The Uncertain Path

Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice #6

by Jude Watson

Obi-Wan Kenobi is no longer a Jedi. He has chosen instead to be a part of the revolution on the planet Melida/Daan. His Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, has gone back to Coruscant, where trouble is stirring inside the Jedi Temple.

Obi-Wan takes comfort in his friends, the other leaders of the revolution. Together they have power--perhaps too much power. As the revolution continues, friends become enemies, and Obi-Wan's path grows more and more uncertain. Qui-Gon is no longer around to help him.

Obi-Wan is on his own.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Childrens, Middle Grade

140 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this series because I love Qui-Gon Jinn and couldn't get enough of him. I did not expect a young readers novel to be so insightful. With all due honesty, the author did a marvellous job capturing the emotional conflict of both a young apprentice and experienced mentor (and dare I say, she did better for the latter?) and it truly upsets me to see all the negative comments here about how unfairly Qui-Gon was treated in this book etc. because if that's all adult readers can think of after reading this story, I feel sorry for the young ones under their care.

Spoilers to follow.

In this book, we follow up from where the previous one left off with Obi-Wan making the decision to leave the Jedi Order. At the temple, Qui-Gon was berated by Tahl and Yoda about being too harsh on Obi-Wan. I have to admit that initially, I got really defensive, partly because Qui-Gon is my favourite SW character, but also because my initial mindset echoed that of other adults here: If the student wishes to quit, how can one make it the fault of the master? It's not like the master can lock him up in chains and drag him home. Obi-Wan made the decision to leave, so why is everyone blaming Qui-Gon?

It wasn't until I read what Yoda said later on that I finally understood. They weren't blaming Qui-Gon for Obi-Wan's choice — more like, they were blaming him for being too harsh. He literally backed a thirteen year old boy into the corner with only two options:
1. Follow Qui-Gon back to the temple, continue to be a Jedi but leave his friends to die
2. Stay on Melida/Daan to help his friends but leave the Order.

The problem with this is that the boy wants very much to be a Jedi because he wants to help others. When forced into a corner, his options looked thus to him:
1. Be a Jedi only in name but not in practice (hypocritic much?)
2. Fail as a Jedi but live as a commoner who upholds the Jedi values

If he was older, maybe he would have known to negotiate a third option. Say, his master left with Tahl while he stayed back momentarily to play peacekeeper and waited for his master to return (remember a one-way journey takes 3 days so going back with his master would mean leaving his friends to fend for themselves for 6 whole days and a lot can happen in 6 days in a war). As it was, he's still a child, and if you present him with A or B, he will only choose from the options presented.

And this is what Yoda is berating Qui-Gon for. He was trying to tell Qui-Gon that the reason Obi-Wan quitted was because Qui-Gon himself created the situation where Obi-Wan felt he had no choice but to quit. It wasn't that Obi-Wan wanted to leave the Order for the heck of it. He wanted to leave so that he could uphold the Jedi spirit and help his friends. Going by precedence, if Qui-Gon wasn't so caught up worrying about his friend Tahl, he himself would have stayed to help. He's not exactly a stickler for rules, so can he blame his apprentice for taking after him?

I'm not saying that Obi-Wan is without fault. Clearly he is, and the Council did not exactly forgive him easily for it either. Like Mace so aptly said, (and I paraphrase) "You are not a child anymore so why are you acting like one? Saying sorry doesn't make the wrong go away." But ultimately, he IS a kid. So he let his emotions get the better of him. So what? Adults are hardly free from that fault. He deserves reprimand, punishment and time for reflection. Exile is too harsh. If your thirteen-year-old child insists on staying on the street to save a stray from being killed, you don't say, follow me home now or never come home again. And even if you do and he chooses to stay, heaven forbid you actually bar your doors to him forever. Remember that the Jedi Order took him from his home when he was only a child and forbade him to keep in touch with his family. In other words, the Jedi is the only family he has. Being Jedi isn't like enrolling to be a soldier where if you fail, you can go home and pursue another occupation. When Qui-Gon took Obi-Wan on as his apprentice, it's our equivalent of a man adopting a child from an orphanage. If Qui-Gon refuses to take him back, it's like a man throwing a child back into the orphanage for his first major misconduct. If the Jedi Order doesn't take him back, it's an orphan being left on the street.

Can you see now why I'm so upset when readers complain only about how it's only Obi-Wan's fault and not Qui-Gon's? What sort of world do we live in that a 13 year old being disobedient by trying to save others becomes commonly accepted as a crime worthy of getting him thrown out of home?

Also, if it helps, Obi-Wan didn't exactly leave this incident without learning anything. If anything, Obi-Wan became such a stickler for rules later on that he became famous for it.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Jedi Apprentice series is sort of like a television serial in the vein of 24 or House of Anubis: short episodes that tell a longer continuing story. It's actually very good reading; it fleshes out the character of Qui-Gon Jinn, who we barely got to know before he was tragically killed by Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace. In this episode, young Obi-Wan continues his mission of rescuing a planet in the midst of a civil war, while Qui-Gon trails a thief who has been robbing the Jedi Temple. The writing style isn't up to the bar set by Michael A. Stackpole, Aaron Allston, and Matthew Woodring Stover, but that's to be expected when you consider that this is a juvenile chapter book. I recommend reading the series in order, but Jedi Apprentice is definitely worthwhile reading for all Star Wars fans.

[Deedeebear3! · Rating 5 out of 5]

remember what I said about the last book? This one just topped it and put it on a shelf no one can REACH! It made me feel all the emotion! "I laughed I cried, it moved me Bob!" -Larry the Cucumber.

[paulina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This whole Melida/Daan arc felt kind of odd to me, I must say I'm glad it's over.

[Branwen Sedai *of the Brown Ajah* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part of being a Jedi was recognizing that one's own wisdom had limits.

In this direct follow up to the previous book, The Defenders of the Dead, Obi-Wan has broken free of Qui-Gon's tutelage and is living his new life with the rest of the Young trying to reinforce their newly won peace. Meanwhile, back on Coruscant, Qui-Gon is devastated over the loss of his padawan but soon gets caught up in the mystery of thievery in the Jedi Temple and along with the other Masters, works hard to try and determine the culprit.

Since the issue between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan spilled over into this book as well, my aggravation unfortunately continued. *laughs* Especially since multiple characters (including Yoda!) gave Qui-Gon a bunch of crap for leaving Obi-Wan behind, as if it were Qui-Gon's fault that Obi-Wan was being a prat. Um, hello? The master can only do so much for the padawan. If he makes the decision and decides to break away from being a Jedi, aside from talking it out, there isn't too much more that can be done. And I'm sorry, I recently got done reading books about Jedi training and conduct within the Jedi lifestyle and I feel the other masters (yes, Yoda too) were being way too lenient with Obi-Wan in this book. Well, boys will be boys and all that, was basically their stance on this. Um, no. Not when you're a Jedi. They are held to higher standards and need to behave in that manner too. I mean I'm all for breaking the rules once in a while (Everyone loves a rebel, right?) but Obi-Wan literally QUIT being a Jedi. Turned in his lightsaber and everything. *huffs* I feel like poor Qui-Gon is the only one with any sense in this book! Sheesh. Other than this issue I really have been enjoying this series, which is why I am going to keep going forward with it. I just hope this crap is resolved soon. :/

[Genevieve Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

NO! Book five did such a good job of weaving Obi-Wan's conflict and his decision to stay. I wanted an equal amount of work put into his decision to become a Jedi again! This was tense. Poor Obi-Wan. But in the end, it seemed that he became a Jedi again just because his friends had turned on him and there was nowhere else to go. The death of Cerasi was unhelpful too. Just like Steela Gerrera she became a rallying point and a catalyst, but when do the girls get to live? Someone else can be the catalyst.

[blank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things get a little out of hands on Melida/Daan and Obi-Wan gets in trouble. He contacts Qui-Gon and he rushes to help. It's not pleasant to read about what happens between the former Master and Padawan. And still I can't understand how Qui-Gon could've left Obi-Wan on the planet and leave the Jedi Order. Gladly the two of them unite again and I can't wait how the thing in the Temple unravels. Still, I think Qui-Gon is being a little too rough on Obi-Wan. Why can't he be a little kinder?

[Abe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember liking this book a lot as a lad because Obi-Wan stands up for his values and his friends at the cost of upending his potential to be a jedi. Thinking back on it as an adult, I've gained respect for Qui-Gon for letting Obi-Wan do his thing, knowing his Padawan would either learn a valuable lesson and come back, or he would leave forever - in which case, it just wasn't meant to be. So don't worry about it.

[Jim C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating is 3.5 stars.

This is part of a series that explores the relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. Each book is a stand alone but the one before this one should be read as books five and six could be considered as one story. In this one, Obi-Wan has left the Jedi Order and searches for a place on his new adopted world.

I thought this book is the best one of the series so far. I loved the ending from the last book and this picks up that story line. Every teenager goes thru the stage of trying to find their place in the world and I liked how Obi-Wan does too. There are several messages like forgiveness, compassion, and history repeating itself that is handled well in this book. The reason I did not give this a higher rating was the twist. I did not like it and it came across as a cop out instead of going with the flow of the story. If the author went the flow and continued in a linear fashion, this book would have received four stars and possibly more.

These books are meant for the younger audience and this book is perfect for them. It is very entertaining while delivering moral messages. The relationship between master and padawan continues to shine in this series.

[Zoey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was heartbreaking. Cerasi deserved better.

“Cerasi gave the cocky grin that Obi-Wan remembered so well. "Don't mourn too long for me. After all, I wanted peace." She shrugged. "Look at it this way. Now I have it forever.”

This mission is one that will stick with Obi Wan for the rest of his life. It was the first time he realized that there were more important things to stand for. Like Cerasi and peace.

Nield did redeem himself in the end, and I have to remind myself that he’s also just another 13 year old that was put in charge of a government with little to no support. What he did to Obi Wan was wrong, but he found his way back to his friend. Also, not everyone can be as steadfast as Obi Wan.

[Eileanór Bláth · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you don't know your own mind, you fill it with the beliefs of another.
- Qui-Gon Jinn
************
Questa serie è sempre più bella :)
...e anche questo capitolo, come il precedente, finisce con un cliff-hanger della madonna, e quindi niente, mi tocca continuare subito col successivo xD

[Jay DeMoir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Obi-Wan's on his own after breaking from Qui-Gon's service.
This seemed like a far cry from the Obi-Wan we know. But hey, it was interesting at least.

[Natalie Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

These two are really working my last nerve 😂

[Jared · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Wars Legends Project #46

Background: The Uncertain Path came out in February 2000. It was written by Jude Watson.

The Uncertain Path begins several weeks after the end of The Defenders of the Dead (my review), 44 years before the Battle of Yavin and 12 years before The Phantom Menace. Pretty much all of the surviving characters from that book return for this one, and there are also significant appearances by Obi-Wan's former classmates Bruck Chun and Bant.

Summary: Obi-Wan has left the Jedi Order to join the cause of the Young fighting for peace on Melida/Daan, but when they achieve their goal they find that governing a planet is far harder than winning it was. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon has returned to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant feeling betrayed by his former apprentice. But he doesn't have long to dwell on his feelings after the Jedi Council asks him and Tahl to investigate a series of mysterious and troubling thefts that are suddenly plaguing the Temple. As the thefts escalate, Qui-Gon fears that they may be just the beginning of something far more sinister.

Review: I was frustrated at several points doing this book, which I take to be a sign that it was doing its job. The plot hops back and forth pretty constantly from Obi-Wan's struggles on Melida/Daan to Qui-Gon's investigation on Coruscant. At first, I couldn't have cared less about the Coruscant plot, which felt like a lot of Qui-Gon wallowing in self-pity and refusing to talk about it, so it was really frustrating whenever the story hopped back to him. However, as the plot began to thicken around his and Tahl's investigation, I was equally frustrated when the perspective shifted back to Melida/Daan. Ultimately, the book managed to juggle two tense storylines pretty effectively. My only complaint is that the hops really felt a bit too frequent in spots, like literally every minute or two of reading time.

Also, because it's telling two stories in the same amount of space where it normally tells one, both stories felt as brief as the books earlier in the series did. However, since Obi-Wan's plot was a direct continuation of the last book, and Qui-Gon's plot ends on a cliffhanger to be resolved in the next, this didn't bother me as much as it did before. However, it does leave me with very little to say about the book, since it would be very easy to give away 90% of what happens with either story in a couple of sentences. I was glad they didn't drag out Obi-Wan's departure from the Jedi any longer, since we obviously know he will return, and I hope they will resolve the rift between him and Qui-Gon just as quickly since we know how that will turn out as well.

Even Yoda and Tahl agree that Qui-Gon was the one who made the wrong call in the last book, though he hasn't come around on that point. It's frustrating to see him continue to be so bad at communicating with someone who is supposed to be his closest companion, as well as someone who is supposed to look up to him with the utmost trust and respect. He needs to recognize that his continued refusal to open up to Obi-Wan, like, ever, is the reason that things went down on Melida/Daan like they did. But when he is reunited with Obi-Wan, he falls back into the same foolish pattern. I suspect he'll have to confront his own issues with Xanatos in some more dramatic fashion before he can resolve this. Again, hopefully that will be soon. He grows less likable with each passing book where he holds Obi-Wan at arms' length.

C

[Zuzana · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Peace isn't just a concept to me," Cerasi had said. "It is life and breath. I will never pick up a weapon again. I have seen what they can do. If a weapon of destruction is in my hands, sooner or later that weapon will be used. I will not contribute to one more death on Melida/Daan!"

Obi-Wan comes to regret his decision to stay behind on Melida/Daan when violence breaks out again and he faces a tragic loss of one friend and disintegration of friendship with another.

Meanwhile in the Temple... Qui-Gon is an ass - denying his responsibility. In real world he would never have been allowed to take on another apprentice. Tahl is her usual awesome self. And Yoda shows off his wisdom once again.

""He stayed," Qui-Gon said simply. "He told me he had found something on Melida/Daan that was more important than his Jedi training. On the morning we were leaving, the Elders attacked the Young. They had starfighters and weapons. The Young were disorganized. They needed help."

"And yet stay you did not."

"My orders were to return to the Temple with Tahl."

Yoda leaned slightly backward in surprise. "Orders, they were? Counsel, it was. And always willing to ignore my counsel you are, if suits you it does."

Qui-Gon gave a start. Obi-Wan had flung almost the same words at him back on Melida/Daan.

"Are you saying I should have stayed?" Qui-Gon asked irritably. "What if Tahl had died?"

Yoda sighed. "A hard choice it was, Qui-Gon. Yet willing are you to blame your Padawan. Place the choice before him you did: forsake Jedi training, or children die, friends are betrayed. Thought you understood a boy's heart, I did."

Qui-Gon stared stonily ahead. He had not expected this rebuke from Yoda."

Somehow the Jedi Order believes it's o.k. for a Master to leave a disobedient 13 year old kid in a war zone. They don't ask Qui-Gon for two weeks after he came back to the Temple alone without his charge what happened... because they "honor his privacy"?! No investigation, no reprimand or suspension? A gentle rebuke from Yoda and Tahl is all he gets?! I call BS!

And on top of that, Qui-Gon shows no remorse. Happy to play the victim. I get it that he's been shaken after Xanatos. But he should have gotten mandatory councelling and not been allowed to take on an apprentice before getting a clean bill of mental health. Teaching/mentoring should never serve as a therapy, it's not fair on the student.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up at the end of Defenders of the Dead, The Uncertain Path continues the story of Obi Wan after he leaves the Jedi Order and quits as Qui-Gon's Padawan. This is big stuff, despite the fact that Episode I tells us that this won't last, because if anyone were ever born to be a part of the Order, it's Obi Wan Kenobi. We have to remember, though, that the Obi Wan we see in this series is only thirteen, and still succumbs to the temptations and impetuosity of youth.

The story continues that of the war on Melida/Daan, where a tenuous peace has been made among the two factions and the Youth, after the Youth have disabled all the starships. The challenge now is to maintain that peace, and Obi Wan is a part of it, having been nominated to be on the council made up of the Youth, the Melida, and the Daan. Obi Wan is now seen as an outsider by the other members of the council, and his contributions to security, as well as to the new government overall, are questioned. The more Obi Wan feels like an outsider, the more he craves Qui-Gon's counsel.

I like the way Watson plays around with our expectations of the characters, and giving us alternate views into what makes a Jedi. Even in the movies, Qui-Gon is different from Mace Windu, both of whom in turn are different from Yoda, and how each character uses the Force differs. Obi Wan is different, too, partly due to his age, but also due to him being as different from those other three are as they are to one another. The book gives us a glimpse into the early days of Qui-Gon and Obi Wan's relationship, before they had established a full trust with one another. This book and the previous one put that trust to a test.

The stories are getting more developed, thanks to the recurrence of certain characters and settings, and as such, they're getting more interesting. It's easier to get caught up in the events, since we see so many familiar faces, and despite the fact that the Jedi don't always act as we would expect them to, their motivations are at least consistent. The series is getting better the more I read it.

[Waldwasser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite some flaws, I really liked this book.

We start out where 'Defenders of the dead' has left us: On Melida/Daan, a planet trying to break free form centuries of civil war. Obi-Wan has decided to forfeit his jedi training and stay on the planet to help build a new government while Qui-Gon returns to Corrusant, determined to never again take on a padawan.

And here is where I found the book a little irritating. Although it was entirely Obi-Wan's decision to quit his apprenticeship, the blame is put on Qui-Gon by the other jedi masters. It's true, he could improve his communication. Maybe he shouldt have tried to put himself in the shoes of a 13-year-old suddenly swept away into a revolution led by kids his own age. But still, it wasn't his decision, so he shouldn't be treated as the only one 'responsible' for it.

But this issue didn't spoil the book for me, there are so many things I liked about it.
The 'Lord of the flies'-like situation on Melida/Daan, children trying to set up a working government angovernment, dealing with shortages of ressources and new outbreaks of violence... I really liked this narrative and wanted know what would happen nett.
The second plot, the series of thefts at the temple, held my attention as well and kept me turning the pages. This was partly due to suspense, but also to my interest in watching the development of a seemingly minor character: Thal, the jedi rescued from captivety in the last book, who has to adjust to living without her eyesight.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall another fantastic volume in this series. Qui-gon still needs to acknowledge to himself and Obi-wan how badly he failed as a mentor. Yes, Obi-wan made a mistake, and it had dire consequences for everyone. But only because Qui-gon didn't explain things to Obi-wan well or intervene when there were red flags. This book does a good job of showing in at least some part why the Young were not a viable government entity. The ending is a bit too tidy given how messy and dark this arc is. Tahl is fantastic in this book, but she really needs to talk to Yoda about how unwelcome his surprise gift of a navigation droid is. Yes, she needs to learn to accept help while relearning how to do everything as she is now blind. But she also needs to express to Yoda how frustrating it is for her that he didn't give her a chance to refuse such constant help. She expresses some of this to Qui-gon but not Yoda. I do like that she is clear in communicating to Qui-gon when she needs help versus when she wants to and can do something unassisted.

[Robert Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️ — The Most Disappointing Book in the Series (So Far)

Jedi Apprentice: The Uncertain Path was easily the most disappointing entry in the series so far. The story felt flat and predictable from start to finish, with no real surprises or tension. It’s clear early on exactly how things will end, and the journey to get there just isn’t engaging. The characters go through the motions without much emotional depth or growth, making the plot feel repetitive and dull. I’ve enjoyed other books in the series much more, but this one really lacked excitement or originality. Overall, a forgettable and frustrating read.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty much all the books in this series can be summed up thusly: "And yet another example of why Qui-Gon was the worst Master ever." Oh, Obi-Wan. As soon as you hitched your wagon to his, you were bound to become a crazy desert hermit.

[Drew Ck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obi Wan left the Jedi Order to win the war for Melida/Daan, when instituting a new government fails and war once again threatens to engulf the land. Obi Wan sends a request for help to the Jedi Order. Obi Wan is shocked to find Qui Gon answering his call.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the follow up of the story that shocked me, and this particular book had me worried about Obi-Wan and his "Uncertain Path"...

[JD Waggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now we're cooking with gas in this series.

This is a direct follow to the previous book, so don't try to jump in here if you haven't read number five. That said, I love what Watson gets into with this. The two main story arcs are Obi-Wan on Melida/Daan in the fledgling days of the Young's victory and Qui-Gon at the Jedi Temple tracking down a thief. Both are grieving and we get to see that, we get to understand how they're unpacking their having been uncoupled by Obi-Wan's choice to stay behind. Flipping the usual settings--the master is in the Temple and the padawan is out on the field, when usually one would expect it to be the other way around--helps showcase their emotional states and their assessments of each other. Qui-Gon has to go backward to go forward, and Obi-Wan has to get pummeled outside of the Temple's safety to recognize what a gift it is.

I think the Temple story arc needs some help, which I'm hoping the next book will deliver (it's another cliffhanger, be ready). While interesting, it felt a little too much like Qui-Gon needed something to do while the real story was happening on Melida/Daan. That story arc was great; I really appreciated how Watson was able to get into grief and history and connection and power and fear and all sorts of things that are huge and hard to put in a middle-grade book like this. Which is another thing--Watson wrote Qui-Gon's reaction to Obi-Wan and the way he's received at the Temple for that with a very specific audience in mind. Young folk reading this would be clamoring for some of the forgiveness and elasticity that gets shown here--and, honestly, I was a bit glad to see it just to have a more human element to the Jedi.

All in all, quite delightful and well-paced. I'm headed upstairs to get the next in the series now.

[Cudahy Family Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Uncertain Path’ is the sixth book in the Jedi Apprentice series and follows two weeks after the cliffhanger in ‘The Defenders of the Dead’. Obi-Wan is still on Melida/Daan fighting with the Young while Qui-Gon has gone back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The greatest part about this book is the fact that it switches between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s point of view every other chapter, so you are constantly in the loop about what’s happening to both master and apprentice.

Having successfully won the war, the Young are struggling with how to how run a planet with no one older to lean on and give them advice. Obi-Wan and his friends have great ideas for how to move forward on a planet that had nothing but war for so long but The Elders are not so ready to give up their hate. It was good to see Obi-Wan still believing in the cause he left the Jedi Order for but also missing the life and people he left behind. The added aspect of his difficulties in using the Force was fascinating.

Back at the Temple, Qui-Gon struggles to put Obi-Wan’s departure behind him. Qui-Gon’s pain is really well done, along with both Yoda and Tahl telling him that he shouldn’t blame himself or his Padawan for Obi-Wan taking up a just cause. Qui-Gon occupies himself by heading an investigation with Tahl, into who is stealing from the Jedi Temple. It is a really good mystery that is being investigated in unusual ways because of Tahl’s lack of sight.

Another solid entry in the series that still leaves me wondering how Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan will resume their master and apprentice relationship! This book also leaves on a huge cliffhanger that I am so intrigued to follow up on!

[Tinita125 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buenas buenas, hello there!
Para empezar, tengo que decir que quiero terminar con esta saga de una vez por todas! Asi que, aquí estoy, intentando retomar otra vez! La verdad es que este es el libro que se me hizo más ligero de todos, pero aún así, no logró encantarme.
La trama estuvo re average y siento como que fue un libro de transición, porque seguimos con el conflicto del anterior y el final conecta directamente con lo que pasa en el 7mo. Esto no debería ser un problema, entendiendo que es una saga, pero yo lo leo para sentir que son aventuras distintas, onda the clone wars. Por eso, me pareció como que fue casi lo mismo que nada.
Me gustó la idea de que Obi wan tira a la mierda su vida Jedi, para después darse cuenta que, en realidad, es todo para él. Bueno, no es como si tuviera mucho choice, digo, te vienen lavando el cerebro desde que tenes meses de vida... es entendible...
Me molestó bastante la actitud de Qui-Gon. Entiendo que ya estuviera mal por lo que le hizo su alumno anterior, pero honestamente se comportó como si tuviera 5 años. Grow the f up! Mientras más cosas consumo de Star wars, más me doy cuenta de que los Jedi son todos unas prima donnas (Edward Teller se queda corto guys!). Nada, voy a tratar de leer uno todos los días o al menos de leer uno intercalado con otras lecturas. Una cosa es seguro, I'm finishing this sht this year!!!
Nada más que agregar, ya arranqué el siguiente y pinta un poco mejor!

[Roz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obi-Wan's left the Jedi Order in favor of joining the Young on Melida/Daan. He has become one of the founding members of the new government along with Cerasi and Nield, overseeing security. Unfortunately, the young leaders are learning that while peace was hard won, it's even harder to maintain, especially with only grudging support from the Middle Generation and hostility from the Elders. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon has returned to Coruscant with the injured Tahl, who is confirmed to be permanently blinded by the injuries she received on Melida/Daan. Yoda distracts the both of them by assigning them to discover who a new mysterious thief in the Temple is. As Obi-Wan starts to question his decision to leave the Jedi in favor of helping a single conflict, Qui-Gon wrestles with whether or not it had been a good decision to take Obi-Wan on in the first place.

I think this was my favorite book of the series so far. Watson did a pretty good job of capturing the uncertainty that both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are suffering under after Obi-Wan left the Jedi and Qui-Gon didn't fight him about it. Both of them gave me a lot of "use your words!" feels when Qui-Gon returns to Melida/Daan at Obi-Wan's request to help quell a new flare-up of hostilities. Tahl is an absolute gem and I loved every scene she's in. I can't wait to see more of her in the course of the series.

[lelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was considering not even adding this book to my Goodreads because it is super short and a super quick read. But, after finishing it, I wanted to give Jude Watson credit for these books, this one in particular.

I am so glad that Jude Watson, despite the target audience being 9-12-year-olds, really ran with these books and decided to tackle really, really complicated topics in a very approachable way. The book brings up really compelling questions; I found myself thinking through the moral issues and inner turmoil these characters were facing. Watson talks UP to children rather than talking down to them (thank you Mark Hamill for that quote; it is so applicable), which makes these books so readable and effective for all ages. That is also why, even though these aren't canon anymore, they're so well done that I STILL see people reference these books as the foundation of QGJ and OWK's characterizations.

They're just really good. Five stars. Really enjoyed it.

"History isn't in our favor, but that doesn't mean we should annihilate it. Don't let our dream of peace die. Work for it. Don't kill for it. We fought one war for peace. We always said that one war had to be enough."

[Shaitanah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this novel back to back with the previous one, Defenders of the Dead (the first four, I read some ten years ago), and I have mixed feelings about them. I didn't come in expecting a literary masterpiece, but all the same, Defenders felt more like a checklist of events leading up to The Uncertain Path. I found it hard to get invested into the Melida/Daan conflict, the Young didn't seem particularly believable, and Obi-Wan's decision to leave the Order, while understandable on some level, felt hasty and like poor judgment.
This book made up for most of its predecessor's faults the way I see it. It fleshes out some of the characters (especially Cerasi, Nield, and Wehutti), the dialogue is livelier (I especially enjoyed the baner between Qui-Gon and Tahl), and while the writing is still too blunt and on the nose for my taste, it's less of a checklist and more of a story. I feel that if the book had been allowed to be longer and more well-rounded, it would have been a brilliant novel, portraying the relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan in an interesting, unconventional light and the actions of the characters wouldn't have felt so abrupt.

[Hansel Haase · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book as a follow up to the cliffhanger ending of the Defenders of the Dead! Obi-Wan's decision to stay with his newfound friends as he fights in a revolution was crazy. Of course, we know (per the Phantom Menace) that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon end up together, but this was a twist I was expecting prior to the previous book, but while reading it, I knew that Obi-Wan could not have chosen otherwise.

However, Watson expertly sets up the eventual shift of the war from Melida vs. Daan to Young vs. Elders. I could foresee hints of it in the previous book, but I still felt like it was up to the new young victors whether they would keep the peace or not. Nield and Cerasi make and excellent protagonist trio with Obi-Wan for this plot arc. Qui-Gon's own character journey after leaving Obi-Wan was handled well, and although Watson seems to wrap up the Melida/Daan plot in this book, she also sets up the next book with another plot thread back at the Jedi Temple. I won't say too much else for now, but it feels like this is where the series is starting to get really good.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew that Obi-Wan was a little shit when he was younger but come on, him voluntarily kicking himself out of the Jedi Order for friends and maybe a love interest? Did someone swap him with Anakin or something? But then I remember that Anakin didn't have the stones to EVER leave the Order even when he was married, pissed off all the time, and jaded AF from the Clone Wars so kudos to Obi-Wan for doing one thing the Chosen One never did. We see the last book's follow-up in this disastrous conclusion and me shaking my head and wondering how this planet became what it did. You're all dumb and I hope you never infect other planets with your dumb. And Obi-Wan is too precious for you, so I'm glad he saw reason and went back to his journey as a Jedi padawan, although I think Qui-Gon should've been secretly thinking "Look at my rebellious padawan being all against the rules *tear* I'm so proud". Instead he kind of rolled into a ball and muttered "FUTURE!" like some kind of Squidward Tentacles moment.