Star Wars: Secrets of the Jedi

by Jude Watson

Review by Dan Tres Omi

Young Adult (YA) books have come along way. While attending education course at Old Dominion University (ODU) who used many YA books for the curriculum. I was amazed at how historically accurate many of these YA books were. Although they left much detail out, the stories were exciting. Star Wars YA books do the same. They stay close to the official canon and there is much continuity involved. Jude Watson has written several YA books for the Star Wars EU. If anything Jude Watson has filled in so many blanks when it comes to training in the Jedi temple. She started with the apprenticeship between Qui Gon Jin and Obi Wan Kenobi and continued through that of Obi Wan and Anakin Skywalker. I have to big up Billie Wheelz for consistently recommending the YA books. He has read all of them and is an avid supporter of YA books. My oldest son, X-man, has been reading them since he was eight years old and thoroughly enjoys them.

In Secrets of the Jedi, Watson tells a story about Obi Wan as a padawan under Qui Gon, and a love interest he had with Siri Tachi, a padawan under Adi Gallia. While helping a young child escape bounty hunters who worked for Passel Argente, the head of the Corporate Alliance. While helping the young Taly escape from the clutches of the bounty hunters and destroying the plot set up by Argente, Siri and Obi Wan discover their fierce love for one another. However, Qui Gon and Yoda convince Obi Wan of the dangers of acquiring attachments and leaving the Jedi Order.

Twenty years later, Obi Wan is Anakin's master while Siri refuses to take another padawan after Ferus Olin's decision to leave the order. They are assigned by the council to meet with Taly and convince him to give the Republic his super code breaker. What makes the mission even more complicated is that fact that Padme Amidala has asked to come along. Things take a turn for the worse when Taly makes impossible demands and Siri and Obi Wan relive their past feelings for one another.

The story makes a strong argument for the Jedi's approach to detachment. When Obi Wan asks Yoda if the council could change the rule, he is told that it will not happen. Qui Gon answers that one day it might when the times change. Of course, this happens with the order is destroyed and Luke Skywalker rebuilds it. Yet their reason is not because it must be but because they do not want Jedi to leave the order. As simple as the plot was, the story asked many questions. Those questions will hopefully be examined in future stories written by Watson and others.