Star Wars: Yoda - Dark Rendezvous

Star Wars: A Clone Wars Novel #7

by Sean Stewart

A gripping Clone Wars-era adventure featuring a showdown between Grand Master Yoda and his former apprentice, the sinister Count Dooku.

The savage Clone Wars have forced the Republic to the edge of collapse. During the height of the battle, one Jedi Knight escapes the carnage to deliver a message to Yoda on Coruscant. It appears that Dooku wants peace and demands a rendezvous. Chances are slim that the treacherous Count is sincere but, with a million lives at stake, Yoda has no choice.

The meeting will take place on Vjun, a planet steeped in evil. The challenge could not be more difficult. Can Yoda win back his once promising pupil from the dark side or will Count Dooku unleash his sinister forces against his former mentor? Either way, Yoda is sure of one this battle will be one of the fiercest he’ll ever face.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Space Opera, Audiobook, Novels

329 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Sean Stewart (born June 2, 1965) is a U.S.-Canadian science fiction and fantasy author.

Born in Lubbock, Texas, Sean Stewart moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1968. After stints in Houston, Texas, Vancouver, British Columbia, Irvine, California and Monterey, California, he now lives in Davis, California, with his wife and two daughters.

He received an Honors degree in English from University of Alberta in 1987, following which he spent many years writing novels. He gradually moved from writing novels to interactive fiction, first as lead writer on the Web based Alternate Reality Game The Beast.

He served as a consultant on several computer games, and was on the management team of the 4orty2wo Entertainment experiential marketing and entertainment company, where he was lead writer for Haunted Apiary aka ilovebees and Last Call Poker. His newest novel Cathy's Book seems to represent the melding of his two careers, as it crosses the alternate reality game format with a teen novel. In 2007, he and several 4orty2wo co-founders left that company to start Fourth Wall Studios.

Awards:
* Arthur Ellis Award Best First Novel winner (1993): Passion Play
* World Fantasy Award Best Novel winner (2001): Galveston

Reviews

[CS · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When you fall, be there to catch you, I will"
The war rages on and Dooku extends an offer of peace to Yoda and Yoda alone. It may be a trap, but Yoda doesn't want to ignore a way out of the war. Plus, he would like nothing more than to bring his vagrant apprentice back from the Dark Side.

I Liked:
This book is pure enjoyment, the best of the Clone Wars novels written in this era. There are so many areas to love--the characters, the plot, the emotion, the story, even the writing.
Stewart does a fantastic job of writing Yoda, bridging the gap between the prequels and the original trilogy. Yoda is wise, insightful, yet quick to poke fun (or his stick!) at a student.
I don't think I've ever read or seen a better version of Dooku. By far, he is the best done in the book, and with a book of excellent characters, that is high praise indeed. Dooku transcends the stereotypical evil baddie and is a fully three dimensional character. From moments where he contemplates whether he will fit in the Jedi Order to when he critiques the Chateau Malreaux house to the final, epic, verbal showdown between him and YOda, Dooku is a tormented man, a man seeking peace and justice, a man tired of the Republic's corruption, a man searching for his "home".
New characters include Scout, Whie, Jai Maruk and Maks Leem. Scout is another "Etain" (from Hard Contact; she isn't that strong in the Force and must use her wits and tenacity to succeed. It's so easy to cheer for her, to feel her conflict, to feel her earnest desire to be good. Whie is a stirring young man, a perfect example of what Dooku might have become if different choices had been made. Jai Maruk was one of my favorites. I liked his growth with his Padawan, Scout, and how he didn't want her in the beginning (and how Yoda made a bet with him!). Lastly, Maks, who was a cool Jedi, but also a Gran! Yippee for recurring species!
The story is absolutely gripping. Yeah, we as the audience can kinda guess that Dooku isn't really meaning to seek peace, but it does keep you interested. Watching Yoda sneak off Coruscant, the facedown in the spaceport (of all places!), and the idea that Dooku would try to trap Yoda like this was much better than a long, drawn-out, highly confusing battle, like Jedi Trial. Not to mention, I felt the pacing was well done, something that can be hard in any book, but especially a book like this one, so heavily character driven.
Lastly, but certainly not least, was the writing style. Oh, it was such a pleasure to listen to the beautiful words Stewart wrote! It was music to my ears! Well-written, aptly descriptive without bogging down the plot.

I Didn't Like:
Really scraping the bottom of the barrel here...
Yoda does come off as more "original" era than prequel, which is a little odd. Also, Stewart didn't do as fluid a job writing Yoda's speech in some areas.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
None.
Whie is told to kiss Scout.
Scout participates in a vicious lightsaber battle in the Jedi Temple. Jai Maruk was captured by Asajj. Two important characters (at least) die in the book. Lightsaber battles, shoot-outs...you know the drill.

Overall:
Let me put this simply: READ THIS BOOK! This is an amazing book, an in-depth look at Yoda and Dooku and their interesting relationship. It is well-written, entertaining, and moving. You will not want to put it down once you start reading.

[Dexcell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story. The Yoda and Dooku scene at the end was beautiful and sad. This is definitely one of the best books for Dooku and Yoda in general. The Scout storyline was more meh then I remember, but not bad either.

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was...fine. Serviceable. I had moments that were really thought provoking, and also moments that were really boring. And some moments that were downright frustrating!

First, I do like the premise of the book. Count Dooku has reached out to Master Yoda, offering an opportunity for parley and peace, but he only extends it to Yoda himself. This idea was actually fascinating and interesting. However, its the execution of the story that it got mediocre.

The best part of the book was the 2 Padawans' storylines: Whie and Scout. There is a staple in Star Wars books where a book will be presented as following a certain character, but other characters will actually take up the story (Kenobi and Darth Plagueis in particular). This book has a decent amount of Yoda in it...but nowhere near what you would expect when the book is titled "Yoda: Dark Rendezvous". If they had just titled it "Dark Rendezvous" and included Yoda on the cover, I think it would have worked better (but marketing!).

Scout and Whie have some really interesting character development moments in the book, and I was actually quite surprised in some of the directions that Stewart took them. Scout in particular was interesting in the earlier portion of the book, and Whie got more interesting closer to the end.

The ending of this book borrows heavily from the ending of Attack of the Clones, and I mean it HEAVILY borrows from it. To the point that it seems that Stewart either didn't know how to end it or wasn't allowed to end it a different way. Shouldn't Yoda expect what Dooku will do since he's done this EXACT same thing previously? It seems like a "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me" situation. Even Anakin and Obi-Wan are involved!

There was a sequence that was very heavy handed when it dealt with themes regarding the TSA. This book was written post-9/11 and during the Iraq/Afganistan wars, and as such those themes are very present here. I thought it was actually funny how on point the themes were, but applied to Star Wars and "aliens from different planets" rather than "people from different countries".

There also were some excellent scenes featuring the Chancellor and Mace Windu, where neither was really willing to reveal all of their information that they had, and thus they trust each other less.

I have continuity questions regarding Ventress and the EU continuity (re the 2003-2005 Tartakovsky Clone Wars), but it's not a big deal.

Overall, this book was fine, but not great. I don't hate it, but I don't love it. Just a 6 out of 10.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare chance for Yoda to take centre-stage, with plentiful meditations on the meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything...Dooku is explored here, as well, as more of a complete character with his own motivations and flaws, and Assaj Ventress is unleashed upon some fairly bland Jedi noobs to wreak massive havoc.



Obi-Wan and Anakin crop up briefly, one suspects on editorial insistence so that the book would feel more connected to the Prequels Trilogy story arc in general, but they are really more of a sideshow.
Stewart has a wry sense of humour, too, which is well deployed when dealing with Yoda's foibles, snooty customs officials, etc., and less so when spending entire paragraphs on the thought processes of an internal security camera.
On the whole, however, I do recommend this one for all those Clone Wars-era fans (there must still be a few of us!)

[Meggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For 2022, I decided to go back in time and reread all the Prequels Era novels published between 1999 and 2005, plus a smidgen of other novels (like Survivor's Quest and the Dark Nest trilogy) released during that time frame. This shakes out to 21 novels, four eBook novellas, and at least thirteen short stories.

This week’s focus: possibly my favorite Clone Wars story! Yoda: Dark Rendezvous by Sean Stewart

SOME HISTORY:

After William C. Dietz’s novel about Shaak Ti, Escape from Dagu, was canceled, Sean Stewart was contacted about writing a Yoda-centric novel. The problem? He only had four months from start to finish. While I always feel curious about these canceled Legends novels (The Heart of the Jedi being released online is a very rare situation) I am so glad we got Yoda: Dark Rendezvous in place of Dietz’s novel. It’s a highly acclaimed Clone Wars story, and it’s scheduled to be rereleased in 2023 as part of the Essential Legends Collection.

MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:

I read and reread Dark Rendezvous multiple times after its initial release, enough so that I tracked down the Science Fiction Book Club hardcover edition on eBay for my collection. But I hadn’t reread it in close to ten years, and was interested to see if it held up to my memories.

A BRIEF SUMMARY:

Almost three years into the Clone Wars, a Jedi Knight arrives at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant with a message: Count Dooku wants to sue for peace, and he will only speak to Jedi Master Yoda. Yoda and Mace Windu think this is a trap, but Yoda is willing to take any and all risks to bring this fallen Jedi back to the light…

THE CHARACTERS:

I’m surprised that Lucasfilm and Del Rey even considered a novel about Yoda, because so much about him is shrouded in mystery. We don’t know his species, or his homeworld, or most of his back story, because George Lucas never chose to reveal them. Stewart doesn’t delve into any of that. Instead, he manages to take the prequel era Yoda and give him the personality of Empire Strikes Back era Yoda. This Yoda loves to teach, loves interacting with younglings and padawans, but he’s also still the mischievous little swamp gremlin we meet on Dagobah. He’s wise, but he’s also not above manipulating people and causing a wee bit of mayhem. (ESB Yoda is my favorite, so I’m onboard for Stewart’s characterization.)

The heart of the story is Yoda and Dooku’s history, and how that plays out in Dooku’s attempt to trap Yoda. Yoda taught Dooku, and I think the loss of any Jedi from the Order hurts him. But Dooku’s fall is especially painful to him, and Yoda is willing to travel to Vjun even knowing that the chances of Dooku being receptive to the light are slim.

Dooku, meanwhile, views Yoda’s defeat and death as a milestone he needs to achieve (although this does not appear to be part of Sidious’s plan, since the Chancellor asks the Jedi to dispatch Anakin and Obi-Wan to save Yoda!). Dooku is old and wise, but not enough to match Yoda—and it nags at him, that over the course of years and years he’s never been able to beat his old Master.

For all his age and wisdom, Dooku has blindspots that Ventress points out: Sidious is using him, and once his usefulness has ended the Sith won’t hesitate to discard him. But Dooku can’t accept that, and I think he goes all the way to his end believing the opposite. This is the most development we’ve gotten for Dooku in all of the Clone Wars thus far, and I appreciate how much Stewart fleshed him out.

This wouldn’t be a Clone Wars story without main characters randomly appearing, regardless of whether they fit in the story or not. So Anakin and Obi-Wan appear in a few scenes, confronting a Jedi who has chosen to leave the Order and then showing up on Vjun to rescue Yoda in the end. I’ll get into this more in the Issues section, but their appearance didn’t work for me—except for one key moment.

But Yoda is first and foremost a teacher, so he’s accompanied to Vjun by two Jedi (Maks Leem and Jai Maruk) and their padawans (Whie Malreaux and Tallisibeth Enwandung-Esterhazy, or Scout). Jai Maruk, Scout’s reluctant Master, is a harsh man: he knows that Dooku could have killed him, and the fact that he was released to deliver this message to Yoda eats at him. He doesn’t want to take Scout as a padawan until Yoda maneuvers him into doing so, and his final fight with Ventress leads to the revelation that she’s better than him—no matter what he does or how hard he tries, he can’t beat her. Maks Leem is gentle and kind and hates conflict, but that doesn’t save her either. (Bonus: she’s a Gran Jedi, and you know I love non-human characters.) Even though they’re new characters, and they’re not as fleshed out as their padawans, their deaths still hurt.

Stewart devotes the most pages and character development, though, to the two padawans. Whie Malreaux has an interesting Force abilities: he sometimes has true dreams, where he’s a helpless passenger in his future self, and he has two true dreams in the story. The first involves Asajj Ventress being menacing and threatening, and leads him to really notice Scout; the second seems to indicate that he’ll be cut down by another Jedi. I thought that Whie’s ability worked better for a young teenage padawan than an older, more powerful character: he’s not important enough to be able to affect the war or the greater galaxy, and he often doesn’t recognize the events from his true dreams until he’s in the moment. But his inability to see a much older Whie in his true dreams has him worried about his impending death. It lends a sense of unease to his dreams.

He tries to be calm and serene, but it’s an act: his Master Maks Leem falls for it, but Yoda doesn’t. As the story progresses, he learns about his family history from a droid named Fidelis; he learns about his family’s history of madness; his first true dream makes him start to notice Scout in a romantic way (he is a teenage boy, after all); and his second true dream makes him worry that he’s going to fall to the Dark Side. There’s a lot going on here.

But Scout is my favorite, and perhaps Stewart’s too. Mace Windu says that “the Force is weak in her,” and oh boy are those some of my favorite characters—people who are not naturally gifted, but have to work hard every step of the way. In Scout’s case, she is observant of everyone and everything around her. Leading up to the Padawan Tournament, she watches all her opponents and figures out their strengths and weaknesses. In the Tournament, she’s not afraid of playing dirty to win: she uses the other kid’s good manners against them, and she has a better understanding of the constraints of the fights than anyone else. (She grabs a training lightsaber blade with her bare hand! This girl is not afraid of pain.) She’s so personable and easy to root for, because she tries SO HARD at everything she does.

And lurking in the background through all this is Asajj Ventress. Ventress wants to become Dooku’s official Sith apprentice, he refuses, and she’s chafing at the restraints of their arrangement. She’s strong and menacing (she’s killed 16+ Jedi), but there’s a sense of inadequacy in Ventress that’s lurking below the surface. Compared to The Cestus Deception, I find her portrayal here much more compelling.

ISSUES:

Yoda and Scout and Whie only arrive on Vjun in Chapter 10 out of 12—as with Myrkr in Heir to the Empire, I thought they spent longer on the planet than they actually did. Vjun is dripping in atmosphere: it’s strong in the Dark Side, it’s creepy and malicious, there’s acid rain and strange creatures. It reminded me of the settings in Barbara Hambly’s novels Children of the Jedi and Planet of Twilight; the atmosphere on Vjun lingered with me perhaps more than the actual plot did.

I would have liked more time spent on Dooku and Yoda’s confrontation, although I think that if Yoda had spent any longer talking to him, he may have been able to talk Dooku back to the light side! Similarly, I wish that Whie had interacted with his mother Whirry in some way, as I was surprised that they didn’t and had to reread the final chapters a second time just to make sure they never actually met on Vjun.

Yoda and company spend a huge chunk of the story traveling to Vjun, and I felt like one section—the Jedi going through TSA screening to board their transport—felt a little too 2004 Earth analogue to me. Jai Maruk talks back to an agent and has to have an in depth screening, Yoda has to avoid a scanner, and it just felt too “of its time.”

I felt like Obi-Wan and Anakin were shoehorned into the story merely because this is a Clone Wars story, but I did like Anakin’s presence on Vjun at the end—that Dooku hates Anakin, hates the attention that he receives, and it disrupts Yoda’s (surprisingly successful up to that point) attempt to save him.

There are perhaps too many viewpoints in the story, especially the three POV sections from Padme—they bookend the story, but they didn’t feel necessary. I would have happily done without some Padme scenes if it meant we could have spent more time with Yoda and Dooku.

IN CONCLUSION:

I really love Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, even with the issues I noticed during this reread. I think that Stewart’s Yoda is much more in keeping with the wise little swamp creature of The Empire Strikes Back, and that’s my favorite version of Yoda! And I like his characterization of Dooku: this is the most in-depth portrayal of him since he appeared in Attack of the Clones, and he's so intriguing to read about. The padawans were fun, especially Scout (my girl!), and I remain oddly fascinated by Vjun. I am looking forward to the Essential Legends Collection rerelease, especially if it means a new unabridged audiobook from Marc Thompson.


Next up: the direct prequel to Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Labyrinth of Evil by James Luceno

My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/XcHLBX5og9I

Sean Stewart’s notes on Dark Rendezvous: https://web.archive.org/web/200808200...

Rendezvous with Yoda: Six Questions for Sean Stewart (December 2004): https://web.archive.org/web/200502062...

[✨Rebel Fairy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am having mixed feelings towards this one. The last book in the Clone Wars era before the movie revenge of the Sith.

My mixed feelings are towards Yoda himself with all his wisdom to give to padawans about love, grief, and pain. . . But when Anakin arrived as a 9 year old at the temple, he had none of this to share. He only gave him the 'rules' of how Jedi should be🤷‍♀️

I still enjoyed reading this, Yoda was comical in every sense, getting a large chuckle out of me, but I loved how we got a peek at Yoda and Dooku's past, which brings another human side to Dooku.

The plot was slow paced, but with a lot of action and sneaking around to make sure no one knows of the 'secret mission'.

I felt bring in Obi-wan, and Anakin wasn't necessary for the stories plotting as the only thing it contributes is Yoda and Dooku's distaste of the arrogant Jedi Knight, ever so slightly.

And a lot of AI jabs . . .

Still my Canon Disney :D

[Giorgi Komakhidze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Read so far in all of the star wars books!

Dialogues are killing it!

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Each instant the universe annihilates itself, and starts again. Choose, and start again.”

This might be the most in-character depiction of Yoda since The Empire Strikes Back. Sometimes it can feel like the prequels – and the Clone Wars novels interweaving them – didn’t know what to do with Yoda besides depicting him as a dignified blank slate, and while this is a pretty standard template for any wise sage figure, it isn’t a depiction of Yoda, the individual character with his specific mix of irreverent needling, cunningly delivered life lessons, and quietly but powerfully illustrated wisdom. Sean Stewart absolutely nails it, and does so with touching poignancy as well as hilarious aplomb. Why does Yoda bother haggling for the price of a starship when the Jedi Order could just foot the bill? Because there’s no reason to be wasteful with the funds that can help others, and there’s no trader in the galaxy that can outlast the patience of an eight hundred plus year old Jedi Master. At the same time, his wisdom truly shines through.

No one is completely evil all of the time. Dooku is the sum of his experiences. The great value that makes sapient life so precious is our ability to make rational decisions divorced from our base instincts; to move forward from our mistakes and choose to tackle the present differently; to do harm, and still be able to turn around and choose to do something good. So, when Dooku thinks he’s setting a trap, he’s actually providing Yoda with an opportunity to extend an offer of his own. It’s not often I get to see the kind of confrontation that follows, either, in stories. Often, it is presumed that merely letting a ‘bad’ character put their case is something to be avoided, and how many times have I seen a ‘good’ character, when listening to such a case, fall and become twisted? It’s a standard plot twist of many, many, many stories. But it’s a little silly, in that it relies on the protagonist’s own weakness within, rather than any strength of argument on the part of the antagonist. It’s here that the Jedi maxims on fear come in to play. A strong sense of self-identity, combined with a good knowledge of ethics and a commitment to serve others, and experience in identifying your own fears and refusing to let them dictate your actions, renders temptation hollow. There is no need to avoid listening to a bad guy say his piece when someone can’t promise what they don’t have, and even what they can supply holds no appeal whatsoever.

This bleeds through the entire story. Dooku is allowed to have nuance and depth and the possibility of redemption within, the encounter in this book being unexpected and unbalancing, instead of being a distant overlord of the Separatists and the dark side. We see the adolescent Padawans just at the beginning of their journey of exploring identity, subject to wild emotions, hopes, dreams, and fears, and struggling to find their way – with Yoda’s patient guidance. We see Jedi Knights who – like so many of us who are adults in this world – aren’t as smart as they pretend they are, and don’t know it all, but are drawing upon their few decades of experience to fumble through life as best they can. Sometimes this works out to the good, and sometimes this involves catastrophic mistakes, and calls upon some people to find the courage of sacrifice. The comic moments don’t feel out of place, but poignant reminders of our ability to find humour, share laughter, and have fun, amid our experiences of trauma and tragedy, instead of giving up or taking that pain and putting it back into the world.

If I have a criticism, its that the end is wrapped up almost too quickly and neatly, especially after the effort of setting it all up. I think it would have been to this book’s benefit if it had had an extra 100 pages to play with. Still, an enjoyable entry.

8 out of 10

[Kristen Kooistra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This came in at a 3.5 for me and was the book chosen by my book club for May.

The descriptions were very vibrant and most of the time really enhanced the world. Sometimes the techy stuff went a little overboard and I kind of glossed over what item they were talking about.

The addition of a Padme pov as opener and closer didn't work for me. The story was not her story, and she's got no other scenes, but for some reason she gets the important starting and ending scene. I also thought the addition of Anakin and Obi-wan was unnecessary. We're given about two scenes of them and their roll was to come in and cover Yoda on his mission at the Chancellor's request.

I didn't understand why Sidious would want to send two strong Jedi Knights to help Yoda when on the other end there was a chance Dooku would kill him. Seemed counterproducive to his goals. So what I WOULD have liked to see was a scene in Palpatine's POV to explain his reasoning. My best guess was that he somehow knew Anakin's presence would upset Dooku enough to insure he'd stay evil.

But considering Dooku's personality, his through processes, and his choices and dialogue even as he was meeting with Yoda, I think that there was never a strong chance of Dooku repenting(we know he doesn't so I don't consider that a spoiler). But it's so ambiguous that a scene from Palpatine showing what he was thinking would've been helpful.

Other than the above quibbles, this was a fun book that was easy to enjoy. Jai Maruk was probably my favorite character as well as Yoda. The different characters have very defined goals and motives, as well as struggles. Even if I didn't care that much for some of them, I did feel like they were very well-written and they felt "real".

The over-arcing questions faced were intriguing. Could Dooku have come back to the light? Is even Yoda tempted? And how does he deal with all the loss? Do we choose darkness? Or are we set on a path we can't avoid?

The scene where Yoda is helping the padawans to cope with their losses was one of the best in the book, as was his line to Fidelis around that time.

Overall, a fun read with lots of good parts, but wasn't knock-me-down good and had a few things that could've been improved on.

[Caleb Likes Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pleasant surprise. I hadn’t heard much of anything about this book in the past so I had few expectations going in. It’s not one of the best Legends books I’ve read or anything, but it’s a very solid one.

I’d say the thing I liked most here was the characters and their interactions, with some exceptions that I’ll discuss later. Of particular note here are Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress, Whie, Scout, and to a slightly lesser degree Yoda. I especially liked some of the interactions towards the end of the book. The premise here is cool as well, essentially being that Dooku reached out to Yoda asking if they could meet to end the Clone Wars and make peace. Of course, given Dooku’s reputation, everyone thinks this is a trap so this becomes a much more complicated situation. Seeing how that was handled was fun, and the eventual meeting between the two was excellent and even emotional at times. I also loved the action in this book, it was very exciting.

As for negatives, there were points in the middle of the book where it dragged a bit for me. I loved the beginning and ending, and bits of the middle, but the middle overall was inconsistently engaging. I also felt that a few characters were written oddly—particularly Palpatine (as Chancellor, Sidious was written fine) and Yoda. I can’t put my finger on why but both of these characters just felt off at times.

Overall this was a very enjoyable book, for the most part. Some great character moments, good action, and an interesting premise that’s followed through on excellently. Maybe not quite a hidden gem in my opinion, but certainly a bit of an underrated story.

Rating: 8/10

[Genevieve Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had LOTS of fun with this one, fellas.

This book is about Yoda and Dooku, but it is kind of also about the spiritual toll the Clone Wars are taking on the whole Jedi Order. Yoda is a hard character to get a read on, in my experience. Often, fans project whatever viewpoint they want onto him, and he features most often as a wise (or unhelpfully abstruse) word or two inserted in someone else's story. It was interesting to see him get a story of his own, and to see how telling a story about Yoda is essentially telling a story about the Jedi Order itself. He is very much the heart of their community, for good or for ill.

So many people show up in this story. Ventress, obviously, and Obi-Wan and Anakin come around for a minute or two. Padme has a cameo. Most of the book, though, has Yoda on a mission with a crop of OCs. I can see this being kind of annoying under certain circumstances, but honestly... I love them. Maks Leem? She is... amazing. I love her. I want her on the Jedi Council. Jai Maruk? Really, he's the least important of the OCs but I'm fond of him. The description of his last fight with Ventress was powerful.

Really though, Whie and Scout, two very different padawans, are the most vital characters in the book besides Yoda. They are on the same mission as he is, but their experience is completely separate. For them, confronting the dark world beyond the Temple walls for the first time, it is a coming of age moment. For Yoda, his mission is a last, desperate attempt to appeal to the vestiges of Light within Dooku and bring him back home.

Some highlights:

• There is a powerful bond between Dooku and Yoda in this. Weirdly enough, this book name-drops someone else as "Dooku's master," claiming that Yoda only taught him directly when he was in the creche. But their relationship is deep and poignant here in a way that was COMPLETELY missing in Dooku: Jedi Lost, even though Yoda was Dooku's actual master in canon.

• I love an Apprentice Tournament. The descriptions of lightsaber combat? The intense rivalries? The rule disputes? The weird last round that they held in the Temple Refectory for some reason? *kisses fingers* Magnifique.

• Ventress in this is intriguingly different from Ventress in Dooku: Jedi Lost. Shes hungry and ambitious to advance further in the ways of the Dark Side. It's interesting to imagine how she could have come from that place, unwillingly enslaved, to jockeying for the right to stand at Dooku's side.

• Half of my purpose in reading this was to meet and love Scout and Whie. Mission accomplished. I have adopted them, and they are mine now.

• Especially Scout. A padawan who is weak in the Force? Color me invested. I love her and her stubbornness and her brashness and her insecurity and her aggressive friendliness. Accidentally befriending an undercover assassin droid? Amazing. Did I mention that I love her?

• Okay, the whole concept of "attend secret meeting with Dooku, turn him from the Dark Side back to the Light" sounds legitimately insane to me. Like... uh, okay. Dooku? Really? But what gets me is HOW CLOSE YODA ACTUALLY CAME. Dooku was on the edge, knowing his choices were bad and waffling about whether there was any way back, and then... Anakin Skywalker showed up. Dooku took one look at his face and immediately went into a towering rage.

• SCREW THE WHOLE JEDI ORDER, ACTUALLY, he said, and then jumped out a window.

• The sheer power of looking upon Anakin Skywalker's face... I'm aghast. And Palpatine specifically sent him and Obi-Wan there. Did he KNOW that Dooku was wavering, and that a single glimpse of Anakin would be enough to restore his commitment to the Dark Side?

• The Yoda characterization in this book is DEEPLY interesting. He's wise and funny and also a complete gremlin -- exactly the insane, cackling swamp toad Luke first ran into in ESB. Clearly, that has always been a genuine side of Yoda's character. Honestly, it's obvious that he really does just want to teach and play with the younglings. Let Yoda Retire And Be A Preschool Teacher 2k19.

• Obi-Wan and Anakin's like... three scenes are iconic. It's wild how they just can't exist without completely stealing the show. The banter? Amazing. Anakin throws a grenade on a whim and almost kills Yoda and some children. Obi-Wan goes off on him. Anakin's eyes fill with glassy tears. Obi-Wan INSTANTLY flips to reassure him. They're so stupid.

• All the details and descriptions of how the war has changed the Jedi Order. Hints and tidbits about dissident, pacifist Jedi? Change brought on by the deaths of so many Jedi? Yes... give me those sweet sweet details...

• Something about Jai Maruk's angry realization that Ventress is just a better warrior than him as he fights for his life struck me. It would be hard to accept that your story is about to end, seemingly abruptly and uselessly, and that you're not going to be the one anyone remembers.

• Whie in general is a good boy and I love him, BUT what's more important is this detailed look at what it is like to experience the future-telling dreams of a true Jedi Seer and precog. It is very interesting and distinct, and nothing at all like Anakin's vague, fear-filled dreams.

• All the casual outsider POV mentions of Obi-Wan and Anakin. It's like nobody can really discuss the war without discussing them. Anakin in particular comes up a LOT, especially when anyone is talking about the relative merits of different padawans.

• Qui-Gon's brief appearance! It seems as if Yoda knows he's genuinely there, and that he's speaking with Qui-Gon's spirit, not merely an apparition or vision. Very strange. Has Yoda been communing with Qui-Gon this whole time?

• Dooku is soooooooooooooo jealous of Anakin. It's really astounding. It's like he thinks that HE was the Order's favorite son, and now Anakin has taken that spot and it's a specific insult to Dooku himself. He acts like he's jealous of Yoda's attention to Anakin, which is crazy, since Yoda has never particularly favored Anakin. I can only assume that he is actually projecting the jealousy he feels for Palpatine's attention to Anakin.

• All the discussion of the Dark Side and the Light. I'm always hungry for more philosophizing on this topic, ever hopeful that someday it will make sense to me. It was very interesting how Jai Maruk echoed a common sentiment among Jedi that there is no going back once a person has truly fallen to the Dark Side -- while he is literally part of a mission to convince Dooku to do that exact thing. Clearly, Yoda doesn't hold the same view.

• The constant mentions of the Jedi Order as a family. This book explored the negative impacts of cutting children off from their families and raising them into the Order from toddlerhood almost more than any other book I've read so far. "Every Jedi is a child his parents decided they could live without," says Dooku. And yet the Jedi Order is a family, and that was shown as well.

[Shawn Fahey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots in here I didn’t care for but every interaction between Dooku and Yoda was both beautiful and sad. “I will catch you WHEN you fall”

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is overall good. It has many of the Star Wars characters in very predictable.

For the dire Star Wars fans you might want to pass.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a 3.5 here, but it was Star Wars and it was fun so I bumped it up.

I liked it well enough, and thought it gave a good look into Dooku's psyche.

The number of point of views made the book feel a little cluttered. There were even a few entirely unnecessary POVs (I'm looking at you, Anakin and Padme). Oddly enough, Yoda dialogue didn't sound weird enough to my ear, so to speak. But that one might just be my personal taste.

The droids are great, and I thought the new Jedi characters provided a good look at Jedi culture outside the normal views we get from most related media, particularly the two kids.

It's a book to read if you're really craving Star Wars stories, but it definitely wasn't written for someone without a decent knowledge of that universe.

[Bernardo Martinho · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When you fall, be there to catch you, I will.”

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous is a strange yet fascinating book. I wasn’t familiar with Sean Stewart before, but it’s clear he is a fantastic writer. His prose is full of quotable lines, and he masterfully develops character dynamics. The premise, though simple, is engaging: Dooku appears to seek peace and requests a meeting with Yoda. For fans of The Clone Wars and those interested in critical perspectives on the Jedi Order, this is a must read.

Despite its title, Dark Rendezvous doesn’t necessarily position Yoda as the main character. Instead, much of the focus is on Jedi like Jai Maruk, Maks Leem, and especially Scout and Whie. These two, in particular, stand out with their unique characteristics and are compelling to follow.

Unfortunately, the pacing drags in the middle. While Stewart embraces Star Wars humor, some comedic moments, especially those involving Yoda,don’t always land. The attempt to bring ESB era Yoda humor into this setting occasionally feels out of place.

However, one of the book’s greatest strengths is its character development, particularly with Dooku and Ventress. The sequences about Dooku’s thoughts were especially intriguing.

The true highlight however? Even if Yoda isn’t the central figure, the book beautifully captures his wisdom, reminding us why this "old frog" remains so iconic. The final interaction between Yoda and Dooku is one of the best moments I’ve ever read in a Star Wars novel. Paired with the audiobook’s stellar production and Jonathan Davis’s performance, it made for an unforgettable experience.

"In the end, what we are is alone."

[Graff Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Wars: Legends, A Clone Wars Novel: Yoda: Dark Rendezvous by Sean Stewart

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense

Fast-paced

Plot or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? Yes

3.5 Stars

I've enjoyed this arc of the Star Wars: Legends: A Clone Wars Novel series.

I was excited for the Yoda book, and it both disappointed and encouraged me. Not all of this book...worked for me.

I love (to hate) the Asaj Ventress character, but for some reason...there were portions of this book that seems she had a different "voice", and wasn't as snarky as she is in The Clone Wars TV series (which I like better).

We get a little of the interactions at the Jedi Temple, but for the most part of this book...the Younglings, Padawans and Jedi Masters are in "harm's way", and it is sad to see them put in these situations.

We discuss whether the Jedi have "lost their way", for they are not Guardians, but have become Warriors and Generals...in this war.

Loved the parts of the book...that deal with the Jedi Master and Padawan experience. From new characters that we have never met before, or with legacy characters like Count Dooku and Yoda.

The idea of redemption, and the fear of failing an ideal, but also believing in yourself (and others believing in you) to hold the line, even in difficult situations.

Overall, this is a good story, but one that meanders a bit too much, for my tastes.

[Stephen Holtman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this entry of the well established series, the green little one has to deal with Count Dooku once again. The writing in this one was great. I loved that the author was able to keep the feel of the beloved Star Wars Universe while focusing on a single beloved caratcher. He’s no Chewbacca but still beloved none the less. The caratchers were exactly like you would remember them to be. I have to admit that I wasn’t sure if it wouldn’t have been able to take the little guy and give him any kind of interesting story. But they were not only to be able to pull it off, but actually made it a fantastic read. I thought that the way that the action part was dealt with was a little on the slower then usual side. It was still there of course, but just took longer to get to. At least, it seemed that way to me. The action sequences that were there were great. It made it seemed so intriguing to see how the little guy learned of the potential threat to stopping it. The Book as a whole was a perfect fit. I know that this would usually be the portion of the review where I would say what was wrong with the book. But there wasn’t really anything in it to discount it. The action, writing and drama were all top notch. This was the type of book that you would expect from the star Wars universe. I will have to say that if you are a Star Wars fan, then you will love this book. It definetly deserves a spot in the Blockbuster book club.

[Declan O'Keeffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this one. while I understand the complaints about it, I went in with lower expectations and had a lot of fun with it.

while the story is fun, and honestly, some of the middle stuff could have been cut out.

This book was actually really funny. The author really showcased both Yodas funny side and dark side so well. I loved the look into Count Dookus mind. and I actually really enjoyed the padawan characters more than I thought.

While not an integral story by any means, it showcases some important characters and themes of Star Wars and thoroughly deserves its spot as an essential legends book.

[Kat V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a difficult book to rate because on the one hand it was really boring and nothing much happened but on the other hand you learn so much about the characters and it was very sweet and touching. Parts of it were really sweet while parts of it make no sense with the timeline whatsoever. That being said it’s definitely worth a reread and I did really enjoy the ending. One thing I loved is you can clearly tell he’s read the Jedi Apprentice series. Strange book but I really liked it and definitely recommend it. 4.4 stars

[Adam Kiewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author does a great job with each of the characters and creates a pretty interesting and deep story. I will say though the ending is really anticlimactic, especially given what I'd heard about it.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars.
Recommended only for those doing a complete read-through.

This was a borderline 2-star book for me partly because the plot wasn't super interesting but mainly because of how Stewart decided to portray Yoda. Yoda spends most of the book acting for comedic effect by making funny faces, trying to climb onto chairs that are too big for him, and other things like that. It is kind of like in Empire Strikes Back where there are a few parts when we first meet him, and it is meant to be funny watching him fight R2 for some food and stuff like that. In this book, Stewart seemed to think that aspect of his character was sorely under-utilized and wanted that to be he focus of his character. Yoda spends about half of the book hiding inside an R2 unit while running into things. They even has a scene in the book where Yoda gets in a tug of war with a droid over his food while Yoda is whacking it with his cane. Then, he casually mentions how maybe he should move the Jedi Order to a quieter world, like a swamp world. To add insult to egregious callback injury, one of the main characters waves her hand before someone and says, "This is not the victory you were seeking.".

The plot was ok. The title is pretty misleading because very little of the book has anything to do with Yoda/Dooku. The plot is centered around Scout and Whie. Yoda/Dooku are tangentially involved as a means to drive the plot forward. Not only is it misleading, it is also stupid. Dooku is setting a trap for Yoda by saying he wants peace. Yoda knows it is a trap, but thinks he may be able to trap Dooku instead. Yoda shows up, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of trap set by Dooku. Yoda and Dooku have a little debate. Dooku isn't close to coming back to the light. Yoda is never in danger of being killed. Dooku runs away and Yoda keeps the palace from being blow up by a missile. None of the key characters are ever in real danger. The story never realistically threatened to have any impact at all on anything outside this story. Anakin/Obi-Wan are brought in for no real reason at the end.

The characters were decent if frustrating. Scout and Whie were alright. The biggest problem with the characters is how over-powered they are compared to their impact in the universe. Whie is an incredibly strong and mature beyond his years padawan with dreams that tell the future. You would think the Jedi would tap into this incredibly valuable skill in the midst of a civil war. Nope. They apparently aren't fazed by it and don't seem to even ask him about it. Scout is a padawan with almost no force ability but has lots of spunk, so she is always quipping. The most cringe-worthy thing she did was when she grabbed a lighstaber blade with her bare hand (with a power setting still high enough to give significant burns by being touched), and still takes the time to say something along the line of, "You should've finished me when you hand the chance.". Give me a break. Your hand is being horrifically burned, you don't say a witty line. The best characters are easily the two servant droids. I love the idea of droids essentially being abandoned and having to find their way through the galaxy. These weren't completely abandoned, but it was close. The downside of these droids was they were also ridiculously powerful. Assaj is wary of taking one on with a host of assassin droids backing her up. For some reason, they stopped making these insanely powerful droids. It is laughable that you wouldn't keep making droids that would pose a threat to Jedi. Seems pretty valuable...The Jedi who were added were ok, but it seems strange to take a Jedi who is essentially a pacifist on this kind of mission. It doesn't really matter since they both die because Yoda decided to go fight the assassin droids in a different room because the plot said so.

This isn't the worst book in the EU but I wouldn't categorize it as good.

[Willem van den Oever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of the little green wizard have nothing to fear when Sean Stewart tries his hands on a Star Wars novel featuring the Jedi Master front and center. Here’s a story that’s just as engaging as the best bits of the movies combined.

With the war slowly bringing the Republic to its knees, a surprising offer reaches the capital of Coruscant from an unexpected side. Count Dooku, the Jedi knight who fell away from the order and turned to the dark side of the Force, wants peace and asks for a meeting with the head of the Jedi order, master Yoda. There’s no doubt that the meeting on a faraway planet is simply a trap, set to ensnare the Jedi master and plunge the Republic into further chaos. But if this rendezvous is a chance to end the devastating war, it’s a gamble Yoda has to make.

‘Dark Rendezvous’ will please Star Wars fans young and old. It’s a surprisingly well-written and elegant book, with plenty of thrills, an engaging plot and some unexpected twists. Stewart knows how to carry on with the characters known from the original Star Wars movies, making them sound and act the way we know them to do. But the newly conceived characters feel just as much a true part of this universe. The new Jedi masters and padawans, taking up a lot of space within this story, feel just as real and familiar as Dooku, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu.
But most important is of course Yoda himself. And every aspect of this lovely character is used to its fullest extent within the plot. Effortlessly he moves from wise teacher to mischievous warrior, from fierce leader to compassionate friend. It all feels so comfortable and pleasant.

Especially the relationship between Yoda as the tutor and Dooku as his former apprentice has been worked out fantastically well, bringing the story to a climax that really pops. An ending that doesn’t just rely on fast-moving saber fights ( which, regardless, are perfectly written), but a dialogue-heavy scene in which the meaning of power, loss and friendship are discussed. As with the rest of the story, ‘Dark Rendezvous’ doesn’t just rely on the action-scenes, it shows some really strong, emotional material as well. Serious losses are suffered and there’s a genuine feeling of sadness and loss to the failed relationship between Yoda and the Count. All of which probably works so well because Stewart has been able to make Dooku so much more than the character is in the movies: in this book, he finally becomes a fully formed, three dimensional character. As good as Steward has been able to get into the character of Yoda, he deserves just as much credit for his work on the nemesis.

Though being part of a larger franchise based on six successful movies, this book doesn’t feel like an attempt at fan fiction. Rather, it comes across beautifully as a fully formed, well rounded story that is able to carry its own weight just fine. With plenty of adventure, action, lightsaber fights and just the right amount of humor, ‘Dark Rendezvous’ is precisely what a Star Wars novel should be: lots and lots of fun.

[Mustafa Saad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Star Wars: Clone Wars novel is very well written and very interesting. It shows the relation between master Yoda and his former padawan Count Doku. It's one of the few SW novels that you'll always remember.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

the worst SW novel I have ever read. A pair of ridiculous children are the centerpiece of the story - Yoda and any other recognizable characters are mere afterthoughts.

[Benjamin Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had this one on the to-read list for a while. It's been a long time since venturing into the early 2000s era of the old Star Wars EU now relabelled as legends. To many an author, the idea of writing a Star Wars book involving a lot of writing from Yoda's perspective is probably a very daunting task. But Sean Stewart not only captures the wisdom, impish trolling and ancient unknowable nature of the titular Jedi grandmaster he elevates him from an iconic film character to someone so believably real and flawed he feels like someone you could meet and talk to in real life. The same goes for every character; Solaris, Scout, Fidelus, Asajj, Max Leem, Whie and Dooku. God how this book capitalises on the promise of character depth from Dooku that most other content in this franchise has failed to live up to. The conversations between Yoda and Dooku are some of the best scenes in all of Star Wars. Genuinely some of the most interesting thematic exploration of the core light side vs dark side themes alongside the bittersweet tragedy of recognising how close Dooku was from potentially redeeming himself. It goes beyond the wise mentor trying to talk down his former pupil. It feels more like a tired father reaching out to his equally tired and desperately lost son.

I love Scout (I'm not using her actual name because it's the most frustratingly complicated fantasy name I've ever heard and I had to look it up just to see how it was spelt) the little Jedi that could. Despite boasting a weak connection to the force her tenacity and cunning made me immediately want nothing but the best for her. Whie is also incredibly likeable, serving as something of a narrative parallel mirroring Dooku or perhaps Dooku as he could've been. There is so much to rant and rave about this book but I've said all I needed. If you want to find out more, read this book or listen to it on audiobook. This is an undisputed gem of the Clone Wars Multi-Media Project and it leaves me a little bitter that far too much of the more modern and mainstream content the Star Wars franchise puts out fails to replicate even a tenth of the sheer passion Sean demonstrates in bringing the galaxy far far away into the realm of prose and elevating it so beyond the source material.

5/5: There are a few tedious lulls here and there, but when the story starts firing on all cylinders, it makes those lulls seem non-existent. You would be doing yourself a massive disservice as a Star Wars fan not to read this one. It might not be recommended to start with this one if you've never watched at least the prequels, as it is a bit self-referential. But let's be honest here: If you're reading reviews for this book, you are likely not ignorant of Star Wars.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Wars Legends Project #155

Background: Yoda: Dark Rendezvous was written by Sean Stewart. It was published in November of 2004. Stewart is best known as a pioneer of alternate reality gaming. This is his only Star Wars work.

Dark Rendezvous is set 30 months after the Battle of Geonosis (19 years before the Battle of Yavin). The main characters are Yoda and Count Dooku, with secondary roles for Asajj Ventress, Obi-Wan, and Anakin, plus a pair of Jedi Masters and their Padawans. Most of the story takes place on Coruscant and Vjun.

Summary: As the Clone Wars near their climax, Count Dooku sends a startling message to the Jedi on Coruscant: He wants to negotiate peace, but it must be in secret, and Master Yoda must come to him. Yoda knows it's probably a trap, but he knows even better that he can't afford to ignore the possibility that it isn't. But Dooku and Yoda have a long history, and their connection will shape this meeting in ways neither of them could anticipate.

Review: Let me just start by quoting this novel's opening paragraph:

"The sun was setting on Coruscant. Shadows ran like black water, filling up the alleys first, then climbing steadily higher, a tide of darkness rising to drown the capital. Twilight's gloom spread over retail districts and medcenters, and crept like a dark stain up the walls of the Chancellor's residence as the sun slipped below the horizon. Soon only the rooftops were gilded with the day's last yellow light; then the shadows conquered them, too, swarming up the pinnacles of the Senate Building and the spires of the Jedi Temple. The long day of the Republic had come to an end."

That is a solid opener, and overall the book lives up to that promise. And I'll try not to spend this whole review just quoting my favorite bits from the book, but Stewart really knows his way around a turn of phrase. Like this: “Every Jedi is a child his parents decided they could live without.” Right there he takes something that every Star Wars fan knows about the Jedi and how they work, and turns it to a slight angle . . . and suddenly it's like we'd never seen it before.

So he can certainly write, there's no question about that. So, what doesn't work as well. This is ostensibly Yoda's novel. He's the title character, and this is the only Star Wars novel to focus so extensively on this massively important character . . . which makes me wish he didn't spend portions of the book taking a backseat to a couple of nobody Jedi Padawans we've just met. Where the story lags most is in it's focus on self-absorbed, uptight Whie, whose character arc can't begin to enlist the sympathy it seems meant to, particularly when saddled with a fairly clunky reliance on not-so-portentuous foreshadowing. The other Padawan, Scout, is a much better character, much more enjoyable to read about, but it still feels like an odd choice to give her such a central role in a Yoda novel.

My one other significant complaint is that the book lags quite a bit in the middle, particularly surrounding a kind of goofy subplot involving a Yoda impersonator and a false report that Yoda has been killed. Not much happens for the majority of the book, but the early scenes in the Jedi Temple offer lots of engaging character development, and it only becomes noticeable that the story is overdue to move things along when it seems to be spinning its wheels in the second act.

Oddly, what I appreciated most about this novel was its depiction of Count Dooku. Dooku should be one of the richest prequel characters and instead he's one of the shallowest. He's a wise and experienced Jedi Master who switches sides to join the Sith, but still at least comfortably wears a mask of adhering to rigid and upright principles. What are his true motivations? We have no idea, and given the variety of roles he's juggling we can often not even be sure what game he's playing. This novel finally gives us a glimpse into who Dooku truly is and how his Jedi past has shaped and continues to shape him. And it's very well done. I particularly appreciated exchanges like this one between Dooku and Ventress:

“The Count watched her, bemused. ‘How strange it is, to know your every thought before you think it.’

“‘Not even the dark side can give you that power,’ Ventress said, unnerved.

“The Count smiled, ‘I have a power greater than the dark side, my pet. I am old. Your fresh furies are my ancient mistakes.’”

Best of all, though, is that Stewart really gets how to write Yoda as a character who is wise and powerful and revered by the entire Jedi Order, but who also has a sense of humor and can be the butt of a good joke. Consider this scene from early in the book:

“Frankly, even beings who would follow Yoda to the gates of death preferred not to share his meals. Perhaps traveling the length and breadth of the galaxy had given the Master a more wide-ranging palate than mere mortals, or perhaps he was so evolved a being that he didn’t care what he put into his body; or perhaps when one lived eight-hundred-odd years all one’s taste buds died. Whatever the reason, the old gnome’s preferred foods were notoriously disgusting.”

I love that, and I love how it fleshes out how he's seen by other Jedi while it ties in with a favorite scene from the original trilogy, but even better is what comes next, as Yoda waxes philosophical over dinner:

“‘...Each choice, the branch of a tree is: what looked like a decision, is after all only a pattern of growth. Each act, you see, is like a fossil, preserved in the Force, as—*aiee*!’ Yoda broke into a sudden squawk as a rectory droid came to the end of the table and took his bowl, still half full of stew. ‘Stop! Stop! Eating this, I am!'

“‘This bowl contains a substance my sensors cannot identify as food,’ the little round droid said. ‘Please wait here, and I will bring you one of today’s specials.’

“Yoda grabbed on to the edge of his bowl. ‘Ignorant machine! Not on menu, my food ever is. Made special for me, was this!’

“The droid’s servos whined as it fought to pull the bowl from the table. ‘Preliminary readings cannot confirm the contents of this bowl. Please wait here, and I will bring you one of today’s specials.’

“‘Back!’ Yoda cried, whapping the droid on the arm with his cane. ‘Mine! Go away!’”

This is another great call back to the original trilogy, and a hilarious moment in its own right . . . I can't think of any other writer who would interrupt Yoda in the midst of dispensing his famous Jedi wisdom for a moment of pure slapstick bliss. That's when you know you're in good hands here. There's probably a lot more that I could say, but I'll just conclude by affirming that I recommend this and I wouldn't want to ruin any of the book's story surprises. Instead, I'll leave you with one more of the many great Yoda moments this novel gives us:

“‘...How did you know?’

“... ‘Secret, shall I tell you? ... Grand Master of Jedi Order am I!’ he said loudly right in her ear. ‘Won this job in a raffle I did, think you?’ He snuffed and waved his stubby fingers in the air. ‘How did you know, how did you know, Master Yoda?’ he said mincingly, followed by another snort. ‘Master Yoda knows these things. His job it is.’”

B+

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remembered enjoying this book the first time I read it over 10 years ago, a broad impression that mostly focused on the warmth and playfulness in Yoda's relationship with the main character Scout. It occurred to me that this might be a good follow-up (crossing Legends and Canon) to Dooku: Jedi Lost, so I slotted it in accordingly. I'd say it works surprisingly well, at least as much so as Master & Apprentice, which was presumably planned to fit that spot. It follows up on the relationship between Yoda and Dooku in D:JL, ties in Ventress, and seems more or less consistent in its use of other random Jedi. The only real discontinuity is that Dark Rendezvous feels a lot more intentional and mature. Actually, I'll go one step farther. Dark Rendezvous shows a capacity to write scenes from an individual character's perspective and an interest in using description to set tone and just be artful on its own merits that practically none of the new Canon books seem to even attempt.

The strength of this book is twofold. First, it does a great job putting us into the perspective of a unique and interesting Jedi Padawan. Scout is a great protagonist, thoughtful, observant, emotional, and resilient. Her experience in the tournament is classic Boarding School Story drama and it works as well as it ever does. Second, Yoda. He's so much fun to hang out with, constantly outflanking these other Jedi with his humility and wisdom and playfulness. The third half-thing is that the story, similar to Hard Contact but to a much smaller extent, imposes a sense of friction and scale on the characters. They spend a decent chunk of the book travelling incognito through the galaxy, using public transport, getting food, interacting with other passengers, etc. It's a clear riff on the part of AotC where Anakin and Padme do the same, but welcome nonetheless. It's only undermined by a very dated scene where they try to smuggle Yoda and their lightsabers through a TSA checkpoint.

The biggest weakness is just that it's too short to make good on most of that potential. There's one good subplot for Scout, one good conversation between Yoda and Dooku, half of a good conversation between Whie and Ventress, and a few nice moments otherwise. But it isn't united into a strong story, in large part because it doesn't have time to develop one. Why is it so short? It's even shorter than Dooku: JL, which was already short at 6 audiobook hours. This is 5. It makes no sense to me that this wasn't at least a half longer, if not twice as long. That's something I always end up thinking about these stories, and this is an especially egregious example since it was already doing so much right. Frustrating.

[Jared Mayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Clone Wars era novel slipped under my radar for quite a while. Maybe because the title sounds like a romance novel. . . But by the time I finally got around to reading this, I was incredibly surprised! This is a gem of Star Wars Legends and gives us the rare spotlight on Yoda and Count Dooku. After having just read Dooku: Jedi Lost, this really scratched the itch that I had with my newfound interest in the character. This time, he’s trying to set a trap for Yoda under the guise of wanting to end the Clone Wars once and for all. Also, Ventress! On top of all of this, we get great insight and perspective we get on Yoda and a very close, personal story with Dooku as well. Dark Rendezvous great atmosphere and setting on the spooky planet of Vjun!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars. This was one of the better Star Wars novels I've read. This one follows Yoda as he deals with his old apprentice, Count Dooku, and as he takes two Padawans under his wing. In the novel we experience the Yoda we met in the prequels and in Empire Strikes Back--he is wise, humorous, and sometimes self-deprecating. He is also very old, and very powerful in the Force, and in this novel we see some of the implications of such a being. There were some great light saber fights and more than a few laughs. I came away from this novel feeling like I had a whole new understanding of Yoda. The interesting thing is, although this was written years ago, there were moments that resonated for me in regards to the newer Mandalorian series, and what we've learned about Grogu.

[Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know some people really love this one but I was a bit disappointed. I was expecting a novel focusing on Yoda and Dooku, and while I did get that in some parts, Yoda feels like a secondary character in his own book. There’s two random Padawans that serve as the other protagonists, in addition to their masters, and it all just felt a bit cluttered to me. Their character arcs just didn’t interest me that much.

There’s some cool moments in this that do involve Yoda, especially when he interacts with Dooku and their relationship is explored as a former master and Padawan. But those moments are nowhere near long enough in my opinion.

I also really like the Dooku and Ventress dynamic. That was probably my favorite part of the story.