Something Star Wars, something new! It’s always a good day when we get to experience a new story set in the Star Wars universe and Dooku: Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott is something likely familiar to fans of a certain science fiction franchise across the pond but brand new to Star Wars. It’s an audio drama with a full cast in addition to all the excellent production value we’ve come to expect from Random House Audio. Jedi Lost takes us through much of the life of Dooku before we ever meet him, pulling back the curtain on one of the most charismatic and enigmatic characters in the galaxy far, far away.
Set at some point during the Clone Wars, Asajj Ventress has been given a mission by her master Count Dooku: find his sister Jenza. To help, he gives her some of the correspondence that had passed between the siblings dating all of the way back to Dooku’s time as an initiate at the Jedi Temple. Ventress being Ventress though, she pokes around and finds out more than the Sith Lord probably would have preferred and gains a deeper understanding of Dooku than perhaps anyone left living.
If you’re already a fan of audiobooks, you’ll undoubtedly love this new-to-Star Wars medium for storytelling. If you’re not an audiobook person (like me,) I still think it’s absolutely worth your time to at least try out. While I struggled at times with keeping characters and voices straight, that has far more to do with me personally and how I process information as opposed to being a flaw in the actual material. This is also a story I’d strongly recommend for both fans of the Prequel Trilogy era and of the Jedi Order as this helps fill in some of the gaps in our canon knowledge.
Ultimately, Jedi Lost left me wanting more and not just because it’s shorter than a standard adult novel. That’s both praise and a critique. I’ve long had an appreciation for Dooku and wanted to know more about him than either the Legends universe or The Clone Wars ever told us. On this front, Cavan Scott absolutely delivered, delving into his interest in ancient Sith and Jedi relics and his continuing attachment to his homeworld and family. It’s just wasn’t quite enough for me. Don’t get me wrong: Scott told a complete story here, linking together events in Dooku’s life over decades and showing why he left the Order but at the same time, I would’ve have loved to read an entire trilogy that could expand on some of these characters and connections. It’s also worth noting that Jedi Lost pairs quite well with Claudia Gray’s Master and Apprentice to provide a more holistic view of both of Dooku’s apprentices along with their relationships with him. (My recommendation would be to read Gray’s novel first.)
The supporting cast is equally good especially Sifo-Dyas and Lena Kostana. (I’d happily read an entire book about the latter. She’s positively fascinating.) While she’s the frame tale narrator’s and this story isn’t about her, Jedi Lost also does well by Ventress, making this a story that fans of the dark sider absolutely should experience. The women in this story are all distinct and well-rounded people which is something I’ll always appreciate.
The one aspect of the production I didn’t completely love was the actor for Dooku. Euan Morton had an uphill battle since Sir Christopher Lee had such a rich and distinctive voice. Morton’s portrayal was well acted but his voice just never quite felt like Dooku’s. On the other hand, Jonathan Davis’s Qui-Gon Jinn was uncannily good. Add in Marc Thompson as Yoda and you’ve got a very strong voice cast filled with both Star Wars audiobook regulars and newcomers to this universe.
A bold new experiment from Del Rey, Dooku: Jedi Lost is worth your time whether you’re an audiobook veteran or used to reading a story’s words with your own eyes. If we’re lucky, maybe one day we’ll get to see more like this. In the mean though, check out Dooku. You likely won’t be disappointed.
Thank you to Random House for providing a copy of the audio drama for review purposes.
