Lit Books Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen

This book was odd. I feel like I need to really give it two separate reviews, one for how it tried to reinterpret the old Genndy Tartakovsky Clone Wars, and another for the story itself.

So I shall do exactly that.

Review 1: Brotherhood as the Genndy Tartakovsky Clone Wars Fun House

This novel managed to include EVERY Clone Wars arc from the first two seasons of Genndy’s CW EXCEPT my favorite, the Battle of Muunilinst. In fact, several statements made in the book more or less trounce on the BoM (heheheh) ever happening. I recall some random Disney-era sourcebook referencing the BoM, however, so some rendition must have occurred. But here is what we got:

Spoiler

-Obi-Wan says near the beginning that he’s only known the clones for a few weeks, and there are comments that the war has really just begun. So this book is based what, a month into the war at most?

-Anakin is already a knight, having been made one immediately after AOTC.

-Hypori already happened. Obi-Wan directly comments on that battle, and how Ki-Adi barely survived his fight with Grievous.

-Obi-Wan and Anakin meet Asajj for the first time in this story. They get to know her a bit. They fight her. There is no way in hell the version we saw in Genndy’s show ever happened, especially if Hypori already took place.

-At the end of this book, Anakin and Obi-Wan are made official generals and given the white clone-looking armor pieces.

There are several direct nods to Gendy’s show, in other contexts:

Spoiler

-The Ilum lightsaber crystal ceremony features prominently in one character (Mill’s) plot.

-Anakin and Mill have a scene somewhat similar to Luminara and Barriss, when they’re caught in a collapse by a Separatist attack and need to lift up the rocks to stay alive.

-Anakin loses his temper and goes on a jumping chase with Ventress (like their Yavin fight).

-Anakin comments that Mace fought a ton of droids on the Battle of Dantooine.

You may say “Why does the BoM matter, Barriss?” To which I reply, “Without the BoM, what do we know of San Hill? What has he done in the Disney-era, outside the films? Nothing. He’s done nothing.”

I guess I’m a bit bummed. Last thing he was in was the Plagueis novel, but that’s not canon. And that was what, >10 years ago? Le sigh.

Anyway –

Review 2: The Actual Plot

Mike Chen should be lauded for trying his darndest to break the Neimoidians out of the prejudice rut they’ve been confined in since Lucas introduced them. I loved the book for that alone. You really appreciate them as a species here. Even Anakin is wearing an “I Luv Neimoidians!” t-shirt by the end. (Since this is the Lit forum where everything is taken Literally, no, he does not. But he probably would if there was one.)

Mill is a wonderful character. I’m surprised there aren’t more Jedi who find fighting repulsive. We see them from time to time, but they tend to be useless deadbeats. Here we have someone who has lots of skills, just doesn’t want to fight.

Good references to the Padme trilogy. There were several, and they all worked pretty well. Nice continuity.

Dex! I loved the Dex scene. FINALLY Dex plays a role that’s totally useful, drawing on his old experiences.

Obi-wan and Anakin were written splendidly. Their personalities were dead-on.

Ventress was the only “meh” part. She was sort of… boring? Like, she didn’t do anything but play run-of-the-mill minion.

So yeah, two reviews for the price of one. And BoM. This book cost us the BoM.

 

I've been almost through it and I really love this book. It captures on the atmosphere of Ep II; CW and TCW perfectly. I really really enjoy it. The audiobook production is is excellent!!!

 

This is my first ever audiobook. Loving it so far!

 

I haven't read it yet, but I'll add that the retcon of the Trade Federation being neutral is really jarring in my eyes.

 

That’s like 2010 George Lucas/Filoni retcon though.

 

Although I like that book is focused on Neimoidian civilians and civil authority, IMO, the TF itself was too out of focus - a missed opportunity to show whether its neutrality was just a cynical decision to trade with both sides or Nute really was viewed as extremist by the rest of its leadership because of him openly joining with Dooku. Although the second variant would be an even bigger whitewashing of the TF (a megacorp whose employees were committing war crimes on Naboo and other planets) than it is in the book (portraying TF as Neimoidians' protection from the Republic's
arbitrariness, almost without mentioning its darker aspects).

 

And it was the only case when TF's sins were brought by, Federation is absent in the rest of the plot and it is unclear how much influence it has over the civil authority - and thereby the idea of the Neimodians being discriminated by one political entity -the Republic - in this book overshadows the fact that the another one - TF- that they created for protection ultimately itself became an oppressing entity, arguably more vile than the Republic.

 

Finished the audiobook, it was very good. I am sort of expecting a follow up set shortly before the time of Revenge of the Sith to complete an unofficial “master and apprentice” trilogy with one book going along with each movie.

I guess i missed the

Spoiler

Cal Kestis cameo?! Where was that?

 

Spoiler

He's not mentioned by name - the cameo is a mention of Jaro Tapal, Cal's master, being accompanied by a "red-haired youngling." It's in chapter 3.

 

A lot of you listened to the audiobook. What was that like? Is there a full voice cast? Neimoidians and all?

 

I doubt it. There's usually a narrator that does their best to do appropriate voices for each character.

Full cast is reserved for an audio play like Dooku Jedi Lost, the Doctor Aphra one, Tempest Runner and the upcoming Battle of Jedha.

The Princess and the Scoundrel is an exception, because they have 2 different narrators reading the alternating Han and Leia chapters.

 

I finally got round to finishing this today, I enjoyed it Mike passion for the prequels is clear from the start and I personally hope he gets to write more in the era.

 

I listened to the audiobook for Brotherhood (though I've listened to several others since then so hopefully I'm not misremembering the particulars). It's narrated by Jonathan Davis, who narrates other SW books as well. He does all the character voices. IMO he gets pretty close with the voices of characters we know, like Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Dex. For the Neimoidians, he makes them sound different from humans with a unique sort of huskiness to their voices, but I think the accent was less pronounced with his style than it was in the PT.

The SW audiobooks, this one included, have some music and sound effects like lightsabers, droids, ship engines, blasters, and general crowd noise. That's a bit different from other audiobooks I've listened to that are just straight narration. It gives them a more Star-Wars-y feel.

 

I gave this a 5/5 on Goodreads.

This book was a lot better than I thought it'd be. It had so many cool PT callbacks, just great. When I was reading this I rewatched the PT actually and noticed oddly enough at the beginning of ROTS Anakin says something to the effect of that's the 10th time I've saved you to Obi-Wan and he replies we aren't counting Cato Neimodia. What?? That is so cool the Mike Chen took a throwaway line and wrote a whole book on the mission. Another ROTS reference was Palpatine referring to a conversation he had with Anakin about his mother, and once again what do you know....that conversation occurs in this book. What cool tidbits. I'm really glad I watched the PT while reading. I also found it interesting how they showed the residents of Cato Neimodia as more than the Trade Federation.

I liked how Obi-Wan and Anakin were portrayed. It very much gave the reader an insight in their inner thoughts regarding not only Cato Neimodia, but Padme, Palpatine, the Jedi Order, and Qui-Gonn. We saw both thought about Qui-Gonn's impact on their life. I really liked that. I really felt like Chen really had a good mastery of the continuity.

Mill had me worried from the jump. I don't mean if she'd survive the book, but if she was going to be one of the younglings Anakin kills. I was so glad she became a Padawan at the end and learned she found a Master who knew how to use her connection to the Force. We saw in Iskat what a difference that makes.

Seeing Ventress here was really cool, and knowing canonically this is her interaction w/Obi-Wan and Anakin is interesting for TCW fans.

 

Lol you and me had the same thoughts. I was like. Is Mill going to get murdered by Anakin?

 

Yes I saw that same thing.

 

Started this a week or so ago. Almost halfway in.

Admission: I am typically pretty sick of Anakin/Obi Clone Wars stories, so I was feeling pretty meh about it.

But this is damn good.

And I swear...I am now a Anakin/Hayden fan since Ahsoka ep. 5. I thought his performance was phenomenal and it brought a certain gravity to his entire prequel performance that it really needed, in my strong opinion.

 

Really enjoying this book. Mike Chen clearly loves the Prequels and CW and TCW. The amount of work this man did to reference the Multimedia project books and show as well as setup the characters for where we find them in TCW. As for the BoM, Chen has stated that the fight with Ventress happened, but because it was rainy and dark, Anakin doesn't recognize her. This fits with Filoni cutting the TCW Movie reference to that fight and adding Obi-Wan recognizing her during Hidden Enemy.

He also manages to make the story about Anakin and Padme and Obi-Wan's view of their relationship fit with the first 3 chapters of Wild Space and includes references to the Republic Security Council, which originated in the Republic Commando books, and was just formed in the early chapters of Wild Space.

It's really a celebration of continuity and yet another reason that I think the Canon/Legends split is ridiculous.


Chapter 3 also highlighted another Temple Jedi hypocrisy thing for me. Mill noted two younglings who are twins and whose familial bond meant they were always together. That jogged my memory of Stass Allie and Adi Gallia who are cousins.

It just strikes me as a bizarre exception to the logic of taking kids from their families and discouraging attachment.

 

I think you would also get a lot out of "inquisitor: Rise of the red blade", if you enjoy examinations of the failings of the Jedi (but not being full on 'jedi bad').

Also agree on this book being a good continuity use.

 

I actually just read Brotherhood and Red Blade back to back and I feel that they make for a good unofficial "duology." Not only are there some characters that make appearances in both and overlapping events, but it also shows the duality of relationships between Jedi, with Brotherhood showing a more positive and healthy relationship (or as healthy as Anakin and Obi-Wan can be) while Red Blade shows... a less than healthy relationship.

 

Definitely looking forward to Inquisitor!

 

Yes that book tackles an idea I have wanted to see for a while

Spoiler

a Jedi returning to their birth family after order 66