Lit Books Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen

About to start Brotherhood. So is the order of Ventress' interactions with Obi-Wan and Anakin something like this?:

- Muunilinst & Yavin 4/Hypori (Old CW cartoon - Obi-Wan duels Durge for the first time; Anakin duels Ventress; Grievous duels Jedi))
- Brotherhood (Anakin emergency "knighted" as battlefield rank [like Luke "knighting" his first class in YJK; only fully knighting them in Destiny's Way]; Obi-Wan on Jedi Council; Obi-Wan meets Ventress for the first time)
- Ohma-D'un (Republic comics - Obi-Wan learns Durge's name; duels Ventress again [contradiction: Obi-Wan tells her "I don't know who you are" ])
- Queyta (Republic comics - Obi-Wan again encounters Ventress)
- Jabim (Republic comics - Obi-Wan captured by Ventress)
- Rattatak (Republic comics - Obi-Wan tortured by Ventress, but he escapes)
- Ord Cestus (The Cestus Deception - Ventress sabotages Obi-Wan and Kit Fisto's operation to stop production of Force-sensitive "Jedi Killer" droids)
- Praesitlyn (Jedi Trial - Ventress only appears in hologram; Anakin has success in command, leading to his full knighting at beginning of old CW cartoon season 3 immediately thereafter)
- Rendili (Republic comics - Ventress duels Anakin, gives him his scar)
- Teth (TCW movie, per Chen 4-6 months after Geonosis; really hope we get official confirmation on this)
- TCW seasons 1-3 (up to costume change)
- Vjun (Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - Ventress still Dooku's apprentice)
-TCW season 3 (after costume change - per Sidious, Dooku disowns and tries to kill Ventress, who escapes and rejoins Nightsisters, seeking revenge)
- Obsession (Dooku recaptures and brainwashes Ventress, who ultimately escapes him)
- TCW seasons 4-6 (Ventress becomes a bounty hunter)
- Dark Disciple (in which Ventress meets her end)

 

If you like you can just interpret this as Obi trying to get under her skin. "In our last meeting you failed to make an impression on me" sort of way.
I'm sure there are other clever ways around it as well.

 

I'm around chapter 12, and I find myself sort of flipping back and forth as reading it as if Ewan, Hayden and Natalie are doing it to JAT, Matt Lanter and Catherine Taber.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

The Republic Comics have to be before brotherhood since Anakin is explicitly a Padawan then. Plus allow about a month or so for the Battle of Jabiim.

But there are.... rumors... that this material may also become relevant again soon.

In truth, we've had every major battle from the TCW microseries referenced in canon now in at least some capacity. Several other EU multimedia project clone wars battles as well...

- Mace Windu on Dantooine (in some capacity)
- The Battle of Hypori (With SW Brotherhood heavily implying Grievous still dueled Ki Adi)
- The Battle of Illum (described almost exactly as seen in the 2k3 series)
- The Battle of Muunilinst
- Delta Squad Rescuing Tarfful on Kashyyyk
- Shaak Ti protecting the Chancellor on Coruscant (including the death of Jedi Roron Corobb, and possibly others, by Grievous' sabers)
- Anakin's Knight Ceremony (referenced in Fallen Order)
- The Quarren Isolation League (a loose connection to the first Mon Cala Battle), as well as surface cities on Dac being shown again in the 2017 Vader comics.
- Durge being canon again and "very hard to kill"
- SW: Brotherhood implies Anakin is at least familiar with Ventress and he knows her ship when they meet. (leaving some room for the duel on Yavin to possibly still fit since they never exchanged names)
- The experiments on Nelvaan are confirmed to have happened in canon, leaving plenty of room for the Battle of Nelvaan to still happen before the Battle of Coruscant late in the Outer Rim Sieges.
- Dooku Recruiting Ventress on Rattatak
- Brotherhood mentions Mace Windu's Shatterpoint abilities again, and the Kanan comics have at least a loose rumor about early war Depa's madness.

This means every major battle from the 2003 series is referenced loosely (if not overtly) at least once, as well as parts of the Republic Commando Game. It seems as if people within Lucasfilm want to keep as much of the 2003 clone wars series intact as possible even if the depicitions of those battles could be questionable. Personally, this is exactly how I'd handle it, so it makes me extremely happy to see them do this slowly over time.

The Republic Comics have a few more overt contradictions, but even then many of their battles could still be referenced at some point. It's a massive Galaxy spanning conflict and a lot can still happen in 3 years. Now if only we could get direct references to Omega Squad at some point...

 

Spoiler

Wow. That little confrontation between Ruug & Asajj at the end of Chapter 32. I respect Ruug’s backbone.

 

Wow this was good. Best SW book since the first new Thrawn by a distance, maybe even better. We've finally found a good author for SW, so well written and the links to other works were perfect. I feel like this was reward for years of putting up with mediocre SW novels and a plethora of kids books. Plese give this person more work in the SW universe!

 

Chapter 33 is hilarious. Good levity in it.

 

I have just a couple chapters left, but I am really enjoying the way Chen can write the characters, even within the same chapter, and they can come off as being portrayed by their live action actors or voice actors just depending on what they're saying and the tone they are saying it with.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

Hoping to put in an Amazon UK order for this (and a bunch of other non-SW books) tomorrow.

 

I love this book so much. The last few chapters might be the best part.

Spoiler

Obi-Wan reflecting on his bond with Anakin through Qui-Gon brought tears to my eyes. The fact that he constantly went back to questioning his relationship with Anakin and how he approached being his Jedi Master, whether or not he should have tried to be more like Qui-Gon than what he thought was expected of him.... it's just so powerful.

The fact that Anakin can feel Qui-Gon watching over him a d counseling him... and that he doesn't listen to that counsel. Whew.

This makes me need a conversation between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon in the TV series. It really does. Stang, I kind of want Qui-Gon low key haunting Vader when he's in his bacta tank or meditation chamber.

Reading Mike Chen's acknowledgments is coll too. That idea that Ruug is inspired by Kira from DS9 is super cool. She was a great character.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

Spoiler

Agree. Although in general Neimoidians in this book, IMO, rather reminded of Cardassians, with emphasis on their art, that is not appreciated by other species, and trial on Kenobi was somewhat similar to an episode about trial of O'Brien.

 

My copy came from Amazon UK today so it's next on my fiction reading list.

 

Just finished this book last night. Great story.

 

This started off well but then fell apart fast in the middle and it never recovered.

Spoiler

Most of the time I don't mind continuity limits on a story, they are necessary but on this one they felt far heavier.

The lacking resolution to who did the bombing became very apparent, which was the other problem. It played its cards too early and obviously.

On its own, the book not being to do anything goes either way with the plot deciding it. This time the plot didn't do that for me.

There were some neat observations in the first half, especially on how Palpatine just happens to be around to help Anakin when he needs it.

Edit - on further reflection, Kenobi episode 3 really didn't help this story.

Spoiler

Those younglings you helped Anakin? In a few years, you'll kill them and their friends and their pets and you'll love it.

 

Spoiler

Huh, I thought it was pretty clear that Ventress was responsible for the bombing. She just happened to have the only untouched bunker in the wreckage, where a data pad incriminating the Republic was found *and* there was evidence pointing towards the Separatists found by Ruug *and* Ventess provided Ketar with materials for setting off other bombs. And everything she was doing was with the intent of enslaving tensions.

What the Jedi know is that Dooku is a Sith, Ventress os Dooku's apprentice, and while they are at the top of the Confederacy they also essentially act as a third party, along with Sidious, playing both sides.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

Maybe it was there and I missed it, pretty much flipped through the second half of it.

 

I don't like that

Spoiler

It wasn't the Republic doing this. I guess it is just part of canon (starting with TCW) to make the clone wars very black and white.

If this was the old legends I think they would have had the Republic do the bombings.

These book also reminds me of the Cestus deception in a lot of ways, Obi v Ventress political intrigue.

I also find it funny that Obi-wans idea of 'deescalation' is 'everyone join us then we talk to the enemy'. That isn't deescalation, that is negotiating from a position of strength.

 

So I have a question on Chapter 51 about the book. Granted I skimmed it for Obi-Wan/Satine relationship answers, and when I read what Obi-Wan was thinking, I admit I was a bit peeved, because the wording just didn't seem like Obi-Wan to me. Granted I grew up with the EU Jedi Apprentice/Jedi Quest etc from Jude Watson and it didn't seem to make any sense. If anyone can clear it up for me that'll be great. I got the impression that Obi-Wan Kenobi didn't seem to care about people and he does care about Anakin and others. Also I don't think he'll ever 'run away', stay yes, but 'run away'? No.

 

I'd like to see him do something with more freedom than he had here. Pre-PT or the TPM-AOTC gap could work well.

 

Didn't like it at all. Not enough Anakin and Obi-Wan together, characterization felt rather off at times (especially with Mace Windu), too much Anakin and Padme, no Captain Rex, Cody had like one line. Mill was an obvious Ahsoka stand in, and she really detracts from Anakin and Ahsoka's relationship. Felt like Chen tried to create his own Ahsoka, but who was perfect and got into Anakin's soul in a very short amount of time (of course she has her "emphatic" ability), to a point where she's like the only person in the Galaxy who ever truly understood him and the only one to whom Anakin opened up "on the deepest level." Like he told her that he used to be a slave? He never told Ahsoka that in three years, she found out from Obi-Wan, when they had to deal with slavers. Chen tries to recontextualize "The Clone Wars" movie in a way that it's not Anakin who worked his way to coming to terms with getting a Padawan on his own for the first time, but it was Mill who prepared him, who told him to "not be a dragon." He wasn't encountered with a sudden burden that made him think about his reckless ways and take more responsibility, Chen wants me to believe that he'd been through that already, with that one perfect Zabrak girl, with whom he parted ways a short time ago, who was also unsure about her place with the Jedi (sounds familiar?). Chen wants me to believe that Anakin sees Mill when he looks at Ahsoka in that "The Clone Wars" movie. Chen says that Anakin basically "earned" being a Master with her and that's why Yoda gave Ahsoka to him. Nah.
I think Karen Traviss's "The Clone Wars" novelization does a way better job in covering Anakin, Obi-Wan, their relationship, war, the Jedi, it also has the clones and their perspectives, and it doesn't step on Anakin and Ahsoka's relationship, more so, she described Anakin coming to terms with getting a Padawan perfectly, mirroring his own experience with the Council and Qui-Gon in The Phantom Menace, and his relationship with Obi-Wan.
Lots of EU nods in this one, but the overall plot I found pretty boring. Clone trooper "Sister" - just no, it just doesn't make any sense. Ruug was interesting.
Overall, that business on Cato Neimoidia, it doesn't, doesn't count for me

 

I had fun reading/listening to this book on audible. I quite like the characters in this. Anakin and Obi-Wan and how they viewed wach other and their relationship. Sone nice cameos in this from clone wars tv show and Movies. Qui-Gon Jinn gets lots of mentions, its good to hear how important he was to both Kenobi and Anakin. Its a good book about that Business on Cato Nemodia.

 

I read about Sister the clone. Thought it sounded offensive to transgender fans. A better idea for a trans clone? Make Omega explicitly transgender