Rating: Summary: Excellent, can't wait for the movie!! Review: I was thrilled when I originally heard that R.A. Salvatore would be writing this book, as I was impressed with his Star Wars NJO book, as well as his Forgotten Realms books. He writes action sequences that are very easy to follow. The action in this book, as opposed to The Phantom Menace, seems to be more evenly spaced through the story. I didn't have any problems with the Anakin/Padme love story and I'm sure the actors will be able to pull this off OK (plus, check out the soundtrack - the music John Williams has scored for the Anakin/Padme love theme is outstanding!).
Rating: Summary: Best! Greatest! Wonderful! Supesence hanging! Review: I finished reading this book and it was great. And the ending was a big shock. Wow!! Yeah, Annie tottaly going aganist the Jedi!! And Yoda and the rest of the Jedi,a huge fight sence plus clones. Wow, I still can't get over how god this book is. This book is a real supence holder. I now can't wait till SW3 comes out. But yeah I highly recommend this book.
Rating: Summary: rushed but good Review: I bought this book and finished it in two days. I have never read any of Salvatore's writing but i like his "easy" style. This book is also hard to put down, R.A. kepps ypu reading and reading. Some things i didnt like about the plot, but this plot should far surpass TPM. It was entertaining even though Jar Jar and 3PO were pretty annoying. I thought the whole love thing was rushed and Zam was to cool of a character to be taken out so early but hey thats the way it works. JUST WAIT TILL YOU SEE YODA! see you in the theatre. Hope you find as much joy reading this book as i did. Absalom
Rating: Summary: Excellent new addition to the Star Wars Saga!... Review: I was very impressed by R.A. Salvatore's adaption of George Lucas' Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. I had a very difficult time putting it down. I was a little worried about the love story when I first heard about it, but it works out very nicely and does not slow down the pacing. On that note, the pacing of this book was fast! One thing leads to another which leads to another, but I was never lost. If the movie is as least as good as the book, then were all in for a big treat May 16th.
Rating: Summary: Bodes well for the movie Review: Star Wars: Episode II benefits from strong characters, wonderful atmosphere, and a fast pace, along with significantly more character development. Because of the history involved it was easier to enjoy this book despite the fact that R.A. Salvatore did not really do a very good job. I kept having to stop, wondering why he didn't take a look at some of his sentences and retool them so they didn't sound like they were written by an eleventh grader. I do feel that Salvatore convincingly portrayed the personalities of the characters involved. I've heard complaints about Anakin's character. What did you expect? He's barely 20 (just getting out of adolescence) with an enormous amount of power. It's not a stretch to imagine it would make him a little arrogant (or a lot in his case), straining at the leash they've put him on. The romance is a little weak (more due to Salvatore's skill at portraying it) but I definitely enjoyed Obi-wan's character more, as well as seeing Yoda and Mace in different predicaments. Count Dooku was also intriguing. All in all, I believe this book (and the movie) are a great improvement over Episode I, and leave considerable potential for Episode III.
Rating: Summary: How the Force turned me into a Star Wars fan. . . Review: Don't let the other grim reviews cloud your vision of this book. It's important to keep in mind that ATTACK OF THE CLONES was a book written based on a stark, line-by-line script. It was meant to deliver the overall essence of the script and movie and not be a deep, meaningful prophecy that answered every question and shed light upon the Dark Side and the powerful mysticism of the Force. ATTACK OF THE CLONES was meant to paint a picture of the movie through literature, and it did exactly that.
Dozens of small storylines serve as beams of light that suddenly converge and reveal the larger issue of the Dark Force slowly taking over the Republic. The most important and mind-blowing issue in the book is that Senator Padme Amidala is at the center of a mysterious assasination plot because she wishes to cast a vote AGAINST forming an army for the Republic because she firmly adheres to her personal princple of peaceful negotiation with the powerful Separatist movement. From that point on, we travel between the planets of Coruscant, Naboo, Tatooine, Geonosis, and Kamino to reveal a decade-old, universe-shattering secret involving a long-desceased Jedi, Jango Fett and his ten-year old son Boba, millions of cloned Kaminoans, stealthy battle droids, and two sinister characters known as Count Dooku and Darth Sidious.
Sidelong to this amazing and brilliant plot, Lucas and Salvatore also serve up enticing quantities of galactic warfare, lightsaber battles, and yes, even romance. Not only did this book cease heartbeats with the laser-fast pursuits through the majestic skies of Coruscant and the battles between good and evil, but it sizzled with the chemistry between Anakin and Padme. It's somewhat unnerving to smile at the love between the couple on Naboo, knowing how their relationship would turn out in the end.
The character development of Anakin and Padme is done well enough to answer some questions about their past and future. For example, there is a crucial scene that shows Anakin's origin of descent into the Dark Side. We also begin to understand Padme as a woman torn between her sexuality, duty, and family. It's also interesting to read about their romantic sojourn and see that these two doomed characters once shared their joys and love with one another, not as Jedi Padawan and political senator, but as two normal people in love.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Read it and appreciate it while knowing that IT'S NOT FINISHED. . .The end of the story is not the end. You will have to wait three more years to read the ending of this particular installment (That's what Star Wars is all about!) We wait in anticipation for George Lucas to finish the saga, and even though the book ends in a beautiful scene, many questions are left unanswered, but we still want more. . .And that's the sign of one powerful work of fiction.
Rating: Summary: We know where we're going...but how do we get there? Review: This is a good read, well paced and energetic.
My main concerns are with the inevitable end game that we all expect from Episode III. It's unclear to me which characters are pulling which strings in the events that unfold here in Episode II. Some of the information that's provided in the book is downright contradictory and not easily explained by simple treachery. There's not enough direct involvement of the Sith to fully satisfy me. I don't perceive their evil ways involved enough in the fulfillment of the story. The Galactic Senate is still an unrealized bureaucracy. Poorly conceptualized, it resembles a high school student council...you'll see what I mean. But the overall story arcs are very good and I did find myself surprised at some truths that are revealed. Just enough of a twist to make it appear that Lucas thought it all out. The romance is what it is....necessary, and it unfolds in a manner that I hadn't fully suspected. But the droids still trouble me. Their place in the entire Star Wars saga reeks of a continuity problem. Nobody in Episodes IV and V recognized them yet they find themselves in numerous situations with these characters in Epsiodes I and II. Situations that you can't just explain away. I wish Lucas had paid more attention to these details.
Rating: Summary: Redemption of faith Review: While George Lucas has every right to do as he pleases with his Star Wars universe, it seems, based on this novelization of the upcoming movie, that he has acceded to some of the rants of the fans. We see much less Jar-Jar Binks, no mention of midi-chlorians, and TONS of battles. The story begins ten years after The Phantom Menace (TPM). Palaptine is still the Supreme Chancellor, having circumvented term limits through some inventive politics, and is embroiled in a major crisis. The main point of the book, in my opinion, is the same as that in TPM, to display the machinations of Palpatine on his path to becoming Emperor. While we don't see him appear as Darth Sidious with the frequency he did in TPM, this is due to superior maneuvering requiring less direct involvement. Much of the story focuses on the budding relationship between Anakin, the Padawan learner of Obi-Wan, and Padme Amidala, now the Senator from Naboo. Anakin has been given his first solo mission, that of protecting Padme, thus forcing them into close, unsupervised contact much of the time. While their interactions seem more at place in a grade school, this might be explained away due to their collective inexperience. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, is investigating an assassination attempt, and he discovers some truly remarkable things. Along the way he also has some deadly encounters. The final stages of this story center around what he has discovered on a secluded planet. And we get to see a truly epic scale combat involving many jedi. I thought the ending came a bit suddenly, without the resolution of TPM, but this might simply be setting the stage for the next film. I couldn't put down this book, especially during the last one-third or so. The action is just too engrossing. If you're willing to overlook the many typoes and grammatical errors you'll have a great experience reading this book. And if you are more dedicated than I and wait for the movie first, please read this book afterward, as it is a great novelization of a movie.
Rating: Summary: An amazing adaptation Review: Faced with the unenviable task of translating Lucas's script to novel form, Salvatore has succeeded admirably. The book is wonderfully written, and I hope that the movie lives up to the standard the novel and Salvatore have established. Everything R.A. Salvatore writes is magnificent, and the shots taken at him in some of these other reviews are uncalled for. I just received my B.A. in English, and R.A. Salvatore's books (including Forgotten Realms!) continue to amaze and influence me. The comment about no one liking his books after Junior High school was ignorant and ridiculous. Go to one of his book signings and you will see how wide of an audience he has. As for the "simple" language and style of Salvatore, think of who his audience is. He has to write a book that will work with both adolescents and adults. That is a tough thing to do! And I think he did it well. It always amazes me that we as a culture are so anxious to praise things that are overly complicated (i.e. Joyce's Ulysses as the #1 novel on the best novels list). I am much more impressed with authors that can write to a variety of audiences. Salvatore does that. If you love this novel, please read his other work. He is one of the finest authors out there today.
Rating: Summary: Great story, good writing Review: Before reading the book, I was incredibly excited about Attack of the Clones. Now that I have read it, I am still excited, but in a different way. Of course, I know now every secret about the plot and in that sense I have spoiled the movie. However, there are just so many COOL scenes described in the book, scenes that are not necessarily brilliantly written, but that have so many interesting visual possibilities, and that I know will appear simply wonderful on the screen. Without saying anything about the plot here, just let me say that anyone with any interest in Star Wars will truly love George Lucas for this installment. If you were disappointed in The Phantom Menace, which I will not allow myself to admit until the Star Wars saga is complete and I can view it as a whole, then you will feel better now because Attack of the Clones uses elements from that movie and both are made better because of it. All in all, a superior story, and I CAN'T WAIT for the movie!!
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