Star Wars Ahsoka

by E.K. Johnston

[inlibrisveritas]

Ahsoka focuses on a fan favorite character from the animated television series and covers the years between The Clone Wars and Rebels. Ahsoka’s missing time is one of those sought-after answers that I was really looking forward to, and while this book was enjoyable it also sort of let me down.

When the story starts we find Ahsoka Tano hiding out and pretending to be a mechanic in a small village on a remote planet. She’s trying to stay off the radar and live a normal life without the same connection to the force thanks to the devastation of Order 66. I really loved getting inside of her head as she worked through the grief of being one of the last Jedi (former Jedi) in the galaxy. I won’t say she goes through a ton of character growth in this one, because Ahsoka did most of her growing up in The Clone Wars series and really matured very quickly due to being involved in a war much of her life but she does come to terms with some very harsh realities of how she fits into this new version of the galaxy. It has some really interesting inclusion like the Fardi family and her gaining a few notable things that we see or hear in the series. I just wish it had a little more weight to it overall, as it doesn’t feel like a book that is really accessible to someone without previous knowledge of Ahsoka. I feel like if I didn’t know about her this would be an okay read even with the nice writing and dialogue.

I think what kept this from being a normal middle of the road read for me was the fact that the audio was narrated by Ashley Eckstien, who was the voice for Ahsoka in the series. I love her voice, but it also really made the story work a bit better since the voice actor knows the character well enough to know what emotions to bring to the table. I flipped back and forth between the audio and the hardcover, but I much preferred my audio experience and really recommend it if you are thinking of reading this one.

Overall I enjoyed the book, but it just lacked some of the punch I was hoping it would have. This mostly focuses on her emotions, thoughts, and eventual return to form; and while that is definitely worth reading about given how her arc ended in Clone Wars and the subsequent carrying out of Order 66 thereafter it just felt a bit too safe. That being said, if you have watched the tv show and are curious about her whereabouts during those missing years it is worth checking out!