'Star Wars: Padawan' Is A Classic Coming Of Age Tale In Space
Image Source: Wallpapers Den
The current TikTok trend is showing a handful of pictures from your teenage years set to the song “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus. Now I’m sure instead of photos, Obi-Wan would either have paintings or no pictures at all. Or just pictures of him meditating, because that’s all his Jedi master, Qui-Gon Jinn, has him do instead of doing literally anything else that involves training.
Kiersten White’s latest release, Padawan, shows a Jedi-in-training teenage Obi-Wan Kenobi that we’ve never seen before. While we’re used to seeing the (mostly) calm and collected Kenobi, White gives us an uncertain Kenobi. One who is figuring out his place in the galaxy, and why he isn’t as connected to the Force as he feels he should. Obi-Wan feels stuck in his Padawan training because while other Padawans are going off with their masters on missions or honing their specific skill sets, Qui-Gon Jinn constantly has Obi-Wan meditating.
Image Source: Disney
When he goes off for a moment of peace, Obi-Wan discovers and follows a galaxy engraved in stone and comes across two names. He uses those names to convince Qui-Gon to investigate. Finally being able to leave the Jedi Temple to go on a mission, Obi-Wan is incredibly confused and frustrated when his master does not show. Being a typical impulsive teenager, Obi-Wan decides to go on the mission solo.
Once he gets to the relatively unknown planet Lenahra, he stumbles across a group of force-sensitive teens and younglings that comes across as The Lost Boys from Peter Pan (Rufio!). White does an amazing job at describing the lush greenery and deadly flora that encase the planet. It’s hard not to care for the near-feral children since they’ve managed to survive on their own.
Image Source: Nerdist
While this is at its core, a typical teenage coming-of-age story, Obi-Wan’s journey to figure out his own relationship and understanding of the Force is monumental and gives the reader themselves a better understanding of not only Obi-Wan’s relationship with Qui-Gon but also his relationship with Anakin in the later years.
White does a great job weaving Obi-Wan’s story into the fabric of the Star Wars universe. One special treat that fans will appreciate is the references to The High Republic. Another treat is the mention of how Obi-Wan tugs at his Padawan brain whenever he is in deep thought. Is it a precursor to the beard stroke?
Padawan is a light and easy read that readers will enjoy, even without being fans of Star Wars.
Rating: 7.5/10
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