“Empire’s End� brings Chuck Wendig’s “Aftermath� trilogy to a close with Wendig’s depiction of the Battle of Jakku. I had already enjoyed the “Lost St“Empire’s End� brings Chuck Wendig’s “Aftermath� trilogy to a close with Wendig’s depiction of the Battle of Jakku. I had already enjoyed the “Lost Stars’� and the “Alphabet Squadron� trilogy’s depictions of the battle so I was curious to see this POV of the battle playing out, even though that was tempered with how mediocre to average the Aftermath trilogy has been thus far. Wendig’s trilogy had shown a marked improvement between the first two books and I was banking that the final book at least stuck the ending well enough. It ended well enough I guess.
Truthfully a lot of what I had been saying with the previous two books remains the same here. The original characters that Wendig created are a mixed bag, the Interludes range in quality but in general break up the flow of the story, Wendig’s good enough at world building, and it takes a while for the book to finally get “good�. As before, Sinjir and Mister Bones are the best of Norra Wexley’s team (still annoys me Wendig didn’t give the team a name). Sinjir’s character is very nuanced and I liked seeing his journey throughout the books and as odd as his chosen occupation at the end was, I’d loved to see him again in this function. Mister Bones meanwhile remains the adorable bloodthirsty cutie and a good addition to the stable of great Star Wars droids (speaking of which, one of these other great droids has been re-Canonized via Mister Bones). His fate in this makes me despise A-Wings a bit to be honest.
While I don’t think the other members of the team will become my favorite anytime soon, there was some improvement with them. Jas� relation to a minor Clone Wars character finally pays off as we see her connection with returning fan favorite bounty hunter Embo. Norra meanwhile is a bit more interesting now that she has a personal stake in the mission to hunt down Rae Sloane. Yet at the same time, Brentin Wexley and Jom Barell are almost basically extras and I didn’t feel anything about them. Really the only character of this crew I didn’t like was Snap, who is still kind of just an annoying teen version of a Sequel Trilogy character I never felt anything for.
Unlike last book’s depiction of classic Star Wars hero which I enjoyed, I’m back to feeling mixed things about them. Wedge is finally in an X-Wing doing the things that made him a fan favorite but there’s barely any of him. Lando appears briefly and while it’s still inconsequential to the main plot it's fun. Han and Leia meanwhile are expectant parents so don’t do much but they do have some things to do. Ultimately I just found it weird that for a momentous event in Star Wars Canon, Wendig just refused to have any of these heroes present at the battle (maybe the new Marvel comic about the Battle will at least show Luke on Jakku).
Besides Sinjir and Mister Bones, the best character is once again Sloane. I ultimately liked how while she started off as the Pellaeon to Gallius Rax’s Thrawn, over the course of the trilogy she managed to be her own separate individual than Pellaeon, one far more ruthless and unwilling to give up on the Empire (and being one of the First Order� founders). Really the breakdown in her relationship with Rax was a fun “evil vs insane evil� dynamic. Sloane turning on Rax and helping the Rebels get him while simultaneously holding onto the Empire’s ideals reminded me of General Hux and Kylo Ren but, you know, much better written. Thus, walking away from the trilogy I wish an older Sloane had been in the Sequels instead of Hux, Phasma, and Pryde.
It takes a while to get to the Battle of Jakku because besides the lead-up in the main story there is Wendig’s patented Interludes, which as mentioned before can paradoxically be good on occasion while still ruining the book’s pacing (even if some do pay off in the main plot). The most surprising thing about the Interludes I’d say is how the first two were Wendig focusing on two maligned bits of Star Wars history, The Holiday Special (specifically Chewbacca’s son Lumpawaroo) and Jar Jar Binks. In a book that otherwise has graphic descriptions of Imperial atrocities and Mister Bones� kills, these sections that embrace cute but cringey aspects of the franchise and give new perspective on them are endearing. Besides this, Lando’s chapter was nice.
When the book finally gets to the Battle, it's perfectly adequate and can be exciting and even action packed. The book made the lead up to the Battle of Jakku creepy with Rax’s army descending into fanaticism yet being far different than First Order fanatic, either way it made the Empire’s tactics all the more unnerving. While other depictions gave only the sense this was merely a last stand, it was cool seeing Rax’s other plans play into the Imperial strategy in order to set up utter chaos. The battle itself was pretty exhilarating and I liked seeing some fun ship-to-ship combat which differed from the dogfights of Alphabet Squadron’s depictions. On that note, I will say I preferred both Alphabet’s and Lost Star’s perspectives on the battle, I found that those had more emotional resonance. I will say I did prefer Empire’s End’s depiction over the Battlefront games.
So at its conclusion, I will say the Aftermath trilogy finished on a much stronger note than the open chapter would have suggested. It had its moments and characters and the climatic set pieces of both “Life Death� and “Empire’s End� were entertaining enough. I just felt like Empire’s End still showed Wendig’s weaknesses from the first book. While some Star Wars books can seem like they have little to no impact on the franchise as a whole, they’re at least entertaining romps. Empire’s End and by extension the trilogy were fun and even good at parts but they still felt average at best compared to other Canon and Legends stories that addressed this period in the Star Wars timeline. Good enough to pass the time and I don’t think I’ll really regret listening to them but it would have been better if they had been just a bit better....more
Sanji’s backstory was already screwed up but then you had to retroactively make it that much worse? Besides being a perv, Oda's a goddWow Oda Sensei.
Sanji’s backstory was already screwed up but then you had to retroactively make it that much worse? Besides being a perv, Oda's a goddamn sadist showing how badly Sanji’s family (sans his mom and his sister on occasion). Definitely will be worth seeing the Vinsmokes get their asses kicked for it all. In the interim we have to contend with Sanji deliberately fighting the Straw Hats to save their lives. It definitely was heartbreaking seeing Sanji beat Luffy and Nami non-comedically slapping Sanji in turn. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a Straw Hat turn their back on the crew like when Nami, Usopp and Robin did it (I’m paranoid Zoro, Brook, and Chopper will do the same one day) but it still stings.
The rest of the volume, while filled with loads of characters from Big Mom’s crew being dumped on us and being hard to keep track of, I enjoyed. Pudding and Sanji’s scene together softened the blow of the volume’s earlier scenes. I also liked Nami’s fond recollection and continued defense of Lola against her mother. Finally there were some great fights besides the Luffy vs Sanji like Luffy (and Nami) vs the cracker man and Brook taking out the chessmen with music. ...more
This volume was serviceable enough. We’re finally getting to Whole Cake Island proper and its certainly a trippy place (one part Candy Land, one part This volume was serviceable enough. We’re finally getting to Whole Cake Island proper and its certainly a trippy place (one part Candy Land, one part Wonderland, and the last bit One Piece’s own Thriller Bark). I appreciated the Luffy and Nami team-up in the Seducing Woods, Jinbei finally returning, Lola from Thriller Bark returning/Nami getting some payoff for helping her, more on Sanji’s family, Sanji being able to hold his own against some of them (kind of hilarious the one brother whose ass he kicked has Zoro’s hair color) but not his father, etc. All that was fine.
It’s just at the same time it felt like the volume was padding and set-up for the volumes to come. Which is totally fine and as One Piece has shown time and again pays off. Just maybe I wasn’t in the mood for this one despite all it did have going for it....more
This was a pretty lore dense volume of One Piece but frankly I didn’t mind that too much compared to other previous volumes. It was nice seeing the MiThis was a pretty lore dense volume of One Piece but frankly I didn’t mind that too much compared to other previous volumes. It was nice seeing the Minks and Wano samurai lore/mythology tied together as well as the added tidbits about how Gol D Roger and the Poneglyphs. The latter two I appreciated being tied into the location of Raftel and presumably The One Piece, Oda Sensei is finally bringing all these plotlines together (hopefully without adding too much more). Beyond that we’re finally getting more info on Sanji’s family and the influence they hold. It's a bit too soon for me to make much of them but hopefully there’s some delicious backstory to them and Sanji (knowing Oda Sensei it’ll be tragic AF).
Beyond the lore dumps, I really did like the revelation that Zou/Zunesha can communicate with certain people and that when allowed to, can defend itself (an island size elephant trunk to the face is gonna leave a mark). Likewise I did really like the set-up for the Reverie and that we will be seeing more of Vivi soon!
I suppose if I had 2 complaints about the Volume its that A) the Straw Hats are again splitting up between the Cake Island group and the Wano group (is it really too much to ask that they all stick together) and we’re already being introduced to a lot of new lore/cast of characters at Whole Cake Island before the reader can fully process what was introduced at Zou. Nonetheless this was a very solid volume of One Piece with so much crammed into it which nonetheless was still entertaining ...more
I didn’t care for “Aftermath�, the 1st book in Star Wars� “Aftermath� trilogy. Chuck Wendig introduced some good ideas in it (only to be better used eI didn’t care for “Aftermath�, the 1st book in Star Wars� “Aftermath� trilogy. Chuck Wendig introduced some good ideas in it (only to be better used elsewhere like the character Cobb Vanth) but the narrative was a mess and I wasn’t a fan of the prose. Yet I’m back at it with the trilogy’s second part, “Life Debt� due to me being a completionist and because I’m told the trilogy does improve. The title and cover also implied that one of the better storylines teased in book 1, Han and Chewbacca going to Kashyyyk to free it from the Empire, was the focus. Listening to Life Debt’s audiobook I’d say yeah there was a fair amount of improvement but it's still not quite at the place where I think a story like this should be.
Life Debt mostly focuses on the continued action of the small group of Republic operatives (bit weird Wendig never gave the group a name) Wendig introduced last book as they hunt Imperial remnants and eventually join up with Han and Chewie. These characters continue to be a mixed bag. The best ones remain Sinjir (I really liked his humor and angst about what he brings to the group) and Mr Bones (who’s just hilarious). Jas shows some improvement but I’m still pretty lukewarm about her and her relationship with Jom didn’t do too much for me (their UST had no buildup to justify it). The Wexleys meanwhile aren’t as annoying as they were in the last book but their story continues to be a myriad of cliches.
Wendig’s handling of classic Star Wars Rebellion characters is even more of a mixed bag. I continue to be underwhelmed by his portrayal of Wedge, particularly as I read and enjoyed the initial X-Wing books featuring Wedge. Part of me wonders if Wendig is/was familiar with those books because parts of Life Debt resemble parts of “The Krytos Trap� (i.e., the main characters resigning from the New Republic to go on an unsanctioned mission, the missing husband of Wedge’s love interest returning as a Manchurian Candidate) yet Wendig’s version isn’t as good as the X-Wing novels. Wendig does a much better job with Han, Chewie and Leia. I really liked the depiction of Han’s relationship with Chewie in this and Han’s devotion to Chewie can be quite powerful, particularly Han’s motivation to stay and liberate Kashyyyk instead of going home to his pregnant wife (I actually got a little emotional during their temporary goodbye). Leia, while not nearly as good as her depiction in Claudia Gray’s books, is very relatable here, torn between her duty to a government experiencing birthing pains and to her family. I particularly thought Wendig did a good job portraying her frustrations over Han leaving her in the lurch while totally understanding why. In general I think the Organa-Solos and Chewie should have been the entire focus of the book (which also should have been a standalone instead of added into this trilogy) instead of sharing so much of the spotlight.
That said, probably the book’s best storyline was the Imperial perspective of Rae Sloane and Gallius Rax. While most of the loyal Imperials are weak and stereotypical evil (the Kashyyyk governor is basically a cartoon supervillain), these two feel more nuanced. Rax and Sloane are definitely meant to evoke my favorite Imperials Thrawn and Pellaeon (pretty much confirmed when Rax waxes lyrically about “opera� instead of “art�). Part of me wonders if Wendig wanted Rax to use Thrawn instead but Filoni nabbed him first (for the best considering how I saw Wendig mangled Wedge last book). That said, even if Rax feels like a poor man’s Thrawn he otherwise is different enough and stands on his own with a unique mystery to his backstory (even though Palpatine selecting a random orphan from Jakku for Rax’s job is very flimsy). Sloane meanwhile feels very ruthless and zealous but not in a cartoonish way. I don’t quite get why she felt betrayed by Rax’s actions in the end but that like I said adds something to the relationship.
So as I said characters in Life Debt are a mixed bag, with the story itself being one two. It takes some time for them to actually get to the “find Han then find Chewie and then liberate Kashyyyk� part of the story instead of that being one of the main parts of the book from the very beginning instead of almost 50% in. After that though the book does pick up significantly and becomes much more engaging. While the Kashyyyk campaign chapters were very thrilling and definitely worth it, the ones about the peace talks were too, even if the set-up for the later was a real drag. Besides these there are the Interlude chapters where Wendig cuts away to other parts of the Galaxy. Like with the last book, the Interludes wreck the pacing of the book, yet paradoxically some aren’t too interesting while others are fine/make for great stories. I continue to think these should have all been in a separate collection of short stories or standalone books that expand on them. As one of those Interludes in the last book did lead to this book’s Kashyyyk storyline so maybe what was done with the Interludes here will pay off later (Cobb Vanth already did in a show and one of the one of the main characters of “Shadow of the Sith� (a better Canon novel) had her first appearance here so it's possible others will pay off too).
Other parts of note: - The bit about the origins of BB droids were created for helping PTSD veterans (and the reveal that there’s “Therapy Ewoks� as well) was an interesting bit of lore building. That really is Wendig’s strongest aspect in the trilogy. - Not sure if it’s just me but the audiobook quality was lacking compared to other SW audiobooks I’ve recently listened to due to diegetic noises and soundtrack drowning out the narration at times.
After being very disappointed with “Aftermath�, Wendig did demonstrate a marked improvement with “Life Debt�. The Kashyyk scenes/characters and Rae Sloane storyline were fairly engaging and did demonstrate the potential this trilogy had/has. It just doesn’t quite reach the bar similar post Return of the Jedi stories had set for me. That said, unlike Aftermath, I’m a bit more interested in the next book after finishing Life Debt and am hoping that Wendig can deliver. ...more
After Volume 80, One Piece Volume 81 felt like a step back. Once again this was one of those volumes where Oda Sensei drops a ton of lore about Zou, tAfter Volume 80, One Piece Volume 81 felt like a step back. Once again this was one of those volumes where Oda Sensei drops a ton of lore about Zou, the Minks, and a bit about Sanji’s backstory. I can’t fault Oda Sensei for hinting at more about Sanji’s family and life pre-Zeff as Luffy’s flashbacks just before the TimeSkip show One Piece can deliver more information on the Straw Hats� backgrounds long after their initial introduction. I’m sure once again once we get the flashbacks to this period of Sanji’s life/his criminal family it’ll be another tearjerker.
As is, the flashback bits about Sanji’s interactions with Capone Bege prior to leaving the Straw Hats for his wedding were the best bits of the Zou flashbacks. The Mink stuff with Jack the Drought laying waste to the Mink’s civilization was interesting but it did feel like an overload of lore and plotlines to keep track of. Likewise I keep forgetting the Wano Samurai plotline has been a thing since Punk Hazard and I keep needing a refresher whenever Oda Sensei decides to bring it up again.
Just like Dressrosa I’m sure it will all pay off in a few volumes but it’s still a lot of catching up, world building and set-up for subsequent volumes. I got more out of the Decks of the World cover story than the main one of the volume honestly. ...more
After the climatic volume 79, we’re starting to transition away from Dressrosa and moving on to Zou to catch up with the missing Straw Hat members (wiAfter the climatic volume 79, we’re starting to transition away from Dressrosa and moving on to Zou to catch up with the missing Straw Hat members (with a tease that something bad happened to/with Sanji). The wrap up of Dressrosa storylines was more than sufficient. As I was saying in previous volumes, Issho is becoming one of my favorite Navy characters in One Piece and I really appreciate his relationship with Luffy and the respect they give each other. It was surprisingly moving seeing Issho so moved by the love and respect Luffy generates in others and cursing himself for blinding himself. As for the other parts of Dressrosa, I still don’t really care for most of the buildup that went into the various gladiators but it is a neat idea that this all led to the creation of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. And Luffy’s response to that was both predictable, hilarious and a bit moving. His logic for not needing to be a big boss to be King of the Pirates or an ally to all these crews, he just wants everyone to be free really does track. It should be interesting to see if/when this comes back soon.
As for Zou, I knew about Zou itself beforehand but I’ll say it officially, Oda Sensei’s choice to have a giant island with a world on its back gives me major Discworld vibes. The story on the jungle/civilization itself feels a bit disjointed thus far, especially because Oda Sensei is holding back on what happened to Nami, Chopper, etc. and especially Sanji. I suppose that’ll be covered in the next volume.
Other moments of the volume of note: - Rebecca and Kyros reaffirming their father daughter bond was very sweet as was Dressrosa’s citizens faking their anger to Luffy. - Traffy bonding with Sengoku over Corazon’s memory was a nice moment and helped redeem Sengoku a bit. - Oooh CP9 is back! - As with Barmoleo’s Straw Hat fanboying, his Straw Hat themed ship and fanboying crew are a riot.
This volume was ultimately a nice breather after the climax of Dressrosa and while it seems to be disjointed at the start of the new arc I’m sure it’ll come together in the subsequent volumes....more
For Doctor Who Day (November 23rd) I checked out Big Finish’s “Star Crossed�. Even if Big Finish’s stories where River Song meets any Doctor from a reFor Doctor Who Day (November 23rd) I checked out Big Finish’s “Star Crossed�. Even if Big Finish’s stories where River Song meets any Doctor from a regeneration before David Tennant’s 10th Doctor sort of breaks Doctor Who’s lore and continuity (if that ever existed), these interactions are always enjoyable. The idea of River meeting Tennant’s immediate predecessor, Christopher Eccleston's 9th Doctor, has a lot of appeal. First Eccleston always needs more Doctor Who stories featuring him, second both characters are sassy as hell and I wanted to see them play off of each other, and finally I wanted to see how River would treat the Doctor’s incarnation that’s still at a low point in the immediate aftermath of the Time War.
My thoughts on each of the stories are as follow:
Swipe Right: This one introduced the scariest things in all of Doctor Who’s universe� dating, dating apps and the fear of dying alone. Mostly a humorous scenario but in all honesty that is an interesting sci-fi look at both modern dating features and the existential dread every single person has at some point. This felt like the most “stand alone� and low stakes of the three stories. I didn’t really care for the supporting cast even if they had their moments (addressing asexuality, loving couples being capable of nasty arguments/fighting). Eccleston and Kingston though had a great rapport from the start and it was already intriguing seeing how much Nine didn’t want anything to do with a future wife and guarding himself from love and heartbreak due to his PTSD. As such River’s response felt unique and emotional. An interesting story overall to open things up.
Face of the Apocalypse: This one was the hardest to follow at first because it was all over the place in the first half. Eventually when the reveal of the antagonists identity/connection to the last story and the overall depiction of the legendary lovers� relationship was better established, the story picked up immensely. Also the overall theme of distant lovers struggling to connect was a good way to show Nine and River’s dynamic. It was fun seeing them become more casual with one another.
Archipelago: This story, to paraphrase The Dude “really tied it all together�. Eccelston and Kingston really got raw in The Doctor’s and River’s argument and it was a wonderful performance on both of their parts as the messiness of River’s relationship with The Doctor comes out and Nine’s refusal to be a part of it. This followed by the subsequent and unusual domestic bliss the duo shared managed to make their relationship feel all the more tragic once more after the show already did so. It was inevitable that a Big Ball of Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Stuff would correct things so that Nine (and River too) wouldn’t remember this encounter yet it still makes one connect to this bittersweet tale.
Star Cross’s stories ultimately were not what I expected but they did once again show off how nuanced and tragic The Doctor and River Song are as a couple. If anything this shows that Big Finish really can spin a good yarn about River meeting the pre-Tennant Doctors that builds on the relationship established on the show in new and emotional ways. ...more
Well after what seems like forever, Dressrosa reaches its climax! While it felt like the end of last volume should have marked Luffy’s takedown of DonWell after what seems like forever, Dressrosa reaches its climax! While it felt like the end of last volume should have marked Luffy’s takedown of Donquixote Doflamingo, as drawn out as the first part of the volume felt, it definitely had a measure of tension as well as Luffy needed time to recover, Mingo going on a rampage in the meantime, and the Bird Cage getting smaller and smaller and threatening genocide.
My only true complaints: - As perhaps a sign Oda Sensei was doing too much with Dressrosa, I pretty much had forgotten that one of Blackbeard’s inner circle, Jesus Burgess, was present until the previous volume. They at least had him do something this volume and had Sabo get some indirect revenge on the Blackbeard crew for Ace but still it just added to the feeling Dressrosa was a bit too jammed packed. - It really kind of hit me that the climax of Dressrosa with everyone trying to escape an encroaching environmental hazard was a repeat of Punk Hazard’s climax. It’s not horrible or anything, just odd that it happened right after Punk Hazard.
Beyond that this was a great final fight between Luffy and Mingo. I particularly liked how most of the Dressrosa residents/visitors and even members of the Navy teamed up to either help Luffy recover, slow the bird cage etc. I particularly liked how the Colosseum announcer, perhaps not as minor a character as I thought, rallied everyone to “Lucy’s� cause. All this added up to making Luffy’s final blow against Mingo all the more worth it and epic. It’s been some time since I said it, regardless of my feelings on the Straw Hats� redesigns, Oda Sensei’s artwork is stupendous here in the final fight and the volume/arc’s artwork in general felt great.
Besides the final fight there’s plenty of other moments to love. First we got Admiral Issho/Fujitora breaking with the World Government and apologizing for Mingo and the Warlord system (he’s made it to the top of my list of Navy characters). Then we got a glimpse of the grander societal/political effects of Mingo’s fall. And in heartbreaking/heartwarming fashion we finally got flashbacks explaining Sabo’s survival and reunion with Luffy. Lastly we got our reveal of Kaido, setting up a particularly intimidating main villain for the next arc/saga.
As bloated and drawn as it was at times, Dressrosa ultimately had a lot of what makes One Piece so popular and this volume was a nice way to draw it all together for an exhilarating conclusion....more
There had been no buildup to “Padawan’s Pride� before it dropped on Audible. But free content is free conA surprise to be sure, but a welcome one? Eh.
There had been no buildup to “Padawan’s Pride� before it dropped on Audible. But free content is free content and even though it's nothing special Padawan’s Pride is an entertaining enough way to spend a few hours during a car ride.
Listening to Padawan’s Pride definitely evoked my childhood memories of Jude Watson’s “Jedi Quest� series about 20-something year old Obi-Wan teaching a pre-teen/teenage Anakin Skywalker in the years. The story here could have easily taken place in Watson’s series and if memory serves me there was a Jedi Quest story where teen Anakin did compete in a Podrace against Sebulba’s son. Here though the Jedi deliberately send Anakin into the race to compete undercover while Obi-Wan does a related investigation into the disappearance of Republic agents and ships.
While maybe not as high quality as some other recent Star Wars audiobook/play experiences I have listened to (i.e., no snippets of John Williams� score), the audio quality and voice acting is solid. The story itself has a good chunk of your standard Star Wars fare with the Podracing sequences being entertaining and our heroes� encounter with a new type of monster. There� a fair amount of moving parts for character motivations and lore in what otherwise seems to be the audio equivalent of an elementary school chapter book. That’s not necessarily a bad thing although truthfully its not always the most engaging and I did zone out at times. There’s also storylines that I wish had been focused on more like Obi-Wan’s preliminary investigations into Darth Maul’s identity. In general, while I appreciate the story exploring a relatively untapped time period in Star Wars Canon and in Obi-Wan and Anakin’s story, I still feel like Padawan’s Pride didn’t quite live up to its potential or feel that memorable/essential to both characters� arcs. Still if you haven’t experienced other Star Wars EU materials or are just looking for some brief entertainment in A Galaxy Far Far Away, this does its job. Moreover since this is aimed at younger listeners, they probably would enjoy this more.
While I don’t think there’s enough to make “Padawan’s Pride� a key part of one’s Star Wars experience beyond the movies, it does enough to justify itself as harmless enough Anakin and Obi-Wan content. If you liked The Phantom Menace’s Podracing sequence, have a soft spot for guest star Ben Quadinaros and want a peek at young Anakin’s training under Obi-Wan, this is sufficient enough....more
I hadn’t originally planned on checking out Kiersten White’s “Padawan�, which covers a short bit of time in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s pre (2.0-3.0, Rounded Up)
I hadn’t originally planned on checking out Kiersten White’s “Padawan�, which covers a short bit of time in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s pre “Phantom Menace� life. But as I had listened to “Padawan’s Pride� a few weeks ago and I have another young Obi-Wan novel, “Master and Apprentice�, high on my To Read list at the moment, I did decide to check this one out. Plus, it's Obi-Wan, one of my favorite Star Wars characters, which surely would make the book worth checking out?
This is definitely a YA story and admittedly it is a good set up for one. Obi-Wan and his teacher/future father figure Qui-Gon are pretty much polar opposites which causes Obi-Wan no amount of anxiety and frustration over what their relationship entails and what this means for Obi-Wan’s place and future in the Jedi Order. It’s a relatable dilemma that most teen readers can relate to their own troubles with parental/authority figures and being anxious about the future. All this causes an insecure Obi-wan to “lash out� by going on a mission by himself to a mysterious planet. The problem with that IMO is that it cuts off an opportunity for some Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon interactions on the mission. While there is a nice teaching moment at the end from Qui-Gon about it all, it still feels like a missed opportunity to have more Qui-Gon (I guess Master & Apprentice will pick up the slack) instead of Obi-Wan hanging out with a group of teens on the mysterious world.
The group of teens definitely checks off most “kids/teens living on their own in the woods� tropes from stories like “Peter Pan� and “Maze Runner� with traces of “Children of the Corn�. Arguably there’s a bit of James Cameron’s “Avatar� mixed in with the fantastical nature of the world and the book’s environmental message. I did appreciate the message particularly how it emphasizes that one can learn to be better than the environmentally-harmful actions previous generations taught younger ones. Beyond the environmental message Obi-Wan teaches the marooned kids, these other characters weren’t doing it for me and were pretty forgettable no matter what alien features they have. The book as a whole was pretty dull in the first 2/3s because of Obi-Wan’s interactions with these teens but it does pick up in the final act for the most part.
Like Padawan’s Pride, Padwan definitely brings to mind Jude Watson’s 2000s Star Wars young reader books, specifically “Jedi Apprentice� which was about young Obi-Wan’s training. I wasn’t too into Jedi Apprentice but liked it enough and frankly I preferred the ones I vaguely remember to this even at its best parts. Speaking of Jedi Apprentice, fan favorite Siri Tachi from that series appears here which will appeal to fans but she doesn’t have too much of a role here which is a damn shame for fans of her (like myself). There is a brief tease of Obi-Wan loving Siri which I’m sure shippers (and me, prefer Siri to Satine) will prefer. There’s also a scene though that humorously hints Obi-Wan is Bi which I’m sure will have regressive alarmists screaming “wOKe� and burning their copies lest they get cooties. Also a highlight was this being Obi-Wan’s first meeting with cult favorite Dexter Jettster which was fun enough for fans of the character.
In general the environmental message and a meeting with a fan favorite isn’t enough to make “Padawan� essential reading for Obi-Wan Kenobi fans or for the character himself. As is I think I'm the wrong audience and even then there's nothing too memorable about the story. Nonetheless there are parts that I liked and I do think White nails young Obi-Wan’s personality and feelings of insecurity about his future. There’s more that could have been done with the book but Padawan is harmless enough. ...more
After being on the fence/let down by the last volume, Volume 78 was a marked improvement! The last of the Don Quixote Family officers are down in fairAfter being on the fence/let down by the last volume, Volume 78 was a marked improvement! The last of the Don Quixote Family officers are down in fairly satisfying ways. Again I get how they’re trying to be sweet by not letting Rebecca fight and become corrupted but she was a trained gladiator who had a talent of getting her opponents to be disqualified and surely they could have used that here. Robin’s a bit better but a more active role would have been nice.
The real draw is Traffy and Luffy taking on Mingo and after seeing Mingo be pretty much invincible for so long it's nice to see him start to take hits. As OP as I thought Law was in Punk Hazard, his backstory and struggles throughout the arc have endeared me to him. I appreciated that he managed to get a few good moves in despite being as maimed as he was by Mingo . The real star of the volume is our protagonist. Luffy’s Gear 4 form is goofy but I appreciate how he’s not heroic looking but he’s still intimidating. It makes him all the funniest of a shonen protagonists. And regardless of his looks he gets the job done and is hurting Mingo. Plus there’s that iconic shot of him stopping Mingo’s foot (seen it a lot but always lacked context).
Not as good as two volumes ago but a step up and feels appropriately climatic. ...more
After the last volume this felt like a bit of a let down. Sort of feels like Oda Sensei dug himself into a hole by having too many fights with the DonAfter the last volume this felt like a bit of a let down. Sort of feels like Oda Sensei dug himself into a hole by having too many fights with the Don Quixote Pirates to wrap up. And while its interesting that he’s having the various Colosseum fighters repaying their debt to Luffy and thus being the ones to take down the remaining Don Quixote officers, I still don’t care for most of them, while half of the Straw Hats were put on a metaphorical bus to make room for these newcomers. Still, there were some thrilling parts of the fights. I particularly liked Franky (an actual Straw Hat) taking down Senor Pink and Pink actually having a neat backstory for why he’s dressed like a baby. Love the mutual respect between these manly men. I also liked how even Mingo admitted Trafalgar Law had a point about getting Mingo to admit what he did to Dressrosa was a horrific tragedy before maiming Law in a rather unique fashion
Beyond the fights that did work, as expected the rest of Trafalgar Law’s backstory was heartbreakingly tragic as we see his relationship with Doflamingo’s little brother Cora play out. I know the obvious “Don Quixote� reference but as a fan of The Expanse, I love how Cora’s name is Rocinante. Also noteworthy is his motivations for resisting his brother and his growing relationship with Law before its ending. So yeah this did carry the volume a bit before the rest came to drawing out the various fights (even the ones I liked). Other thoughts of note: - I really liked the “Naruto� shoutout in Chapter 766! I remember reading both in middle school (those were the days�) - I guess Oda Sensei was going for a sweet moment by having Kyros refusing to let Rebecca fight alongside him to avenge her mother but it really comes off as patronizing/patriarchal and a waste of Rebecca’s talents (at least Robin is stepping in I suppose). - I get where Oda Sensei is going with Bellamy but I still don’t quite agree with it. Maybe that’ll change in the next volume.
I’m really going back and forth with this volume’s rating because the parts that worked did work but the rest made it clear how convoluted and drawn out Dressrosa has become. Not horrible but things are getting dragged out and its time to wrap things up....more
This volume is a real damn rollercoaster and perhaps a good representation of One Piece as a whole. You get the occasional goofy moments (Franky vs SeThis volume is a real damn rollercoaster and perhaps a good representation of One Piece as a whole. You get the occasional goofy moments (Franky vs Senor Pink and all the ladies in the area getting weak in the knees at the combatants� manliness). You get the cheer worthy moments (the Tontatta dwarves freeing their comrades). The epic moments (GOD USOPP making an impossible shot to take down Sugar again, Luffy finally landing a blow on Doflamingo, etc). The heartwarming moments (Rebecca reuniting with her father after remembering his true identity). And of course ALL THE TRAGIC BACKSTORIES (Oda Sensei out there like Oprah saying "YOU GET A TRAGIC BACKSTORY AND YOU GET A TRAGIC BACKSTORY).
While I won’t say I completely feel bad for Mingo as he is a cruel bastard and an ex Celestial Dragon (most of whom may have had it coming) but it was still a bit overkill to go after his family or at least him and his brother as badly as they did (to be fair the Celestial Dragons set them up for that). Trafalgar Law’s story is much more tragic and messed up IMO because he didn’t do anything to deserve it (not his fault the government knew about environmental hazards and kept going). The end of the volume suggests he and Mingo’s brother are going to discuss something to make his backstory even worse.
There’s just so much happening this volume to really address it all but this is by far one of the best volumes of the Dressrosa arc thus far, setting a high bar for the rest but I get the feeling Oda Sensei will still deliver more on ALL THE TRAGIC BACKSTORIES and the showdown with the Don Quixote pirates....more
Dressrosa is rapidly approaching its climax and it really looks like it means to deliver in the next few volumes after this! Loved the opening [image]
Dressrosa is rapidly approaching its climax and it really looks like it means to deliver in the next few volumes after this! Loved the opening few chapters of this volume where the toys turned back into people and everyone’s memories of them came back (Rebecca remembered her daddy). Even better was GOD USOPP!!! It’s mostly played for laughs because of how unintentional his takedown of Sugar was and everyone misunderstanding his moans of pain for divine wisdom. But there’s a measure of heartwarming involved with this hilarity seeing the Tontatta’s faith in GOD USOPP be rewarded and the hardened Colosseum fighters being grateful for freeing them. It helped before things heated up with Doflamingo’s enemies rallying against him making Mingo create a new nightmarish scenario for the people of Dressrosa. A big wrinkle but expected considering how there’s still a few volumes left in the arc and Mingo not being a pushover. But things aren’t done yet and even with the island against them, Luffy and friends are well on their way to freeing the island.
Other moments of note: - Confirming what the reader suspected, SABO IS BACK! - I appreciate Oda Sensei for including the dialogue boxes to remind the reader who the various Colosseum fighters were. Still don’t care about most of them even if they’re now helping GOD USOPP and Luffy but it was a nice reminder. - Pika having a high pitched voice is probably one of those moments that would work better in the anime. - They’re evil but its oddly sweet hearing Mingo calling his crew his family. The Straw Hats are basically a found family so why can’t reprehensible monsters like the Don Quixote pirates be the same? ...more
Captain Phasma is infamous among Star Wars fans as she was an artificial attempt to replicate the success of fan favorite Boba Fett. But aside from giCaptain Phasma is infamous among Star Wars fans as she was an artificial attempt to replicate the success of fan favorite Boba Fett. But aside from giving her a cool costume and underwhelming defeat(s) that Boba also had in the films (before other stories saved his story and character), Phasma was a bit of a dud. Yet like Boba, Phasma was somewhat salvaged in one of her comic miniseries and surprisingly enough her extended death sequence in “The Last Jedi� both of which gave a better glimpse at her hypocritical and self serving personality, making her more distinct from Boba. Reading/loving Claudia Gray’s “Bloodline� made me more willing to check out other Star Wars books set during the Sequel Trilogy, hence my reading of “Phasma�. The results of Delilah S. Dawson’s work is a book that continues to show the character’s potential and how badly the movies� writers depicted her.
The book’s framing device is Cardinal, another stormtrooper Captain/Phasma rival, interrogating Resistance spy Vi Moradi about Phasma’s background, in the hopes of finding something to use against Phasma. This set-up is sufficient enough and I appreciate how it keeps Phasma herself at the periphery which does give her and her origins a ghost story like quality. The characters in the interrogation itself were just fine I suppose. Vi kind of felt like just another stereotypical/stock Resistance hero I notice populate many other Star Wars YA books/Sequel Trilogy projects. She’s young, “hip� (does knitting), snarky and rebellious, but nothing too distinctive that made her stand out from all the other Resistance characters nor make me connect to her like with pre-established Star Wars characters or other new characters introduced in the books. Cardinal meanwhile I remain largely ambivalent about although I do find him to be more nuanced than other First Order characters introduced over the years. His existential crisis as he learns about Phasma’s origins/true personality and his superiors� acceptance of that at his expense was interesting enough I suppose even if it took time away from content in the book I rather see.
The character that is the most engaging with the audience is the titular character. Like the aforementioned examples (comic and deleted scene), the book does a good job highlighting her ruthlessness. In some ways it seemed like it would be a “tragic villain origin� story of how growing up on a death world influenced her but I liked how the novel sidestepped that by emphasizing that she was always a cutthroat b*tch that would betray everyone including family to ensure her own survival. It adds credence to her personality seen in her comic and extended death scene that she has no loyalty to anyone but herself and will sacrifice anyone if there’s any little chance they are a threat. That said, all the scenes of her being a crafty and skilled warrior made her underwhelming surrender in “The Force Awakens� more aggravating.
The flashbacks set on Phasma’s homeworld, which felt like “Mad Max� mixed with “Fallout�, are pretty great. I can’t recall many other post-apocalyptic worlds/stories set in the Star Wars universe so it was neat seeing this story play out. It also was very dark, containing one of the most graphic scenes in any Star Wars story. While it ultimately did just become a montage of different post apocalyptic story scenarios, they were cool enough to hold my interest. They were fun because of how they showcased Phasma’s skills and personality and how each step away from home and atrocity she committed made her more appealing to the Hux family and the First Order. These were the highlight of the book but pretty much end ⅘’s mark of the book before the present day scenes of Cardinal post-interrogation take center stage. Those were interesting seeing Cardinal’s world view shatter but far less entertaining especially as anyone that has seen the Sequels will know his efforts to get rid of Phasma will be for naught. I personally wish Dawson had condensed this section by a lot more.
Ultimately I found “Phasma� to be a pleasant surprise. It is not the best Canon Star Wars book but it held my interest and entertained me. As both a positive and a negative it really underscored how much the Sequel Trilogy wasted her as a character and threat. I wouldn’t say it made me a fan of the character overall but between the writing for her here and the writing for Leia in “Bloodline� its clear book authors might end up redeeming the Sequel Trilogy era characters and even story. ...more
Leave it to Oda Sensei and his tragic backstories. Last volume was already heavy with that because of the reveal of how Mingo overthrew the Riku familLeave it to Oda Sensei and his tragic backstories. Last volume was already heavy with that because of the reveal of how Mingo overthrew the Riku family and took over Dressrosa. Now we get an extended look at the background of the One Legged Soldier, now revealed to be the legendary gladiator Kyros and also Rebecca’s father. Previous volumes had hinted at this (i.e., the conversation where a toy hung out with his wife and kid but they didn’t remember his original identity) but it was still effectively shown with Kyros� extended flashback, as well as the earlier ones of him as the Soldier taking care of Rebecca and the one time she screamed at him that he wasn’t her father. A real tearjerker for sure (though I expect there will be happy tears soon to make up for it).
The other big moment of the volume is Usopp coming clean to the Tontatta dwarves. In some ways it felt like this was backtracking on Usopp’s previous character development of getting braver (this is 1 reason this review isn’t 5 stars). But it did feel emotional when he acknowledged he lied to them but he’s willing to stand up now and fight for them. It was a shame that most of the fight afterwards happened off screen but it did lead to a hilarious and unexpected culmination of the plan to take down Sugar and free every toy.
Other bits in the volume of note: - Whelp, Cavendish just became a lot creepier with the revelation of his alternate personality. - Some general good fights that appeared in this volume, like the start of the fight with Pica and the final round in the colosseum. Oda Sensei is still dragging out “Lucy’s� identity reveal even though we all know who he is but it's fun to see them hold their own. - Issho is shaping up to be one of my favorite Navy characters alongside Koby, Smoker and Garp. Loved his brief confrontation with Mingo despite their alliance. - If I have a sincere complaint about the volume beyond Usopp’s cowardice, it's that Robin gets turned into a toy in about 2 panels and Franky was defeated (for now?) off page. Sure it paved the way for Usopp’s big moment but it was still annoying (and the second reason this isn’t a 5 star rating). ...more
The plot threads of the Dressrosa arc are coming together, so that means it's simpler and easier to follow right? Eh, not so much and in some ways it'The plot threads of the Dressrosa arc are coming together, so that means it's simpler and easier to follow right? Eh, not so much and in some ways it's getting even more convoluted (i.e., Oda Sensei threw in the return of the Big Mom pirates, and the (admittedly enjoyable) return of two flashback characters from the Revolutionary Army) but it's still enjoyable. Probably the standout of this volume was the extended flashback showing how Donquixote Doflamingo ousted the Riku family as rulers of Dressrosa. Pretty heinous stuff on par with or beyond what some of the previous villains had done (at least as bad as what the Navy did in Robin’s backstory). The inevitable Luffy vs Mingo showdown will be epic and satisfying to see. The other highlight of the volume was the closing chapter with the revelation that Koala (from the Fish Man Island arc flashbacks) is working for the Revolutionary Army as was Luffy learning that Sabo is alive (his subsequent reaction was both funny and sweet). Looking forward to the next volume and having that interaction explained.
There were a couple of other enjoyable moments from the other characters.
- It’s a bit annoying that the Straw Hats are splitting up with Brook, Nami, and Chopper going to the next island but I really did like Nami’s logic for doing so in order to keep an edge over their enemies. - Sanji being able to go toe-to-toe for a bit with Mingo was great to see, it’s a bit boring that the main villains take down the other Straw Hats with less difficulty than when they fight Luffy. So nice change of pace. - While we’re waiting for Luffy vs Mingo, for the moment the fight between Mingo and Traffy was thrilling to see as was Zoro dueling Issho. Issho in general seems like a neat admiral or at least not as bad as the others so I’m curious as to where Oda Sensei is taking his story next (as well as his feelings towards the Straw Hats). - Usopp getting over his fear when he finds out his enemy is a little girl was hilarious (and probably will be funnier when that attitude blows up in his face) ...more
As always with post-time skip volumes, Oda Sensei crams a lot of character and lore into each volume and its honestly very hard to keep track of it alAs always with post-time skip volumes, Oda Sensei crams a lot of character and lore into each volume and its honestly very hard to keep track of it all. Personally I would have picked one storyline (Luffy in the colosseum, Law vs the Navy and Doflamingo, the Straw Hats various fights, etc.). At the very least though it seems like the Colosseum battle royale, the dwarf rebellion and the living toys are all starting to converge so hopefully that will fix things.
Regardless, this was still a fun One Piece volume. The action set pieces with Luffy was a lot of fun after him sitting out the previous round. In terms of the other Straw Hats it's a shame most didn’t have too much to do this volume minus Usopp but I liked his plot of his boasts once again getting him into “trouble�. As for lore/mythology content Dressrosa is definitely adding a lot of tragedy (Oda’s really good at giving most characters them) between the revelation the toys were once people and Rebecca’s hated for her grandfather/family lineage (I suspect more will be revealed soon to show it was misplaced). Lastly I did like the revelation that Bartolomeo is a massive Luffy fanboy and I can relate to his feelings of nervousness with meeting a Straw Hat (got really nervous meeting Emily Rudd from the live action but that panned out beautifully, hope the same happens for Bartolomeo)...more
I started 2024 with a James S.A. Corey story and now I’m going to end the year with one as well. “Live Suit� is set in The Captive’s War universe afteI started 2024 with a James S.A. Corey story and now I’m going to end the year with one as well. “Live Suit� is set in The Captive’s War universe after the events of “The Mercy of Gods� which I had just recently read which helped me to connect with this novella’s content. The novella comes as a bit of a shock because of how different and seemingly unrelated it is to the book but then there’s a reveal that puts both it and several parts of the novel into proper context.
If The Mercy of Gods was an allegorical life and death fight between academics than Live Suit’s conflict is more like “Starship Troopers� and what you’d expect from a space opera about interstellar war between humanity and alien civilizations. Corey had previously done their take on the Space Marine story/characters in “The Expanse� already via Bobbie Draper. While that was more about normal humans in powered armor, Live Suit is more focused on Corey’s take on super soldiers with armor that’s like a symbiotic second skin. Besides showing standard humans vs aliens that alot of military sci fi stories have, Corey uses the book to explore the question of “what is human� as more and more bodily and mental functions are taken over by the suit to keep the operator functioning. The later parts are particularly more interesting than the former. That said, the battle scenes reveal something about the war that gives this series its name and as I said flips a lot of plot points from The Mercy of Gods on their heads. Its a pretty good twist yet I’m a bit annoyed that Corey put such a big reveal not in a main entry of this series but in a spinoff (going down the Star War route are we?). I suppose if I have an issue with Corey’s approach to these short stories it is how they keep doing this like they had with The Expanse. Still, I’ve no doubt that Corey will address this in a future entry in the series and will actually take the time to explain the connections and fill in any plot holes.
Ultimately The Captive’s War creeps ever closer to really taking off thanks to a big reveal in “Live Suit�. Still not at the same level of quality as The Expanse, but Live Suit was a fun and surprisingly expansive addition to the series. ...more
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