Customer Reviews

Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Siege

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A clone wars book by Karen Miller.

The plot itself is very simple but well written. Lok Durd is building his bioweapon using the slave scientist Bant'ena. Living on the edge of dying, the oppressed people of Torbel eek out a miserable existence mining raw bioweapon material just to stave off the pangs of starvation and sickness. The Jedi are at war, spread thin across the galaxy. All while Palpatine shreds the Republic from the inside out. Anakin and Obi-Wan hit Lanteeb dirt side and don't get a minute's rest. Torn between turning themselves over to the Separatists and shielding the people of Torbel, they make their stand. One world will see incredible destruction and pain while others nervously await their fait. I found it easy to connect with the characters in this book. Karen does a superb job bringing the characters to life (Palpatine in particular). You will feel compelled to finish this book. Mrs. Miller takes on the big SW characters and does an excellent job. So far this is my favorite SW book by this author.

Grab a brandy (or a warm milk) and enjoy an evening or two in a galaxy far, far away...

"The Jedi are not creatures of myth and magic. They are flesh and blood. They bleed. They break."
When we last left our Jedi heroes, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker (this was Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth, the first part of a two part story), they were about to crash their vehicle into the Lanteeban countryside after a narrow escape with General Lok Durd's forces. Now, our heroes struggle to reach Trebol, a small damotite mining village. There, they try to blend in and manage their escape. Meanwhile, Tyranus and Sidious grow more suspicious of the events, and Bail asks an old friend, Tryn Netzl, to find a cure for this bioweapon.

I Liked:
As always, Karen Miller has an absolutely impressive grasp of the main characters. Time and again, I was astounded at how she was able to write Anakin and Obi-Wan so close to their onscreen performances. I also love how she kept bringing up the past with them. For Anakin, it was his life as a slave, his adoration of children, his conflict between being a Jedi and wanting to make everyone's life better, and his hidden darkness. For Obi-Wan, it was simple things like Qui-Gon, Melida/Daan (always good to see tie-ins with Jude Watson's fantastic works), his stiffness, and even hints of his "acting" ability (hence why he's called a "Crazy old wizard" while on Tatooine).
One of the absolute best conversations between the two of them starts on page 274 with this amazing quote from Obi-Wan: "I am a Jedi. I have the power to help them and so I must help them. I cannot--I will not--stand by and watch them suffer. I won't prove our critics right!" This brilliantly ties in with Wild Space (where Bail criticizes the Jedi for taking care of their own above others) and shows Obi-Wan's growth. It also leads into a nice conversation where Anakin reveals he did here the words Obi-Wan told Qui-Gon on the landing platform on Coruscant ("The boy is dangerous. They all sense it. Why can't you?"). I love these types of tie-ins!
Other characters that fare equally well include Bail Organa, Padme Naberrie, Count Dooku, Yoda, and Palpatine. I don't think KM could ever do Bail wrong, she just seems to have his cadences down. Padme, she has brought tons of life to and far beyond just Love Interest. I was shocked at how well she did Count Dooku, which I don't think she's done before. He was a nice blend of evil and truly upset with the current state of the Republic and the Jedi. KM's Yoda is really good; so many authors have such a hard time writing his speech, but KM really nails it. And finally, Palpatine had some (see below) interesting POVs. I think her novel has got to be the first where he thinks of himself as Sidious and Palpatine as almost like a costume he puts on. Brilliant!
The story really ramps up when Obi-Wan and Anakin "join" the village of Torbel. There, they first try to remain undercover, but when their cover is blown, they must break past the villagers distrust of strangers and Jedi and befriend them. This is really great, that Jedi must prove their worth, not just burst in, lightsabers blazing, to a crowd that bows down and worships them (Karen Traviss does something similar, but I found her approach a lot harsher).
Karen Miller continues to impress in her way of writing action. The scenes where Obi-Wan and Anakin are assisting in the theta storm really drew me into the novel and made it hard to put the book down. I also was impressed that Miller allowed Durd to be successful with his bioweapon on Chandrila (nice tie-in to Mon Mothma). Too many authors say something is big, bad and ominous, but then the Jedi swoop in, blow it all up, and bam, tension over.

I Didn't Like:
There are a ton of minor things that bother me, but here are the major ones.
Right off, the book starts very, extremely slow. Obi-Wan and Anakin walk. Obi-Wan and Anakin collapse from exhaustion. Obi-Wan and Anakin stay with Teeba Jaklin. Obi-Wan and Anakin investigate the town. Obi-Wan and Anakin spend a day in the mines. And interspersed we have rather uninteresting scenes where Bail talks to a worried Padme, Bail talks to a worried Mon Mothma, Yoda talks to a worried Taria, and Taria talks to a worried Ahsoka. Not what I would call an "edge of your seat" entrance. While I don't expect 100% action in a story and I actually adore character development, to me this felt like a combination of setup and fluff. The setup is unnecessary, as the first book, Stealth, should have provided that. And the fluff is exactly that: fluff.
Like the past two books, everyone experiences mind-numbing, life-or-death, excruciating pain. While I like how she keeps from making the Jedi invulnerable and God-like, I do grow tired of hearing how much in pain everyone is, how so-and-so needs to rest, and especially how much Durd abuses Bant'era (that almost goes too far in and of itself). The whole "slave collar" that transmits all this pain and paralyzing agents is just too much.
I mentioned it briefly, but some of Palpatine's scenes just go too far, particularly when he is with Bail, Yoda, and Padme. Honestly, he comes off as an irate parent. How does Yoda not sense the Dark Side in this man? He's biting off Bail and Yoda's heads every other word!
I'm still not fond of Miller's original characters, namely Bant'era and Taria. Bant'era feels more like a woman trying to be a scientist than a scientist. Same goes for the "quirky" Tryn Netzl (though I did like him a bit more than Bant'era). Taria Damsin just smarts of a Mary Sue. Her unique hair color is constantly brought up, she gets to be romantically involved with Obi-Wan (which I didn't hate, but it does strain credibility), she gets to be the super-duper hero and save the day in the end, she is understanding, she is smart, she is uber cool with a lightsaber, she is pitied by everyone, including Yoda, because she is oh, so sick and dying...I think you get my drift. All I could think as I read a scene with her was: did Star Wars really need another Mary Sue?
Something I notice more and more in Clone Wars material: the Separatists, instead of being shown as dissenters of the Republic (think: Rebel Alliance for an in-universe or early America for out-of-universe example), are shown as truly evil, evil, evil, bad, bad, bad, wicked, wicked, wicked. Bioweapons, superweapons, under-handed attacks, killing billions of innocents for the heck of it--where are the Republic's bioweapons, superweapons and under-handed attacks? Come on, don't tell me the Republic isn't cooking up some type of weapon that will destroy billions (yes, billions, writers and creators have no sense of scale) just to win a battle. Don't tell me the Republic is morally superior to the Separatists (they use clones!)! Quit treating this battle like another good vs. evil, particularly when it was set up more like the American Civil War.
And the swearing! Geesh, I've never seen so many "stangs" in a Star Wars novel! And what really bothers me, is that every single character uses "stang". I find it odd that, in a galaxy that big, with that many disparate cultures (Obi-Wan being a Jedi, Anakin from Tatooine, Bail from Alderaan, Padme from Naboo, Durd from Neimoidia, and Bant'era from Corellia) "stang" is the most common form of swearing. Where are the Corellia curses, the Neimoidian curses, the Tatooinian/Hutt curses? Why is everyone over-using "stang"?
The end "battle" was disappointing. Not only was the actual battle execution poor (Miller is better at this, as she showed in Stealth), but then, after slogging through page after page of "will the shields fail or not", the last 60 pages or so takes place over an indeterminate time, with everything falling coincidentally in place. Wow, they got Taria to Lanteeb fast! Wow, she arrives just in time for Obi-Wan to send the final key to Tryn, who surprisingly finds the cure in 2.5 minutes, which allows the ships to miraculously arrive near Lanteeb just in time to scare away Greivous! And the shield conveniently fails at the same time that Ahsoka and Rex arrive to save the day! My, the Force has been busy today!
And my final complaint: why was this separated into two books? The story is good, the character interactions decent or better, but there is no reason why this should have been stretched into two books (other than Karen Traviss backed out of the last book, making Miller pick it up).

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Too many "stangs", "kriffs" and "barves" to count. It got annoying to read after a point too.
Taria used to be Obi-Wan's squeeze.
Chandrila is devastated with the use of the bioweapon. Bant'era is brutally abused by her captor. Obi-Wan and Anakin are stretched to the limit.

Overall:
Clone Wars Gambit: Siege is a nice conclusion to the duology, Stealth & Siege. The story was interesting enough to hold my attention, different enough from the billion of other "superweapon" type plots to not make me groan, portrayed the characters well enough that I could believe they would do and act the way they did, and introduced some new conflicts to the characters (Greti's Force sensitivity, Anakin's training as a Jedi, the townspeople's view of the Jedi, and so on). I still wasn't fond of the newest Mary Sue addition to Star Wars, Taria Damsin, the continued vilification of the Separatists, or the repetitiveness (either of people's never-ending pain, swearing, or the problem of the moment), but I feel it was a decent read. I just hope Miller returns to Star Wars; she's a good writer and her talents would be perfect in the Expanded universe.

Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*

Obi-Wan and Anakin are still stuck on Lanteeb, a planet far in the Outer Rim and of seeming little consequence. The Lanteebans pose no apparent strategic value to the Republic or Separatists; it's an attitude that grossly misjudges the efforts of captured scientist Bant'ena Fhernan. She's been hired to construct a virus to end all viruses, a massive biological weapon that will sway the war in Dooku's favor, but getting materials for it isn't easy. The key ingredient, damotite, lays deep within the sinuous mines of Lanteeb and Separatist overseer Lok Durd rides the locals hard with threats of drastic food and water rationing if his unreasonable quota and timetable aren't met.

Against all impossibilities, the Lanteeban's work furiously every day, risking damotite poisoning to please Durd. When Anakin and Obi-Wan crash their vehicle and end up stranded in the mining city responsible for churning out the dangerous material, the two are welcomed only as long as the villagers don't know they're Jedi. Naturally, an invading droid army and a failing shield barrier that forces the pair to use the Force for self preservation were probably unavoidable inevitabilities.

Karen Miller does several things with Gambit: Siege, most of which she's shown us before. Like Stealth and Wild Space, Obi-Wan and Anakin are taken to their physical limits. They're moved around the narrative like rag dolls with an unhealthy sense of duty and a never-ending desire to do everything they can to be compassionate without being heroic. Well, at least Obi-Wan does. Once again, Anakin's emotional tidal waves and compulsion to save people gets him into constant trouble with his former Master. The friction that arises from these situations is an eerie echo of the clash of ideals Miller first showed in Stealth. Anakin and Obi-Wan are different. No one will argue that.

Anakin's weaknesses prove to be his strengths in gaining the trust of the Lanteeban miners. He's emotional and makes irrational promises out of the psychological fantasy that he really can save them. At times it feels like Anakin buys into the childish belief that Jedi are and should be the protectors of everybody. As Miller reminds us though, the "Jedi are not creatures of myth and magic" (p. 182)--with the ability to resist deadly damotite gas and reach out to the Force for hidden reserves of energy to keep going far past the point which a non-Jedi would have passed out and been hospitalized from a small army of injuries, it's no wonder they're misunderstood, held under suspicion, and thought of as immortal miracle workers. Miller, of course, removes this illusion.

The narrative is peppered with concern and exasperation over the length Anakin and Obi-Wan push their very human bodies to. If they aren't trying to order each other to go lay down and take a rest, it's one of the villagers. At first, this was touching and sweet, but after seeing the same from her other two Clone Wars books, I began to suspect Miller was trying a little too hard to prove a point. The two go through so much it almost became unreasonable to believe they hadn't collapsed from exhaustion. In all fairness, they're in the middle of one of the biggest wars the galaxy has experienced. Everyone's tired and wants peace; no one wants to do the dirty work so the load is taken on by the too few who are willing to abide by duty and preserve the freedoms of the Republic. All of that, I understand. Completely. But reading the various ways Anakin and Obi-Wan could be so tired and yet somehow find the strength to keep going got a bit ridiculous.

Not to mention, in addition to being physically put out, everyone (everyone) was running on a short fuse. Characters were quick to temper, snapping at minor things--I was hard pressed to find someone who didn't receive their final straw. The war wears thin across the galaxy and even Senator Palpatine, manipulative mastermind that we all know him to be, began to slip. It's no wonder then that Obi-Wan, for all of his teachings of controlling one's emotions and warnings of attachment to Anakin, found a very un-Jedilike and demonstrative display of human need.

Miller clearly has a soft spot for Obi-Wan. He's complex, mysterious, and let's face it: I don't think anyone ever knows what to expect from his dark, fathomless closet of secrets. As if we didn't already know Obi-Wan has an effect on the ladies, it's still a bit of a surprise to find out he has a laundry list of past love interests the war seems to be shaking out onto his doorstep. It's amusing for readers, but alarming for Anakin and extremely disappointing. In order words, how dare he. Whatever arguments ensue or are denied by Anakin's incredulity are one of the best parts of this book. Miller has nailed the Anakin and Obi-Wan relationship in a way I don't think any other writer has before.

I also really enjoyed the intellectual jockeying of Teeb Jaklin prying into Obi-Wan's mortality. How strange it is to be asked not about his humanity, but his heart, his feelings. And how denied I felt by his standard Jedi answer. Miller had me convinced she would take his character into the realms of self-gratification, to break that outer display of calm and composure that Anakin so desperately wants, but in the end I realized perhaps the most important thing of all: Obi-Wan isn't perfect. He's as complicated as the war against the Separatists. To quote Anakin, "I don't understand you, Obi-Wan." (p. 342)

I may have been burnt out on the situations Anakin and Obi-Wan keep getting into (anything that makes them bone tired, causes bruises, swelling, lacerations, or broken bones), but Miller does effectively give us an ugly portrayal of what the war is really accomplishing. It's breaking people apart at the most fundamental of levels and testing loyalties. As we all know, it shadows Anakin and Obi-Wan ominously. I hope this isn't the last we see of Miller in the Star Wars universe.

Except next time, I'd appreciate it if she didn't have everyone using the word "barve" so much. There are other insulting words. Let's not make the galaxy seem more small than it already appears, please?

This was better than the previous book "Stealth". Less grim. There
is lots of action. (I listen to these on long drives.)Jeff Gurner
is an excellent narrator and Karen Miller's storyline is complex
and thoughtful. Occasionally Obi Wan's serious approach to life
gets tedious. Fortunately the story cuts back and forth to
other characters which adds interest.

This is the last adult CW tie-in book and it satisfied. I'm sorry there won't be any more books other than the 6-8 year-old range of reader, as the projected 5 year span of the show ought to generate at least 2 more. Miller continues to handle the really big characters well, and now her original characters I like, too. Poor Lanteeb is struggling as a Sep-controlled planet and the Jedi help, to the best of their considerable ability. A really good point was the distrust the Lanteebans had for the Jedi, especially regarding their mind tricks. And they were right to distrust! All in all, though, this is a fine and pro-Jedi book, handling the Anakin and Obi-Wan relationship as its basic theme neatly. A large cast delivers a good deal of action within the limits of a book entitled 'Siege,' and if you want space action, there was more in Stealth *the first part of this duology*, yet Mace and Ahsoka come in at the last of Siege for a mopping-up space battle, and I was surprised to read of a cobbled-together civilian fleet gathered by Bail and Padme. It was a neat plot point that opened up the story. It was disappointing that Anakin and Obi-Wan didn't hash out the effects of Obi-Wan's Zigoola mission on Obi-Wan, as Anakin's desire to do just that came up in both Wild Space and Stealth, but the issue was dropped. As a side note, I've listened to the AudioBooks unabridged versions of the three Miller CW books, and they are superbly produced. Jeff Gurner does fine voices, British RP *well, Coruscanti* accents, Australian and now, on Lanteeb, a sort of Lancashire *or Yorkshire?* accent. And the special effects of the audio version are, needless to say, state of the art.

Strategically, the planet Lanteeb is a nothing microdot in the Outer Rim; far from anything of minor significance. Yet for some unknown reason in the minds of the Republic, the Separatist Alliance has invaded this meaningless orb. Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker travel undercover to learn why.

The truth lies with research scientist Bant'ena Fhernan, who is being held captive by Separatists demanding she work on a super virus to cause a pandemic never seen before. To fuel this biological weapon of mass destruction, the Separatists require damotite found deep in the mines on Lanteeb. Thus Separatist General Lok Durd and his force enslave the beleaguered locals. He also knows Jedi are on the planet and hunts for them with pleasure while the prey are alone as the natives cannot risk helping them and their communication with their allies are severed by the their adversaries.

The second book in the Gambit duology (see Stealth) is an exhilarating Star Wars entry as Obi-Wan and Anakin risk their lives to prevent a pandemic disaster that could leave the Republic teetering on the brink of extinction. Fascinatingly the audience sees deep inside Skywalker as he struggles with the end justifying the mean pondering "The death of one man is a tragedy; the death of millions is a statistic" (Stalin) since the Lanteebians may have to be sacrificed for the rest of the Republic. Fast-paced and loaded with action, readers will enjoy this solid military science fiction in spite of being somewhat similar in tone to its predecessor with the heroic Jedi Knights going beyond exhaustion with no aid in sight and everyone after them, but ironically should read Stealth first to understand the set up..

Harriet Klausner

Other than The Rise of Darth Vader or perhaps Revenge of the Sith this is the finest Star Wars novel I have ever read. Out of about 30 that I have enjoyed this is tantamount to any other if not even better. Karen Miller understands Ahsoka, Anakin, Yoda, Mace and especially Obi Wan better than anyone else's work I have read. The novel is thorough, exciting, full of peril and tragedy. Wonderful tie in the Anakin's reversal to becoming a Sith lord. It is great to see the characters on the verge of certain death and to have their innermost feelings and vulnerabilities exposed.

After seeing the Clone Wars show on television, and always wishing there were good Clone Wars-era books, I'm so glad I happened on Karen Miller's wonderful works! I read Wild Space first and absolutely adored the insight into all the characters, especially Obi-Wan and Bail Organa who starred in that book. In this one, Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Siege, the relationship featured the most was definitely Obi-Wan and Anakin -- and who doesn't want more of that!? I made the mistake of buying this book before the Gambit: Stealth book which I understand is the preceding book and tells the tale of what is referenced at the beginning of this one, but even having not read that one first this book was easy to understand and amazing in every way.

I'm a sucker for Obi-Wan/Anakin scenes and so this book was right up my alley. Obi-Wan's time healing the local people, the little girl, the power plant scenes, the rush of the action and the descriptions of the inaction were all wonderful.

I have not been disappointed by a Karen Miller Clone Wars novel yet and this one was definitely a great read. I've since ordered Gambit: Stealth and can't wait to read it. I sincerely hope Ms. Miller continues these amazing books and gives us more insight into the Clone Wars.

I have read both books and I would have to say that I like the first book better. The story take a turn to extend the story to 2 book. I think if she would have kept it to one book it would have been better.

Siege is the concluding book in Karen Miller's Clone Wars Gambit duology, picking up several hours after the climactic battle of Stealth. There is no discernible difference in tone or focus from the first book to the second: it's simply a longer (by Star Wars standards) story split into two. The strengths of the top-notch character scenes, including the interactions between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, carry over from book one, as do the weaknesses of a slow pace and the rather bleak tone (again, by Star Wars standards). There are some excellent sequences written from Palpatine's POV, and Ms. Miller lets us know what exactly the concealed Sith Lord is thinking and plotting. Good stuff.

Rather than summarize the plot, there is one scene I'll comment on. Anakin and Obi-Wan get stuck out in a remote damotite mining village for most of the novel. They integrate themselves into the community by posing as natives of Lanteeb (the planet they're on), but as time passes and the action ramps up, they are forced to drop their disguises and defend the people as Jedi are charged with. The village is protected by an energy shield, which depends on some ill-maintained equipment to keep it active. The scene that knocked my socks off is when the shield fails and Anakin starts to hold it in place single-handedly, using the Force like a supernova to save the innocents nearby. THIS is how a Jedi should feel: heroic, selfless, powerful, and doing anything necessary to help others. Perhaps it was just something in me that needed a scene like this at the time I read it, but it really struck me deeply, as did the tension of the entire action sequence that follows.

Ms. Miller truly does some excellent work with the familiar film characters and is also adept at introducing new ones of her own. At points I was sorely tempted to give this book five stars, but there were still some pacing and tonal points that held me back. I do hope she will continue to write in the Star Wars Expanded Universe and would look forward to any future contributions she should make.