Scott's Rating:   4 out of 4

This is the final book in the Jedi Quest series.

Granta Omega has been tracked to the planet Korriban ? home of the tombs of the ancient Sith Lords and their terrible secrets. With the Jedi now recognizing him as a serious threat, they dispatch a team of Jedi to hunt Omega down. They are led by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anakin Skywalker joins them as well, but he?s angered that he has recently been passed over for Jedi Knight candidacy in favor of his rival, Ferus. Will his anger and jealousy threaten their mission?

As the team arrives on Korriban, they find that the Dark Side is extremely powerful there. Haunted by ghosts and horrible visions, they press on tracking their target. Obi-Wan and Anakin also have their first encounter with the remaining Sith Lord himself ? Darth Sidious.

Scott:

    Jude Watson has really been on a roll at the conclusion of this series. She?s made yet another impressive installment in the Jedi Quest books. Each of the novels recently has had something very notable in them and The Final Showdown is no exception. This one features the first encounter between Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Darth Sidious. Of course they never see his face, but he makes an impressive display of power against them. It?s remarkable how close they come to catching him and foiling everything that happens in Episodes 2-6.

This book is also notable because it further establishes the discord between Anakin and Obi-Wan. When Anakin is passed up for Knighthood, it sets him off saying that he?s ready for the trials, he?s more powerful than the other Jedi, etc. etc. etc. All the stuff you heard in Attack of the Clones. This further establishes the transition of his character between Episode I and Episode II and it sets up his Dark Side that emerges in Episode III.

Finally, this book expands on Korriban and introduces us to new portions of it. The planet has been featured in other books, games, and comics, but this shows new nooks and crannies of it. It reveals that this is one of the places that Palpatine has been learning about the Sith at and preparing for the downfall of the Jedi. You get a greater sense of the former power of the Sith by revisiting Korriban here. It is also creepy and horrific, much like the cave on Dagobah but over an entire world.

The Final Showdown is a fast paced, intense novel. Anyone writing it off as ?young adult fiction? would do good to check it out. The drama, characterization, and tie-ins with the films are as impressive as you?ll find in any Star Wars novel.

Scott:

    I have no real gripes about this book, but I wish the cover had been a bit more eye catching.

Scott:

    Nothing to add here.