Anakin Skywalker Books

I love this journal. I looked for along time for this book. I will use thisas my own journal also. Marianne Shinmon mshinmon@cox.net

I saw it, and I knew that I just HAD to get it. It has very nice pictures inside, and enough room to write my own personal journal. So far I'm already half way through writing in it. The hard cover protects the things inside, and I like that also. The things they write for Anakin's thoughts are interresting too. It's a very nice journal, and if you like Star Wars, you'll LOVE this.

This is our second copy of this book since the first one was literally loved to death by my now almost 2 year old. My son loves looking at this book and lifting the flaps and it has been a great way to introduce him to the movie since he knows the characters. A definate must for any child of Star Wars loving parents.

Then read this book. It is so in depth and fills many of the holes that left me wondering.

The only thing that I irked me about this book is it seems the author didnt use the information from the previous book Labrynth of Evil. In RotS the Republic is borderline collapse when in LoE which takes place righth before the Republic have pushed the Seperatist to the Outer Rim and victory is in reach.

Stop wasting time reading reviews and read this book.

This book is by far the best of all of the novelizations of the Star Wars movies. Mathew Stover is an exceptional writer and gives the reader just what is expected from a Star Wars book. Action, suspense, drama, and a great perspective of each of the major players in the George Lucas universe. I can say with great confidence that I was sucked right into this book and had a hard time putting it down. I really got a great feel for Anakin, Obi-Wan, Mace, and all of the other characters. When Anakin falls to the dark side I really pitied him. There is also a particular scene in the end when Palpatine confronts Anakin who had been rebuilt as Darth Vader and you could feel exactly what Anakin felt. Very powerful! The whole book was just fantastic, and I'm even tempted to pick up a copy to own. The last few lines were so perfect and tied the whole saga together nicely! This is an author who knows how to show, not tell! If you like Star Wars, you should read this!

I have only read a few Star Wars books, but I'm building my collection up pretty fast, and so far, this is the best one I have read. I really love the way the author breaks away to describe a character while a scene is heating up or something big is about to happen. The book was so good, and the story ( the parts that aren't really described in detail or simply not covered in the movie), even tho I knew its outcome and how things were going to happen still drew me in. I loved the Jedi order and I found myself, while reading the book hoping that somehow things would go differently. But of course they didn't. But thats just how much it draws you in. The ONLY downside I found in this book was the death of my favorite Jedi, Mace Windu. The fight scene with Palpatine was awesome and in depth, but at the end of the fight, we all know what happens and the author only chose to describe the death of arguably the most powerful Jedi in the order in only a few words. I think that part could have been written alot better. Other than that, this author is such a good book, that I have already told everyone I know ( Star Wars fan or not ) that they should read it.

I expect that most readers of this book will have already seen the film and will be familiar with the plot, If not, I suggest you read the book first and then watch the movie to see the incredible cinematic interpretation by George Lucas. The plot picks up right where Labyrinth of Evil left off. Chancellor Palpatine has been captured by General Grievous, and our heroes Obi-Wan and Anakin are coming to the rescue. They succeed in finishing off Count Dooku and force Grievous to flee to Utapau. Obi-Wan goes to Utapau to deal with Grievous while Anakin stays in Coruscant trying to decide between a future with the Jedi or a future with Darth Sidious and the dark side. We all know how that comes out with the final result being the introduction of Darth Vader and the twins Luke and Leia.

In the book of Revenge of the Sith, Mr. Stover spends a lot of time with the internal struggle Anakin has with feeling underappreciated by the Jedi while at the same time trying to grasp the possibilities of the dark side. He is desperately attempting to learn enough about the Force to be able to keep his nightmare from coming true and to keep Padme alive. Darth Sidious is unbelievably smooth and persuasive as he continually massages Anakin's mind and ego and hastens the turn to the dark side. Rather than just telling the story of the film, the author gets us to understand the thought processes of the main characters. I think that will be invaluable as I prepare to watch the film yet again.

We are also privy to a number of conversations among the Jedi masters - Mace Windu, Yoda, and Obi-Wan. They are confused by the Clone Wars. They do not understand the Senate's agreements to give Chancellor Palpatine increasing powers. They don't know what to do with Anakin. He is the Chosen One, but he is also dangerous and unpredictable. The deterioration of the friendship between Obi-Wan and Anakin is heartbreaking, but Anakin's turn to the dark side is handled in such a way that it makes sense. All in all, Mr. Stover has done a remarkable job in helping us to understand more clearly the Clone Wars, the demise of the Jedi, and the takeover by the Sith.

Read the book and watch the movie.

Matthew Stover, author of the excellent Mace Windu novel Shatterpoint, does not disappoint with his novelization of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Movie novelizations are often inconsequential by-products of a marketing push behind a big event picture, but in Stover's case, he strongly builds upon the film plot and adds meaningful substance to what was already a great story. Rather than give his readers a simple blow-by-blow recap of the screen action, he adds many sequences not in the film and cuts others entirely (fans of Yoda's visit to Kashyyyk will need to stick with the movie).

The novel spends significant time in the opening space battle, fleshing out the action sequences and delving into the participants' motivations. At first I found Stover's technique here slightly jarring. The story is clipping along and we are suddenly sidelined by a page or two that start something like this (for example): "This is how it feels to be Obi-Wan Kenobi." We then get a summary of who Obi-Wan is, what he's feeling, and what role he has played in the saga to date. However, as we read more of these entries, Stover's chance-taking really pays off: I found myself looking forward to the next one more and more, as the insights he provides illuminate certain story points brilliantly.

I especially enjoyed the time he spent taking us into Count Dooku's head. Dooku doesn't get much screen time in the saga; some choice moments at the end of Attack of the Clones and his duel at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith are about it. Why would this respected and powerful Jedi have any interest in sublimating himself to a Dark Lord of the Sith? Stover paints a realistic portrait of what Dooku hoped to get out of their twisted relationship and muses about what Dooku believed would be his role after the end of the Clone Wars. Of course, Dooku is sorely mistaken with his perception of his relationship with Darth Sidious.

Another place Stover excels is in subtly tinkering with some of the storylines to deepen both the motivations and the payoff. For instance, in the film, Anakin's lust to be elevated to Jedi Master and granted a seat on the Council is driven by his ego and inner demons. Stover adds an ingredient to the mix: Anakin also wants access to the Jedi Archives, which is only granted to Masters. He believes the Archives will contain Sith Holocrons with the forbidden knowledge Palpatine alluded to, including how to stop a person from dying. This small change greatly aids the believability of how furious Anakin is at being denied the Master rank when he claims his seat on the Council.

Near the end of the book there is a noticeable shift toward more economic storytelling, and the final duel on Mustafar is very similar to what we see in the film. This didn't bother me, as by this point events are rushing to their bitter climax and interjecting long character analyses wouldn't really work like it did early in the novel. The pacing of the book taken as a whole is spot-on and well considered.

Revenge of the Sith is a sweeping, dark, epic conclusion to the prequel trilogy, and Matthew Stover's novelization is more than worthy of the film. Kudos to him for not just cashing in a paycheck and writing a blow-by-blow account of the screenplay. He chose to take some chances and the results are quite rewarding.

Given the Star Wars name, don't let the title fool you. Reading this novel was a chore, and though the ideas behind the story were stronger than The Phantom Menace, aka the screenplay and film were much better, the writing of this book was downright terrible! How R. A. Salvatore is considered a good author is beyond me. I know that he is the author of many books, and perhaps I am being a bit harsh in my judgment, having not read any of his other work, but if this is what any of those others is like then I'll be sure to skip those too. To his defense I will say that the love story aspect of Anakin and Padme was poorly fleshed out. But as a writer he should have been able to make this work much more believably.

Taking no cues from what had been established before by the other authors of the novelizations, Salvatore's work seems like it was a chore to write only to collect a paycheck. Given many fan's dislike of him for killing off Chewbacca in the Expanded Universe, though to his defense he was approached by Lucasfilm to write that novel, he is not a very good writer. (Lucasfilm's attempt to sell more books by killing off a main character is a whole other topic of debate, and is partly what led myself and many fans to stop reading the Expanded Universe material.)

My biggest argument against this book is Salvatore's consistent use of every writer's mortal sin, telling and not showing. It is better to show your readers rather than tell them what is happening. By telling, you insult your readers intelligence by running on the assumption that they aren't smart enough to figure it out themselves. If you are a Star Wars fan and must read all the adaptations, then by all means read it. If you don't feel like wasting your time and forcing yourself to finish it, then don't be bothered.

Having read R.A. Salvatore's fantasy work, I came to the novelization of the familiar tale (thanks to the epic movie) of Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones with some higher expectations. Mr. Salvatore does an excellent job bringing the story to life and giving it greater emotional depth than the movie, adding cohesiveness even that was not there. We even come to feel for Boba Fett, and regret the ultimate demise he meets in Return of the Jedi. Anakin Skywalker's decent to the dark side is given greater weight in Salvatore's words, and we come to see Anakin for what he truly was, a remarkably gifted warrior, turned to darkness due to fear and anger. Perhaps there's a lesson for us all in that. At any rate, 5 stars for Salvatore's excellent work.

The novel opens with a prelude that features a nightmare of Anakin's on the way to mediate a border dispute with Obi-wan on Ansion. In Chapters 1, 2 and 3, we are introduced to the Lars homestead, so we get to see the interactions of Cliegg, Shmi, Owen, Beru and Threepio. We learn that Cliegg met and freed Shmi five years ago. Now Shmi silently honors Anakin's 20th birthday and it is cool to get inside her head. She misses Anakin and wonders about him, yet she feels comfort in knowing that he is much better adventuring around the galaxy than stuck on a desolate world where he wouldn't be content. Since Shmi's appearance in the movie is so brief, it's great to be able to see her as a fuller character of the story, as well as the whole extended Lars family. (This is exactly the type of thing a movie novelization is supposed to do.) We see mounting tension between the Tusken Raiders and the farming community leading up to the abduction of Shmi, and we see the rescue attempt in which most died and Cliegg lost his leg. He ironically refuses an artificial limb, thus the hover chair.

We also see an earlier introduction of Padme into the story, along with her sister Sola, her nieces and R2-D2. Sola scolds Padme for her selfless career of serving the Republic, and we begin to feel a hint of Padme's deeply hidden desire for love and children of her own. And in a nice stroke of continuity, Captain Panaka, still with Naboo security, introduces his nephew Captain Typho, who lost his eye as a teenager in the Battle of Naboo and will now serve as the Senator's security chief.

Chapter 4 features the opening of the movie. In addition to the above events that set-up the movie's story, the rest of the novel has several other elements not seen movie, some of which include and expand upon the deleted scenes. One other interesting thing I think worth mentioning here is when Anakin and Yoda hear Qui-Gon's voice, Yoda is truly puzzled at what seems like the departed Jedi Master's existence beyond death. Did Qui-Gon once discover a Jedi ability that his spirit will later teach or empower Obi-Wan, Yoda and Anakin to possess? Hmm. I felt this was better than the four previous movie novelizations. Read this book if you really loved Episode II and feel a strong desire to know a little more about the story.

After this book, I recommend the following 5-star novel for more of the mystery that began in Episode II:

Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars, Episode III Prequel Novel)

Better than the movie? Yes! Then again most books are! But if your a big Star wars fan and espically an Anakin fan then this is a must read. This book will take you deeper into the story of the man/machine Anakin providing you a glimpse into the shadows of his soul. Be prepared to feel intense sorrow and sense of victory throughout this novel. So scary what someone can become...well told Salvatore.
*This review has been moved from my old to my new account.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Ten years after we left Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi, we meet up with them again. Anakin is fast proving his abilities as a Jedi Apprentice, surpassing Obi Wan even. Now they have a new mission. Senator Padmé Amidala is in danger with attacks on her life. She is crucial to a coming vote to form an Army of the Republic and someone will do anything to prevent her decision.

Anakin discovers upon once again meeting up with Padmé that his feelings for her have not faded, but only grown more intense over the years, putting him in a relationship forbidden to Jedi. The more time they spend together, the more dangerous to the Force his position becomes, causing him to cross the line into the unacceptable range.

Meanwhile, Obi Wan is sent on a mission to a distant planet to investigate rumors of a huge army being formed at the request of the Jedi. As he looks deeper in to the matter, he finds many mysteries that defy explanation. Who commissioned a clone army and why? Who is so desperate to stop Padmé's vote at any cost? What will become of the forbidden love between Anakin and Padmé?

Having watched the movie immediately upon its release, I just this year finally found the time to sit down and read the novelization of the story. Having done so, I found the novel to be quite enjoyable, going in to even greater depth on various plot threads in the movie. Of course nothing can compare to the visualization of the creative genius of George Lucas, but the book adds to the sometimes sketchy elements of the movie's storyline.

In the book, we get a deeper understanding of what exactly drives Padmé. We get to meet her family, characters never even mentioned in the movie. Seeing this side of her personality, she comes even more alive with warmth and compassion. We also get to spend far more time with Shmi Skywalker, Anakin's mother, and what has happened to her in the years since Anakin left her to train as a Jedi. We see her happy and comfortable in her life, to which only glimpses are granted in the movie itself. We also experience her terror and agony at the hands of the Tusken raiders who stole her away, eventually causing her death. This is of grave importance as Anakin's reaction to her kidnapping is the first huge step pushing him on his way to the Dark Side of the Force.

Much of George Lucas' brilliance is lost in a novelization however, since he is known for the stunning visual effects in his movies. For example, Obi Wan's journey to the distant planet where the army is being grown and the events that follow pale significantly in the novel without the scenery. This is to be expected however when movies are put into words in a book. We are however, privy to the wonderful sound effects throughout the story. We get to experience the light saber battles through sound and R2D2 and C3PO would not be given justice without hearing them. Jonathan Davis is an absolutely brilliant performer, perfect for the Attack of the Clones. He does such an incredible job of bringing the characters to life through his voice. The Star Wars saga has a huge cast of characters to keep straight. I don't know how he did it, but Davis's abilities to transform himself through the mouths of all the players. Every single one of them is very distinct. That in itself is a testament to Davis' ability.

Though Attack of the Clones in novel form will not give a full vision into the Star Wars story, between the novel and the movie itself, fans will get a better concept of George Lucas' dreams than should they limit themselves to one or the other, book or movie.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, November 2006. All rights reserved.

I have read almost the entire series of NJO,(Currently reading "The Unifying Force) and this book and its counterpart, Rebirth are the some of the best books I've read. This book fleshes out the relationship between Anakin Solo and his best friend Tahiri, setting the stage for a stronger relationship in future novels like Rebirth. Mr. Keyes does an excellent job of using plausable dialogue and creating a history of the friendship of the two characters and turning Anakin into a hero rather than a side character.

Ok, on to the specifics. The whole book is about Anakin and Tahiri fighting on Yavin Four. After a failed attempt to get all the younger students off the planet as the Peace Brigade invades and tries to hand over the young Jedi to the Yuuzhan Vong, Tahiri goes back from the shuttle she tries to use to escape and is captured. Anakin, later returning, uses every skill he has to try to rescue her from the Master Shaper, Mezhan Kwaad who is trying to rearrange Tahiri's mind to make her think she was once a Yuuzhan Vong. Anakin sides with a shamed warrior, abandoned by his clan and hunted by them as well, he seeks vegeance against the other Yuuzhan Vong shaper, none other than the Mezhan Kwaad who captured and tortured Tahiri. In the meantime, Jacen and Jaina search for Booster Terik who has a giant red Star Destroyer that could change the flow of the war.

As Anakin reaches the end of his journey, he may have sacrifice some dignity to hide his true Jedi identity as he sneaks into the Yuuzhan Vong camp where Tahiri is held.

This book also sheds more light on who the Yuuzhan Vong are as a species and gives them a more "human" light as Anakin spends more time with the shamed one, Vua Rapung.

Greg Keyes is an exceptional author worthy of note and I highly reccomend his other two books in NJO "Rebirth" and "The Final Prophecy".

Keyes kept the heroism and uplifting theme of the original series alive in his first two novels here, and managed to recover some of the lost ground later in the series. Hats off to Mr. Keyes.

in this one luke is pretty dormant.anakan solo can read his mind.and as powerful as lukes mind is,the kid is really mastering the force fast.a story is told where a snake was near him and he stopped its heart as a child.his r2 unit i mentioned in my last review is dubbed r-5.he uns into his childhood playmate tahiri and the seeds of great things are planted.she thinks hes hot and he likewise at her.actualy all the girls like anakan.especialy the young jedi chicks so he had his pick of the place.they[anakan and tahiri have a truly unique love scene where they dont touch but use the force to do the work.soon enough thier feelings come out slowly.master ithrik predicts great things for the 2 as he dies.anakan does not take his death well and gets arrogant and mean.then she is captured bu the vong.geez i better stop going on about these 2 b4 you think this is a romance novel.this is a SCI FI book.the jedis are betrayed far and wide to appease the vong and to keep the peace.even the peace brigade and local police get in on the act.the peace brigade even attack the jedi children and turn them in,knowing full well of the 1984 like methods the ving will use on them.so needless to say the peace brigade and vong are both horrible beyond words.even on the republic there is dissention as a high up allows vong to enter planets.kyp,an older jedi,gets support from other jedi about a new more affressive philosophy.more sith-like.anakan solo is still making headlines as he finds way to sense the vongs presence.he destroyed a spaceship,more vong,got his shoulder injured,went indercover as a vong slave all too rescue his love.his methods are not only truly remarkable but uniqye and way cool.the vong hate tech in any form.on one planer they go genocidal on all the droids.thier definition of peace is "willing sibmission".so you can tell theyre not right in the head.the vong also kill eachother and thier peace brigade allies for failure.thier bio-engineering is really neat.stuff like growing moons.they tortured and brainwashed tahiri before anakan got to her.a high up vong admits in ftont of a large crowf that there are no vong gods and all the stuff they know was implanted by them.that is virtual suicide in the geavily religous vong society.even the dirty old repuclic calls for the arrest of luke skywalker for unsactioned military actions.in other words its a world full of chaos and no one can trust anyone.

I really liked this book because how Anakin saved Tahiri from her capture and how he helped the shamed ones get their courage back, what i saw in this book was Anakin developement in the force such as the lambent in his lightsaber but the whole book is great from start to finish i recomend you read this book.

I really liked this book because how Anakin saved Tahiri from her capture and how he helped the shamed ones get their courage back, what i saw in this book was Anakin developement in the force such as the lambent in his lightsaber but the whole book is great from start to finish i recomend you read this book.

Conquest is the seventh volume in the massive New Jedi Order series, and is the first book in author Greg Keyes' Edge of Victory duology. If found Edge of Victory an interesting title choice for this series-within-a-series, since by the end of Conquest I was still unable to see which faction in this galactic war - the New Republic/Jedi Order or the Yuuzhan Vong invaders - was supposed to be poised for that victory. My guess is that it's the Yuuzhan Vong, since despite some setbacks, their push towards total domination of the galaxy continues unabated. The Jedi Knights and the New Republic government aren't faring nearly as well, with planet after planet falling to the invaders and the general public turning against the Jedi and in many cases hunting them down to appease the would-be conquerors.

Then again, Edge of Victory could refer to Anakin Solo's personal journey as a Jedi, which is the main focus of this book. Anakin, with the aid of a renegade Yuuzhan Vong warrior (!) invades a Vong stronghold on the ruins of the Jedi Academy to rescue his friend (and fellow Jedi) Tahiri, who is held captive by the Yuuzhan Ving shapers. Anakin's journey through the jungles of Yavin 4, going without food and sleep and totally immersing himself in the Force makes for powerful reading, as does the shapers' attempts to turn Tahiri into a dark side-wielding Yuuzhan Vong warrior.

Conquest may just be the finest volume to date in the New Jedi Order saga. Keyes does a fantastic job with this story, showing us not only the major character development of Anakin, but giving plenty of new insights into the Yuuzhan Vong, particularly the warriors, shapers, and Shamed Ones. It's good to know that behind the religious fanaticism and pain obsession, the Yuuzhan Vong are also subject to internal strife, politics, and the kind of personal baggage every flawed individual comes with.

The book is excellent for learning the names of all the podracers, the styles of their podracers as well as Anakin's personal favorites regarding ships he finds "cool."

A few weeks ago, I gave my son the 'I Am a Droid' storybook, and he loved it. I decided to give him the 'I Am a Pilot' book this week and of course, it was a huge hit.

This book also, is a short picture book which contains live action screen shots from Phantom Menace. Narrated by Anakin, this book contains descriptions and information about many of the flying ships used throughout the Episode 1 film. My son especially likes the pages about Pod Racers.

Unlike 'I Am a Droid', this book doesn't have any stickers, which was somewhat of a disappointment for my son. His first question was, "This book doesn't have stickers?" But his disappointment was short lived, because this book is especially engaging for a child of four.

Again, great book! I have also ordered the Jar Jar Binks book in this series, and that book has stickers. Can't wait to give that book to my son, he will be so excited.

Definitely a recommended title.

this book arrived quickly but there was no cover. i am buying for collecting so i must purchase again.

I read this novel sometime after viewing ROTS, and I must say, this is one of the greatest Star Wars books I have ever read! The story is action-packed, and would make a great movie in my personal opinion. Plus, the story gives a really good insight into the character General Grievous (my favorite character) and his origins and actions during the end of the wars. The story was fun to read; I had a hard time putting the book down at times. Overall, I would count this as a must-read for all fans of Star Wars. A wonderful read!

"LOE" is a great tie-in to Episode III, "Revenge of the Sith".

The adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker during the latter days of the Clone Wars are exciting and entertaining. The interaction between the two Jedi make the events of "Revenge of the Sith" all the more poignant, as you see the two friends heading for the eventual disaster and heartbreak that Ep. III brings us.

Highly recommended if you've seen Ep. III or read "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith."

Billed as a must-read prequel to Episode III of the movie franchise, "Labyrinth of Evil" by James Luceno weaves together some loose ends and characters that weren't expounded upon in the movie. The title is apt, for the various plotlines read like a maze at times, with some strands seeming more tangential than necessary. With the war between the Separatists and the Republic spinning on without an end in sight, the Jedi order tries to find out the truth about the Sith Lord behind it all.

The story begins with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker setting out to capture an ally of the Sith in an attempt to find out who their leader is. Their trek takes them from planet to planet, escaping traps at every stop, and learning just enough information to create more questions. Meanwhile, other Jedi knights, including Mace Windu, are getting too close to the truth about the Sith Lord and his whereabouts on Coruscant. And when Coruscant is attacked so that Chancellor Palpatine can be kidnapped by General Grievous, the Jedi must once more abandon the search to save the fate of the Republic, and the story ends where Episode III begins.

James Luceno has written several books within the Star Wars series, but "Labyrinth of Evil" is a little too muddled at times. In an effort to enhance his writing, he sometimes winds up with sentences that are convoluted in nature. His descriptions of battles can be a little mechanic, but he offers some insight into the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin that pads their later confrontation. I was looking forward to learning more about General Grievous, and while Luceno does offer some background to this strange creature, it is a meager profile. "Labyrinth of Evil" does offer fans necessary background information between movie episodes, and all in all is a fast-paced, enjoyable read.

After reading several books in the genre, I have come to believe that James Luceno is the best of the Star Wars writers. While some may credit this to the fact that he has better plots to works with, I suspect the fact that he adds depth to the characters from the movies is also a factor. "Labyrinth of Evil" is the perfect set up for "Revenge of the Sith."

Beginning with Viceroy Gunray's careless blunder in leaving behind a holonet chair in an evacuation, the Jedi find themselves hot on the trail of the idenitity of Darth Sidious. In fact, the path leads them in the unlikely direction of Coruscant. But just as a breakthrough seems eminant, Coruscant fall under a surprise attack by General Grievous and the separatist army. With the abduction of the Palpatine, the dominos are in order for the conversion of Anakin to the Dark Side of the Force.

While adding new dimensions to the charcters, Luceno does an excellent job of leading into Episode 3. Among the factiods that I apreciated was the backstory of General Grievous. Also, the story of the order for the clones is expanded. The Anakin-Padme love story is largely absent, but I am more than willing to accept its omission. Those who love the movies are certain to enjoy this book.

basically this book is lame. why? because it doesn't play by its own rules. no jedi would give c'boath the power to do his mission cuz he's obviously nuts. which makes the book a fan service cash in. yes obi wan and anakin are in the book but they literally dissapear some time before the end having contributed nothing to the resolution of the story. and as for Thrawn.. all i can say is 'whatever'. if you want a minor and rather cryptic spoiler here it is: isn't Thrawn was sposed to be a bad guy?. i give it two stars cuz it was at least good enough that i finished it.

I've been reading the novels in order, re-reading those which I've already read, and I've got to say this one was one of my favorites in that era, though I can't say I didn't enjoy any of them.

You can pretty much gather that there is a lot of back history on Thrawn thrown into this one, and this also provides you with a deeper understanding of the mind and motives of Jorus C'baoth.
In the original Thrawn trilogy, Luke's research reveals to him that Jorus liked to be in the public eye, and we get the idea that perhaps he was a bit cocky and self assured...

...which gives us a better understanding of his clones alter ego considering that the clone was suffering from clone madness.

I was also interested in the fact that even though he was not a member of the Jedi Counsel, he was able to use his weight to get what he wanted.

As for Obi-Wan and Skywalker's presence in this novel...


...well let's pretend you grew up on an island and were reading the novels in order and were not aware of anything that followed in the time line after this novel...

...well I think you would have a sence of "is Obi-Wan and Anakin going to die!??!", but then you see that they are pulled from the mission in order to fulfill there fate in the Star Wars galaxy. I dunno, I liked how they were tossed in there only to be taken off the ship, it only made this suicide mission seem all that much darker in the knowledge that bad things were to come in the events to come, and that Palpatine was behind it all.

took longer than expected to get here but all in all, hubby was happy with his book and said it was in better condition than he expected it to be...worth the wait in my opinion for a quality book like that.
thank you!

Just a quick comment here. What was the point of this book? Was it to somehow tie the prequels, the Empire, and Thrawn into that New Jedi Order hogwash? If anything this book only confused me even more about Thrawn's character by trying to make him seem like some noble good guy. Obi-Wan and Anakin did nothing in this book and seemed to have no place in it. In short, there just seemed to be no reason for this book to exist because it really did nothing except fill in details about the Chiss and Outbound Flight, which I doubt many of us were clamoring for. Kind of a disappointment after Zahn's previous efforts. Not recommended unless you really care about this minor footnote in Star Wars continuity.

That is all.

Zahn's Star Wars books have always been my favorites, and this is one of his best. He manages to tie together his own characters and storyline (Thrawn, Outbound Flight, etc.) with the politics and intrigue of the Old Republic from the prequels and even provides a lead in for the New Jedi Order books (I don't hold that against him, however).

If you haven't read any of Zahn's other Star Wars books, Outbound Flight may not be as much fun, since the main point of the book is to flesh out characters and history that we've been reading about for years.

Greg keyes did a good book he finally gave luke his son,Anakin is growing stronger and the battle with the yuuzhan vong continues,and thanks to mara's baby she is saved ,Han and leia were not mentioned much in this book and the Jacen Danni relation ship was over though it would have been good to become fruitful overall this is a great book read it and read the whole njo installment it's really good

I loved this book. Thought it was better than Conquest. I really did not like Mara's birth being felt by half the family. That is my only issue with it.

Greg Keyes' Edge of Victory II: Rebirth is one of, if not the,best of the New Jedi Order novels. It featured strong writing, a good storyline, a wider focus than its predecessor and was also very important to the storyline.

First, I want to discuss the quality of the Greg Keyes' writing. One of the greatest flaws with the massive collection of Star Wars novels on the shelf today is that the writing is inferior. The novels tend to rely on famous and popular characters and, with some exceptions such as Timothy Zahn and Michael Stackpole, tend to push quality writing aside. Star Wars novels may be written well enough for children but the actual merit of the writing will disappoint most adult readers. However, Greg Keyes' novels are a huge exception to this rule. He writes extremely well. His narration is top notch and his dialog is snappy and realistic. His writing is intelligent and engaging and pretty out of the norm for Star Wars novels.

Although Rebirth focuses heavily on Anakin Solo as its predecessor Conquest did, Rebirth widens its focus to include more of the galactic war. Keyes managed to make me like Anakin, even though the young Jedi was still portrayed as a way-too strong and intelligent young Jedi. I have always thought that Anakin was one of the weakest parts of the New Jedi Order series. He was too powerful, too-smart, he learned too quickly and adapted way too well. Aside from youthful overconfidence, he was an utterly perfect character, which lends an air of unrealism to the series. But Keyes works hard to make Anakin more human, even if he does not make any strides towards limiting Anakin's power.

The plot is rather typical of the New Jedi Order. Luke, Leia, Han and Mara are trying to rally the Jedi who are becoming more divided as pressure from the New Republic and the Yuuzhan Vong cause them to reach their breaking point. Despite the many redeeming qualities of this book, it is not a particularly important one, from the point of plot-advancement. However, it offers excellent character development and a solid build up for the next novel in the New Jedi Order series, Star by Star, which is probably the most important in the series.

this is one of the best books of the first 8.a lot is going on in this one for such a short book.the republic want the jedis in exile.luke is on the run so as not to be arrested.his "unsactioned military actions" were acryaly the rescue and relocation of thousands of slaves.luke decides the jedi,being wothout friends,should band together like in the long long ago.the bounty hinyers going after the jedi are gargantuan so they randomly jump through hyperspace without rhyme or reason to avoid capture.mara jade skywalker finaly lets luke help her fight off the disease that is killing her to better save thier unborn child.jaona solo struggles with her place in rogue sqaudrin as it is hard on her.mara jade and lukes method works and she has a baby boy they named ben after obee who called himself ben while in exile.the peace brigade kill a jedi named kelbis nu.however anakan and tahiri chase them off before they can kill more jedi.anakan and tahoti are arrested as local police think they did it.jacens older brother and father could barely take down one gammorrean.[anakan once took 4 on alone].han,jacen and leia take the millenium falcon up and chase down the peace brigade and a big battle ensues.jacen decides to use thr force freely again after a important character from the movies gets thier legs hacked up and he needed it.jacen gets a crush on a 40 year old twi'lek[blue chick with tentacles for hair].anakan,the always busy builds remote droids that fight like the vong to pracrice against.although he has visions of tahiri going evil he treats her no different.anakan saved corrans life[a master jedi].soon enough they are in the space battle too.bad news for the vong as their world ships are getting old.a story is told of the reckless kyp durron once blowing up a planet a week after becoming a jedi.wedge antilles comes out of retirement and into the space fight too.kyp and jaina flirt a lot despite shes nor even legal at 17 and hes like 40.she is almost killed but not scared.however by books end she tells kyp "of you were dying of dehydration on tatoonie i wouldnt spit on you".so either thier courting is off or she really likes him.the vong sacrifice thousands of people a day to thier gods.dissention finaly breaks in the high levels of the vong.since they embrace death they use kamikaze type methods to fight with sometimes.a new vong female gets into the fray at the end who us some sort of seer.she sees the 8th vortex which only 4 people ever have seen,2 of which were gods and one was told by one of those gods.she predicts"now my shaping truly begins and the universe shall tremble at what i create".anakan challenges and kills a vong war captain-just another feather in his cap.he and tahiri share loves 1st make out errrrrrr kisses i mean.this was one of the best books of the series.it ties up a lot of unanswered questions and is really incredible from a sci fi fans point of view.everything youd want in a sci fi novel.

Rebirth is the eighth volume in the massive New Jedi Order saga, and the second book in author Greg Keyes' Edge of Victory duology. Unlike the first book (Edge of Victory I: Conquest (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 7)), which was primarily focused on Anakin Solo, Rebirth reads more like a classic Star Wars adventure, with different groups of characters off on separate quests yet working towards the same goal.

Rebirth follows Han, Leia, and Jacen Solo as they embark on a campaign against the Yuuzhan Vong's Peace Brigade collaborators. At the same time, Anakin Solo, Tahiri, and Corran Horn infiltrate a Yuuzhan Vong invasion force to try and stop the next planetary conquest. Jaina Solo teams up with Kyp Durron and Rogue Squadron to take out what can only be the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of the Death Star. As these conflicts occur, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker must battle for the very existence of their unborn son. Rebirth also marks the return of the mysterious Vergere to the NJO storyline.

Despite the numerous subplots, Keyes weaves them all together quite skillfully, showing both a real understanding of what makes this diverse cast of characters tick as well as the ability to tell a great story. He also continues to give readers a better understanding of the Yuuzhan Vong invaders, further developing characters like Nom Anor (don't you just love to hate this guy?), Nen Yim, and introducing (finally) Supreme Overlord Shimmra.

This is the second of two exceptional books by Greg Keyes. I think Conquest was a better book overall, but Rebirth is as good if not better than any other book (so far) in the NJO series.

I LOVED this book. For anyone who wants to read about Darth Vader's [or you could say Anakin's] life at 9 years of age, then this is the book for you!

This was decent, but really, I was expecting to learn more about Anakin's history, like why he has to wear the suit, what happened between him and Obi Wan before Obi Wan crushed him, it should've been longer, but knowing Anakin's emotions is a good thing. So, unless you want the story re-told from just half of the events, don't buy this. Look's like we'll have to wait a few years before the parts of Annie's future only Georgie knows is released. (Sigh...)

It is an interesting book focusing mainly on Anakin's emotions. It also gives additional details from Anakin's perspective.It is a good book but has a few flaws as some details which should have been there are excluded. The descriptions given by Anakin is similar to what any nine year old would think if they had the same experience.It is told in the first person as it's a journal and Anakin narrates his story to the reader. However it can be confusing at times and a few scenes from the movie are left out.Over all it is an enjoyable book and I recommend that you get a copy soon as possible if you have an appetite for science fiction or a fan of Star Wars who is not too hardcore.

The book I read was Star Wars Episode 1 Journal, by Todd Strasser. This book is about a boy named Anakin Skywalker who was a slave on a planet called Tatooine. One day a warrior called a Jedi appeared and told him he was to be a Jedi too. Before Anakin could be trained to be a Jedi he must prove himself first. Anakin proves himself and is set free from slavery for training to be a Jedi.
My favorite part in the book was the thirteenth chapter called "The Battle." It was about how Anakin had hid in a starfighter, but accidentaly engaged himself in a war. Anakin was just looking for a safe place to hide during the battle and accidentaly took off into nother battle in space. Anakin had no idea what he was doing. Unaware of what he was doing, he faught off most fighter and distroyed the enemy's control base.
I enjoyed this book alot. It was very discriptive and had a great story line. I chose this book when I was a Star Wars fan, but I never took the time to read it until now. I am glad I read this book and I think you shoud read it too if you like Star Wars.

Well, out of all the Journal books I've read, (which is all of them except for Han's) I would say that while this one is not as gripping as Darth Maul's and not as heartfelt as Luke's, it is pretty decent. Especially since I was somewhat unimpressed with Episode 1 itself. Oh, but don't get me wrong, I liked it, it just seemed almost exclusively geared towards the twelve and under audience, and didn't have the 'something for everyone' quality that the previous ones had. I also didn't expect to like this journal because Anakin was probably my least favorite character in the movie, because he was just so goody-goody, and way too wooden and had no character development whatsoever. This book, however, completely changed my opinion of him. It went deep into his thoughts and feelings, all the while describing what went on around him, in a very realisticly done nine-year-old way. Some of the things he was thinking about were very compelling, such as how he missed his mother, and how he worried about Padme/Amidala. This made me like him more, overall, and even made me want to see the movie again so I could apply my new knowledge. I would definitly recommend this book to any Star Wars fan. Though it is written mainly from a fairly simple standpoint for the benefit of the averedge eleven year old reader, any Star Wars fan could read it as long as they don't expect an epic.