This diminishes the agency of everyone involved when it seems like their decisions ultimately do not mean anything in the grand scheme of things.

Many new stories are now used to justify the existence of the broader galactic events like the creation of the Empire, the rise of the Rebellion, and their eventual success in bringing down the tyranny, etc. He falls into a common trap of trying to create an original story while tying into the overall Star Wars narrative. What Chen does not do well is resolve all those plotlines. His creative inclusion of these issues is impressive and helps add to the ever-growing collective narrative addressing these problems. There is no doubt that Chen drew heavily from the current political climate in portraying the strange relationship between Cato Neimoidia, the Trade Federation, and the Galactic Republic to highlight the destructive nature of ethnocentrism and racism, as well as the dangers of nationalism and extremism if they are allowed to fester. Chen masterfully captures both Anakin and Obi-Wan’s personalities and uses them to explore the main themes of brotherhood, ethnocentrism, and extremism.

For example, there are several instances of Anakin swearing to never take a Padawan for himself, or the plentiful reminders of Anakin’s brash approach to problem-solving compared to Obi-Wan’s reserved systematic way. There are many Easter eggs and foreshadowing to many popular story arcs in the animated series.

Fans of The Clone Wars animated series will instantly feel at home as this book comes off as a love letter to the series. This is not Mike Chen’s first foray into Star Wars, having written a short story for From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back in 2020, but it is his first Star Wars novel. Despite their very different personalities, both Obi-Wan and Anakin were able to draw on lessons they had learned from each other during their decade together in order to get through the obstacles they face on their separate missions. The book examines the impact the two’s relationship has on each other, the trust inherent in that kind of relationship, as well as their shared Jedi parentage. The essence of brotherhood is more philosophical. However, for much of the adventure, the two Jedi featured on the cover are apart. It is a major theme that runs throughout the text. By now you are probably wondering why the book is called Brotherhood.

Star wars the brotherhood