Scan barcode
janebby's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
cyris_reads's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
graff_fuller's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The way this story is framed is very interesting to me.
For one, Qui-Gon Jinn...seems to have an attachment to Master Tahl. It is effecting him...and even entering his dreams. This reminded me of a future scene in Luke's life while on Dagoba. His fear of losing his friends...and how Darth Vader manipulated him to leaving his training and to rescue those he felt needed him. So, for someone who already knows THAT story, it is impacted even more.
Is Qui-Gon wrong? I don't think so. This "knife's edge" idea of denying attachments, when in fact, other Jedi needing each other in time's of need...isn't a negative, but actually a positive.
Also, this world that they went to...to follow Master Tahl, and to protect the twin sisters...gave me vibes of the Bolshevik Revolution in the former Russian Imperial government. These Soviet thoughts permeated the reading of this story...and egged me to continue to read...late into the night. I had to finish the story.
Wow, such a great story, but ANOTHER cliffhanger. I cannot read more, tonight...but maybe tomorrow. We shall see.
I really hope, what we fear...has NOT happened. Please, no.
For one, Qui-Gon Jinn...seems to have an attachment to Master Tahl. It is effecting him...and even entering his dreams. This reminded me of a future scene in Luke's life while on Dagoba. His fear of losing his friends...and how Darth Vader manipulated him to leaving his training and to rescue those he felt needed him. So, for someone who already knows THAT story, it is impacted even more.
Is Qui-Gon wrong? I don't think so. This "knife's edge" idea of denying attachments, when in fact, other Jedi needing each other in time's of need...isn't a negative, but actually a positive.
Also, this world that they went to...to follow Master Tahl, and to protect the twin sisters...gave me vibes of the Bolshevik Revolution in the former Russian Imperial government. These Soviet thoughts permeated the reading of this story...and egged me to continue to read...late into the night. I had to finish the story.
Wow, such a great story, but ANOTHER cliffhanger. I cannot read more, tonight...but maybe tomorrow. We shall see.
I really hope, what we fear...has NOT happened. Please, no.
jaredkwheeler's review
4.0
Star Wars Legends Project #54
Background: The Ties That Bind came out in August 2001. It was written by [a:Jude Watson|11912|Jude Watson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1403530689p2/11912.jpg].
The Ties That Bind begins about 2 years after [b:The Dangerous Rescue|359822|The Dangerous Rescue (Star Wars Jedi Apprentice, #13)|Jude Watson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395776559s/359822.jpg|349939] (my review), 41 years before the Battle of Yavin and 9 years before The Phantom Menace. A few Jedi characters pop up on Coruscant at the beginning (Yoda, Mace Windu, Bant), but the major player aside from Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan is Tahl, who moves from a regular supporting character to take center-stage this time around.
Summary: Several years ago, Qui-Gon and Tahl brought peace to the planet of New Apsolon, but now that peace is threatened and Tahl's presence has been requested. Qui-Gon, haunted by dark visions of a possible future he dares tell no one about, is reluctant to let her go alone, but she and the Jedi Council insist. When her "brief" mission stretches from days to weeks with no contact, Qui-Gon defies the Council and goes looking for her, only to find a situation far more complicated and dangerous than even he had feared.
Review: Wow. This book really feels like a giant leap forward in quality for this series, in almost every way. The time-jump from the last book gives us an Obi-Wan who is older, more skilled and secure, and fully comfortable in his partnership with Qui-Gon. The "tension" of Obi-Wan's insecurities about his master are all but gone.
In their place is a new maturity and darkness, at least to this story. The whole book is suffused with a growing sense of dread that parallels Qui-Gon's mounting unease. Part of this comes from how off-balance the Jedi are at every turn. Nothing is what it seems or how they expect it to be, and they are caught off guard several times by some new development while they were still struggling to respond to something else. The rest comes from how high the stakes are here.
In the previous 3-book arc, there was an attempt at some of this tension, but it wasn't nearly as successful. In The Deadly Hunter (my review), the main character who was in danger was Didi Oddo, a more-or-less likable character, but a new and not very important character (plus, since the Jedi didn't even seem concerned enough about him to give him sanctuary in the Jedi Temple, why would we be worried?). In The Evil Experiment (my review), Watson upped the ante by placing Qui-Gon in deadly danger, which works well enough . . . Except that we all know she can't kill him off. In The Dangerous Rescue, the Jedi raced to rescue an elderly Jedi master we'd never heard of, and who barely even appeared (let alone spoke) at any point in the story. I can't even recall the moment when they rescued him because by that time he was so beside the point of the rest of the plot that he didn't matter. He was a pure MacGuffin.
Here, the endangered character is one who not only means a great deal to Qui-Gon, but one we've come to know and appreciate over the past several books as a sort of Oracle to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's Batman and Robin. And Watson does a great job of making the danger feel very real. There are no guarantees Tahl will make it through this alive, and Qui-Gon is almost crippled by his own fear for her, which isn't any great comfort.
The situation on New Apsolon also feels (a little) more complex and developed than on many of the planets they've visited in the past. There are at least 3 distinct factions, and while is clearly evil, it's not at all clear whether the other 2 are good or not, or who may be behind any given act or to what end they're working. I like that this book asks a question that none of the other books so far have really pondered: What happens on these planets after the Jedi have concluded their mission and moved on? Apparently it's not always all sunshine and puppies, especially when the Jedi (perhaps) left a bit prematurely. There are some additional issues raised by this book that I want to discuss, but I'll refrain until the next to get into them, cuz spoilers. I wouldn't want to give any more away than the next 2 freaking titles already do. Ugh.
B
Background: The Ties That Bind came out in August 2001. It was written by [a:Jude Watson|11912|Jude Watson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1403530689p2/11912.jpg].
The Ties That Bind begins about 2 years after [b:The Dangerous Rescue|359822|The Dangerous Rescue (Star Wars Jedi Apprentice, #13)|Jude Watson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395776559s/359822.jpg|349939] (my review), 41 years before the Battle of Yavin and 9 years before The Phantom Menace. A few Jedi characters pop up on Coruscant at the beginning (Yoda, Mace Windu, Bant), but the major player aside from Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan is Tahl, who moves from a regular supporting character to take center-stage this time around.
Summary: Several years ago, Qui-Gon and Tahl brought peace to the planet of New Apsolon, but now that peace is threatened and Tahl's presence has been requested. Qui-Gon, haunted by dark visions of a possible future he dares tell no one about, is reluctant to let her go alone, but she and the Jedi Council insist. When her "brief" mission stretches from days to weeks with no contact, Qui-Gon defies the Council and goes looking for her, only to find a situation far more complicated and dangerous than even he had feared.
Review: Wow. This book really feels like a giant leap forward in quality for this series, in almost every way. The time-jump from the last book gives us an Obi-Wan who is older, more skilled and secure, and fully comfortable in his partnership with Qui-Gon. The "tension" of Obi-Wan's insecurities about his master are all but gone.
In their place is a new maturity and darkness, at least to this story. The whole book is suffused with a growing sense of dread that parallels Qui-Gon's mounting unease. Part of this comes from how off-balance the Jedi are at every turn. Nothing is what it seems or how they expect it to be, and they are caught off guard several times by some new development while they were still struggling to respond to something else. The rest comes from how high the stakes are here.
In the previous 3-book arc, there was an attempt at some of this tension, but it wasn't nearly as successful. In The Deadly Hunter (my review), the main character who was in danger was Didi Oddo, a more-or-less likable character, but a new and not very important character (plus, since the Jedi didn't even seem concerned enough about him to give him sanctuary in the Jedi Temple, why would we be worried?). In The Evil Experiment (my review), Watson upped the ante by placing Qui-Gon in deadly danger, which works well enough . . . Except that we all know she can't kill him off. In The Dangerous Rescue, the Jedi raced to rescue an elderly Jedi master we'd never heard of, and who barely even appeared (let alone spoke) at any point in the story. I can't even recall the moment when they rescued him because by that time he was so beside the point of the rest of the plot that he didn't matter. He was a pure MacGuffin.
Here, the endangered character is one who not only means a great deal to Qui-Gon, but one we've come to know and appreciate over the past several books as a sort of Oracle to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's Batman and Robin. And Watson does a great job of making the danger feel very real. There are no guarantees Tahl will make it through this alive, and Qui-Gon is almost crippled by his own fear for her, which isn't any great comfort.
The situation on New Apsolon also feels (a little) more complex and developed than on many of the planets they've visited in the past. There are at least 3 distinct factions, and while is clearly evil, it's not at all clear whether the other 2 are good or not, or who may be behind any given act or to what end they're working. I like that this book asks a question that none of the other books so far have really pondered: What happens on these planets after the Jedi have concluded their mission and moved on? Apparently it's not always all sunshine and puppies, especially when the Jedi (perhaps) left a bit prematurely. There are some additional issues raised by this book that I want to discuss, but I'll refrain until the next to get into them, cuz spoilers. I wouldn't want to give any more away than the next 2 freaking titles already do. Ugh.
B
hstapp's review
2.0
So I think this one was done fairly well, but it had me all upset from the beginning. I think largely because of the childishness of Tahl and Qui-Gon
betarayclay's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
thebookslayer's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fandom4ever's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
‘The Ties That Bind’ is the fourteenth book in the Jedi Apprentice series and a new story after the trilogy that came before. After a brief break, in a way only the Jedi do, Qui-Gon finds himself assaulted by a haunting vision that won’t let him rest. Due to this, the Master/Padawan duo finds themselves on another new planet, New Apsolon. Though it is a place only Obi-Wan is unfamiliar with, for both Qui-Gon and Tahl have a history with it. I like that they had this connection to the planet because it gave them greater ties to what was happening and influenced their decisions. As is Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s way, they naturally get drawn into a political situation that is getting tenser every day.
While another adventure for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, this book focuses more on Qui-Gon and his friendship with Tahl. Something has been up between the two of them and we’re finally starting to address what it could be. We get to see much more of the two of them interacting and how they’re feeling. And the most interesting part of all was watching Qui-Gon be the voice of reason in a volatile situation, it was he who didn’t want to overstep their bounds as Jedi.
I really liked this book. After the bounty hunter trilogy, it was a nice breath of fresh air, particularly because not only did we get some new characters to explore but we also got to see more of one we already know, Tahl. It had an equal amount of action and character-building. I was completely drawn in to the politics of New Apsolon and had no idea who the true instigators were, though suspicions began to circulate. However, I don’t yet know if I was right because this book leaves on a huge cliffhanger right after two huge reveals! I couldn’t believe it, yet I don’t mind because this storyline is quite interesting and I’m eager to read more!
ofclumsywords's review
adventurous
funny
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0