A Jedi must be a fearless warrior, a guardian of justice, and a scholar in the ways of the Force. But perhaps a Jedi’s most essential duty is to pass on what they have learned. Master Yoda trained Dooku; Dooku trained Qui-Gon Jinn; and now Qui-Gon has a Padawan of his own. But while Qui-Gon has faced all manner of threats and danger as a Jedi, nothing has ever scared him like the thought of failing his apprentice.

Obi-Wan Kenobi has deep respect for his Master, but struggles to understand him. Why must Qui-Gon so often disregard the laws that bind the Jedi? Why is Qui-Gon drawn to ancient Jedi prophecies instead of more practical concerns? And why wasn’t Obi-Wan told that Qui-Gon is considering an invitation to join the Jedi Council—knowing it would mean the end of their partnership? The simple answer scares him: Obi-Wan has failed his Master.

When Jedi Rael Averross, another former student of Dooku, requests their assistance with a political dispute, Jinn and Kenobi travel to the royal court of Pijal for what may be their final mission together. What should be a simple assignment quickly becomes clouded by deceit, and by visions of violent disaster that take hold in Qui-Gon’s mind. As Qui-Gon’s faith in prophecy grows, Obi-Wan’s faith in him is tested—just as a threat surfaces that will demand that Master and apprentice come together as never before, or be divided forever.

THIS REVIEW WILL LIKELY CONTAINS A HANDFUL OF MINOR SPOILERS, MOSTLY FROM THE PREQUEL TRILOGY & THE CLONE WARS. FAIR WARNING.

I’ll get this out there straight away: Qui-Gon Jinn is not one of my favorite Star Wars characters. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing I dislike about the character. I think Liam Neeson’s performance in The Phantom Menace is great, and Qui-Gon’s overall impact on the entire Star Wars saga cannot be overstated. After all, he is the Jedi who discovers the way to communicate with the living after he’s died. So that’s pretty amazing. He’s just never been one of my characters, is all I’m saying.

But then I read Master & Apprentice. And this book is so fucking brilliant. Like, I’m excited about every Star Wars book that comes out. And of course some are better than others. Some are A LOT better than others. But Claudia Gray has totally outdone herself here. This is the most genuinely character driven Star Wars novel I’ve ever read, and brings an incredible amount of nuance to both Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. This book has changed so much about my perception of their relationship, which in turn makes Qui-Gon’s death feel unbearably heartbreaking.

Oh, it’s also worth mentioning that Claudia Gray has a short story in the BRILLIANT collection From a Certain Point of View. It’s called, interestingly enough, Master and Apprentice. It’s a beautiful story, and it takes place during the events of A New Hope (as all the stories in that collection do). So that short story almost seems like the coda to the novel. You can read one without the other, or both in any order. But both really highlight the intricacies of Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan’s relationship.

Master & Apprentice takes place before The Phantom Menace, which now places this book as the very first Star Wars story, canonically. That’s really cool!! This is also Claudia Gray’s fourth novel in the new canon, which is currently the most by any author! The story finds Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sent by the Jedi Council to the planet Pijal. An unusual Jedi named Rael Averross has been appointed Lord Regent of the planet, ostensibly there to advise & protect the planet’s young princess, Fanry. Like Qui-Gon, Rael apprenticed under Dooku. Rael & Qui-Gon have a history together, and although Qui-Gon remains fond of Rael, he’s cautious about how far to trust him.

Rounding out the cast are Rahara Wick & Pax Maripher. Calling these two jewel thieves doesn’t quite describe what they do…they fly around the galaxy, chasing leads, and mining precious jewels…illegally. So, thieves. But not in the sense that they are violent. These two have a really interesting chemistry. Rahara has a tragic history that connects her to the planet Pijal, and Pax was orphaned at a young age and raised by (no joke) a bunch of protocol droids. So his personality is quite…unique.

The crisis at the center of the story involves a disputed hyperspace shipping lane, and the suspected terrorists trying to disrupt it. But that’s enough about the plot.

Master & Apprentice is so much about the psychology of both Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan. We see things from both of their POVs, and we really begin to grasp their differences, as well as their similarities. In a lot of ways, they really were a poor match for one another. And in many other ways, they complement one another perfectly. And they both struggle mightily with the failures of the partnership…they both blame themselves when things go wrong, or are less than harmonious between them.

I started to see Qui-Gon almost as a Jedi born at the wrong time…like he belonged to an ancient, more mystical Jedi Order. He’s this incredibly soulful character, and it’s easy to see his influence on Obi-Wan as the films progress.

One of my absolute favorite aspects of this book are the flashback scenes to when Qui-Gon is just a teenager, and Dooku is his master. It’s a side of Dooku we’ve never seen before…genteel, encouraging, and of course stern as hell…but also with faint flashes of humor. Really cool stuff! The book is also full of delightful little details, references to ancient Sith, lots of info about the ancient prophesies….there’s just so much to love!!

I think this is without a doubt Claudia Gray’s best Star Wars novel, and while I don’t know what book I’d bump from my list, I feel like this is a top five Star Wars books OF EVER kind of book. It’s a gorgeous novel, with characters that are introspective & damaged & so real. This book is full of surprises and encompasses everything I love about Star Wars. Master & Apprentice is an absolute must-read if you are a fan of Star Wars novels!

May the Force be with you.