Star Wars: Brotherhood Paperback – May 16, 2023

This was a fantastic book. It provided an opportunity to actually be in Anakin and Obi-Wan’s head and hear what they are thinking in a way we never could in the movies/series. It definitely helped me to better understand the characters.I loved getting to see the time period between Attack of the Clones and the start of the Clone Wars series. We get to see Anakin and Obi-Wan’s relationship start to transition into the friendship we see in CW and the start of RotS.It was also fascinating to get small glimpses into Anakin’s childhood on Tatooine and the early years of his and Obi-Wan’s time as Master and Padawan.There were fantastic some little details that I really enjoyed, such as the mentions of Satine. And Anakin’s numerous thoughts about sand made me laugh.We get to know a host of new characters in this book as well as the familiar ones. I think it’s easy to not care about new characters, but the ones introduced here served their purpose well. Mill’s character was an interesting addition and helped showcase Anakin’s potential as a teacher. His relationship with Mill really showed us his empathy and compassion for others. Though I gotta say it did feel weird to see Anakin mentor someone who isn’t Ahsoka, but obviously this was before her time. Also, I liked the parallel between Obi-Wan and Anakin and Ruug and Ketar’s relationship.Some parts were slower than others- such as the details of Obi-Wan’s investigation on Cato Neimiodia, and I wish we got more of Obi Wan and Anakin together, but those are small complaints overall.Also- while I’m sure if you’re reading this book you’ve already watched it- if you haven’t watched the Clone Wars series, you absolutely need to. It’s seriously the best and makes the events of RotS even more heartbreaking.Final thoughts on this book are that this is a great read and a worthy addition to Star Wars canon.

*Very mild spoilers*Mike Chen truly knocked this one out of the park, for me. He successfully plumbed new depths of Anakin and Obi Wan's characters, in ways that none of the media (canon and EU) up to this point has be able to do, for me. Having both characters actively contemplate how they've changed individually and as a unit (including what they each got wrong over the apprenticeship years) finally fills a crucial narrative and emotional gap that has existed between the snarkiness, condescension and resentment of Attack of the Clones, to the heartbreaking emotional revelation by Obi Wan on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith: "You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!" I include all the comics, novels and animated series in this. Aside from maybe a couple moments in the Clone Wars series, and the spectacular opening sequence of Revenge of the Sith, I've never felt like Obi Wan and Anakin had ever been more than teacher-student/master-apprentice/exhausted parent-uncontrollable teenager - until now. All of this, plus *very* cool additions to canon small moments and Big Moments (i.e. "That business on Cato Neimoidia..") which truly add that much more weight to the Tragedy of the Chosen One, and a galaxy "(left) in darkness." If you yell "Noooo!!" at the screen every time you see Anakin chop off Mace Windu's hand, or get emotional every time you hear the words "Execute Order 66," then this is a perfect addition to your Star Wars collection.

I was so stoked when this one was announced! Anything Obi-wan and Anakin based is my jam. Not to mention an almost-Clone Wars prequel story?This one does start very slow and at first I wasn’t sure where it was going. It takes some time to explore the fact that Anakin has just become a Jedi knight, that Obi-wan has just become an interim Jedi Master (also never knew this was a thing!), and the fact that Anakin and Padme have just married and are now balancing hiding a marriage with war.Anakin spends some time mentally battling the idea of having a synthetic arm and the author does a good job of linking that plot line to Anakin processing some insecurities in terms of inadequacy. It also introducing the idea that Anakin was included in a rushed program to put Padawans through the jedi trials, so the insecurities is a branch off of that. Anakin might have been ready, he might have succeeded, but he was also part of the largest group ever passed to knighthood. Now he has to accept that and get called ‘general’ by the clones?The author does an awesome job of writing Obi-wan. He’s always trying to calm everything down and sue for peace. Even if it costs him personally, he still agrees to put himself into dangerous situations. Aka, find out what “…that business on Cato Neimoidia doesn't count” means!One thing that didn’t really work for me is Anakin working with a youngling, named Mill Alibeth. He is overseeing the delivery of medicinal supplies when he learns that she has a special force ability that lets her feel raw emotions. This leads to him trying to help her and train her…aka kind of a lean in to him “earning” a Padawan. The idea itself isn’t bad, but the bond they seem to build in this one seems like it would more than likely end up being her then…not Ashoka, who is at this point completely unknown to him. Although it ends differently, it just seems weird based off how totally against a Padawan he is when Ashoka arrives.A great SW addition.

O livro chegou em 2 dias e veio muito bem embalado, pelo que eu li até agora, a história é sensacional, recomendo

Highly recommended. Okay so these two main charters are my favourites, not only as teacher and apprentice but as friends/brothers in arms. Their trust for the other has never been apparent in the movies but this book shows it amazingly well (nope no spoilers)

Ordered this for my daughter, she took it on holiday & was gripped, read it all in first week.

Really enjoyed this, this is set after the events of attack of the clones, picks right at the knighting ceremony where anakin is accepted as a jedi knight, not going to spoil anything, just gonna say definitely a must read for the prequel trilogy and clone wars fans 🔥

this emotionally wrecked me. any anakin/youngling interactions just... aww