Star Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars Novelizations #1

by Terry Brooks, George Lucas

When casting about for an author to novelize the script for The Phantom Menace--the first in a series of three prequels to the eternally popular Star Wars saga--it's no surprise that creator George Lucas called on Terry Brooks to novelize the biggest science fiction movie of all time. After all, Brooks is a perennially bestselling epic fantasy author whose Sword of Shannara is a classic adventure story, not far removed from the swashbuckling exploits of our favorite Star Wars heroes.

Brooks handles the job of modern mythmaker well. He deftly juggles a hodgepodge of characters: a young stately queen (Amidala) and her handmaidens; a pair of Jedi knights (Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn); a bumbling amphibious sidekick (Jar Jar Binks); two Sith Lords (Darths Maul and Sidious) who add more than enough menace to the mix; a couple of familiar robots (C-3P0 and R2-D2); a teeming host of Senators, Chancellors, diplomats, warrior droids, and spies; and one young slave boy who aspires to be a Jedi knight (Anakin Skywalker). With cinematic prose, Brooks brings to life a number of epic battles, skirmishes, and dogfights in space--all the elements that we've come to expect from a rousing Star Wars installment. The Phantom Menace doesn't stray far from those expectations: there is a clear division between the good guys and the bad; good things come in small (and surprising) packages; and heroes lose battles only to emerge victorious on another day. But Phantom does illuminate in ways the other installments didn't. For the first time, we get a glimpse at the whys and wherefores behind the curtain; at times the book reads almost like a sociopolitical thriller as the emerging Federation shuffles for power with the waning democracy of the Republic. The Force is also further illuminated. Turns out it has something to do with "midi-chlorians"--microscopic life forms that live in the cells of all creatures.

The Phantom Menace is a fun read, sure to satisfy Star Wars junkies young and old. And don't forget: turn your light saber off before you enter the swamp or you'll fry your energy pack. --Tod Nelson

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure, Audiobook

324 pages, Hardcover

First published April 21, 1999

About the author

Terry 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.

Reviews

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic novelization of one of my go-to flicks, The Phantom Menace. Terry Brooks did an incredible job bringing the action and political intrigue to the page!



Admittedly, I am slightly obsessed with the movie The Phantom Menace. Poke fun at me if you must.



I've watched the movie a zillion times, so I figured I should probably check out the novelization.

It was only then that I discovered it was adapted into book form by the renowned Fantasy author, Terry Brooks!?



If you've seen the movie, there will be no great surprises here, but as with most book/movie combos, you can find a lot more information in the book.

I feel like the book allows more space to build out some of my favorite characters in the entire universe, like Anakin and Qui-Gon.



I think if you are a fan of Star Wars, this is definitely worth a read; consider it supplemental to the movie.

I am definitely going to pick up the other novelizations in this prequel trilogy. Attack of the Clones was written by R.A. Salvatore, so I am actually really looking forward to starting that one soon!

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here come the prequels!


JEDI AND SITH MEET AGAIN!

During the Original Trilogy of Star Wars, we find out a detail here and another there, about what happened to the Republic and the rise of the Empire.

Of course, those little details, matter not much, since after all, good ol’ Georgie wrote what he wanted in the prequels, not matter if they were contradictory with the previous released information in the original trilogy.

For thousand years, peace had prevailed in the galaxy and the Republic was protected by the Jedi Order…

…but the Sith hadn’t dissapeared as people think and a masterplan was about to be applied with the goals of turning the Republic into an Empire and the destruction of the Jedi Order…

…and everything began in the little planet of Naboo and a commercial blockade…

…along with a small detour to the planet of Tatooine.

Sooo, from here on, I will do some specific comments and explain differences between the movie and book, so if you haven’t watch the film, be warned of keeping reading on…

Qui Gon-Jin rules! He’s the best Jedi ever. Period.

However, I think that the whole trouble of being stranded in Tatooine could be managed better (but of course, we wouldn’t have Star Wars, so maybe it wasn’t shortsight, but things that should happen in benefit of the story), since they need a spare part to fix their Nubian cruiser and the Republic money wasn’t good in Tatooine…

…but hey! The Nubian ship is almost peachy-keen shape but the hyperdrive system, so…

…why not sell the dang Nubian ship, and buying some less fancy cruiser instead, even it was smart to change of vehicle to avoid being followed, they only needed a cruiser big enough for two Jedis, a queen, her cohorts, a security captain and the pilots…

…and they could avoid requiring the help of certain kid that years later would become kinda some little trouble to the Jedi Order.

Moreover, while Qui Gon-Jin couldn’t do his Mind Trick on Watto, it seemed that Watto did something to Qui Gon-Jin since Watto told him that nobody else had that kind of Nubian spare parts and he believed him, since he didn’t try with any other store, hey! Who knows? Maybe there was some other business alien with that kind of spare parts and even accepting Republic money, but of course, why distrust someone so trustworthy like good ol’ Watto?! Geez!

It’s curious that the Senate is dealing with a trouble of a commercial blockade at Naboo, and their “brilliant impartial” solution is deposing the current Supreme Chancellor and naming a new one that he’s from Naboo!

And it’s absurd that when Naboo is facing an invasion, it’s sent only two Jedis, aaaaah!...
…but when everything was solved and there is a party with music and food, the whole dang Jedi Council travel there! Geez!


SO WHAT’S DIFFERENT HERE ANYWAY?

The story didn’t began on the book on Naboo, but you have two chapters introducing little Anakin and his life as slave at Tatooine, the construction of C-3PO, including a revealing incident where he tries to heal a wounder Tusken Raider and he ponders about what he could do if somebody would hurt his mother. Also, it’s told the previous Pod Racing where Anakin “saved most of Watto’s pod”.
There is an aditional scene showing the natural kindness of Anakin, when he invited Qui-Gon Jin and Padme, some food in a street tent, even when the very Anakin isn’t able to buy some for him.

Padme has a last name, Naberrie, which is contradictory of the way that she’s referred in Episode II.

Anakin tells Padme that he’ll marry her in the future, and while Padme didn’t take it seriously since he’s just a kid, he tells her that he won’t be a boy forever.

Obi-Wan Kenobi relationship was quite damaged for a while in the narrative when Qui-Gon Jin insisted of teaching Anakin and all that that involved.

Darth Maul has a lot more dialogue in the novel than in the movie.

There is a detailed account about what happened with the Sith Order and how Darth Bane changed all with his Rule of Two.

Yoda was against of teaching Anakin (and most likely Mace Windu was against too) but the rest of the Jedi Council voted in favor.

[Jorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If we were to give credence to the claim that Terry Brooks' work is derivative—a refrain I don't find unreasonable, having read The Sword of Shannara and noting its similarities to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, but think is nonetheless tired—then perhaps there was no better author to adapt someone else's work; their ideas, their characters.

Their galaxy...

And in adapting George Lucas's The Phantom Menace, Brooks hit it right outta the park.

The Phantom Menace novelization is the best of any movie novelization I've ever read. It was so much better than I could've ever expected or hoped for.

Not enough credit is given to Terry Brooks as a writer. His skill gets largely overshadowed by the criticism mentioned above. But he has a natural way of stringing words together, creating sentences that flow so easily, often beautifully.

The way he described podracing was a joy to read. He managed to keep the pace of those high-velocity scenes quick and exhilarating while taking time to show how Anakin saw the world. I hadn't really considered the advantage different aliens had in podracing; whether it be extra limbs, particular flexibility, better-developed eyesight—whatever—would make them likelier participants for the sport, and how unique it was for Anakin to even attempt it. And once he's in his pod, with the rocky landscape speeding by, both it and his competitors posing dangers to him on all sides, Brooks' description of Anakin's innate Force-sensitivity, allowing him to feel his surroundings and anticipate them, was simply marvelous.

Unlike the movie, the novelization has one additional podracing scene, at the very beginning. We read about the mentioned incident of Anakin smashing up Watto's pod, and his losing. I can understand why this wasn't in the movie; having one major racing sequence, everything riding on its results, makes for better onscreen momentum.

But in text, as expertly depicted by Brooks, the extra race was a delight.

Being a novelization, however, there are added scenes that don't work, specifically Maul's arrival on Naboo just before the climax. I didn't need him to check in with the Neimoidians to tell them he was there. No matter how they cowered in his presence, the less Maul is shown and says is better; it makes him all the more imposing, and the surprise of this scene more iconic.

I'm not sure what material Brooks was given to adapt this story, outside of the script. Did he write his pre-, during, or post-production? Did he see any of the film before writing this, or did he not have that benefit? Did he get a screener copy pre-release, or did he see it in theaters like the rest of us?

Whatever it was, the result shows that Brooks has immaculate media literacy. He understood every character and their motivation, giving their words and reactions weight aligned with their unique circumstances.

When Anakin had to leave Shmi, Brooks knew it was an impossible choice for a little boy to have to make. It was not only being separated from his mother, but leaving her behind to remain trapped in slavery, now alone. He wrote Anakin as understanding that, despite being so young, and it setup his later struggle with the Jedi—that he would have to leave his mother in the worst possible conditions to train with them, to learn about the basic mysteries of himself. It's cruel, and only allowed to happen because of Shmi's selflessness. Her life made her no stranger to injustices; this was just another.

It haunts Anakin. It haunts me. If the movie's depiction could make me cry, reading this had me sobbing.

Suffice it to say, this novelization was a resounding success! I'd recommend it to any Star Wars fan, maybe especially those pesky prequel haters. If George Lucas's take didn't work for them, maybe Terry Brooks' will.

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have our revenge.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....


Episode I
The Phantom Menace

I will start out by saying that I saw this movie in theatres when I was a kid, and it will always be a part of me. The Podracing, the lightsaber battles, the large scale ground war between the Gungans/Naboo and the Trade Federation droid army, Anakin leaving his mother behind and promising to return one day and free her. When Darth Maul stared down Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi Wan Kenobi and activated both blades on his lightsaber, changing Star Wars forever in the epic Duel of the Fates lightsaber battle. It is an unforgettable movie. I watched it again last year for the first time since initially seeing it in theatres in 1999. I didn't even know this, but critics have long hated the movie, and it received poor feedback in its time. I was nervous to watch it again, given this. What if the critics were right? What if this movie I have cherished all my life was just a dumpster fire, and like many movies beloved by children doesn't hold up when rewatched as an adult? So I rewatched it.

And I loved it. I rewatched all three of the movies that make up George Lucas' prequel trilogy, and loved them all, though Revenge of the Sith is noticeably the best of the three, I think. For the movie novelization of Episode I, George Lucas made a peculiar choice, apparently handpicking fantasy author Terry Brooks for the job. According to an interview with Brooks in the back of the book, when Brooks brought up his writing science fiction to Lucas, Lucas replied:

"Don't worry, I don't make science fiction movies."

He views Star Wars as adventure storytelling more than science fiction. So I guess it sort of makes sense to pick a fantasy author? Of course, by the very definition of science fiction Star Wars very much is science fiction. So Lucas is wrong about that. He does make science fiction movies. But hey...they're great adventure stories too.

I thought Brooks did an admirable job with the novelization of the movie. He added in some scenes that weren't in the movie, though most of them didn't really add much to the story, I thought. One scene, however, involving Anakin and a Tusken Raider, was fantastic and very authentically written; I consider it among the best things I've read in any Star Wars literature to date. Brooks should isolate that part out of the book and allow it to be included in a Star Wars short story collection so more people can enjoy it, because it was great.

Largely though, I found this retelling to be simply "serviceable", and to me it came across as a bit wooden. I didn't really care about any of the characters for the most part, with the exception of the part where Anakin says goodbye to his mother on Tatooine; Brooks retold that superbly, and it actually made me cry because it was such a powerful and engrossing retelling. Disappointingly, the two best scenes in the movie, the Boonta Eve Podrace and the Duel of the Fates lightsaber battle between Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi Wan, came across as underwhelming interpretations to me.

Interestingly, however, this book showed me how ridiculous some aspects of the movie were. I mean, George Lucas has said in the past that Star Wars is geared towards children. So why does this movie have the outrageously complicated and mature plot that it has? What kid knows what a f--king trade route is? Or what the taxation of trade routes is? What kid knows what a blockade is? I'm an adult and I'm not sure I fully know what that is.

Throw in incredibly boring scenes of debate happening in the Galactic Senate, the nomination and voting for a new Supreme Chancellor, the proposal of the formation of a commission to go to Naboo and investigate the claims of a Trade Federation invasion? Are you kidding me Lucas? I love you dearly for Star Wars, and always will, but saying this plot was geared toward children simply makes no sense.

The book highlights other holes in the movie's logic as well. Like the scene at the Jedi Temple when Mace Windu says something like (paraphrasing here):

"What? There's no way the Sith could have returned. That's crazy talk. We (the members of the Jedi Council) would have sensed it."

But then, at the end of the book, when he is at the funeral of Qui-Gon Jinn, he is f--king standing like ten feet away from Senator Palpatine, who is really a Sith Lord.

So they couldn't come back without you sensing it, but you can't "sense" it when it's standing ten feet away from you? Lolol.

In closing, I will say that I will always love Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I loved it as a kid, and I still love it today. It is a big part of my childhood, and I'll always be thankful to George Lucas for it. Terry Brooks has penned a serviceable and, at times, superior novelization of the film here, but some things he added in, like the extra dialogue where Anakin fawns obsessively over Padmé, made Anakin seem like an overly-persistent creep, and I actually preferred the minimal and more wholesome dialogue of the movie. In essence, he actually makes the story worse in some parts, so know what you're getting into. If you're a huge fan of the film, this might be worth checking out. I am, and all I can say is that for me it was a bit of a mixed bag.

P.S. Yes, Jar Jar Binks is annoying as hell, even in the novelization...

I actually think he was more annoying in the novelization...

Heesa bombad.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read a book written "based on" a movie. Not a bad effort. In some ways better than the movie because the reader is taken inside the point-of-view characters. Terry Brooks, of course, is an accomplished author and did not hurt his reputation with this novel.

One major shortcoming of both book and movie (and therefore probably Lucas', rather than Brook's, fault) came into clearer focus in the book. No one recognized Padme as Amidala until she reveals herself. Not Anakin, who thinks he loves her and is the most Force-sensitive person ever, and not two trained Jedi. No one. (We assume, of course, all the Nabooians--including Palpatine/Sidious--are in on the scam, though if Palpatine knew, why didn't he warn the Neimoidians, since her now-you-see-her-now-you-don't act contributed to their undoing?) What's the deal?

What's the Force good for if it can't discriminate one person from another? You can feel someone die half a galaxy away but you can't recognize the person standing next to you was not the one hiding behind the white makeup yesterday. And to add insult to injury, Brooks tells us R2-D2 was the first to recognize Padme as Amidala. Too funny.

Not to mention that Jedi Masters can stand right next to Palpatine and not recognize who/what he is. Yeah, yeah, he's blinding them, but they ought to at least see that something's not right. But if we didn't have that, the whole first trilogy would collapse under the weight of it's own paradoxes, wouldn't it?

Anyway, not Brooks' fault. He did a good job with what he was given. And the rest of us--well, some of us--are just left wishing Anakin had turned out good. But then we wouldn't have had the second trilogy, which came first, therefore we had to have it whether the first trilogy worked or not. Right?

[Brooke — brooklynnnnereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have seen the movie, you will not be surprised by this novel at all. In fact, this novel was adapted FROM the movie so again, do not go into this book expecting much difference from the movie.

With that being said, if you are a fan of the movie (or the series in general) I think that it's worth the read. Not only did this book remind me of the less obvious things that occurred in the movie, it also gave some additional details that left more of a mark coming from a different perspective.

Personally, I really liked this adaptation and think it's a great addition to the movie. I'm looking forward to continuing the novelized adaptions for each movie in this saga.

[Raoul · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Phantom Menace novelization stays true to the film while adding welcome depth, especially to characters like Anakin. I enjoyed the added perspective and small details that helped flesh out the story. The final third feels a bit chaotic with so many action scenes happening at once, but that’s more a limitation of the source material. Still, it’s a worthwhile read for fans looking for more context and character insight.

8 out of 10

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The opinions of others whether you agree with them or not are something you have to learn to tolerate"
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, two Jedi knights (well, one is a Master, the other his Padawan, but who's counting?), are surreptitiously sent to Naboo to negotiate a treaty to put an end to the blockade the Trade Federation has on the planet. But negotiations are short when the Neimoidians try to kill them and now the Jedi try to get Queen Amidala, ruler of Naboo, to Coruscant, to spur the Republic into action.
NOTE: Based on unabridged audiobook and novel.

I Liked:
Terry Brooks was given an huge task: put the first Star Wars movie for over 15 years into novel form. The previous authors had pretty much taken the screenplay and frilled it out a bit for novel form. But Brooks bucks that. He includes three distinct scenes that are never seen in the movie and were never filmed. One is how Anakin destroys his pod in the first unseen race. This is fundamental to showing Anakin's skill and how the Force is with him in the Boonta Race (which he wins). The second is a scene where Anakin shows compassion on a Tusken Raider. That scene is really poignant especially in light of Attack of the Clones. Instead of hearing how compassionate Anakin is, we get to see it. And the third is a nice summary of the demise of the Sith Order and the rise of the Rule of Two (okay, now we have Jedi Vs. Sith and Path of Destruction, but you have to realize in 1999, we had neither).
Besides these two specific scenes, Brooks takes time to slow things down from the hectic editing of the movie and explain the things that don't quite make sense. Why does Qui-Gon bring the clumsy Jar Jar into Mos Espa? Why does Obi-Wan throw Jar Jar into the droid hold? These are only two of the myriad of minor questions you might have if you just watched The Phantom Menace.
I also liked the insight into characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi (who was irritated by his master's constantly bringing along people for no reason), Qui-Gon (who rebelled because he felt the Force), Jar Jar (who really wasn't as stupid as the movie portrayed him), and Anakin (we get to see some of his dreams, which eerily reminds us of Clones).
Brooks has a nice writing style, easy to understand, nice to listen to, good pacing, and nice descriptions. I had just finished reading Cloak of Deception, which in my review, I noted that it tended to overdescribe, and I was glad that Brooks didn't do that. Also, Brooks was pretty adept at transcribing the podracing scenes and the action scenes.

I Didn't Like:
It's hard, I'll admit, to review a novelization of a movie. It has to stay true to the movie, and yet add something more, else why read the book and not watch the movie? Unfortunately, other than a few unique scenes, there really is very little reason to pick up this novel.
Firstly, I still didn't like how Anakin comes off as being a young adult and no where near the 9 that he is in the movie and in the book. I know part of this problem is in fact the movie, but Brooks doesn't help by having Anakin have way too many romantic thoughts about Padme--way more than a typical 9 year old should have.
Another thing that REALLY bugged me was how Brooks never bothers to write from Padme's point of view. I know this might have blown the secret, but still, Padme/Amidala is a HUGE part of the movie, the main reason for it, from one point of view, and we can't have a single scene written from her? This might not sound like a problem until Brooks has to force Anakin and Jar Jar into the Senate Hall (?!) so that they can hear the big speech she gives the Senate. What the...??? Just put Amidala there! Stop treating her like a one-shot love interest and make her a character!
A problem I had with Obi-Wan, actually with many characters, is how racist they appear. Obi-Wan says he doesn't want Jar Jar to tag along because he was a "foolish looking creature". So if Jar Jar was a sexy Twi'Lek it would be okay? Also, I grew embarrassed reading about Panaka's "dark skin" that was mentioned whenever he was in a scene. Why is this necessary? Why didn't anyone comment about Obi-Wan's "white skin"? Also, Padme stereotypes Neimoidians as all being cowards, and I absolutely loathe all-species stereotypes.
The repetition was unnerving. You could make a drinking game out of how often we read about Qui-Gon being "leonine" or someone being "chagrined" (that last one made me want to double face palm).
By far, the biggest problem with this book is how emotionless it comes across. I know that sounds odd, but although we learn more about characters, I still felt an emotional distance from everyone, as if the novel had merely been transcribed from the script (and in more than one place, it was very nearly). When you read a novelization of a movie, you want to learn more information from it, to grow close to the characters, understand what is going on in their heads, feel their feelings. I don't feel that Brooks ever tore down that barrier and truly brought me closer to any of the characters.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
None.
Twi'Lek slave girls.
A few characters die. There is a large battle at the end and several smaller skirmishes.

Overall:
If I had to compare this to the movie, I would definitely say it is better. There is better flow, more clarification, and less wooden acting (and bad scripts). However, it still has its problems: namely never letting Padme speak for herself or letting us emotionally attach to the characters. If you haven't seen the movie, read this book. If you have seen the movie, then I would skip.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[Catherine⁷]

A lot of people love to hate on the prequels because of the dialogue and blah blah blah. That narrative is so old to me. I genuinely love the prequels, and I love watching them ironically and for memes. I have no shame, y’all are just mean.
The Phantom Menace I think is disliked among fans for its slow pacing and lack of action compared to the other stories. I understand people’s criticisms, but I also think a lot of why the prequels work are because of the politics involved. Without that there would be no war nor would there be any conflict for these characters to get involved in.
Something I enjoyed in this novel were the off-screen scenes with Anakin and his thoughts. Instead of starting off with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan like the movie does, this novel starts off with Anakin on Tatooine and his pod racing conflict. There is also a scene where Anakin sees an injured Tusken Raider and tries to help him out. The novel has room to develop more of Anakin’s internal thoughts and his connection to the force as well as his relationship to his mother. I also liked how we saw this internal boyish excitement when Anakin sees Padme for the first time.
Also…Qui-Gon. I love that dude. He was honestly the only one who truly believed in Anakin and his abilities. Duel of the Fates is so iconic. I'm glad the Clone Wars turns Qui-Gon's quick death into something important as he helps Yoda learn the ways of becoming a force ghost after death.
Anyway, those are some brief thoughts I had.

[Luna Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

TBA

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Description: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, an evil legacy long believed dead is stirring. Now the dark side of the Force threatens to overwhelm the light, and only an ancient Jedi prophecy stands between hope and doom for the entire galaxy.


On the green, unspoiled world of Naboo, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, arrive to protect the realm’s young queen as she seeks a diplomatic solution to end the siege of her planet by Trade Federation warships. At the same time, on desert-swept Tatooine, a slave boy named Anakin Skywalker, who possesses a strange ability for understanding the “rightness” of things, toils by day and dreams by night—of becoming a Jedi Knight and finding a way to win freedom for himself and his beloved mother. It will be the unexpected meeting of Jedi, Queen, and a gifted boy that will mark the start of a drama that will become legend.

Just a reminder, shelves and ratings for Star Wars are purely for the films, which are fantastic fun.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Of the three prequel novelizations, this one is the weakest. It is a decent account of the scenes of the movie, but offers little extra to the readers. The opening scenes with Anakin's previous podrace added little to the story or our understanding of his character. The only valuable insights was the quick summary of the Sith history.

[Steph LaPlante · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. There was a lot more detail within the book that expanded the depth of the characters. It made my heart hurt more for the story of Vader/Anakin, as well as Obi Wan.

Definitely recommend to all star wars fans.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good!!! Very much like the movie but I enjoyed the extra Easter eggs and some foreshadowing! Looking forward to reading more!!

Qui Gon deserved better, Anakin deserved better and I’m forever sad about it. So many what if possibilities. Any Star Wars fan will appreciate reading the start of it all!

[Kevis Hendrickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it isn't going to set yor pants on fire, the novelization of The Phantom Menace is actually quite a good book. One of the reasons why many people disliked the film version of The Phantom Menace is because the film didn't focus on its main character, Anakin Skywalker, who would one day become the future Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. In the book, however, the story hones in on Anakin, and explores his life as a slave, laying down the narrative foundation for us to understand why Anakin becomes the man he does.

Several key scenes which didn't make it into the film such as Anakin's fight with the Rhodian Greedo establishes Anakin's hidden and unpredictable fury. Also, where the film fails to explain how or where Anakin learns to fly, the book explains such matters in detail.

I would recommend The Phantom Menace to all Star Wars fans simply becuase it fills in the gaps of narrative information that we don't get in the film, much of which I might add is actually information that George Lucas couldn't squeeze into the film due to its truncated running time and haphazard storytelling. There is some obscure Sith-lore to be found in this book that will peek the interest of Star Wars fans. Terry Brooks deserves props for taking many of the more pedestrian scenes in the film and giving them meaning in the book. As expected, the final lightsaber duel between Qui-gonn Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul is quite thrilling.

There are a few books (sci-fi and fantasy) that deal with the timeless tale of a young boy growing up to become a deadly agent of evil. But of them all, The Phantom Menace is in a class by itself in telling the tale of the childhood of the most infamous villian in all of science-fiction.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

There's an interesting re-edit of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace out there, called The Phantom Edit. It's one person's edit of the original movie, with as much of the moronic Jar-Jar, annoying Anakin, and redundant storyline removed as possible. It's an improvement, though the movie still falls far short of the original trilogy.

Unfortunately, this book goes in the opposite direction. The author expounds on both the Jar-Jar and the Anakin idiocy, often taking it to extremes (for example, when Anakin first meets Padme in Watto's shop, the conversation in the book ends with Anakin stating that he is going to marry Padme...). The additional plot explanations are welcome, but those mainly manage to expose the absurdity of the storyline to the reader.

This is not how to treat Star Wars. This is Star Wars for 7-year-olds. For excellent examples of how to treat Star Wars in book form, see virtually anything by Timothy Zahn.

[Bram · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to play the ultimate nerd contrarian and admit that I love this movie and novelization. It's probably just heavy nostalgia for one of my last pre-puberty summers, but I'm ok with that.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novelization of The Phantom Menace, the first in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, was written based off the script of film by famed fantasy author Terry Brooks.

Brooks generally follows the script of the film, but importantly adds several scenes that help give background to several key characters. The chief beneficiary of the added scenes was Anakin Skywalker, who unknowingly has been using the Force his entire life to do amazing things as a 9-year-old especially as a podracer. Unlike the film where the identity of Darth Sidious is quickly known, Brooks effectively hides Padme Amidala’s dual identity through there clues are subtle enough for someone who has never watched the film. Though Jar Jar Binks can get on the reader’s nerves, Brooks is able to write him to be not so annoying as in the film and seeing things from his perspective is interesting. While Brooks can’t completely change the dialogue from the screenplay, he’s able to make it more palatable.

The Phantom Menace is a novelization that improves upon the film in various ways, which says something about the film itself and the quality of writing by Terry Brooks.

[Nienke · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In this life you're often born one thing and die another. You don't have to accept that what you're given when you come in is all you'll have when you leave.”

With this being said by an old pilot, we witness Anakin's change of life right before our eyes. From being a slave on a desert planet he becomes a new Padawan-learner at the age of nine. Which is, in terms of the Council, old, but destined to be the Chosen One, the Council accepts him. Therefore, he should be the one to bring balance to the Force, however it's being doubted by Yoda.

We get to know different planets and witness battles between the dark- and the light side. Jedi fighting against Sith lords. People fighting for power and people who are not ready to hold that much power. We see the changes Anakin Skywalker goes through, without his mom, leaving his home planet and his old life behind and being prepared for a new one, without knowing the consequences, but doing it anyway, because this is the only thing he ever wanted, he ever dreamed of. To see the galaxy, to become the best starpilot anyone has ever known and most importantly; to free his mother.

I just rolled into the Star Wars fandom, like three weeks ago and I absolutely loved the movies. So, therefore I wanted to read the novelizations. To be honest: I am not disappointed! What am I saying? This was freaking great! This was extraordinary. Some parts were beyond words and so well written and thought through. We get to know so much more. Crucial things and things that add just that little touch to the story. Things I've missed in the movies were found here.
This book has so many point of views, which is great in this situation, because we follow all the important characters and get to know every corner of the story. From dark to light, wise to unknowing and slave to queen.
Terry Brooks did an excellent job on George Lucas' screenplay and I can't wait for the sequels!

[✨Rebel Fairy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful addition to the movie. The extra scenes with Annikin was detailed and a lot of thought was put into it. The conversations between Padme and Annikin was wonderful yet subtle and one could see the connection. I loved the extent of the characters inner thoughts which the movies could not provide.

I understood Qui-gon's character a lot more and even Obi-wan. The details of how everything fits together made more sense than it did with the movie.

It filles the gaps of the Queen's Peril nicely and I wished the author added a bit more to the Padmè trilogy.

[Tiara · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Filled bits of the movie out some, but still suffers from being The Phantom Menace.

[Meggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For 2022, I decided to go back in time and reread all the Prequels Era novels published between 1999 and 2005, plus a smidgen of other novels (like Survivor's Quest and the Dark Nest trilogy) released during that time frame. This shakes out to 21 novels, four eBook novellas, and at least thirteen short stories.

This week’s focus: Episode One: The Phantom Menace novelization by Terry Brooks.

SOME HISTORY:

In 1977, Terry Brooks made his publishing debut with The Sword of Shannara, and since then has written over 30 novels set in the Four Lands. (That’s a lot of elves!) A fantasy author may be a strange choice to write a Star Wars novelization, but Star Wars has always been much more of an fantastical adventure story than outright science fiction—and in his memoir, Brooks described writing the Episode I novelization as an extremely happy and fulfilling experience for him. STAR WARS: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace made it to number one on the New York Times bestseller list for four straight weeks--from the week of May 23 to the week of June 13, 1999--and was on the NYT list for eleven weeks.

MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:

First, I have to admit that I have confused Terry Brooks with Terry Goodkind my entire life! (Both write fantasy, both had television shows made of their major book series, but Goodkind died in 2020 and did not write the Episode I novelization.) I remember little of the novelization itself, except that there were four different covers available; I think that I had the green cover with Obi-Wan on the front and Qui-Gon on the back.

A BRIEF SUMMARY:

Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, young Obi-Wan Kenobi, are charged with the protection of Queen Amidala of Naboo as she seeks to end the siege of her planet by the Trade Federation. This quest brings the Jedi and one of the Queen's young handmaidens to Tatooine, to the shop where the slave boy Anakin Skywalker dreams of finding freedom for himself and his beloved mother…

THE CHARACTERS:

The novelization of The Phantom Menace hews fairly closely to the film—not surprising, since novelizations used to come out before the movie release, to whet people’s appetites and get them interesting in seeing those scenes brought to life. (Spoilers be damned!) However, there are several scenes which don’t appear in the film. Not just deleted scenes that appear in the DVD or Blu-ray releases (and there are a number of deleted scenes in the novelization), these are original scenes written by Brooks.

In talking to Lucas, Brooks decided that he wanted to focus on Anakin’s character; so rather than opening over Naboo with the Trade Federation blockade in progress, the story begins on Tatooine. We see Anakin lose a pod race to Sebulba; we see what Anakin’s daily life on Tatooine is like, and his hopes and dreams; and we also see Anakin encountering a wounded Tusken Raider on his way back from a Jawa sandcrawler. I thought that these were interesting additions to the story: you could probably argue that we don’t need to spend more time with Anakin beyond his introduction in Watto’s shop, but I liked getting to see another pod race and Anakin’s day-to-day life. His mother wants him to succeed, but she doesn’t want him to risk his life pod racing. And there’s this inherent kindness in Anakin—of course he helps people he’s never met, because we see him help a (normally hostile) Tusken. I felt like Brooks did a good job fleshing out Anakin’s character beyond what we saw in the film.

I also liked what Brooks did with the characters of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. There’s not much that’s not revealed in the film, but we do get the sense that Qui-Gon is a maverick within the Jedi Order. He doesn’t always follow the rest of the Jedi, and that’s a point of contention between him and Obi-Wan. He’s always picking up strays, trying to help people, and Obi-Wan thinks that it’s diverting his attention from more important things. We also see how hurt Obi-Wan is by Qui-Gon’s intention to take Anakin as his apprentice; Obi-Wan is excited about his Master’s confidence that he can pass the Trials and become a Knight in his own right, but he also feels like he’s being replaced by Anakin. By the end, Obi-Wan is fulfilling his Master’s word by agreeing to train Anakin, but it won’t be the same relationship that Anakin would have had with Qui-Gon—there’s still this initial tension, even at the beginning of Obi-Wan’s acquaintance with Anakin.

In the novelization, I got more of a sense of how completely blindsided Chancellor Valorum was by Amidala’s call for a no confidence vote in his leadership. We meet him when she arrives on Coruscant, and he seems kind and willing to listen…but Palpatine’s right there, telling her how corrupt the Senate is, how the Chancellor is indebted to other interests and will never agree to help her. You can see how she’s been prodded into that exact moment—Amidala is so frustrated that the Senate won’t address the injustices on Naboo that she plays right into Palpatine’s hands.

And compared to the film, Brooks did a much better job of concealing the true identity of Darth Sidious. I found his identity super obvious in the film, because it’s hard to hide Ian McDiarmid’s face and voice and demeanor—if the fact that the Senator’s name was Palpatine didn’t tip you off to the fact that he’s the evil Sith Lord, the fact that they look and sound similar probably would. But Brooks separates the two so that you don’t really see a connection between Palpatine and Sidious. Sidious is obviously getting the Trade Federation to do his dirty work for him, but you can’t draw that immediate connection between Palpatine and Sidious that you could in the film.

Finally, I thought the novelization was well-paced. There’s both action and slow parts, but it keeps you reading and never bogs down in the slow bits. I think the short length also helps here: it’s only 24 chapters (and shorter chapters at that), so the story rarely dragged for me.

ISSUES:

But I have some (major) issues with The Phantom Menace, and Jar Jar Binks is one of my least favorite characters in the Star Wars universe. Did the novelization make me like Jar Jar any more? No. Jar Jar on screen comes off as a useless buffoon, and Jar Jar in the novelization isn’t any better. His dialect is written out (may I never again see the word “meesa”), which I found difficult to get through. Jar Jar is optimistic, but he's an idiot, and it’s so frustrating to read. (I think Ahmed Best did exactly what he was directed to do, yet I don’t agree with that direction. It’s one thing to have a comic relief character, and another to have a character that’s so silly and foolish that he affects the overall feel of the film. There’s political schemes, there’s battles…and then there’s Jar Jar, flailing his way through everything.)

And while I like all the added Anakin scenes, I’m not crazy about Lucas’s decision to make Anakin so young. I’m sure he did it to show how he was vibrant and full of promise—you wouldn’t see him and immediately go “yep, that’s Darth Vader”--but since he’s a nine year old, we have some awkward scenes. He meets Padme for the first time, and in the novelization he tells her that he’s going to marry her. (Please no.) Then during the Battle of Naboo, he inadvertently destroys the Trade Federation ship and it feels like a Jar Jar scene. He randomly pushes buttons until he saves everyone, and I wish that rather than being a blunt instrument guided by the Force, that Anakin had used his skills rather than pure, stupid luck.

I wish that Brooks hadn’t chosen to give us no scenes from Padme’s point of view, though. While it preserves the mystery of Queen Amidala’s identity until Padme reveals herself, we don’t really get anything from her perspective until after that revelation. I think that her viewpoint would have been a nice addition to the story—what did she think about the reality of life beyond the Republic?--but instead we don’t get much with her, and I think that’s a real shame.

And it still bothers me that Qui-Gon doesn’t try harder to free Shmi. I know that they don’t have the funds and Watto is non-persuadable, but I felt like Qui-Gon gave up too easily in the film. (Perhaps it wouldn’t occur to Jedi that Anakin’s mother is just as important as her son, since they’re taken from their birth family as babies, but I have issues with the fact that the Naboo group leave a woman in slavery and no one returns to check on her for ten years!) At least E.K. Johnston’s Queen's Shadow had Padme trying to free Shmi and other slaves after she stepped down from the throne, but that’s still two years later—girl, you left this woman in slavery for two years??

Finally, I also had two issues with Brooks’s writing style. First, I didn’t feel like the action scenes were descriptive enough. They weren’t as exciting or detailed as what we saw in the film, and I was surprised that Brooks never described the colors of their blades during all these lightsaber battles. The Battle of Naboo also felt more pedestrian than I was expecting—the film definitely has the advantage here.

And second, I found that the limited third person POVs began to slip a bit into head hopping towards the end of the book. Maybe Brooks was aiming for an omniscient third person narrative? But so much of the book was limited to one person’s perspective for each scene (Anakin, or Qui-Gon, or the Neimodians) that the head-hopping scenes felt jarring. During that final lightsaber fight, it felt like we would jump from Qui-Gon’s head to Obi-Wan to Darth Maul, and I did find that jarring at times. It wasn’t so egregious that I stopped reading, but it might be a little confusing for readers—it’s just nicer and cleaner to keep each scene tightly focused on one character’s point-of-view.

IN CONCLUSION:

I rather enjoyed revisiting the novelization of Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The high points for me were the characterizations and the beginning scenes with Anakin, while the low points were mostly things in the movie that annoyed me. (And that's not Brooks's fault--I suppose that no one can make Jar Jar a palatable character to me.)


Next up: I read Rogue Planet during my NJO reread in 2021 (the review is here), so instead I’ll be jumping to 2001 and James Luceno’s ebook short story: Saboteur.

My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/rB3IBewPdyo

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Phantom Menace is a great, bordering on excellent novelization of a bad, bordering on horrible movie. This is the first of a trilogy, and the first of the nine chapters projected after the initial chapter 4: A New Hope. This is what happens when a professional writer gets his hands on one of the Holy Grail's of science fiction.

The story begins with nothing less than a border dispute between planets and is convoluted by Jedi mysticism, political intrigue, and the naivete of a young politician out of her depth. Young Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master Qui-Gon Jinn were tasked to find resolution of the dispute, but they never get the opportunity to demonstrate their diplomatic skills when an unidentified negative ingredient is added to the negotiations simply as a disruptive force.

The story gradually complicates with the intention of initiating war. Annakin Skywalker, R2D2, C3PO, Padme Amidala, and even Yoda are given opportunities to stand out as major characters and personalities. Because much of what occurs is forecast in the initial trilogy, what happens is not a surprise, but how and when things happen, are a surprise. Also, the capable hands of Brooks make this book a pleasure to read.

[Samichtime · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s as good or better than the movie! 🍿😋

My favorite parts were:

1. The podrace is signficantly shorter, and the battles are longer.
2. It’s both canon and admits that DARTH MAUL IS KILLED. Disney messed up big time trying to retcon this, and gaslighted everyone in to thinking that there was no proof he died. The proof is right here in black and white, and it’s still in the mickey mouse canon! 😎

Least favorite parts:

Obi Wan randomly steals Captain Panaka’s coolest line “more likely they were wiped out”. No chance Ewan could’ve delivered this line as smoothly as Hugh, so the movie did that better.

Queen Amidala’s main hairstyle is described as “woven cloth horns”… I understand how that would be more practical, but this description must’ve been remnants of an earlier script. I think the change in the movie gave her a more regal appearance, knowing how many hours it must take to construct a hair-like horn wig-thing.


Overall it was a pretty faithful novel adaptation and I enjoyed the pace of this story. 😸

[Bernardo Martinho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always had a soft spot for The Phantom Menace, and the novelization does a great job of expanding on the story. While it stays faithful to the film overall, it adds a wealth of extra scenes that provide much deeper insight into the characters' motivations and inner thoughts. Some characters are significantly developed, particularly Anakin, who benefits from a great deal of additional context. It really helped me appreciate the story even more, even though I already liked the movie a lot. On top of that, and this is a big plus, the origin of the Rule of Two and the Sith is given its moment, which was very intriguing.

[✨Rebel Fairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to delve into the audiobooks of the movie novelisations while—cough—catching up on my admin at work. (The Silence is deafening.)

This audio has no music or sounds like R2 screaming, lightsaber or blaster fire. The narrator was a bit dull, and some of the pronunciations had me laughing (not how it is pronounced in the movies) . . . I still thoroughly enjoyed the story.

It was like seeing a movie in my mind's eye.

Please see my review of the paperback.

This is still my canon Disney :)

Onwards to episode 2.

[Allison ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was 100% more satisfying to me than watching the movie. Padme was a much stronger character, Anakin was more inspiring, Obi Wan was more interesting and Qui Gon was more complex. The whole thing was great.


The Jedi Knights were peacemakers; that was the nature of their order and the dictate of their creed. For thousands of years they had served the Republic, a constant source of stability and order in a changing universe.





She was young, but it was rumored she was prodigiously talented and extremely well trained. It was said she could hold her own with anyone in a political arena. It was said she could be circumspect or bold when necessary, and was wise beyond her years.





“Well, I’m afraid I can’t marry you…” Padme paused, searching her memory for his name.
“Anakin,” he said.
“Anakin.” She cocked her head. “You’re just a little boy.”
His gaze was intense as he faced her. “I won’t always be,” he said quietly.





“The Republic doesn’t exist out here,” Shmi Skywalker interrupted quickly, her voice hard. “We must survive on our own.”





“Viceroy,” Darth Sidious spoke softly in the sudden silence, “this is my apprentice, Lord Maul. He will find your lost ship.”





Anakin Skywalker wasn’t afraid of anything. Was he?
Most times he thought he was brave enough that he would never be afraid. But in that most secret part of himself, he knew he was cheating the truth.
He might not ever be afraid for himself, but he was sometimes very afraid for his mother.





“You have been well trained, my young apprentice,” Darth Sidious soothed. “The Jedi will be no match for you. It is too late for them to stop us now. Everything is going as planned. The Republic will soon be in my control.”

[C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book, to me, was mostly a pointless rehash of a mediocre (at best) movie, but without the impressive special effects that made the movie worth seeing...once.

I read this only because my sister claimed it would would make me like Jar-Jar, or at least empathize with him. It did not. I would rather the Jedis had to carry around a bucket of feces than have Jar-Jar tag along with them. It would have been funnier than Jar-Jar's so called catch-phrase spouting comic relief, and it would have been only slightly more incomprehensible.

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book does a good job of introducing the world of Star Wars in some ways better than the movie does. The characters are much more deeply layered which gives the story a bigger dimension. The pace is steady throughout, except in moments where the action becomes furious.
Not a bad beginning for the novelization of an epic series.