The Republic, Jedi, and Anakin Skywalker; now, in it’s place rise the Galactic Empire and Sith Lord Darth Vader. But a new hope has been born, and the galaxy’s greatest warrior stands guard…join the Legendary Adventures as we journey into the Dark Times in John Jackson Miller’s excellent Kenobi!
“I’ll be far from anywhere, and alone, with nothing but my regrets to keep me company. If only there were a place to hide from those.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi has had a hell of a year. His best friend and former student, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, has pledged himself to the Dark Side of the Force and has been rechristened Darth Vader. The two fought, but Obi-Wan was unable to kill his best friend, so he left Vader’s body to burn on the lava shores of Mustafar. His Order has been destroyed by his former student, and his former Clone Army, and all that he knows remains is Jedi Master Yoda and Senator Organa. But there is good news – Anakin Skywalker’s twin children, Luke and Leia, have been relocated and hidden from their destructive father. More: Qui-Gon Jinn has contacted Yoda from somewhere within the Force and has offered to train Obi-Wan further.
Obi-Wan now has two main duties: learn from Qui-Gon, wherever he is in the Force, and guard infant Luke Skywalker. Indefinitely. On Tatooine. “This deal gets worse all the time” indeed! Unfortunately, Qui-Gon has been relatively silent from the netherworlds, leaving poor Obi-Wan to talk to himself. No, really: one of the most interesting parts of the novels is the inside look we get between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan speaks aloud, hoping that this will somehow bring Qui-Gon back to him so that they can truly begin their training.
In a galaxy rocked by a war on an unimaginable scale, with the death toll in untold numbers, it is interesting that the Dark Times start with such a personal story. But this type of story is perfect for a novel focused on Obi-Wan. Because of his duty to protect young Luke Skywalker, he can’t be pulled off-planet, much less out of the system, to take on a bigger threat. More than that: if he were involved in anything bigger, the Empire’s attention would totally be brought down on him. But this novel gives him something far more personal to deal with: creating and maintaining peace where he can while managing his role as a Jedi, challenged by potential feelings for a woman on Tatooine.
This gives Obi-Wan two foils, who challenge his identity and his role in two distinct ways. First, the Tusken Raiders challenge him to rethink what it means to be a Jedi after the fall of the Order. Thankfully, despite how badly they can be coded, the Tusken Raiders are given quite a robust backstory here. They aren’t just savages in heat wraps, but a bold warrior race bound by codes and traditions. They are led by A’Yark, the most feared warrior of all. It is this understanding of Tusken culture that helps us as readers and Obi-Wan understand them more clearly. Obi-Wan is ready to shed his title as warrior, but not yet shed his role as Negotiator. Can he negotiate peace here, or will his new home be as rocked by violence as his old home?
But that’s not the only identity that Obi-Wan has to reckon with thanks to Annilleen Calwell, a local. What will his life be like if there is no Order? Does this open himself up to the possibility of love? This isn’t the first love interest that we have come across in the Legendary Adventures: Taria Demsen was infatuated with Obi-Wan, but the two could not act upon their mutual feelings as Jedi Knights. While he was yet a Padawan, he and Siri Tachi bonded together, falling in love, but turning that aside for the sake of their oath to the Jedi. (You can read about their exploits together in the Jedi Apprentice/Quest books, which will not be reviewed in the Legendary Adventures.) Both times, Obi-Wan had to abandon his own interests for the interest of the Order. Does that still apply here? Is he still a Jedi without an Order?
John Jackson Miller pulls off an amazing feat here: this book is both immensely personal, yet it is still an ensemble book. Obi-Wan is not alone on Tatooine. Despite the fact that the galactic government has completely changed its shape, the clone army has wiped out the Jedi Order, and the Senate is in somewhat of a mess, the citizens of Tatooine aren’t any the wiser. And, if they are, they don’t really care. Really, they have far more pressing concerns, like the crops, Tusken Raiders, and gangsters. Exemplar of this, shopkeeper Annilleen Calwell is caught between defending her children, keeping her settlement in line, and a potential love interest in Obi-Wan Kenobi. (I do want to point out that the love story never eclipses her entire story, saving her from becoming yet another pawn for a man’s story. Your mileage may vary – and if it does, please, let me know.)
You may not think so, but it really is fascinating to see how the citizens of the galaxy function in a post-Republic world. Despite the end of the War and the death of the Jedi, Tatooine settlers have far more mundane (relatively) worries and concerns. We think of the Empire as a totalizing force, bringing the galaxy under its heel right away. Turns out, that isn’t entirely the case. It still takes time for it to spread and bring everyone under its reign. This leaves a lot of the galaxy to deal with the same issues it had to during the War. One particular concern is the safety of their settlements in light of the Tusken Raiders. After their assault on the Lars homestead, in which Shmi Lars was taken, the settlers have set up a small militia to defend themselves from the Raiders. This has created a cyclical relationship of violence between the Raiders and the settlers, wherein the two parties continue to escalate violence to higher and higher levels. A’Yark, the Tusken Raider leader, seems to be especially ferocious, striking fear into the hearts of the settlers, causing even more panic and escalated violence.
Again, I am not sorry about keeping details back. I did this on purpose: you simply must read Kenobi. Most Legends novels, as you might have picked up on, I don’t try and advocate for without some equivocation. I think any Star Wars fan will find a lot to like about this novel. And I say that as a staunch Obi-Wan non-fan. This novel has done what few works have done: made Obi-Wan a relatable character. (In my not-so-humble opinion, only Rogue Planet and Age of Republic: Obi-Wan Kenobi have joined this exclusive club.) John Jackson Miller truly understands the loneliness and aimlessness Obi-Wan might be feeling now and channels that into a fantastic novel. He also, a decade before Solo: A Star Wars Story, captures the western roots of the franchise.
EDIT: This book has been re-published as part of the Essential Legends Collection.
You can follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisWerms, and of course, you can follow the Manor on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor!
Essential Legends Collection: Revan | The Old Republic: Deceived | The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance | The Old Republic: Annihilation | Darth Bane: Path of Destruction | | Darth Bane: Rule of Two | Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil | Darth Plagueis | Shatterpoint | Kenobi | Rogue Squadron | Rogue Squadron: Wedge’s Gamble | Rogue Squadron: The Bacta War | Heir to the Empire | Dark Force Rising | The Last Command | Yoda: Dark Rendezvous | Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void | Republic Commando: Hard Contact | Republic Commando: Triple Zero | Republic Commando: True Colors | Outbound Flight | | Survivor’s Quest | Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter | The Courtship of Princess Leia | I, Jedi
Click Here For More Legendary Adventures!