Member Reviews
Overall, this is a perfectly fine Star Wars book that I picked up because and mostly enjoyed because of Obi-Wan. I don’t think I would have given this a 4-star rating if not for my favourite Jedi in existence. Not sure whether I will re-read it soon given how repetitive it was in some instances but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
As a massive fan of the Jedi Apprentice books as a kid, I was curious to see what Obi-Wan's time as a Padawan was in this new canon. White did disappoint; while the galaxy is vast, the story is very focused, and we get to know Obi-Wan better. It was a delightful read from start to finish. And it definitely should be on any prequel's kid bookshelf.
This is a great add to the Star Wars book collection! Both Star Wars fans and non-fans will enjoy this read about Obi-Wan. Definitely a great read!
A wonderful ride that captures a young Obi-Wan perfectly. I grew up on the YA books following his padawan journey during the prequel era, and this reminded me so much of those adventures, while still forging a new path.
This is a story for the Obi-Wan Kenobi fan and any Star Wars fan. It is an interesting story. Learn more about teen Jedi-in-Training Obi-Wan as he works with Qui-Gon. It is not all training, but action too. It is a fun idea seeing Obi-Wan in a new light and as he struggles as a Padawan.
This truly is a young Obi-Wan's story, and we don't see Qui-Gon very much and that might upset some readers. Nevertheless, it is interesting journey for Obi-Wan. He has many things to figure out and while it might not be a perfect book the story is wonderful. The new characters are inviting, and the story fits the young adult novel very well. I enjoyed seeing Obi-Wan in a different way. He is coming of age and finding his way. Seeing where he was in his youth and who he became was fantastic.
Thanks to NetGalley & Disney Lucasfilm Press for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
A very fun, low-stakes adventure showing Obi-wan coming into the Jedi role as a kid. This story doesn't take place entirely on Coruscant so it's actually pretty accessible for a Star Wars story. I really enjoyed it and White's take on the Force!
Great, great entry into the Star Wars canon. My son and I both enjoyed this book, so definitely has appeal for adults and teens.
Reading Padawan I kinda knew I would be going on an adventure but what I didn’t know was how this adventure would change young Obi Wan and in some ways still trying to figure out his life! That is with any teenager….The author really grasps Obi Wan’s emotions and faults and naïveté with a group of teenagers that would become his friends. He uses his intellect as a Jedi to help the kids make choices that decides their own path to their future. It was a good storytelling; also we get a story to bridge some gap of Obi Wan’s life!
As a Star Wars fan, I’m always up for a new book. And as Obi-Wan is a favorite character, this book was on my list. I enjoyed it very much. Obi-Wan, at 16, is frustrated with his training under Qui-Gon. He thinks he found something that no one knows about and convinces Qui-Gon to travel to this planet that no one knows about. But on the morning of the trip, Qui-Gon doesn’t show. Obi-Wan decides to set out on his own, thinking he’s not technically breaking a rule since Qui-Gon did agree they could go. What he found on the planet was unexpected, and he has to figure out what to do on his own.
After the Kenobi series I was interested in learning more about Obi-Wan Kenobi and this is exactly what I was looking for.
This gives us a glimpse of Obi-Wan when he was chosen as an apprentice to Qui-Gon Jinn and offers up a lot more context to what will become their close relationship that we see in the prequel trilogy and is hinted at later on in the series as well.
It's perfect for anyone who is looking to dive deeper into the history of this beloved character and Kiersten White does an amazing job at staying true to the character.
This was one of my new favorite entries into Star Wars canon. A book about young Obi-Wan Kenobi struggling with anxiety and the weight of being an aspiring jedi knight? Sign me up. This book was fast-paced and easy to read with a fun cast of characters pushing the story forward. The dynamic throughout the book between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon was delightful. Obi-Wan's journey in this book felt important and set up a lot of the things we know and love about the character today. I also very much appreciate that Obi-Wan is officially queer in canon. That's a huge win.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book.
4/5 stars
I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I consider Obi-Wan Kenobi my favorite character in the Star Wars universe, so I knew I had to read this book about his days as a Padawan! I was also excited to get some Qui-Gon content, though we still don't see him much in this book.
Obi-Wan struggles a lot in this book. His relationship with his master, Qui-Gon, isn't going as well as he hoped. He feels like he's a failure as a Padawan, and those fears are only made worse when hearing all of the other Padawans talk about the missions they've been going on with their masters. When Obi-Wan discovers a star map hidden in The Archives, he decides to investigate and gets Qui-Gon on board with the mission. However, Qui-Gon fails to show up for the mission, so Obi-Wan makes the rash decision to go alone.
From there, the story focuses on the planet Lenahra and the band of misfit teenagers living there. The planet is mysterious, strange, and seemingly violent. Obi-Wan tries to figure out the importance of this planet to the Jedi and what to do about the people living there while also trying to figure out his place in the Jedi Order.
I enjoyed this book primarily due to the fact I love Obi-Wan Kenobi, but I did think the story was good too. Lenahra was an interesting setting for the story to take place. The storyline was pretty predictable, but that's typical of a YA novel. I still enjoyed meeting the new characters and learning more about Lenahra.
My biggest issue with this book was how it got so caught up in Obi-Wan's inner monologues at times. By the end of the book, it felt incredibly repetitive. Granted, this book is meant to be a coming-of-age/self-discovery type of story for him, but I could have done without the many paragraphs of "Am I good enough?"
I did enjoy the book and was happy to get more Kenobi content! I know I was outside the intended audience, and it would probably appeal to younger audiences more. However, I think anyone who appreciates Obi-Wan Kenobi would enjoy learning more about his days as a Padawan. With that said, I'd recommend this to fellow Obi-Wan fans!
I was a little late to the whole Star Wars thing. Though if my dad had described Han Solo as a space pirate when he was trying to get me the watch the movies I would have watch them sooner. But once I did I was hooked. And Obi-Wan quickly became a favorite character. So it was nice to read this one in which he's a teen trying to be a Jedi. An imaging of who he was before the movies. And I have to say this book made me love Obi-Wan even more.
As a reader who loves the character of Obi-Wan, I truly wanted to love this book more than I did.
The story is set in the early days of his time as a padawan learner assigned to Qui-Gon Jinn. When we first meet this teenaged version of Kenobi, he’s unsure of his place in the Jedi Order, of his place as Qui-Gon’s student, and of his place in the galaxy. Led by clues from a Jedi made centuries earlier, he travels to the mysterious and mystical planet of Lenhara. While interacting with a group of children left alone on the world, Obi-Wan uncovers the of the mystery that is Lenhara.
The arc that Obi-Wan undertakes in this book kept me more interested than the actual plot. I never found myself sympathizing with the children, despite their importance in the story. And the mystery of Lenhara didn’t actually engross me as much as I wanted it to.
Seeing a younger version of the future Jedi master question himself and his abilities (and relate entirely more to his own future padawan) was fascinating. It was wonderful to read the building blocks of the character we all know and love in the movies laid bare on the page. Every time even the smallest crumb of insight was given, I ate it up quicker than I did anything that related to the overarching plot of Lenhara’s power and those who wished to take it.
Highly recommend for consummate Star Wars readers and those interested in a prequel to the Prequels. But for more casual readers, it might not be the best introduction to a young Obi-Wan’s story. L
This is a spoiler free review.
Star Wars Padawan is a new book that explores Obi-Wan Kenobi’s younger days as a padawan learner with the Jedi Order. Thank you Disney Lucasfilm Press and NetGalley for giving me a ARC to review.
I enjoyed reading this book. We could always use more content featuring Obi-Wan. I loved reading how anxious and unsure Obi-Wan is throughout this story. He is much younger and more relatable than the super confident Obi-Wan we see in the prequel films and The Clone Wars cartoons. Obi-Wan questions everything he does and thinks during the entire story. He has so many doubts about being a Jedi, is he the right apprentice for Qui-Gon Jinn, and more.
Star Wars Padawan makes many references to other Star Wars books, comics, and even the High Republic books. I enjoyed every reference I noticed. If you’ve been reading the High Republic books keep your eyes open for some exciting and fun references.
Star Wars Padawan is a great story every Star Wars fan should read. Especially after watching the new Obi-Wan series. You can read a story of Obi-Wan in a stage in his life we’ve never seen before. A stage where Luke, Anakin, Rey and even Grogu could all relate to...
Trust in the Force.
Stay awesome and keep reading!
Star Wars Padawan
Creative team:
Written by Kiersten White
Obi-Wan debating whether he might be biromantic, asexual or both was NOT on my 2022 bingo card but GURL, I’m living.
Listen, this year is OBI-WAN’s year, and no one can tell me otherwise. With the release of Brotherhood and the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, getting a YA novel that explores Padawan! Obi-Wan and the struggles and insecurities he faced during his first years with Qui-Gon was the cherry on top of the cake.
I love everything about Obi-Wan, and it was interesting seeing him as a younger padawan in a book focused on him, unlike Master and Apprentice. I haven't delved too much into the legends books yet, but as someone working through the current canon books, I loved this book.
It gave us an unsure, younger Obi-Wan, where you can see the roots of his characterization throughout all of the rest of his life. Showing that he was not always the sure, competent Jedi Master (though he is still snarky, adorable) and that he had his own doubts and fears of the future as any normal person would, though those feelings were, understandably, highly magnified due to his Jedi status.
I enjoyed all the new characters in the book, as well as learning where he met those we have seen before in the movies. It showed how he has always had that negotiation and diplomatic approach to things, always just wanting to do what could help as many people as possible.
Though while I love that he was an angsty, unsure teen just like most people, I did feel like it was a bit repetitive in how it was brought up every few chapters. I will note that this is one of the YA novels, so it could be playing the message a bit more blatently for its target audience, so I can't ding it too much there.
The ending does leave me wondering what Qui-Gon would have done had Obi-Wan either never returned by choice, or if he died on the planet. He may have wanted his strict rule follower padawan to break some rules and explore on his own, and as mentioned in M&A, he has strong feelings about losing a Padawan, so I feel like he would not be so flippant in risking Obi-Wan's life. I suppose he was just that sure that Obi-Wan would make it back?
Either way, I enjoyed the book and I do hope we get more young Obi-Wan content in the future!
First off, let me say that I have watched all of the Star Wars movies more than once and loved each and every one. And with saying that I was thrilled when I first laid eyes on this little gem, Padawan. I enjoyed reading Padawan way more than I ever thought I would. It kept my attention from the first page to the last with not a dull moment in between.
Padawan is Obi-Wan Kenobi’s story. It tells about his days on Coruscant and training to be a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan wants more than anything to be the best Padawan and a Jedi. He works very hard in his training but doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere. Obi-Wan’s Jedi Master is Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon seems to always be preoccupied during Obi-Wan’s training.
Obi-Wan is upset when all the other Padawans are out on missions with their Jedi Masters training to be real Jedi and he is left all alone on Coruscant. One day while Obi-Wan is off questioning himself wondering if he is cut out to be a Jedi he discovers another planet on a map that no one has explored before and maybe not even heard of as it is kind of hidden.
Obi-Wan talks his Jedi Master Oui-Gon into taking him on a mission to this planet. Obi-Wan goes in search of a ship to take them to their destination and gathers all the supplies they may need.
The next morning Obi-Wan arrives at the ship waiting for his Jedi Master Qui-Gon to make an appearance but alas he does not. Obi-Wan is upset but doesn’t let that interfere with his mission. He is determined to find this planet and prove to himself and everyone else that he is a great Padawan.
Obi-Wan finds this planet but that is not all. On this planet is a group of teenagers living there without any adults. These teenagers are using the powers of the Force. Obi-Wan has many questions after seeing these teenagers using the Force and very well at that I might add.
Who are these teenagers? How did they come to be on this planet? How is it possible that they can use the Force? Who trained them? Where are their parents? And another thing there is something wrong with this planet? Obi-Wan can feel that something is wrong but he can’t lay his finger on it.
I highly recommend Padawan to all Star Wars fans! One-click your copy of Padawan today!
This book was very enjoyable. It reminded me of going back to reading a Jedi Apprentice book and I really enjoyed seeing Obi-Wan's early struggles. The idea of Obi-Wan on this lost world with powered kids that were almost, but not quite, Lord of the Flies made for a great setting with a great lesson. I definitely recommend it to anybody that is a fan of Obi-Wan Kenobi and wants to see more of his early days as a padawan and the self-doubts he went through to become the Jedi Master we know him as in the films.
Star Wars Padawan is an Obi Wan Kenobi story first and foremost, but also a coming of age story at what is probably the hardest time in any teens life. Obi Wan is struggling with his master Qui-Gon, unsure of where he stands with him and unsure about his place at the Jedi Temple and in the Force. He stumbles upon hidden writing in the Temple by Orla (shoutout to High Republic fans!) and decides to chase down the clue by himself.
I really ended up enjoying the book and its description of the Force and of Obi-Wan finding who he is within himself and in the Universe. I liked the people he met on the planet and also audibly gasped at the random crewmember he met along the way.