Robert's Reviews > Kenobi

Poor Obi-Wan.

Betrayed by his former padawan, hunted and reviled by a new Galactic Empire built on the ashes of his beloved Jedi Order, he's not at his best.



So when he rocks up at the edge of the Jundland Wastes on Tatooine to keep an eye on baby Luke Skywalker (from the inconvenient distance of 100Km, but, hey, guess that's close enough in the eyes of the Force) he does his darnedest to fly under the radar. Only trouble has a way of finding a Jedi, even when he's got to keep his lightsabering and Force-pushing on the major DL to avoid "imperial complications".

What's really going on here? Well, distil some 150 years of Frontier Literature (AKA Westerns) down to the time-honoured story of a mysterious stranger riding into town, uncovering evil and conspiracy at the heart of a seemingly idyllic community, and getting forced to intervene much to his chagrin. Oh, and there are some ornery natives (in this case, they are you're not-so-friendly neighbourhood Sandpeople, also called Tusken Raiders) who might just be misunderstood. Or not. That's not a spoiler, it honestly wasn't that clear.



I like the character of Obi-Wan, and checking in with him during what must have been a seriously difficult time for him was interesting, but for me too much of the story's focus was on the family of shopkeepers he befriends and their dilemmas. Also, for fans of soaring space battles and epic lightsaber duels, this book could be an exercise in frustration as the battles, and the stakes in general, are kept deliberately small.

Overall, I did enjoy it, though, and most avid SW fans probably will as well.