palerider37 's review for:

Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston
4.0

Ahsoka is one of the favourite characters of the ‘Non-Movie’ characters, and there has always been a lot of speculation about what is going to happen to her character after the end of the Clone Wars and the start of Episode 4 – A New Hope. I must admit that Ahsoka is one of my favourite of the expanded universe characters. From her inception as Anakin’s ‘Snippy’ Padawan, through to ‘Fulcrum’ in the new Rebel’s series, she has always been a strong independent character who, although she understood the Jedi followings, she was not one to follow them blindly like so many of the Jedi. She questioned things, like the morality of using the Clones, the position of the Jedi as commanders in the Army, and the grey areas of right and wrong, rather than the more black and white that the Jedi seemed to live by.
After her betrayal by not just Barriss, but what she considered the Jedi Order, and even her Mentor Anakin, she left the Jedi Order at the end of the Clone Wars series, and no longer considered herself a Jedi.
With the fall of the Jedi, and the execution of Order 66, the Rise of the Empire and the change of the guard from Clones to Stormtroopers, Ahsoka suddenly finds herself in a galaxy that is not just confusing to her as far as her spiritual position, but is now seeking to destroy her as well.
The book ‘Ahsoka’ was a very interesting read. I was not sure at some stages if I was going to be totally satisfied, but without giving away spoilers (you need to read it and enjoy it yourself!!), I found that there was enough in here to satisfy the avid Ahsoka and Star Wars fan. The real problem with a book like this is that you could write a dozen volumes and never really answer all the questions, and this was meant to be an introduction to Ahsoka just after Order 66, to give some background to her and how she became ‘Fulcrum’, and Johnston has delivered a really intriguing and inventive story.
The story follows Ahsoka, who is running under the name of Ashla, and is currently on the planet of Raada. She is operating as a mechanic, when she makes an acquaintance, Kaedan. As the story progresses, the Empire becomes involved, and Ahsoka finds that her new hiding place and the new acquaintances/friends that she has made, are put into danger.
As the story unfolds, Johnston details the emotional turmoil that Ahsoka is going through, the loss of the Jedi, leaving the Order and how she wasn’t there at the end, the mistreatment of the Clones, Order 66, Anakin, and how she is so utterly alone now. This is such a fantastically crafted story, that you really feel like you are getting an insight into a real person.
There are other fantastic elements to this story as well, ties to the Clone Wars and Rebels series, and even some things that many fans would love to know.
Johnston has done an exceptional job of writing this story, of capturing the essence of the Ahsoka character and writing a story worthy of both the Star Wars universe and Ahsoka.
If you are a fan of Clone Wars and Rebels, this is well worth the read, if you love Ahsoka, this is a must read.