– Slight Spoiler Review –
Brotherhood, written by Mike Chen, taps into a unique point in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker’s life, just after the events of Attack of the Clones as the war builds and their Master and Apprentice roles change, and reveals how the two adjust to their new lives due to some business on Cato Neimoidia. Thanks to some intriguing new characters that challenge the pair’s ways and our perceptions of them and other aspects of Star Wars, as well as beautiful, lush, and sometimes haunting prose, Brotherhood secures itself a spot in a select pantheon of memorable and engaging top-notch Star Wars books.
Originally a throwaway line eventually made into a humorous moment in a Legends novel, Brotherhood turns “that business on Cato Neimoidia” into not only a pivotal early moment in the Clone Wars, but an event through which writer Mike Chen can explore this turning point in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker’s lives, dealing with what came before and hinting at what’s to come for them, in a supernaturally strong display of character study and understanding, while also challenging our perceptions of Neimoidians and the larger Clone Wars conflict, plus somehow touching on real-world issues as well. Brotherhood has layers upon layers, and while I’m no English Professor, I’m sure one could mine this book for all sorts of analysis, which is fitting considering Chen considers the Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover, with some of the most unique and beautiful prose for a Star Wars book, as his inspiration, but I also got hints of John Jackson Miller’s Kenobi, from how often new characters help us see familiar ones in a new light as they grow and change with the galaxy’s churning. There’s been a bounty of new novels with a character focus similar to Brotherhood and it joins said growing list of excellent, layered depictions alongside books like the Alphabet Squadron Trilogy, Last Shot, Master & Apprentice, Bloodline, etc., though while its overall conflict doesn’t feel totally resolved by the end like some of those other books, it matters little compared to how the overall story explores the various depths of the characters.
When I tell you writer Mike Chen displays an almost unnerving level of understand of Obi-Wan and Anakin, I mean this in the absolute best way possible, and it’s the core strength of Brotherhood. It’s impossible not to hear Hayden Christensen/Matt Lanter or Ewan McGregor/James Arnold Taylor during their POV chapters, but that even carries over into other character’s chapters, as even then their dialogue is spot on, eliciting laughter, ruminations, and feelings of dread over both of their futures. Considering The Clone Wars TV show and Revenge of the Sith just pick up with their tales and push forward, it’s never felt like any direct fallout from the events of Attack of the Clones has been dealt with, especially for these two, from uncovering the Separatist army, marrying a Senator, to dealing with Dooku, so it was refreshing and interesting to see Obi-Wan’s argument with Anakin after Padme fell from their transport while chasing Count Dooku or Anakin’s new metal hand come into play in big and pivotal ways to help shape these two as the war begins to grow. It takes such an innate understand of where these two have been and where they are going to produce such layered and complex explorations and we’re lucky Chen has it, as while we’ve certainly spent a lot of time with these characters, it’s never been as in-depth and well-written as this. For a significant part of the book, these two are actually apart, and it’s palpable while reading, as it starts with them together and Chen’s strength of writing them during this transition has echoes of the deep friends they become, so the time apart only adds to the feeling and constant reminder the book makes: these two are better, almost unstoppable, together. So when they reunite, it’s an explosive moment, not just how Chen frames the scene unfolding from different POVs, but because of how in-sync they immediately feel, how much the dynamic immediately recalls TCW and beyond for their friendship and, dare I say it, brotherhood. Beyond how well Chen writes these two together, it’s how he uses new characters to capture microcosms of their past, present, and setting the stage for the future that is my favorite aspect to Brotherhood, and the pairings here are on par with how he writes Anakin and Obi-Wan together, while also managing to ensure the characters stand on their own and leave an impression in their own right.
One of the new characters is Ruug, a special forces operative wrapped up in the investigation into the tragedy on her home planet…Cato Neimoidia. That’s right, Ruug is a Neimoidian, which I think might be a first for POV characters in a novel, and through her Chen is able to tackle our assumptions about the species for readers and our characters alike, while also using her relationship to her hotheaded pupil Ketar, which compresses the narrative of Obi-Wan and Anakin’s future, to teach us more about Obi-Wan and the decisions he’ll make when faced with his own pupil’s choices. Though like I said earlier, Ruug easily stands on her own as a memorable character, be it her world-weary yet committed viewpoint towards Cato Neimoidia and her people, considering the actions she’s taken in the dark to secure their future, or how spending time with her broadens our views of Neimoidians, and also how her choices (or lack thereof) with Ketar are a prime example of what Obi-Wan will have to deal with by the end of the war. Ketar makes assumptions about the destruction on Cato Neimoidia which starts the events of the book and Ruug, who was once young and angry and looking for something to lash out on once, doesn’t push his growing paranoia, which only grows worse after Asajj Ventress injects herself into the situation (more on her later!). Ruug’s partnership with Obi-Wan, trusting him even when he doesn’t fully trust her, exposing in him assumptions and biases, while awakening him to how much more nuanced these Clone Wars really will turn out to be than just Separatist and Republic. Ruug’s handling of Ketar is a test case for Obi-Wan and Anakin’s entire relationship, especially from the beginning of the Clone Wars to their fateful duel on Mustafar, from the outside influences and the emotional core of the each masters’ padawan, and Ruug’s actions help paint Obi-Wan’s choices in new light as he’s there to watch the events unfold. Through both Ruug and Obi-Wan’s POVs, Chen also digs into Obi’s imposter syndrome after having Qui-Gon Jinn as his Master, as Ruug has her own doubts she has the right to push or pull Ketar and Obi-Wan struggles with the same, now that his Padawan is a Jedi Knight and a friend, and dealing with Qui-Gon’s shadow was a welcomed addition to all the other great stuff Chen covers with Obi. In the end, Ruug was a really pleasant surprise and helped me change my mind on Neimoidians.
Then there’s Mill Alibeth, a Zabrak Jedi youngling who, unlike all the others her age, doesn’t want to go to the Gathering to get their kyber or swing a laser sword in the name of peace and justice for the galaxy. There have been Jedi in The High Republic era like Reath Silas who aren’t eager to ever use their blade, but what really differences Mill is how this all stems from her connection, or lack thereof, with the Force, as she’s highly empathetic. To her, connecting to the Force is painful, the sensations overwhelming, especially in this time of war, and this life-long feeling has developed into a pacifist mindset, an instantly compelling viewpoint in an era which the Jedi increasingly embrace their growing role in the war. How Chen writes her coming to terms with her powers and finding ways to use them for good makes her even more compelling, while partnering her up with Anakin Skywalker, who is so steadfast, fanatic almost in his belief the war is necessary to restore order to the galaxy, and whose emotions are happening all at once all the time, makes Mill just about the most fascinating character of Brotherhood. Through Mill we unlock the sun dragon heart within Anakin Skywalker, one of many beautiful references to Stover’s novelization, and their connection, even before he meets Ahsoka Tano, lays the groundwork for so much that’ll come for the character, including when he’s Vader, to the point it’s rather breathtaking how Chen capture’s Anakin’s soul in both his POV sections and via Mill’s interactions. Through it all, Mill’s pacifist mindset is challenged, just like she challenges Anakin’s fanatic feelings on fighting, and each subsequent moment with her was both intriguing and fulfilling to read, but made me want more, as when we do switch to her POV it comes with some impactful moments, descriptions, and ideals for Anakin and Mill. I did find it interesting, especially after The High Republic and empathetic Jedi like Burryaga and Imri Cantaros, to see how differently the Jedi operate when it comes to these special cases, as THR Masters were far more open and understanding and now, with the war brewing and the Jedi’s role turning to official generals in the war, the Jedi suddenly don’t seem to have the time to nurture this, showing the difference between the Jedi’s far too quick and eager approach to this war compared to the debate-heavy Jedi of the THR era about the depth of being involved with the Republic against the Nihil. Her character in this war-heavy era is one of my favorite aspects of Brotherhood and I’m eager to see what else could come from such a concept in the future, especially after how her story comes to an end here, complete with some intriguing foreshadowing for other characters and events to come.
Asajj Ventress enters the fray in Brotherhood and it was fun and refreshing to read how Chen dances around and deals with Obi-Wan and Anakin not really knowing her yet, while seeing her in more than an action-focused role, manipulating and planning subterfuge, was a welcomed change of pace for the character. Likewise, while Padmé isn’t featured much in the novel, Anakin does spend the opening portion of the novel with her, and seeing these two together in a non-war, non-mission related setting, where they can be a newly married couple and go on dates, was incredibly fun to see. It’s not often we get to see them so “normal” as it were, and it was fun and appropriately awkward to see them try to figure out how to act normal and find dates to go on with one another. On top of that, there’s a thread throughout Brotherhood of Obi-Wan coming to understand the depth of their connection and whether or not he should talk to Anakin about it, and as this has been a question I’ve had for quite some time, the logical conclusions Obi-Wan eventually draws for his stance on the whole thing is another tiny piece of the novel’s puzzle I enjoyed.
Regardless of your opinions on The Phantom Menace, and the prequels overall (I love ‘em), Neimoidians are a sore spot for Star Wars (so is Watto and Jar Jar) when it comes to racist cultural representation, of the East Asian variety, and Brotherhood makes ginormous strides in challenging fans and the franchise to see them as more than what the prequels and TCW showed. Chen’s successful thanks to his multi-pronged approach tackling the checkered history of the franchises’ treatment of the Neimoidians, as he adds vital glimpses of their culture, including art, makes Ruug and Ketar’s stories relatable and similar to the Obi-Wan/Anakin dynamic, and fleshing out their society to show the many facets that make them more than financial-focused folks. While many characters throughout the book agree the Neimoidians are defined mostly by their proclivity to risk assessment, Obi-Wan’s time among them, and our time in Ruug’s POV, we learn more about their artistic side, what they value as a society, and truly get their overall distinctiveness from the Trade Federation. That last point shouldn’t be a surprise, nor a revelation, but the way Chen writes it, it certainly feels like it, as many characters comes to understand it or make reference to the face Neimoidians aren’t all the Trade Federation or hold their views or policies, and it’s easy for readers to end up feeling the same way too if they haven’t already made the distinction. It means mountains Mike Chen is the one changing the way we view Neimoidians, as while this is something long overdue for the franchise and another writer could’ve tackled it, having it done by an Asian American author is just so cool, and I’d love to hear from him when and how he decided to work on this aspect of the novel while still providing an abundance of other riches (this sort of recalls Kenobi again, as it managed to change our perspective on Tuskens long before The Book of Boba Fett). Chen has made Neimoidian culture so compelling and complex, I almost felt like the novel could’ve had more about it, as references to art or the significance of the layout of a city are only mentioned when necessary and didn’t seem explored beyond those moments, but these thoughts are minor when so much has been done to rehabilitate the franchise’s wrongs. Why this aspect of the book really stood out to me was, and I’m ashamed to admit it, but when I read the opening chapter in Ruug’s POV, I figured she was a one-off appearance, despite the fact this is a book set on Cato Neimoidia about a disaster on one of their cities, which goes to show how little or often the race is used beyond their antagonist role, and I’m so glad I was wrong (turns out, in the BTS reveals on Twitter*, she wasn’t even going to have POV chapters but my point still stands!). There are also some layers woven in by Chen that could be applied to our world as it is right now, from disinformation and the real effects of neutrality, and I love how timely it felt, holding true to George Lucas’ roots with the franchise and its allegories for the times as well.
Beyond the written version, there of course is a audiobook version by Penguin Random House Audio, read by Jonathan Davis! As you can imagine, the music choices here are heavily picked from the prequels, which grounds this version even deeper into the era than even the page can manage (though many of these songs are what were playing around in my head while reading). I liked Davis’ voice for Ruug, something calm yet weighted, doubling down on her long-lived career, while his accent for Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan is subtle, but just enough to help distinguish when he’s talking, and the compositional choices to build up how strange Mill Alibeth’s connection to the Force was gave more importance to her journey throughout. The subtleties the audiobook adds to various scenes and character interactions give this already layered adventure another one that’s worth listening to as you read along.
Here are a few other things:
- There are a lot of blink and you’ll miss it references in Brotherhood. A few I caught or enjoyed are: shadow-canon of the Clone Wars microseries’ Chapter 20, aka General Grievous’ introduction; there’s a beautiful and small Kenobi callout, which the author was nice enough to provide me a hint but is now out in the open (Satine nicknaming Obi-Wan “Ben”); Through both Anakin and Mill’s POVs, a description of Anakin’s inner mind, his meditation, feels like a reference to the artwork of Giuseppe Camuncoli in his and Charles Soule’s Darth Vader – Dark Lord of the Sith comic.
- *In the weeks leading up to release, Chen has been offering behind-the-scenes details on his process for writing Brotherhood on Twitter, discussing inspiration for characters and story, revealing a process we often don’t get to see but also showing off his understanding of these characters and the Saga as whole. It starts with a short but sweet one on POV and why he chose to do one person a chapter (which I prefer as well); the second’s about Anakin’s headspace and what he wanted to cover with the character, what lingering aspects of Ani’s life he wanted to acknowledge; thirdly, he talks about connections to DS9 (a Star Trek show) with the Jedi and the War and Mass Effect (a video game) with Ruug, and he reveals she wasn’t even initially going to be a POV and I’m damn glad she was; the next one covers Mill and her Studio Ghibli roots and I love the final GIF for the final tweet; he then covers Padmé’s role in the book and the deep connections he had with E.K. Johnston’s Queen’s Hope; 4 weeks out he discussed all the books you might want to read beforehand (and if you haven’t read some, don’t miss out, they are all great!); 3 weeks to go and this one was ALL ABOUT QUI-GON JINN and the shadow he looms over both Anakin and Obi-Wan’s lives, another delightful aspect of the book I really appreciated; 2 weeks out from release and it’s all about Anakin’s voice, and what Chen uncovered when getting ready to write this is why his Anakin is so damn good here.
- I’m not as big a Dexter Jettster fan as some people, but his distinctive design and unique place in the galaxy have always stood out to me, so the amount of content with him here was a damn tasty treat worthy of Dex’s Diners standards!
Brotherhood is one of those books that unravels before you and it’s just clear it’s a special read, as it feels rewarding to finish and there’s promise of unlocking more layers in rereads. Not only does it shine when it comes to exploring Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, at this specific point in their lives and also dealing with their overall story, but its original characters Mill and Ruug leave just as big of impressions, while the exploration of this franchise’s themes and healing mistakes of its past are compelling aspects to the novel. Thank you, Mike Chen, for this one! Don’t miss out on his debut Star Wars novel, especially if you’ve wanted a deeper exploration of the main characters, and may there be more from him!
+ Voices for Obi-Wan and Anakin
+ Dealing with the past, present, and future of Obi and Anakin
+ Original characters Ruug and Mill bring so much more to Obi-Wan and Anakin’s stories while standing out themselves
+ So many delicious layers to uncover across so many aspects
+ Changing our perspective on Neimoidians
– Main conflict felt a tad unfinished
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of this book, through NetGalley, from the publisher at no charge in order to provide an early review. However, this did not affect the overall review content. All opinions are my own.
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