Stories of Jedi and Sith (Star Wars) by Roseanne A. Brown

Stories of Jedi and Sith (Star Wars) Reviews

• 
  Robert

  Another mixed bag anthology read by an all-star team of Star Wars narrators.
  
  Individual story thoughts as follows:
  
  "What a Jedi Makes" by Michael Kogge (Yoda) ⭐⭐⭐ Cute story of a wannabe Jedi on Coruscant during The High Republic era.
  
  "Resolve" by Alex Segura (Qui-Gon Jinn) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good solo adventure story featuring Qui-Gon during a decisive moment in his career.
  
  "The Eye of the Beholder" by Sarwat Chadda (Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi) ⭐⭐⭐ Fun race-against-time war story from an outsider's perspective.
  
  "A Jedi's Duty" by Karen Strong (Barriss Offee) ⭐⭐⭐ The foreshadowing is strong with this one...Narrated by CLONE WARS voice actor Meredith Salenger.
  
  "Worthless" by Delilah S. Dawson (Asajj Ventress) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ventress in duress. Narrated by CLONE WARS voice actor Nika Futterman.
  
  "The Ghosts of Maul" by Michael Moreci (Maul) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best of the bunch. We find Maul searching for Sith secrets in events preceding REBELS. Narrated by CLONE WARS and REBELS voice actor Sam Witwer.
  
  "Blood Moon Uprising" by Vera Strange (Darth Vader) ⭐⭐ Disappointing Vader-on-a-Rebel-hunt story.
  
  "Luke on the Bright Side" by Sam Maggs (Luke Skywalker) DNF. Though I would welcome Luke being made canonically queer please let it not be through such a cringeworthy "meet cute" story. I couldn't get beyond 5 minutes.
  
  "Masters" by Tessa Gratton (Sheev Palpatine) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Though it doesn't cover much new ground the quality of the narration and writing elevates it.
  
  "Through the Turbulence" by Roseanne A. Brown (Rey) ⭐⭐ Rey and Poe bicker in the period between Episodes VIII and IX. Forgettable.
• 
  Jay DeMoir

  I actually really enjoyed this anthology. I probably enjoyed the maul story more than any of the others.
• 
  Jonathan Koan

  This is a collection of stories, similarly formatted to the "Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark" book that came out in 2020. However, this book tells original stories where that book featured novelization of Clone Wars episodes. I prefer this format better personally. Here is my rating for each story:
  
  1. What a Jedi Makes by Michael Koggee: 9.5 out of 10!
  2. Resolve by Alex Segura: 7.0 out of 10.
  3. The Eye of the Beholder by Sarwat Chadda: 9.0 out of 10!
  4. A Jedi's Duty by Karen Strong 7.5 out of 10.
  5. Worthless by Delilah Dawson: 10 out of 10!
  6. The Ghosts of Maul by Michael Moreci: 9 out of 10!
  7. Blood Moon Uprising by Vera Strange: 7.5 out of 10!
  8. Luke on the Bright Side by Sam Maggs: 5 out of 10
  9. Masters by Tessa Gratton: 8.0 out of 10.
  10. Through the Turbulence by Rosanne A. Brown: 8.0 out of 10.
  
  Some stories that were 9.0 and better I absolutely loved. These stories were practically perfect in every way, and 4 of the stories fit into this definition.
  
  Some of the stories were very good, they just were not amazing. 4 stories fit into this category.
  
  One story was only "meh".
  
  One story was actually pretty bad, and I was disappointed how it brought down the rest of the book.
  
  Overall, I really really loved this book. Probaby the best short story collection in the canon that we have gotten. Great stuff overall, and I'd personally give the book a 9.0 out of 10!
• 
  Lata

  Unlike the Clone Wars anthology that came out some years ago, this collection is made up of all new stories that span many years of Star Wars history, from the High Republic to the Resistance. And though these are aimed at a younger audience, the stories were full of what I love about Star Wars: heart and danger, along with some familiar faces, making this a really enjoyable set of stories to revisit the galaxy far, far away.
  
  -What a Jedi Makes by Michael Kogge: Taking place during the High Republic (Phase one)., a teen with no Force abilities is desperate to join the Jedi Order, and does everything he can to be noticed. All while trying to avoid police notice as he's a homeless orphan from the lower levels on Coruscant.
  I love the light and hopeful feel of this story, and the few moments the young man gets to spend with a lighter, more joyful Yoda.
  4 stars.
  
  -Resolve by Alex Segura: Qui-gon Jinn is sent by the council to recover an errant Padawan on another planet. He is pulled unwillingly into some of the local politics. He also knows this is a bit of a test for him by the Council soon after Dooku’s defection. I know this is heresy, but I never really warmed to Qui-gon in the movie, so I wasn’t that wrapped up in this story.
  3.5 stars.
  
  -The Eye of the Beholder by Sarwat Chadda: A Republic planet is suffering under siege during the Clone Wars, and two kids, an older sister and her six-year old brother, must stay hidden from droids.
  The tension and claustrophobia are great as the siblings encounter a pair of Jedi, brothers, Obi-Wan and Anakin. I was delighted when author Chadda gave Obi-Wan a chance to say his signature line.
  4 stars.
  
  -A Jedi's Duty by Karen Strong: it’s a Barriss Offee story (yay!), shortly before she must leave for Geonosis for a huge assault on a newly discovered droid factory.
  We find out Bariss is suffering deep trauma from her first combat mission with Luminara Unduli: they were among all the Jedi who descended upon the stadium in Geonosis (in “Attack of the Clones”) some time before. Barriss has been unable to process all her feelings and fear after seeing all the Jedi deaths, and has not returned to combat missions, preferring to help the war effort in a medical capacity. All her trauma returns when Luminara says it’s time to return to the front lines.
  I really liked the context we get here for Barriss’ eventual public repudiation of the Jedi’s war actions. I loved this character from the moment she first appeared onscreen, and I finally understand her later actions leading to season five’s finale.
  4 stars.
  
  -Worthless by Delilah Dawson: While chasing Kenobi on a jungle planet, Assaj Ventress (I love her) falls down a hole and is trapped under rock. She finds a clone there, Doc, also trapped. The two have to work together to get through an Indiana Jones-style Jedi temple full of traps and flying daggers before they can return to their respective forces.
  Ventress is great, all spitting anger and sarcasm, while it was nice to meet a different clone. The title sadly exemplifies how Dooku and Palpy saw Ventress and all clone soldiers.
  4 stars.
  
  -The Ghosts of Maul by Michael Moreci: Maul is the narrator of this short. He contemplates vengeance some time after Empire Day. While exploring a Sith castle, he confronts angry ghosts of his past and must contemplate a choice.
  That dear, tragic muffin Maul is too much in anger and pain to understand that he can make a different choice, if he would only consider it.
  4 stars.
  
  -Blood Moon Uprising by Vera Strange: Vader arrives at an Imperial refinery, furious about the speed of production. Or lack thereof.
  Vader encounters a rebel wookie youngling and decides to find out what she’s up to.
  I want more, so much more, of this tough young Wookiee.
  4 stars.
  
  -Luke on the Bright Side by Sam Maggs: Luke arrives on Hoth during the excavation of the base. He encounters a Sergeant Hollis (from Naboo) who is less than thrilled he’s required to babysit an enthusiastic guy with dubious magic powers. An accident occurs, and the two are trapped in a collapsed tunnel.
  We get alternating PoVs between Luke and Hollis, and what’s so funny and sweet is despite the seriousness of the situation, their thoughts keep getting sidetracked by what clearly feels like a mutual attraction.
  4 stars.
  
  -Masters by Tessa Gratton: Sheev Palpatine is sitting on his throne in the second Death Star, gloating over his victory over Yoda years earlier, and the soon to be annihilated Rebellion.
  It was interesting seeing a few pivotal events through both Yoda’s and horrid Palpy’s eyes.
  4 stars.
  
  -Through the Turbulence by Rosanne A. Brown: Leia has sent a constantly bickering Rey and Poe out shopping, post “The Last Jedi”, hoping they’ll work out their issues with each other. It’s reminiscent of Hera’s meiloorun ploy with Ezra and Zeb, with equally effective results.
  Poe has tons of charm, as usual, and grieving Rey makes a friend, her second after Finn.
  4 stars.
• 
  Emma

  Stories of Jedi and Sith was a solid collection of stories featuring a lot of beloved characters. I found some of the Jedi stories to be a little trite but the complexity of the Sith stories more than made up for it. Delilah Dawson's Ventress story and Sam Maggs' Luke story were my two favorites from the bunch -- both expanded on their main characters in really neat ways.
• 
  Dimitris Papastergiou

  Resolve:
  
  Set in 36BBY.
  
  A nice adventure with Qui Gon Jinn that goes on a mission to bring back another Jedi, a Padawan who's been captured or left the Order. Some twists, some mistakes, some revelations about Qui Gon and his Master, Dooku, who recently left the Jedi Order to reclaim his family's title and be the Count of Serenno (or because he was fed up with the Jedi and their ways)
  
  "Qui-Gon didn’t respond. He’d learned long before that battles for the last word often resulted in defeat for both sides.”
  
  Anyway, this was a solid story within the EU that I would definitely recommend to fans, especially if you're reading in chronological order. It's worth it just for Qui Gon Jinn's thoughts and that the character is spot on.
  
  “We are all flawed. We all make errors of judgment. It’s how we recover from them that defines us.” - Qui Gon Jinn
• 
  anna

  REY SKYWALKER I MISSED YOU 😭🫶
• 
  elisa dalle føg lands

  Luke Skywalker being an absolute sunshine baby is the kind of content i live for. That, and Obi-Wan and Anakin being the best, as per usual.
• 
  Alex G

  
  Stories of Jedi and Sith is middle grade anthology edited by Jennifer Heddle (gotta mention editors y'all). The book contains ten stories, written by ten different authors, with each centering on one or two characters. Unlike the previous Clone Wars anthology which has similarities to this one, this does not have one shared event or time period. These are more similar to the FACPOV books than the anthology books we have gotten by George Mann in years past (with the addition of Cavan Scott for Life Day Treasury). This spans all different eras of Star Wars. I'll write a paragraph or so on each story, and then some final thoughts.
  
  What A Jedi Makes by Michael Kogge is the sole High Republic tale, so I might be slightly biased in my assessment of it. Kogge gives us a good story here, one of my favorites in this book. It's always nice to see more High Republic Yoda. My one gripe with the story is that it does not radiate High Republic. They way Kogge describes Coruscant compared to other writers who have written in this era, is a mixed bag. If not for saying this took place in The High Republic era, I probably would have never made that connection. Did love that Avar cameo though!
  
  Resolve by Alex Segura is the story that centers around Qui-Gon Jinn. I know we have not gotten a whole lot of Qui-Gon POV's, but I found the way he was written here to be very annoying, which might be because of how Qui-Gon feels. He is very annoyed to be on this mission, and it radiates. The story itself I found to be...meh at best. He was sent on this mission by the council, and clings to this quote by Mace reminding him of his duty on the mission, without getting any clear resolution on why Mace said it. One of the weaker stories of the bunch.
  
  The Eye Of The Beholder by Sarwat Chadda has a cool title, just gotta start out with that. It is a story about Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in the depths of the Clone Wars that centers around the POV of a sister, who is trying to protect her brother as the Separatists try to destroy their planet. Something that Chadda writers very well is the destruction that the planet is going through. It is harrowing, especially in the MG genre. The affects of war is horrifying. We fear the character's fear, how they are clinging to hope even though everything is going against them. The ending is a bit to cliché that everything is going to be ok, but the story itself is very well written, plot aside.
  
  A Jedi's Duty by Karen Strong is the story centering around Barriss Offee. It is one of the weaker stories we have gotten, simply because of the resolution it give us. It feels like a story that is drifting a bit, with no clear place where it is going. The way Barriss is written is serviceable, and she has some insightful interactions with those around her. Little seeds are planted for her eventual turn, becoming disillusioned about the war. Barriss is a tricky character to nail, both character wise, and putting them into a story. Strong does a decent job, but it could have been better.
  
  Worthless by Delilah S. Dawson is amazing, but did we honestly expect anything else from Dawson? Asajj Ventress has been written by a lot of people in publishing (Christine Golden, Mike Chen, and Cavan Scott are the first that come to mind), and luckily she has always been written amazingly. Dawson continues that trend. Hunting down on Kenobi on some forrest ridden planet, she ends up falling, concussing herself and breaking her leg. With the help with a clone, who also found himself down there, they intend to escape. While the story does feel like it goes on for a bit too long, the way Dawson writes Ventress and Doc(the clone) makes it so worth it, for their banter alone. A must read.
  
  The Ghosts of Maul by Michael Moreci centers around Darth Maul (no surprise). It is probably the weakest story in the bunch, or one of the weakest. Moreci writes Maul very well, both his dialogue and inner thoughts, but that does save this story from a sub-par plot. My thoughts coming away from this story was...what was its purpose. Basically just reinforcing that Maul wants revenge, but other than that...nothing.
  
  Blood Moon Uprising by Vera Strange is another epic title for a story featuring an epic character, Darth Vader. Strange nails Vader. His dialogue feels like it was ripped right from the movies, and now Kenobi. This deserves massive applause considering how hard it is to nail the voice of Vader. Strange though was given the impossible task, having Vader be all badass like this, and still lose, giving hope to the Rebels on the planet. As we saw in Rogue One, a band of rebels are no match for Lord Vader. For this I cannot fault Strange. She did an amazing job, all things considered.
  
  Luke On The Bright Side by Sam Maggs is about Luke Skywalker, if that was not obvious. Not a whole lot of Luke characters in Star Wars. Its premise is actually quite interesting. We learn a bit about how and why the Rebels settled on Hoth, and the actual amount of worth required. Those caves did not excavate themselves! It is a fun story, but it did get a little hard to follow at times. As in Maggs not only slingshots from past to present, but also between two different characters, and those transitions are pretty seamless, a positive and negative here. A middle of the pack story here.
  
  Masters by Tessa Gratton is probably my favorite tale we got. Set in the background of Return of the Jedi, it is a story centering around The Emperor and Yoda, with conflicting POVs. A balance is struck between what we know and what we don’t, in terms of Yoda’s passing. The dueling POVs is also a subtle callback to their duel in Revenge of The Sith. The way Gratton is able to create a menacing tale, nailing both minds of storied characters, while still sticking to the MG range deserves applause. Bit of a random note, but it also has me very excited for what she can in the genre of the upcoming Quest For Planet X by them.
  
  Through The Turbulence by Roseanne A. Brown is a story centering around Rey and Poe. Definitely a bottom five story in this anthology, though I do not envy the challenge she faced, writing Rey and Poe when they were in a contentious spot for seemingly no reason. Creating backstory is good, especially when the sequels were lacking in doing that for their characters, but the jealousy Poe has makes him seem like a completely different character. Poe does not strike me as the jealous type, nor does Rey strike me as the contentious type, yet they both show those traits. It makes this a frustrating read to say the least, especially with a lacking story.
  
  Jake Bartok, well this was pretty obvious going into this, nailed the art. I do wish he got to do more with it. I expected more of what we got from Grant Griffin in previous anthologies, and given Jake's abilities, that would have been cool, but still, the art is amazing. Every character's looks were nailed to precision by him. The black and white style rubbed me the wrong way at first, but by the end I really did like it.
  
  
  Overall, this book gets 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. There are a good amount of very good stories in this. Heck, Masters by Tessa Gratton makes this book worth it to buy itself. The good stories are very good, but the stories that make this book drag really do bring it down a bit. Some of the stories just don't feel like they do very much, or are forced to have some sort of outcome (take a look at Blood Moon Uprising). That being said, I would still recommend that fans of Star Wars books buy this book. The art and good stories make it worth it.
  
  
  
• 
  Sofia Silva

  I listened to the audiobook and read the ebook along with it.
  
  Started really strong! I loved the first story, it's probably my favorite of the bunch even! I wonder how much these characters get mentioned in the High Republic, specially since all the others are pretty well known! Yet another book that makes me want to read those books (the first one was Padawan).
  
  Maul's one was the one I was looking forward to the most because it's narrated by Mark whiter and it did not disappoint.
  
  The Luke one was so cute!! First of all, the title "Luke on the bright side" I can't resist a good pun.
  The story itself was fun, I love how awkward and relatable he is in it... And also... I kinda ship him & Reyé now 👀 idk it seems to me they found each other attractive, from the way it was narrated by each of their points of views!
  Luke is gay/bi confirmed? I think yes.
• 
  Sarah

  5 stars for Jake Bartok's illustrations and 5 stars for Nika Futterman's and Sam Witwer's audio narrations!
• 
  Ben Brown

  "Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith" is a compilation of 10 short stories, each one of which depicts a recognizable (fan-favorite) Jedi or Sith character from the “Star Wars” universe. For the most part, each segment here is well-honed – of the 10 stories, I’d say 8 work VERY well, 1 is fine, and 1 is mostly forgettable, which isn’t bad odds for a short-story collection. It also doesn’t hurt that the structure of the book, which lists out each story in order according to “Star Wars” chronology, starting with The High Republic timeline and extending all the way into the Sequel era, helps to lend the proceedings an additional thematic heft that it likely would have lacked, had the stories instead been merely assorted randomly. It’s not a home run, but for “Star Wars” fans craving a little extra fix between “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and the upcoming “Andor,” there’s enough quality and variety content here to satisfy.
• 
  Klaudia Amenábar

  This is an unsung gem of an anthology! I waited specifically to listen to the audiobook for Sam Witwer's performance as Maul, and I was not disappointed. Some of my favorite Star Wars audiobook experiences are with the anthologies like the Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark and the FACPOV anthologies, so it was great to have one that included stories from the High Republic and the sequel era as well. People who don't normally pick up the middle grade novels are really missing out, too - this connected so well with many other SW books and comics.
  
  Also.... (slight spoiler alert) was that a hint of something romantic in the Luke Skywalker story? As a queer Star Wars fan I've always read Luke as gay, but this story definitely had some things in it that no straight man I've ever met would think about another man. Oh, Luke, his eyes and hair are pretty? He smells nice? I was jumping up and down with my jaw on the floor. Shout out to gay Luke Skywalker, king of the Chanel Boots.
  
  Overall, this is a great anthology to pick up for a kid or an adult just wanting some Star Wars, but also an essential for a Star Wars fan to read!
• 
  Nova

  THE LUKE AND REY STORIES 🫶🫶
• 
  Brett Wyman

  Ten stories across different eras. Quality ranges from Trash to Excellent.
  
  "What a Jedi Makes" by Michael Kogge
  Set in the High Republic. A 14-year-old Coruscanti boy wants to be a Jedi but is not force sensitive. Yoda gives him a talking to.
  4 stars.
  
  "Resolve" by Alex Segura
  Qui-Gon is on a mission to retrieve a runaway Padawan. Who else ran away from the Order? Qui-Gon's master.
  3.5 stars.
  
  "The Eye of the Beholder" by Sarwat Chadda
  Young kids separated from their parents during the Clone Wars. Anakin and Obi-Wan find the children and search for their parents.
  3 stars.
  
  "A Jedi's Duty" by Karen Strong
  Barriss Offee studies the Geonosis tunnels before the Second Battle of Geonosis. Yawn.
  2 stars.
  
  "Worthless" by Delilah S. Dawson
  Injured Ventress and a Clone Trooper must work together to escape a pit they both got caught in. Very similar to "The Honorable Ones" episode from Rebels.
  4.5 stars.
  
  "The Ghosts of Maul" by Michael Moreci
  Sometime after the Clone Wars, Maul goes to Damanos and enters a Sith Castle. There he confronts figures from his past.
  5 stars.
  
  "Blood Moon Uprising" by Vera Strange
  Vader shows up to an Industrial Hydropower Station trying to seek out rebel activity. Bad portrayal of Vader.
  2.5 stars.
  
  "Luke on the Bright Side" by Sam Maggs
  Luke and a Sergeant chilling on Echo Base. Terrible.
  1 star.
  
  "Masters" by Tessa Gratton
  Retelling the stories of Palps and Yoda from Episodes 3 and 6... why? So much opportunity wasted on a half-assed scattered novelization.
  1 star.
  
  "Through the Turbulence" by Roseanna A. Brown
  Rey and Poe running errands and lose BB-8 and have to search for him. They bicker like a married couple. Boring.
  2.5 stars.
  
  AVERAGE SCORE
  2.9 stars rounded to 3 stars.
• 
  Daniel Kukwa

  Surprisingly adult and powerful for a YA book...and aside from the Ventress story (I have no interest in here), most of these tales offer fascinating insights into Jedi and Sith characters across 200 years. The finale tale with Ray and Poe is a bit of a soft conclusion; the Qui-Gon & Maul stories are easily the best of the bunch.
• 
  CadmanReads

  A very easy five stars.
  
  This is a really enjoyable set of stories.
  
  Usually, I find these anthologies hit and miss but I liked every one of the stories.
  
  The audiobook production is excellent too.
  
• 
  Kieran McAndrew

  This is a nice collection of short stories set in the 'Star Wars' universe which explores the balance between good and evil, serving it up in many different styles, showcasing the quality of writing in the 'Star Wars' range.
• 
  ⟡ brittney ⟡

  Some of these stories fell a little flat for me, but the ones that didn't really shined through and got me to come around considerably to the anthology. I especially loved Ventress', Barriss', and Rey's stories in this one.
• 
  Mark Lennon

  Nice little twist on things, I enjoyed it emmensly, and always nice to get a bit more Vader in the stories! 9/10
• 
  Lillian

  I read the entire anthology the day it was delivered. Overall, the compendium of stories were put together well and the cast of characters they were centered around were mostly my favorites.
  Here are a few thoughts and my individual ratings to each story:
  1. Yoda: Set roughly 300 years prior to the prequels the story focuses on a young boy who wants to become a jedi. The short narrative of him trying to sneak into the temple and help the jedi defeat a criminal organization was fun. Yoda came in late but had some important things to say about the vast nature of what it means to be a jedi. Rating: 3 stars
  2. Qui-Gon: I really enjoyed this short snipped into the life of Obi-Wans master. Set a few years before the Phantom Menace, this adventure is following Qui-Gon on a mission to find a stray Padawan on an icy planet. The humor and nature of Qui-Gon were expertly portrayed and I liked the inner conflict he had about his place in the order, shortly after his own master made the decision of leaving. Rating: 4 stars
  3. Obi-Wan and Anakin: Possible the story I was most looking forward to but was most disappointed in the end. The two jedi are barely in it. Instead, the narrative focuses on two children who are trapped in their home whilst the droid army attacks their city. They do get rescued by Anakin and Obi-Wan, but there is no personality really displayed in the following adventure. There is no bantering between the two. No perspective from their eyes onto the situation. Obi-Wan barely says two words. Anakin does have a little fun moment of foreshadowing his duel with Dooku in Episode 3, but that’s it. The entire story fell short for me. I guess it’s interesting to see how those two legends are viewed from the perspective of those who are saved by them, but considering this volume is about Jedi and Sith, I would have preferred to have read another story about Anakin and Obi-Wan. Rating: 3 stars
  4. Barriss Offee: This is one of my two favorite stories in the entire book. Barriss inner monologue centers around her trauma from Geonosis and the conflict she feels in becoming a warrior instead of a peacekeeper. The darkness that slowly creeps into her soul and the other jedi being unable to understand and help her are brilliantly written. Especially the fact that she does not consider herself to be evil or wants others to be harmed is making her transition to become an antagonist so much more believable. Rating: 5 stars
  5. Ventress: Another story I really liked. Ventress is also shown as a tragic character in this text and her relationship with both the force and the individuals around her are the center of the narrative. Her fight for survival never lets her find the peace she so desperately needs and never knew. The banter between her and the clone (Doc) was the highlight in this story for me. Rating: 5 stars
  6. Darth Maul: Next to Barriss Offees story my other favorite. Mauls search for power and revenge leads him into darkness and he has to confront his past. His fight with the ghosts of enemies and allies was so brilliantly written. I could see Ray Parks acrobatics and hear Sam Witwers voice in the halls of the Sith temple. Rating: 5 stars
  7. Darth Vader: Vaders mission in this one is basic and the fight with the rebels shows his power really well. There is so much action in this text, that very little time is spent with inner monologues or thoughts of the characters. No real backstory is given to any of the characters. Rating: 3 stars
  8. Luke Skywalker: Great dialogue. A lot of references and it’s always fun to see how Luke establishes himself as a character next to his arc in the movies. Overall, I don’t remember much of this story. Rating: 2 stars
  9. Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine: Basically, a retelling of Episode 3 fight between Yoda and Sidous and then another retelling of Yodas death in Episode 6 and Palpatine waiting for Luke to arrive on the second Deathstar. It was nice to revisit some of the scenes from Palpatines point of view. However, in the end, I think I would have preferred to read something more original than a retelling. Why not use this opportunity and tell us about something the emperor did in the 19 years before Episode 4? Rating: 3 stars
  10. Rey: No. Just no. Forgettable characters, bad storytelling. Laughable narrative. If anything, this story made me appreciate the OG and prequel trilogy as well as all the other stories in this book more. Rating: 1 star
  Fun fact: Obi-Wan Kenobi is in most of the stories. He gets mentioned so many times it became a game for me to find his next appearance. Again, a testament on how integral he is for the entire saga.
  I am glad I bought and read this book. Will probably pick up the other Clone Wars anthology.
  I would recommend this book specially to Clone Wars fans, fans of Episode 6 and the book series of Jude Watson. Sequel fans, … I don’t know if this is for you. If you really want to read one story with your faves I guess it is. But it would really benefit anyone to be a fan of the OG movies and especially the prequels.
  
• 
  Benedict Wong

  The audio narration made up for the a good number of lacklustre stories
• 
  Tiziana

  Da dieses Buch aus mehreren kurzen Geschichten besteht, werde ich in dieser Rezension nicht das gesamte Buch bewerten sondern jede dieser Geschichten einzeln, da es so sehr viel mehr Sinn ergibt.
  Für alle die bereits "Geschichten von Licht und Dunkelheit kennen", dieses Buch ist genau gleich aufgebaut nur eben mit folgenden Charakteren:
  
  -Yoda
  -Qui-Gon Jinn
  -Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi
  -Barris Offee
  -Asajj Ventress
  -Darth Maul
  -Darth Vader
  -Luke Skywalker
  -Imperator Palpatine
  -Rey Skywalker
  
  Was einen Jedi ausmacht (Yoda)
  - Michael Kogge
  
  Yoda kommt in dieser Geschichte tatsächlich gar nicht oft vor. Hier geht es um einen kleinen Jungen der unbedingt ein Jedi sein möchte und sich Yoda als Vorbild und Hoffnung nimmt. Eine schöne Geschichte die zeigt, dass jeder das sein kann was er möchte, wenn er nur fest daran glaubt und arbeitet. Yoda gibt einem kleinen Jungen Hoffnung von der er sonst keine besaß. Die Geschichte zeigt den guten Teil der Jedi, wie sie eigentlich immer hätten sein sollen.
  
  Entschlossenheit (Qui-Gon Jinn)
  - Alex Segura
  
  Die Geschichte an sich was nicht so sonderlich interessant meiner Meinung nach. Dennoch fand ich es unfassbar toll mal eine Geschichte über Qui-Gon zu lesen! Was ich allerdings sehr interessant fand, war bessere Einblicke in seine Gedanken und seinen Konflikt zu bekommen. In sein Leiden dass er mit sich trägt seit dem sein Meister Count Dooku ihn und die Jedi verraten hat.
  
  Das Auge des Betrachters (Anakin und Obi-Wan)
  - Sarwat Chadda
  
  Und mal wieder sind Anakin Skywalker und Obi-Wan Kenobi zur Stelle und riskieren ihr Leben für zwei kleine Kinder um sie vor den Separatisten zu retten. Viel kann ich zu dieser Geschichte nicht sagen außer, dass ich es sehr schön zu lesen fand was die beiden für andere bedeuten und das sie ein Symbol der Hoffnung sind. Vorallem Anakin war so einfühlsam gegenüber den beiden Kindern was seinen Fall zur dunklen Seite nur noch schmerzhafter machte. Diese Geschichte fühlte sich an wie ein Messer in einer offenen Wunde...großes Lob an den Autor für diese fantastische Umsetzung.
  
  Die Pflicht eines Jedi (Barris Offee)
  - Karen Strong
  
  Wow! Einfach nur wow! Ich hätte niemals gedacht dass ich je einen Einblick in Barris Gedanken und inneren Konflikt haben werde, aber hier ist er. Diese Geschichte war unglaublich schmerzhaft aber sie lässt einen Barris Taten so viel besser verstehen. Ich habe die ganze Zeit über richtig mit ihr mitgefühlt und habe eine unglaubliche Sympathie für sie aufgebaut. Ich glaube keinem wird jemals so richtig bewusst sein was Barris durchmachen musste bis er diese Geschichte gelesen hat. Ganz großes Lob an die Autorin für diesen unglaublich guten Einblick in Barris!
  
  Nutzlos (Asajj Ventress)
  - Delilah S. Dawson
  
  Mal wieder eine sehr gelungene Geschichte über Ventress! Dieses Mal muss sich Ventress mit einem Klon zusammentun und mit ihm arbeiten um lebendig aus einer Höhle wieder herauszukommen, während sich draußen Klone und Kampfdroiden mal wieder ein erbitterter Kampf liefern. Beide sind aufeinander angewiesen, was die Situation nicht unbedingt leicht macht. Man merkt jedoch wie die beiden im Laufe der Zeit immer besser zusammen arbeiten und sich gegenseitig, wenn auch etwas widerwillig unterstützen. Am Ende des Abenteuers gehen beide, trotz ihrer Abscheu gegenüber dem anderen, einfach ihren Weg und Ventress fängt an zu realisieren wie unnötig diese Kriege sind und dass keine der beiden Parteien auch nur irgendetwas davon hat. Meiner Meinung sehr gut geschrieben! Es gibt einen sehr guten Einblick in Ventress Gedanken und Entwicklung aber auch eine gute und etwas andere Sicht auf die Klonkriege.
  
  Die Geister von Maul (Darth Maul)
  - Michael Moreci
  
  Eigentlich mag ich die Geschichten von Maul nicht, da ich den Charakter an sich nicht besonders gut leiden kann aber auch weil es in seinen Geschichten immer nur um seine Rache geht, was mich enorm langweilt.
  Auch hier geht es mal wieder um Mauls Rachefeldzug. Allerdings muss ich sagen, dass diese Geschichte hier gar nicht mal so schlecht war. Darth Maul muss sich mehreren Geistern aus seiner Vergangenheit stellen um an das zu kommen was er für seine weitere Rache braucht. Als er jedoch alle diese Geister besiegt hat, merkt er dass es alles umsonst war und er absolut nichts davon mitgenommen hat außer dass es ihn enorm geschwächt hat.
  
  Blutmondaufstand (Darth Vader)
  - Vera Strange
  
  Mal wieder kommt Darth Vaders Brutalität zum Vorschein, als er ein paar Rebellen jagt und vernichten will. Meiner Meinung nach war diese Geschichte sehr gut umgesetzt! Sie zeigte ganz deutlich die Wut in Darth Vader und zu was er allem fähig ist. Sehr großes Lob an die Autorin, denn man merkt sehr deutlich, dass sie diesen Charakter sehr gut versteht und weiß wie sie ihn umzusetzen hat. Ich würde mir weitere Darth Vader Geschichten von ihr wünschen.
  
  Luke auf der Sonnenseite (Luke Skywalker)
  -Sam Maggs
  
  Ich weiß gar nicht wo ich anfangen soll...
  Ich frage mich wirklich ob diese Autorin jemals auch nur einen einzigen Star Wars Film gesehen hat.
  Wie schafft man es meinen absoluten Lieblingscharakter- Luke Skywalker - in eine Person zu verwandeln die ich absolut nicht ausstehen konnte.
  Luke ist in dieser Story enorm überheblich, dumm, trotzig wie ein 5 Jähriger, hat permanent vor allem angst und generell benimmt er sich wie ein kleines Kind das Bestätigung sucht. Wahrscheinlich hätte ein Kleinkind die Situation besser gehandhabt.
  Nun zur Geschichte an sich. Zu allererst mal hat sie überhaupt keinen Sinn ergeben. Luke muss sich mit einem Rebellen Sergeant aus einer misslichen Lage auf Hoth befreien, das Problem ist nur dass die beiden nicht wirklich miteinander klarkommen. Zur Info die Geschichte findet kurz vor den Ereignissen von "Das Imperium schlägt zurück" statt. Der Rebell hat ganz deutlich enorm viel gegen die Jedi, was für mich wenig Sinn ergibt da er von Naboo stammt und die Jedi dort nie verachtet wurden. Auch hat Naboo nie unter den Jedi gelitten wie dieser Sergeant es beschreibt. Generell wird Luke Skywalker angeblich von relativ vielen Rebellen weder gemocht noch in irgendeiner Weise wertgeschätzt, was auch überhaupt keinen Sinn ergibt wenn man sich die Ereignisse aus "Eine neue Hoffnung" anschaut. Ebenfalls kann man deutlich in "Das Imperium schlägt zurück" erkennen, dass Luke sehr wohl von der Rebelleneinheit auf Hoth gemocht und hoch geschätzt wird.
  Der Rebellen Sergeant kann Luke ja offenkundig nicht ausstehen, trotzdem erwähnt er immer wieder Dinge wie: Lukes Haare seien unglaublich schön, er habe tolle blaue Augen, er riecht gut etc. In jeder anderen Situation hätte ich wahrscheinlich gedacht "Ah er steht auf Luke deswegen kann er ihn nicht leiden." und das ganze amüsant gefunden. Bei dieser Situation fand ich das allerdings vollkommen unpassend und es hat meiner Meinung nach in keinster Weise in die Geschichte gepasst. Es war weder süß noch amüsant noch sonst irgendwas sondern vollkommen irrelevant für die Geschichte.
  Wie bereits erwähnt passiert dieses kurze Ereignis, kurz vor den Ereignissen in "Das Imperium schlägt zurück". Lukes Fähigkeiten waren zu dem Zeitpunkt als Obi-Wan ihm das erste Mal ein Lichtschwert in die Hand drückt besser als in dieser Geschichte. Ich glaube jeder der zumindest die Original Star Wars Triologie gesehen hat weiß, dass sich Lukes Fähigkeiten zwischen "Eine neue Hoffnung" und " Das Imperium schlägt zurück" deutlich verbessert haben. Tja ich weiß ja nicht aber in dieser Geschichte sieht es so aus als wären sie zurück gegangen, nämlich auf 0.
  Permanent wird Lukes Angst angedeutet. Und zwar seine Angst vor der Dunkelheit. Ich glaube das sollte symbolisch sein, für seine eigentliche Angst vor der dunklen Seite der Macht. War nur echt scheiße umgesetzt und ließ Luke dastehen wie ein kleines Kind, welches sich gleich in die Hosen macht. Und jetzt mal ernsthaft Luke hat zu dem Zeitpunkt Darth Vader gesehen, sich auf ein Imperiales Schiff geschlichen, gegen Sturmtruppen gekämpft, den Todesstern zerstört...und rastet aus vor Angst wegen einer dunklen Höhle auf Hoth?!
  Ich könnte mich noch ewig darüber aufregen aber egal.
  Ich habe bereits SEHR viel negatives von dieser Autorin gehört in Bezug auf Star Wars, habe mir dabei allerdings nicht viel gedacht denn naja Star Wars Fans eben... Allerdings muss ich leider zugeben dass sie recht hatten. Diese Autorin sollte ganz dringend die Finger von Star Wars lassen oder sich zumindest mit vorher richtig mit den Dingen über die sie schreibt auseinandersetzen. Es tut mir in der Seele weh mit anzusehen wie mein Lieblingscharakter so dermaßen verunstaltet wurde.
  
  Meister (Imperator Palpatine)
  -Tessa Gratton
  
  Nich schlecht geschrieben. Ich fand es interessant, mal etwas mehr über die Gedanken von Palpatine zu erfahren. Jedoch muss ich sagen, dass diese Geschichte sehr langweilig war, da sie einfach nur ein paar Ereignisse aus "Die Rückkehr der Jedi Ritter" und "Die Rache der Sith" wiederholt hatte. Das fand ich etwas enttäuschend, da dieses Buch eigentlich voller neuer Geschichten der Charaktere ist bzw sein soll. Geschichten die man noch gar nicht kennt. Ich hätte es einfach sehr viel interessanter gefunden mal etwas Neues über Palpatine zu erfahren. Schade.
  
  Durch die Turbulenzen (Rey Skywalker)
  - Roseanne A. Brown
  
  Ich kann nicht viel dazu sagen, außer dass es eine wundervolle Geschichte ist. Ich habe es geliebt mehr über Rey und ihre Abenteuer zu erfahren. In dieser Geschichte muss Rey ein kleines Abenteuer zusammen mit Poe meistern. Sehr schön zu lesen war, wie sich Poes und Reys Verhältnis zueinander enorm verbessert hat und das die beiden sich zwar oft in die Haare kriegen aufgrund von unterschiedlichen Meinungen, aber sich trotzdem sehr brauchen und nicht ohne einander können. (Wenn ich noch mehr von den beiden lese/sehe fang ich noch an die beiden zu shippen 😳🤭). Schön war auch zu lesen, wie tief Reys und Lukes Verbindung eigentlich geht, dass er ihr Mentor ist und sie durch ihn so viel Wichtiges gelernt hat. Ich glaube das wird in den Filmen gar nicht so sehr deutlich weswegen ich es schön fand, dass es nochmal vertieft wurde. Man konnte auch sehr gut erkennen wie Rey immer mehr dazu lernt und immer mehr wächst Mithilfe ihrer Freunde, die auch ihre Familie sind. So wunderschön, wirklich ganz toll geschrieben. Auch hier merkt man einfach ganz deutlich, dass die Autorin weiß was sie da schreibt. Sie hat sehr offensichtlich Reys Charakter unglaublich gut verstanden als wäre Rey ihre Kreation. Ich hoffe wirklich sehr, dass sie uns noch mit weiteren Geschichten von Rey beehren wird!!!
  
  Im Großen und Ganzen hat mir das Buch sehr gut gefallen!!! Reys und Barris Geschichten sind definitiv meine Favoriten. Allerdings gefällt mir dieses Buch nicht so gut wie "Geschichten von Licht und Dunkelheit " was mich sehr überrascht hat, denn "Geschichten von Jedi und Sith" beinhaltet komplett neue Geschichten, teilweise auch über Charaktere über die man sonst eher weniger weiß. Im Gegensatz zu "Geschichten von Licht und Dunkelheit " da dieses Buch ja bereits existierende Geschichten beinhaltet, nur eben aus einer anderen Perspektive. Das "Problem" bei diesem Buch ist, dass es trotz der neuen Geschichten doch teilweise langweilige und auch eine meiner Meinung nach sehr SEHR schlechte Story (siehe Lukes Geschichte) beinhaltet, weswegen es auch einen Stern Abzug gibt. Alles in allem kann ich dieses Buch nur empfehlen und jedem Star Wars Fan ans Herzen legen, denn man erfährt so viel Neues, Interessantes und Wichtiges!
• 
  Chuy Ruiz

  This was a cool book. Fun for getting a little more out of characters you already know. I feel like the stories were very short. Some were better than others, as is expected. Overall, nothing revelatory happened here.
• 
  Tim

  Original and enjoyable stories that are often linked to events from the movies or series. A
• 
  Anny Barros

  What a Jedi Makes by Michael Kogge - 4/5
  Resolve by Alex Segura - 3.5/5
  The Eye of the Beholder by Sarwat Chadda - 5/5
  A Jedi's Duty by Karen Strong - 4.5/5
  Worthless by Delilah S. Dawson - 4/5
  The Ghosts of Maul by Michael More I - 3.5/5
  Blood Moon Uprising by Vera Strange - 4/5
  Luke on the Bright Side by Sam Maggs - 5/5
  Masters by Tessa Gratton - 3.5/5
  Through the Turbulence by Roseanne A. Brown - 4/5
  
• 
  Meg Dowell

  Every story in this collection made me fall in love with Star Wars a little bit more. Characters you know. Characters you don't. These stories are deep and powerful and 100% worth the read!
• 
  Rachel

  This was delightful, and I want the hard copy now after borrowing the e-book from the library. I laughed many times during Luke’s story, and could picture Rey and Poe arguing very clearly 😂
• 
  Emma

  Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith is an anthology collection of 10 stories written by 10 different authors. The tales in this book span all different eras of the Star Wars universe. As has almost always been the case when I read these Star Wars anthology books,the 4-star rating reflects my feelings on the book overall as a whole. Like I did with the Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View books, I will give mini synopses of each the stories in this book.
  
  (You may remember that I didn't do this with the Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark anthology when I read it in 2020. That was only because I haven't seen every single episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Now, some of the stories in Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith do take place during the Clone Wars. I still haven't actually finished that series. But by this point, I'd like to think that I have a better understanding of that era.)
  
  The 1st story was called What a Jedi Makes, by Michael Kogge. It takes places during the time of the High Republic, and is about a 14-year-old orphan boy raised on the lower, poorer levels of Coruscant who dreams of becoming a Jedi. He is unnamed for most of the story, until it's mentioned that his name is Lohim Nara. His aspirations are thwarted by a 14 year-old girl Reina Bilass, an actual Jedi Padawan. She lays out all sorts of reasons why Lohim can't become a Jedi. Then these 2 teens teams up to defeat some thugs called the Ganzee. Yoda gives Lohim advice. And we learn that Reina is similar to Lohim, in that she, too, originally came from the slums of Couruscant before she was found by the Jedi and bought to the Temple.
  
  The 2nd story was called Resolve, by Alex Segura. It is set sometime prior to Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Qui-Gon Jinn is tasked with traveling to a planet called Destina to find a missing Padawan named Lizel Liit. But he falls into the trap. Luckily, Qui-Gon finds Lizel and they escape from Destina.
  
  The 3rd story was called The Eye of the Beholder, by Sarwat Chadda. This story is the first in a string of stories from the book to take place during the Clone Wars. Anakin Skywaker and Obi-Wan Kenobi are on a planet called Devalok where they rescue a girl named Zohra and her younger brother, Dumuz.
  
  The 4th story was called A Jedi's Duty, by Karen Strong. It serves as a prequel to the episode of Clone Wars in which the character of Barriss Offee made her debut.
  
  The 5th story is called Worthless, by Delilah S. Dawson. Asajj Ventress and a Clone Trooper named Doc become stranded together.
  
  The 6th story was called The Ghosts of Maul, by Michael Moreci. Darth Maul is haunted by specters from his past. These include the ghosts of his brother, Savage Opress, General Grievous and Qui-Gon Jinn, whom Maul infamously killed in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
  
  The 7th story was called Blood Moon Rising, by Vera Strange, A.K.A. Jennifer Brody. It centers on Darth Vader. Although, from a certain point of view, you could say this is the second story in the book to be about Anakin Skywalker, since Vader and Anakin are the same person. (If you don't know that by now, I have to assume that you have literally been living under a rock since 1980.) He travels to an Imperial refinery on the Mid-Rim jungle moon of Tsukimitsurin, where he encounters an young Wookiee girl named Kataarynnna and a Rebel cell.
  
  The 8th story was called Luke on the Bright Side, by Sam Maggs. Now we switch gears from Darth Vader to his son, Luke Skywalker. (Again, this is one of those things that everyone should know by now, because Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back has been out for 42 years.) It's set just before the events on ESB. The Rebellion has started building Echo Base on Hoth. Luke and a fellow Rebel, named Sargent Reye Hollis, get caught in a cave in on the nascent Echo Base. I would say this was by favorite story in the whole book. But it's told from the dueling perspectives of Luke and Reye, and written in a way that was a bit hard to follow.
  
  The 9th story was called Masters, by Tessa Gratton. It takes places during the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Emperor Palpatine is in his throne room aboard the second Death Star. While waiting for Darth Vader to arrive with Luke, Palpatine recalls his long-ago duel with Yoda, as seen in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He also senses the moment Yoda dies, which as I'm sure you're all aware, is a major scene in ROTJ.
  
  The 10th and final story was called Through the Turbulence, by Roseanne A. Brown. It take places between Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi and Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, and centers on Rey and Poe Dameron. If you've seen the latter movie, you'll know that Rey and Poe have a somewhat contentious relationship at the beginning. This story explains why that is.
  
  All in all, I really liked this book.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Saimi Korhonen

  ”I like to have a purpose. Doesn’t everyone? Isn’t that something all people need, across space and time – Jedi or Sith, good or bad? Aren’t we all just looking for our purpose in this big, empty, dark galaxy?”
  
  Stories of Jedi and Sith is a collection of original short stories about famous and beloved Jedi and Sith from the Star Wars universe. The stories are written for a younger audience in mind, but I, as a nearly 25-year-old fan, had a great time reading them, connected with them and felt myself moved by them.
  
  Here's a brief review for every story:
  
  - What a Jedi Makes (5/5) - Set in the High Republic era, this was a heartwarming story about what it means to be a Jedi, who can be a Jedi and who Yoda was at this point. I liked seeing how the Jedi were a lot more flexible and accepting during the HR. To me, High Republic Yoda is Yoda at his best.
  
  - Resolve (3/5) - A Qui-Gon story that takes place after Dooku has left the Order. It was a fun story, but nothing special, definitely one of the more forgettable stories in the collection in my opinion. I liked the central message of how everyone fucks up sometimes and how getting up again and learning and growing is what's most important.
  
  - Eye of the Beholder (5/5) - A story of how a child Anakin and Obi-Wan help during the Clone Wars sees these two war heroes, how they shape her life and their view of the galaxy and the Jedi. This story was one of the most emotional ones, and I got attached to the narrator very quickly. I liked exploring the senselessness of war from the point of view of a civilian. Anakin and Obi-Wan were perfectly themselves in this story, especially Anakin.
  
  - A Jedi's Duty (5/5) - My favorite story of the collection! I like Barriss Offee a lot as a character and this deep dive into how she feels about the war and the Jedi fighting in it was interesting considering where she ends up. This story made me feel so bad for her and so angry at the Jedi Order (and Luminara) because Barriss is clearly deeply traumatised and confused and frightened, but no one really helps her or takes this into consideration properly. I liked exploring this darker side of the Jedi, a side that clearly shows you how they are losing themselves.
  
  - Worthless (4/5) - An interesting story about Asajj Ventress having to rely on an enemy to survive. I didn't feel like I learned anything new about her while reading this, but I do love her, so any stories with her in it are fun. Also, Delilah Dawson's prose is always a joy to read.
  
  - The Ghosts of Maul (4/5) - Another solid, interesting story. If I was a bigger fan of Maul, I think this story would've been my fave. I do like the dude, so I did like the story, but it didn't wow me the same way as, say, Barriss's story did. I enjoyed the callbacks to the Clone Wars and the scene with the final ghost Maul has to face was superb.
  
  - Blood Moon Uprising (2,5/5) - There are so many Vader stories in the new canon so it is not easy for a story to really stand out. This one did not manage it. It was merely okay.
  
  - Luke on the Bright Side (3/5) - A very funny story about Luke having to work with a rebel who doesn't quite like him on Hoth. I had some trouble imagining ESB!Luke saying the lines Luke had in this story - the narration didn't always feel super authentic to SW - but it was still a lot of fun. It was also a very gay little story, and I'm happy for all the peeps out there who have headcanoned Luke as queer.
  
  - Masters (4/5) - One of the best written stories in the collection. I liked how Gratton explored Palpatine's grudges, hatred and frustration over Yoda and not having succeeded in killing him in ROTS. The way Gratton contrasted Palpatine's fury and bitterness with Yoda's calm in his last moments beautifully highlighted the difference between the Jedi and Sith. I also was super emotional about some of the stuff Yoda thought about Luke, such as: ”The boy is good. He must stay good.”
  
  - Through the Turbulence (3,5/5) - A fun story about Rey and Poe on a mission post-TLJ. They do not know each other super well yet nor do they really like each other, but I liked seeing them be forced to work together and learning to open up to one another. I do still have some issues with how TLJ and TROS changed Poe's character to be so very Han-like - in this story a lot of what he said and did felt exactly like something Han would do, which is a shame, cause the Poe we had in stories before eps 8 and 9 was a rather different person.
  
  I would happily recommend this book. This was, in my opinion, a lot better than the first book like this we got, Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark. Some of the stories were better than others, but overall, I enjoyed reading these stories and some of them even made me appreciate characters I already loved even more!