Scott's Rating:   4 out of 4

This is the sixth book in the Jedi Apprentice series. As we know from the last book, Obi-Wan has left Qui-Gon and the Jedi to help the Young end the wars on Melida/Daan. The Young eventually win the war, but then are left with establishing a new government, rebuilding after the war, and all the other problems of running a war torn planet.

Meanwhile, Qui-Gon returns to Coruscant with Tahl, the Jedi he rescued. They are soon informed by Yoda that someone is stealing things and vandalizing the temple. As the problems escalate, Qui-Gon is assigned the task of nabbing the culprit. But how far will the problems go?

As things go downhill quickly on Melida/Daan, Obi-Wan begins to realize that leaving the Jedi was a mistake and that they are the only ones who can help save the planet from more war. But will Qui-Gon take him back?

Scott:

    This is probably one of the best Jedi Apprentice novels. There is a healthy dose of action, drama, and suspense here. Obi-Wan makes huge strides in learning what the real world is like, and he discovers on his own why he wants to be a Jedi. The relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan deepens as each realizes how much they've come to depend on the other. That's especially good since there was never any question that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would re-team. Rather than being predictable, it helped further develop the characters.

The scenes of war in this book are a lot more powerful here than in the last book. A father fights against his daughter, friends turn on each other, and power goes to people's heads. The Young discover just how their world got so screwed up in the first place and how they are possibly doomed to repeat the same mistakes. Good lessons for everyone, not just the younger readers this is aimed at.

There was also a good glimpse of the Jedi Temple and we see Yoda a bit more. The cliffhanger at the end also leaves you wanting to get the next book.

I must also compliment Cliff Nielsen on yet another beautiful cover. Great work all around!

Scott:

    I can't say there's anything particularly bad here. The war ended a little bit quickly, but that's understandable since Watson is not given a lot of pages to work in. Better to get to the meat of the story than write pages as filler.

Scott:

    Hmmmm...tough one. Nothing really ugly here except possibly the all too realistic scenes of war and death. If only it were fiction. :(