39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love can ignite the stars, July 4, 2009
This novel got to me in a way that I didn't think a novel could; let alone a Star Wars novel; let alone a Star Wars novel based on one of the movies;let alone a Star Wars novel based on one of the PREQUEL movies.
The sole reason I purchased this book was on account of Matthew Stover's name being attached to it. I had recently jumped back into Star Wars novels thanks to his book, SHATTERPOINT. Up until then, as I've mentioned before, I had only perceived the Star Wars line of books to be marketable pieces of fanfiction (no thanks to previous experiences). But thanks to Stover, I came to believe in Star Wars again. He showed that there can be some ruthlessness in that realm, and that there is some room in the Expanded Universe for deep, philosophical musings about the ever-present clash between light and dark.
I found that book just shy of a five-star rating because of a few gratuitous action scenes and some hang-ups I had with character development and pacing.
His novelization of REVENGE OF THE SITH, however, not only came to fully deserve a five-star rating, but also developed to become one of the best, if not THE best, novels I've ever read. Again, I realize how silly that might sound: that a novelization of a Star Wars movie could accomplish such a thing. But I couldn't be more sure of it, because this novel is more than a mere interpretation of a screenplay, it serves the core-story to an extent that if I had read this book before seeing Episode III for the first time, I probably would have felt cheated by the amount of content that had all but disappeared in translation.
I don't think I have to recap the story as, essentially, the main story-arc remains the same as the movie. But as I said, it expands on this to an insane degree. Characters, like Count Dooku, who really only seemed evil for the sake of evil, now have motive, fears, ambition. Every turn of emotion and every betrayal seems more devastating because of this exposition. Even Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who we've followed through three movies, seem almost alien as we completely rediscover who they are, what motivates them, and exactly how close they were to each other. The pair actually feel as though they're brothers-in-arms here, not the squabbling pair they came off as on film.
Some scenes are extended and pack more of a punch. One particular addition that I was mesmerized by came just before Palpatine reveals his true identity as Darth Sidious, where he tells a troubled Anakin that he can give him anything he wants in the galaxy. Anakin playfully begins naming off anything from an expensive speeder to an entire star system, and Palpatine, without hesitation, grants all of these things purely to prove a point. Scenes like this worked so well on paper that I haven't the foggiest why they didn't make an appearance in the movie.
And, yes, I would certainly say this book is better than the movie it's based upon. It goes so far as to transcend the Star Wars canon itself, providing such entrancing moral dilemmas and philosophical thoughts that, at some points, these thoughts leap off the page and make you wonder their context within our own universe: the frail divide between good and evil, relativity, and giving in to tradition.
Again, this is a Star Wars book.
I must also mention the writing, because Stover has a natural gift for making the reader feel what his characters are feeling. He tells this story from many points of view so that this vast story is properly covered, and he tells it all with the exuberance of a narrator of a tragic play. He allows you to see through the eyes of the characters, and takes you aside to really point out key moments in their lives. And when the end comes, and Darth Vader dons his trademark armor for the first time, there is no "Hey, look, it's Darth Vader!" moment, there's only the pity and sadness for a boy that you've come to know and care for who had flown too close to the sun. And he sums it all up perfectly in a way where you come to understand Vader so much more intensely:
"This is what it's like to be Anakin Skywalker, forever."
I must fiercely recommend this to any Star Wars or Stover fan. The way this book reads, it's as if you've missed out on half of the movie--the good parts--and you will come to know some of your favorite characters in a way that you didn't think possible. [SPOILER]: Mace Windu's death will actually shock you! Yeah! And if you've read SHATTERPOINT, it will most certainly sadden you.
I have two more Stover/Star Wars novels left to go. Here's hoping he doesn't stray too far from that universe, because it's in desperate need of him. May the Force be with us all.
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127 of 147 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The End Starts Now, April 2, 2005
This is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker:
The Hero With No Fear is what he's called, but it isn't true. Fear is his constant companion. He fears for those he loves, especially his secret wife, Padme Amidala. Dark secrets are revealed and loyalties are pushed to the breaking point. His love and dreams are falling apart before his eyes. No longer does he feel he can trust those he's considered his closest friends. He isn't even sure anymore the side he has been fighting for in the Clone War is the right side.
Revenge of the Sith doesn't start out very dark, with lively banter between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi, but as it progressed I found it to be the darkest, saddest, definitely the most emotional Star Wars book I've ever read. It was obviously one of the more difficult books to write but I think Matthew Stover did an excellent job.
As a hardcore Star Wars fan I found everything I would want in this book: the greatest lightsaber duals ever dreamed up; enough built up suspense to drive a person nuts; an in-depth look at all the characters in the book, from the small role of Count Dooku to the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious; and a climax to end all climaxes. However, I do think that a Star Wars fan of any level could enjoy it and won't become very confused if they haven't read all the book between Episode II and III.
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101 of 120 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Episode III, April 8, 2005
As the story opens, Readers already finds themselves in a space battle. Chancellor Palpatine has been kidnapped by Count Dooku and the hybrid known as General Grievous. The planet Coruscant is in distress, knowing that Palpatine is the very foundation upon which the Republic rests. Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the rescue via one of their most breathtaking adventures yet.
Relations between the Jedi Council and the Chancellor are now stressed. The Jedi Council has always been directed by the Senate. But Palpatine is arranging it so he has direct control of the Jedi Council instead. Once accomplished, Anakin is asked by Palpatine to accept a post on the Jedi Council as his personal representative. Anakin may be thrilled, but the Jedi Council has kept Anakin off before now for very good reasons.
Anakin and Senator Padmé Amidala have been secretly married for a couple years now. Jedi are not allowed to have attachments, so marriage is not allowed. It is only a matter of time before Padmé's pregnancy will show. Anakin and Padmé have yet to decide what they will do once their secret is known. Worse still, Anakin views a future where Padmé dies on an alien table during child birth. He becomes totally obsessed with making certain the vision does NOT come to pass. Anakin's worry for Padmé's life is not the only tension he has. Palpatine wants Anakin to virtually spy for him on the Jedi Council and the Council flat out orders him, but "off the record", to spy on the Chancellor for them!
Of course, Readers already know that Palpatine planned many, many years ago, for all this to happen. Palpatine also knows that the Jedi Council is hot on the trail of locating the identity of the hidden Sith Lord. Before they learn that the Sith Lord is Palpatine, he must convince Anakin to betray the Jedi Order and become his dark apprentice. To do so, Palpatine will offer Anakin his heart's desire; immortality and the dark power to keep his wife from dying during child birth. Anakin will face his hardest choice ever. Will he save Padmé? Or betray and destroy the entire Jedi Order?
***** It will be difficult to place this novel on the big screen. The beginning will be full of breathtaking special effects. The middle will be filled with political strife and Anakin's temper tantrums. (I apologize, but there is absolutely no other way to put Anakin's emotions.) The climatic ending, however, will have a huge impact on the Reader and promises to be the most memorable scene EVER for Star Wars fans. I highly recommend reading this book BEFORE going to see the movie at the end of May 2005. If the book of Episode III is anything like Episode II, then the people that reads this novel before seeing it all unfold on the big screen will understand a whole lot more of what is going on and why things are happening a certain way. By reading first, you understand why Anakin chooses what he does at the end. Whether you agree with his reasoning or not, you will understand. Also, there will be scenes omitted from the movie version, just as some humorous parts and what could have been awesome special effects were deleted from the second episode.
Whether you read this novel or not, buy it. You can bet money that this novel will become and remain part of the most unique and original sci-fi saga ever created! This novel is not to be missed! *****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
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