The Rising Force is a very exciting book. The characters are sometimes funny. (Well, I wouldn't count Bant, who has salmon-colored skin, who's room smells like salt, and who's skin is moist and sticky.) Oh well, not every book is perfect, but judging on the story and details, i would definitely give this book five stars. Although this series is sci-fi adventures, there are also some sad or touching parts that can even make you cry! If you're a Star Wars fan, you should definitely get this book!
The only problem I have with this book is the price. I didn't realize just how short it was. It took me just an evening to finish. I also had the next book and read it the next night. It seems that these books should have been put together into a much larger book. I felt a little ripped off. I'm going to get the rest of the series from the library:o)
Twelve-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi has only a few weeks to be made a padawan apprentice, but after a fight he is assigned to the Agri-Corps, a farming brigade. He hoped to become the apprentice of Qui-Gon Jinn, but Qui-Gon's tortured past and memories intrude on his chances. Qui-Gon lost his second apprentice to the Dark Side (see book two) and is unwilling to take the risk of another.
Obi-Wan is devastated that he will not become a Jedi, but like a Jedi he sets off to the agricultural planet of Bandomeer. Soon he discovers that things are going rottenly -- he is beaten by a Hutt, and is told by a mining leader Clat'Ha that the Hutts and the timid Arconan miners are at odd with one another. Obi-Wan naively believes that he can deal with the situation -- but things only get worse when he tries. Even worse, Qui-Gon is traveling on the same transport.
When pirates attack the ship, Qui-Gon is seriously injured and the ship is crippled. Obi-Wan manages to land it on a planet - where there is little food, water and shelter, but huge numbers of reptilian draigons. When the Hutts take control of a vital resource for the Arconan and try to blackmail them into servitude, Obi-Wan must learn a vital lesson about being a true Jedi and about the Force...
I didn't particularly like Wolverton's "Courtship of Princess Leia," but he does an excellent job with Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Yoda and the background of it all. His strong point (more so than successor Jude Watson) is action scenes, which are tight and evocative; the scene with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fighting draigons is especially entrancing.
Though I find some of the Hutts' actions a bit odd (Crawling between rocks? Those hulks?) the book is very close to perfect. The two Jedi are shored up by an excellent supporting cast, including Clat'Ha, the tough but not nasty mining director; Si Treemba the young Arconan miner who befriends Obi-Wan; and the villainous Jemba.
WARNING: This book may cause instant addiction, causing you to sprint for the second book. Sadly the following books are not as good as the first of the series, but are nevertheless a good read.
This book starts with a training lightsaber duel between obvious rivals Obi-Wan and Bruck, Bruck being the cruel and nasty one, Obi-Wan be the victem of teasing. They are both nearing 3, the age at which they MUST be chosen as Padawans, or they lose the chance of becoming a Jedi. Bruck withholds from Obi-Wan the knowledge that the famous Qui-Gon Jinn will be there the next day, maybe to choose a Padawan. Obi-Wan gets mad and Bruck provokes him, so they both get hurt. Obi-Wan, being the nice sort, goes to his room without complaining to bind his burns. Bruck, however, makes a show and a story of how 'Obi-Wan attaked with absolutly no provocation and beat him up'. So Obi-Wan gets in trouble. He has a lightsaber duel for Qui-Gon with Bruck, then gets sent to some planet to be a farmer, but collides with Qui-Gon. They fight a bad guy together and blah blah blah. Qui-Gon seems to be a mean old person in this first book, but readers shall find out he is not in the future.
I loved this book and recomend it to absolutly anyone who likes to read, regardless of age. Well, those Yuzhang Vhong have returned, so I'm off to fighting them with Luke again.
Mara Jade