Heard: "Dooku" by Cavan Scott

Heard: Dooku by Cavan Scott, 2019, downloaded from Wisconsin Digital Library.

If you don't dig Star Wars stuff just skip the whole damn novel. Otherwise here are my comments.
I figured to try out another Star Wars novel. I greatly enjoyed Kenobi by John Jackson Miller when I listened to that almost seven years ago. Unfortunately no other books have been as good.

This is done as a radio drama, not a narrated book. There are multiple actors, sound effects, music.

Dooku is about Count Dooku of course from his time as a Youngling up until he quits the Jedi and takes on a apprentice. The story is told by his assistant/apprentice Asajj Ventress and Dooku's written and "holo" journals that Asajj is reading. I know nothing about Asajj but she seems to be a regular character on one of the Star Wars cartoons.

Asajj has been told to find Dooku's missing sister. To accomplish the task she has to learn more about the sister and, therefore, Dooku himself. Since Dooku and Asajj are on the Dark Side Asajj is kinda sneaky and reads things she should not have access to.

Things move along as Dooku relays his life as a Youngling at the Jedi Temple. A visit to his homeworld that he left as an infant. Discovering his blood family. Becoming a padawan  So on. So forth.

The novel has the usual Star Wars elements of the Force and the Darkside. There is political intrigue within the Republic and on different planets. For me the main theme is family and the different ways family alliances are built and fractured. Jedi are taken in as infants and allowed no contact with relatives. As a teenager Dooku has a chance meeting with his sister, learns his family rules the planet, that his father hates him, and keeps a secret correspondence with his sister.

Essentially all the Younglings live in a trade school orphanage. They have no outside schooling or friends. As Padawans they will meet and make friends outside the Jedi Order but are still under the strict guidance of a Jedi. Once they do become a Padawan that Jedi is a surrogate parent during their teen and early adult years. All of the Jedi are alone with a lifetime of "sad devotion to that ancient religion".

I suppose Jedi build a family through their beliefs and morals. Within that group they build relationships as friends, comrades, and adherents. But, the infant Younglings start life as infants severed from any loving - or abusive - relatives. How do they children grow up? Who comforts them? Reads to them? Gets after them to brush their teeth and go to bed?

Plenty of families fracture on their own. Jedi relations do that as well when Jedi differ on what actions to take. Defend a planet or stay out of the mess? Act as diplomats or the Lone Ranger? Jedi are turned by the dark side of the Force but also fall victim to somewhat mundane problems of live: gambling debts, romantic attractions, secret side investigations.

Anyhoo. The book is worth your time if you enjoy Star Wars stuff. There is Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn content as well.