While the post-traumatic outcome of Anakin Skywalker’s tragic turn to the ominous dark side will be at the forefront of Disney’s upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series, the heartache behind the inevitable breakup of two prolific Jedi is further amplified by a wide range of emotional depth. in Mike Chen’s “Star Wars: Brotherhood” (Del Rey, 352 p., ★★★★ out of four, out now).
Seen between the events of the movie “Episode II – Attack of the Clones” (2002) and “Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” (2005), “Brotherhood” is one of the best “Star Wars” novels to date, exploring the family-like bond between two of the central characters in the Skywalker saga.
“Brotherhood” begins just as the Clone Wars begin, with Skywalker and Kenobi at a crossroads in their evolving relationship as Skywalker grows from Padawan to Jedi Knight, and Kenobi goes from champion to a complementary member of the Jedi Council. Chen develops both characters in separate arcs before completely resetting their ties. The overall message of “Brotherhood” can be related to many close relationships: individuals must grow on their own to flourish cohesively.
Exclusive excerpt:Mike Chen reunites Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in ‘Star Wars: Brotherhood’
A terrorist attack on the planet Cato Neimoidia catapults Kenobi on a mission that turns “Brotherhood” into a partial sci-fi mystery as the cerebral Jedi master unravels a conspiracy. Cato Neimoidia, a jewel of the Trade Union Confederation, has remained neutral in the war – neither on the part of the separatists nor the republic – but the latest attack threatens this neutrality. Chen does an excellent job of tying macro to micro, and wisely uses Neimoidian culture to unpack emotions tied to prejudice about being a cog in a machine, bringing a humanity to the Neimoidians who question their space, and adds nuances through enjoyable characters like the soldier Ruug Quarnom.
The novel’s greatest achievement is its portrayal of Skywalker, which Kenobi described as “a good friend” in “Episode IV – A New Hope.” But fans have not been given such a comprehensive portrayal of the good side of the future Darth Vader – until now. Anakin’s kindness is fully shown here, from his raw connection to Padmé Amidala to his vulnerability when he talks about his mother in a teaching moment. It is done in a refined way, especially from Kenobi’s point of view, which is lost in the conflict-ridden films, with his mission in the narrative of guiding young people in understanding the seriousness of the war.
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Of course, there is still internal conflict with Skywalker’s secret marriage to Padmé (while Kenobi’s sense of their devotion is cleverly executed so it does not make him seem so inconsistent now that he is watching “Episode III”). While the “The Clone Wars” series focuses on Anakin’s training of the beloved character Ashoka Tano, Chen maps Skywalker’s rise through a new character, Mill Alibeth, a young Force user who finds himself overly empathetic to the effects of the war on people around her.
What’s most impressive about “Brotherhood” is how it significantly enhances the often reviled prequel era by implementing an emotional connection that two films and seven seasons of the animated series only easily grabbed into.
While “Episode II” clings to the wooden romance between Anakin and Amidala, and “Episode III” speeds up the narrative to show Skywalker and Kenobi matured into close mates, “Brotherhood” fills the emotional voids and exploits moments of frivolity and brotherly love. It further strengthens the timeline between episodes I and II – when Kenobi trained Skywalker, but took on much more of a big brother role than a fatherly role, after Qui-Gon Jinn died in his arms at the end of “The Phantom Menace” . “
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Chen takes readers right into the heart of the duo’s “fire and ice” complexities that make them clash as brothers and grow to take care of each other that way. He achieves this at the culmination by leaning on a key figure in Jinn, claiming that Kenobi’s late master, who begged him to train Skywalker, had confidence that both Jedi could find good paths. The binding thread helps Kenobi accept Skywalker as an equal and final master-apprentice dynamic.
One challenge with some of these complementary novels that tie timelines together is that there apparently is not enough real estate for new storytelling or for a writer to unfold his creativity. Chen’s “Star Wars” knowledge is mixed throughout with ample call-backs and character appearances for die-hards (ahem, Asajj Ventress), but it finds more impressive a way to stand on its own. This is largely due to the super focus on the relational dynamics and less emphasis on action. Chen focuses on a fascinatingly complex relationship and utilizes his “sci-fi with emotions” skills from previously independent novels such as “Here and Now and Then” and “Light Years from Home”.
Much of the criticism of the last film in the Skywalker series, “Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” (2019), claimed that writers did not take many chances and played it safe while trying to tie nine films together. Fortunately, Chen does not get so preoccupied with tying loose ends together and instead makes “Brotherhood” feel hugely original with age-old characters.
