Lit Books Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen

Spoiler

A bit weird at a first glance, given that we were used to it happening in the same week as the reference to it, but it actually makes more sense to be a distant event.

 

Copy has arrived - a good looking volume.

 

That's like the most casual review of the book i've seen considering the last few are praising it as one of the best books ever in a long while. lol


Oh also

Spoiler

Also nice clarifying just what the heck is going on with the Trade Federation during the Clone Wars

 

Sinny, you do remember to chew your food before swallowing it, yes?

 

So...

Spoiler

Did anyone catch the Doctor Who reference

 

Some comments after reading first seven chapters -

Spoiler

Like the focus on characters observing others' demeanour.

Never thought of it before, but for such calculating species Neimoidians took a surprisingly big risk building cities right above an abyss. Unsurprisingly (and unfortunately), it eventually led to large scale tragedy.

Anakin and Padme date was very heart-warming. The last bit caught me off guard, but , after all, it is not surprising at all in the case of romantic young couple.

Obi-Wan's hairs grew even longer. Seems like a Chekhov's gun.

 

Would you mind spoiling for me any context for how Anakin meets Ventress? (and if there's enough ambiguity to allow a previous duel without them exchanging names)

I'm still waiting on my copy.

 

Spoiler

Jaro & Cal cameo!
Early in the book but really enjoying this so far. Can see everything written very clearly in my mind.

 

Finished this book yesterday and overall I really liked it. After the Padmé one the next book showing that there is still some storytelling potential in the Clone Wars period and nice to see more PT stories being released. I liked this a bit better then the Padmé one though I also thought it had some similar weaknesses. More on that behind a spoiler tag, which also contains some spoilers about the newest Padmé books as I draw some comparisons between the two.

Spoiler

Same as the Padmé book this is more of a character study than a book that impresses with its story. I really liked the explorations of Obi-Wan and Anakin and there relationship. I was never the biggest Anakin fan but this book did a really good job to show the transformation from really not likable Attack of Clones Anakin to more likable Clone Wars Anakin and also really illustrated the transformation in their relationship.
I also really liked the original character and their arc and the deeper look into Neimoidian culture, which was really enjoyable. I also hope the original characters turn up in something again. This is generally something I've disliked a bit about the canon novels. Each novel introduces cool new characters but most of them stay within the confines of their novel or trilogy and rarely get picked up again, unless the same author gets to write a novel in the same time period. I hope we see more of Ruug and Mill both were really intresting characters with satisfying arcs.
I also liked Ventress in this one really showed her skill and martial ability well and was a worthy first meeting between her and Anakin/Obi-Wan. Dexter was also pretty cool and I really hope the story about his and Obi-Wans first meeting gets told at some point, maybe even by Mike Chen, I'd definetely read that.
The part I didn't like was the novels central plot. Now this isn't as major as a complaint as it might sound because I also really liked the newest Padmé novel that had what felt like ten plots that all weren't concluded in an even remotely satisfying way. Both in that book and in Brotherhood the character studies more than make up for it. But while the Padmé novel had a lot of intresting plots that just went nowhere, this book had a tightly plotted out story, it just didn't make much sense to me. The book obviously hints at the bombing on Cato Neimoidia being perpretrated by the Sith with evidence being planted framing both sides. I just don't really understand why. In the end it changes nothing and the Trade Federation stays neutral, which is not particularly surprising as there is evidence that both sides perpetrated it. But why do it in the first place then, to escalate the war? But does it really? While the Trade Federation getting officially involved would certainly do that, they don't, they just get a reason to hate both sides. Which takes them out of the picture as potential deescalators of course but was that really on the table? I don't really see it. And I also don't see how a bombing on a neutral world, however horrible it might be would do anything to escalate the war in the rest of the galaxy. Now obviously Obi-Wans trial might have done a little part in driving the Jedi integration in the Republic Army but I don't buy any way that Sidious could have forseen it and the novel also didn't really make that connection much. The bombing and how it was done would only make sense if the Trade Federation was about to enter the war on someones side but we saw no indication that they were about to do that. So yeah, overall the plot doesn't make much sense but with all the surrounding goodness I can live with it.
Now some randoms asides. While this novel was way less diverse than many other recent Star Wars offerings, which is sad, I do have to point out that diversity when it occured was handled a bit better in this one, than in the Padmé novel. I critiqued that one for overt sign posting of its diverse characters making it appear almost like it wanted to be applauded for its inclusion of diversity. This one handles it a lot more naturally and in my opinion better, utilising even one character that appeared in the Padmé novel as well. The trans clone Sister that cameod in both novels was handled a lot better in this one I think, even though she honestly doesn't get much to do in either novel.
Also really liked the cameo of Jaro Tapal and little Cal Kestis. One more not so serious complaint I do have to make about this novel. As a Mace Windu superfan I maintain that my boy Mace was done dirty in this one. He appears a lot but is painted quite negatively. I'm sure it's only Anakins unfounded bias that makes him appear so unlikable

 

Enjoy, this interveiw.

 

My copy arrives tommorow

 

Spoiler

I'm through Chapter 41 and honestly all I can think about right now is how funny it would have been had Anakin's "Rescue" of Obi-Wan resulted in the canon explanation for his Eye Scar. That would have added a new layer to Obi-Wans embarrassed insistence that it "Doesn't Count" as a time Anakin saved his life, almost as good as the legends explanation.

 

Spoiler

Just finished this novel a few minutes ago. I really like how this book was written. I totally felt Stover's ROTS in this book. Kenobi and Skywalker were great in this. After reading this, I almost wish that Mill was Anakin's Padawan over Ahsoka. I like that this was Ventress' first appearance to Kenobi and Skywalker, so I enjoy that. With Grievous being mentioned having given Mundi wounds recently, I hope to see Kenobi vs Grievous for their first meeting. I really liked the extremist sub-plot sprinkled in the book. It really relates to the reality of today. It's still interesting that we don't know who committed the bombing, but I think it was Palpatine's doing. I also liked Neimoidians being depicted here more humane...wait...neimoidane? Idk. But i really liked that part of the novel. Makes me wonder if Chen chose the Neimoidians due to the racial backlash of the aliens in TPM and wanted to shed light on that. Overall, I'd say this was a 8/10 just because it felt a bit slow in some places and I kinda wanted a bit more out of it.

 

Spoiler

Ok finished. Overall, a good book, better than most that have come out recently.
A few gripes here and there, but I really love these kinds of books that try to build themselves on a mountain of preexisting continuity. I mentioned some Cameo's before but I completely missed Olana Chion, a fairly obscure background character in episode III who got fleshed out in the EU.

Also apparently Obi-Wan officially took Coleman Trebors seat, but Kit Fisto is already on the Council too? So does this mean Fisto took Billaba's seat? What does this mean for the Kanan Comic showing Kenobi giving up his seat for her? I'm confused. Hopefully some clarification in the future.

Quinlen Vos makes an appearance, and Obi-Wan cuts his hair by the end. Was kind of hoping Ventress would be the one to slice the mullet off.

But they also offer some backstory to Jedi armor and I get the feeling this was all planned to a tee by Palpatine. Was kind of puzzled by the implication that Obi-Wan doesn't know Cody by this point. I would have thought he would be assigned his Clone Commander within days of Geonosis but maybe its a product of being officially integrated into the army? Like before Jedi just worked with whatever Clones were available but now they have set Battalions under their command.
Probably and 8 or 9 out of 10 for me.

 

Mostly enjoyed this book, although not quite as much as "Master & Apprentice" that seems like its somewhat "spiritual predecessor" - novel that released 20 years after one of the Prequel episodes, used its basic plot to build a new story, with more focus on dialogs and character study rather than action, and with drama in relation to one of the main characters' accession to the Jedi Council.

Spoiler

IMO, Anakin was the best part of the novel. He is still coping with what happened in Episode II, but rapidly matured during the short amount of time (although not very short, since he managed to defeat not one, but several Dooku's agents) and this maturity was ultimately the reason why Kenobi decided to trust his former apprentice in dealing with his feelings to Padmé without
outside interference, like Obi-Wan did regarding Satine at the time. I really expected that explanation for his eye scar will be here, but no; instead there were a scene where he told Palpatine about his mother's death. As not a fan of Mace, I liked that his prejudice against Anakin was finally remembered after being ignored in TCW, Chancellor's words about him had some kernel of truth.

Surprisingly to me, another strong part of the story was Ventress, mostly because she used her manipulation and deception skills rather than lightsabers. Her interactions with Kenobi were too short, but the moment with her tousling his hairs was priceless)

Regarding Obi-Wan - there things become more controversial. IMO, the results of his mission were too mixed to giving him the seat in the Council permanently for it and he was framed by Ventress too easily.

Mill is quite an interesting character, but needed a lot more focus on her development during the story, especially in its middle. There were an opportunity to explore Jedi's early interactions with clones too during the humanitarian mission, but it was mostly wasted.

From the start it was clear that one of the novel's main topics will be that the Neimoidians are much more than just greedy and cowardly stereotypes, and boy oh boy, desperate guard's tale during the trial was powerful and heartbreaking, easily the best moment in the novel. At the same time I like that Trade Federation itself was not white-washed - fomer commando Ruug sincerely said that she killed many both guilty and innocent for its interests. After reading about her, I doubly wait that there will be an opportunity to play as at least anti-heroic TF agent in Eclipse. My only, but major complain about this storyline - there is no clear end for it, it is not clear what was the general Neimoidian populace's reaction to trial and further revelations.

But understatements in the end about who truly caused the explosion,IMO, was "not a bug, but a feature" - demonstrating that during the war truth loses its meaning, propaganda distorts everything, and even heroes are not immune to it - Anakin likes his new moniker "Hero With No Fear" (my favourite reference to Stover) and even Obi-Wan cut off his hairs because of it. Did not expected that their final "transformation" to "TCW selfs" will be so sad and ominous.

 

Spoiler

Dexter's Diner! Awesome.

 

I wonder if we will get a prequel book to this novel, starring young Anakin and Obiwan.

Other then the Anakin and Obiwan comic mini, there are very little stories, especially Jedi focused ones in the canon TPM-AoTC gap. I would love a book set not long after TPM with Obiwan in his first year of training Anakin.

 

This is something I have actually been thinking about.

Spoiler

Obi-Wan says he hasn't had a chance to talk to Anakin about anything since Geonosis, he also says he hasn't seen Padme since then so that probably means he never told her to back off like in Legends. Then there's Anakin's statement about defeating other agents of Dooku.

I'd really like to see a scene in the war room to offer a basic description of the early stages of the war, maybe various Jedi get their assignments, Obi-Wan wants a break to speak to Anakin but the Council asks him to take up a mission. Etc. Just some idea's rolling around in my head.

 

That would've been great, but it seems like things will be kept vague to give room for manoeuvre for the possible future stories about the war's beginning.

Spoiler

With Kenobi starting to work with Cody at the end of this novel, I now wait even more a story about Anakin's first meeting with Rex and taking over command of the 501st Legion.

 

The one about Huyang

Spoiler

arriving in a blue box at the Jedi Temple thousands of years ago?

I think there's a couple of other subtle Doctor Who ones - Obi-Wan eats a "well-prepared meal" at one stage (which is a reference to a speech from 1980s Doctor Who story Earthshock).

Also, the phrase "No more" is an important turning point in a later scene, which is a line from the Doctor Who 50th anniversay special.

I noticed that plot points are arranged to mirror the events of Attack of the Clones -

Spoiler

- the chain of events in both stories is started by a bomb attack

- Obi-Wan sets off on a lone mission to investigate the attack, including visiting Dex to get advice

- Early in the story, there's a visit to the lower levels of Coruscant and Anakin gets to race at high speeds again

- Obi-Wan ends up being captured and sentenced to death, with Anakin rescuing a shackled Obi-Wan from an open space.

 

They need to stop the vagueness of how long between Geonosis and Christophsis is. Quite frankly, this beginning of the war period seems be pushing Christophsis six months further down the timeline as opposed to about two or three months after AOTC.