"The Rifleman"... with a Lightsaber

Tatooine. Some call it the cradle of the Star Wars universe. It's home to the creatures the fans know and love: Jawas, Banthas, Sarlaccs, Krayt Dragons, and Tusken Raiders. And now it is the home of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker.

Beginning shortly before the end credits roll on Revenge of the Sith and covering the ground in the first weeks after the movie, this book reveals the long-awaited tale of Kenobi's transition from venerable Jedi Master to "just a crazy old hermit." As one might expect, it's not easy to simply stop being who you are, and "Ben" finds himself neck-deep in settlement affairs and sand people attacks before he knows it. The end result is all the heart of an old western and the storytelling magic of Star Wars as John Jackson Miller gives us a look into the depths of the soul of a failed hero.

Narrated by Star Wars audiobook veteran Jonathan Davis, this book is given an even greater depth thanks to a bona fide performance. To be honest, I was hoping for a full one-man show from James Arnold Taylor, who voices Kenobi on The Clone Wars, but Davis' performance is strong enough to stand on its own for the right reasons. The strength of both writing and narration allow one to simply get sucked in and see it play out on the movie screen of the mind. Perhaps I'm a bit biased, but that's what happens for me when Star Wars returns to its roots within the scope of the film saga and finally expands out our understanding of one of its central characters.

While technically a stand-alone adventure, the very nature of the story is that it requires a familiarity with the films to fully appreciate it. But then, if you're not already a fan, why would you be reading this book? As one who is a little more deeply entrenched into the EU, I can say without really spoiling anything about the plot that canon cops are going to be screaming over the rather important reference to Sharad Hett. If you don't know who that is, don't worry - it gets explained, and it works within the scope of the story well. There's just that one tiny point that will irk the diehards specifically because of how woven it is into the backstory. For myself, I don't let it bother me. I found it to be a rather cool nod to an early prequel era comic, and let's be honest here: neither the novels nor the comics are actually canon. Forget this "layers of canon" nonsense, because Star Wars is the only franchise where the younger fans haven't figured it out yet. Regardless... it's a non-issue to the plot of this story. I will simply say this instead, that much like with Darth Plagueis, this book should probably be elevated to a higher level closer to the canon of the films because of the material it does cover.

What IS an issue to the plot of this story is an inside look at the culture of the sand people. As with other appearances of this race here and there throughout the EU, they are suitably creepy and fearsome, and it's a treat for this fan to get a story revolving around them.

One tiny personal disappointment I do have, and this is a bit of a character spoiler, but not a plot spoiler, is that Kenobi at no time learns that Darth Vader is still alive. I was hoping to have this scene, but perhaps they'll leave that for another story. There is no Vader in this story; it's Kenobi-centric, and all that implies. Tatooine is remote, after all, and the news travels slowly. A sense of how slowly is depicted here.

To make up for that tiny little disappointment, what we're given is a range of characters, most of them moisture farmers, who are actually interesting. These characters are so well written that you come to care for their plight in short order, which connects you to Kenobi as he fights his instincts to get involved.

I'll also add that I am a huge fan of ironic justice, and the ending of this book just works for me. It's brilliant, it's huge, and it's a bit disconcerting, and I'll say no more about that.

From there, you sprinkle in a few well-placed classic Ben Burtt sound effects and musical cues from the maestro John Williams, and what you have is one of the better written, better performed, and better produced Star Wars audiobooks on record. I've heard it said in early reviews that it's perhaps better than Darth Plagueis. I don't know that I'd go quite that far, but it is an excellent companion novel to Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, covering pretty much the same time frame and type of character transition in the wake of Ep. III.

Bottom line, in terms of importance to the EU and caliber of quality, this is one of the best in the line, and one that the fans simply must have.

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Like the original Star Wars... A Western in Space

I have listened to literally dozens of audio books based on the Star Wars Universe and this has got to be the best one yet. Jonathan Davis should win an award for his amazing reading of this book and John Jackson Miller hit the perfect pitch with this book. Perfect companion to discover what happened to old crazy Ben after dropping off Luke with the Owens in Episode III. Nice references little references to the other elements of the expanded Star Wars universe in comics, books, and movies.

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Star Wars version of Pale Rider

Where does Kenobi rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I place it among the top 10%

What did you like best about this story?

It was different than a typical Star Wars book. It is a small and intimate story without a great evil power or epic space battles. I enjoyed the change.

What does Jonathan Davis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jonathan Davis did an excellent job making each character sound distinct and bringing them to life. The audio version (as the Star Wars versions do) also had background audio -- when someone pours a drink, you hear a drink being poured, but it didn't overpower Jonathan Davis' performance.When voicing Obi-Wan, Jonathan Davis sounded exactly like Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan. I have a hard time believing he wasn't brought in to do some of the voice acting. If it really was Jonathan Davis, he did an incredible job.

Any additional comments?

I haven't read (or listened to) a Star Wars book in a long time, but this one sounded interesting. One reviewer described it like the 1985 Clint Eastwood movie "Pale Rider", and I agree. It was essentially a Western and not a typical Star Wars science fiction book. No space travel or big starship battles. It wasn't "the future of the universe turns on these events" kind of story.

Instead it was a rather small, intimate story set on Tatooine right after Obi-Wan Kenobi (now going by Ben Kenobi) drops off the baby Luke Skywalker with his aunt & uncle. Ben Kenobi tries to settle into a hermit's life near a small settlement, trying not to draw attention to himself or reveal himself as a Jedi Knight (which would draw the Empire's attention to him and Luke). But of course there are attacks by Tusken Raiders, bad guys to deal with, the harsh conditions of Tatooine itself, and a little romantic tension thrown in.

Caring for people and righting wrongs while remaining as aloof and as anonymous as possible are Ben's challenges. It was a nice change of pace for a Star Wars story.

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Full Praise to John Jackson Miller.

Would you consider the audio edition of Kenobi to be better than the print version?

The Star Wars audiobooks narrated by Marc Thompson and Jonathan Davis are always fantastic. Their voices capture the different characters and species amazingly well through out the whole performance. Music and sound affects from the movies is provided at appropiate places complimenting the fantastic storyline.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Kenobi?

Obi-wan's first trip to the Claim.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Davis – was your favorite?

Jonathan Davis does a true credit to Obi-wan but his performance as the antagonist Oran Galt resonates. Preception of Galt slowly sifts throughout the novel and Davis carries this remarkaly well so that even as Galt's character shifts you see the traces of the person he once was, is precieved to be and the villan he becomes.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Obi-wan's strength and moral intergrity. Even in the face of what he's lost and when confronted by an evil similar to what he's just escaped Obi-wan refuses to surrender who he is to the Dark Side, there is a moment when he can take out his loss, sorrow and grief on another and once again choose to do what is right.

Any additional comments?

There are too few books that do true credit to the character of Obi-wan Kenobi. Even in the movies his story is shadowed by another. In Episode I he is the apprentice to a great Jedi Master. In Episode II and III while a Master in his own right he is overshadowed by Anakin's deeds and powers, and the audience is enraptured by Anakin decline.
Respected throughout the Jedi Order, Obi-wan is considered the ultimate Jedi, one who embodied all a Jedi is supposed to be. Star Wars Kenobi caputres that core essence of who he is and provides reasonable explanations for how the Ewan McGregor character evolved into the cray wizard and hermit Alec Guinness supposedly is when first introduced at the begining of a A New Hope.

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Davis and Miller captures Obi-wan's transistion

At the end of Episode III, Obi-Wan Kenobi is forced into hiding after believing that he killed Anakin in their confrontation. He took with him the infant Luke Skywalker and pledged to watch over him until the time was right. Episode VI (or, to us Gen-xer's, Star Wars) sees "Crazy Old Ben" Kenobi pulled out of hiding to finally lead the teen age Luke back out into space to fulfill his destiny.

In between, we have been left to wonder how Obi-Wan became Ben and what life was like for him. This book gives us, at last, the first part of the answer. Set in the months following the end of Episode III, John Jackson Miller takes us on a journey to see how Kenobi struggles to transform himself from the galactic hero to hidden away hermit. The change is not a smooth one for a man used to throwing himself into the action and coming to the rescue of those in need.

The book has been, I think fairly, been called more of a Western rather than a true "Star Wars" novel. But, in truth, it must be what it is in order to successfully deliver Kenobi's story. Tatooine is a remote world where the events of the Republic/Empire are largely third hand tales and life is governed by the efforts to "farm" moisture from the dry desert air while the real threats come from the Hutt's who run the planet and the native Sand People who fight the settlers over it.

The story is largely successful and mostly convincing. Where the story does fall short is in the final acts. The action becomes excessively complicated and feels like something Lucas would throw together as a bunch of unnecessary "wiz-bang". The final disposition of Kenobi, while it ends as it does because continuity requires it, doesn't really get him there in a way I could quite buy into. To say more would spoil things. Overall, it is worth checking out, so I don't want to give too much away.

As is my custom, I consumed this as an audiobook. As has been the case of late, the audio production is superb, and Johnathan Davis, as I've come to expect, does an excellent job bringing these characters to life. He is especially convincing as Kenobi - an iconic voice well known thanks to Ewan MacGregor and James Arnold Taylor's portrayals in the movies and Clone Wars TV series. Davis picks up Kenobi's voice and mannerisms seemlessly and probably makes me give this story it's fourth star when I might have been inclined to just give it three.

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Great Narration, Uneventful Story

Would you try another book from John Jackson Miller and/or Jonathan Davis?

Definitely Jonathan Davis. It will depend on what the subject matter John Jackson Miller writes about as to whether I would read another one of his books or not

Would you recommend Kenobi to your friends? Why or why not?

For the die hard Star Wars fan, yes. But for the casual fan, I would recommend 'Darth Plagueis' instead. While the narration was well done and the story well written, there was nothing extraordinary about it. I found nothing revelational about this particular story of Ben (Obi Wan) Kenobi's residency on Tatooine. I expected maybe a revelation that Darth Vader (a.k.a. Anakin Skwalker) had survived their epic encounter or maybe a mentioning of atrocities committed by the newly formed Empire. But, there was hardly a mentioning except regarding known events that occurred in Episode III. We hear his one sided conversations with Qui Gon Jinn, but don't hear his former master's reply. Ben is there to keep vigil while Luke Skywalker grows up, but is evidently doing so at a distance. This story also conveys that Obi Wan is for the most part in an information vacuum in the outer rim on Tatooine. And the story makes it pretty obvious that the will of the Force is to make sure that Ben's true identity as a Jedi Knight is kept a secret, no matter how much trouble he finds himself in.

What does Jonathan Davis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jonathan Davis does a fantastic job of pacing the story as well as varying up the voices enough that you know who is speaking without having to hear or read "Said, such and such character." The sound effects and music that accompany his narration of Star Wars audio books also lends to the telling of the story.

Did Kenobi inspire you to do anything?

You mean like hiding out in the desert and talking to ghosts of former mentors? LOL! Not really.

Any additional comments?

LIke I mentioned before, Kenobi is a well written Star Wars story, but unfortunately, it isn't very exciting. There are a lot better Star Wars novels to choose from than 'Kenobi.'

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I have a fever and the only cure is more Kenobi

Would you consider the audio edition of Kenobi to be better than the print version?

I don't own the print version so I honestly wouldn't know.

What did you like best about this story?

The best parts were the parts with Ben in it. He's the reason people would buy this book and I was kind of disappointed that after the first chapter it took quite a long time until we saw him again.

What does Jonathan Davis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His Obi-wan impression is spot on. His other voices were good too. I was bit worried that after Marc Thompson I would not be impressed by other voice actors but I was not disappointed.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were some funny lines in the book and parts that made me a bit teary eyed. Extreme reactions no...

Any additional comments?

For a book called Kenobi he isn't in it that much. The other characters are interesting of in their own rights but well, I have a fever...and the only prescription is more Kenobi.

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Kenobi's early days on Tatooine

If you could sum up Kenobi in three words, what would they be?

The three words I'd pick to sum up Kenobi are: Personal, Western and Emotional.

What does Jonathan Davis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings the characters of the story to life with excellent voice acting. Especially Kenobi himself.

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Great narration spices up an otherwise boring book

Where does Kenobi rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Somewhere in the middle.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kenobi... duh, he was the only real character that had any... character.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Davis – was your favorite?

Keboi

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me cringe. Some of the characters where pretty cookie-cutter and very predictable.

Any additional comments?

If it wasn't for the superb narration by Johnathan Davis, I would have scored this audio book much lower. I can imagine if anyone bought the e-book or paperback version of this story they would have been pretty bored. Johnathan does a great job keeping you engaged and breathed life into an otherwise C- book.

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Wow better than expected!

Where does Kenobi rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would have to say in the top 10.

What did you like best about this story?

It wasnt Kenobi going out to save the galaxy, just him dealing with normal everyday life.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Davis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have liked all of Davis's preformaces. I don't the Star Wars world would be the same if he didnt do it.

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