Last week I read The Living Force by John Jackson Miller! This book was just a delight to read. I loved getting to see all of the different Jedi really shine and to really see all of their personalities. As a lover of the Jedi, this book really filled me with joy while also exploring the beginnings of the end for the Order in a different way than we sometimes see.
Spoilers ahead for The Living Force by John Jackson Miller!
I was so in love with how we got to see each member of the council really shine on their own here. I think sometimes people don't really see that each individual Jedi is their own person with their own personality, interests and relationship to the Force, and especially so when it comes to the Council. It is too easy to write them off as a collective, when they're each their own people. I loved getting to see that. I didn't expect it when I started the book, but I am now a massive Yarael Poof fan. I loved how silly he was, and especially with the children he was training. But each Jedi shined- I loved Ki-Adi Mundi's sometimes painful awkwardness and social unawareness, Saesee Tiin just wanting to work on machines, Eeth Koth's very logistical mind, Plo Koon particular blend of dry humor with kindness, and every other member of the Council- it was all amazing to read! Especially because these characters get written off by so many as "corrupt" or "arrogant," I loved affirming that while their position puts them in a tough spot in many scenarios, they're still Jedi. And Jedi are good, and they want to help people- but they're also people, and sometimes that means they make mistakes or don't make the right choice. It makes them so much more interesting this way, and I really appreciated the care that was put in.
We also get to see Depa Billaba on an interesting undercover mission in a crime syndicate, which as fun and thrilling as it is sometimes stressful. She is such a wise Jedi master that it is really cool to see her take on that role- as well as seeing Mace still act as a protective master towards her even long after she's been his padawan and is now on the Council herself.
I also loved how it showed that the Jedi were receptive to Qui-Gon (as well as the reveal at the end of the book that Yoda was in on it the whole time, that made me laugh a bit). I think it's easy to interpret Qui-Gon's relationship with the Council to be adverserial, but I've never felt that way based on The Phantom Menace or Claudia Gray's Master & Apprentice. While they both differ, and Qui-Gon is certainly unorthodox, there is still respect and appreciation in that relationship, going both ways. Qui-Gon's challenge to "help one person" and his urging for the Council to leave Coruscant and see people on the ground level is taken very seriously throughout the entire book by the entire Council, and they all reference Qui-Gon's words frequently, showing that while the Jedi Council values tradition, they also don't close themselves off to other points of view as they are sometimes accused of.
I also feel like this book fleshes out a very key, but often overlooked part of what brings the Jedi down, and that is the Republic's pressure on them. While the Jedi are fallible and certainly made mistakes, ultimately the prequels are the story of the Republic's fall, and how they dragged the Jedi down with them. In the book, we see that Chancellor Valorum (as well as of course, senators like Palpatine) are putting more and more pressure on the Jedi to handle things that they don't really want to take part in- from labor disputes to brand deals for boots. And while Adi Gallia and Yoda resist many of the offers, it does make for an interesting look at how the relationship between the two is eroding the integrity of the Jedi. Trying to be a good part of the team, the Jedi compromise, and more than they should.
The Jedi want to work with the Republic because Republic resources allow them to help more people than they could otherwise, and the Jedi are valuable as diplomats and counselors. But the Republic just wants to take and take from the Jedi, and feels entitled to use them for everything instead of putting their own resources in to things. It's a fascinating example of how something that starts from the best of intentions (the Republic and Jedi working together as a symbiotic relationship for the good of the galaxy) can become corrupted.
It is because of the Republic pulling the Jedi towards what they deem important- for whatever reason- and having the power to mandate the closure of Jedi outposts that we see the integrity of the order begin to suffer. When Jedi outposts close, the communities around them suffer without the Jedi being part of their communities, but the Republic keeps mandating their closure because they're just looking at numbers. The Jedi don't resist as much as they should, and because as these outposts close, they become more alienated from their communities and they begin to look more at "big picture" and less at the "little guy" too. While their hearts are arguably in the right place, it's these kinds of decisions that unfortunately leave them vulnerable to the destruction at Palpatine's hand, and it is sad to see, though very fascinatingly written in this story.
I definitely recommend The Living Force to anyone looking for a fun Jedi adventure, as well as some exploration of what leads to their unfortunate fall.
コメント