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ajs501's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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
4.5
mirrorballmusings's review
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
cyris_reads's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
graff_fuller's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is the fourth book within the Jedi Apprentice series. These short novellas are well written and are great for the understanding of the releationship between Qui-Gon Jinn and his young padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Interesting that this story is about the safe transition of power on a planet (which seems to be a constant, even in our own country). The idea that one leader wanted to keep the power, and tried to lead a rebellion against the RIGHTFUL transition. Hmmn. Can this ONLY be a Middle Grade story, OR can we adults learn from it, too?
Obi-Wan is learning how to succeed, even without his lightsaber, but with his intelligence.
Also, Qui-Gon is learning a lot from his young padawan, too. Starting to understand...that his greatest LEGACY, will be...eventually Obi-Wan Kenobi.
I am so glad that I've decided to read these stories.
Interesting that this story is about the safe transition of power on a planet (which seems to be a constant, even in our own country). The idea that one leader wanted to keep the power, and tried to lead a rebellion against the RIGHTFUL transition. Hmmn. Can this ONLY be a Middle Grade story, OR can we adults learn from it, too?
Obi-Wan is learning how to succeed, even without his lightsaber, but with his intelligence.
Also, Qui-Gon is learning a lot from his young padawan, too. Starting to understand...that his greatest LEGACY, will be...eventually Obi-Wan Kenobi.
I am so glad that I've decided to read these stories.
alywt's review
adventurous
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.0
jaredkwheeler's review
3.0
Star Wars Legends Project #44
Background: The Mark of the Crown came out in October 1999. It was written by [a:Jude Watson|11912|Jude Watson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1403530689p2/11912.jpg].
The Mark of the Crown begins a few days after the end of [b:The Hidden Past|263875|The Hidden Past (Star Wars Jedi Apprentice, #3)|Jude Watson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391977084s/263875.jpg|255804] (my review), 44 years before the Battle of Yavin and 12 years before The Phantom Menace. Other than Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, the only returning character is Prince Beju, who made a brief appearance in the previous book.
Summary: After their detour on Phindar, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan finally make it to Gala to oversee their first free democratic elections, and immediately find a complicated political situation. While Qui-Gon slips away to search for the mysterious leader of the "hill people," who may have royal ties known only to a few people on the planet, Obi-Wan finds himself struggling to navigate the intrigues of the Galacian court. The only thing they can both be sure of is that nothing is what it seems.
Review: Well, this is the first book in this series that it has a middle rather than just a beginning followed immediately by an ending with a few evenly-spaced action scenes sprinkled through. It's not any longer than any of the other books, but it manages to pack in a lot more story than previous episodes. This feels like the series finally hitting its stride and dropping into that rhythm I was hoping for after The Hidden Past.
It really is as simple as just having a few unexpected turns and complications crop up along the way. The story isn't a straight line. The characters learn new and unexpected information, and then that actually sends things in a different direction. Instead of having just one challenge to defeat, multiple different problems pile up on top of each other, with a time-factor as well, which generates real tension. Obviously we're never going to really be worried about the fate of either Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan, but this was the first Jedi Apprentice book where I wanted things to work out a certain way and I wasn't sure whether they would. There seems to be real peril of disaster, or at least the tragic deaths of sympathetic characters.
Watson is still treating an election of the entire planet's leaders like it's all taking place in one not-very-large town, where hundreds (possibly thousands, but still) of hill people could easily swing the vote. I should probably stop complaining about this kind of thing and start taking it for granted, but as long as it keeps pulling me out of the story, I'll probably keep mentioning it. Also, that subplot involving Prince Beju that I mentioned in the last book was pretty much totally ignored in this book, as I predicted. It got a passing mention at the beginning, but didn't really impact the way the story played out, even though Obi-Wan kidnapped the prince, stole him off of the planet, and thwarted a nefarious plot he had going involving a fake bacta shortage. (I mean, the Prince was hostile towards the Jedi throughout the story and didn't trust them, but that's exactly how he would have acted regardless, and somehow no one else knows about what happened.)
And speaking of things that don't seem to really follow from the last book . . . The Hidden Past begins with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan on their way to monitor the imminent elections on Gala, but then they're diverted to Phindar for what we are told is multiple weeks. And somehow this doesn't interfere with the election schedule at all, they still have plenty of time to perform their mission on Gala, and no one on Gala comments on the delay in their arrival (although they are clearly aware where they've been). This is probably not that big of a deal, but given that everything was coming very rapidly to a head in this novel, the timing seems too convenient after the events of the previous story.
Anyway, I'm spending way too much time complaining about totally insignificant details because I don't want to give away any of the good stuff in this book by talking about it. As I said, I loved the little twists and turns and complications that were introduced, and how Obi-Wan continues to grow and stretch as a character. Qui-Gon feels a bit stagnant, though he does get a little reflective in this story. His continued refusal to let Obi-Wan into his thoughts is getting frustrating, though it was kind of played for laughs a little here . . . The events on Gala lead both Jedi to reflect on what legacy they will leave behind them since they have no ties to any world and will have no descendants. But they don't talk to each other about it, Qui-Gon because he doesn't talk to Obi-Wan about anything, and Obi-Wan because he's sure that Qui-Gon doesn't think about things like that, and will just lecture him about keeping focused. I'm definitely ready to see that start to change before too many more books go by. Still, overall this is certainly a step in the right direction.
C+
Background: The Mark of the Crown came out in October 1999. It was written by [a:Jude Watson|11912|Jude Watson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1403530689p2/11912.jpg].
The Mark of the Crown begins a few days after the end of [b:The Hidden Past|263875|The Hidden Past (Star Wars Jedi Apprentice, #3)|Jude Watson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391977084s/263875.jpg|255804] (my review), 44 years before the Battle of Yavin and 12 years before The Phantom Menace. Other than Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, the only returning character is Prince Beju, who made a brief appearance in the previous book.
Summary: After their detour on Phindar, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan finally make it to Gala to oversee their first free democratic elections, and immediately find a complicated political situation. While Qui-Gon slips away to search for the mysterious leader of the "hill people," who may have royal ties known only to a few people on the planet, Obi-Wan finds himself struggling to navigate the intrigues of the Galacian court. The only thing they can both be sure of is that nothing is what it seems.
Review: Well, this is the first book in this series that it has a middle rather than just a beginning followed immediately by an ending with a few evenly-spaced action scenes sprinkled through. It's not any longer than any of the other books, but it manages to pack in a lot more story than previous episodes. This feels like the series finally hitting its stride and dropping into that rhythm I was hoping for after The Hidden Past.
It really is as simple as just having a few unexpected turns and complications crop up along the way. The story isn't a straight line. The characters learn new and unexpected information, and then that actually sends things in a different direction. Instead of having just one challenge to defeat, multiple different problems pile up on top of each other, with a time-factor as well, which generates real tension. Obviously we're never going to really be worried about the fate of either Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan, but this was the first Jedi Apprentice book where I wanted things to work out a certain way and I wasn't sure whether they would. There seems to be real peril of disaster, or at least the tragic deaths of sympathetic characters.
Watson is still treating an election of the entire planet's leaders like it's all taking place in one not-very-large town, where hundreds (possibly thousands, but still) of hill people could easily swing the vote. I should probably stop complaining about this kind of thing and start taking it for granted, but as long as it keeps pulling me out of the story, I'll probably keep mentioning it. Also, that subplot involving Prince Beju that I mentioned in the last book was pretty much totally ignored in this book, as I predicted. It got a passing mention at the beginning, but didn't really impact the way the story played out, even though Obi-Wan kidnapped the prince, stole him off of the planet, and thwarted a nefarious plot he had going involving a fake bacta shortage. (I mean, the Prince was hostile towards the Jedi throughout the story and didn't trust them, but that's exactly how he would have acted regardless, and somehow no one else knows about what happened.)
And speaking of things that don't seem to really follow from the last book . . . The Hidden Past begins with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan on their way to monitor the imminent elections on Gala, but then they're diverted to Phindar for what we are told is multiple weeks. And somehow this doesn't interfere with the election schedule at all, they still have plenty of time to perform their mission on Gala, and no one on Gala comments on the delay in their arrival (although they are clearly aware where they've been). This is probably not that big of a deal, but given that everything was coming very rapidly to a head in this novel, the timing seems too convenient after the events of the previous story.
Anyway, I'm spending way too much time complaining about totally insignificant details because I don't want to give away any of the good stuff in this book by talking about it. As I said, I loved the little twists and turns and complications that were introduced, and how Obi-Wan continues to grow and stretch as a character. Qui-Gon feels a bit stagnant, though he does get a little reflective in this story. His continued refusal to let Obi-Wan into his thoughts is getting frustrating, though it was kind of played for laughs a little here . . . The events on Gala lead both Jedi to reflect on what legacy they will leave behind them since they have no ties to any world and will have no descendants. But they don't talk to each other about it, Qui-Gon because he doesn't talk to Obi-Wan about anything, and Obi-Wan because he's sure that Qui-Gon doesn't think about things like that, and will just lecture him about keeping focused. I'm definitely ready to see that start to change before too many more books go by. Still, overall this is certainly a step in the right direction.
C+