Books: Star Wars: Master & Apprentice By Claudia Gray (2019)

"A Jedi must be a fearless warrior, a guardian of justice, and a scholar in the ways of the Force. But perhaps a Jedi’s most essential duty is to pass on what they have learned. Master Yoda trained Dooku; Dooku trained Qui-Gon Jinn; and now Qui-Gon has a Padawan of his own. But while Qui-Gon has faced all manner of threats and danger as a Jedi, nothing has ever scared him like the thought of failing his apprentice. Obi-Wan Kenobi has deep respect for his Master, but struggles to understand him. Why must Qui-Gon so often disregard the laws that bind the Jedi? Why is Qui-Gon drawn to ancient Jedi prophecies instead of more practical concerns? And why wasn’t Obi-Wan told that Qui-Gon is considering an invitation to join the Jedi Council—knowing it would mean the end of their partnership? The simple answer scares him: Obi-Wan has failed his Master. When Jedi Rael Averross, another former student of Count Dooku, requests their assistance with a political dispute, Jinn and Kenobi travel to the royal court of Pijal for what may be their final mission together. What should be a simple assignment quickly becomes clouded by deceit, and by visions of violent disaster that take hold in Qui-Gon’s mind. As Qui-Gon’s faith in prophecy grows, Obi-Wan’s faith in him is tested—just as a threat surfaces that will demand that Master and apprentice come together as never before, or be divided forever."

The new canon books –which are designed to unify the ever growing Expanded Universe 2.0- tries their best to explain things that happened in the Star Wars film series, minor plot points, and other exposition that would’ve been cut for pacing. This can be a good thing in some ways, as it answers some questions the films brought up.

Star Wars: Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray tries to make Qui-Gon Jinn less a prophecy zealot and more a pragmatic Jedi with different views on how Jedi conduct themselves. The character of Rael Averros seems designed to show what happens when a Jedi spends too much time away from the Council and other Jedi. There’s this idea that too much individuality is super bad, as if they lose their way. And love, this emotion above all, seems to one the biggest flaws within the Jedi. It does get a bit creepy when you start to dissect some of the motivations of Jedi, and it’s here you see where George Lucas begins cribbing from real life religion. Qui-Gon tells Obi Wan that he’s not really believed in the prophecies in a long time, not since he was a young padawan, but he also does not believe they’re meaningless. The book also explains why Qui-Gon never took a seat on the Jedi Council, after being elevated to Master. This offer comes via Mace Windu, who would eventually offer Anakin a seat on the Council without being elevated to Master in the prequel films. Symmetry and retconing all at the same time.

Claudia Gray remains one of the better writers in the tightly controlled Star Wars universe. Her books with Leia are great, and the characters she creates are always good (love Rehara and Pax). However, when it comes to both Obi-Won and Qui-Gon, she falters a bit with them creatively. The “voices” of the two are somewhat…hollow?

With the latest trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker now out, and the acknowledgement that the long thought dead Emperor is coming back, there is some hints here that his return was in the Jedi prophecy a long time ago: “when the righteous lose the light, evil once dead shall return." While I'm certain that we'll not get a direct answer as what happened after the events of Return of the Jedi in the film series, at least here in these novels, we may get a better understanding of how things fell apart after the Rebellions success on the forest moon of Endor.

Plus, we know as far back as The Phantom Menace, writer/director George Lucas was already hinting that the Emperor could survive death. And since the acquisition of the franchise with Disney, the books, comics, and animated TV shows, and the newest film series that have followed have slyly shown the seeds of his return were being carefully planted here and there. For some the faults of Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath series, those three books are perfect examples of the long-term planning most fans didn’t think was possible now that Lucas was not in control.