Tatooine Ghost (Star Wars) [Mass Market Paperback]

Troy Denning (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 30, 2003 | Series: Star Wars

SPECIAL BONUS INSIDE—the exclusive story "A Forest Apart," previously available in e-book format only!

Han and Leia struggle to keep the Empire at bay as stunning revelations from the past threaten to eclipse the future of the New Republic. . . .

The deaths of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine by no means spelled the end of the Empire. In the aftermath, the New Republic has faced a constant struggle to survive. Now a new threat looms: a masterpiece of Alderaanian art—lost after the planet’s destruction—has resurfaced on the black market. It conceals a vital secret—the code used to communicate with New Republic agents undercover within the Empire. Discovery by Imperial forces would spell disaster. The only option is recovery—and Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO have been dispatched to Tatooine to infiltrate the auction.

When a dispute at the auction erupts into violence, the painting vanishes in the chaos. Han and Leia are thrust into a desperate race to reclaim it. As they battle against marauding TIE fighters, encroaching stormtroopers, and Tatooine’s savage Tusken Raiders, Leia’s emotional struggle over the specter of her infamous father culminates in the discovery of an extraordinary link to the past. And as long-buried secrets at last emerge, she faces a moment of reckoning that will forever alter her destiny . . . and that of the New Republic.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: LucasBooks (December 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345456696
• ISBN-13: 978-0345456694
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

SPECIAL BONUS INSIDE?the exclusive story "A Forest Apart," previously available in e-book format only!

Han and Leia struggle to keep the Empire at bay as stunning revelations from the past threaten to eclipse the future of the New Republic. . . .

The deaths of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine by no means spelled the end of the Empire. In the aftermath, the New Republic has faced a constant struggle to survive. Now a new threat looms: a masterpiece of Alderaanian art?lost after the planet?s destruction?has resurfaced on the black market. It conceals a vital secret?the code used to communicate with New Republic agents undercover within the Empire. Discovery by Imperial forces would spell disaster. The only option is recovery?and Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO have been dispatched to Tatooine to infiltrate the auction.

When a dispute at the auction erupts into violence, the painting vanishes in the chaos. Han and Leia are thrust into a desperate race to reclaim it. As they battle against marauding TIE fighters, encroaching stormtroopers, and Tatooine?s savage Tusken Raiders, Leia?s emotional struggle over the specter of her infamous father culminates in the discovery of an extraordinary link to the past. And as long-buried secrets at last emerge, she faces a moment of reckoning that will forever alter her destiny . . . and that of the New Republic.

About the Author

Troy Denning is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Star by Star and Waterdeep (under the pseudonym Richard Awlinson) as well as nineteen other novels, including Pages of Pain, Beyond the High Road, and The Summoning. He lives in southern Wisconsin with his wife, Andria.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: LucasBooks (December 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345456696
• ISBN-13: 978-0345456694
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Troy Denning is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Tatooine Ghost and Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Star by Star, as well as Waterdeep, Pages of Pain, Beyond the High Road, The Summoning, and many other novels. His most recent Star Wars novel is Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Vortex. A former game designer and editor, he lives in western Wisconsin with his wife, Andria.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Star Wars novel! Easily within the top 10 March 19, 2003

By J. K. Moser

Format:Hardcover

In his second full Star Wars novel, Denning tackles new territory. Tatooine Ghost tells of the time right after Han and Leia's marriage, but before Zahn's classic trilogy. Denning also has resources that none of the other pre-New Jedi Order authors had: Episodes I & II. He makes great use of these resources by having Leia discover more about Vader's origins and giving her a picture of of her father before he was Vader. Denning perfectly captures the characteristics of Han and Leia. Plus it is equally gratifying to see Chewbacca return to the expanded universe. This is by far the best non-NJO Star Wars book to come out in this millenium. I highly recommend it to all Star Wars fans, it is truly a great and exciting read.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is what all STAR WARS books should be like! March 19, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Now this is what all Star Wars books should be like. Never before have I read a SW book that is so alive, so true to the spirit of the films and the characters in them. I finished this book in a day, and while I was reading it I felt as though Han and Leia could have leapt off the page while John Williams' score played in the background any minute.

Tatooine Ghost got back to the roots of A New Hope and engaged in old-fashioned fun, fast-shooting blasters, witty one-liners, and clumsy but endearing sidekicks. However, that edge and dynamic of Empire Strikes Back with Han and Leia's truly exceptional written relationship is definitely present and the best part of the book by far. Additionally, the austere, philosophical nature of the first movie (The Phantom Menace) is also visible in Leia's dreams and thoughts of the past and how her parentage relates to it. All the best aspects of the SW films rolled into one magnificent book.

I will say now I'm a Han/Leia fan, and have been waiting for years for someone to write them right and in a relationship that is a natural development from the one we saw in the movies - one that is both loving and respectful, passionate and affectioante, with some playful teasing and light-hearted banter as well. Finally, Tatooine Ghost did just what many, many Han/Leia fans have been wanting to see for years. It's about time!

My favorite scene has to be the one where Han and Leia spend the night together after rescuing Han. I'm so glad Del Rey let Denning write a "hot" scene between them, an element of their relationship all Han/Leia fans are dying to see.

It was great to read a book that was absolutely chock full of my favorite characters - Han and Leia, and even Chewie.... All of the main trio are characterized brilliantly, but Leia's shines above the rest as far and away the best portrayal of Leia ever seen in the EU. One of the best parts about this book was that there were no annoying EU characters like Mara Jade in sight! (Sorry...Her becoming a major character was a big turn-off for me in the books.)

If the H/L short story Denning wrote felt like a slice of chocolate cake from heaven, then Tatooine Ghost felt like eating the entire chocolate cake all at once (The only difference is that too much H/L never makes me sick.) I hope Denning comes back to write more Star Wars stories on Han and Leia. He would definitely be my pick in the future. Read more ›

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Star Wars Novel April 2, 2003

By Alex Diaz-Granados VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Troy Denning's Tatooine Ghost is a joy to read! Yes, it is an Expanded Universe novel and if you haven't read any of the previous "further adventures of..." novels, newcomers will not get any of the references to other works (such as Dave Wolverton's "Courtship of Princess Leia," Timothy Zahn's Grand Admiral Thrawn trilogy, or Dark Horse Comics' Dark Empire series, all of which are alluded to here. What makes this novel worth reading is the connection between the classic trilogy, expanded universe, and the current films. The Force is with Tatooine Ghost!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY an excellent book for the SW galaxy March 8, 2003

By New Jersey reader

Format:Hardcover

What a wonderful book this was! I read my library's copy, and loved it so much I went out & bought a copy for myself, not even waiting for paperback!

This is a Star Wars adventure the way it was meant to be written, before the NJO came along and messed everything up so badly. Denning writes the characters so true to their movie personalities that you feel this book is simply a continuation after Return of the Jedi ended.

He has done a masterful job of tying together the prequels and the Expanded Universe after the Original Trilogy. At the same time, he has managed to spackle-and-paste omissions of logic made by others: Qui-Gon's apparent lack of compassion for Anakin's mother in Ep. 1, Leia's completely out-of-character behavior in the dreadful "Courtship of Princess Leia", and even how a boy named Luke Skywalker could remain hidden in plain sight on his father's homeworld, and not have someone, somewhere, alert Darth Vader to the presence of another Skywalker.

Denning has made Leia the strong, competent woman and Han the dashing smuggler of the movies; he creates fascinating new characters; and he paints haunting portraits of secondary characters such as Kitster and Shmi. He gives nods to other favorites by mentioning Wedge Antilles, the Wraiths, and Thrawn.

My only quibbles with this book: The Tusken Raiders tell a story-dance of a warrior who slaughtered an entire camp with a buzzing sword; if Anakin killed every single Tusken, how would the other tribes possibly know their manner of death? A single line saying that one escaped would have cleared this up. And the visit to Obi-Wan's hut, while providing a heart-wrenching glimpse into his guilt and sorrow, seemed nothing more than a plug for Timothy Zahn's upcoming novel on the Outbound Project.

Minor quibbles only.... This book is an excellent read, highly recommended for any Star Wars fan, but especially for those who are fed up with the abysmal NJO. Denning writes as if he truly loves the Star Wars galaxy and the familiar characters we love, not as if writing a book with Star Wars on the cover is just a gambit to get name recognition with fans.

I can only wish that we would see more books like this. Del-Rey editors, this means you: are you paying attention? Read more ›

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best December 22, 2005

By zionred VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

With Tatootine Ghost, Denning adds an excellent chapter to the Star Wars universe that is sure to please any fan of the genre. It is easily one of my favorite books in the series. Denning combines characters from the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy and also the expanded universe series in an adventure that captures the excitement of the first Star Wars films.

Princess Leia and Han Solo (along with Chewbacca and C-3P0), travel back to the desert planet of Tatooine in search of a rare and valuable piece of Alderaanian art that was thought to have been destroy along with Alderaan. However, an unidentified collector has put the artwork up for auction. Han and Leia take it upon themselves to make sure that the artwork falls into the New Republic's hands. For it holds a very valuable secret that could spell certain destruction for many rebel spies if the artwork is handed over to the Empire. However, all is not what it seems on Tatooine. The desert holds many secrets of Leia's family's past that she must confront if she tends to move into the future as a strong leader for the New Republic. The least of these being her father's past that led him toward the dark side of the force and, eventually, to become the ruthless sith lord, Darth Vader. All that she knows of him is his dark side. Little by little, through the people she meets on Tatooine that knew him as a young boy, she comes to realize that there was much more to Anakin Skywalker than she ever dreamed of. With these new revelations, can she learn to forgive her father or will she be doomed to forever wallow in the hatred that she has held for him all of these years? And, if her hatred is allowed to progress, can she too be turned to the dark side of the force?... The answers she is looking for reside on Tatooine and, perhaps, may be able to add some closure to her long battle against her father.

Just about every book in the Star Wars universe I read is better than the last. This one is no exception. Denning has definitely succeeded my expectations with this great addition. Read more ›