A Jedi’s connection with animals

I thought I’d return to my list-like format for a bit with a few post ideas I’ve been thinking about. This one’s been in my draft pile for awhile now, and it seemed as good a time as any to actually write it out and share with you.

I’m a big animal lover, and I’ve always loved how some Jedi are particularly connected to animals, either through the Force or just because they’re compassionate people. Here’s five examples that came to my mind:

Obi-Wan and Boga. We all remember how Obi-Wan made use of a veractyl, a lizard-like creature on Utupau, while he pursued General Grievous. We don’t learn too much about it in the movie, but in the novelization of Revenge of the Sith (by Mathew Stover, it’s fantastic, please please please read it!), we learn that Obi-Wan connected with the animal through the Force, and that her name was Boga. We learn of Obi-Wan’s preference for riding animals rather than starships in the book Master and Apprentice, by Claudia Gray. In the book, he rides another veractyl and enjoys the experience, while having a rather harrowing experience on a ship that causes him to hate flying. We also see in the series Obi-Wan Kenobi that he is simply kind to animals when he takes some meat from his butcher job to bring to his eopie.

Ezra and lothcats, lothwolves, purgil, and most other animals. While Obi-Wan (and probably most Jedi) can connect with animals through the Force, Ezra Bridger seems to have a natural talent for connecting with them. In Rebels he connects with lothcats, lothwolves, and the purgil, and probably some other ones I’m not remembering. While his companions, and even Kanan sometimes, dismiss the importance of animals in a given situation, Ezra seems to zero in on them and connect with them on a whole other level. Kanan is forced by Bendu to connect with the spider creatures on the Rebel base, and the lothwolf Dume is connected to him by relaying his special purpose on Lothal, but it’s Ezra that seems to understand them best. It’s one of the reasons I love that kid so much, lol.

Bell and Ember. In the High Republic books, a Padawan named Bell Zettifar has a pet charhound named Ember. The fact that a Jedi is allowed to have a pet shows how different this era of Jedi is. It’s not encouraged, but neither is it frowned upon, at least in Bell and Ember’s case. The two share a bond that is special, and while I’m not sure if it’s a Force connection, the two are very important to each other. Ember has also been a great help in several sticky situations that Bell found himself in, and without her he might have failed or died. They’re devoted to each other and it’s really very sweet. It makes sense, too, as Bell sees the Force as fire, and Ember can breathe flames. They’re meant for each other!

Rey and the vexis. In The Rise of Skywalker, Rey and her friends encounter a (very large and angry) serpent in some underground tunnels. Poe wants to blast it, but Rey intuits that there’s something wrong, and indeed, the beast has been wounded and is hissing aggressively. She bravely steps toward it and Force heals it. Once healed, it uncoils and slithers away. I don’t think Rey has a particular connection to animals like Ezra, but I like how, like a true Jedi, she doesn’t immediately want to destroy something that scares her (except maybe Palpatine, but that’s a different story, lol).

Ahsoka and Morai. Ahsoka is often seen trailed by a convor called Morai. We see the owl-like bird in Rebels, and also in The Mandalorian (and possibly The Clone Wars, I can’t remember). The bird is a guardian and protector of Ahsoka, and is linked with The Daughter from the Mortis arc in the Clone Wars. In that arc, Ahsoka dies and the Daughter resurrects her. The Daughter also dies in the arc, and Morai seems to be the spirit of the Daughter guiding and protecting Ahsoka. It’s a Force connection, but also a spiritual one that makes it a little more mysterious. Morai isn’t a pet or even a constant companion; she comes and goes depending on what’s happening.

Grogu and the rancor. In The Book of Boba Fett, Boba’s rancor is running rampant in Mos Espa, wreaking havoc and destroying everything in its path. He’s angry and lost without his master, but Boba is otherwise occupied at the moment with Cad Bane. Din Djarin tries to control him, but is thrown from his back. Grogu sees the beast’s distress, and toddles away from Peli to confront him. Not to hurt him, but to calm him. He reaches out his little hand and connects with the rancor, putting him to sleep. Drained, he then walks up to the creature and falls in a heap next to him to sleep as well. It’s the cutest thing, but then again, Grogu is cute all the time. But it shows how much he’s learned from his time with Luke; instead of lashing out fearfully at what scares him, he’s learned to connect with others and control his power.

That’s all I could think of. Did I miss anything? What’s your favorite Jedi/animal connection? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello my friends, and happy weekend!

So I’m continuing my read of Shadow of the Sith, and it’s quite enjoyable. Now that I’m in the middle of the book, it’s basically been “Rey and her parents are being chased by Ochi and the Sith, Ochi is being chased by Luke and Lando, and Rey’s parents are managing to stay one step ahead of everybody. For now.” Even though I know how it ends for Rey and her parents, I’m eager to see what happens before all that, as well as how Ochi comes to his end on Pasaana.

Thor: Love and Thunder was fun but flat.

I went to the theater to see Thor: Love and Thunder, and while it was a fun and enjoyable movie, it just didn’t have the same weight as any of the other Thor films. While I love MCU humor, and Taika Waititi’s particular brand of humor, I feel it went way over the top in this one. Taika’s other outing with Thor, Ragnorok, had the same wonderful humor in it, but there was still some depth to Thor and his arc in that movie. Here, Thor seems almost like a clown, and I think that’s a disservice to the character. Jane Foster’s arc was much more interesting, but everything else just seemed like a big joke. Again, I love MCU humor, but it needs to be used sparingly as comedic relief, not carry the entire movie (I loved the screaming goats, though, lol). It was fun, and my 7-year old grandson loved it, but ultimately it’s fairly forgettable. With the slight disappointment I had in Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, I feel like Marvel may be slipping in the feature film department, while excelling in the TV series format (can’t wait for Loki Season 2, and ooh, maybe a Moon Knight Season 2?)

My other, and more engrossing, entertainment this week has been binging Season 4 of Stranger Things. Whoa, what a wild ride! After several years of waiting, I had almost forgotten how much I loved the show and didn’t really care if I watched it or not. But I’m so glad I did. It didn’t bother me that there were like, five different storylines to follow, because they were all so great. Stranger Things has always had a crazy storyline, and yeah, the nostalgia is fun (I was these kids’ age in the 80s), but what I love the most are the fantastic characters. The usual crew is wonderful, but the new or supporting characters are always super-fun, whether it’s over-the-top Murray, the mysterious Enzo, the stoner pizza guy Argyle, or my personal favorite (and a lot of other people’s, too), the D&D-playing, metal music-playing Eddie, who looks tough but has a heart of gold. His Metallica-inspired distraction in the Upside Down is pure gold, and his arc is simply heartbreaking.

The other kids do a good job navigating their personal problems while trying to save the world, lol. While I rooted for Jonathan to be with Nancy in previous seasons, now I’m going the other way and rooting for Steve again. I just want that kid to be happy. 😦 And I’ve always rooted for Hopper and Joyce, I mean, come on. It’s funny, now that I’ve watched Visions, in particular “The Eder,” in which David Harbour voices the Qui Gon Jinn-like Jedi Master, whenever Hopper speaks all I can think of is him dispensing Jedi wisdom to his Padawan.

I thought Will was brilliantly acted by Noah Schnapp. His character didn’t have much to do in this season except look sad and give Mike pep talks about Eleven, but there’s clearly something eating at him, and I think we all know what it is. And it’s Noah’s acting and the excellent writing that proves you don’t have to come right out and say something in order for the audience to understand it. The scene where Jonathan talks to Will in the pizza place, telling him that no matter what, he’s his brother and he loves him and will always be there for him, well, that just broke me. Brilliant. Hopefully Will have more to do in the next season, considering he was so pivotal in the first few.

Aside from everyone’s personal problems and love lives, I thought Vecna was an interesting villain. It adds to the concept of the Upside Down, kind of re-writes it without contradicting what came before. Good stuff.

That’s about it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update: Shadow of the Sith Edition

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

I received my copy of Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher, and eagerly began reading it. It’s a big book (almost 500 pages!) and I’m about 150 pages in and really enjoying it. Basically, it’s the story of Luke and Lando searching for Ochi of Bestoon, which was mentioned by Lando in The Rise of Skywalker. It takes place about 20 years after Return of the Jedi, and about 13 years before The Force Awakens.

There’s some SPOILERY stuff ahead for Shadows of the Sith, so if you haven’t read it yet and think you might want to, proceed cautiously. I haven’t read the whole thing, but I’d like to mention what I’ve read so far.

So this book brings a lot of threads from various Star Wars periods and media together. Ochi of Bestoon, as mentioned in TROS, was seeking Rey and her parents by order of the Sith and Sidious. We see Rey’s parents–Dathan and Miramir–fleeing with Rey across the galaxy, trying to get away from the Sith, and Ochi pursuing them. I think we’re going to get Dathan and Miramir’s story in flashbacks here, which is something I’ve wanted since seeing the sequel trilogy.

We see Luke on the planet Ossus with his new Jedi Order he’s been training, including Ben Solo. But he’s been having visions of a dark, evil place, which turns out to be Exegol. He’s visited by Lor San Tekka (seen at the beginning of The Force Awakens), who is a member of The Church of the Force. Luke and San Tekka have traveled the galaxy together in search of Jedi artifacts and lore, in Luke’s attempt to rebuild the Order. Luke tells him about his visions, and though San Tekka can’t help him, he brings him to the planet Yortuba, on which an archeological dig is taking place.

The dig is being helmed by Beaumont Kin (Dominic Monahan’s character from TROS), and while there, they discover an old Sith holocron and some shards of red kyber crystal. Luke takes both artifacts to the old Jedi temple on Tython and sits on the seeing stone. While meditating on the crystals, he once again finds himself at Exegol, only this time, he’s really there. He’s attacked by nine strange beings, who seem to be Sith acolytes with lightsabers. He’s saved by the intervention of a force ghost–his father, Anakin Skywalker (awesome!). Anakin warns him that a dark threat is looming, and is rather cryptic about it before disappearing. Luke finds himself back on Tython, and that’s when Lando shows up.

So in the meantime, Lando had been gambling on a space station called Sennifer’s Balance and Beam, and overheard Ochi of Bestoon talking with some cohorts about kidnapping a girl, and being “reactivated” by the Sith (he’d been on Exegol with Vader at one point in the Darth Vader comic series, which I haven’t read–but you don’t have to to understand the story).

What caught Lando’s attention is Ochi’s mention of kidnapping a girl–and here we learn that Lando’s own daughter, Kadara Calrissian, had been kidnapped six years ago when she was two. He’d spent the time since scouring the galaxy looking for her, for any clue that might lead to her, and hadn’t really found anything. He decided to get involved, if only to do some kind of good and take his mind off his own daughter, and had gone to Luke because of the mention of the Sith.

In the meantime, we see a Pantoran woman with an ancient Sith mask, a mask that has mostly taken over her mind and she does its will. This woman is Kiza, a character we see in some of the interludes in the Aftermath books. I’m not sure yet what role she’ll play in the story, except that she’s involved in the dark evil that is looming in Luke’s mind.

So yeah, a lot going on here, with lots of different threads that will ultimately come together. I feel like it’s a pretty important book as far as canon goes. You don’t necessarily have to be familiar with all the source material that it borrows from, but it’s neat to make the connections.

In the meantime, I’ve set Black Spire aside (it’s awfully slow sometimes) until I finish this book, but I’m still reading Bloodline on the Kindle.

That’s really it this week, which is why I decided to get a bit detailed about Shadow of the Sith.

And, oh yeah, Thor: Love and Thunder opened yesterday, and I’m hoping to go see it while I’m on vacation this coming week. It looks super-fun, and I can’t wait to see it!

What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Anakin/Vader Fan Art

I didn’t have a subject planned for my Wednesday post, so I had to throw together something quick but fun, which usually turns out to be fan art. I was going to focus on Obi-Wan considering the latest series, but found some really neat Anakin/Vader stuff instead, which still applies. Enjoy!

I like this portrait of Anakin because it’s fuzzy and vague, kind of muddled, like Anakin’s mindset just before he turns to the dark side. He’s a hot mess, lol.

I like to include fan art that’s different, something I’ve never seen before, but something that speaks to me in some way, too. This one of Anakin looking at a hologram of Padme is kind of strange, but unique. She’s looking at him with compassion and love, despite the wreck he seems to be here.

This one shows another link to Padme, as a helmetless Vader looks at the necklace he made for her when he was a boy. I’m not sure how he got hold of it, since it was buried with Padme on Naboo, but it’s still an emotional scene.

I just thought this one looked really cool. There’s also the fact that Vader is a shattered man, and this image projects that.

And you can’t have a Vader fan art collection without Vader having tea in a meadow. I love this artist’s images of Star Wars characters in whimsical situations. And how does he sip through that thing, anyway?

I hope you enjoyed this group of Anakin/Vader fan art. What do you think of them? What’s your favorite? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

I’ve been continuing my Black Spire read, and I’m about halfway done. I’m waiting for my copy of Shadow of the Sith from Amazon, but it looks like I won’t get it until early next week. I’m eager to read it, but at least now I have some time to finish Black Spire before I start that one.

On Kindle, I’m re-reading Claudia Gray’s Bloodline. One, because it’s one of my favorite canon novels, and two, because I just want more Leia right now. Feeling the post- Obi-Wan Kenobi blues, lol. At the end of July, Padawan by Kiersten White will release, and so I’ll get some more Obi-Wan goodness.

That’s really it for Star Wars right now.

I had been planning on re-watching Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, but honestly, I’m just not feeling it right now. It was a fun, enjoyable movie–but I don’t love it the way I love his origin story. Which makes me sad, because Dr. Strange is one of my favorite Marvel characters. I guess I just feel like it was more about Wanda/The Scarlet Witch than Dr. Strange. I find Wanda an interesting character, but this was supposed to be about Steven Strange, and she ended up kind of stealing the show. And that makes me kind of grumpy, lol. Anyway, I’ll rewatch it one of these days, and then we’ll see how I feel.

Another show I’ve been thinking about is Stranger Things Season 4. I really got into the first three seasons, but again, I’m just not feeling it right now. Not enough to subscribe to Netflix for a month in order to watch it. Maybe it was gone for too long and it fell off my radar. Maybe I just need to watch the first episode to get back into it. I don’t know; all I want to do is rewatch Obi-Wan Kenobi, lol.

Not much else this week. Kind of boring. To make it a bit more interesting, here’s a few fan art pieces I found and adore:

Another wonderful piece by the talented Uzuri Art. Obi-Wan and his memories of the people he loved.

What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Birthday Haul

So my birthday was yesterday, and my husband, knowing how obsessed I am with Star Wars, found me a few things at one of the local used/antique stores in town. I thought they were cool and wanted to share them with you here.

Now, I’m not a collector of toys/figures at all, but hubby just saw “Star Wars” and went ahead and got it. It’s from the Kenner “Princess Leia Collection” and includes Leia and Han from Cloud City. Pretty cool.

This actually was my favorite from the bunch: the DK Visual Dictionary for Episodes 1-6. These reference books are the kinds of things I’d love to have but never buy for myself, so I was so thrilled to see this! It’s used but in good condition, although I don’t see the “cutaway views of R2-D2 and the fearsome Sarlaac.” Oh well, it’s still awesome.

So hubby spent the most money on this next one, but he didn’t really know what he was buying, lol. I didn’t really know what it was either, but had fun opening up the box to see what was inside. It’s actually a game called Star Wars Galaxies: Empire Divided. The game is on a couple of CD-ROMs, but unfortunately, my laptop doesn’t even have a CD port of any sort. I don’t know much about it; any of you gaming fans familiar with it?

This stuff was inside: the CDs, a player handbook, a patch, a pin, and a cool figurine, though I don’t know who the figurine is. Looks like a Zabrak maybe?

This is my favorite part of the box: The Art of Star Wars Galaxies. Cool drawings and artwork of various species in Star Wars. I love it!

These are by far the best birthday presents I’ve gotten in a long time. They’re wonderful collector’s pieces and fun books that look great on my Star Wars book case. Happy birthday to me!

Obi-Wan Kenobi Part 6 Thoughts

Please be aware that there are SPOILERS ahead.

The finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi is a moving, emotional tribute to everything I love about Star Wars.

Basically, it’s split into two pieces: the rematch between Obi-Wan and Vader, and Reva’s quest to find revenge by going after Luke. I’ll talk about the duel first.

At this point, Obi-Wan has found his center and his purpose again, and does what a Jedi does: what he has to in order to protect the people under his care. He decides to leave the transport and lure Vader away, because he knows it will work. But as Roken says, it’s also more than that: he must face Vader. They’ve got unfinished business, and it must be dealt with before Obi-Wan can move on.

In stark contrast to their last encounter, Obi-Wan is ready. I do believe that Vader was a bit disappointed that Obi-Wan was so weak that last time; I think he relished more of a challenge. Well, he gets it this time, even more than he bargained for. Kenobi is on fire, and Vader really has to work at it. “Your strength has returned,” he says at one point. “But the weakness remains. That is why you will always lose.” Anakin’s arrogance is so much on display here, and throughout the entire series. “Did you really think you could defeat me?” he asks, as he piles rocks on top of Obi-Wan. Then he walks away, thinking he’s killed him. Again, his arrogance causes him to make a huge mistake.

Obi-Wan thinks of Leia and Luke, and everything he’s fighting for, and blasts out of the pit to face Vader again. And this time, he’s not only on fire, he’s an inferno, not of anger, but of skill and determination. He succeeds in bringing Vader to his knees, and in the process, knocks part of his mask off. When he sees Anakin’s ruined face beneath the mask, he stops. He’s horrified, and grief-stricken, and just devastated. He breathes his name, and Vader replies, “Anakin is gone. I am what remains.” When Obi-Wan’s eyes fill with tears and he gasps out, “I’m sorry, Anakin,” I think my heart broke (again; it’s been broken so many times in Star War, lol).

“You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker. I did.”

And Anakin’s response is heartbreaking, as well, spoken in halting sentences in a chilling combination of Vader vocoder and Anakin’s voice: “I am not your failure, Obi-Wan. You did not kill Anakin Skywalker. I did.” He seems to smile a little bit at this; some people have claimed that Anakin is trying to make his old master feel better here, but I disagree. He’s Vader, and he’s proud. He’s boasting. Anakin, that weakling, is dead, and I killed him. “The same way I’ll destroy you,” he threatens. But he’s in no shape to do any such thing at the moment.

“Then my friend is truly gone,” Obi-Wan responds, and we can see something let go in him, the weight of the galaxy lifting off his shoulders. He’s just sad. Vader’s words are exactly what he needed to hear to move on. “Goodbye…Darth,” he says, and walks away. Again. History repeats itself as Obi-Wan once again walks away from a defeated Vader, unwilling to kill him–not because he can’t kill Anakin (Anakin is gone), but because a Jedi practices mercy. Remember that flashback? Anakin tells Obi-Wan, “Mercy doesn’t defeat an enemy, Master.”

Doesn’t it? As Obi-Wan walks away, Vader can only shout out his name in anguish (which is so haunting to me, it kind of freaks me out, lol). He’s lost this round, and will continue to lose, because the dark side does not allow growth. You stay stuck in your patterns, clinging to your rage. It’s only when the Emperor calls him out on it does Vader decide to step back a bit, and let Kenobi go.

This whole sequence was just absolute perfection, and ranks high on my “Best Star Wars Moments” list.

Okay, so Reva.

She’s managed to stay alive after Vader impaled her (again), and has found her way to Tatooine. She’s going after Luke because it’s the only revenge she can get on Vader at this point. She probably doesn’t know that Vader has no idea that Luke exists, or she doesn’t care. She makes her way to the homestead, but Owen has been warned and he and Beru are waiting for her.

I think this sequence here will give fans a new appreciation for Owen and Beru. They fiercely defend their home and their boy. At one point Reva says, “You really love him. Like he’s your own.” And Owen responds, “He is my own.” Of course he is. Even in A New Hope, though Owen is grumpy and kind of mean to Luke sometimes, I never doubted he was just trying to protect him. As he does here, bravely confronting an Inquisitor, though a seriously wounded one. Otherwise, I think she would have just swept in and killed them both to get to Luke.

Anyway, she gets past both Owen and Beru, and chases Luke out into a desert canyon. She causes him to fall and he gets knocked out. As she prepares to kill him, memories of herself as a youngling flash through her mind, of Vader killing her friends and impaling her. Ultimately, she can’t go through with it.

By this time Obi-Wan has arrived. She carries Luke back to them, unconscious but alive. Owen and Beru take Luke away, and Obi-Wan is left with a crying Reva. She asks him if she’s become “him,” meaning Vader. Obi-Wan tells her no, she’s chosen not to. What she becomes now is up to her. This is the first time we see a baddie in live action be redeemed and not die immediately afterward (that I can think of). If we see Reva again, it will be interesting to see how she atones for her crimes. Maybe she’ll help with The Path, as Tala did.

So then we get a few happy endings similar to The Return of the King (after Vader’s exchange with the Emperor):

First, Obi-Wan goes to Alderaan to see Leia (and return Lola to her). I just loved this scene so much. To see him laugh heartily again was such a gift. And I do think he’ll be sleeping much better now. Again, I love how he’s had the chance to have this relationship with Leia. It always seemed kind of sad to me that he never got to know her, but that’s been rectified in a wonderful way. Now I’m just sad that the next time Leia sees him is when he dies on the Death Star. 😦

Then he makes a trip to the Lars homestead. He’s packed up his gear and moved out of the cave, and I’m assuming he’s moving into the home we see in ANH, or will be looking for a house of some kind. Anyway, he tells Owen he’ll keep his distance, and that Owen was right: Luke just needs to be a boy right now. “The future will take care of itself,” he says. He’s trusting in the Force again. As he walks away, Owen sheepishly asks if he wants to meet Luke. So he brings the toy over to him and we get to hear the famous words: “Hello there.” I loved it. And the casting for young Luke (Grant Feely) is so perfect; that kid just captures Luke’s sweetness the same way Vivien Lyra Blair captures Leia’s sassiness. Perfection for both.

Lastly, as he rides his eopie toward the canyons, Qui Gon Jinn suddenly appears. I figured we’d see him at the very end of the series, and the exchange was short and sweet, but not quite what I had expected. I’m not sure what I expected. Maybe a little bit more, but at any rate, I was glad to see him. “I was always here, Obi-Wan. You just weren’t ready to see.”

I enjoyed this series immensely, and it just made me very, very happy, lol. It brought everything together beautifully, and yes, I kind of felt like it was ticking off some boxes at the end, but honestly, I don’t care. The emotional impact of a story is always more important to me than its execution (to a certain point, of course), and while this series stumbled a bit in its execution in a few places, it didn’t ruin the experience for me.

Will there be a Season 2? I think the better question is, do we need a Season 2? And the answer, in my opinion, is no. It’s perfect the way it is, and brings Obi-Wan’s story to where it needs to be for A New Hope. Would I like to see more Ewan and Hayden? Hell yes! But only if another story adds to what we already know in a meaningful way. Only time will tell, I guess.

Here’s an amazing piece by one of my favorite Star Wars artists, Uzuri Art:

What did you think of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series? What’s your opinion on a Season 2? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

What’s been on my mind mostly this past week is the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale, but I think I have a to say about that, so I’m going to do a separate post for that. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, I’ve been reading Black Spire by Delilah Dawson, and it’s enjoyable. It takes place after the Battle of Crait, but before The Rise of Skywalker. I like this time period because it shows how the Resistance slowly regained allies after their devastating defeat during The Last Jedi. The story takes its time with the world-building of Batuu, which is understandable since it showcases the main venue of Galaxy’s Edge theme park. It’s fun, though.

A live action Vi Moradi from Black Spire, presumably at Galaxy’s Edge.

I also finished Stories of Jedi and Sith, the middle-grade book of short stories that came out a couple of weeks ago. These were some great stories that starred a multitude of familiar characters, including Qui Gon Jinn, Asajj Ventress, Maul, Luke Skywalker and several others. The one I want to talk about is the Luke one, called Luke On the Brightside, by Sam Maggs.

This story takes place on Hoth, when the Rebels are just beginning to set up their base. Luke and another male character, Sergeant Reye Hollis, are about to work on digging some tunnels, when a cave in nearly buries them. Hollis barely tolerates the sunny Skywalker, but now they have to work together to get out of their mess. The interesting part is that the author implies the two, while bickering, are secretly attracted to each other.

The two are always noticing each other’s bright smiles and nice eyes, and the smell of their hair. Not normally something two men would bother to notice about each other unless they’re attracted to each other. It’s subtle but it’s there.

And let me be clear, I have no problem with this at all. I’m just surprised no one else in a particular part of the fan base has noticed and freaked out about it. Or really anyone in the fandom at least raising their eyebrows. Because this is canon, and let’s be honest, this isn’t some new or minor character. This is Luke freaking Skywalker, lol. To suggest that he’s gay or bisexual is a BIG DEAL. It’s huge. I’m waiting for the outrage, but I haven’t seen it. Maybe because it’s a middle grade book and not many “older” fans–the ones who might take offense–have seen it. Maybe it’s going to take a bit of time, but I have no doubt it will make its way into the land of Star Wars controversy. Me? I kind of like the idea. Bravo for the LF Storygroup going there.

Anyway, if you’re a Legends fan, their are some more new editions to some classics:

I actually have an older cover edition of Revan because I thought I might like to read some Old Republic stuff (I couldn’t get into it), and also an older copy of The Bacta War I found in a used bookstore (haven’t read it yet). These covers are beautiful, though. Yes, it’s a new way to get our money, but I don’t think many serious SW book collectors will complain too much.

That’s it, besides the Obi-Wan finale. I did see that Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is already on Disney+. It just came out a month or so ago, so I’m wondering why I bothered to go to the movie theater, lol. I can’t believe the turnaround time. I may not even bother going to the theater for the next Thor movie. But maybe I will, lol, we’ll see.

What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Inner Jedi Notebook: Week 12

Week 12 of my Inner Jedi Notebook journey.

The prompt:

Rey learns much from the sacred Jedi texts that were once housed on Ach-To. What are some books that are important to you, and why?

My answer:

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre is the first “classic” book that I fell in love with. I first read it in the ninth grade and loved it. I learned that not all the classics are boring; my love of gothic literature began here, and my interest in women’s writers; I loved Jane, the poor, plain orphan girl who nevertheless charts her own course, stays true to herself, and finds love. (Mr. Rochester is another matter, lol).
The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. This book, read when I was in my 20s (geez, 30 years ago now), introduced me to not only Arthurian fantasy (an obsession of mine for awhile) but women’s fiction, specifically stories that were traditionally told through male eyes but were now told by the women in the story. Also, the Goddess (another brief obsession, but necessary for my young womanhood).
The Fionovar Tapestry, by Guy Gavriel Kay. Okay, these are three books, but tell one long story in a trilogy. It’s my favorite fantasy series, ever. I love all of Kay’s books (especially Tigana and A Song for Arbonne), but this trilogy, his first, remains close to my heart. It showed me what fantasy could be, and the characters live forever in my heart. The trilogy consists of The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire, and The Darkest Road.
Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg. This is the book that set me upon my writing journey all those years ago. I loved her method, I loved her and her personal stories, and it got me to fill countless notebooks with words. She was my writing guru and still is, even though I haven’t done much writing lately.
You Are A Badass, by Jen Sincero. This book kind of changed my life, in that I learned to perceive myself, the world–the Universe–in a different way. Basically, the mind is a very powerful thing and you can use it to manifest whatever you want. Kind of like Jedi powers and the Force! Unfortunately, I haven’t quite reached a state of badassery yet, because it involves taking risks and getting very uncomfy, and all that hard stuff I don’t like to do, lol. But at least I’m aware of what it takes and what limiting beliefs I’m still stuck in! Baby steps.

So that’s my list. There have been many, many other books in my life that I have loved, but these seem to stick out to me. Have you read any of these (admittedly “old” books, except Badass, lol)?

What books are important to you and why? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about them!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

In books this week, I’ve started Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire. Despite some reservations at first (I thought it might be too gimmicky, considering it’s based on an amusement park, lol), it’s pretty good so far. I like the complicated past between Vi Moradi and Archex, and am looking forward to the evolution of that relationship. I have to admit, though, when Vi walked through Black Spire Outpost on Batuu with a native showing her around, I got some serious “amusement park tour” vibes. That’s okay, though, as long as it pulls through on its promise of an interesting story.

I also finished “Skywalker: A Family At War,” by Kristen Baver. I’d had some reservations about this book, too, but it turned out to be surprisingly entertaining. It’s not in novel form at all, just a straight retelling of what happened to the Skywalkers, beginning with Anakin and ending with Rey. I appreciated Baver’s insight and interpretation of events, and liked reliving the scaled-down story in chronological order.

So now I get to choose a new Kindle book, and I think I’m going to order “Stories of Jedi and Sith,” a new book of short stories that just came out. I kind of forgot about it in my excitement of new novels; plus, I usually buy the middle-grade stuff on Kindle for some reason (don’t want to be caught reading kid’s stuff? Hmm…) Anyway, it should be fun.

Now, onto Obi-Wan Kenobi Part 5.

This was a great episode. I really loved how the director juxtaposed the flashback duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin with the events of the show. It was a great way, not only to get more Anakin in the series, but to show how these two know each other so well. It was a great characterization method.

As predicted by many, it was revealed that Reva had been one of the younglings shown during Order 66 at the beginning of the series. The revelation didn’t really have much of an impact for me, because it just seemed so obvious. And I’m not sure how she survived a lightsaber to the gut as a little girl, and again as an adult. Yeah, the Grand Inquisitor survived his gut-stab (two stomachs or something?) but Reva is human. It beggars belief, but okay.

But there’s still a lot of questions left about Reva: how did she become an Inquisitor? Why is she considered the “least” of them? I do like the fact that she only did it to get to Vader for revenge. I hate the idea of children being tortured into evil. That’s super disturbing. At least here, she has a purpose. And I love how Obi-Wan turns himself in and says to her, “You’re not bringing me to him. I’m bringing him to you.” Basically he’s saying, he’s all yours if you can manage it. He still doesn’t want to kill Anakin/Vader (his hesitation when Reva asks him, “You don’t really want to kill him, do you?” is telling.) So he’ll let Reva do it if she can, and in the meantime, get the people of the Path away.

Reva does attempt to get her revenge on Vader. But it just seemed so hopeless to begin with. When she began her attack, I thought, oh honey, no, that’s not gonna work…going up against Vader is beyond insane. And she fails miserably. He just toys with her for awhile before stabbing her with her own weapon. Why they don’t finish her off is beyond me, but it gives her a chance to find Bail’s message on that holo-chip thing (is it just me, or is Bail being extremely foolhardy for naming names in that message? Seems out of character, but he IS worn down with worry.) So now we have to wait and see what Reva does with this information. Clearly, with the last scene of little Luke sleeping away on Tatooine, he’s in danger, and Obi-Wan senses it.

There was a lot to love and mull over in this episode (and a few little nitpicks–seriously, they lost the hyperdrive? What is this, the Millennium Falcon? Lol.) But I’m chomping at the bit for next week, and there seems to be a lot to wrap up. I heard a rumor it might be an hour and a half long, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!