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Ahsoka was a quick and easy read, perfect for my vacation. For fans of The Clone Wars or Star Wars Rebels, this book gives a bit of insight into what Ahsoka was doing between Order 66 and the beginning of the rebellion. I can’t say that any of the supporting characters were terribly memorable or compelling, but the brief shots with familiar characters were wonderful. I also think the writer, E.K. Johnston, did a great job providing insight into Ahsoka’s mind, which must have been quite the undertaking since Ahsoka is such a fan favorite!
My Recommendation: I thoroughly enjoyed this one—totally worth the read if you know the character. After spending 22+ hours watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars it was great to get at least a little bit of closure on a character I watched grow up. The book sets up a lot based on my reading it and moving forward with Star Wars: Rebels, but that being said I feel like there ultimately will just be more questions than answers in the end.
My Response: This book reads a lot like a multi-episode arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (IMDB link) TV show, which is great because that's the reason I read the book. When I started the TV series I was not a fan of Ahsoka, but she grew on me as a character and I desperately wanted to know what happened to her after the incredibly wonderful series finale of Clone Wars. I knew I needed to read this before I watched (or got too far into) Star Wars: Rebels and I did.
Continue reading on my book blog at geoffwhaley.com.
My Response: This book reads a lot like a multi-episode arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (IMDB link) TV show, which is great because that's the reason I read the book. When I started the TV series I was not a fan of Ahsoka, but she grew on me as a character and I desperately wanted to know what happened to her after the incredibly wonderful series finale of Clone Wars. I knew I needed to read this before I watched (or got too far into) Star Wars: Rebels and I did.
Continue reading on my book blog at geoffwhaley.com.
A really good, quick and easy read that hits a little bit differently after watching The Clone Wars' finale, it bridges the gap between the series and Rebels perfectly showing what Ahsoka did after Order 66 and how she coped with the loss of Jedi whilst also providing interludes that looked at the past and focused briefly on Obi-Wan. There's a few fun cameos from wider characters in the Star Wars universe; Bail Organa's role is a welcome role to play but the new faces fit in nicely as well and it's a strong continuation that brings everything together nicely.
It's no Lost Stars, but then again, what is? Claudia Gray's novel is still the gold-standard of Star Wars tie-ins for me. Here; Ahsoka follows a relatively simple and linear plotline that echoes that of Jedi: Fallen Order and feels like a prototype for that game's plot. It's almost like they just moved the plot of Ahsoka into Fallen Order. We get to seen an older, wiser Ahsoka who's more in line with her persona at the end of The Clone Wars and going into Rebels, and reading it after the series makes perfect sense and I love the nods to Rex and the familiar faces.
The book doesn't hit the ground running and its early start is a bit rough around the edges but I was fully invested by the end. It feels a bit light but then given it's a young adult novel based off a series that was aimed towards a younger audience that's to be expected. The telling rather than showing did hampen this book a little; there was a fair amount of exposition here. You could tell that E.K. Johnston couldn't resist playing with Star Wars lore; there's plenty of references to wider things and she gets a large sandbox to play in. But it feels appropriate, like a labour of love.
I'd love to see more Ahsoka-centric content now. She's one of the all-time great Star Wars characters and this is a worthy novel for her.
It's no Lost Stars, but then again, what is? Claudia Gray's novel is still the gold-standard of Star Wars tie-ins for me. Here; Ahsoka follows a relatively simple and linear plotline that echoes that of Jedi: Fallen Order and feels like a prototype for that game's plot. It's almost like they just moved the plot of Ahsoka into Fallen Order. We get to seen an older, wiser Ahsoka who's more in line with her persona at the end of The Clone Wars and going into Rebels, and reading it after the series makes perfect sense and I love the nods to Rex and the familiar faces.
The book doesn't hit the ground running and its early start is a bit rough around the edges but I was fully invested by the end. It feels a bit light but then given it's a young adult novel based off a series that was aimed towards a younger audience that's to be expected. The telling rather than showing did hampen this book a little; there was a fair amount of exposition here. You could tell that E.K. Johnston couldn't resist playing with Star Wars lore; there's plenty of references to wider things and she gets a large sandbox to play in. But it feels appropriate, like a labour of love.
I'd love to see more Ahsoka-centric content now. She's one of the all-time great Star Wars characters and this is a worthy novel for her.
This was a well written book for any Star Wars fan out there. E.K. Johnston really understood the character and understood this journey that Ahsoka had to go on after Order 66 to realize the role she had to play in the coming war. This was a quick read for me and I looked forward to more of E.K. Johnston works (already interested in the Dungeons and Dragons movie prequel).
Ashoka is one of my favourite characters and I had been wanting to read this book for a long time! Hopefully the time has come and I really enjoyed it! I really wanted to see how Ashoka became fulcrum and what happened to her after order 66 and this was a beautiful way to fill in that blank! I hope, thought I don’t think it’ll happen, we’ll see the little force sensitive Fardi child again and what she’ll become! And I loved the cameos from senator Organa, always lovely.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
This review is spoiler-free as far as the contents of the book, but I will be alluding to events in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and The Clone Wars.
AHSOKA follows Ahsoka Tano as she navigates the galaxy and avoids the Empire during the tumultuous years after Order 66. She spent a year in relative peace on one planet disguised as a mechanic named Ashla, but the Empire is tightening their grip on the sector and she is forced to leave it behind. She ends up on an Outer Rim moon named Raada and ingratiates herself with the local farmer population. But Raada soon comes to the attention of the ever-expanding Empire. Rather than leave her new friends to their fate, this time Ahsoka decides to stay and help them fight, even though she risks revealing herself as a Clone War veteran and former Jedi Padawan. The story is told mostly from Ahsoka's point of view, with a few other perspectives sprinkled through.
The book is fast-paced, easy to read, and kept me turning the pages. There is one new character (Hedala Fardi) who I am very intrigued by, and I would enjoy seeing her turn up in other tie-ins.
We have a few scenes from Bail Organa's point of view, and these were excellent. I would very much like a companion novel detailing Bail's movements during this same period of the timeline. And seeing him think about and interact with baby Leia was a real treat. We also have some short flashback POVs from Anakin and Obi-Wan that I really enjoyed.
It's a shame that my favourite parts of a novel about Ahsoka are those that had very little to do with Ahsoka herself. In fact part of the reason why I enjoyed these little scenes so much is that they broke up Ahsoka's lacklustre story and gave me a bit of a breather.
I think the author recognised on some level that her Ahsoka didn't shine brightly on her own, because Ahsoka's scenes are a constant stream of reminders of all of the more memorable characters that she has interacted with. Even for a die-hard prequel fan like me these became incredibly tedious. There is one point where Ahsoka mournfully informs us that the 'little voice in her head' sometimes sounds like Padme. She then proceeds to not think about Padme again, or do anything particularly Padme-inspired, and we never actually hear what this 'little voice' is saying. I don't think it's uncharitable of me to say that the line was a shameless Padme name-drop designed to tug on our heartstrings. And it so easily could have been more! Even a single throwaway line of 'Padme would have suggested/thought/said THIS...' would have grounded the reference and made it worthwhile.
There are countless other references to Anakin, Obi-Wan, and the other Jedi and clone troopers, but these have a bit more context because of the story so they weren't as jarring.
The writing is much more Middle Grade than YA, and that's not a bad thing at all (I can definitely enjoy a good MG when I'm in the right mood), but it's not what I was expecting going in. After fifty or so pages I actually paused to fact-check myself, and it is indeed marketed as YA. So I have no choice but to judge the writing and plot development as I would any other YA. And if I do that then this book barely rates 3 stars.
The low writing level makes itself painfully apparent in the shoehorning of one particular subplot. Ahsoka begins a little collection (keeping it vague, so as not to spoil), and refers back to it every few chapters. This is ostensibly an attempt to 'weave' the theme of the collection through the larger story, but... it doesn't work. Nothing is woven, because weaving is art; and this subplot is artless, and amounts to jarring reminders of "This thing exists! Don't forget this thing! But I won't give you any further information or clues about it!" at regularly-spaced intervals. And ultimately the resolution is skipped over so quickly that I get the feeling the entire concept was crammed in at the last minute purely to give the novel some canon relevance. Again, like with the 'little voice' above, this could have been easily improved with just a few extra lines and/or the reworking of some lines throughout the book so they weren't all exactly the same.
I have more criticisms that I won't go into any significant detail over. There is a dull unrequited romance that is stuffed in for no reason whatsoever. There are two almost-plots involving Ahsoka which would have been more far interesting as main plots than everything that happens on Raada, but these are both glossed over. The timeline doesn't make all that much sense (the clone troopers are being 'aged out' of the Imperial Army after just ONE YEAR and have been almost fully replaced by new recruits?). The action scenes were difficult to follow because it seems the author was shying away from showing actual violence (another reason why this seems more MG), so the battle scenes involve a lot of Ahsoka going to look at what's going on and then coming back to tell her companions what she saw. Actually, that's the overarching theme of this book: Telling instead of showing.
I so badly wanted to like this book, and even when I didn't I so badly wanted to write a good review, because Ahsoka is a great character and she deserved a great standalone tie-in. But this just wasn't it for me. I did tear up at one point, but that was about Artoo, not about Ahsoka. So this book gets one star for Artoo, one for Bail and Leia, one for Anakin and Obi-Wan, and half a small star for Ahsoka herself. I still love you, Snips.
I would still recommend the story to all Star Wars/Ahsoka fans, because it was such a quick and easy read that you won't lose anything by indulging.
This review is spoiler-free as far as the contents of the book, but I will be alluding to events in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and The Clone Wars.
AHSOKA follows Ahsoka Tano as she navigates the galaxy and avoids the Empire during the tumultuous years after Order 66. She spent a year in relative peace on one planet disguised as a mechanic named Ashla, but the Empire is tightening their grip on the sector and she is forced to leave it behind. She ends up on an Outer Rim moon named Raada and ingratiates herself with the local farmer population. But Raada soon comes to the attention of the ever-expanding Empire. Rather than leave her new friends to their fate, this time Ahsoka decides to stay and help them fight, even though she risks revealing herself as a Clone War veteran and former Jedi Padawan. The story is told mostly from Ahsoka's point of view, with a few other perspectives sprinkled through.
The book is fast-paced, easy to read, and kept me turning the pages. There is one new character (Hedala Fardi) who I am very intrigued by, and I would enjoy seeing her turn up in other tie-ins.
We have a few scenes from Bail Organa's point of view, and these were excellent. I would very much like a companion novel detailing Bail's movements during this same period of the timeline. And seeing him think about and interact with baby Leia was a real treat. We also have some short flashback POVs from Anakin and Obi-Wan that I really enjoyed.
It's a shame that my favourite parts of a novel about Ahsoka are those that had very little to do with Ahsoka herself. In fact part of the reason why I enjoyed these little scenes so much is that they broke up Ahsoka's lacklustre story and gave me a bit of a breather.
I think the author recognised on some level that her Ahsoka didn't shine brightly on her own, because Ahsoka's scenes are a constant stream of reminders of all of the more memorable characters that she has interacted with. Even for a die-hard prequel fan like me these became incredibly tedious. There is one point where Ahsoka mournfully informs us that the 'little voice in her head' sometimes sounds like Padme. She then proceeds to not think about Padme again, or do anything particularly Padme-inspired, and we never actually hear what this 'little voice' is saying. I don't think it's uncharitable of me to say that the line was a shameless Padme name-drop designed to tug on our heartstrings. And it so easily could have been more! Even a single throwaway line of 'Padme would have suggested/thought/said THIS...' would have grounded the reference and made it worthwhile.
There are countless other references to Anakin, Obi-Wan, and the other Jedi and clone troopers, but these have a bit more context because of the story so they weren't as jarring.
The writing is much more Middle Grade than YA, and that's not a bad thing at all (I can definitely enjoy a good MG when I'm in the right mood), but it's not what I was expecting going in. After fifty or so pages I actually paused to fact-check myself, and it is indeed marketed as YA. So I have no choice but to judge the writing and plot development as I would any other YA. And if I do that then this book barely rates 3 stars.
The low writing level makes itself painfully apparent in the shoehorning of one particular subplot. Ahsoka begins a little collection (keeping it vague, so as not to spoil), and refers back to it every few chapters. This is ostensibly an attempt to 'weave' the theme of the collection through the larger story, but... it doesn't work. Nothing is woven, because weaving is art; and this subplot is artless, and amounts to jarring reminders of "This thing exists! Don't forget this thing! But I won't give you any further information or clues about it!" at regularly-spaced intervals. And ultimately the resolution is skipped over so quickly that I get the feeling the entire concept was crammed in at the last minute purely to give the novel some canon relevance. Again, like with the 'little voice' above, this could have been easily improved with just a few extra lines and/or the reworking of some lines throughout the book so they weren't all exactly the same.
I have more criticisms that I won't go into any significant detail over. There is a dull unrequited romance that is stuffed in for no reason whatsoever. There are two almost-plots involving Ahsoka which would have been more far interesting as main plots than everything that happens on Raada, but these are both glossed over. The timeline doesn't make all that much sense (the clone troopers are being 'aged out' of the Imperial Army after just ONE YEAR and have been almost fully replaced by new recruits?). The action scenes were difficult to follow because it seems the author was shying away from showing actual violence (another reason why this seems more MG), so the battle scenes involve a lot of Ahsoka going to look at what's going on and then coming back to tell her companions what she saw. Actually, that's the overarching theme of this book: Telling instead of showing.
I so badly wanted to like this book, and even when I didn't I so badly wanted to write a good review, because Ahsoka is a great character and she deserved a great standalone tie-in. But this just wasn't it for me. I did tear up at one point, but that was about Artoo, not about Ahsoka. So this book gets one star for Artoo, one for Bail and Leia, one for Anakin and Obi-Wan, and half a small star for Ahsoka herself. I still love you, Snips.
I would still recommend the story to all Star Wars/Ahsoka fans, because it was such a quick and easy read that you won't lose anything by indulging.
I really liked [a:E.K. Johnston|7418796|E.K. Johnston|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442955730p2/7418796.jpg]'s [b:Ahsoka|29749107|Ahsoka (Star Wars)|E.K. Johnston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468595529l/29749107._SX50_.jpg|50105366] young adult novel. I think Johnston did well in capturing the spirit, voice and personality of Ahsoka and presented her in environments and circumstances Star Wars fans are familiar with. Trouble always finds Ahsoka, and this book casts her in the usual bevy of difficulties she attracts. One could say, "it's the same old story and pattern," with this book that we've seen a hundred times in The Clone Wars. One would be right, and that is okay. Consider the [b:Ahsoka|29749107|Ahsoka (Star Wars)|E.K. Johnston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468595529l/29749107._SX50_.jpg|50105366] novel as an extension of a Clone Wars story arch, without the clones and their war ended. Readers are treated to the smart, compassionate and selfless Ahsoka we are use to seeing and there is comfort in that.
Ahsoka assumes her own role as the main character of the book and Johnston does a good job introducing new people, exploring new places, and allowing Ahsoka to cleverly solve new problems. And of course, there are tidbits from the past that Ahsoka and The Clone Wars fans can enjoy.
This book is a must-read for fans of Ahsoka. They will not be disappointed. The young adult tone of the book serves well in telling another Ahsoka adventure that is a pleasure to read. General, non-hardcore Star Wars readers can skip [b:Ahsoka|29749107|Ahsoka (Star Wars)|E.K. Johnston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468595529l/29749107._SX50_.jpg|50105366] and not miss a thing relative to larger events in the galactic saga. However, some Easter eggs are sure to please those readers, though the light tone may be tough for them to abide. [b:Ahsoka|29749107|Ahsoka (Star Wars)|E.K. Johnston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468595529l/29749107._SX50_.jpg|50105366] is written for ages 12 to 18, and as a young adult novel, more discerning readers might find the simple language and easy to follow plot a bore. This book is not for them and they should skip it.
I give [b:Ahsoka|29749107|Ahsoka (Star Wars)|E.K. Johnston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468595529l/29749107._SX50_.jpg|50105366] four stars for what is is - a well-written, thoughtful young adult novel that stays true to its title character and the universe in which she lives. It glows with the spirit of Star Wars and Ahsoka herself shines brightly. It also does well at inviting new readers into the saga with its simple text and well-conceived interludes.
Ahsoka assumes her own role as the main character of the book and Johnston does a good job introducing new people, exploring new places, and allowing Ahsoka to cleverly solve new problems. And of course, there are tidbits from the past that Ahsoka and The Clone Wars fans can enjoy.
This book is a must-read for fans of Ahsoka. They will not be disappointed. The young adult tone of the book serves well in telling another Ahsoka adventure that is a pleasure to read. General, non-hardcore Star Wars readers can skip [b:Ahsoka|29749107|Ahsoka (Star Wars)|E.K. Johnston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468595529l/29749107._SX50_.jpg|50105366] and not miss a thing relative to larger events in the galactic saga. However, some Easter eggs are sure to please those readers, though the light tone may be tough for them to abide. [b:Ahsoka|29749107|Ahsoka (Star Wars)|E.K. Johnston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468595529l/29749107._SX50_.jpg|50105366] is written for ages 12 to 18, and as a young adult novel, more discerning readers might find the simple language and easy to follow plot a bore. This book is not for them and they should skip it.
I give [b:Ahsoka|29749107|Ahsoka (Star Wars)|E.K. Johnston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1468595529l/29749107._SX50_.jpg|50105366] four stars for what is is - a well-written, thoughtful young adult novel that stays true to its title character and the universe in which she lives. It glows with the spirit of Star Wars and Ahsoka herself shines brightly. It also does well at inviting new readers into the saga with its simple text and well-conceived interludes.
i think ek johnston deserves a big, fat, juicy kiss on the lips
Sometimes it is nice to spend some time in a fictional world that is both familiar and incompletely explored. Sometimes the gaps in a familiar story still hold worthwhile stories and characters. This is one of those cases. There is nothing genre-busting here, just a nice easy story that helps to fill in some gaps and answer questions you never asked.
I honestly was so hype for this book. When I found it at the store a week ago I flipped and immediately started reading it. It would have only taken me two days if I wasn’t busy. The story line was so good and helped me understand even more of Ashoka’s backstory. I’m so excited for tales of the Jedi even more now after reading this. Definitely starting queens hope next.