STAR
WARS: KENOBI
A novel
by John Jackson Miller
Published
in hardback in the UK by CENTURY PUBLISHING
Reviewed by Scott Weller
Having wanted to
read a proper novel about Obi-Wan Kenobi’s life and times as that strange old
hermit going in and out of the Tatooine wastelands, looked on with disdain and
mistrust by the general populace as a crazy old hermit, this was a book that I,
and I’m sure many others, were most eager to read. How much you enjoy author
John Jackson Miller’s adventure of the desert depends greatly on what you
personally wanted to see explored. This is not quite the epic book I’d hoped
for- it doesn’t go through the whole twenty-year period that Kenobi would have
in exile- instead Miller sidesteps all that for the most part, focusing on the
characters recent arrival on that planet far away from the brightest centre of
the universe, and opts for something a little different, weaving a more
intimate character drama than we’ve seen in a while, with the odd bit of
requisite STAR WARS action-it’s a union that proves an enjoyably concentrated
if hardly classic read.
As the book
begins, Kenobi is isolated and could be considered lonely by any other
standards if he wasn’t quite such a disciplined Jedi, though the weight of the
galaxy remains fixed atop his shoulders, ladled with guilt about what has
happened to his former Padawan and best friend Anakin, and his ultimate role in
the destruction of the Republic and his beloved family that were the Jedi Order.
Concurrent to these brewing thoughts, our bearded hero is trying to adjust and
settle in to the Tatooine lifestyle such as it is, whilst also keeping a low
profile. Alas, such good intentions are
not to be, for, no matter how far he tries to not be recognized or get
involved, he can’t help attracting trouble and unlikely attentions- the results
of being a newcomer within a small community, albeit stretched out over a large
area, and quickly becoming a semi-nexus to events linked to a group of farmer
settlers trying to carve out a living in the moisture capture business. With
some of the locals proving too avaricious for their own good…
The harsh beauty
and wilds of Tatooine, its powerful twin suns and its harsh environs, a place
where day to day survival is hard for both the indigenous species and its human
interlopers is strongly evoked in the tale’s 300 pages- a genuine plus for the
book. It’s the wild west elements of the STAR WARS saga, that are satisfyingly
explored- in many respects there’s an aura of several classic genre films about
it translated to Lucas’s universe: from Alan Ladd’s SHANE to John Wayne’s THE
SEARCHERS to Clint Eastwood’s PALE RIDER, as Ben’s Jedi skills are used, albeit
subtly, in all manner of incidents: from rescuing wayward children to fighting
off Krayt Dragons! Its here in this self-exiled
land of little opportunity that the personality of Kenobi also becomes more
humble and friendly in his singular existence, and in trying to communicate in
these early days with the Force spirit of his late friend and mentor Qui-Gon Jinn-
a handy narrative plot device to reveal Obi’s personal and innermost thoughts
and feelings, filling in the gaps and adding some more character nuances
between now and his later “death” by Darth Vader.
On this personal side
of things beyond his small and basic hut dwelling, he even
gets a love interest of sorts in widowed shopkeeper Anileen, spirited yet
wanting more from her life, whose children comprise wayward son Jabe: a Luke
Skywalker-type gone rogue, soon causing trouble, and eager and loyal, but also
resolutely inquisitive daughter, Kallee. These three core characters are given
believability by Miller and interact well with Kenobi, alongside some distinctively
painted characters for the settlers community, young and old, human and alien,
headed up by Orrin, a vaporator farm owner on the make, responsible for the
defense of the various outlying homesteads against the livelihood threat of the
Sand People- seemingly with a smile on his face yet bearing an ambitious soul looking
to spread his business interests. It’s Orrin who ultimately fears Kenobi the
most, considering him an unusual rival and hindrance to his long-term goals and
his important relationship with Anileen.
Amongst all the
new story material and character elements, Miller, with his clear and strong
writing style, carefully and subtly weaves in the all-important continuity
between EPISODEs III and IV when he has to, involving both Kenobi and the
building state of the Galactic Empire in general- a lot of thought has clearly
gone into the way this has been structured. Other important moments on the
desert world that build up his new life history include becoming that
aforementioned “crazy old hermit” (cleverly built up through the eyes and anxiety
mindsets of the supporting characters he comes into contact with), finding and
tailoring his new digs, riding his faithful Eopie beast of burden, Rooh,
walking the Jundland Wastes, and even cadging the odd lift or two from a Jawa
Sandcrawler.
Determined not to
catch the always hungry eyes of possible Imperial spies and Jedi hunters, going
into major cities soon proves difficult for Kenobi, but, at one major point of
the book, it becomes unavoidable, resulting in his having no choice but to
sneakily go into conflict against some of the planet’s undesirable criminal
elements in Mos Eisley-notably an appearance by MARVEL COMICS original visual
incarnation of Jabba the Hutt: Mosep, in an Expanded Universe history
“patch-up” that proves nostalgic if a little forced.
Despite some
crowd-pleasing scenes, there are still a few things here and there that are
ultimately and disappointingly mentioned only in brief passing, like Owen and
Beru Lars with baby Luke (whom Kenobi has recently delivered to their protective
and nurturing custody at their Homestead), who sadly make no appearance in the
book.
As well as human
opponents (including a group of bored juvenile delinquents not too dissimilar,
if more rowdy, than Luke’s deleted scenes Anchorhead posse), there’s also the
threat out there amongst the rocks and boulders from the nomadic and
belligerently hostile Sand People, of whom a core group causes trouble across
the region, led by the mysterious, savagely intelligent creature that has been
nicknamed “Plugeye”, determined to kill the human settlers and bring its people
together in the process. Seeing the power of Kenobi, whose magic it first misreads
as belonging to another, sets the course for further power struggles and
violence to come…
The development of
the race in the story is ultimately overdone to my personal tastes-their
earlier, fascinating aura of unique mystery, which had been present in the
films, now lost as they become just another set of sci-fi aliens. The
development of Plugeye has a twist but it failed to capture my enthusiasm,
especially when ladled with some previously established, far-fetched Expanded
Universe storytelling. There’s nothing wrong with that old saying, “Less is
More”, and that should have been applied here.
AFICIONADO
RATING: In a year of STAR WARS publishing packed with good ideas that didn’t
quite meet their full potential, KENOBI thankfully rises above my personal
expectations to be one of the better and more pleasing additions to the current
Expanded Universe crop, and likely only the first of an eventual series
outlining our Jedi hero’s new life on the hauntingly beautiful world of Tatooine.
7.5 out of 10
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hold of KENOBI here:
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