Rating: 
Summary: Rogue Planet
Review: Anakin is portrayed as a wacko with a different way of having an a good time. He is starting to be come Rebelous and Does not like to listen. We are starting to see where Darth Vader comes from. The Book starts out with Anakin nearly killing him self racing in a trash gun. The Prospects of this idea have already come to Obi-Wan and he follows Anakin and also nearly dies. The 2 eventually find themselves on a planet that has a special connection to the force, and this connection helps its inhabitants build the fastest personal spacecraft in the galaxy. The leader of this planet is dead and the forces represents him holographicly and sends out orders. The rising Imperials attack the planet and then trying to take over the ship buliding ablities of the planet. Read to find out how.
Rating: 
Summary: Too much talking, not enough fighting
Review: Star Wars became famous for its tremendously good special effects and great action sequences. Also, having some of the most interesting characters of any film had something to do with its success. However, Rogue Planet pays little attention to any of this and tries to form its own, new path. Well guess what? It didn't work too great.The plot is weaker than other books, but it had the potential to work. Basically, Anakin and Obi-Wan travel to a remote planet because of its difficulties while another bad guy tries to take that planet over. (I read it in May so this may not be quite as accurate as it should be.) In this book, I saw several things that I liked: first, we are introduced to Tarkin who is working on building a ship capable of destroying a planet. (Did anybody say Death Star?! However, this goes nowhere.) Also, Mace Windu is in the book, but unfortunately, only for about two pages. Also, I think the book was well written. It is not confusing and has nice description of the planet. Now some of the things I didn't like. First, the end battle is short and rushed. Expecting the slow book to move into a climatic ending, (like the 6th Sense), I was disappointed. It is weak and is not that good. It is one of those endings where you feel cheated and expect something better to happen. Don't get your hopes up. Also, Obi-Wan barely ever uses his lightsaber because there really is no need due to the lack of enemies. Well, that's all I have to say about this book. I should have given it two stars, but since this is Star Wars, it earns three just because. For those of you who truly loved this book, maybe you're the type that enjoys the slower moving books. Personally, I like the action. If you're looking for something exciting, try reading The Phantom Menace. The book is good despite the fact that many did not like the movie. Also, Darktide and Darktide II by Michael A. Stackpole are good. These have great action sequences with blasters, lightsabers and tremendous space battles. Also, these involve classic characters such as Han, Luke, Leai and their kids, Jacen and Jaina, the lesser known members of the clan.
Rating: 
Summary: Not that great
Review: Sorry mr. Bear but you have really faltered on this one. This is only the second book i have read in the Star Wars series that I haven't liked(The other was Children of the Jedi). Leave it to Stackpole, Zahn and the ultimate comedian Aaron Allston
Rating: 
Summary: A fun adventure
Review: What more can you ask from a book? Anakin is portrayed as having an inkling of the horror he is to become, kind of like the posters that show him casting a shadow on a wall that is Darth Vader's rather than his own. As mentioned by another reviewer, we are introduced to Tarkin who appeared in "A New Hope." We are also introduced to characters mentioned in the post-"Return of the Jedi" books. We meet the engineering genius Sienar who's company still builds great starships in the other books. We also meet Vergere from "The New Jedi Order" books, and get a peripheral look at a species that can only be the Yuuzhan Vong. Besides, the story is fascinating. Obi-Wan and Anakin find themselves on a planet that has a special connection to the force, and this connection helps its inhabitants build the fastest personal spacecraft in the galaxy. Okay, so some of it reminds me somewhat of Petaybee, the planet in Anne McCaffrey's "Powers that Be" series, but the story is fun and the writing is intelligent. Those are the two most important characteristics in a book for me. It still lends itself to my fantasy examination of the role of destiny in the Star Wars universe ... Maybe someday I'll actually get around to writing that.
Rating:
Summary: Leave it to Lucas!
Review: Unlike the Jedi Apprentice series, I think this story should have been left to the better minds of G. Lucas and such. I don't think the story of Anikan and Obi-Wan could be prortrayed as well.
Rating:
Summary: Great, but wait for the paperback
Review: This novel packs a lot of action into a relatively short novel. The beginning and ending are outstanding, while portions of the middle tend to drag on a bit. The novel mainly focuses on Obi-Wan's training of Anakin three years after Phantom Menace, and Obi-Wan quickly realizes that he's not quite cut out to train him, and Anakin realizes that despite his love for Obi-Wan, he is superior in the Force in many ways than his Master. The novel also introduces Commander Tarkin (remember him? He was played by Peter Cushing in A NEW HOPE). The novel portrays him as a politically savvy and ruthless individual who uses coersion and blackmailing tactics against even his friend for his own personal gain. Overall, the novel is extremely imaginative and conforms in every way to the Lucas Books theme.
Rating:
Summary: Science fiction hiding in Star Wars clothing
Review: I must say that this book was a disappointment to me. The story wasn't bad, and Greg Bear is an above average sci-fi writer. But take out the words Jedi Knight and change the main characters' names and you will see the book has little to do with the Star Wars universe and the characters who populate it. If anything, Bear writing seems contained because he is trying to make it fit into the Star Wars mold. Not bad sci-fi, but not a good Star Wars tale.
Rating:
Summary: Quite adequate
Review: A slight warning: There is no action in this book (or at least not much.) Not that there is anything wrong with that. This book was mainly character development. I liked it a lot. I've always been and ObiWan and a Tarkin fan. OW sees a lot of growth in this book. As far as plot goes, it was mainly relatively hard SF. The best scenes were those with Tarkin and Seinar although I was intrigued by the mystery of the Pentotium and the Magister. Bar really did a great thing here by developing everyone even Ke Daiv. We see motivations, hidden desires and right into everyones thoughts. The only real negative is that it might be a tad long. But on the whole, this book delivers. Kudos to Bear for bringing something new and different to SW. Read it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best I've read!
Review: I had relatively few problems with this book, and even those were minor: the extremely short chapters (why did Bear feel the need to start a new chapter so often?) and aside from being a semi-clever means to get to see Tarkin without looking into his thoughts too deeply to contradict something GL might have in mind later on, I didn't really see a point to Raith Sienar. His chapters were the only ones I had any trouble getting through. This is a primarily character-centered book, with not a whole lot of action (which is a big problem for some people), but that didn't bother me: I love character stories. I also love Anakin, and this novel provided some of the best insights into his character I've seen: a very realistic portrayal of the conflict within him, and the wonderful foreshadowing hints of his future as Vader literally gave me the chills, particularly in the seed-partner burning scene and the end of his battle with the Blood Carver. I would have liked to see a bit more of Obi-Wan, but what there was of him I say pretty much the same as I did for the Anakin portrayal: dead on, good job of addressing his internal conflicts about whether he believes he's a good master for Anakin-- and I can very easily see this man becoming the wise-mentor type he is in Episode IV. I loved the way Bear handled Anakin/Obi-Wan's relationship; we really saw very little in TPM, none of which was really positive-- and it was very nice to see an elaboration on it, and showing the two *didn't* hate each other as many so previously thought. I waited years for something to shed a light on their relationship, and I was not disappointed. :) Overall, probably one of the best SW novels I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Plot and counter plot in the move from republic to empire
Review: In many ways, the most interesting character in the Star Wars megastory is Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. It is clear from the events in The Phantom Menace that he is indeed the chosen one, capable of great things. As a former slave, it is hard to imagine how he could become enslaved again to an emperor, becoming the second most powerful person in a vast and powerful empire. It is also clear that the empire could not have sprung into existence if Skywalker had not been turned into Vader. In this book, more of the forces and events that make him what he will become are described.
Future Governor Tarkin makes his appearance as an operative that is very ambitious, but who is clearly being manipulated by one much more powerful than he. While not explicitly stated, it is clear that the future emperor is the one on the other side of the strings. There are many threads here that set the stage for the elimination of the republic and the rise of the empire. Plot and counter plot are everywhere, as trust and honor are being replaced by suspicion, deceit and a new code of ethics based on a grab for power and influence.
As a book not based on a movie, it is by necessity somewhat vague concerning the events that will change the boy Anakin into the monster Vader. However, I found it an enjoyable book, reading it through in one short session followed by a more lengthy one. The action and undercurrents for the future definitely keep your interest.
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