Book Review: Star Wars: The Force Unleahsed II SPOILERS!

In 2010, W. Haden Blackman returned to LucasArts with another shitty script for a four-hour game called The Force Unleashed II. Galen's not dead, he's been cloned trillions of times, and he seeks Juno. Synopsis: The dark side could not seduce him (like it even tried), the Empire could not control him (like they even tried), death could not defeat him (which is BS, by the way). And now, nothing can stop him from seizing his destiny (what, to have the worse cliffhanger in the history of cliffhangers? There's not even going to be  a TFU3). As ruthless apprentice to Darth Vader, Starkiller was mercilessly schooled in the ways of the dark side, commanded to exterminate the last of the purged Jedi Order, and groomed for the ultimate Sith power play: assassination of the Emperor. He served without question, killed without remorse, and lost his heart without warning to beautiful Imperial fighter pilot Juno Eclipse, never suspecting that he was just a tool in the schemes of his masters—until it was too late to escape their lethal betrayal. Juno mourned Starkiller as dead . . . but now he is back, purged of all memories and programmed to kill. And as fate brings Juno and Starkiller closer to reuniting, with Darth Vader determined not to lose his assassin a second time, they will both have to make a stand. The prize is freedom. The punishment for failing will be eternal enslavement to the dark side of the Force . . . .

The novel opens with Juno Eclipse, now part of the Rebellion, on Salvation, watching as the raid over Cato Neimoidia happens, and she warns Rahm Kota to stay out of trouble and that the Rebellion can't officially sanction his actions. Juno helps Bail, Leia, Mon Mothma, and Garm Bel Iblis by agreeing to lead a team to help take Dac from the Empire. This goes well, even with Ackbar appearing, but Imperial forces manage to chase them off. (By the way, this all takes place two months before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.) Starkiller, the insane clone of Galen Marek, awakens to a training room, but he doesn't know who he is and destroys the cloning facility on Kamino to cover his escape. He ends up on Cato Neimoidia where he frees Kota from captivity and they flee in the Rogue Shadow. PROXY is there as well, having been retrieved and repaired since the events on Corellia. Kota tells him that the Rebellion needs him, but Starkiller doesn't agree. Meanwhile, Juno's trying to get back to the fleet, and finally manages to succeed in some of the best Rebellion scenes in the book, or would be if she didn't keep harping about how great and holy and noble Galen is. Starkiller has a ridiculously stupid meeting with Yoda on Dagobah. Starkiller, Kota, and PROXY arrive at the main fleet to find it under attack in the Itani Nebula. He also notes that his family's symbol is everywhere. Boba Fett leads the Imperial Forces and they manage to steal Juno before Starkiller can get them. Starkiller leads the Rebellion to Kamino to destroy the cloning facility there. Once there, the Rebellion bombards the facility while Starkiller fights his way to Vader and finds Juno dead. Starkiller defeats Vader, then revives Juno spares Vader's life and the Rebellion takes him hostage, but Boba Fett follows the Rogue Shadow in the Slave I.

And that's how it ends. Seriously. No afterthought or mention of how Vader gets free, or what happens to Starkiller, Juno, PROXY, Kota, and the storyline. It just ends badly. Oh, and throughout it all, both Juno and Starkiller declare their love for each other, which is still weird considering they only knew each other for a month and aren't together until the end in this bit. And that stupid placing of this book almost before A New Hope. How does that make sense? When Luke goes around, looking for Jedi training between ANH and ESB, why does no one remember Kota or Starkiller? Were they embarrassments to the Rebellion? See, these are the sort of questions W. Haden Blackman and Sean Williams ignored in favor of a crap story, like Troy Denning in the post NJO section of the Expanded Universe. Anyway, rant over. 

Up next, Mass Effect: Revelation by Drew Karpyshyn, which isn't a revelation at all, more like a bland one-dimensional story with one-dimensional characters.

Book Review: Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith SPOILERS!

On 2nd April 2005, Matthew Stover and Del Rey published the best-selling novel tie-in to Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. It delves more into the psychological aspects of the main characters as they deal with the coming close of the Clone Wars. Synopsis: The turning point for the entire Star Wars saga is at hand… After years of civil war, the Separatists have battered the already faltering Republic nearly to the point of collapse. On Coruscant, the Senate watches anxiously as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine aggressively strips away more and more constitutional liberties in the name of safeguarding the Republic. Yoda, Mace Windu, and their fellow Masters grapple with the Chancellor's disturbing move to assume control of the Jedi Council. And Anakin Skywalker, the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring balance to the Force, is increasingly consumed by his fear that his secret love, Senator Padmé Amidala, will die. As the combat escalates across the galaxy, the stage is set for an explosive endgame: Obi-Wan undertakes a perilous mission to destroy the dreaded Separatist military leader General Grievous. Palpatine, eager to secure even greater control, subtly influences public opinion to turn against the Jedi. And a conflicted Anakin—tormented by unspeakable visions—edges dangerously closer to the brink of a galaxy-shaping decision. It remains only for Darth Sidious, whose shadow looms ever larger, to strike the final staggering blow against the Republic… and to ordain a fearsome new Sith Lord: Darth Vader.

The novel opens with an introduction that sets up how the (original[1]) Clone Wars was going on, how, because of Jedi such as Depa Billaba (Star Wars: Shatterpoint (A Clone Wars novel) and Sora Bulq (Star Wars: Clone Wars Volumes 1, 4, and 8), the galactic peoples don't trust Jedi anymore, plus a recap of James Luceno's climactic battle of Coruscant (Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil) and Palpatine's capture by General Grievous. The Battle for Coruscant is detailed heavily in Karen Traviss's Order 66: A Republic Commando novel. For the next hundred pages, Anakin and Obi-Wan battle their way to Grevious' flagship, Invisible Hand, and attempt to rescue Palpatine. Dooku, meanwhile, has a conversation about the future of the Republic with Darth Sidious and it's revealed there that Sidious is Palpatine (not that it was that well hidden in the first place). Anakin and Obi-Wan duel with Dooku; Obi-Wan's knocked out and Palpatine orders Anakin to kill Dooku. Dooku tries to plea for his life, but Palpatine retorts that since Dooku tried to kill Anakin and Obi-Wan he (Dooku) must die. Anakin kills Dooku. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Palpatine, and R2-D2 get captured by Grievous. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and R2-D2 take the bridge and Grievous flees. Commander Lorth Needa alerts Jedi Grand Master Yoda about Anakin crashing Invisible Hand onto Coruscant. Mace Windu greets them and sees through his special gift of shatterpoint that Anakin, Palpatine, and Obi-Wan are heavily tied together.

Palpatine assures the few senators that come to greet him (Tundra Dowema, Fang Zar, Terr Taneel, Chi Eekway, Mon Mothma, Malé-Dee) that everything is fine. Now, that ship that you see in the movie that's a YT-1300 CEC ship that's supposed to be Millennium Falcon, is in fact that ship; why it's there is detailed in James Luceno's Star Wars: Millennium Falcon. Anakin finds out that Padmé's pregnant and Anakin soon has visions of Padmé dying. Anakin seeks advice from Yoda, but finds the aged Jedi Grand Master very unhelpful. Obi-Wan remarks that Anakin's late to the report on the Outer Rim Sieges: Saleucami has fallen (Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume VIII: The Last Siege, The Final Truth by John Ostrander) and that Jedi Master Quinlan Vos has moved his troops to Boz Pity for a refit before joining Master Luminara Unduli on Kashyyyk after Delta Squad and Jedi Knight Etain Tur-Mukan wrap up sabotaging the CIS's stronghold to pave the way for the GAR to move in, which Delta Squad (Star Wars: Republic Commando) is currently wrapping up. Obi-Wan tells Anakin that Palpatine wants to see him. Palpatine orders the Jedi Council to appoint Anakin to the Council, which they do, but give Anakin no vote since he's a representative for Palpatine. Anakin fumes at this, but Obi-Wan tells him that the Council approved this for Anakin to find Darth Sidious, whom the Jedi tracked to 500 Republica when the Battle for Coruscant began (the events of Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil).

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and Mace bid Yoda farewell as he goes to join Vos, Unduli, and Tur-Mukan on Kashyyyk. Anakin meets with Palpatine in the Galaxies Opera, where (in the movie, anyway) you can see important figures such as Romeo Treblanc, Chi Eekway, Papanoidia, all watching Squid Lake, a Mon Calamari water ballet. Palpatine brings up that Republic Intelligence discovered General Grievous on Utapau (detailed in Star Wars: Order 66); he also brings up some Sith lore, especially about a Sith Lord named Darth Palgueis and how he could use the Force to create life and save people, but himself. Bail, Mon Mothma, Padmé, Chi Eekway, Terr Taneel, Fang Zar start the beginnings of what will become the Rebel Alliance. Anakin informs the Council and they assign Obi-Wan the task of taking out Grievous. Obi-Wan, after talking with port master Tion Medon, locates Greivous. They fight and Obi-Wan bests him, then chases him across the sinkholes until Obi-Wan finally kills Grievous with a gun, noting how uncivilized this was. The 212th Attack Battalion arrive to fight the CIS droids. Cody informs the Council that Grievous is dead and Mace sends Anakin to inform Palpatine. Palpatine tells Anakin that he's Darth Sidious; Anakin's too fragile to deal with this and, shakily, informs Mace of the fact. Mace gets Saesee Tiin, Agen Kolar, and Kit Fisto to go and arrest Palpatine. Palpatine stages a fake recording, then kills Tiin and Kolar, before dueling Fisto and Mace. Anakin arrives to watch Mace and Palpatine battle it out; Anakin prevents Mace from killing Palpatine, and Sidious uses Force Lightning on Mace to kill the Jedi Master.

Sidious names Anakin Darth Vader, then sends him to kill every Jedi in the Temple; Anakin kills Gate Master Jurokk, Whie Malreaux, Bene then hunts down Shaak Ti, Cin "The Troll" Drallig, and others, even children. Order 66, a contingency order, is executed on the biggest battlefields: Mygeeto, where Ki-Adi-Mundi dies; Felucia, where Aalya Secura and Barriss Offee die; Kashyyyk, where Luminara Unduli dies and Quinlan Vos is rendered unconscious; Cato Neimoidia, where Plo Koon dies; Saleucami, where Stass Allie dies--just to name a few. Obi-Wan, after hours, manages to escape Utapau via Grievous's secondary hidden ship. Bail Organa, having managed to sneak off Coruscant after the Jedi Rebellion, finds Yoda in an escape pod and gathers both him and Obi-Wan to smuggle them back to Coruscant. Obi-Wan rewrites Emergency Code 913 to warn any surviving Jedi away from Coruscant; this was left in the movie to provide an excuse for the Expanded Universe where Vos, Jerec, Qu Rahn, Empatojayos Brand, Vima da-Boda, An'ya "Dark Woman" Kuro, K'Kruhk, Sian Jeisel, and dozens of others survived. Vader arrives on Mustafar and kills the Separatist leaders, saying to Nute Gunray that "The transmission was garbled. [Sidious] said you would be left in pieces." Palpatine, before the Galactic Senate, declares the Jedi enemies of the state and announces that the Galactic Republic will become the Galactic Empire that will last for 10,000 years; Padmé prevents Bail from trying to stop this because Fang Zar, Malé-Dee and the others were arrested for treason. Obi-Wan and Yoda learn that Anakin became Darth Vader and serves under Darth Sidious. Yoda goes to take on Sidious while Obi-Wan smuggles himself aboard Padmé's shuttle to Mustafar to confront Anakin.

Yoda gets his ass handed to him; Anakin Force Chokes Padmé, then duels Obi-Wan in a failing Techno Union facility. Obi-Wan lops off Anakin's remaining organic limbs, takes Anakin's lightsaber, then leaves him to burn on the lava bank. Sidious arrives and spirits Anakin back to the Emperor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Center on Coruscant to encase Anakin in a suit of armor; Anakin demands to know where Padmé is and Sidious says that Vader killed her. Vader rages at Palpatine but can't kill him as he's no longer strong enough. On Polis Massa, the medics help Padmé birth Luke, then Leia; before she dies, she tells Obi-Wan that there's still good in Anakin. They drop Padmé's body off at Naboo where she has a state funeral. Bail takes Leia to his wife, Queen Breha, on Alderaan to raise as his daughter. Yoda, in an escape pod, returns to Dagobah where he'd dueled a Bpfasshi Dark Jedi many years ago. Darth Vader joins Darth Sidious on a bridge of a Star Destroyer to observe the construction of the Death Star with a sector governor named Wilhuff Tarkin. On Tatooine, Obi-Wan rides an eopie to the Lars homestead and delivers Luke to Owen and Beru. Then, Obi-Wan rides off into the Judland Wastes to make a life as a small time moisture farmer (the events will be detailed in Star Wars: Kenobi by John Jackson Miller this 27th August 2013).

All in all, a decently paced novel that delves into Obi-Wan Kenobi's mind, as well as Anakin's, Padmé's, Mace Windu's, General Grievous', Count Dooku's, Bail Organa's, C-3PO's, and, abstractly, Darth Sidious/Palpatine. It is an inspired novel that branches out to connect the vast majority of the plot points left dangling, though some things aren't resolved, such as the surviving Jedi. The Expanded Universe wrapped up those with such works as Dark Force II: Jedi Knight, The Thrawn Trilogy, The Dark Empire Trilogy, Dark Times comic series, Last of the Jedi series, and others. Stover proved once again why many fans love him; both his previous works Star Wars: Traitor, and Star Wars: Shatterpoint are still acclaimed novels by the fans. Stover did what Lucas couldn't--produce the tragic downfall of Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader and how his choices shattered the galaxy.

[1] The original multimedia project: the Clone Wars novels, games, and the 2002-2004 TV show (not the current CG animated show)

Book Review: Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones SPOILERS!

In April 2002, the novelization of the second edition to the Prequel Trilogy was penned by acclaimed fantasy author R. A. Salvatore, his second entry into the Star Wars universe. Synopsis: There is a great disturbance in the Force…. From the sleek ships of the glimmering Coruscant skyscape to the lush gardens of pastoral Naboo, dissent is roiling. The Republic is failing, even under the leadership of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, elected ten years earlier to save the crumbling government. Separatists threaten war, and the Senate is hopelessly divided, unable to determine whether to raise an army for battle or keep the fragile peace. It is a stalemate that, once broken, could lead to galactic chaos. Mischievous and resolved, courageous to the point of recklessness, Anakin Skywalker has come of age in a time of great upheaval. The nineteen-year-old apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi is an enigma to the Jedi Council, and a challenge to his Jedi Master. Time has not dulled Anakin’s ambition, nor has his Jedi training tamed his independent streak. When an attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala's life brings them together for the first time in ten years, it is clear that time also has not dulled Anakin's intense feelings for the beautiful diplomat. The attack on Senator Amidala just before a crucial vote thrusts the Republic even closer to the edge of disaster. Masters Yoda and Mace Windu sense enormous unease. The dark side is growing, clouding the Jedi's perception of the events. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, a slow rumble is building into the roar of thousands of soldiers readying for battle. But even as the Republic falters around them, Anakin and Padmé find a connection so intense that all else begins to fall away. Anakin will lose himself—and his way—in emotions a Jedi, sworn to hold allegiance only to the Order, is forbidden to have.


Like my review of The Phantom Menace, I'm going to point out some interesting facts in the story and shed some light into what the Expanded Universe ran with and built up. So, without further ado, here we go.

The novel opens with Anakin dreaming about his mother's death; he and Obi-Wan are on their way to Ansion to settle a dispute--this is shown in better detail in Alan Dean Foster's Star Wars: The Approaching Storm. On Tatooine, Shmi Skywalker-Lars, after talking with her husband[1] Cliegg Lars and his son and his son's girlfriend--Owen Lars and Beru Whitesun--about gathering the farmers to deal with the Tusken Raiders, is kidnapped by the natives of Tatooine. Cliegg and Owen gather the farmers and go after her, but the Tuskens kill a few of them and wound Cliegg. Meanwhile, on Naboo, Senator Padme Amidala leaves for Coruscant, despite Captain Gregar Typho's warnings about her being assassinated; she insists being there to oppose the Military Creation Act is too important. The events of the movie proceed from there, with Palpatine declaring to Yoda, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Plo Koon that he won't let the Galactic Republic collapse after a thousand years--which is when the New Sith Wars ended after the Seven Battles of Ruusan and the Ruusan Reformations, which break down the Republic having a massive fleet.

Jango Fett--Mand'alor of the Mandalorians--killing Zam Wessel so she won't tell the Jedi about him being hired to kill Padme by Dooku and the Trade Federation. Mace worries about the Sith not having shown themselves in the last ten years, despite the Sith appearing after a few decades in the days of the Old Republic (The Great Hyperspace War, The Great Sith War, The Jedi Civil War, The Dark Wars a.k.a. KOTOR2TSL, the Great Galactic War, the Cold War, the Second Great Galactic War, the New Sith Wars). Anakin is assigned to protect Padme on Naboo; they'll travel as refugees. Obi-Wan is tasked with finding where the poison dart came from. He asks Dexter Jettster, a Besalisk diner owner and chef, where the dart came from, Kamino. He searches the Jedi archives and Master Jocasta Nu tells him that the planet doesn't exist. The bust statues of certain Jedi Masters are the Lost Twenty, those who left the Jedi Order who no longer felt it's call; Dooku was the last, having been subverted by Hego Damask and Palpatine, the events of which are detailed in certain chapters of Star Wars: Darth Plagueis as well as losing Qui-Gon to Maul during the Naboo Incident.

While the worst romance in the history of movie and book romance, aside from the shitty Twilight crap and the terrible romance later in the Fate of the Jedi saga where a Jedi beats, nearly kills, and rapes his Sith love interest, goes on, Obi-Wan travels to Kamino. Prime Minister Lama Su talks with Obi-Wan about Master Syfo-Dyas creating the clone army--detailed in Star Wars: Darth Plagueis--and how every now and then, the clones develop an issue--a topic that Karen Traviss ran with in her beloved Republic Commando and Imperial Commando books. Obi-Wan talks with Jango, who mentions that a man called Tyrannus hired him on one of the moons of Bogden to serve as the template, which is detailed in the graphic novel Jango Fett: Open Seasons by Haden Blackman. After a fight with Jango, Obi-Wan tracks him to Geonosis and discovers a secret army being built by the Geonosian weaponsmakers; The Trade Federation, Corporate Alliance, Techno Union, InterGalactic Banking Clan, Commerce Guild, and senators Po Nudo and Tikkes join Dooku in creating the Confederacy of Independent Systems; Obi-Wan reports this back to the Jedi Council, via Anakin on Tatooine. Dooku tells Obi-Wan about the Galactic Senate bieng under the control of Darth Sidious--as seen in Star Wars: Darth Plagueis.

Despite being ordered to stay on Tatooine and protect the Naboo Senator, Anakin and Padme rush off and get captured. On Coruscant, Jar Jar Binks becomes the galaxy's biggest unpunished war criminal in the entire galactic history by granting Palpatine the emergency powers to use the clone army. Mace gathers 200 Jedi and leave for Geonosis while Yoda leaves to gather the army. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padme are about to be executed by a reek, acklay, and a nexu when Mace Windu and the 200 Jedi show up, some of which are Aalya Secura (from the Repbulic comic series starring Quinlan Vos), Kit Fisto, Luminara Unduli and her apprentice Barriss Offee, Roan Shryne, Nat-Sem, K'Kruhk and Sian Jeisel (both from the Republic comics), and several others. During the fight, Jango Fett is killed, prompting Boba to hate the Jedi forever and his sole reason for becoming the best bounty hunter ever. The First Battle of Geonosis kicks off as does the Clone Wars.

Most of the CIS members escape; Sun Fac is eliminated during the events of the hit Republic Commando game where Delta Squad is tasked with assassinating Sun Fac--this explains why Sun Fac wasn't seen in Revenge of the Sith; Delta Squad also sees Greivous's starfighter escape. Anakin loses an arm to Dooku in a lightsaber duel and Obi-Wan is wounded. Yoda saves them at the cost of Dooku escaping. Dooku ends up on Coruscant, in the Works. That building that Dooku lands is in the alternate ending to the popular Star Wars game Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight when Kyle Katarn kills Jerec and assumes the title of Emperor and tells Sarriss to put down the rebel uprising on Danuta where Katarn stole the Death Star plans from during Operation: Skyhook. Bail Organa watches in dismay as the ships built by Rothana Heavy Engineering, containing 1.2 million clone troopers, depart for the upcoming battles. Anakin and Padme marry in secret on Naboo, an act that is forbidden with Yoda's Order, but not with the Corellian Jedi or Djinn Altis' rogue movement; oh, and despite Master Ki-Adi-Mundi having a couple of wives due to the low birth rate on Cerea--it's funny how Yoda will bend the rules for more favored Masters than for gifted Jedi like Anakin and Vos.

All in all, Attack of the Clones works better as a novel than as a movie. It's not the most revered novel, but it is generally well above such trash that have come out in the wake of Revenge of the Sith, namely, the series set after the New Jedi Order and before the Legacy series.

[1] this is referenced and partly detailed in Tatooine Ghost by Troy Denning.

Book Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars Gambit: Seige SPOILERS!

Karen Miller's final entry in Star Wars and it picks up where Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth left off. Well, we hope. Synopsis: On the Outer Rim, the planet Lanteeb has no strategic value, no political power, and one enormous problem: it has been invaded by an emboldened Separatist Alliance. To find out why, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi have snuck onto Lanteeb -- and now look oblivion in the eye… Hiding their lightsabers beneath their dusty disguises, Anakin and Obi-Wan draw on their Jedi skills to stay one step ahead of Lok Durd's droid army on Lanteeb. The Jedi know that a captive scientist has given Durd the keys to a terrifying bioweapon. Durd knows that the Jedi are on his planet. With Yoda calling on the powers of the Jedi Council, with a new Separatist technology jamming the Guardians' communications, and a traitor at the heart of the Republic's government, the wheels of war are turning. But the Separatists have blockaded Lanteeb. The finishing touches are being put on a weapon to destroy whole worlds. And it will be up to the two Jedi Knights and their most trusted comrades to liberate Lanteeb or forever suffer the consequences.

The novel opens with Obi-Wan and Anakin escape from Bant'ena's betrayal and crash before running to the nearest village. Count Dooku, meanwhile, overseeing the Battle of Kothlis, demands an update from Lok Durd who reports that the bioweapon will be ready in four days. Durd can't believe he lied to Dooku and meets with Colonel Barev and demands that the Jedi be killed. On Coruscant, Bail learns from scientist Tryn Netzl that he can create a cure for the bioweapon now that he's recreated it with Jedi Grand Master Yoda's permission. Ahsoka informs Rex and Coric that Anakin and Obi-Wan are in trouble but nothing more. Jedi Master Taria Damsin, another of Obi-Wan's former girlfriends, offers to race Ahsoka to take her mind off the trouble on Lanteeb. On Lanteeb, Anakin and Obi-Wan talk with the villagers for a long time. Palpatine expresses his concern to Yoda, who persuades Taria not to leave Coruscant. Sidious/Palpatine learn from Dooku that the bioweapon is almost ready, but Palpatine doesn't believe Lok Durd. On Lanteeb, more conversations arise as Anakin and Obi-Wan continue to get to know the natives. Palpatine gets into an argument with Yoda over keeping the knowledge that Anakin and Obi-Wan are on Lanteeb and their mission.

Lok Durd orders the bioweapon tested on Chandrila and the Chandrilan senator, Mon Mothma, alerts the Republic Senate who demand answers. Palpatine informs Dooku and urges him to be patient as it's playing into his hands. In a Jedi Council meeting, all the Masters agree that it's time to go after Lok Durd. The GAR and Jedi meet Grievous above Lanteeb and engage in a fleet battle that's never shown, just happening in the background. On Lanteeb, Lok Durd's in a discussion with Bant'ena about how to make the bioweapon better when he learns of the Republic Fleet duking it out with Grievous. Bant'ena uses the surprise to sneak word to the Jedi that Bespin is the next target. Palpatine demands that ships be sent to secure Bespin. Lanteeb's natives become unhappy with Obi-Wan and Anakin. Taria crash lands on Lanteeb and rushes to Bant'ena who informs her that she (Bant'ena) can't leave because of an implant that'll kill her if she attempts to escape. Bant'ena stays behind to blow up the bioweapon factory while Taria goes after Obi-Wan and Anakin. Mace Windu, Obi-Wan and a few others are disappointed with Taria. The information is relayed and Yoda departs for Lanteeb. Mace, Ahsoka, the 501st Legion and 95th Infantry land to aide Obi-Wan, Anakin, the village, and a dying Taria. In the aftermath of the battle, Lok Durd escapes with Grievous, Taria died, and the villagers are being moved to Naboo.

All in all, a slow novel that got better after 2/3s of the whole thing was over. Finally, something happened in that last 1/3 that had me thinking that this was Star Wars again and not some novel with people talking where things don't get done under the Star Wars label.

Book Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Wild Space SPOILERS!

Karen Miller's first Star Wars novel has generally been accepted by Star Wars fans as weak, insisting that too much time was spent on character development and little to nothing on the action scenes that take place. She borrows heavily from the droid duology of the first season, and it shows, like with the shows creators, how little imagination and respect for previous continuity she has. Synopsis: The Clone Wars have exploded across the galaxy as Republic forces and Separatists struggle to gain the upper hand. But while the Jedi generals work tirelessly to defeat Count Dooku and his rebels, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is hatching his own dark plans. The Separatists have launched a sneak attack on Coruscant. Obi-Wan Kenobi, wounded in battle, insists that Anakin Skywalker and his rookie Padawan Ahsoka leave on a risky mission against General Grievous. But when Senator Bail Organa reveals explosive intelligence that could turn the tide of war in the Republic's favor, the Jedi Master agrees to accompany him to an obscure planet in the Outer Rim to verify the facts. What Obi-Wan and Bail don't realize is that they're walking into a deadly trap concocted by Palpatine... and escape may not be an option. Inspired by the full-length animated feature film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and brand new TV series, this thrilling adventure is filled with provocative, never-before-revealed insights into the characters of Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padmé, Yoda, Count Dooku and many other Star Wars favorites.

The novel immediately sets out to rewrite Star Wars canon. Anakin is knighted directly after the (first) Battle of Geonosis instead of in the wildly popular Star Wars novel, Jedi Trial (six months before Revenge of the Sith). Later, after the events of the movie, Anakin and Obi-Wan show Ahsoka how to duel. After several talking pages, Obi-Wan receives information from Dexter about Grievous's plans to invade Bothawui, the homeworld of the Bothans. After some botched character building with Anakin, he learns from Obi-Wan, wounded in a crash, about the attack on Bothawui. Anakin tells Yoda and the Jedi Council. A botched attempt to turn Palpatine into a good guy by the author fails and that's 12 pages wasted. The Jedi Council assigns Anakin and Ahsoka to oversee the Battle of Bothawui. Palpatine, as Darth Sidious, contacts Dooku, as Darth Tyrannus, to leak information to get Bail and Obi-Wan lured into a trap. Bail asks Padme if she's heard of the Sith and she lies. She asks Obi-Wan to come to her place to talk to Bail. They meet and agree, and so does the Jedi Council, to go looking for this Sith threat on a planet called Zigoola. Bail and Obi-Wan leave Coruscant and traverse a stunted path to Zigoola, which takes them past Bothawui during Greivous' attack and some bit of the aftermath. Then, after several chapters of stunted character development, they finally arrive at Zigoola and attempt to guide themselves to the Sith temple only to crash on the planet. The Siths lingering power is affecting Obi-Wan, making him nearly kill Organa on a couple of occasions. With no ship and a minimal chance of survival inside, and after days of travel through Zigoola's terrain, enter the Sith temple and find a Sith Holocron. The holocron has been raging at Obi-Wan to kill. Instincts kick in and Bail destroys the Sith artifacts inside the Sith temple. On Obi-Wan's orders, Bail wounds the Jedi Master and Obi-Wan uses a crystal to summon Yoda for help. Yoda asks Padme to go because he can't risk another Jedi being influenced by Zigoola's Sith remnants. Padme and a group of clone troopers arrive and retrieve them. Obi-Wan and Bail recover on Coruscant while Palpatine, seething inside at all the destroyed artifacts and Obi-Wan and Bail's survival and the setbacks this costs him, continues on with managing the war.

All in all, a slightly-worse than mediocre novel. Too much time was spent on character development at the sake of the plot. IN a way, cramming in parts of the droid episodes wasted enough time to eventually get Obi-Wan and Bail to Zigoola, which seems to have been the author's intent. Karen Miller wasted enough time when she could've just jumped them straight to Zigoola and done what only two other authors have done: explore the Sith. So much potential on Zigoola and none of it used. How... disappointing.