5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"No matter how bleak things got, or how tempted they were to despair, light would prevail over darkness", July 21, 2010
This review is from: Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth (Paperback)
"No matter how bleak things got, or how tempted they were to despair, light would prevail over darkness"
The Clone Wars rages on and Obi-Wan and Anakin continue to lead the front-line assaults against the Separatist. But information is coming in of an operation on Lanteeb. Under the nose of Chancellor Palpatine, Bail Organa and Master Yoda send Obi-Wan and Anakin to investigate.
I Liked:
One thing that has continued to astound me about Karen Miller is her grasp on major characters. When Anakin and Obi-Wan are in her hands, they act and feel like the characters from the movie. Anakin is perfectly tortured, adept and caring while Obi-Wan is nicely struggling with his own set of issues (being a bad master, his relationship to Anakin) and being somewhat aloof.
What is even better is how Karen Miller writes the pair together. The movies never quite got the supposed "joking" but "tender" relationship between the pair. Here, it is obvious the two are brothers in arms, yet they have differences of opinions that quite frequently (due to Anakin's impetuous nature and Obi-Wan's more sedate nature) causes them to butt heads. I could believe that these two could joke, then argue, but then be pals all at the same time.
I am also impressed with Miller's grasp of Ahsoka and Bail. Ahsoka has always been rather annoying to me from the movie and the TV series. But Miller writes her as a caring, young, naïve apprentice and not the know-it-all Mary Sue from the show. Plus, I really liked how Ahsoka went on a mission with Taria Damsin. Bail is positively brilliant. He continues to leap from the page and become a real person, a real friend to Obi-Wan and a friend to the Jedi.
And while I have caveats about it (see below), I actually don't mind the new addition to the list of Obi-Wan's girlfriends. I see no reason why our Jedi couldn't have had multiple liaisons in his life; many people have more than one boyfriend/girlfriend. Heck, many people get married and remarried and married and remarried. Plus, the Jedi only condemn attachment (unfortunately), not a "No strings attached" relationship.
I was astonished at how well Miller wrote the beginning action sequence on Kothlis. A lot of writers have one niche, be it characters or action, and they can't move out of it. Miller does a great job capturing the characters and the movement of the battle as well. It was great to read a nice Clone Wars battle. I even liked how Bail, Padme, Obi-Wan and Anakin gather over dinner to talk about Lanteeb. There are far too many secret meetings, hurried transmissions or whatnot that seeing our characters act like people was great.
I Didn't Like:
As for Miller's original characters, I had a hard time buying them. Taria Damsin wasn't too bad, but she comes perilously close to Mary Sue for my taste (abnormal hair color, abnormal eye color, nearly human alien, dying of an illness that doesn't hinder her abilities whatsoever, a former romantic partner of Obi-Wan...I could go on). Perhaps toning down a few of her characteristics (making her be obviously alien, let her illness actually pull her down and make her fail, making her and Obi-Wan rivals as well as former lovers) might have improved this.
The other original character was Bant'era Fharen, who is supposedly a super-smart biochemist. I say "supposedly", because I could never buy that aspect of her. Firstly, I don't think she was described that well, as I thought she was yet another mid-20's Hollywood scientist, but she actually was a middle aged scientist. Also, and I know this is a problem for writers (I've experienced it myself), but the way Bant'era talks about her "sciency" stuff sounds more like a person trying to act "sciency" than a person who has studied and experimented with science for years. Not to mention, I find her more than a wee bit selfish for putting herself and twelve people over billions.
I must admit, this book had me bored to tears at times. After the intense action at the beginning, the book slows down and segues into a Coruscant scene. While it is nicely done, and has a nice dinner sequence with Anakin, Padme, Bail, and Obi-Wan, it just grinds the story to a halt. The pace doesn't quite return until Taria and Ahsoka rescue one of Bant'era's family members, which is about 50 pages from the end. Not a good sign.
Also, I was more aware of the "angsting" in this book and thus, I had trouble enjoying aspects. While Obi-Wan and Anakin's relationship is superb, they sometimes break into fights or discussions that overstay their welcome. Yes, we get they argue but love each other. Move on. The most aggravating thing to me was how everyone, and I mean everyone, commented on "how tired" Obi-Wan was and "how he should get some rest" and how Obi-Wan would always deny it and avoid it. Good grief! I can understand once or twice, but to have Anakin, then Yularen, then Ahsoka, then Yoda, then Bail, then Padme bring it up...you get my drift.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Barve, there were a lot of barving instances of "barve" in this book.
Taria was a former lover of Obi-Wan. Anakin and Padme have an intimate moment at dinner (no, it's not that intimate).
The book begins with a battle sequence on Kothlis that results in several characters (including Obi-Wan) being injured. Lok Durd abuses Bant'era and threatens her family.
Overall:
After the brilliant Wild Space, Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth doesn't quite live up. There is a bit too much angsting, too much pushing characters beyond the edge of their physical strength, too little movement in plot and action (particularly at the halfway point), and a little too unbelievable characters. Even with these faults, this is much better than a lot of EU, and I will definitely check out the end of this two part series, Siege.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Jhaeman's Review, May 24, 2010
This review is from: Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth (Paperback)
In a previous review, I named Karen Miller's first Clone Wars novel, Wild Space, as the best Star Wars book I've ever read. Unfortunately, I probably had too high of expectations for her second book, Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth. Whereas Wild Space was about Bail Organa and Obi-Wan Kenobi bonding together through a grueling experience on a forbidden planet (with little in the way of traditional action scenes), Stealth is a more traditional Clone Wars story: maniacal Separatist General Lok Durd is developing a lethal bio-weapon, so Obi-Wan and Anakin have to uncover the plot, rescue the kidnapped scientist involved, and stop Durd from spreading the toxin before it's too late. This book is heavy on combat (especially in the first 60 pages or so), but every description of mass-combat in the Clone Wars pales in comparison to the work of Karen Traviss in the Republic Commando series of books. Indeed, Miller comes across almost naieve in her portrayal of "heroic" Republic armies and "evil" Separatist armies, and she also lacks Traviss' sophisticated portrayal of military culture, terminology, and tactics. There's an attempt in the book to really delve into Anakin's struggles with having been a slave, leaving his mother behind, etc., but these issues have been explored sufficiently in past books. The scenes between Bail Organa and Padme on Coruscant really crackle, but on the whole I found the story and dialogue in this novel barely above mediocre.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Another star wars book about sharing your feelings, April 10, 2010
This review is from: Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth (Paperback)
Its good to share your feelings isn't it.
Good to get anything unsaid out there for people to hear. It also helps to deal with them and put them behind you, turn from the dark side as it were.
Except, wait, Anakin never did deal with his feelings did he. Thats how he lost himself to the dark side after all. Anakin never faced the things he did and his experiences and used his jedi training to deal with his anger.
If only he'd expressed his feelings LIKE HE DOES HERE ON EVERY SINGLE PAGE.
And Obi-Wan also deals with an inner anger and on nearly every page.
A trained jedi you only raised his voice a few times in the prequels here is angry with every single person
he comes in contact with but its okay he keeps it inside.....sometimes.
This is completely different from the Obi-Wan I know from the series and books.
Except, wait, according to Clone Wars: Wild Space he knows all about Anakin and Padme,warns Padme off a relationship with Anakin AND THEN TOTALLY MISSES ANAKING AND PADME HAVING A RELATIONSHIP FOR THREE YEARS.
Pros:
- There's a battle at the start.
- A scientist who feels guilt over what she's doing.
- Some great writing in the preparation of the trip (to planet boring).
- Some interesting thoughts from Ashoka.
Cons:
- Obi-Wan and Anakin talk about there feelings so much they actually tell each other to stop talking about there feelings, which is what I was doing.
- Obi-Wan, in the middle of keeping back more rage then a darkside lunatic, says "Oh Anakin" on practically every other page. And than screams whatever his latest bizzare opinion is.
- There are some very adult elements here, a woman getting pulled up by her hair, getting kicked while on the ground, elements of torture, suicide. I am reading this book for fun you know, if I wanted to be depressed I'd read the paper.
- Why is this story in two books?? IF YOU CUT OUT THE GROUP THERAPY IT'D BE FINISHED ALREADY!!!!
Some Tips:
- I can't say all the 90's star wars books were great, but rogue squadron, Thrawn, luke and the gang had lots more action and events without all these feelings and repressed anger. So less feelings, more action.
- Less Obi-Wan acting like a spoiled kid.
- Its not clear which Clone Wars episode Durd was in, before reading "Anakin almost died" I nearly had to look it up, so throw that in.
But thats just my opinion, if your alright with people expressing their pain alot this book should be fine.
But Han Solo took Chewies death better then these folks take minor plans going array.
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