Brotherhood

Star Wars Disney Canon Novel

by Mike Chen, Jonathan Davis (Narrator)

Listening Length: 12 hours and 46 minutes

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker must stem the tide of the raging Clone Wars and forge a new bond as Jedi Knights.

The Clone Wars have begun. Battle lines are being drawn throughout the galaxy. With every world that joins the Separatists, the peace guarded by the Jedi Order is slipping through their fingers.

After an explosion devastates Cato Neimoidia, the jewel of the Trade Federation, the Republic is blamed and the fragile neutrality of the planet is threatened. The Jedi dispatch Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the Order’s most gifted diplomatic minds, to investigate the crime and maintain the balance that has begun to dangerously shift. As Obi-Wan investigates with the help of a heroic Neimoidian guard, he finds himself working against the Separatists who hope to draw the planet into their conspiracy—and senses the sinister hand of Asajj Ventress in the mists that cloak the planet.

Amid the brewing chaos, Anakin Skywalker rises to the rank of Jedi Knight. Despite the mandate that Obi-Wan travel alone—and his former master’s insistence that he listen this time—Anakin’s headstrong determination means nothing can stop him from crashing the party, and bringing along a promising but conflicted youngling.

Once a Padawan to Obi-Wan, Anakin now finds himself on equal—but uncertain—footing with the man who raised him. The lingering friction between them increases the danger for everyone around them. The two knights must learn a new way to work together—and they must learn quickly, to save Cato Neimoidia and its people from the fires of war. To overcome the threat they face they must grow beyond master and apprentice. They must stand together as brothers.

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

Audible Audio

First published May 10, 2022

About the author

Mike Chen is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Brotherhood, Here and Now and Then, Light Years From Home, and other novels, in addition to Star Trek comics. He has covered geek culture for sites such as Nerdist, Tor.com, and StarTrek.com, and in a different life, covered the NHL. A member of SFWA, Mike lives in the Bay Area with his wife, daughter, and many rescue animals. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @mikechenwriter

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to put Obi-Wan to bed and cover him with a blankie. I want to put Anakin in a pringles tube and shake him like a noise stick because he is my poor little meow meow. I want to wear Obi-Wan like a Jedi robe on cold nights...

You know Star Wars is really milking it when a single line from a movie that was released 17 years ago becomes the base for a whole novel. After George Lucas had Obi-Wan say “that business on Cato Neimodia doesn’t count” without ever disclosing what he referred to (king of giving us random anecdotes without ever explaining them!!), we finally received an answer in the form of this novel. Though I would have also read the book if it had been about anything else, just give me that Obi-Wan content. 🤲

Brotherhood might be a different book than most of us expected, and it took some getting into, but I ended up very much enjoying it.

Taking place only a few weeks after the Battle of Geonosis, Anakin is now a Jedi Knight and no longer Obi-Wan’s padawan. While he now spends every free minute with his wife, Padmé, Obi-Wan is granted a temporary seat on the Jedi Council. When a report comes in that Cato Neimodia’s capital was bombed, the Council sends Obi-Wan to investigate on his own, separating former Master and Apprentice, as Anakin is sent on a relief mission to Langston.

There is SO MUCH to love about this book but what I liked best were the many smaller and bigger references to Stover’s Revenge of the Sith novelisation – a book that I love to pieces. You could just TELL that Chen likes it too because of how he wrote certain scenes and passages!
It’d be too much to list every single reference but things like

- Anakin gifting Padmé his Padawan braid upon becoming a knight because he has no other earthly possessions
- some passages felt like very intentional references to very specific passages from the ROTS novelisation such as: “There stood Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, brothers-in-arms of the Jedi Order. And together, they were unstoppable.” vs Stover’s “They stand alone. Together, they are unstoppable.”
- Anakin & his sun-dragon heart, which is a big theme in the ROTS novelisation
- Mace and his ability to see people’s shatterpoints which we got in the ROTS novelisation and Shatterpoint but given that both are now legends, it was never confirmed in canon until now.

What can I say, I loved every single reference I detected, and I’m sure there’s more I didn’t catch.
If you’re a fan of the ROTS film or the novelisation, you’re going to love this book, but there’s something in here for Clone Wars and prequel fans, too.

Given that this novel takes place so shortly after Attack of the Clones, the Jedi are not yet fully integrated into the Clone Army. Chen touches upon a lot of things here: that Jedi Knights are addressed are informally addressed as ‘General’ because they are both soldiers and commanders and the clones don’t know how to comprehend that overlap; Palpatine’s request to prepare Padawans for the field, Obi-Wan’s friendship with Dex… It’s a prequels feast, and I love it.

It is true that I (like many others, based on the reviews I’ve read) expected this book to be a 24/7 Obi-Wan/Anakin adventure. Instead, they spend half of the book separated from each other which was a bit of a bummer at the beginning. In the end, I think it was a good decision to keep these two apart in the novel’s first half. They could ruminate on their past relationship with each other and how it was changing, and they could stand on their own without being defined by the other. It also built tension for their eventual meet-up (and Obi-Wan’s rescue, lol).

Now, some other criticism levelled against the book I completely disagree with. Mace isn’t constantly “bashed”. Anakin THINKS Mace disdains “his being there, his very existence”, but given that there are no chapters from Mace’s POV, this is never confirmed. Even from Obi-Wan’s POV, he THINKS he recognises a certain look that “seemed to be constant whenever Anakin and Mace crossed paths.” That’s all there is to Mace’s and Anakin’s interactions and they MAKE SENSE given how opposed Mace was to Anakin becoming a Jedi which is something Anakin never forgot. There’s no Mace bashing in this book. He is described as the grim, fierce, loyal, skilled, and rule-abiding Jedi he is. 💆‍♀️

Is the plot as boring as some other reviewers say it is? Hell no, or it might be if you think every Star Wars novel’s plot is boring. It felt like a good ol’ legends novel. A disaster happens, a Jedi is sent to investigate, there is more to the whole thing than meets the eye, blaster and lightsaber fights ensue, the secondary characters get great character development, and there is talk of the Force. Perfect, perfect, perfect. There is humour, action, and politics. What more do you want?

I enjoyed the book for its story and characterisation of Obi-Wan and Anakin, but more than anything, I loved the nods to so many other Star Wars material. Shatterpoint, Cloak of Deception, the films, the Clone Wars series. It made for a really rewarding read that I’m already looking forward to rereading!

Also "Obi-Wan Kenobi was too good for a galaxy at war."?? 😭😭 That quote? Why don't you just fling me into the sun, it'd hurt less.

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that gets better as it goes along. I was a bit worried because the book started out a bit slow and not very action-packed, but as the further I read, the pace of the book made sense.

This book covers the transition period, after Atrack of the Clones (and Queen's Hope), Anakin becoming a Jedi Knight from a Padawan. The change in rank also affects his relationship with Obi-Wan. Though technically Obi-Wan still outranks him, he us no longer has direct master. I also like Obi-Wan's insecurities about his worthiness of his new position. Another great touch in this book is the fact that Obi-Wan recognises a position Anakin is in as he could have made a similar choice in his life.

The side/supporting characters in this book are also great. They really add to both Obi-Wan and Anakin's development. Also, the plotting and grooming of Anakin by Palpatine. As well as the first meeting on another classic Clone Wars character.

Another great thing about this book gets points for is dealing with Anakin's physical injury from Dooku. This is a great transition book for growth and character development. In the acknowledgement page, thanks to other writers, the collaboration between them is obvious.

[Veronica Alvarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75
Anakin
We know that he’s new to having a mechanical hand, and he has to get used to it of course it’s not as good as his organic hand so this causes problems not only in his fights but also personally he describes it as unnatural therefore covers it up with a glove
When he's watching the new Padawans/Jedi Knights he absolutely doesn't want one because“that’s the worst thing in the galaxy” and “No way am I taking on a Padawan” this is what I expected from this novel we already see a little bit of Ani not wanting a padawan on the movie but now it's the perfect time to dig in that a little bit
He already has a black cloak so as soon as he’s a Jedi Knight we know he already has some troubles Attachments marriage his mother’s death and the sand people
We see more scenes about his mother which only makes everything sadder including a story that she used to told him when they were cruel with him or failed in one of his inventions this absolutely broke me we get to see her as being a normal mother and trying her best always giving him inspired words I hope we see Watto’s dead because I hate him so much
The comlink Ani gave Obi was tested beforehand with Padme in her apartment so I'm pretty sure they do things like that, testing Ani’s experiments Padme practicing a speech being undecided about what clothes to wear etc
Seeing the non-existent interest he started talking about a friend on Tatooine all these years and still remember things like this even took a moment to send a wish for Kitster also started talking about her mother, which is worse because they don't have one nor I think should you talk about it
He calls Binks friend is he growing on him?
He mentions Qui-Gon to the younglings
Apparently Mace had mostly a scowl on his face when Ani was present
He said good bye or thank you to each youngling
Ani mentions how his friendship with Palpatine is genuine is he's the only one who had care about him since he arrived on Coruscant
We know that he and Palpatine often meet especially when Ani feels lonely or angry sometimes just to catch up on things in a meeting or crossing paths I love this because it shows us more context on their relationship
Palpatine basically tells him that he has a great heart and cares about other people and don't let the jedi take that from him which of course benefits Palpatine later on
When he was with Mill it reminded me of him and how Obi Wan could be around him when he was younger
I loved him so much when he was helping Mill to help people from the planet even though it's not the Jedi way but knowing they can help them it's just so good showing once again their Jedi’s flaws"This was why he’d never, ever consider dealing with a Padawan He knew how stubborn they were that was him mere months ago"haha
Mace is looking for him and he "resisted the urge to roll his eyes"haha
And lastly “Repeat Your Destination”“Understood Master” He let go of the knob and the transmission stabilized. “I have the youngling Mill Alibeth with me She is safe Please send my apologies to the Three-Oh-Second and D’urban Wen-Hurd We got pulled away after discovering an urgent issue on Langston and this ship’s comms aren’t stable”later on he cuts off the transmission, with Mace’s burning eyes and tight scowl suddenly disappearing this shouldn't be as funny as it is"Any questioning of the Republic meant questioning him the Jedi Palpatine Padmé"Ugh I love this line so much
Mill tells him that she's learning something from him, which he responds with“I don’t think I was put in this galaxy to teach"in fact he didn't
She says they need help, when Ani is trying to do it she says they can't do that and of course of thinking reasonable things he replies with“because it would make Master Windu right?”
At some point he calls Obi"Master"I expected him to giggle a little bit because he's not anymore but actually he was very serious about it so I think we see that as a way of Ani trying to adapt to his name because this is just right after AOTC I liked that transition
He introduces Mill as Jedi Initiate which it makes me laugh, because he just says a formal way of saying padawan because that'd make her a kid and proves Obi's point
He literally picks up Mill and carries her while her head is resting on his shoulder WHAT? The things that I'd do/say to see this in live action with Hayden you have absolutely no idea
Throughout the book we see him making joke it just I think they're a little too much to put them here but I like that we can see his smugness
He trusts Palpatine and says he's a good man
Obi-Wan
He lets his hair grow out a little bit and I really need to see it it touches his shoulders but Anidala mocks him and Anakin tells him to cut it out, which he eventually does so did he do it because he wanted to? Or did Anakin have something to do with that?
He goes to see Dex, and I can't be more happy, we have more content with them and that makes Obi happy if he’s happy I’m happy. Dex told him multiple times he got this' or just think more about the situation and even wanted to leave but Obi always got a response this makes me think even though he's a Master he’s still new to this or still needs some kind of guidance
He likes his coffee straight black of course he does
I have no idea how many times Mike the author mentioned he doesn't like flying but it was a statement at some point
When he gave food to the animals to prevent accidents smart guy
He thought Anakin was maturing after all and as much as I'd like to think that that's not true
He uses the force speed, which I never expect it a lot of people said looking at it now it's weird because they only using it once and never see again a surprise to be sure but a welcome one
It's mention that he"had plans built upon strategies built upon guidelines, even when he had to come up with something on the fly"and I just loved it that's very Kenobi of him
He mention he'd never hit someone even if it was necessary Ani on the other hand...
Obi does his pose
Obikin
Obi said to Ani multiple times they are equals when we all know they're exactly not for me that's Obi telling him that he has some authority now he can be a little free as he always has struggled with that just trying to make things better for him
Obi wants to have some time alone with him in case he has any questions about being a Knight as if Ani makes sure he feels ready he's always trying to make sure he's fine
When we see Ani showing feeling towards Padme way too many times Obi thinks he should talk to him but of course they were in the middle of a war so there was not time and I think that's one of the reason to what happens to them, Obi never really talks to him, either way because Ani is under pressure or they’re in a middle of a war etc And that’s one of the reasons why they were doomed.
He really lets Ani do whatever he wants Obi saw how he changed holodisplays for a podrace and waited until he sat and have a moment of quiet with his food I get it he wanted to give him some space perhaps we even get a thought thinking about Ani’s personal desires to blend the rules which is completely true but Obi never calls him out
He knows Ani has a soft spot for Padme and every time he mentions her he“occupied his thoughts and the fact that Anakin didn’t even try to shield it created a monumental problem a vulnerability that endangered both Anakin and the Republic)nevertheless Obi doesn't do anything about this
Ani mentions Qui-Gon and how he wishes for him to see them Obi responds with"He would be proud of you his faith would be rewarded”and yes perhaps it did make me tear up a little bit
Obi tells him he“must meet with the younglings and pass on your wisdom” he laughs at this and asks “Okay seriously what’s the assignment?”Obi says he’s serious about this, Ani said “No You can’t be”Laugh so hard with this on and not only physical skills but the wisdom he's gathered what wisdom I wonder of destroying ships perhaps and Ani must respond to all of their questions I can only imagine Ani’s face
The times when they mentioned perhaps being separated or taking a break from each other could be the best, or things can go smoothly it hit a lot too close to home
Obi must go to Cato without any kind of communications of course Ani doesn't care, so he gave him a modified comlink and how it was okay to keep it because“he wasn't on the council”also giving him excuses for Obi to have that kind of device laughed with this one further example Obi just go with the flow and accepted
Obi mentions“What would life be without constantly fighting with Ani?”and I just…
Ani trying to make Obi like sports and won’t tell the council about it besides promoting the new seasons coming up I loved it a little too much
Him saying“Kenobi out”when he talks to Anakin and him saying"Come in Obi-Wan This is your really annoyed former Padawan"will never leave my mind
When Ani was his padawan Obi went on a mission but he’d heard the strangest noise coming from beneath one of the panels by the port-side thruster snoring, which Ani replies with“I didn’t want to stay at the Temple besides you said you promised Master Qui-Gon you’d protect me this is literally amazing, and even thought we already knew that I don't care to get remind again even though it's really really painful
They needed each other everyone knows that even Obi so he thinks"If he survived this perhaps he’d even tell Ani someday Though really it might work better if he didn’t Ani’s ego didn’t need any more feeding"I am not crying
"Could he just say that it felt right being at Obi’s side when things might go sour?"thanks for asking the answer stays the same I'm not crying
“Are you trying to pull rank on me?"I think sometimes Obi tries to do things on his way and tries Ani to follow them, even though i pretty sure he was just kidding I think Obi doesn't want to remind him he's the one on charge because Ani's opinion is just as important to him as everyone else's
Ruug sees that they're laughing and I just can't the fact that war is at its peak and they're far from each other but they still make jokes and find a little happiness in each other I AM ABSOLUTELY NOT CRYING
At some point Ani wants to be aggressive and what happens next Obi would take care of it cleaning his mess also Ani's planning to save everyone but Obi cares more about the evidence to save the Republic
Obi thinks about if Ani's in love because he was trying too hard to live up Qui-Gon's request
He thinks about his life if he'd run off with Satine and he'd be patient that happens the same to Ani
Anidala
Padme never makes comments about Ani’s hand she treats it as his own and tells him it won't ever bother her which of course makes Ani feel better
Padme doesn't like long hair and doesn't want Anakin to get one?Which is weird because Ani with long hair is superior I bet she changed her mind when she saw how good he looks
Obi follows him and he sees an interaction with them which of course no one can deny there's something going on between them even he senses different Ani’s emotions not good ones in the case of attachments towards her
They have a date and I absolutely loved every part of it them trying to look normal especially Anakin only husband and wife no politics
Ani gives her his padawan braid which I don't know how to feel for him that's important and wanted to give her a piece of himself if you look at that that's really sweet but having your boyfriend's hair just there it's weird
After she stood up and hurried him to go to their speeder that had a blanket and“the look in her eye gave all the context he needed”and asked him to go somewhere private on the lower levers, I wasn't expecting that even for me it was plain what Padme wanted to do
Obi and Ani are talking when Obi tell him he'd run into Padme and he responded“If you run into her again tell her I say hello”I laughed so much because he also had an awkward moment I just think about AOTC and how awkward he can be when he said that very subtle Ani
He tested the comlink with her and I absolutely loved how in insignificant things like this we see them having a connection
Hr tries to distract her with physical temptation that reminded me of the finale episode from the first TCW season
In a paragraph we know they had sex twice First on Naboo after their wedding “they'd isolated themselves”then the night before Obi’s departure when “they indulged themselves”and I just… finally just before the chapter ends he goes to meet up with her for “their final night hopefully only wife and husband”so did they do it AGAIN?
The comlink Ani gave Obi was tested beforehand with Padme in her apartment so I'm pretty sure they do things like that testing Ani’s experiments Padme practicing a speech being undecided about what clothes to wear etc
Anakin always thinking that someday it could be possible for them to see each other every day.
"He would do anything to protect her even if that meant shifting the entire axis of the galaxy"
Mill reminds him of Padme saying he sees so much of her (Padme) in her"not just of his instinctive stubborn pull to his own moral compass but also of Padmé’s ability to both empathize and be pragmatic about it" and I love it just give me more reasons to be an AOTC stan
“Yeah I agree Padmé would like her too”that's what Ani said to R2 when Mill is trying to help people does this mean R2 knew Ani is thinking about Padme?
After tricking Mace with the com link he gives himself a silent pat on the back and after thinks that he would definitely have to tell Padmé about this and it's just so cute to think about them talking about his adventures/her visions alone because we never see that on the movies that's understandable but I like that in this kind of formats we have that
We have another effort to make their dialogue in AOTC less cringe with him thinking"though it had been far more recent, and while he now cringed at some of the things he’d said during those idyllic moments"even though it's fine at this point I think it's trying too hard to help the movie to be"better"
She calls him Ani and is about to tell him something informal until she realizes he's not alone and says Mater Skywalker with formality while he was trying not to smile and his eyes don't lie
OBI KNOWS their feelings are that strong that just being in the same room is enough also their smiles and gazes with his soft look for her
She says she wants to see them soon and he says he wants too and he couldn't help himself
R2 doesn't have that many lines but all of them are funny some of my favorites are
“Do I have to carry all of that?”R2 in fact did not carry any of the storage crates the way this is worded is so funny
R2-D2 complained but Ani motioned for him to settle down“Don’t tell me you’re getting tired”He laughed at the droid’s sassy reply“What do you mean a long walk?
R2-D2 chimed in with a sarcastic comment about needing some downtime and Ani refused to dignify that with a response
"The droid threw a set of curses at a female Muun who bumped into him but the tall thin woman didn’t give them a second glance easy R2 you never know who might actually understand you here” R2 just doesn't care does he?
I like when Mill said that even though the government doesn't care about the people they should, and I'm conflicted because after all they're Jedi so absolutely yes but as Anakin said they can't help anyone they met and I'm pretty sure the Jedi are just like that they help just the necessary but it's in another planet so"it's their matter now"
Plot
This is a couple of weeks after AOTC and before the TCW movie and it has everything we like from this era characters and storylines
I was expecting it to be on the middle of a battle or straight into action I’d say this book is perfect for that but it didn't happen it was actually really calm focusing on that we see more about younglings being Padawans the latter being Knights now which I enjoyed it I like that kind of stuff and just to see how the character have been doing since AOTC
I absolutely loved the sun dragon story and the meaning behind it
Another good thing is to get a deeper exploration of Ani and Palpatine's relationship
Going deeper on Mace and Ani' difficult relationship
As an Ani stan I totally understand him especially when it comes to his famous lines and I'll always defend that but I really enjoyed him not liking sand though I wish it wasn't mentioned so much
Of course there wouldn't be Star Wars without the“We must have hope”sort of line
There's something that I didn't understand quite well quoting myself"So Obi went to the surface walked I don't know how much to go to a bar have a chat with Ruug where he remembered the data but never thought of sending it to Anakin which he says he's waiting for him and then still drank with her?"So for me that's not very Obi of him I don't think he'd put in danger the mission to be ore time in the bar but after all he's a people pleaser so perhaps Ruug kept asking him to stay and have more drinks
All the bombing was an inside job and one of the reasons was that the Jedi has looked down on them for too long and I hate that because it's true, but I love it because it shows how they can be not only that but Obi talks about how the Republic has exploit them(Neimoidians)
We see a little of the neutral system and saying they only want peace and invite them to stand with them
Favorite quote
“Justice doesn’t really exist Not for everyone”
It has way too many lines or moments that remind me of AOTC and ROTS here are a couple of them
“Conflict often comes from a failure to listen”Padme ROTS
“Goodbye my young friend May the Force be with you”Their last meeting as BFF
This is the first book where we see Palpatine and Anakin being good friends which gives more context when he says you're asking me to spy on a mentor and friend or Palpatine has been friendly since the moment I arrived on ROTS
“They killed your mother Your mother”“Of course you wanted revenge”“He cut your hand it is only natural you wanted revenge”on ROTS
“But experience does close the gap in some scenarios”I hope everyone can know what this remind me of
Always finding a way to make a happy landing self-explanatory
Writing
I think it’s good, the amount enough to visualize what’s happening, but in certain aspects it lacked, for example Mill said"the other day" and then Ani responded"what happened yesterday"so first that's kind of good because we know the time but how did Anakin know she was referring to yesterday

[Jorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balance has been restored to the Force; in the wake of a terrible Star Wars book (Master and Apprentice), I've found another I really enjoyed. I can breathe a sigh of relief~

Brotherhood follows Obi-Wan and Anakin immediately upon the latter's elevation to Jedi Knighthood. While several of the Masters worry he's still not ready, the brewing Clone Wars has necessitated his expedited promotion. Both Master and former Apprentice are sent on separate missions; Obi-Wan to investigate a terrorist attack on the Trade Federation planet Cato Neimoidia, while Anakin takes temporary charge of younglings due to become Padawans (Daniel Stern in Bushwhacked style, lol).

✨ But no matter their divergent paths, the Force has a way of bringing these two together again ✨

Introduced are original characters Mill Alibeth, a highly empathetic Zabrak youngling Anakin forms a close bond to (sort of a pre-Ahsoka dynamic), and Ruug Quarnom, a Neimoidian freedom fighter who works with Obi-Wan to solve the mystery bombing on her planet. Both of these characters were unique and compelling, and through each a new aspect of Star Wars was explored. Through Mill, it is a struggle with the violence inherent to being a Jedi, and perhaps taking a different path. Through Ruug, it is personifying a people only seen as villains in the movies.

I love the care author Mike Chen took to build Cato Neimoidia as a world and culture, especially as it was the main location for the book. The mystery of the terror attack ultimately tied into Anakin's and Mill's story very cleanly, especially with the inclusion of a very exciting familiar villain.

There is a block of text Obi-Wan thinks at the book's end re: his and Anakin's brotherhood that I really liked. While I did like the two journeys they went on, and how they came together, I was expecting this book to focus more on their relationship. They thought many things about one another, but they still spent most of it apart.

Quick Things I Loved:
- Time spent at Dex's Diner - I only wish there had been a reference to one of my favorite Star Wars characters, head waitress Hermione Bagwa <3
- Anakin and Padmé's incognito drag racing date in Coruscant - it was so classic George Lucas!

Quick Things I Hated:
- Disrespect to Obi-Wan's Attack of the Clones mullet, resulting in him chopping it into his Revenge of the Sith hair by the end >:(
- Final Fantasy X Blitzball - I love Final Fantasy so much, but I did not need Blitzball to be made Star Wars canon. I hate it.

[Books with Brittany]

Always desperate for more Anakin content!

[Dexcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

“This was Skywalker and Kenobi as they should be: a team built on emotion and intellect, bravado and control, fire and ice.
And despite no longer having the formal bond of Master and apprentice, they would always be connected. In fact, they were better this way.”

This was such a good book. I absolutely loved it. The plot was simple, a bombing on Cato Namodia, and Obi-Wan was sent to figure out who did it, and keep the peace. Meanwhile, we see Anakin's first time teaching a Jedi Youngling, a zabrak by the name of Mill Ailbeth. Which was an incredibly heartwarming part of the story.

He's also very good at writing Anakin and Padme, which I know other authors struggle with.

Also, a brief appearance by Cal Kestis and Jaro Tapal which was amazing. And a Dynamic-class freighter, gotta love the KOTOR callback.

It definitely reminded me strongly of the Revenge of the Sith novel throughout when it was focused on Anakin, which I absolutely loved as that's like my favorite SW book of all time. I saw the author took a lot of inspiration from it.

Great book in all. I'd love to see Mike Chen write more in the prequel era. He nailed the characters.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars
Star Wars Reading Guide https://youtu.be/k8WtQMRgCjA

This was a fantastic Star Wars novel that fills out the relationship development that needed to happen between Anikan & Kenobi, Anikan & Padme, and Anakin & Palpatine. If you love the prequels, then you will almost certainly love this one. This is easily one of the best Stars Wars EU books since Disney took over.

[Jim C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes place right away the movie Attack of the Clones. In this one there is a bomb that goes off on a planet. This planet is trying to stay neutral in the war but they believe the Republic is at fault for the bombing. Obi-Wan is sent there as a representative of the Republic and to find out what really happened.

This book easily exceeded my expectations. For the most part I have not been overwhelmed with the Disney canon novels. But this one was a great addition to them. This one is not actually heavy on the action. It is more a character study novel with political ramifications. I know political ramifications for this universe is not the most exciting for this universe but it works here. How does a war affect a group of people that wants nothing to do with the war? I liked how this book delved into it. As for the characters I enjoyed the established characters and the "introduction" of a character that was featured in the cartoon The Clone Wars. I loved the new character of Mill also. But this book is about Obi-Wan and Anakin and this is where this book excelled. It provided character growth for both characters. Anakin just lost his hand and is now married to Padme. How is he handling his new life. How is Obi-Wan handling that Anakin is now an equal to him instead of a padawan. This book provides character growth for both of these characters.

This book is one of the better Disney canon novels. Most of the time I feel like these books just detail an adventure and don't dive into the characters. This book went in the opposite direction and I enjoyed that. It also provides winks to the reader with subtle hints at key moments that we know that will happen in this galaxy. This book is a must read for fans of this universe.

[elisa dalle føg lands · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing. Oh lord, I dislike this book on a fundamental level. There was some nice lore here and there and even if Chen's Obi-Wan seemed to be spot-on, at the beginning of the book, in the last chapters his povs made me want to tear my hair out.

So much mischaracterization and weird takes on his relationship with Anakin, whose chapters are absolutely terrible and OOC 90% of the time (they're filled with so much useless Mace Windu negativity and bashing. We know: they're not besties. But they respect one another, and most certainly do not hate each other, thank you very much).

This books simply ignores everything we know about these characters and how they think/behave and makes them into something they are not (Qui-Gon is mentioned every few lines for reasons that are beyond me, to be honest). And while at first i blamed it onto the unreliable narrator-iness of it all, in the end it's just poor writing.

Also, the plot was pianfully boring. I basically skimmed through hoping to find some juicy bits, except there weren't any.

Mainly, I was disappointed because I wanted to read about Anakin and Obi-Wan, but they barely interact in the book and when they're apart, Obi-Wan is the only one constantly thinking about him, while Anakin is busy enjoying married life and obsessing over his perfect wife, making EVERYTHING ABOUT HER (i know, honeymoon period, wohooo, but so much Anidala content in a novel called Brotherhood? meh).

I'm used to a much more emotional and nuanced potrayal, the one found in old legends novel, so this fell very flat for me and would not recommend reading it if you're a hardcore Anakin and Obi-wan duo fan.

For more casual readers it can be nice I guess?

[Silver · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book when it was first announced and I was anticipating it even more when the author mentioned to have some inspiration from Matthew Stover.

Well, that excitement went down as soon as I started reading this book. For starters, for a book that is literally called "brotherhood" there's no brotherhood to find at all. Mike Chen's view of Obi-Wan and Anakin's relationship is so biased that it felt like I was reading a reddit "analysis" from a dude bro.

~Spoilers~



Obi-Wan:

In this book Obi-Wan is portrayed as someone who cares for Anakin (he thinks about him admittedly MANY times) but their friendship is one sided. The narrative tries to push the idea that Obi-Wan is selfish and we’re supposed to believe that after spending 10 years with Anakin he still doesn’t really know him or understand him.

Everything comes back to the unfortunately damned fan favorite theory that Anakin wouldn't have turned the way he did if he had been trained by Qui-Gon because Qui-Gon wouldn't have cared about his attachments to shmi and padme and he would have allowed him to do whatever he wanted. I can write you an entire analysis about how ridiculous that theory even is but I'll save you from the trouble and simply say that it's very obvious that the author likes that theory - a lot.

Anyways, according to brotherhood, Obi-Wan is selfish for not compromising his values to somehow "be there" for Anakin and Padme is the only person who truly supports him.

The author has chosen to ignore the plenty of statements from George Lucas himself outright confirming Obi-Wan to be to be THE person providing guidance to Anakin and to have utter faith in him because it serves his narrative :)

it honestly feels like Mike Chen doesn't know what to do with Obi-Wan; on the one hand he's too overbearing and strict, on the other had, he can't deal with Anakin and be there for him. (the author goes as far as to write that Obi-Wan DISLIKED him at the start and their fights were mostly spiteful...)


Anakin:

When it comes to Anakin, he's somehow written even worse than Obi-Wan. The Anakin from this book gives 0 fucks for Obi-Wan and constantly thinks of Qui-Gon and how it would be if he was alive. Anakin was a child when Qui-Gon died and he only knew the man for few DAYS.

While I understand he would probably be grateful that he was given the opportunity to be a jedi and fought for him when the council didn't want him, Anakin didn't even KNOW Qui-Gon as a person.

With the way his thoughts are written you'd think that he was Qui-Gon's padawan and not Obi-Wan.

Furthermore, Anakin is shown to "care" for the republic as a system and he now believes in it as an institution and thinks it works just fine, completely forgotten is the dialogue he had about it with Padme in Episode 2 and he suddenly doesn't really care about the beings around him (Anakin has always been emotional person, caring for others.)

My theory is that Mike Chen might be one of the people in Star wars fandom who view this trait to be 'feminine' so he makes sure to erase it completely (similarly how tcw tried to do)

Anakin is also portrayed as very... stupid? I know he can be naive sometimes but he's never outright an idiot.

In the scenes where he could shine are given to someone else because Anakin must not be emotional or anything less than the toxic masculinity recent sw writers are obsessed with.

An example of this is a scene where he should immediately get mad about something that happens Coruscant (given his background) but he doesn’t because Padme is with him so Padme reacts, gets the credit because she's a woman, she's allowed to be emotional and she's of course the only human being who cares about others apparently.

Once again, the friendship between him and Obi-Wan is simply not there. Aside from the fact that Anakin never even thinks of him, his mind is only obsessing over Padme and how important Qui-Gon was to him in his life (reminder, he KNEW HIM FOR ONLY FEW DAYS).

When it comes to Obi-Wan there are only few mentions and they're hardly even positive ones. When his life is in danger Anakin doesnt even want to rescue him. Yes, the Anakin who would rather burn down the world than lose any of his loved ones, would rather not risk any time away from his wife. Very in character.



Padme:

After the miserable time I had of reading EK Johnson terrible portrayal of Padme Amidala I thought I could finally be given a break but oh no.

Padme in this book is typically the mother Teresa of the galaxy (Heaven forbid if we have a female character being written as a realistic human being with feelings and flaws). The ongoing attribution of shit that goes to Padme is both insulting and perpetuates the ever-growing misogyny to her character.

Any empathy, agency and care about people is stripped from Anakin and is given to Padmè because she's the only one who should deal with emotional stuff. Let's not forget that in the core, Padme Amidala is always 'beautiful, kind but sad'. Nothing more, nothing less. (this is sarcasm in case you're wondering)


Other characters:

There's is an uncomfortable hatred towards Mace Windu. Just a month ago there was a tweet going viral about how Mace was the reason Anakin fell and everyone laughed at the person who wrote it. So I naively thought that we were past the point of blaming the jedi - let alone Mace himself, for Anakin's choices.

In this book the Mace bashing kept coming. The character is constalty being slandered to the point he's almost a villain?

I've already seen some people going with the 'Anakin is an unreliable narrator in this book' road but oh baby, he's not. In another chapter Obi-Wan also has the same thoughts - that Mace hates Anakin when that literally never happened; they always had a mutual respect. My God, it's 2022 quit with racism and always giving the most shit to Mace. I don't even care too much about his character to be honest but the Jedi were not the evil guys in the story. How many years should pass to finally accept this? I don't know.


Conclusion:
This book doesn't offer another side to the deep rooted friendship Anakin and Obi-Wan had. It's simply filled with mischaracterization of ALL the characters and poor writing that resembles YA too much. Does that mean that nobody can enjoy it? No, of course not.

The plot was boring but 13 year old me who only cared for anidala and knew next to nothing about the politics of star wars would have had a blast. If you're a super casual fan or wear shipping goggles while reading it, I think you might get some enjoyment.

[vicky. · Rating 2 out of 5]

OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN CANON NOVEL I'M CRYING

--
yeah... obi-wan and anakin barely interact :(
and their voices don't really sound like them. everything we are told about how close they are, how great they work as a team it's shown, not told.

for obikin supremacy please read Stealth and Siege!

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ * · Rating 4 out of 5]

these characters were written with so much love and care, my love for anakin skywalker runs so deep and at first this book started off kinda boring i was a bit afraid but honestly the more you read the better it gets. i love how most of anakin scenes he’s either thinking of his mom or padme, it really show how those two women play a huge part of his life. i was worried the author wouldn’t keep the sassiness of anakin because that’s why i love him but this book kept it so perfectly. this story was just so heartbreaking, not anything was in the book but the way that the author developed so many relationships such as anakin and palpatine just makes the ending to his story hurt so much more.

[Wee Lassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An illuminating book, Mike Chen keenly weaves in ideas that were explored in “legends” , into the context of the current Star Wars Canon. An ideal book for anyone who enjoyed the Clone Wars, the Prequels, or just Star Wars in general 😁

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Surprise to be sure, but a welcome one".

Going into 2022, this was not the book on my radar. I had other books higher on my anticipated list. However, in the last few weeks, some of my friends got ARCs and they all loved the book. It's the highest they've rated a book from Lucasfilm this year. So I had to get my hands on this book on opening day, and boy was it worth it!

I have to start by saying that this is the most Prequel book I've ever read. The tone of the book fits perfectly as a blend of Attack of the Clones and the Clone Wars. Mike Chen writes Anakin better than any other canon writer in the business. He might also have the best grasp of Kenobi that we've gotten in literary form.

You can tell Mike Chen did his homework. Not only did he rewatch the prequel movies and Clone Wars, but there are also references to canon comics, Legends books (most obviously Matthew Stover's "Shatterpoint" and James Luceno's "Cloak of Deception"), and also background material. This is definitely a book that feels well researched. Because of that, it also feels like the most "Legends" book we've gotten in the canon.

The worldbuilding for Cato Neimoidia was fantastic! I think Chen really captures the culture and the imagery of the locations and the characters. The Neimodians themselves are much more fleshed out in this than anything we've ever gotten. The characters of Ruug and Ketar were excellently written.

I also think that Chen did an excellent job writing politics, which is hard in Star Wars now. Some authors desire to write direct parallels (like E.K. Johnston), while other authors work incredibly hard to veer as far away from politics as possible. Mike Chen tackles some deep topics, but none of it is "preachy" or blatant, and he actually takes all sides of the arguments at some point in the book.

There was a reveal that I was disappointed that they revealed in the marketing, because it would have been AMAZING in the book. That reveal was so well done that I wish I hadn't known about it before going into the book.

Mike Chen also really writes the Jedi well. Obviously Obi-Wan and Anakin are the central focus, but Mill Alibeth has an excellent character journey that, dare I say it, made me have the same feels that I did with Ahoska's journey, although this journey happened in only one book.

This just reinforces in me the idea that we need much more Clone Wars material, specifically books in the canon. They need an ongoing series that weaves in and out of the events of the Clone Wars show, featuring original characters.

Overall, I positively loved everything about this book. It gave lots of action, lots of character moments, lots of themes, and lots of worldbuilding. It was also one of the most fun adult books I've read in the canon in a while. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to all Star Wars fans, especially prequel fans. This is the book we've been waiting for! 9.5 out of 10!


----------------------------------------------

This is my second read through in anticipation of reviewing it on the podcast, and it still holds up just as well. The prequel vibes are amazing and this was the right book at the right time again.

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Chen. Dude. If you wished on a magic lamp to write a really good Star Wars novel, I think you need to rethink that wish and and ask to write 'Star Wars novels'. Because this was a god damn good book. I mean, you wrote that short-story but lets not talk the book it came from because it was a bit of a mess. Lets talk about your first Star Wars novel and you fucking slayed.

The title of this book was Brotherhood and a lot of people are going to be sad because this book featured Anakin and Obi Wan not having a mission together. BUT. A brotherhood can form based on previous factors and or realizations accumulating. Case being, just because they realized their Brotherhood at the end of the novel does not make this a shit book.

I liked how this book flowed like an actual Star Wars movie. There was also references and or thoughts and feelings the characters had that came up appropriately and not shoe-horned in. The characters were also written in character. Some people took issue with Mace Windu and Anakin having issues with one another. George Lucas made it known that Mace was very skeptical and or 'we'll see what happens' with Anakin. I mean, he fucking blocked him from a seat on the Jedi Council. I felt their discord with one another was perfectly in character.

Chapter 51 is my favorite chapter of the entire book, and I am going to gush about it behind a spoiler cut because I loved it so much

This is an Obi Wan pov chapter! After completing their mission, Obi Wan, Yoda, Anakin, and the youngling that Anakin had a bond with are together. Anakin had the youngling tell Yoda that she was highly sensitive and she can feel the feelings and thoughts of others. Because she believes that this power is a good thing, she chooses to not become a Jedi and would rather be a Jedi who heals and or uses their power to comfort. Anakin is shocked by this and Obi Wan is shocked by Anakin's feelings and or care for her. It is then Obi Wan starts to realize that based on actions through the course of the book, Anakin has become like Qui Gon.

Obi Wan then begins to realize the effect that Qui Gon had on the both of them. That Qui Gon may have sensed that Anakin had something different that made him special, that he cared instead of trusted the faith of the Force. Anakin uses his caring to be a good person and this causes Obi Wan to have a crisis moment and starts wondering the 'what if' he cared about Satine and ran away with her, would it make his choices in life better, or if he cared instead of used the Force, would that make things better?

Obi Wan realizes that though the girl does not want to be a Jedi and it may go against their teaching, Anakin wants the girl to have whatever she wants because he believes in her. And in that moment, Obi Wan realizes that Qui Gon must have seen that too. (The helping of others, Shimi telling saying that Anakin was meant to help them.) Qui Gon bonded Anakin and Obi Wan together so that he could understand that feelings can help, and can lead to good or bad. But feelings can not be avoided because in instances like this, because Anakin cared about this girl and allowed her to open up to him, she made a choice for her good and for the good of others.

It's rare that I felt so deeply for a book, but I really want Mike to write up another Anakin and Obi Wan book. He did such a fantastic job here that I can't wait to see their adventures in a written format play out as he did on this book.

If you were to choose any of the books since the Disney merger, this should be one of them.

[Romie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Neutrality in the face of extremism only gives the extremists more space to breathe.”

I remember being little and sitting in the very first row in a packed movie theatre to see Revenge of the Sith. already then, I was intrigued and wanted more, wanted to see how Anakin was promoted as a Jedi Knight, seeing the first days of his marriage to Padmé, and more than anything, seeing how his relationship with Obi-Wan evolved.

Mike Chen truly gave me everything I wanted. he gave us a deep-dive into Anakin’s complicated mind and allowed us to understand him on another level. I loved seeing how similar Anakin and Obi-Wan are in a way, how they are both incredible teachers in their own ways and how deep their emotions run.

I adore Mill, a youngling struggling with her relationship to the Force and the Jedi Order becoming more and more military-like. I would happily read an entire book just about her. she’s such an important character when it comes to Anakin understanding that he can impact the youth in such a profound way.

one last thing I found deeply interesting is how this book can be read as a commentary on colonialism and its aftermaths, as well as a commentary on war. I’m raising my metaphorical glass of caf to the author, it was brilliant! (4.29)

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Discussion Video/Vlog: https://youtu.be/oeN_QS8ooyQ

If you ever felt like the films didn't offer enough characterization of Anakin and his relationships to Obi Wan, Padme, and Palpatine then you should definitely pick up Brotherhood. It fills in a lot of gaps and fleshes out these characters, especially Anakin and Obi Wan's relationship. It's pretty slow to start, but by the end I loved what it was doing. Set during the clone wars, Anakin is newly elevated to Jedi knight and is secretly married to Padme. Obi Wan is investigating a sensitive political situation.

[Eva B.]

Can't wait to decide for myself if "that business on Cato Neimoidia" counts or not.

[Tanja Glavnik · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly can't quite decide on the review for this one.

On the one hand, I enjoyed the POVs and most of the characterization, but on the other I had a few quibbles that I'm definitely on the fence about.

I like Obi-Wan, but that's probably because this generally felt like the Prequel Era Obi-Wan.

I was okay with Anakin, except I'm not entirely sure that his portrayal was as faithful, but this stems from a much larger issue in this book, which is that the author seems to be under some sort of misapprehension that Obi-Wan and Anakin spent the ten years or so together constantly at logger-heads with no affection between them. It somehow paints Anakin as this solo island in the Jedi order (which, admittedly, he was definitely one towards the end) without ever reaching for Obi-Wan, which ... feels entirely wrong to me.

Even watching Attack of the Clones alone, you can see that, beyond their back-and-forth and banter, there's a warmth and worry and connection between the two that isn't built solely on Anakin snarking back at Obi-Wan, trying to one-up him, or Obi-Wan trying to constantly reprimand him. You can see that Obi-Wan worries, that he cares enough to gently guide him, but also to be stern when need be. You can also see that Anakin looks up to Obi-Wan, that he respects him even if he might disagree with him, and that he often calls him "grumpy" in obvious affection which is meant to convey that it really doesn't bother Anakin but it's just communication.

I feel this is where the author missed his mark - he portrays the bond that is probably the most important and strongest in the galaxy with way too much barbed wire wrapped around it that never existed except where book authors suddenly invented it. Were the two often times arguing? Yes. It must have been exhausting and exasperating being Obi-Wan sometimes, dealing with teenage Anakin. At the same time though, you CAN see he isn't just doing it because he promised Qui-Gon, but because he legitimately cares for Anakin as a person, within the tenements of the Jedi Order.

Also, Qui-Gon. For a man who literally only went through Anakin's life for a handful of days, he sure does spend a whole lot of time parked in the guy's mind. WAY more than Obi-Wan, which makes no sense at all, because - and we quote Lucas here - OBI-WAN is the closest thing Anakin's ever had to a father. Qui-Gon may have been the means of getting them together, but it is OBI-WAN who does the heavy lifting. It's a disservice to the character AND the Kenobi/Skywalker bond by implying otherwise, and by enlarging Qui-Gon's role so much.

Yes, things MAY have been different with Qui-Gon being Anakin's Master, but it did not happen. What ifs are just that, what ifs. The reality will always be Obi-Wan.

And what's with the Mace Windu hate? I get that he was against training Anakin - so was Yoda - but the two never gave me hatred vibes in anything I watched in the visual medium. This feels like another sort of author-inserted situation that has little to nothing to do with the characterization we get in the movies and Clone Wars.

Finally, I'd like to touch on the character of Mill who was made specifically for this book - and that's fine. I actually enjoyed seeing Anakin with a youngling and realizing that, welp, handling a full group of them is hard. The thing I'm bothered with is this: Mill supposedly feels emotions, right, at a very strong level, pain, suffering, that stuff. But don't Jedi feel them as a whole? Or am I missing something? Literally, in Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan tells Anakin that his thoughts betray him when they go up to Padmé's apartment, meaning he can sense the waves of emotion coming off his Padawan, and also later can sense Padmé's happiness, so HER emotions as well.

So you're telling me that two seasoned Jedi couldn't handle this without a kid along to add to the danger bit of the book without actually adding anything meaningful, other than reminding us, once again, that for some reason - despite the fact George Lucas has said and stated before that it's OBI-WAN who is Anakin's go-to for everything, which makes the secret of Padmé and their marriage that much bigger - the author decided Anakin hasn't told Obi-Wan things and has been keeping secrets.

It's this that I have a problem with, and this that eventually knocks down my star rating from what COULD have been a really good one. But the book is much too focused on all the wrong and sometimes even made-up things, rather than the actual reality, which is that Skywalker and Kenobi work in this sprawling galactic tale precisely because they have a bond and attachment that gets irreparably broken when Anakin chooses the Dark Side. Yes, Obi-Wan failed Anakin, but he didn't fail him in all the ways the author tried to explain in this: Obi-Wan failed his former Padawan and friend and brother because he didn't acknowledge (or want to acknowledge out loud) that his emotional attachment was so incredibly strong it incinerated everything else around them. It's the Padmé secret and the marriage and the pregnancy which broke Pandora's box wide open, not some childhood stories from his mother that Anakin somehow didn't want to share with his one close link in an otherwise unknown world.

It really isn't as complicated as authors are trying to make it - it didn't build up over the years with these "little things". It was the one secret, the one secret that shouldn't have been secret, and the only thing Anakin never told Obi-Wan that tolled the death bell.

And I'm actually miffed that someone would imagine a character like Padmé Amidala mocking anyone. The word literally means 'tease or laugh at in a scornful or contemptuous manner'. Excuse me, have you met Senator Amidala? Or Padmé, at all? Would she ever, in her right mind, be scornful or contemptuous of a person who saved her life not just once, but two or three times in a row? Even Anakin going that route is a stretch, because it makes him downright mean and disrespectful to his Master - which he never was. He pushed boundaries, yes, but he RESPECTED OBI-WAN, always. He respected Mace Windu, always. He respected Yoda, always.

There were definite creative choices made in this novel that significantly lower the rating I would have otherwise given it, and I disagree with the lot of them.

Sadly, because it COULD have been great. As it is, I liked it, but it was, overall, just ok.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story set in the Star Wars universe! I enjoyed the new characters, especially Mill. She showed such tenacity and I’d love to see her story play out in future books.

Overall this was a quick and entertaining read!

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Justice sometimes requires a heavy hand.”

It’s always a shame when a book starts off so promising only to crash and burn in the end.

At first, I was hyped! I had heard and read so many glowing reviews for this, and perhaps that’s what played into the disappointment. I really need to stop letting hypes play a part into why I want to read (or watch or play) this and that.

It started off well. As I read the novelizations of The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones before this, I have been thoroughly loving being back in the Prequel era. I was thrilled to learn what new adventure this book had in store for Obi-Wan and Anakin. And I was curious to learn more about this Ruug Quarnom and Ketar, her partner.

Not even halfway through, I was starting to feel burnt out. The further in I went, the more my interest died. My desire to continue this was becoming less and less enthusiastic. But I couldn’t just dnf it, especially when I recommended the audiobook to my library and had already obtained a physical copy.

I was quite disappointed with how Obi-Wan and, especially, Anakin were handled. Sometimes it seemed like Mike Chen didn’t even know their personalities, much less the bond between them. Also, while I admit I’m not a Mace Windu fan, I still thought it was in bad how he was treated. Maybe it's supposed to be Anakin's perception of Mace, but at the same time it really felt otherwise.

Some of the filler was quite pointless to have. Was there a word count that needed to be met? Because I don’t see any other reason why it was needed. None of those fillers added anything worthwhile. And the same can be said about some of the characters. In my opinion, they didn’t serve any purpose.

As for the writing itself, it wasn’t as mind-blowing as many made it out to be. While it’s better than some, it still isn’t on par with those I hold in high regard. There were times it lacked in details. There were times it told rather than showed.

While it’s not the worst of the Prequel books, it’s definitely not the best either. Therefore, it gets 2 stars, at least until Goodreads allows half stars to be an option.

[Tml · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do you want a book about Obi-Wan's and Anakin's friendship? Their bond? The fondness and humour that they share? Then don't read this. They spend approximately 80% of the book apart, and even when they are together I get the impression that they don't want to be.

I felt none of the natural warmth between them that I felt in other sw books, and I'm deeply disappointed that whenever the author had the chance to show the willingness of the two of them being friends he chose to make it about other people. It feels like they are stuck together against their will. It is always about Padme, or Mill, or Qui-Gon between the two of them, and not simply about Obi-Wan and Anakin.

I found Anakin wildly out of character, yes, the book takes place after AotC and so there is a lot of tension between Obi-Wan and Anakin, but I never thought that they disliked each other - whereas, in Brotherhood I often wondered if they had ever shared a nice moment between themselves in ten years. Anakin is an unreliable narrator, I know, and he and Padme are in their 'honeymoon' phase, and are therefore very much wrapped up in themselves, but in my opinion, that is not enough of an excuse for Anakin to basically...forget about Obi-Wan. Instead, Anakin thinks about Qui-Gon first. I'm not sure if the author did this on purpose, but I found Anakin's lack of caring about his former Master very jarring.

The only reason I haven't given this book one star is because I found the Neimodian storyline quite interesting and Obi-Wan's characterisation okay.

[ribbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much, I loved how Mike Chen wrote Obi-wan and Anakin's relationship, like the clone wars it bridges the gap between aot and rots. Something I really enjoyed was that there were a lot of parallels to Matthew Stovers Revenge of the Sith Novelization and that just made both of the books so much sadder (who knew that was possible).

Obviously I really enjoyed this book becasue it centered Obi-Wan and Anakin but I really like that it continuously brought up the question of why as peacekeepers of the galaxy the jedi are now so called generals leading clones into war. Anakin gets asked this by a new character Mill (a force sensitive youngling) and he is unable to form an answer. Mill the new jedi youngling we meet in this book was actually super fun to have POVs from, comparing her to the other mcs that are so dearly loved already one would think it would be pretty hard to make another lovable character but I think Mike Chen did a great job.

If you are going to read this book I highly recommend reading the book/s queens peril, queens shadow and queens hope or at least just queens hope because there are a lot of fun details you will catch (like what sabe was busy doing or sister the clone trooper). ALSO thank you Mike Chen for the Satine mentions.

[Bria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this one was real good. A delight and an absolute menace of a book.

[T ✩ Handmaiden Of Amidala · Rating 4 out of 5]

EDIT 30/09/22: I'm rounding my rating up solely because I read this straight after finishing Queen's Hope, which I reluctantly gave 3 stars. Brotherhood, for all its flaws, doesn't deserve to be put on the same level as that book.

That being said I'm still torn. On one hand, I had a blast reading it and it was definitely entertaining. On the other hand, the plot and characterisation weren't too strong. Originally I was going to give a five star rating based on enjoyment alone, but the more I think about it the more problems I realise I have with this book that I overlooked while reading, so I'm settling for 3.5 instead.

Honestly it upsets me to not rate this higher because the author seems genuinely passionate about these characters and era, and that love shines throughout the book. There are a lot of references to the movies and Clone Wars series (both 2003 and 2008) - actually, maybe too many references. Especially to sand. We get Anakin doesn't like sand, mentions of it seven times in three pages and ANOTHER conversation with Padmé about it are not necessary!

Heads up, I will be using Matthew Stover's Revenge Of The Sith novelisation as a point of comparison throughout this review as that was what a lot of this book was inspired by.
Now, I am actually one of the few who are more critical of that novel, and I certainly don't hold it on the pedestal many fans have raised it upon, but compared to a large proportion of the new canon it really is on another level in terms of storytelling and writing.

Brotherhood feels like a melting pot of good ideas that don't really merge together well. The mission on Cato Neimodia was only mildly interesting with some nice action scenes towards the end, while the subplot with the young Neimodian apprentice allying with the Separatists felt underdeveloped, obviously mirroring Anakin embracing the Dark Side later on but a little too on-the-nose. Ventress's banter with Obi-Wan was entertaining as always but otherwise her appearance didn't really stand out to me.

Also while I'm all for the new canon Neimodian redemption, Ruug's POVs felt out of place in a novel supposedly focusing on Anakin and Obi-Wan. I felt similarly about Mill, despite her enjoyable POVs and introduction being handled with the care I wish TCW writers had taken when creating Ahsoka. Don't get me wrong, I liked her in general but her relationship with Anakin felt a little fanfic OC-ish; let's just say her character and wisdom had a profound effect on the older Jedi and I find it hard to believe she would never appear in his thoughts ever again. Also Anakin bonds to this youngling faster and more closely than he does to Obi-Wan! Seriously?

Let me elaborate:

The book is called BROTHERHOOD. Look at the cover, it's Anakin and Obi-Wan together. But that's misleading, because it turns out they're apart for 85% of the book and their relationship felt...off. Way too cold and distant. Even when Anakin is at his mega-angst phase in Episode 2, we see them joking around. They may have had their tense moments but they definitely didn't spend ten years at constant loggerheads with each other as is portrayed here.

I liked Obi-Wan a lot in this book, but I did think that some of his dialogue was a bit strange. Looking at that sarcastic quip he makes to Anakin about ale and sports, for some reason it just didn't seem natural coming from him, it sounded American?

Anakin's characterisation started off promising with a scene of him masking in front of the Jedi masters... then petered out less than halfway through the novel during his date with Padmé. Anakin is a very difficult character to write and few have been able to get it right, but one thing that has bugged me in recent portrayals is the erasure of his softer, caring side in favour of a more masculine hero-type figure.

During his honeymoon tryst there are many displays of poverty around him and instead of feeling upset or angry about it the writer has Anakin notice Padmé getting upset about it instead. It's out of character for both of them, as Padmé has never been the emotional one. Look at her reaction in Episode 1 to Anakin being a slave. It's not pronounced or visible. Meanwhile Anakin is an emotional wreck in all of the movies and almost all media outside of TCW.

The Anidala dynamic is swapped around for some reason. Anakin is now the cool-headed warrior in action while Padmé is the impulsive emotional one. Now, there's also some rather *cough suggestive fade-to-black scenes, one of which hints (and is outright confirmed by the author via his Twitter account) at them going at it in the back of a speeder in the slums of lower Coruscant and it kind of repulsed me...like PDA in an impoverished area is not cool. I thought Padmé at least would have more class than that.

Oh, and what's with the whitewashing of slavery? Episode 1 was a kid's movie, but it still had some hidden context that suggested life wasn't pleasant for the Skywalkers - the explosive device embedded in their skin, long hours of child labour etc.

The old CWMMP (now Legends) expanded on this a lot more, as it wasn't limited by a U movie rating. And here are two passages from Revenge Of The Sith:

"When Count Dooku flies at him, blade flashing, Watto's fist cracks out from Anakin's childhood to knock the Sith Lord tumbling back."

"Physical pain he could have handled even without his Jedi mental skills; he'd always been tough. At four years old he'd been able to take the worst beating Watto would deliver without so much as making a sound."

Shoutout to R. A. Salvatore's Attack Of The Clones novelisation, where we are given some rather messed up thoughts from Anakin's POV where he downplays his trauma as a coping mechanism (thinking he'd had it easier than most slaves as Watto was a decent owner who 'hadn't beaten him as often' as a child. Yikes.)

Now, let's see how this trauma is addressed in Brotherhood. We are told about Shmi comforting Anakin during their darkest moments with a tale about a sun dragon.

"She told Anakin this story dozens, possibly hundreds of times when he was growing up, usually after he'd gotten into an argument with Kitster or Watto was unnecessarily cruel or one of his inventions exploded in his face."

Not only is the writing shoddier - are you kidding me? A guy who owned sentient beings was 'unnecessarily cruel' to him? He got into a scuffle with his mate? These are really the worst things that happened to him as a child slave? What scarred him psychologically until he snapped and turned to the Dark Side? This is an adult book, I expected complexity.

Also, Anakin never thinks of Obi-Wan! Despite being inspired by the ROTS novelisation, Brotherhood also contradicts it in many ways. Stover wrote a passage from Obi-Wan's POV about how Anakin was the most loyal man he had ever met and how he would willingly risk countless lives to save the ones he loved. But Anakin here whines about having to leave to save his former master and waste time away from his wife!

Similarly, the scene with Anakin choosing to dismantle the bombs rather than save Obi-Wan made NO sense at all. That decision would require logic and reasoning over emotion and impulsiveness and which do you think Anakin has more of?

Conversely, Anakin is also portrayed as way too open when talking about his past, when that's one of the main reasons he fell to the dark side. That story from his mother I mentioned? There's a scene where he tells it to Mill (WHILE Obi-Wan and Yoda watch, by the way) and it didn't feel like something he would do. At this point his mother's death is still fresh on his mind and I wouldn't think he would be ready to share these stories about her so openly and readily, especially to someone he just met.

There's a strange Mean Girls-ish feud created between Anakin and Mace Windu for forced conflict which a lot of people have already touched on in more detail so I won't elaborate, but it was unintentionally hilarious and made no sense at all.

Finally, there's a reference to Sabé in one of Anakin's POVs where it brushes on her mission freeing slaves and like it was just brought up and never mentioned again? Anakin and Sabé had some very rough encounters when they last met in Queen's Hope and wouldn't it be interesting to see how his perception of her has changed?

3.5 stars.

________________________________________
Pre-review

Okay why is the cover giving 90s-early 2000s teen romance vibes. Reminds me of some of the old Legends books, Jude Watson's series in particular.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anakin and Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan and Anakin...


Legends in Action.

While Matthew Stover's extraordinary novelization of Revenge of the Sith covers the very end of this iconic Jedi partnership this novel covers its beginnings as Kenobi and Skywalker both come to grips with their new roles in the shocking new reality of a galaxy at war.

These characterizations were very well handled, as was a side story reminiscent of padawan-turned-terrorist for peace Barriss Offee as seen in THE CLONE WARS. Less enthralling were POV chapters detailing the perspective of an elite Neimoidian guard and some very sparingly used chapters from the main antagonist. For my tastes five different POVs in a relatively slim book was probably one too many, but opinions will naturally vary on this.


Since The Phantom Menace came out this has been the general image of Neimoidians.

As a final thought, I enjoyed learning more about Neimoidian society and culture and can appreciate how the author sought to bring nuance and humanity to an alien race whose portrayal in Star Wars has been problematic from the get-go.

[Gerhard · Rating 2 out of 5]

“She is a Jedi,” Obi-Wan said, with such belief in his words, an absolute synthesis of bravery and purpose, as if it were impossible for the two to be separate, whether Initiate, Padawan, or Jedi Knight.

Review to follow.

[Jena · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

This is a complex one, and as you can see from the divisive reviews - this is going to be a book that fans either love, or that they hate. A lot of it boils down to fandom interpretations of characters, because this author clearly has several of the ones you see floating around Twitter and Reddit. And if you also share those interpretations, you're going to love this book. If you don't, then you're probably not.

These are fandom interpretations like:

+Qui-Gon's death and Obi-Wan taking over teaching Anakin is the ultimate reason why Anakin eventually falls to the dark side. If Qui-Gon had lived, he would've allowed Anakin to stay connected with Schmi and Padme.
+Obi-Wan only trained Anakin out of obligation, and it took years for him to form an attachment to Anakin. Their entire relationship is a tension between clashing personalities and Obi-Wan's need to keep his promise to Qui-Gon.
+The Anakin/Obi-Wan relationship fell apart not because of one big secret (Padme marriage) but because of a fundamental lack of emotional trust Anakin has for Obi-Wan - he will trust him to protect his life, but not with any of his feelings.
+Younglings are inherently more in-tuned with the Force than elder Jedi.
+Mace Windu and Anakin dislike each other, to the point where nearly every other Jedi is aware of this.
+Padme is perfect, Anakin is the corrupting force.
+Obi-Wan always knew about Padme/Anakin, but he never mentioned it to Anakin because of his own guilt over his relationship with Satine, and instead thought Anakin would eventually realize it is a "mistake" and choose the order over a romantic relationship, just like Obi-Wan did.

Now, a lot of these are interpretations I don't agree with - hence the low rating. I tend to view the Anakin/Obi-Wan relationship less like two coworkers who got forced together on the same project, more like friends with opposite personalities who grumble at each other but are there through thick-and-thin - and also that their relationship fell apart specifically because they had all this trust, yet Anakin kept the biggest secret of all from Obi-Wan. This book is more on the interpretation that it was a sequence of secrets Anakin kept from Obi-Wan, and that the two never truly had a heart-to-heart conversation - and if they had, it would've stopped Anakin from falling. Both interpretations can be supported with the movies, canon books, and the EU so it's less that I think the author "got it wrong" but more "yeah no, I just don't like this interpretation."

Now I will say I think the author did get Anakin "wrong" - not gonna lie there. Anakin is someone who is deeply emotional and forms strong connections with people - which is both his strength and weakness. That includes every emotion though - not just the "negative ones." He's also someone that sees injustices everywhere and isn't content to sit by and let them happen. Instead in this book a lot of those feelings of justice and compassion are given to Padme in their scenes together. Bizarre choice but go off. And for some reason in this book Anakin is extremely loyal to the republic and the senate - to the point where he comes off like fundamentally agreeing with their values - which...uh...I seem to recall a very specific scene in a meadow that contradicts that...and you know, every single moment of Anakin's life before that. But sure, Anakin believes in democracy.

Also if you're picking this book up because you want Obi-Wan and Anakin interactions, that doesn't happen for a good chunk. Instead it's the story of the two apart for the longest time in many years and them reflecting independently on their friendship/relationship. I wouldn't really describe this book as an Anakin & Obi-Wan adventure, if that's what you're looking for.

There's also some weirdness with the Force and how it works but honestly at this point I've just come to accept that this is something that every fan has a different view of in their head, and that translates into the books. I thought all Jedi could sense strong emotions but not here. Ok.

All that said the writing itself is good, no complaints there. It's just a lot of nitpicky fan stuff, which is the entire reason why anyone subjects themselves to Star Wars books. If you're on the same wavelength with the author, this is gonna be great for you. Wasn't for me.

[TheGeeksAttic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Wars: Brotherhood was written by Mike Chen. The book was published by Del Rey (thank you for sending out a copy for review). This story takes place shortly after the events of the film, Attack of the Clones.

SUMMARY: A major city on the planet Cato Namodia had been attacked! The neutral home-world of the Namodians falls victim to the most devastating tragedy the planet has ever seen. The Separatists have done an investigation and point their finger to Coruscant, blaming the Galactic Republic for the terror attack.

Kenobi, who is temporarily seated on the Jedi Council, comes up with a strategic plan to prevent the Chancellor from visiting Cato Namodia, believing that a heavy Republic presence could spark unwanted tension. Kenobi takes it upon himself to go to Cato Namodia, to represent the Republic and head up an investigation of his own.

While newly raised Jedi Knight - Anakin Skywalker is tending to duties he never dreamed of doing, passing on Jedi knowledge to a group of younglings. Meanwhile, on Cato Namodia, Kenobi meets with the a representative of the Separatist Party, Assaj Ventress. The investigation takes a turn for the worst, when Kenobi is set up by darker forces, leading the Namodians to believe Kenobi and the Republic are indeed their enemy. Anakin must get to Cato Namodia somehow to rescue Kenobi.

But, let it be made known, again, "that business on Cato Namodia... doesn't count."

OVERALL THOUGHTS: This is going be a heavy statement, but this is the best Clone Wars content I've experienced. Brotherhood is a perfect extension of Attack of the Clones. The story is highly entertaining with characters we know and love, as well as introducing some new characters that I wish we could get more of. Author Mike Chen did an outstanding job with this book, dropping the perfect amount of humor, action, and politics. (Star Wars politics, not real world garbage.) I had a really great time with this novel.

This book was actually a lot of fun to read! If you've been watching my content for a while, you'll know I'm not a fan of the Clone Wars era, this book did everything right. I didn't want to put it down. I loved the format of short chapters, jumping to other characters/events, it makes the story unfold neatly and also gave the feeling of moving through the book quickly. I felt like the story read a lot like an Expanded Universe novel more so than other canon books (it's a feeling that can't really be explained). There was one thing that I couldn't stand though, the use of the word "disinformation." I like that we get a new story with Anakin and Kenobi in their prime, and exploring how their relationship transitioned from master and apprentice to equals (mostly... Kenobi had a seat on the council)

Brotherhood is an absolute fun-fest of a Star Wars story! An Instant classic!
Does the book have some silly tacky moments that could have been withheld, yes, but these moments were fine. For example, I was conflicted with the way Dexter Jettster, the Dex from Dex's Dinner, is used in this story. This Besalisk is Kenobi's go to for information trading. It mentions that Obi-Wan and Dexter had a youthful misadventure in the Unknown Regions. Chen reveals that Dex had his old "black-market" days, explaining why Kenobi comes to him for insight on specific intel that wouldn't typically be available elsewhere.

Chen did a great job writing Anakin. The young Jedi Knight was assigned to a group of younglings, to pass on what wisdom he might have to the next generation. Anakin was so out of his element, being both intimated and frustrated with the young crowd. These moments were both funny and sad (knowing that these younglings would be butchered by Vader in just a few years). This is also the best look at the relationship of Anakin and Padme yet. The author did a really good job bringing the two together, showing us how the couple was able to work the relationship around their "galactic duties" and keep it secret, out of the public eye.

Do I recommend this book? Yes, I'm amazed at just how great this book is, especially being a Clone Wars era novel.

Rating: This book receives an A+ / 5/5 stars!

[emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited about Mike Chen’s Brotherhood from the moment it was announced. When I was a kid, Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: The Clone Wars were playing on a constant loop in my house, so a book that revisits Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi during this time in their lives is pretty much my dream scenario (I was also dying to know all about “that business on Cato Neimoidia”). Brotherhood certainly did not disappoint.

Brotherhood serves as the perfect transition between the master and apprentice we see in AOTC and the brothers in arms we see in TCW. Obi-Wan is working on accepting that he is no longer responsible for Anakin. Anakin is adjusting to his newfound freedom as a Jedi Knight. Although Obi-Wan still has a lot of concern for his former Padawan, he truly wants to believe that Anakin can function independently.

Not only is this a period of change for Obi-Wan and Anakin, but it is also a period of change for the entire Jedi Order. They must grapple with being generals commanding the war effort rather than only keeping the peace. Not every Jedi is ready to rush into conflict, lightsabers blazing, and this book offers characters the space to analyze their place in the war.

I especially loved the callbacks (or maybe if you consider the timeline it is technically foreshadowing) to Matthew Stover’s 2005 novelization of Revenge of the Sith. I’ve called Stover’s novel a love letter to the prequel movies and I could see the exact same care and dedication that Chen put into the pages of Brotherhood. It is beautiful and it is heartbreaking and it will stick with you even after you close the book.

(also thank you to PRH and Del Rey for sending me a copy of the book!)