Scott's Rating:   3 out of 4

When Obi-Wan, Anakin, Siri, and Ferus get a tip that Janna Zan Arbor is hiding on the planet of Romin under the protection of a tyrannical dictator, they pose as a gang of thieves called the Slams in order to infiltrate the planet. Thanks to the laws of Romin, the Jedi cannot arrest Arbor and take her away. Arbor must leave the planet of her own free will. The Jedi hope to trick her into leaving by offering her a part in a heist, but it soon becomes apparent that she has other plan. Matters are complicated further when a civil war erupts on the planet and the Jedi are thrown into the middle of it. Will our heroes finally capture the evil scientist or will she slip away yet again?

Scott:

    I liked Jedi Quest #8 because it continues to effectively sow the seeds of Anakin becoming Darth Vader. Jude Watson shows Anakin becoming unusually comfortable wearing a mask (hints of what’s to come). She also shows more of Anakin’s personality by using Ferus as a foil to him. Ferus has a knack for pointing out all of Anakin’s shortcomings and voicing the fears that many of his fellow Jedi slowly realize. Anakin is brash, arrogant, and utterly sure of the rightness of every decision he makes. Ferus has no fear in pointing this out (despite looking like a goody-two shoes). These traits of Anakin’s are obviously his baby steps towards becoming the second most evil guy in the galaxy. I’m going to be particularly interested in seeing Anakin and Ferus eventually face off.

This book also includes a fair amount of humor, an essential ingredient to any Star Wars story. We are treated to Obi-Wan dressing like a dandy, flamboyant thief. We see the no-nonsense Siri forced to dress like a flirtatious ditz. Anakin and Ferus’ reaction to this is also hilarious. (It also made me wonder what would happen if a male Padawan fell for a female Jedi Master. A Star Wars version of The Graduate?) Overall, it’s some fun stuff.

This book is lighter on the action than many of the Jedi Quest stories, but there’s enough to keep thing rolling. Mace Windu even makes a guest appearance towards the end.

Scott:

    I can’t think of anything particularly bad in this book. Anakin looks a little silly on the cover, but that’s no big deal.

The only think I could possibly complain about is the fact that you could go from book #7 to book #9 and not miss a lot. You’d skip a little of Anakin turning towards the path to the Dark Side, but not much more.

Scott:

    Nothing to add here.