Customer Reviews

The Ties That Bind (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice, Book 14)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have had the privaliage of reading this book already. I thought that it was one of the best in the series. Jude watson is a great writer and always manages to write wonderful (yet sort) stories. I have to say that this one of favorite boooks in the series. In this book obi-wan is now 16. And still under the training of Qui-gon Jinn. The thing that I really appreciated in this book is how jude watson shows how the relationship between them has grown since the last book "The dangerous rescue" The plot of this book begins with Qui-gon having a very powerful vision of his long time friend tahl in some sort of great danger. So he races back to the temple only to find that she is just fine and on her way to a mission to a planet that the two of them had visited 6 years ago. The planet's leader had been mudered and the temple had received a message from his twin daughters requesting help to get off the planet. Qui-gon does not want tahl to go by herself, still she does anyway. After a while Qui-gon gets anxious and decides to go after her even though it forbidden by the jedi council. He goes to the planet only to discover that things are not what they seem and that danger for the jedi is everywhere. This book is filled with suspense and some really great plot twists and I recommand it to anyone that is a fan of te jedi apprentice series. This book IS another really exciting cliffhanger, you have been warned.

Exelent book! It may have been the weirdest of all the Jedi Apprentice books, but exelent. I didn't follow throguh, they get a little vague(if it's a typo, please excuse me)in some parts, and Oui-Gon sortta doesn't show his Paddawan that he cares about the mission that much. Still, I think it is one of the best. Well, I think they are all good exept for the first, which was by a different author(Dave Wolverton). I think that was good too, but not as good as the others.

Well, I must admit this one surprised me. It was starting to seem as if the series was past it's golden days, and I wasn't expecting much from this one, but it surprised me, as these books tend to do, by being not only well-written, but also having a unique and inspiring plot and well defined characters. Anyway, in this book Qui-Gon has a disturbing vision of Tahl, his childhood friend, in serious danger. He takes Obi-Wan and heads back to the temple immedietly, only to find her about to depart on a mission to a planet they had set to rights several years earlier, that is coming apart at the seams once again. The Jedi Council forbids him to go after her, but he ignores their warnings and follows her anyway, and what he finds is quite disturbing... Meanwhile, Qui-Gon also is somewhat perplexed at the sudden deepening of his feelings towards Tahl. Is it possible he could be falling in love? As you can probably guess, this book full of action and excitement as well as character stuff, so fans of either will be satisfied. My only real problem was that I didn't like that it skipped over so much time. (two years) In Deceptions it was fairly obvious that taking a Padawan was an issue for Tahl as well as Bant, and being that it has been a recurring theme throughout the series, I assumed it would be delt with, but now it has just been skipped over, so we'll never know what made Tahl change her mind about Bant. As for the Tahl/Qui-Gon thing, well, I could see it coming even in book five when she was first introduced, but being that these books are aimed at 8-12 year olds, (though older teenagers and adults read them shamelessly) I didn't think it was something they would address in this series. I'm not a big fan of romance at all, but there are some exceptions, and I happen to like this relationship. The down side is that since Tahl doesn't appear anywhere in Episode 1, we can only assume she dies in the next couple of books, which annoys me greatly, since she's always been one of my favorites. What's interesting about this is that it comes to terms with something that's never been mentioned before. It's fairly obvious that in the new order of Jedi, love and marriage between Jedi or even Jedi and non-force sensitives is no problem whatsoever, since we have examples such as Luke and Mara, Kam and Tionne, among others I'm sure; but when is this shown in the old order? It will be interesting to see how the Council reacts when they hear. Anyway, fans of the series will love this one, but if you're just starting out, read it from the beginning so it will make sense.

The Jedi Apprentice series just continues to grow and with every book, I must admit I get more and more attached. The characterization is wonderful and the books are definitely exciting. The growing relationship between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon is well shown and adds depth to their characters in the movies. The Tie That Binds is definitely one of the better books. The story is interesting and moves quickly. The end is a strong cliffhanger and leaves the reader just itching for the next book. Hopefully, The Death of Hope will be everything I hope it to be. For anyone thinking they are too old to read these books, you're fooling yourselvs. They're great fr all ages.

As if to signify a new set of adventures, the letters on the spine appear blue, instead of the yellow ones used for the previous 13.

I won't go into the specifics of the story, since others have done so, better than I could. I'm a fan of this series from the very first, and I have come to respect Jude Watson greatly for her tales. The last two books I rated somewhat lower than the first set, but that doesn't stop me from eagerly awaiting the next installment.

With this book the dynamics between Obi Wan and Qui Gon have changed slightly. Obi Wan is more mature, their partnership is more solid and equal. Now Qui Gon is the one with the doubts and the apprehension, though it isn't for his Padawan, and Bant is now experiencing the anxieties that Obi Wan had three years before, while in this book Obi Wan is the one picking up the clues that Qui Gon misses. It was good to see Tahl, though Tahl changed quite a bit from the way she started out, but then again, she's lived with her blindness for three years now.

The book builds well, there are some scattered clues about who are behind all the unrest and the killing of Roan, and I think there may be a surprise or two in the next book, apart from the glimpses they've already given us. I truly hope the arc will build better than the last trilogy. Watson has proven her worth, we know she can do it. If time is what is needed, I'm well prepared to wait a little longer for the next book.

Just as an aside. Reading the book, considering that Obi Wan is now 16 and has been with Qui-Gon for 3 years now, I was wondering when he is going to start calling Qui-Gon "Master" on a regular basis. In Episode I, he never calls him Qui-Gon unless he's talking about him, but so far, in the books he only occasionally calls him Master, and not once in this book. Normally, I'd say, a young, over-awed apprentice would address his master not by his first name, not until he's known him for a while, and feels familiar enough to switch to first-name basis. Probably an oversight, but interesting to think about.

Welcome to another thrilling new book in the Jedi Apprentice series.

Jedi Apprentice #14, many people would say, is one of the most surprising books in the entire series. Not only has the series taken a large jump. In Jedi Apprentice #13, Obi-Wan was fourteen. Now, our hero is sixteen. I'm sure all of us are dying to know what happened during that large time period, but it also leaves a small gap for our imagination to take over. It makes us think if either Jude is trying to get us to use our imagination for once, or is getting sick of writing these books over and over.

The Ties that Bind starts off with Obi-Wan Kenobi being sixteen. Much older than fourteen in the previous book...
Qui-Gon Jinn keeps having disturbing visions of Tahl in trouble, he can't calm himself like a normal Jedi, and he acts rudely in front of the Jedi council. My best explination would be that he was not being the renouned Qui-Gon Jinn that he normally was. Tahl, meanwhile is on a long mission on a planet whoose King was assassinated, and rebellion was in sight. In surprising twists and turnes, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan find themselves fighting to keep their Jedi friend alive as Tahl in kidnapped just after something happened between her and Qui-Gon. Something that will change their world before them. Will Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan have enough time to free Tahl and restore peace to a helpless planet? Find out when the next epic thriller, Jedi Apprentice #15: The Death of Hope, comes out.

Six years ago, Qui-Gon and Tahl helped ensure the peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy on the planet Apsolon. Now the leader, Ewane, has been murdered. His twin daughters have sent a plea to Tahl to rescue them and bring them safely to Coruscant. Qui-Gon wants to accompany Tahl, but the Jedi Council forbids him to do so. When three weeks go by and Tahl does not send a message, Qui-Gon defies the council and heads for Apsolon to look for her, accompanied by Obi-Wan. They discover that the Absolutists, who once ruled through torture and fear, still exist, and want to take control of the government once again. Many of the Workers, the common people that benefited most from the free government, believe that the new leader, Roan, murdered Ewane. This book was the exciting start to a new story arc in the Jedi Apprentice series. I can't wait to read the next book.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is now sixteen-years-old and now has a pretty solid relationship with his master, Qui-Gon Jinn. But right now he is very confused as his master acts distant. The reason is because Qui-Gon is being plagued with terrible dreams about his good friend, the Jedi Tahl, and because of this, he is troubled in his heart. Tahl instead just feels that he is being protective of her because of her blindness. Because of this, Tahl resents any help from him. So when Tahl leaves for a solo mission and doesn't return on schedule, he defies the council and goes to the planet Apsolon to find her. Naturally his confused apprentice follows. But nothing is as it seems. Six years ago Qui-Gon and Tahl had helped bring peace to the planet of Apsolon. But now their leader has been killed and his twin daughters are in trouble. The people are divided between the Workers and the Absolutes and there is unrest as there are secrets and sabotoge. Will the Jedi be able to help the people of Apsolon? And at the same time, will Qui-Gon be able to search his heart for the answer about his feelings for Tahl?

"The Ties That Bind" is the first of a three book story arc. Though this is a Jedi 'Apprentice' series, the story mostly centers on Qui-Gon as he struggles to search his heart and feelings and he realizes his love for Tahl. The story doesn't really have much action in a way, the focus is more on the extremely satisfying plot with so many intricate twists and turns. I love how everything is kept secret and things are revealed little by little until the very end where everything is made clear! The story is also very dramatic and very sad at times. When reading any of the Jedi Apprentice books, I'm sure you'll realize what talent Jude Watson has, packing each and every book with all the elements of a good read. After reading this, have "The Death of Hope" and "The Call to Vengeance" on hand since this book ends in a cliffhanger!

This series explains a lot about how Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan first meet. Their beginning is far from simple and all smooth-sailings, which would be pretty monotonous if it was. Though the books are said for ages 9-12, like many other reviewers I agree that the Jedi Apprentice Series are for anybody. Extremely well-written, the emotions, thoughts, and feelings of the main characters are very well put down into words. I also like the different array of humans and aliens which are portrayed, both good and bad.

Plust check out the new Jedi Quest series, dealing with the master and apprentice duo of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Another Star Wars Series I recommend and like a lot are the Young Jedi Knights series. The stories are about Jacen and Jaina Solo (twins of Han and Leia Solo), and their friends as they journey on the road to becoming Jedi Knights. More on the teenager level of reading. For adult readings, a few selections I enjoy reading are "The Thrawn Trilogy", "Rogue Planet", "The Jedi Academy Trilogy", "The Corellian Trilogy", and "The Truce at Bakura".

I read the Ties That Bind and enjoyed it thoroughly.I have the entire aprrentice series and have enjoyed all of them! This one I found different from all the rest of the books in the series.Qui-Gon's struggle and actual show off his emotions took me a little off guard because in all the other books he kept them within himself.I was glad to see Obi-Wan more mature and taking charge when Qui-Gon was distracted.I never did like hanging endings like this ending, but it always gives me something to look forward to. This book adds a twist and is different from the rest of the series.I strongly recommend this entire series and add this book to your bookshelf.

This book is a wonderful read for Star Wars fans of all ages, not just children. Jude Watson captures the bond between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon very well and expands on it more and more in each book. This also shows a side of Qui-Gon that he hides very well in later times. I highly recommend not only this book but the whole series for any serious Star Wars fan of any age.