The Last of the Jedi Vol 2 / Jude Watson : 3 of 5

It's been a long time since I've read one these Scholastic Star Wars books, but since I enjoyed both Jedi Apprentice and Jedi Quest so much (both by the same author), I decided I had to get into this latest series. I read the first volume ages ago, and now that I'm working on all of my unread books, this second volume finally made it into my hands. The Last of the Jedi series focuses on Obi-Wan's life on Tatooine after Episode III, silently watching over baby Luke from afar and communicating with Qui-Gon via the Force. This story quickly ends up off planet, however, thanks to the re-introduction of Anakin's old friend Ferus (a character from the Jedi Quest series), and soon there's tons of action as they outwit Boba Fett! The plot then splits as Ferus travels to Ilum (the place where lightsaber crystals come from) to find another still-living Jedi, and Obi-Wan visits Polis Massa, where Padme gave birth to the twins. Obi-Wan's side of the story is really fascinating, as the Empire starts reviewing medical records and discover certain materials missing from inventory that could be evidence about the secret births (a pretty complex plot for a young readers story!). Overall, this volume had a little too much action (which ultimately is a little boring when you're just reading descriptions of battles), but thankfully also included some nice character insight for Obi-Wan and his grief about Anakin's fall. I'm happy to be reading these books again, and I'm excited about the next volume!