Master & Appren­tice by Claudia Gray

I absolutely loved this and Claudia Gray’s way of portraying the Star Wars universe is excellently done. I’m a bit late getting to this one, but it’s wonderful to see the experience of Qui-Gon learning how to understand Obi-Wan.

”I attempt to understand the viewpoints of everyone I deal with. That’s not a weakness. It’s how I operate.”

I feel like this book really did a lot to emphasize the Master-Padawan bond that forms. Ten years dedicated to teaching and molding a child whose safety and experience is in your hands is daunting. As someone who works with kids that age, all the little scenes of young Qui-Gon and young Obi-Wan hit so hard. Especially when you factor in Rael’s grief surrounding the accident with his Padawan - there are a lot of intense emotions involved. The anxiety Qui-Gon feels when Obi-Wan is in danger is palpable.

I also, like always, enjoy the infusion of space politics within my Star Wars fiction. Somehow this novel manages to tackle a lot, from company sanctioned slavery, to artist opposition movements, to the grey-morality of certain crimes within the galaxy, and the coronation of a new queen. Sprinkle in the tug of war against how much Jedi should listen to the Council, and it’s a recipe for intensity!

I thought the side characters in this book were also fantastic, existing not just as lessons for Obi-Wan to learn about the harsh realities of planets beyond Coruscant, but also as big drivers of narrative developments. Pax in particular grew on me more than I expected and, when I think about it too long, his backstory makes me want to cry.

All in all, I knew I would love this and had an absolutely wonderful time. Learning more about the crèche and the process of becoming a Jedi Knight is always enjoyable to me, and I will certainly pick up another novel within this world soon.