Sifo-dyas, all the Jedi characters introduced early in the story when Dooku is 12 don't seem to grow old at all in 50 years. I mean are we supposed to believe they're all aliens from long-living species or does the force keep you doing back flips well into your hundreds (for humans)

 

Dooku was 83 years old flipping around like nothing on the Invisible Hand.

 

Spoiler

Well Master Kostana at least is said to be an Altiri. Which we know next to nothing about in Legends or canon.
Considering Rael doesn't see a problem with eyeing her up I can only assume that species ages far slower than most.

The only peer of Dooku, that isn't Sifo-Dyas, who shows up repeatedly through the story is Arath. We don't get many indicators of his age, though he does treat Quigon as a kid, and since he can gamble that indicates he has aged physically as the story progresses, even if not emotionally. (Which is actually a pretty central part of his character, he's an immature brat even as Dooku moves on to better things.)

The Jedi Council Members are rather curious
Yoda is Yoda.
Cosian's can live up to 200 years according to the Wook. Master Sinube is implied to be retired from active service by the time of TCW so he could be around a century old by the time this takes place.

Assuming Master Aerith and Braylon joined the council at 30 years of age (About the same point where Obi-Wan joined), they could serve a good fifty years before stepping down.
Granted the voices don't change much, but the light side has been shown to give its users a healthy glow.

I actually found it rather ironic that Sifo-Dyas is a peer of Dooku's considering he looks a good two decades younger.
He dies around the time of TPM so he would be in his late 60's to early 70s but he doesn't really look it.

The only other Jedi that shows up repeatedly through the story is Gretz Droom, who is in Qui-gons youngling class and is implied to be on the Jedi Council when he last appears. (He certainly doesn't speak to Dooku as a Knight addressing a Master. He is far more blunt, as if he were talking to an equal)

 

I think Arath is the same age as Dooku and Sifo-Dyas. They were in the same classes and stuff.

 

Yes. That is the logical assumption.
I merely meant in the sense that "Yes he has aged, even if his exact age isn't said."

 

That confused me as well, I was wondering if it was supposed to be a different character. He sounds the exact same when they are old men as he did when they were 12 years old

 

To be fair, most of the characters that aren't Dooku or Sifo-Dyas have very little differences in their voices as heard in the beginning and end of the script.

But now I'm getting repetitive.

There are a few points of irony I enjoyed through the book.

Spoiler

Paplatine saying how he finds "working from within the system" to be better than the alternative is pretty funny.
Him saying that to Dooku? Hilarious.

I also like when Yoda says that if a Jedi has nothing to contribute to the conversation they should say nothing.
In that one line he basically explains away why 3/4ths of the council doesn't say anything for three movies strait.

They recanonized most of the marks of contact. Dooku takes issue with Rael using Sai tok, the bisection strike.
But for some reason see's no issue with teaching Younglings Mou Kei, which literally means to dismember.

 

Spoiler

Maybe it's a nod to how he dismembered Anakin's hand and how he himself got dismembered later on by Anakin.

 

So I got the audiobook and made it about 3 chapters in. This is my first audibook ever. Unfortunately I have learned this is just not the format for me. I literally cannot focus and pay attention. I space out way too easily and it seems really easy for me to miss things. I hope this finds its way to print in some form or another because I don't think I will be able to finish this.

 

It's not an audiobook!

 

Okay, "audio drama" doesn't change my experience with it

 

I have the same issue with audiobooks/audiodramas. I've tried a few and I just zone out. The way I read in the evening is usually with a classical music station on the radio in the background and a book. The audio format is incompatible with the music and my eyes have nothing to do other than stare at a wall. (Never mind trying to read the book and listen to the audio. That really doesn't work). I could see liking the format if I commuted by train (I don't) as I can't really read on trains but for home consumption it doesn't work.

 

Spoiler

Not that kind of dismember.
What Dooku did to Anakin is Cho mai.
What Anakin did to Dooku was Sai cha.

Both are sanctioned by the Jedi as legitimate ways to end a fight. (With the exception of the whole "in cold blood" aspect on Anakins part.)

Mou kei is what Obi-Wan did to Vader on Mustafar.
It effectively amounts to all out butchery.
And it most certainly was forbidden by the Jedi in legends.

 

Spoiler

I think most people put droids (Which can be rebuilt), and sentients on a different level. There is no issue with chopping them many which ways.
And there are specific lines of attack for precisely cutting of limbs.
The issue comes with excess, why chop off all limbs when one will do?
Master Dooku even says in the book that the goal is to end the fight as swiftly as possible while inflicting minimum harm on your opponent.

Ideally a quick Sun djem cut across your opponents weapon will end the fight harmlessly.
Cutting off the hand may sometimes be a necessity.
A single leg would have a similar effect.
For particularly dangerous individuals removing their head is on the table.

Mao kei was forbidden in legends because it is excessive and unnecessary when so many other options are available that lead to less horrific results.
Perhaps nobody would think twice about using it on a droid, but what would be the point in practicing such a brutal move when you can bisect them just as easily?

In any case, I don't mean to complain. I am simply elaborating on why a particular move was prohibited, and why I think it ironic that Jedi Master Dooku was teaching it to younglings.

 

Spoiler

The format was new to me and I did lose focus at times. So I will need to relisten, but that desire illustrates how much I loved this story. I listened to the story almost straight through and found the from at relaxing.

Jedi Lost added depth to Dooku, the Jedi, and other interesting characters. It was very well acted and immersive. I really liked the portrayal of Dooku's Jedi career and the way visions were tied in. Dooku had a lot of bad in him from the beginning, but there was also a lot of good. His relationship with the Jedi and his family was well handled and added depth to his character.

Kostana was a great new character; I loved another rebel Jedi who was concerned with the Sith. She's a character I want to see more of. Her presence added an interesting dimension to the pre saga Jedi. I want some stories about her. I also enjoyed learning about Syfo Dias and his friendship with Dooku. Making them childhood friends was a good choice. Why hasn't he been in a story before?

Ky Nerric was a good character. I quite liked him and his relationship with Assajj. They both deserve some stories before their respective death and fall.

I hope this story is built upon with interquels and sequels. Some scenes had some interesting implications which I'd like to see developed. For example, the last scene of Padawan Dooku with the visions was fascinating. We know Dooku saw his fall, Assajj, the Clone Wars, the Jedi attempt to remove Palpatine, and Order 66. He was affected by this and I got the impression this pushed him towards the Dark Side. Also, after this Dooku and Syfo Dias become more distant. I think he received visions as Dooku, but more in depth due to his gift for visions. I want to know what happens next and see the immediate implications of this scene. I want to know how it shaped the characters and how they deal with it. Also, Dooku's apprenticeship with Yoda and him training Qui-Gon were both interesting. I want to learn more about those parts of his life and their relationships. Lastly, I want to learn of his fall to the Dark Side and the beginning of the CIS. So we really need a sequel.

 

Spoiler

Well, Anakin chopped off Dooku's hands first. So I'm still correct in my own statement just not on the Mou kei comparison.

 

similar here. story seemed ok but didn't really enjoy it at all because of the audio drama format. I could imagine really enjoying it if the story was in a novel. Luckily I didn't have to pay for it

 

Sifo-Dyas appears in a few legends sources (Including Darth Plaguies), as well as TCW series.

Him and Dooku have been friends for a while, though I think the "childhood" part is new. As I said before they really don't look the same age, so we have only ever seen them interact as adults.

 

and he had another best childfriend in legends in Lorian Nod too so its interesting how they just made Dyas his only one in canon

 

It's been a while since I read Plaguise, I had forgotten about his inclusion. I need to reread that book. I don't really count TCW because it's as a ghost or vision. I must have missed their friendship in previous stories. When I think of Dooku's friends I usually think of Lorian Nodd. However, I never felt like it was a genuine friendship.

 

I just don't consider it the same thing at all. An audiobook is a recording of someone reciting a book. That's a lot different than a full cast audio drama. We've acknowledged that a print version of this would be a script and not straight prose - because it's not a book. I'm not being pedantic for the sake of it. A lot of people are saying "This is the first time I've listened to an audiobook." The fact is, if you've never listened to an audiobook and then you heard Dooku Lost, you've still never listened to an audiobook. It's a completely different thing.

And where is Del Rey calling it a book?

 

We broadly prefer the term "audio original" for this particular type of project as it stresses the reason why its not available in other formats. Though we probably have used the word audiobook (with the detail of "full cast" alongside) somewhere. I cannot think of a place we've simply called it a book.

We have not used the phrase audio drama anywhere. Mostly preference over that term not being as widely in use recently and thus less familiar amongst readers coming to the audio format for the first time. In moments of limited context (tweets and other short form ads) we prefer to fall back on more well understood terms even if they are less exact.

You're welcome to refer to the project however you like.