The Dark Rival by Jude Watson is the second in a series of young reader novels called Jedi Apprentice, and the first by Jude Watson. The series explores the adventures of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi prior to Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The story is told from the point of view of both characters, rather than from the point of view of Obi-Wan Kenobi alone, which was primarily how The Rising Force was focused.