Review – Get to Know the Jedi Council With ‘The Living Force’ Audiobook
The Living Force by John Jackson Miller is available now in all formats, including audiobook. It gives a rare opportunity to get to know the Jedi Council, as seen in The Phantom Menace, who remain aloof and unknown to many of us — in fact, that is the point of the book. The story jumps off from Qui-Gon experiencing a pirate attack and then challenges the Jedi to be more present in a galaxy that sees them as remote… if it sees them at all.
I’m a big fan of John Jackson Miller’s Expanded Universe (now known as Legends) works – Knight Errant is one of my all-time favourite comics — so I was excited to see what he would do in a new canon book, and he did not disappoint. It’s set a little before The Phantom Menace, a time of peace before the events that lead to the Clone Wars, so it isn’t as action-packed as some other stories and, yes, it does deal with galactic politics (are people still complaining about that or have we moved on?). Still, it’s not without scenes of conflict as the Jedi clash with the criminal element that has grown in their absence. The Living Force is an engaging story with vibrant characters and an intriguing plot as it tackles the question — what do the Jedi mean to the ordinary citizens of the galaxy?
If you’re new to Star Wars literature, this is a great jumping-on-point and a perfect first read. The book stands alone really well and has no required prior reading. Being set before the Skywalker Saga, it doesn’t have to fit in between the bajillion other books and comics padding out the years between saga films, so it can gently open up the galaxy to the reader. There are more than a few references to The High Republic, hardly surprising given that a quarter of the Council were alive in that time period. They play as intriguing backstories and don’t make you feel like you’re missing out. (If you’re interested in getting to know that era, check out The Timeline Show on our YouTube channel.)
This was an excellent book to listen to in audiobook format. After having the privilege of reviewing these audiobooks, I am definitely becoming a convert to the format. Aside from the convenience of being able to get a chapter in while going for a walk, it’s a definite advantage as a teacher and a dad, where moments to sit down with a physical copy are increasingly rare! But I find the experience of listening to the story, accompanied by authentic sound effects and score, paints a more vivid picture in my head, and details that I might otherwise have missed jump off the page more easily.
I have to praise the narration by Marc Thompson, who brings a huge cast of characters to life. I did struggle initially with Qui-Gon, who sounded a little too gruff for me, but his companion, a slightly younger Obi-Wan, on the other hand, was perfection. When the main cast of the book is the entire Jedi Council, one voice can be easily forgiven. The narration captures a number of familiar characters, such as Yoda, Mace Windu, and Plo Koon’s booming voice, which sounded like it was straight from his appearances in The Clone Wars.
But it was the less familiar characters where the narration shone for me. One standout was Yarael Poof. Before my brain had connected the name with a character, the jovial voice conjured up the long neck and smiling face of the Quermian Jedi in my mind. He fast became one of my favourite characters, making me chuckle every time he appeared. Others, like Adi Gallia, Oppo Rancissis, and Depa Billaba (who has a lead role in the book), each stood out, and I definitely felt more connected to them as I got to hear their voices and hear their different perspectives on the Force and the galaxy.
This book takes the Jedi Council from cool-looking characters sitting in chairs to real personalities, each with their own distinct personality and approach. Saesee Tiin is always serious, while Yarael Poof sees the lighter side of things. Adi Gallia is calm and by the book, while Even Piell goes around asking to be punched in the face — literally! Oppo Rancisis, who barely moved in the movie, has a friendly grandfather personality and a personal stake in Kwenn, the centric planet of the story. But more than that, we see how each of them reacts when confronted with the ordinary citizens of the galaxy and turn their eyes from the Cosmic Force and galactic affairs to the needs of the individuals in their everyday lives — the Living Force.
Of course, there are more than just Jedi in this story. The main antagonist, Zilastra of the up-and-coming Riftwalker pirate gang, drew me in with her lazy drawl. Though she is a ruthless killer with a vendetta against the Jedi, I found myself rooting for her and looking forward to seeing how her plans developed. But there are dozens of characters, each with their own grievances as the Slice, a wedge of the galaxy which contains Hutt Space and other criminal elements, becomes increasingly unstable as a consequence of Jedi being deployed elsewhere. More than anything, the book is about when the Jedi come up against common thieves, rowdy teenagers, and disgruntled taxi drivers, each with problems far too small for a galactic body to consider and yet infinitely important to them. Perhaps more than ever in a Star Wars story, I found myself saying, “Hey, that could be me!”
The Living Force is a great, feel-good Star Wars book. It doesn’t rely on tension or constant combat to drive the story forward, but I found myself eager to play the next chapter — not perhaps because I needed to, but because I wanted to. Each storyline is small, but that’s the point — our lives may feel small at times, but we all matter, and we all have a part to play and a duty to follow the light.
Author John Jackson Miller also expressed his own reaction to listening to Marc Thompson’s voice work:
I’ve finally listened to some of @CaptainEhud Marc Thompson’s audiobook performance of THE LIVING FORCE and I’m in awe. Chapter 9 — which the official Star Wars site used for the first text excerpt — has ALL TWELVE Council members; Marc makes every one unique. Wonderful work! https://t.co/FcQ8OflRZg
— John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) April 10, 2024
Before you go, read Nate’s full review of The Living Force here.
Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller is available now in all formats. Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio for the copy used in this review.
A teacher from Wales in the UK, Aled has loved Star Wars ever since that Star Destroyer flew over his head and blew his mind.
