Padawan's Pride

by Bryan Q. Miller, Kevin Kemp (Narrator)

Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker star in this thrilling galactic adventure set three years after the events of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

When a Republic spy goes missing on the Moons of Varl, the Jedi Council asks Obi-Wan and Anakin to infiltrate an underground podracing circuit run by a crime boss believed to be holding the spy prisoner. With Anakin posing as a hotshot racer and Obi-Wan as his attendant, tensions between the two threaten to run even higher than usual.

But when Obi-Wan is forced to leave Varl, Anakin is on his own as he faces a series of increasingly treacherous races that will determine his fate—and that of the spy.

Master and apprentice must use all their Jedi skills in this action-packed tale of cutthroat competition, deadly deception, and, ultimately, what it means to be a Padawan.

Genres: Star Wars, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Canon

Audible Audio

First published September 19, 2024

About the author

Bryan Q. Miller is an American television and comic writer most notable for his work on the CW’s “Smallville” and DC’s “Batgirl.” (with Stephanie Brown as Batgirl)

Reviews

[Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little story. Not essential by any means but we have so few stories of Obi Wan and Anakin pre-Episode 2. I enjoyed their dynamic and the author has a good voice for both of them. If you like the pod racing sequence from Phantom Menace you’ll really love this.

[Genevieve Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neat little Obi-Wan and Anakin adventure, dealing with Anakin's first mission as a padawan where he gets to return to the podracing circuit. Somewhat of a spiritual successor to the Jude Watson "Jedi Quest" series: quick and easy stories, but with some neat lore nuggets and great character moments.

Three stars for the story, and one extra because it confirmed 2 of my headcanons.

[Dexcell · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a surprise. This story came out of nowhere. A nice little young Anakin and Obi-Wan story. We never get enough of Anakin's early training.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now this is podracing!

Decently entertaining for an unannounced and unexpected free audiobook from Audible.

[Joshua Bishop · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice, short little listen to. It was nothing special but, considering the targeted “reading” level, it was an enjoyable listen to while doing housework. So few books take place between TPM and AotC that it was nice to get any form of media from that time period.

There did seem to be some small level of conflict with “Brotherhood” by Mike Chen in that Chen discussed Anakin missing pod racing from Tatooine, but then this whole book is about nothing but Anakin doing the same. It’s a small thing that doesn’t take away at all, but still worth the note.

It also is worth noting that this seems to be the canon equivalent of the now legends “Jedi Quest”, with the stories sharing some similarities.

[Bernardo Martinho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting much, but it turned out to be a great surprise. Not only were the narration and production of the audiobook excellent, but the story itself served as a strong bridge between the Obi-Wan/Anakin dynamic in The Phantom Menace and the early days of their missions together.

For such a short story, the character development was surprisingly solid. I particularly appreciated the references to Qui-Gon and the fact that the mission centered around a podrace.

It’s definitely a welcome addition to the canon, especially considering how little the period between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones has been explored so far.

[Adam Kiewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was surprisingly good for what it was

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best prose but a good time. It was like a clone war cartoon book version. I really enjoyed it.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.5/10

[Graham Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one? Eh.

There had been no buildup to “Padawan’s Pride” before it dropped on Audible. But free content is free content and even though it's nothing special Padawan’s Pride is an entertaining enough way to spend a few hours during a car ride.

Listening to Padawan’s Pride definitely evoked my childhood memories of Jude Watson’s “Jedi Quest” series about 20-something year old Obi-Wan teaching a pre-teen/teenage Anakin Skywalker in the years. The story here could have easily taken place in Watson’s series and if memory serves me there was a Jedi Quest story where teen Anakin did compete in a Podrace against Sebulba’s son. Here though the Jedi deliberately send Anakin into the race to compete undercover while Obi-Wan does a related investigation into the disappearance of Republic agents and ships.

While maybe not as high quality as some other recent Star Wars audiobook/play experiences I have listened to (i.e., no snippets of John Williams’ score), the audio quality and voice acting is solid. The story itself has a good chunk of your standard Star Wars fare with the Podracing sequences being entertaining and our heroes’ encounter with a new type of monster. There’ a fair amount of moving parts for character motivations and lore in what otherwise seems to be the audio equivalent of an elementary school chapter book. That’s not necessarily a bad thing although truthfully its not always the most engaging and I did zone out at times. There’s also storylines that I wish had been focused on more like Obi-Wan’s preliminary investigations into Darth Maul’s identity. In general, while I appreciate the story exploring a relatively untapped time period in Star Wars Canon and in Obi-Wan and Anakin’s story, I still feel like Padawan’s Pride didn’t quite live up to its potential or feel that memorable/essential to both characters’ arcs. Still if you haven’t experienced other Star Wars EU materials or are just looking for some brief entertainment in A Galaxy Far Far Away, this does its job. Moreover since this is aimed at younger listeners, they probably would enjoy this more.

While I don’t think there’s enough to make “Padawan’s Pride” a key part of one’s Star Wars experience beyond the movies, it does enough to justify itself as harmless enough Anakin and Obi-Wan content. If you liked The Phantom Menace’s Podracing sequence, have a soft spot for guest star Ben Quadinaros and want a peek at young Anakin’s training under Obi-Wan, this is sufficient enough.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short Star Wars story caught my eye as soon as it was announced last year as part of Audible's exclusive Star Wars audiobooks. I haven't read any of the stories set between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, but always thought there was plenty of potential to be told about Anakin being trained as a Jedi, and how his relationship with Obi-Wan grew over the years.

What we get here is a story set 3 years after the events of The Phantom Menace, where Anakin and Obi-Wan are tasked with extracting a missing Republic spy.

As the story is so short, I won't go into spoilers, other than I have to mention that there is some pod racing involved, and this is one of the strengths of Star Wars audiobooks, is that they include music and sound effects at the same time as the narration.

Whether that be the podracer engines or a lightsaber, it makes the experience very immersive.

It is obviously a young adult story, but it passed the time for the 4.5 hours of listening - and I am glad to have listened to it.

[Chris Rempel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pleasant surprise, to be sure. I wasn't sure what to expect going in to an Audible Original 'Star Wars' story, but I rather enjoyed this - I would especially recommend this book for fans of Jude Watson's Star Wars LEGENDS 'Jedi Apprentice' and 'Jedi Quest' series from the early 2000's.

I think the short format of the book allowed for a simple storyline to not feel bloated or dragged on, and I especially loved hearing some of the minor characters get a little more "screen time" than I was anticipating.

Having no less than 4 references to previous Star Wars content was fun to tie the larger galactic timeline together, but the shining star of this book were the opening few chapters with Anakin and Obi-Wan; exploring the dynamic of the newly formed duo was a breath of fresh air when compared to the plethora of Clone Wars-era material we're constantly saturated with.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, charming, and far better than it had any right to be. This audiobook only novella from an author and narrator I’ve never heard of was surprisingly entertaining and excellently voiced. It was a bit shallow (it was written for a junior audience after all) but the writing was fairly snappy and the bits of dry humor drew me in, as did the high quaility narration.

Only knock is that the music was a bit off—they seemingly didn’t license John Williams and instead used a cheap sounding synth soundtrack, which while vaguely Star Wars-ish, lacked the normal magic and almost sounded AI generated. The sound effects were top notch though and fully authentic.

[Noah Wilder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually, a 3.5. This reads like an above average Clone Wars arc. If that sounds like a good thing, then you will like it. It's short, free with audible, and is a fun excuse to go podracing again! So it's worth the listen.

[Cori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining Star Wars canon story about Anakin and Obi-Wan between movies 1 and 2. Occurs ~5 years after Anakin picked up by Quigon (sp?) and includes his love of pod racing and tinkering with droids.

[Jayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was aight. It really struggled to captivate me during the podracing sequences which make a large chunk of this as I feel podracing is only done well in visual media. I really enjoyed seeing stuff from Anakins perspective though, especially in this time period.
6/10

[Zuzana · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining story of 12yo Anakin and his young master going undercover as a spoilt bratty podracer and his valet to expose a sinister plot.
Not as good as Jude Watson's Jedi Quest, but still fine.

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful adventure very well acted and it fits in wonderfully with existing canon about the duo

[Maren · Rating 5 out of 5]

everything the phantom menace wasn’t

[Nate B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben Quadinaros type book.

[Jacob Jonas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story about the early days of Anakin and Obi-wan’s relationship as master and padawan. With barely 3 years in training they both have things to learn from each other and together. It was fun hearing exploits of Anakin podracing again. As a big fan of the prequels, this story was super fun for me.

[Chelsea Zukowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and fraught look at Obi-Wan and Anakin’s early master-apprentice relationship.

From my Space Wizards Book Club newsletter:

Picture this: You’re 12-year-old Anakin Skywalker and you’ve been training in the Jedi Order for the last three years. Sure, you get to wield a laser sword and learn a bunch of cool Force tricks. But the Jedi Order — specifically the Temple on Coruscant — feels like a prison to you. And your master is still too hung up on the tragic death of his own mentor to give you the guidance, patience, and attention you crave. So, you get in trouble yet again for commandeering a speeder to zip around the planet’s sky roads just to feel something. Now, you’re awaiting punishment from the Jedi High Council next to the aforementioned master who sports a beard you absolutely loathe.

That’s the setting for the new Star Wars book Padawan’s Pride, an audiobook original surprise dropped on Audible yesterday. No one knew this book was coming — well, except Collider, who shared an “exclusive sneak peek” the same day the book was released. More thoughts on that in a moment. But first, the book.

Padawan’s Pride is set three years after the events of The Phantom Menace — a time period with few canonical Star Wars stories. It’s such a treat to get a story following preteen menace Anakin Skywalker and his longsuffering master Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Audible Original story, essentially a middle-grade novel, is a rare glimpse at the two’s fraught early relationship. Padawan’s Pride is a thrill ride and an entertaining listen, but at its core is among the first moments where Obi-Wan and Anakin’s relationship evolves beyond reluctance and obligation.

Despite the way it was published, Padawan’s Pride was a great read for all ages. It’s got the steady pacing and thrills that capture younger readers as well as TONS of Easter eggs for adult Star Wars book fans. There are big nods to The High Republic Nameless creatures as well as Phase 2’s Greylark family. There’s even a moment foreshadowing the sound of Darth Vader’s breathing when Anakin dons his hotshot podracer disguise. I also counted at least three utterances of “wizard.”

Don’t be turned off by the middle-grade genre of the book or its short run-time of 3 hours and 57 minutes. It’s perfect to listen to in a day or on a long car ride with the kids. If you enjoyed the Jedi Quest books from the early 2000s, or your kids love Star Wars, you’ll have a good time with Padawan’s Pride.

However, the solid storytelling and excellent production value don’t completely overshadow the way this book was released. It’s an Audible Original, which means it’s only available on Audible to subscribers (albeit for free). We don’t know if this is part of what will be a larger Star Wars middle-grade series, though the metadata on the listing says Padawan’s Pride is part of “Star Wars Adventures Audible Originals.” And there’s no telling if or when this could get a physical or ebook release.

All this to say — Padawan’s Pride is good and I’m happy it’s part of the Star Wars book collection. And, once again, don’t sleep on the middle-grade and young adult novels. You’re seriously missing out if you do.

[Kevin McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the areas in Star Wars storytelling that is ripe for some filling in is the 10 year period between The Phantom Menace and Attack of The Clones. Seeing Obi-Wan navigate his new Knighthood as well as having a Padawan for the first time. Padawan's Pride, by Bryan Q. Miller, does just that.

Set a few years after Episode One, we find Obi-Wan being called away from the archives to deal with Anakin who has been caught joyriding one of the new ships given to the Jedi order. After being called to a meeting with the Jedi Council for what they both thought would be reprimands they find they are being presented a mission! A Republic spy has gone missing on the world of Varl and the pair are the best suited to go undercover and investigate due to Anakin's unique skills......the spy was investigating the world of underground pod racing!

After Obi-Wan has to leave or risk his cover being blown by a Hutt who knew him as Qui-Gon's apprentice, Anakin must continue on his first solo action as a Padawan. Investigating a racing circuit run by the Pykes that is much more than it seems.

This book does a wonderful job showing the early years of Obi-Wan and Anakin navigating their relationship as master a s apprentice. With Anakin questioning if he should even be a Jedi and Obi-Wan struggling with the responsibilities of being a mentor and guardian that come with being a Master.

The story has plenty of intrigue, and lots of podracing action that really gets your pulse racing. We even see a familiar face in Ben Quadinaros, one of the Racers from the Boonta Eve Classic in Episode One!

Another thing that delighted me in particular was the references to The High Republic. Part of the secret the Pyke Syndicate was keeping on Varl included zoological studies and their payroll includee an expert on fauna of The High Republic, focusing on the Shrii Ka Rai, or The Nameless! One member of the crew on the ship said they were just a myth to which Obi-Wan assured them that The Nameless were very real. I had to take a moment and realize Obi-Wan knew about the Nameless!!! Another fun Easter egg is that one of the ships was a Greylark-class cruiser, possibly referring to the family featured in The High Republic.

This audiobook was a fun listen with plenty of action, intrigue and character building. It's relatively short coming in under 4 hours so it's definitely worth taking an afternoon and checking it out.

Padawan's Pride can be found exclusively on Audible

[Phillip Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in the middle of September, Star Wars did a surprise drop of an Audible Original called Padawan’s Pride. Cool!

Padawan’s Pride features Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi going to the moons of Varl for a quest to find a missing Republic spy. The Pykes have partnered with a Hutt to run an illegal podrace, so what’s a better first mission assignment for the pair?

Set three years after The Phantom Menace, one of the big factors of the book is the developing trust between Anakin and Obi-Wan. Neither of them are sure that being together is the best situation for their respective futures.

I’ve been wanting some additional podracing fun, so I loved that part of this story. Star Wars needs MORE podracing. It’s such a cool aspect of the universe, and it should be used more.

For a middle grade level book, I think it’s something that can really engage kids in the story. For adults, it’s a little uneven even though it added some fun lore for the Hutts.

The story was written by Bryan Q. Miller with Kevin Kemp doing the narration. I thought it was a fun little story, that is a perfect tale for 3rd through 8th graders. I remember when I was a kid, I would find these fun Star Wars stories, and I hope they continue to release similar books.

I had a good time with the book, and think kids will do the same. Your mileage may vary the older you are, as the book is pretty inconsequential.

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Padawan’s Pride is an action packed and surprisingly “meaty” story set three years after The Phantom Menace. It captures the growing pains of both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker with surprising emotional depth and a strong sense of lore.

What starts as a mission undercover quickly evolves into something much bigger, as Obi-Wan and Anakin wrestle with pride, identity, and legacy. The story digs into their internal struggles in ways that feel authentic to both characters—Obi-Wan still grieving and unsure of his role as a new master, Anakin eager for recognition and acceptance into the Jedi order. Their bond is at the heart of this tale, and it’s handled with warmth and care.

Bryan Q. Miller, in his first Star Wars project, clearly knows this galaxy inside and our. He weaves in rich lore, subtle callbacks, and clever nods to stories across eras—without ever losing sight of the characters. While the audiobook production isn’t quite as immersive as some other Audible Originals, the storytelling more than makes up for it. There’s action, mystery, emotional growth, and even a touch of Star Wars horror.

Padawan’s Pride delivers an entertaining and thoughtful adventure that every Star Wars fan should try. I was hooked! Cheers to another Bryan Q. Miller Star Wars project in the future!

[Amanda Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun romp, with my favorite master and padawan pair, by a writer who knows how to keep things exciting, and a narrator who is an adept actor. I'd love to see more of this pre-war era.

There's lots of other little Easter eggs for fans of The Clone Wars and the expanded universe to enjoy. Amusingly, Master Plo pops up more than once in this book. My favorite new character was the Hutt (don't ask me to spell his name), and the lore this book adds to the Hutts as a species. There were several cinematic moments that I could easily picture in my mind.

Any cons? There are a couple of red shirt moments that made me sad. Though I suppose it's a good thing if you grow to care enough about the side characters to be sad when they die. Also Obi-Wan and Anakin split off for the majority of the book, to have their own independent adventures. This honestly annoyed me; I want to see them together, interacting.

Their dynamic is great, especially during this rebellious teenage era of Anakin's life. They're a bit of an odd couple, with Anakin feeling stifled by Jedi rules, and Obi-Wan as the sarcastic, long suffering teacher. There's tragedy in how poorly they understand each other, which leads to even greater joy during the times when they click, matching and supporting each other wonderfully.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Listened to this audiobook via Audible 🎧

It’s always fun to dive into another story with Anakin and Obi-Wan… and it’s part of the Audible Plus catalog, which is awesome! The young duo are both so interesting at this point in their lives that I honestly think they deserve a movie of their own at some point — or a tv series.

This story was enjoyable, but there were a few too many action scenes for me and I started getting a little bored toward the end, despite liking the concept of pod racing. I used to play a pod racing computer game with my brother when we were younger so this book brought back so many nostalgic memories. I liked all the characters, but my favorite character was the little droid named Drip.

The sound effects were awesome though! They sounded realistic in my headphones without being over the top or annoying. Overall, this was a fun, light listen and a nice break from the heavier dramatic reads I usually go for.

The narrator did an amazing job — young Obi-Wan and Yoda sounded spot on. Anakin’s voice was a bit too timid for my taste, but I get that it’s tricky for an adult to nail the voice of a 12-year-old boy. Still, it didn’t take away from enjoying this short audiobook!

[Steven Shinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a surprise release. It’s sure to satisfy fans who love podracing and want more of Anakin’s post-TPM development. This apparently takes place the same year as the Obi-Wan & Anakin comic series (29 BBY), and I’m assuming this is prior to that comic series. The interactions feel that way.

Ben Quadinaros makes an appearance, and we also get Pykes and Hutt business. Anakin wearing a mask with a respirator is obvious foreshadowing for Darth Vader. I admit there are a couple redundancies I noticed (a sentence having “honestly” twice, or saying “Anakin” twice when it’s clear the “he” that could’ve been used later in the sentence is Anakin). But the soundscape is incredible, with all the podracing sound effects and the music.

I also like how this really does feel like the younger Anakin is growing into the personality of the adult one. He is still the podracer but developing mischief and arrogance. It’s also kinda funny how he dislikes Obi-Wan’s beard. I get the vibe that Obi-Wan grew it to channel Qui-Gon.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although more like a radio play with its use of sound effects, this is a brilliant single shot short story in audio form.

The story tells of a 12 year old Anakin, 3 years on from events in Episode 1, going on his 1st Jedi mission with Obi Wan. He has to go undercover as a podracer to infiltrate a crime syndicate on Blackrock whilst Obi Wan can only watch from afar and investigate the mystery of torn apart ships.

The story captures Anakin’s evolving angst and impulsiveness that eventually becomes his undoing. An adrenaline junkie for sure, can he really be expected to fall in line back at the temple?

What I liked about this book is that it had the feel of the old extended universe books. Well known characters in new situations. Much better encapsulation of the universe than some of the new Disney series.

Well worth 3 hours listening.

[Mayumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obi-Wan e Anakin três anos depois do Episódio I, e Anakin corre de pod de novo! Esse só tem em audiobook, e eu gostei bastante da narração. Ele faz boas vozes, tem um bom timing cômico e dá o peso que as coisas têm. A história é meio básica: o conselho Jedi manda Obi-Wan e Anakin numa missão de busca de alguém que sumiu e, como esse sumiço envolve podracing, Anakin deve ir. Como o livro é sobre personagens que a gente já conhece boa parte da vida, gostei que a história teve algumas rimas tanto visuais quanto temáticas Anakin usando um capacete com respirador barulhento foi um acontecimento, os personagens fazem alguns comentários de desejos de futuro que a gente já sabe se acontecem ou não. Acho que o autor soube equilibrar bem os personagens conhecidos com uma aventura inédita.