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Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy
For the first time in one stunning volume, here is the complete, epic story arc: The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. Experience the sweeping tale of good and evil, of myth and magic, of innocence and power-and witness the tragic transformation of Anakin Skywalker from mere slave to one of the greatest, most powerful, and feared villains of the galaxy: Darth Vader.
"The path has been placed before you, Anakin.
The choice to take it must be yours alone."
On the barren desert world of Tatooine, young Anakin Skywalker toils by day and dreams by night . . . of traveling the stars to worlds he's only heard of in stories. When Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, cross paths with Anakin, it marks the beginning of the drama that will become legend. Courageous to the point of recklessness, Anakin comes of age in a time of great upheaval. The attempted assassination of Senator Padme Amidala thrusts the Republic close to the edge of disaster-and brings Anakin and Padme into a secret romance as intense as it is forbidden.
As combat escalates across the galaxy, the stage is set for an explosive endgame. Tormented by unspeakable visions, Anakin edges closer to the brink of a decision with profound ramifications. It remains only for Darth Sidious to strike the final staggering blow against the Republic-and to ordain a fearsome new Sith Lord: Darth Vader.
THE PHANTOM MENACE
by Terry Brooks, based on the story and screenplay by George Lucas
ATTACK OF THE CLONES
by R. A. Salvatore, from a story by George Lucas and a screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales
REVENGE OF THE SITH
by Matthew Stover, based on the story and screenplay by George Lucas
"The path has been placed before you, Anakin.
The choice to take it must be yours alone."
On the barren desert world of Tatooine, young Anakin Skywalker toils by day and dreams by night . . . of traveling the stars to worlds he's only heard of in stories. When Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, cross paths with Anakin, it marks the beginning of the drama that will become legend. Courageous to the point of recklessness, Anakin comes of age in a time of great upheaval. The attempted assassination of Senator Padme Amidala thrusts the Republic close to the edge of disaster-and brings Anakin and Padme into a secret romance as intense as it is forbidden.
As combat escalates across the galaxy, the stage is set for an explosive endgame. Tormented by unspeakable visions, Anakin edges closer to the brink of a decision with profound ramifications. It remains only for Darth Sidious to strike the final staggering blow against the Republic-and to ordain a fearsome new Sith Lord: Darth Vader.
THE PHANTOM MENACE
by Terry Brooks, based on the story and screenplay by George Lucas
ATTACK OF THE CLONES
by R. A. Salvatore, from a story by George Lucas and a screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales
REVENGE OF THE SITH
by Matthew Stover, based on the story and screenplay by George Lucas
1008 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
1017 people are currently reading
2375 people want to read
About the author
Terry Brooks
378 books77.8k followersTerry Brooks was born in Illinois in 1944, where he spent a great deal of his childhood and early adulthood dreaming up stories in and around Sinnissippi Park, the very same park that would eventually become the setting for his bestselling Word & Void trilogy. He went to college and received his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College, where he majored in English Literature, and he received his graduate degree from the School of Law at Washington & Lee University.
A writer since high school, he wrote many stories within the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction, until one semester early in his college years he was given The Lord of the Rings to read. That moment changed Terry's life forever, because in Tolkien's great work he found all the elements needed to fully explore his writing combined in one genre.
He then wrote The Sword of Shannara, the seven year grand result retaining sanity while studying at Washington & Lee University and practicing law. It became the first work of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months.
A writer since high school, he wrote many stories within the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction, until one semester early in his college years he was given The Lord of the Rings to read. That moment changed Terry's life forever, because in Tolkien's great work he found all the elements needed to fully explore his writing combined in one genre.
He then wrote The Sword of Shannara, the seven year grand result retaining sanity while studying at Washington & Lee University and practicing law. It became the first work of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
June 19, 2023
2023-06: Revenge of the Sith. 4.5 stars.
I've heard for years that this book is terrific, and it is. Author Matthew Stover gave me all the character motivations and intrigue that I needed, deepening the experience of the movie, and the tragedy, if that's possible.
Seeing how the Jedi Council made bigger and bigger mistakes leading up to the moment Sidious finally revealed himself, and also how overwhelming and powerful Anakin's need was to save Padmé, leading him to make tragically bad decisions, was what I needed.
There are also some really great passages describing Obiwan's and Anakin's relationship. And, if you're a Kenobi fan, this is a great book, as we see how Obiwan interacts with the Force during several critical moments. Though not canon anymore, I'm glad I took the time to read this story.
2023-06: Attack of the Clones. 3 stars.
This one was always going to suffer in its rating because no matter who wrote it, the painfully heightened, florid language of the scene on Naboo, then later in the stadium, between the wonderful Padme and the lovesick Anakin was always going to be squirm-worthy.
I liked the rest of the story, in how we see how clouded the Jedi in their analyses, judgments and actions, and how emotionally stunted they were. And just how inevitable it was that someone would come along and wipe them off the board for their superiority, insularity, and inability to understand others, and specifically Anakin, when it was critical.
2023-04: The Phantom Menace. 3.5 stars.
I was surprised just how much I enjoyed this book. Going through the High Republic Phase one prompted me to look back at this version of the Jedi Order: rulebound, unable to intuit anything meaningful, dismissive when presented by truths (Padme, Dooku and Maul), emotionally stunted, and just so frustrating.
And it was incredibly joyful and saddening to see young, kind and generous Anakin Skywalker, before he was moulded by the Jedi and left to handle his pain alone with no guidance except, "No attachments!"
I particularly liked the scenes Terry Brooks provided of Anakin prior to his meeting Qui-Gon, Padme and Jar Jar: he's brilliant, intuitive, kind and compassionate, and yearning for adventure. This makes his inability to deal with letting loved ones go and his fall even more difficult to watch.
I've heard for years that this book is terrific, and it is. Author Matthew Stover gave me all the character motivations and intrigue that I needed, deepening the experience of the movie, and the tragedy, if that's possible.
Seeing how the Jedi Council made bigger and bigger mistakes leading up to the moment Sidious finally revealed himself, and also how overwhelming and powerful Anakin's need was to save Padmé, leading him to make tragically bad decisions, was what I needed.
There are also some really great passages describing Obiwan's and Anakin's relationship. And, if you're a Kenobi fan, this is a great book, as we see how Obiwan interacts with the Force during several critical moments. Though not canon anymore, I'm glad I took the time to read this story.
2023-06: Attack of the Clones. 3 stars.
This one was always going to suffer in its rating because no matter who wrote it, the painfully heightened, florid language of the scene on Naboo, then later in the stadium, between the wonderful Padme and the lovesick Anakin was always going to be squirm-worthy.
I liked the rest of the story, in how we see how clouded the Jedi in their analyses, judgments and actions, and how emotionally stunted they were. And just how inevitable it was that someone would come along and wipe them off the board for their superiority, insularity, and inability to understand others, and specifically Anakin, when it was critical.
2023-04: The Phantom Menace. 3.5 stars.
I was surprised just how much I enjoyed this book. Going through the High Republic Phase one prompted me to look back at this version of the Jedi Order: rulebound, unable to intuit anything meaningful, dismissive when presented by truths (Padme, Dooku and Maul), emotionally stunted, and just so frustrating.
And it was incredibly joyful and saddening to see young, kind and generous Anakin Skywalker, before he was moulded by the Jedi and left to handle his pain alone with no guidance except, "No attachments!"
I particularly liked the scenes Terry Brooks provided of Anakin prior to his meeting Qui-Gon, Padme and Jar Jar: he's brilliant, intuitive, kind and compassionate, and yearning for adventure. This makes his inability to deal with letting loved ones go and his fall even more difficult to watch.
May 9, 2021
"Padme, oh Padme, I love you."
Do you have a book with you that took you forever to finish reading it? Well, I do. With this one. I don't want it to finish because I know what's gonna happen and I don't want it to happen because I'll go ugly crying just like when I saw the movies😭😭😭
Damn! This was a good read. I won't get tired rereading it in the future. I will keep this forever in my heart.
Do you have a book with you that took you forever to finish reading it? Well, I do. With this one. I don't want it to finish because I know what's gonna happen and I don't want it to happen because I'll go ugly crying just like when I saw the movies😭😭😭
Damn! This was a good read. I won't get tired rereading it in the future. I will keep this forever in my heart.
June 24, 2018
Read this and more reviews on my blog, uncovered-books.
Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy was a lot better than I thought it would be. Obviously, it had the 3 books for the episodes I -III, but surprisingly gave a lot of back story that may have helped the movies. Each book is written by a different author, each whom gave an interesting on their interpretation on novelising the movie.
Episode I: The Phantom Menace – 4 Stars
The Episode I novelisation was defiantly a lot better than the movie, Brooks somehow made Jar Jar Bink’s existence bearable, which is a minor miracle. I honestly don’t have much to say about Episode I, the writing style was good, the fight sequences were well written, and it gave quite a good background around all the characters, which I really enjoyed reading about. But at least Brooks made Jar Jar bearable, and dare I say it, almost interesting to read about.
Episode II: The Attack of the Clones – 4 Stars
Episode II kind of disappointed me. I know that Episode II was almost a ‘filler movie’, and its main purpose was to set up Anakin’s fall to the Dark side and The Clone Wars, but I had higher hopes for the book. I still really enjoyed it but I found that I was almost too short for the movie to give a full and detailed background to the movie. This novelisation was very close to the movie, and gave some very good expansion on how each of the characters interacted to each other, and how they was each other which is very hard to do in a movie.
My favourite characters were Jango and Boba Fett surprisingly, their relationship was a very interesting one that I would have to have seen more of as Boba was an exact clone of his father, so it was possible that he saw what he was going to become and may or may not have liked that. Either way, at least this novelisation gave a reasonably good back story, but I would have liked it to be expanded on a tad more.
Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith – 5 Stars
Episode III gives the reader a greater understanding of Anakin’s fall to the dark side. The fight sequences weren't as good as the movie, but that is too e expected with the amount of stuff happening within them. Mainly the fight between Anakin and Obi Wan on Mustafar was over before I realised it was, which was disappointing. The ending was like Stover wanted to finish writing the book, which unfortunately left a bad impression on myself, but I still loved his writing style, I have never seen it before. Episode III gave so much insight into how to characters thought, which can be difficult within a movie.
The scenes between Anakin and Padme were really cute, ‘”No worries. You worry too much as it is.” “I have to,” she said, smiling though tears in her eyes. “Because you never worry at all.”’, they made me fall in love with them even more which I did not think was possible as I was brought up on Star Wars.
It was interesting how Stover interpreted when the newly turned Sith Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader went to Mustafar to end the war by killing the Separatist leaders.
“He had time to gasp, ‘You’re – you’re Anakin Skywalker!” before a fountain of blue-white plasma burned into his chest, curving though a loop that charred all three of his hearts. The Separatist leaders watched in horror as the corpse of the head of the InterGalatic Banking Clan collapsed like a depowered protocol droid. “The resemblance,” Darth Vader said, “is deceptive.”
I swear that line made the book, it gave Anakin / Vader so much more depth, and very nicely illustrates how he has given himself over to the Dark Side of the Force.
Overall:
I quite enjoyed these collection of books. They added so much depth to the movie that some may argue George Lucas may had needed in the prequels. I would totally recommend these books to anyone who likes Star Wars and wants to have a deeper understanding of the characters thought throughout the movies.
Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy was a lot better than I thought it would be. Obviously, it had the 3 books for the episodes I -III, but surprisingly gave a lot of back story that may have helped the movies. Each book is written by a different author, each whom gave an interesting on their interpretation on novelising the movie.
Episode I: The Phantom Menace – 4 Stars
The Episode I novelisation was defiantly a lot better than the movie, Brooks somehow made Jar Jar Bink’s existence bearable, which is a minor miracle. I honestly don’t have much to say about Episode I, the writing style was good, the fight sequences were well written, and it gave quite a good background around all the characters, which I really enjoyed reading about. But at least Brooks made Jar Jar bearable, and dare I say it, almost interesting to read about.
Episode II: The Attack of the Clones – 4 Stars
Episode II kind of disappointed me. I know that Episode II was almost a ‘filler movie’, and its main purpose was to set up Anakin’s fall to the Dark side and The Clone Wars, but I had higher hopes for the book. I still really enjoyed it but I found that I was almost too short for the movie to give a full and detailed background to the movie. This novelisation was very close to the movie, and gave some very good expansion on how each of the characters interacted to each other, and how they was each other which is very hard to do in a movie.
My favourite characters were Jango and Boba Fett surprisingly, their relationship was a very interesting one that I would have to have seen more of as Boba was an exact clone of his father, so it was possible that he saw what he was going to become and may or may not have liked that. Either way, at least this novelisation gave a reasonably good back story, but I would have liked it to be expanded on a tad more.
Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith – 5 Stars
Episode III gives the reader a greater understanding of Anakin’s fall to the dark side. The fight sequences weren't as good as the movie, but that is too e expected with the amount of stuff happening within them. Mainly the fight between Anakin and Obi Wan on Mustafar was over before I realised it was, which was disappointing. The ending was like Stover wanted to finish writing the book, which unfortunately left a bad impression on myself, but I still loved his writing style, I have never seen it before. Episode III gave so much insight into how to characters thought, which can be difficult within a movie.
The scenes between Anakin and Padme were really cute, ‘”No worries. You worry too much as it is.” “I have to,” she said, smiling though tears in her eyes. “Because you never worry at all.”’, they made me fall in love with them even more which I did not think was possible as I was brought up on Star Wars.
It was interesting how Stover interpreted when the newly turned Sith Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader went to Mustafar to end the war by killing the Separatist leaders.
“He had time to gasp, ‘You’re – you’re Anakin Skywalker!” before a fountain of blue-white plasma burned into his chest, curving though a loop that charred all three of his hearts. The Separatist leaders watched in horror as the corpse of the head of the InterGalatic Banking Clan collapsed like a depowered protocol droid. “The resemblance,” Darth Vader said, “is deceptive.”
I swear that line made the book, it gave Anakin / Vader so much more depth, and very nicely illustrates how he has given himself over to the Dark Side of the Force.
Overall:
I quite enjoyed these collection of books. They added so much depth to the movie that some may argue George Lucas may had needed in the prequels. I would totally recommend these books to anyone who likes Star Wars and wants to have a deeper understanding of the characters thought throughout the movies.
March 7, 2023
i am… so… NO WORDS!!!!!!!!!! revenge of the sith was so BEAUTIFULLY written
the prequels will ALWAYS be my favorite star wars trilogy
the prequels will ALWAYS be my favorite star wars trilogy
December 5, 2016
First off, god bless George Lucas's cotton socks for creating the Star Wars universe and the iconic pop culture figures that came from it. But while Lucas can write a mean adventure fantasy he cannot write serious romantic dialogue to save his life, which was a major stumbling block in the prequel trilogy as Padme and Anakin's relationship was one of the main themes and at times I was left cringing at their "romantic" conversations. Despite that lack, the action and adventure and the tragedy of Anakin's ultimate fate made up for it.
April 1, 2024
I knew I was going to love this edition before I even bought it, I basically grew up with star wars and I’ve been following its story line since probably….. I can think and I’m so happy I picked this up. I got another view of things and I could even deepen the thoughts I already had. Each of the three prequels were written excellent but revenge of the sith it was written brilliant, it was out of this world.
I’m a huge prequel fan and I love the movies, I watch them religiously and this book changed my life. I couldn’t get enough of Obi-wan or Anakin and Padmé. I really took my time with this one and enjoyed it to the fullest 🥹
I’m a huge prequel fan and I love the movies, I watch them religiously and this book changed my life. I couldn’t get enough of Obi-wan or Anakin and Padmé. I really took my time with this one and enjoyed it to the fullest 🥹
June 27, 2023
5 stars for RotS.
May 31, 2024
bbl - crying over droids, Anakin, and Padmé forever.
February 6, 2025
Loved it!!!
As a fan from the films, I did enjoy enjoy this trilogy...
Very well written!!!
Full recommendation.
As a fan from the films, I did enjoy enjoy this trilogy...
Very well written!!!
Full recommendation.
February 5, 2022
My ratings of the books individually will differ slightly, but the three together just broke my heart into a thousand tiny pieces.
Yes, I've seen the movies countless times and I knew what would happen.
No, I was not at all prepared to relive the pain in novelisation form, with all the characters' thoughts and bonus scenes included.
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Episode One wasn't bad... but I feel it could've been much better. It was essentially an expanded version of the movie, with extra scenes with little Anakin and a more complicated relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
Unfortunately the writing style bogged the whole book down ; it was really dry and uninteresting. Emotional scenes didn't carry any weight, and I genuinely struggled to complete the novelisation.
I was also disappointed that Padme never got any POV chapters of her own; they would've been the most interesting.
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Episode Two was a better book in my opinion. The writing worked well enough, and the romance was a lot more fleshed out than in the movie. The cut scenes with Padme's family were readded, and we get to see Anakin's inner thoughts when he commits the atrocity we all know so well.
Obi-Wan comes off as the exhausted, exasperated father who's just done with Anakin and his crazy antics and I loved it.
Dooku Serenno was an interesting character and Jango and Boba's relationship was sweet too.
Okay but the one thing that bugged me persistently throughout this book was the sexism! Never has it been hinted at in the movie that Padme would have to abandon all her political or working duties to be a housewife if she ever married, but the novelisation keeps bringing this up in her POVs! Not to mention her family are practically begging her to marry and have children. Um fam she's 24! And her older sister already has kids so it's not like that's the issue!
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Episode Three has been praised as one of the best film novelisations and Star Wars novels ever written. The movie is my absolute favourite, so I went in with extremely high expectations... and they were almost all met!
I'm trying to avoid spoilers but I will say that I sobbed just as much reading about Anakin's fate as I did while watching the movie for the first time. Seeing his torturous thoughts and actions made me realise how desperately this dude needed some sort of therapy. Equally heartbreaking were the scenes where Obi-Wan and Padme find out what he's done and their feelings of horror and helplessness.
The seeds of the rebellion are planted here, as most of the political scenes that were cut from the movie (possibly due to fan backlash from the previous installments) are readded, giving Padme something to do! Yay!
But the cloud to the silver lining? THE END OF THE BOOK WAS LIKE A WHIRLWIND. The entire last third of the book which is the most dramatic ending in the entire saga happens in like five chapters? The final duel itself lasts less than a chapter and the epilogue like two pages! Give us elaboration please!
πππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππ
As I said I'm not sure how I'd rate them individually but the story as a whole deserves all the stars in the world. And two boxes of tissues *sniff.
Yes, I've seen the movies countless times and I knew what would happen.
No, I was not at all prepared to relive the pain in novelisation form, with all the characters' thoughts and bonus scenes included.
|
Episode One wasn't bad... but I feel it could've been much better. It was essentially an expanded version of the movie, with extra scenes with little Anakin and a more complicated relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
Unfortunately the writing style bogged the whole book down ; it was really dry and uninteresting. Emotional scenes didn't carry any weight, and I genuinely struggled to complete the novelisation.
I was also disappointed that Padme never got any POV chapters of her own; they would've been the most interesting.
||
Episode Two was a better book in my opinion. The writing worked well enough, and the romance was a lot more fleshed out than in the movie. The cut scenes with Padme's family were readded, and we get to see Anakin's inner thoughts when he commits the atrocity we all know so well.
Obi-Wan comes off as the exhausted, exasperated father who's just done with Anakin and his crazy antics and I loved it.
Dooku Serenno was an interesting character and Jango and Boba's relationship was sweet too.
Okay but the one thing that bugged me persistently throughout this book was the sexism! Never has it been hinted at in the movie that Padme would have to abandon all her political or working duties to be a housewife if she ever married, but the novelisation keeps bringing this up in her POVs! Not to mention her family are practically begging her to marry and have children. Um fam she's 24! And her older sister already has kids so it's not like that's the issue!
|||
Episode Three has been praised as one of the best film novelisations and Star Wars novels ever written. The movie is my absolute favourite, so I went in with extremely high expectations... and they were almost all met!
I'm trying to avoid spoilers but I will say that I sobbed just as much reading about Anakin's fate as I did while watching the movie for the first time. Seeing his torturous thoughts and actions made me realise how desperately this dude needed some sort of therapy. Equally heartbreaking were the scenes where Obi-Wan and Padme find out what he's done and their feelings of horror and helplessness.
The seeds of the rebellion are planted here, as most of the political scenes that were cut from the movie (possibly due to fan backlash from the previous installments) are readded, giving Padme something to do! Yay!
But the cloud to the silver lining? THE END OF THE BOOK WAS LIKE A WHIRLWIND. The entire last third of the book which is the most dramatic ending in the entire saga happens in like five chapters? The final duel itself lasts less than a chapter and the epilogue like two pages! Give us elaboration please!
πππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππ
As I said I'm not sure how I'd rate them individually but the story as a whole deserves all the stars in the world. And two boxes of tissues *sniff.
May 25, 2020
I know that most fans either love or hate the Star Wars prequels but whatever your current opinion is of the start of this modern American movie saga, I recommend you give the novelizations of the movies a try. While movie novelizations are generally known to be mediocre at best, I believe that the Star Wars prequel novelizations might open your eyes up to a broader scope that was not evident in the movies. Subtle scenes & inner dialogue of characters helps to flesh out an added dimension to this trilogy of stories. These novelizations helped me to appreciate some characters, like Mace Windu, who I did not connect with during the movie trilogy. Out of the three novelizations, I believe that Revenge of the Sith is the strongest & most well written. (I would probably rate the first two novels - The Phantom Menace & Attack of the Clones - as 3 stars. The last novel - Revenge of the Sith - I would rate as 5 stars.) So whether you are a casual fan or diehard fan of the Star Wars prequel movies, I think that the movie novelizations will help you see the prequels in a new light.
November 30, 2022
This made me actually have a lot more appreciation for the prequel movies, as it conveyed quite a lot that the movies just did not.
August 25, 2025
I’ve always loved the Star Wars movies, especially the prequels. Those have been my favourites since I’ve first watched them as a child. I recently rewatched the movies and they were just as phenomenal as they used to be :')
And the books added so much more to it! While the movies are great due to the fantastic portrayal of the characters by the actors, the beautiful music and those amazing visuals, I’ve always had a hard time following the politics of Star Wars. Mostly because sitting still for two hours is almost impossible to me.
With the books, however, you do get a lot more insight into the characters and the politics which makes the entire story so much better!
I enjoyed getting to know the characters more, seeing what they think, scenes that added so much more to the characters‘ background. It was an amazing experience.
Out of all three books, the third one was my favourite though. Matthew Stover did a phenomenal job in telling the story of the third movie. Of Anakin and Obi-Wan. Of Palpatine who manipulated all of it. The way he wrote it gave me emotional whiplash but it was so well done. It felt like I was there as a spectator to all of it, not able to interfere. Getting traumatised all over again. It was a fun time, albeit an emotional one. I'd recommend watching the movies first though and then read the books, since the descriptions of the non-human characters were a little lackluster at times. But definitely read the books!
And the books added so much more to it! While the movies are great due to the fantastic portrayal of the characters by the actors, the beautiful music and those amazing visuals, I’ve always had a hard time following the politics of Star Wars. Mostly because sitting still for two hours is almost impossible to me.
With the books, however, you do get a lot more insight into the characters and the politics which makes the entire story so much better!
I enjoyed getting to know the characters more, seeing what they think, scenes that added so much more to the characters‘ background. It was an amazing experience.
Out of all three books, the third one was my favourite though. Matthew Stover did a phenomenal job in telling the story of the third movie. Of Anakin and Obi-Wan. Of Palpatine who manipulated all of it. The way he wrote it gave me emotional whiplash but it was so well done. It felt like I was there as a spectator to all of it, not able to interfere. Getting traumatised all over again. It was a fun time, albeit an emotional one. I'd recommend watching the movies first though and then read the books, since the descriptions of the non-human characters were a little lackluster at times. But definitely read the books!
April 16, 2024
Prequels with additional context
Having read the prequel trilogy I must say that I really don't like the prequel films as much as I used to. It used to be the viewers side with Anakin over Obi-wan but having read the books now I see just much of a victim Obi-wan was aside from Anakin. Obi-wan even going as far as to defend Anakin to the Jedi Council. As much as the Galactic Senate needed another branch to prevent the Supreme Chancellor from gaining absolute power - so too did the Jedi Council need a secondary governing board to hold the Council responsible. And there needed to be "what if" safeguards in place just in case the Supreme Chancellor were to proclaim himself emperor; shouldn't have been up to Jedi alone to remove him. I feel so completely sad that events had to transpire in such a way to be allowed to sow such contention between Master & Apprentice. As much as Mace Windu maintains "A Jedi can change his/her mind" it shouldn't have been his decision to have allowed Palpatine to befriend the boy Anakin; let alone allow the Supreme Chancellor to teach him the intricacies of diplomacy. True diplomacy is watching how both sides can come together and agree on certain things. What are the common factors or denominators? Just because one side disagrees doesn't mean they are the bad guys.
And I never really understood the Jedi teaching on not having personal attachments to people. It would appear that for much the same reasons Anakin had for leaving the Order; so too did Obi-wan in his relationship towards Anakin. "He's like my brother!" For Jedi to refer to the Order at large as their "family" seems in violation of that rule. Grief and mourning are a fact of life. You will love people as part of living and those people will eventually die or go away. We must grieve that is part of learning to "move on," some people you won't ever stop missing. They are a part of us. You can learn to love people without feeling jealousy towards them. Often times jealousy speaks louder as to our own insecurities and fears. Jedi will feel fear and insecurity at times but it's how you manage them that matters. For an Order dedicated to "peace and justice" they appear full of holes and inadequacies at time on par to rival the Sith. But, as with everything it is their perspective that determines their reality.
Having read the prequel trilogy I must say that I really don't like the prequel films as much as I used to. It used to be the viewers side with Anakin over Obi-wan but having read the books now I see just much of a victim Obi-wan was aside from Anakin. Obi-wan even going as far as to defend Anakin to the Jedi Council. As much as the Galactic Senate needed another branch to prevent the Supreme Chancellor from gaining absolute power - so too did the Jedi Council need a secondary governing board to hold the Council responsible. And there needed to be "what if" safeguards in place just in case the Supreme Chancellor were to proclaim himself emperor; shouldn't have been up to Jedi alone to remove him. I feel so completely sad that events had to transpire in such a way to be allowed to sow such contention between Master & Apprentice. As much as Mace Windu maintains "A Jedi can change his/her mind" it shouldn't have been his decision to have allowed Palpatine to befriend the boy Anakin; let alone allow the Supreme Chancellor to teach him the intricacies of diplomacy. True diplomacy is watching how both sides can come together and agree on certain things. What are the common factors or denominators? Just because one side disagrees doesn't mean they are the bad guys.
And I never really understood the Jedi teaching on not having personal attachments to people. It would appear that for much the same reasons Anakin had for leaving the Order; so too did Obi-wan in his relationship towards Anakin. "He's like my brother!" For Jedi to refer to the Order at large as their "family" seems in violation of that rule. Grief and mourning are a fact of life. You will love people as part of living and those people will eventually die or go away. We must grieve that is part of learning to "move on," some people you won't ever stop missing. They are a part of us. You can learn to love people without feeling jealousy towards them. Often times jealousy speaks louder as to our own insecurities and fears. Jedi will feel fear and insecurity at times but it's how you manage them that matters. For an Order dedicated to "peace and justice" they appear full of holes and inadequacies at time on par to rival the Sith. But, as with everything it is their perspective that determines their reality.
August 4, 2022
okay so i rlly enjoyed this book, obviously it’s star wars i was always gunna love it😌
the phantom menace one was written rlly well & i did enjoy it despite it not being my favourite star wars movie
attack of the clones was not that interesting, imo it’s the worst movie tbf and that’s the reason this took such a long time to get through
rots tho ?? so well written and so many added scenes that weren’t in the movie, it added so much more depth to what anakin did but it did make his character a lot less likeable. i don’t think the romance was very well written (what can you expect from a book written by a man?) but i still really enjoyed reading it. the scenes of palpatine & anakin were so good and the final chapter , whilst heartbreaking, was so well done
the phantom menace one was written rlly well & i did enjoy it despite it not being my favourite star wars movie
attack of the clones was not that interesting, imo it’s the worst movie tbf and that’s the reason this took such a long time to get through
rots tho ?? so well written and so many added scenes that weren’t in the movie, it added so much more depth to what anakin did but it did make his character a lot less likeable. i don’t think the romance was very well written (what can you expect from a book written by a man?) but i still really enjoyed reading it. the scenes of palpatine & anakin were so good and the final chapter , whilst heartbreaking, was so well done
November 5, 2019
Oof.
Okay:
Episode 1: 3/5
Episode 2: 3/5
Episode 3: 4/5
Now bless Terry Brooks and R.A Salvatore for trying to make the best out of a hot mess. The first three episodes are not George Lucas’s best work, and there wasn’t a whole lot that can be added to a movie-adapted book to improve the screenplay. But hot digits, Matthew Stover did an amazing job with Episode 3. I did not like that Anakin seemed to have evolved into a sadist within the last three chapters with no explanation. Now suddenly he finds joy and enjoyment from being an executioner? Nope nope nope, don’t believe that for a second.
But I liked the book better than the movies, so that was a worthy investment of 1,000 pages.
Okay:
Episode 1: 3/5
Episode 2: 3/5
Episode 3: 4/5
Now bless Terry Brooks and R.A Salvatore for trying to make the best out of a hot mess. The first three episodes are not George Lucas’s best work, and there wasn’t a whole lot that can be added to a movie-adapted book to improve the screenplay. But hot digits, Matthew Stover did an amazing job with Episode 3. I did not like that Anakin seemed to have evolved into a sadist within the last three chapters with no explanation. Now suddenly he finds joy and enjoyment from being an executioner? Nope nope nope, don’t believe that for a second.
But I liked the book better than the movies, so that was a worthy investment of 1,000 pages.
March 14, 2020
Revenge of the Sith's novel is one of the best movie novelization I have ever read. This is a reread from when it first came out and it remained with me over the years. The emotional journey holds up.
July 30, 2025
they gave attack of the clones obi-wan the sassiest bob ever
November 5, 2025
I enjoyed all three books. The third one was especially good. Probably one of the best books I've read.
October 12, 2025
I absolutely loved it. Revenge of the Sith truly shows how dark Anakin had become. What an intense final chapter.
July 17, 2017
Amazing. I got to say all this great action, adventure and excitement - even though a Jedi craves not these things, in one collection is great.
Episode I. Nice adaptation. The author takes George Lucas' script and turns it into a very good tome. Problem is that reading it you can tell that he tries hard but not a lot can save some of the weaknesses of the first Star Wars prequel. B-
Episode II. Very Good. A respectable adaptation of the Star Wars film. I liked how the author begins with Padme before her arrival to Naboo introducing us to her family. Not shown in the theatrical release this is probably a deleted scene that Lucas had felt removed the action from his sci-fi film. More scenes like this would follow with Padme and her family which were later found on DVD/Blu-Ray deleted scenes menus. Another good thing is how there are warm and happy scenes with the Lars family on Tatooine. The movie only depicts the anguish of Cliegg Lars, the man who purchased Shmi from Watto and married her sometime after Episode I. Whereas the book actually shows the scenes prior and after which Shmi is kidnapped by a group of Tusken Raiders. Might I add it was quite chilling how Cliegg lost his leg too.
The book contained more interesting political moments involving the Military Creation Act. You never really understood what was really going on concerning how controversial the law was and how passionate it was without understanding Padme's concerns as well as an impassioned plea to the Senate to vote against it. The rest of the story was told well, one could almost dismiss the weak acting of Hayden Christensen and others when one reads the thoughts and emotions and realize how real the feelings are even if the lines themselves sound silly. George Lucas should have hired a screenwriter like he did for Episode V and VI because he had really lost his touch in the development of a good love story. I respect how the author kept the mystery by having Obi-Wan and other characters make the wrong conclusions as to what was going on.
Still the story leads to the exciting start to the Clone Wars and appreciate how this was done. B+
Episode III. Great! Before this was finished I had wondered who was going to have the honor of writing the novelization. I can definitely see how after writing Shatterpoint that Stover was more than qualified to write this, in particular to regard of Mace Windu. Everybody including Samuel L. Jackson knew his character was going to die, what he and others had hoped was for a glorious end. Stover does well in showing what a great warrior as well as a great patriot to the Republic he had fought for.
The story is amazingly well told. In how we view the Dark Side as a Dragon that Anakin Skywalker remembered from a story a fable on the origins of Star Dragons, that cause stars to die. Obi-Wan supposedly showed him a dead star leaving a scarred Anakin with the terrible truth that nothing lasts or lives forever. Its this that guides us toward Anakin's fear of loss and his obsession to prevent the death of his wife Padme.
Most of the story is told per the original screenplay but there are plenty of deleted scenes that were filmed and shown on DVD/Blu-rays. The actual appearance of Mon Mothma, the senator who would be the President of the Republic in exile and would be there at the end in Episode VI, appears alongside Bail Organa as they fight to preserve the Republic that Palpatine is dismantling. It feels more political and its understood why Lucas would have this deleted from a summer action movie but it really does help to see how Palpatine destroys the Republic slowly like a predator slowly devouring its meal until the last bite when you realize its gone. The powers he accumulate apart from controlling the Jedi Council show that he is preparing himself for the final takeover and the failure of the democratic and honest senators to stop him.
Somethings are missing that I would have liked to have been in the book or been in the movie. The thoughts of Chewbacca and the Wookies when they realize that their old friend Yoda is sent to fight for them and then of course having to rescue him from the Order 66 Republic troops are not recorded in the book. Or how in the movie the actor conveys that he was the apprentice who killed Darth Plagueis but never really said it. Still its the be expected but its all good.
The epic conclusion with Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader was amazing and just as good as the movie. But what I loved was that in the end both get things right; that in when all things seem dark and hope appears lost, A New Hope arises. May The Force Be With You Mr Lucas. A
B for the whole collection.
Episode I. Nice adaptation. The author takes George Lucas' script and turns it into a very good tome. Problem is that reading it you can tell that he tries hard but not a lot can save some of the weaknesses of the first Star Wars prequel. B-
Episode II. Very Good. A respectable adaptation of the Star Wars film. I liked how the author begins with Padme before her arrival to Naboo introducing us to her family. Not shown in the theatrical release this is probably a deleted scene that Lucas had felt removed the action from his sci-fi film. More scenes like this would follow with Padme and her family which were later found on DVD/Blu-Ray deleted scenes menus. Another good thing is how there are warm and happy scenes with the Lars family on Tatooine. The movie only depicts the anguish of Cliegg Lars, the man who purchased Shmi from Watto and married her sometime after Episode I. Whereas the book actually shows the scenes prior and after which Shmi is kidnapped by a group of Tusken Raiders. Might I add it was quite chilling how Cliegg lost his leg too.
The book contained more interesting political moments involving the Military Creation Act. You never really understood what was really going on concerning how controversial the law was and how passionate it was without understanding Padme's concerns as well as an impassioned plea to the Senate to vote against it. The rest of the story was told well, one could almost dismiss the weak acting of Hayden Christensen and others when one reads the thoughts and emotions and realize how real the feelings are even if the lines themselves sound silly. George Lucas should have hired a screenwriter like he did for Episode V and VI because he had really lost his touch in the development of a good love story. I respect how the author kept the mystery by having Obi-Wan and other characters make the wrong conclusions as to what was going on.
Still the story leads to the exciting start to the Clone Wars and appreciate how this was done. B+
Episode III. Great! Before this was finished I had wondered who was going to have the honor of writing the novelization. I can definitely see how after writing Shatterpoint that Stover was more than qualified to write this, in particular to regard of Mace Windu. Everybody including Samuel L. Jackson knew his character was going to die, what he and others had hoped was for a glorious end. Stover does well in showing what a great warrior as well as a great patriot to the Republic he had fought for.
The story is amazingly well told. In how we view the Dark Side as a Dragon that Anakin Skywalker remembered from a story a fable on the origins of Star Dragons, that cause stars to die. Obi-Wan supposedly showed him a dead star leaving a scarred Anakin with the terrible truth that nothing lasts or lives forever. Its this that guides us toward Anakin's fear of loss and his obsession to prevent the death of his wife Padme.
Most of the story is told per the original screenplay but there are plenty of deleted scenes that were filmed and shown on DVD/Blu-rays. The actual appearance of Mon Mothma, the senator who would be the President of the Republic in exile and would be there at the end in Episode VI, appears alongside Bail Organa as they fight to preserve the Republic that Palpatine is dismantling. It feels more political and its understood why Lucas would have this deleted from a summer action movie but it really does help to see how Palpatine destroys the Republic slowly like a predator slowly devouring its meal until the last bite when you realize its gone. The powers he accumulate apart from controlling the Jedi Council show that he is preparing himself for the final takeover and the failure of the democratic and honest senators to stop him.
Somethings are missing that I would have liked to have been in the book or been in the movie. The thoughts of Chewbacca and the Wookies when they realize that their old friend Yoda is sent to fight for them and then of course having to rescue him from the Order 66 Republic troops are not recorded in the book. Or how in the movie the actor conveys that he was the apprentice who killed Darth Plagueis but never really said it. Still its the be expected but its all good.
The epic conclusion with Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader was amazing and just as good as the movie. But what I loved was that in the end both get things right; that in when all things seem dark and hope appears lost, A New Hope arises. May The Force Be With You Mr Lucas. A
B for the whole collection.
October 6, 2025
Read this when you're going through a breakup if you want to be devastated by pure poetry
April 17, 2012
It was interesting to read this volume, as it is a continuous story written by three separate authors.
The Phantom Menace: 2 Stars
I was not particularly impressed with this book, which felt like reading a slightly expanded version of the script. Brooks excelled at describing action sequences (which one could just as easily enjoy by watching the film), but included little additional insight into the characters. Jar Jar Binks was equally annoying in the book as the movie, making The Phantom Menace my least favorite book as it is my least favorite film. Only two things make this book worth reading (or the movie worth watching, for that matter): 1) the wonderful relationship between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and 2) the establishment of the beginning of the story line as we meet Anakin Skywalker and witness Palpatine moving his pawns upon the chessboard of the Republic during the initial stages of the foundation of his empire.
Attack of the Clones: 5 Stars
I enjoyed this book significantly more. Salvatore incorporated much more detail about what the characters were thinking and feeling amidst all the political and personal turmoil, as well as describing the action sequences wonderfully. I find him to be a perfectly balanced writer, including just the right amount of detail to give me the insight I am looking for without encumbering the reader with wordy descriptions.
Revenge of the Sith: 4 Stars
This was a different read altogether and my first experience with Stover. He delves VERY deeply into what the characters are thinking and feeling at any given moment, going as far as to interrupt action sequences to describe in great detail what is going on the mind of any given character. While this insight was interesting and proved that he truly understands these characters in great depth, I found it to be distracting and excessive. Such deviations interrupt the overall flow of the scene at hand and encumber the reader in overly-wordy descriptions that manage to surpass even Tolkien's heavy writing style. While I enjoyed certain aspects of getting to know the characters in such depth, overall I though his style was rather cumbersome to read.
The volume overall: 4 Stars
If you are looking for additional insight into Lucas' iconic Star Wars characters and/or want to understand Palpatine's malevolent plan as he brilliantly (if also evilly) brings his empire to power, this is a good read.
The Phantom Menace: 2 Stars
I was not particularly impressed with this book, which felt like reading a slightly expanded version of the script. Brooks excelled at describing action sequences (which one could just as easily enjoy by watching the film), but included little additional insight into the characters. Jar Jar Binks was equally annoying in the book as the movie, making The Phantom Menace my least favorite book as it is my least favorite film. Only two things make this book worth reading (or the movie worth watching, for that matter): 1) the wonderful relationship between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and 2) the establishment of the beginning of the story line as we meet Anakin Skywalker and witness Palpatine moving his pawns upon the chessboard of the Republic during the initial stages of the foundation of his empire.
Attack of the Clones: 5 Stars
I enjoyed this book significantly more. Salvatore incorporated much more detail about what the characters were thinking and feeling amidst all the political and personal turmoil, as well as describing the action sequences wonderfully. I find him to be a perfectly balanced writer, including just the right amount of detail to give me the insight I am looking for without encumbering the reader with wordy descriptions.
Revenge of the Sith: 4 Stars
This was a different read altogether and my first experience with Stover. He delves VERY deeply into what the characters are thinking and feeling at any given moment, going as far as to interrupt action sequences to describe in great detail what is going on the mind of any given character. While this insight was interesting and proved that he truly understands these characters in great depth, I found it to be distracting and excessive. Such deviations interrupt the overall flow of the scene at hand and encumber the reader in overly-wordy descriptions that manage to surpass even Tolkien's heavy writing style. While I enjoyed certain aspects of getting to know the characters in such depth, overall I though his style was rather cumbersome to read.
The volume overall: 4 Stars
If you are looking for additional insight into Lucas' iconic Star Wars characters and/or want to understand Palpatine's malevolent plan as he brilliantly (if also evilly) brings his empire to power, this is a good read.
September 12, 2025
4.5/5
- the phantom menace (4/5)
- attack of the clones (4/5)
- revenge of the sith (5/5)
- the phantom menace (4/5)
- attack of the clones (4/5)
- revenge of the sith (5/5)
May 29, 2025
Overall score:
4 stars, rounded up.
The Phantom Menace: 2 stars
Easily the driest out of the three books. This is basically the film script padded out a bit more (reading the finished script would have been more exciting, honestly). There are some nice lines here and there, inclusions of deleted scenes and dialog, but nothing worth taking the time to read when you have the movie already.
The Attack of the Clones: 4 stars
This a massive improvement over the previous book. Like The Phantom Menace, deleted scenes are incorporated but they enhance rather than detract from the overall story. Padmé has some actual depth and motivation in this book, though this book focuses quite a bit on her breasts (I never thought I would come across "cleavage" in a Star Wars book, much less a description of Anakin nuzzling his face into her breasts, but here we are!).
Anakin is a massive creep in this book. There is just no saving his character. Padmé straight up telling him the way he looks at her makes her comfortable (red flag), Anakin fully admitting to preferring a dictatorship over a messy democracy (pan out to the flower meadow covered in red flags) but then consoling him after he admits to killing an entire village of sand people (an entire planet covered in red flags), its all over the place! You gotta get the parents of Luke and Leia Skywalker together somehow, but man, what an uncomfortable, creepy way to do it.
Padmé comes across as unsympathetic and cruel sometimes (besides the mixed signals she throws his way), with her straight up telling him that he "didn't leave her in the best of circumstances," her being Anakin's mother Shmi (Chapter 12) Which, like, holy hell woman. The kid was 10 when he left for the Jedi Temple and was forced to leave his mother behind because Qui-Gon Jinn wasn't wily enough to free her too. You can't blame him for circumstances beyond his control!
I like that Shmi Skywalker's character and her brief years of happiness is expanded, but damn was this woman was doomed. The Jedi did fuck all to free this one woman (and even Padmé dragged her feet for four years before trying and failing to save her, canonically Beru comes up with the plan to buy and later free Shmi) and put her somewhere safe. Her abduction and torture is just brutal (and the way Anakin finds her, tied up the way she is, leaves me to believe there was more going on besides physical torture).
I was hoping this book would somehow better explain the abruptness of Padmé, Anakin, and R2-D2 (with C3-PO in tow) leaving the Lars household so quickly, but no such luck. There is the funeral scene, the message from Obi-Wan, and off they go!
George Lucas is all about text, not sub-text ("I know writers who use subtext, and they're all cowards" - Garth Marenghi), so I could not help but cackle a bit when late into the book Count Dooku straight up admits to the room full of Separatist leaders: "And let me remind you of our absolute commitment to capitalism... to the lower taxes, the reduced tariffs, and the eventual abolition of all trade barriers. Signing this treaty will bring you profits beyond your wildest imagination. What we are proposing is complete free trade." You know what, I respect it. Lucas points out the bad guys are all for capitalism and the socialist hippie terrorists working in the Rebellion are our good guys.
I want to give praise to possibly the most loving father in all the Star Wars universe, Jango Fett. He requested a clone of his own without any genetic/behavioral modifications, with the pure and wonderful intention of raising this clone as his own child. It is made clear through the text that while Jango Fett is a firm parent, he is also incredibly supportive and nurturing. It was really sweet and touching to read his scenes with his clone-son, which contrasts with Anakin's repressive and stunted upbringing at the Jedi Temple.
Revenge of the Sith : 5 stars
This book set the standard of how movie novelizations could be done, provided the writer has the talent and the gumption to make something incredible.
This particular book is both horrifying and funny, in turns.
Funniest part is right afterAnakin and Sidious dispatch Mace Windu. Anakin watches Sidious/Palpatine casually use The Force to grab and settle a robe around himself. Anakin is shocked by this - you can use the Force for the most basic of actions? And Palpatine is like, Yeah, my guy, you can totally use The Force for whatever stuff you want, however petty or small.
Second funniest moment happens a chapter later, when Commander Cody bemoans the poor timing of Order 66, since he had just moments before given Obi-Wan Kenobi his lightsaber and seen him off.
Third funniest moment is when Obi-Wan Kenobi pretends to be a drooling, hunchbacked freak carrying Yoda a la a baby (?!) to “sneak” their way into the Jedi Temple. Incredible stuff.
Moving on from the haha funny to the "Holy hell, this is messed up but I can't help but laugh" funny:
Fourth funniest moment is when a Separatist is pleading for her life (on her knees!), babbling about being promised a handsome reward and Darth Vader savagely quips, “I am your reward. You don’t find me handsome?”
Fifth funniest moment – Vader switching back to Anakin, joyously bouncing with a smile over the mess of corpses and severed body parts, knowing Padme may not “approve the way he had redecorated the control center.” Deliciously evil.
The most horrifying sequence is when Vader brutally kills the Separatists on Mustafar. They were war criminals in their own right, especially the Neimoidians, but their deaths are stomach-churning. Well done, Stover.
I like the way Stover depicted the Jedi in this book, who come across as these insular, group-thinking, condescending, ineffective, stuck up their asses morons who rely on magic and The Force instead of common sense, some sense of intuition, maybe a little bit of intelligence?? Did they not once consider the Supreme Chancellor quickly and effectively gaining more and more power by the day could POSSIBLY be the Dark Lord of the Sith?! They kept whining and whinging about the Dark Side clouding the future and it's like -- then try something different? Try investigating??
Yoda jumping down Anakin’s throat – oh you’re angry? You’re scared? You have issues surrounding death? WELL THAT’S THE PATH TO THE DARK SIDE! Conceal, don’t feel you fucking wimp. Now, go back out into the hell that is this intergalactic war and I don’t want to hear you bitching and moaning about your PTSD anymore, young man. Yoda is this rigid, unyielding, tiny little thing that has an absolute chokehold on Jedi traditions and power. He dies telling Luke Skywalker to kill his own dad!! Bitter little green crusted booger to the end.
Anakin is a hot mess express and it’s GREAT. The guy definitely has mental issues; the Cinema Therapy channel guys “diagnosed” (as much as you can diagnose a fictional character) him with traits consistent with Borderline Personality Disorder, which were exacerbated by being raised in this cold, emotionally distant cult (that refused to help his slave mother) and then thrust into a war at a very young age, dealing with a major traumatic physical injury. Couple all that with a secret marriage and impending fatherhood, then add an overwhelming dose of grooming, manipulation, gaslighting, and implanted dreams from Palpatine – the man was overwhelmed and any attempt he made to reach out for help (wanting to go with Obi-Wan to Utapau, asking to lead the battle on Kashyyyk, considering giving it all up and leaving the Jedi Order) was swatted away from the people who cared about him, with all his worst instincts nurtured by Sidious/Palpatine.
His focus on preventing Padmé’s death while actively neglecting her and her needs (accidentally, blindly following the pattern laid out by his fellow Jedi) is so sad and tragic. It is incredibly messed up that the last time Padmé ever laid eyes on her husband was him reaching out to choke and kill her. Not enough people talk about Anakin committing domestic violence on the love of his life, the mother of his children. Maybe he brought balance to the Force and all that – but I don’t believe in rehabilitating abusers.
Obi-Wan Kenobi leaving Vader to die on the black beach from hell is fucking cold and metal as hell – he wasn’t feeling merciful. Okay, that and he did not have much time left to help Padmé, another Sith Lord was approaching, and you know what – The Force can decide what to do with this burning hunk of meat formerly known as Kenobi’s apprentice. Master of Trolling till the very end.
The Phantom Menace: 2 stars
Easily the driest out of the three books. This is basically the film script padded out a bit more (reading the finished script would have been more exciting, honestly). There are some nice lines here and there, inclusions of deleted scenes and dialog, but nothing worth taking the time to read when you have the movie already.
The Attack of the Clones: 4 stars
This a massive improvement over the previous book. Like The Phantom Menace, deleted scenes are incorporated but they enhance rather than detract from the overall story. Padmé has some actual depth and motivation in this book, though this book focuses quite a bit on her breasts (I never thought I would come across "cleavage" in a Star Wars book, much less a description of Anakin nuzzling his face into her breasts, but here we are!).
Anakin is a massive creep in this book. There is just no saving his character. Padmé straight up telling him the way he looks at her makes her comfortable (red flag), Anakin fully admitting to preferring a dictatorship over a messy democracy (pan out to the flower meadow covered in red flags) but then consoling him after he admits to killing an entire village of sand people (an entire planet covered in red flags), its all over the place! You gotta get the parents of Luke and Leia Skywalker together somehow, but man, what an uncomfortable, creepy way to do it.
Padmé comes across as unsympathetic and cruel sometimes (besides the mixed signals she throws his way), with her straight up telling him that he "didn't leave her in the best of circumstances," her being Anakin's mother Shmi (Chapter 12) Which, like, holy hell woman. The kid was 10 when he left for the Jedi Temple and was forced to leave his mother behind because Qui-Gon Jinn wasn't wily enough to free her too. You can't blame him for circumstances beyond his control!
I like that Shmi Skywalker's character and her brief years of happiness is expanded, but damn was this woman was doomed. The Jedi did fuck all to free this one woman (and even Padmé dragged her feet for four years before trying and failing to save her, canonically Beru comes up with the plan to buy and later free Shmi) and put her somewhere safe. Her abduction and torture is just brutal (and the way Anakin finds her, tied up the way she is, leaves me to believe there was more going on besides physical torture).
I was hoping this book would somehow better explain the abruptness of Padmé, Anakin, and R2-D2 (with C3-PO in tow) leaving the Lars household so quickly, but no such luck. There is the funeral scene, the message from Obi-Wan, and off they go!
George Lucas is all about text, not sub-text ("I know writers who use subtext, and they're all cowards" - Garth Marenghi), so I could not help but cackle a bit when late into the book Count Dooku straight up admits to the room full of Separatist leaders: "And let me remind you of our absolute commitment to capitalism... to the lower taxes, the reduced tariffs, and the eventual abolition of all trade barriers. Signing this treaty will bring you profits beyond your wildest imagination. What we are proposing is complete free trade." You know what, I respect it. Lucas points out the bad guys are all for capitalism and the socialist hippie terrorists working in the Rebellion are our good guys.
I want to give praise to possibly the most loving father in all the Star Wars universe, Jango Fett. He requested a clone of his own without any genetic/behavioral modifications, with the pure and wonderful intention of raising this clone as his own child. It is made clear through the text that while Jango Fett is a firm parent, he is also incredibly supportive and nurturing. It was really sweet and touching to read his scenes with his clone-son, which contrasts with Anakin's repressive and stunted upbringing at the Jedi Temple.
Revenge of the Sith : 5 stars
This book set the standard of how movie novelizations could be done, provided the writer has the talent and the gumption to make something incredible.
This particular book is both horrifying and funny, in turns.
Funniest part is right afterAnakin and Sidious dispatch Mace Windu. Anakin watches Sidious/Palpatine casually use The Force to grab and settle a robe around himself. Anakin is shocked by this - you can use the Force for the most basic of actions? And Palpatine is like, Yeah, my guy, you can totally use The Force for whatever stuff you want, however petty or small.
Second funniest moment happens a chapter later, when Commander Cody bemoans the poor timing of Order 66, since he had just moments before given Obi-Wan Kenobi his lightsaber and seen him off.
Third funniest moment is when Obi-Wan Kenobi pretends to be a drooling, hunchbacked freak carrying Yoda a la a baby (?!) to “sneak” their way into the Jedi Temple. Incredible stuff.
Moving on from the haha funny to the "Holy hell, this is messed up but I can't help but laugh" funny:
Fourth funniest moment is when a Separatist is pleading for her life (on her knees!), babbling about being promised a handsome reward and Darth Vader savagely quips, “I am your reward. You don’t find me handsome?”
Fifth funniest moment – Vader switching back to Anakin, joyously bouncing with a smile over the mess of corpses and severed body parts, knowing Padme may not “approve the way he had redecorated the control center.” Deliciously evil.
The most horrifying sequence is when Vader brutally kills the Separatists on Mustafar. They were war criminals in their own right, especially the Neimoidians, but their deaths are stomach-churning. Well done, Stover.
I like the way Stover depicted the Jedi in this book, who come across as these insular, group-thinking, condescending, ineffective, stuck up their asses morons who rely on magic and The Force instead of common sense, some sense of intuition, maybe a little bit of intelligence?? Did they not once consider the Supreme Chancellor quickly and effectively gaining more and more power by the day could POSSIBLY be the Dark Lord of the Sith?! They kept whining and whinging about the Dark Side clouding the future and it's like -- then try something different? Try investigating??
Yoda jumping down Anakin’s throat – oh you’re angry? You’re scared? You have issues surrounding death? WELL THAT’S THE PATH TO THE DARK SIDE! Conceal, don’t feel you fucking wimp. Now, go back out into the hell that is this intergalactic war and I don’t want to hear you bitching and moaning about your PTSD anymore, young man. Yoda is this rigid, unyielding, tiny little thing that has an absolute chokehold on Jedi traditions and power. He dies telling Luke Skywalker to kill his own dad!! Bitter little green crusted booger to the end.
Anakin is a hot mess express and it’s GREAT. The guy definitely has mental issues; the Cinema Therapy channel guys “diagnosed” (as much as you can diagnose a fictional character) him with traits consistent with Borderline Personality Disorder, which were exacerbated by being raised in this cold, emotionally distant cult (that refused to help his slave mother) and then thrust into a war at a very young age, dealing with a major traumatic physical injury. Couple all that with a secret marriage and impending fatherhood, then add an overwhelming dose of grooming, manipulation, gaslighting, and implanted dreams from Palpatine – the man was overwhelmed and any attempt he made to reach out for help (wanting to go with Obi-Wan to Utapau, asking to lead the battle on Kashyyyk, considering giving it all up and leaving the Jedi Order) was swatted away from the people who cared about him, with all his worst instincts nurtured by Sidious/Palpatine.
His focus on preventing Padmé’s death while actively neglecting her and her needs (accidentally, blindly following the pattern laid out by his fellow Jedi) is so sad and tragic. It is incredibly messed up that the last time Padmé ever laid eyes on her husband was him reaching out to choke and kill her. Not enough people talk about Anakin committing domestic violence on the love of his life, the mother of his children. Maybe he brought balance to the Force and all that – but I don’t believe in rehabilitating abusers.
Obi-Wan Kenobi leaving Vader to die on the black beach from hell is fucking cold and metal as hell – he wasn’t feeling merciful. Okay, that and he did not have much time left to help Padmé, another Sith Lord was approaching, and you know what – The Force can decide what to do with this burning hunk of meat formerly known as Kenobi’s apprentice. Master of Trolling till the very end.
August 9, 2010
Oddly enough, my favorite part book out of the trilogy was "The Phantom Menace." Terry Brooks did a fantastic job making a so-so movie a great book! The story line of the prequel trilogy is fantastic. Kudos to George Lucas for creating a universe that is so easy to get into.
I honestly never thought I'd be one of those guys who read Star Wars books, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the ones I have read.
I honestly never thought I'd be one of those guys who read Star Wars books, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the ones I have read.
August 7, 2018
The Phantom Menace 2.5/5
Attack of the Clones 2.5/5
Revenge of the Sith 4/5 - that one broke me
Attack of the Clones 2.5/5
Revenge of the Sith 4/5 - that one broke me
February 20, 2020
I do love the binding and having the whole prequel trilogy in the same volume. But the Revenge of the Sith adaptation is so jarringly bad, I couldn't give it more than three stars. Given that these three books are film adaptations (and thus the author is bound to character and plot restrictions), here's a rating for each with that in mind:
The Phantom Menace ****
Attack of the Clones ****
Revenge of the Sith **
The first two are relatively solid movie novelizations, weaving in a few extra scenes and bits of character background to flesh out what we see on screen. I continue to be charmed by the winks Brooks manages to give to a potential connection between Qui-Gon and Shmi. The inclusions of Anakin sparing a Sand Person's life adds so much more weight to the sense of betrayal he feels over this mother's death. The very end of Attack of the Clones feels a little rushed given how well the author fleshes out Padme and Anakin's relationship (or at least personal motives) early on, but it's not awful.
Revenge of the Sith is just awful. In fairness to Matt Stover, it's pretty clear he was handed a much earlier version of the script, and unlike the other two films, took on the burden of trying to connect the film to a television series. But acknowledging that challenge makes the poor narrative style choices that much more glaring.
The Revenge of Sith narration constantly draw attention to itself. It's a style that might work for other books set in another universe, but it doesn't work for Star Wars, particularly not for a major film adaptation. And in a three volume set like this, it's even more glaring how the book just doesn't fit. Star Wars novels as a rule are immersive, and with a few exceptions, told in third person omniscient, past tense, because the whole premise is this happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Parallels to current politics are things readers are left to make later in reflection.
Star Wars is also expansive enough to allow breaks and experimentation with that formula, but not in a film adaptation novel. This was a key part in the larger saga, and the focus should have been on the characters and storyline, not narrative acrobatics. We jump from present to past tense for the first portion of the book, before the technique mercifully fades off. The narrative is constantly interrupted with character portraits "This is....." rather than just letting scenes flow naturally from one to the next. The italicized interludes about the dark side are just eye-rolling interruption.
The aggrandizing of the characters is painful. Yes, these characters are skilled, everyone knows that at this point in the trilogy, so there's absolutely no reason to constantly list and re-emphasize their skill set and specific lightsaber style, particularly as these things have little or nothing to do with the plot. The extended blow by blow battles scenes drag out, while many scenes that probably should be fleshed out are skipped over briefly...while I grant this mirrors the film to a great extent, it's also the opposite of best course for a novelization.
What does save Stover from one-star is he manages to drop in some bits of useful connective tissue, like Anakin's desire to access holocrons, Yoda's contact with Qui-Gon Jinn, and Padme's interactions with the 2000 and early seeds of the rebellion. Some of the dialogue (or at least who delivers it and why) works better in Stover's version than the film. The "Jedi trap" metaphor is probably the one bit of truly clever narrative footwork that worked, but sadly gets lost in all the other narrative acrobatics.
The Phantom Menace ****
Attack of the Clones ****
Revenge of the Sith **
The first two are relatively solid movie novelizations, weaving in a few extra scenes and bits of character background to flesh out what we see on screen. I continue to be charmed by the winks Brooks manages to give to a potential connection between Qui-Gon and Shmi. The inclusions of Anakin sparing a Sand Person's life adds so much more weight to the sense of betrayal he feels over this mother's death. The very end of Attack of the Clones feels a little rushed given how well the author fleshes out Padme and Anakin's relationship (or at least personal motives) early on, but it's not awful.
Revenge of the Sith is just awful. In fairness to Matt Stover, it's pretty clear he was handed a much earlier version of the script, and unlike the other two films, took on the burden of trying to connect the film to a television series. But acknowledging that challenge makes the poor narrative style choices that much more glaring.
The Revenge of Sith narration constantly draw attention to itself. It's a style that might work for other books set in another universe, but it doesn't work for Star Wars, particularly not for a major film adaptation. And in a three volume set like this, it's even more glaring how the book just doesn't fit. Star Wars novels as a rule are immersive, and with a few exceptions, told in third person omniscient, past tense, because the whole premise is this happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Parallels to current politics are things readers are left to make later in reflection.
Star Wars is also expansive enough to allow breaks and experimentation with that formula, but not in a film adaptation novel. This was a key part in the larger saga, and the focus should have been on the characters and storyline, not narrative acrobatics. We jump from present to past tense for the first portion of the book, before the technique mercifully fades off. The narrative is constantly interrupted with character portraits "This is....." rather than just letting scenes flow naturally from one to the next. The italicized interludes about the dark side are just eye-rolling interruption.
The aggrandizing of the characters is painful. Yes, these characters are skilled, everyone knows that at this point in the trilogy, so there's absolutely no reason to constantly list and re-emphasize their skill set and specific lightsaber style, particularly as these things have little or nothing to do with the plot. The extended blow by blow battles scenes drag out, while many scenes that probably should be fleshed out are skipped over briefly...while I grant this mirrors the film to a great extent, it's also the opposite of best course for a novelization.
What does save Stover from one-star is he manages to drop in some bits of useful connective tissue, like Anakin's desire to access holocrons, Yoda's contact with Qui-Gon Jinn, and Padme's interactions with the 2000 and early seeds of the rebellion. Some of the dialogue (or at least who delivers it and why) works better in Stover's version than the film. The "Jedi trap" metaphor is probably the one bit of truly clever narrative footwork that worked, but sadly gets lost in all the other narrative acrobatics.
July 16, 2020
I actually started reading this in the hope that it might shed some light on more of the motivations and character contexts that were not always immediately apparent in the movies.
The first book was okay, a bit bland, and so full of ‘Anakin is a marvelous little saint of the universe’, that all I could do was shrug and move on.
The second book was even more bland, and the author was clearly having a love affair with the word ‘winced’. I should’ve counted how many times he used it. This book did give new insight into Padme, and not in a good way.
The third book started out brilliantly, and it’s use of language was amazing, but it got so heavily bogged down in that same language, I couldn’t finish it for fear of choking to death. It turned into a most peculiar and unsatisfactory style that was both irritating and unhelpful.
I’m glad to be done with it.
Stick to individual novels in the Star Wars Universe, but avoid the movie tie-ins.
The first book was okay, a bit bland, and so full of ‘Anakin is a marvelous little saint of the universe’, that all I could do was shrug and move on.
The second book was even more bland, and the author was clearly having a love affair with the word ‘winced’. I should’ve counted how many times he used it. This book did give new insight into Padme, and not in a good way.
The third book started out brilliantly, and it’s use of language was amazing, but it got so heavily bogged down in that same language, I couldn’t finish it for fear of choking to death. It turned into a most peculiar and unsatisfactory style that was both irritating and unhelpful.
I’m glad to be done with it.
Stick to individual novels in the Star Wars Universe, but avoid the movie tie-ins.
February 19, 2021
Five stars, and MORE (if possible!) for the Revenge of the Sith part of the trilogy! That part was freaking amazing <3 <3 <3
With novelizations, you always have this sort of limitation, that you can only go so far. Like an established script. I noticed that for the OG trilogy, and Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. There wasn't all that much left to it, to really dig deep into the movies.
Not so much for RotS. Oh goodness. I couldn't recommend that part enough! It was really interesting to get to see how the characters thought, what drove them, their POV. Of course, I already knew the storyline, but Matthew Stover just seemed to make it that much MORE, while still playing in the Star Wars sandbox. Super fun, super engaging...and super heartbreaking, even more than I would've expected! Really enjoyed this trilogy, even though it took me two tries to get through the 990+ page book, lol!
With novelizations, you always have this sort of limitation, that you can only go so far. Like an established script. I noticed that for the OG trilogy, and Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. There wasn't all that much left to it, to really dig deep into the movies.
Not so much for RotS. Oh goodness. I couldn't recommend that part enough! It was really interesting to get to see how the characters thought, what drove them, their POV. Of course, I already knew the storyline, but Matthew Stover just seemed to make it that much MORE, while still playing in the Star Wars sandbox. Super fun, super engaging...and super heartbreaking, even more than I would've expected! Really enjoyed this trilogy, even though it took me two tries to get through the 990+ page book, lol!
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