Rating: 
Summary: Another good edition to Star Wars
Review: I was quite excited to learn that there was a prologue to Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, so I couldn't wait to read The Approaching Storm. It tells of Obi-Wan and Anakins daring mission on the planet Anison...Anison is a very important planet to the Republic, but it is in danger of joining the secessionist movement. Because of Ansion's many treaties, if it seceeds, many others will also follow. The urban dewellers on Anison are tired of the constant control of the Republic, wanting to expand into the prairies outside the cities, but always stopped by the Ansion nomads and the constant rules of the Republic. If their demands are not met they will secede---and the already fragile Republic will weaken even more. To keep the peace the Jedi Council sends two Jedi Knights, Obi-Wan and Luminara Unduli(you've got it! she is a lady! YEAH!) along with their two Padawan learners Anakin and Barriss to settle the conflict and hopefully sign a peace treaty between the two conflicting sides. As the Jedi soon find out, their journey won't be easy... Not only are natural diasters in their way---there are man-made ones as well---for someone wants their mission to fail... I really did enjoy this book by my longtime favorite Alan Dean Foster. I wish I could give it 5 stars but there were some glaring weaknesses. For one, I thought at times there was too much detail in one area and too little in places that needed more. The action scenes(what little there was) were not really well described. On the other hand there were pages describing different nomadic tribes the Jedi come upon in their journey. The first time it was actrully nice to read about the tribes, but by the second and third time it just became a total waste of time and paper, which made the story slow going. Othewise I really did enjoy this book. Probably my favorite part of this book was that there were actrully female Jedi(Luminara and Barriss). The two happen to be my favorite characters in this book. They truly bring a whole new atmosphere to this book. The Approaching Storm is definitely a worthy edition to Star Wars.
Rating:
Summary: Living and breathing at last
Review: When I read Alan Dean Foster would be writing a prequel novel to Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, I was thrilled. Not because I believe Alan Dean Foster to be an immortal, literary giant, but because I knew from his previous works I could depend on him as an author to make his characters more human(oid). And Mr. Foster delivers. If you, like me, were disappointed with Greg Bear's Rogue Planet or James Luceno's Cloak of Deception (C'mon guys, I'm on a planet in a galaxy far, far away. I'd like to know how it looks/smells/feels like to the characters and I'd like more personal touches/emotional interactions.) you will read this book with delight. You get to know Anakin as a highly gifted, cocksure though slightly rebellious Padawan living those difficult teen-age years (wishing he were anywhere other than where he is, preferably with hot-rod landspeeders) and to get a feel for those personality flaws that will eventually bring the entire galaxy to its knees, you find Obi-Wan stepping out of the shadow of Anakin's great talent and see what an incredible young Jedi Knight he is in his own right, trying very hard and succeeding at being a role model anyone would look up to (he has even learned his lesson about ... life-forms tagging along), you see their interaction with the female Jedi and her Padawan who they join on their mission and discover that their innermost thoughts are not all that lofty sometimes. Their mission is to negotiate and mediate a dispute on the planet Ansion with nomads who are resisting the native city dweller expansion into their ancestral prairies. The city dwellers threaten to secede from the Republic should they not get what they want. The Jedi have a good chance to succeed. Though there are plenty of political machinations going on to make sure they don't. Though their journey to meet the nomads through the outback of Ansion reminds a fan of Foster's Flinx novels of the grasslands of Alaspin, you get a wonderful travelogue of the planet. Overall, incredibly refreshing and enjoyable and surprisingly bittersweet at times for Star Wars fans. For, as one of the native characters reflects near the end of the novel, that in spite of how powerful and talented the Jedi are, he feels sorry for them. And knowing the near future of the Jedi in the Star Wars world, we do too.
Rating: 
Summary: The Approaching Dud
Review: The Approaching Storm is by no means the worst Star Wars book out there (that honor will forever belong to The Crystal Star). It is, however, easily the most dull and bears no relation whatsoever in terms of style or quality to Foster's classic Splinter of the Mind's Eye. Apart from the similarity of names on the cover, there is nothing in this one to suggest the two novels were written by the same man. Obi-Wan and Anakin have to go to a planet named Ansion to try to prevent it from seceding from the Republic. Once there, they meet the incredibly cardboard characters of Luminara and her Padawan Bariss, as well as a couple of equally uninspiring locals. After a dull, dull, dull trip through the countryside, they convince Ansion's leaders to stay in the Republic. I apologize for giving way the secret ending, but, frankly, this book is so tedious that nobody will mind hearing that the end is blatantly obvious. Beyond the tedium, there are other flaws. The viewpoint changes too frequently, often within the same paragraph. At times, the novel seems like it was intended as an entry in the Jedi Quest series, reading like a very young adult book. Moreover, Foster was tasked with writing a book that takes place immediately before Episode II without having seen the movie. Accordingly, neither Anakin nor Obi-Wan feel right, Shu Mai (the "lady" who accuses Dooku of treason in Episode II) is playing the wrong role, and Anakin keeps pining for some unspecified place or thing (nothing in here about the dreams with his mother, either). I recognize that Foster's not to blame for his ignorance of how the movie would turn out, but the effect is, nevertheless, to further lessen any enjoyment to be had in an overall drab novel. Foster's Splinter of the Mind's Eye is much, much more engrossing, despite its apocryphal ending. Cloak of Deception is a far, far more effective lead in to Episode I than this one is to Episode II. In short, if you see The Approaching Storm coming take cover.
Rating:
Summary: Bubble-gum Star Wars
Review: Once upon a time, Alan Dean Foster wrote a little novel called "Splinter of the Mind's Eye." Splinter was set between A New Hope and Empire and has long since been forgotten in terms of the continuity. It exists now as an intriguing little piece of speculative fiction on what might have been--a curiousity, but little else. Hopefully this will be the same fate of Alan Dean Foster's latest Star Wars entry, "The Approaching Storm." The real tag for this book is that it's a prequel to the upcoming episode 2. That's what got my interest up and made me eager to read the novel. However, like the episode one prequel "Cloak of Deception" this entry suffers from the inability to draw the reader deeply into the plot or to make you care much about the characters. Foster has created an entire world of characters and situations--all of which are largely forgettable ten minutes after having read the novel. The story is basically Obi-Wan and Anakan, along with another Jedi and her Padawan, are sent to keep a world from seceding from the Republic. On the world involved, there are many factions--esentially boiling down to the city vs the country inhabitants and the Jedi's attempts to bring the sides together and keep the planet in the Republic. Along the way there is a kidnapping, some comic relief and some lightsaber fights, but little else. If you're looking to catch a glimpse of what's been happening between TPM and now, you're going to be out of luck. Vague hints of Anakin's being powerful and maybe being out-of-control are thrown in left and right as well as Anakin's feelings of missing his mother. Foster repeatedly beats the reader over the head with melodramatic moments so that they quickly become tired and tedious. Maybe after seeing episode 2 these will all make more sense, but I'm not really inclined to put too much stock in any of what took place here. The only thing this book has going for it over Splinter is that it's officially endorsed by LucasFilm. So, the events here may not be addressed in the film, but they won't be contradicted later. If you're a Star Wars completist, give it a try. If you're looking for a good appetizer to the next Star Wars film, look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Bridge Novel by one of the Greatest Sci-Fi Authors
Review: "The Approaching Storm" is a great novel by Alan Dean Foster. Foster, it should be noted, is one of the biggest names in modern sci-fi as well as the ghostwriter of the original 'Star Wars' novelization. He also wrote the first ever Expanded Universe novel. Still, if you're looking for action, this isn't the book for you. There is literally no fighting save for a battle at the very beginning and a battle at the very end. This book takes place directly before Episode II, and as such devotes itself to setting up the political background for the film. It also gives some much needed fleshing out to key prequel characters. Obi-Wan and his apprentice, Anakin, are sent to the remote planet of Ansion to convince them to avoid secceding from the Republic. While the planet itself is insignificant, it is at the center of a huge and complex web of treaties and alliances. They meet the city dwellers, who agree to remain within the Republic if the Jedi will settle their disagreements with the rural nomads. They set out of a journey into the barren, uncivilized deserts to seek out the nomads. This book is set at a slower and relaxing pace than most Star Wars books. However, unlike 'Dark Journey' it still manages to move key character and plot points further. In regards to character development, I really enjoyed the entertainment for the first nomad group. It's not what you'd expect of a Jedi group, and it told something unique about each character. The highlight of the book for me. If you don't mind the slower pace, and enjoy political thrillers of any sort, then be sure to find a copy of 'The Approaching Storm.'
Rating:
Summary: this is what happened just before Attack of the Clones
Review: Early in "Attack of the Clones" there is a line stating that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker will be available to help protect Padme Amidala because they have just returned from a mission on Ansion? This seems to be just a throwaway line in the movie, a tiny bit of detail to provide coloring to the scene. In the larger Star Wars Universe, we now wonder what it was that Obi-Wan and Anakin were doing. What was this mission? "The Approaching Storm" is the story of this mission to Ansion. Ansion is a small, unimportant planet. At least, that is how things appear to be on the surface. In reality, Ansion is a very important planet. It is tied with treaties and agreements to numerous other nearby planets and this makes the threats that Ansion might secede from the Republic to be very serious. If Ansion secedes, an entire star system will be pulled with it. To stop this secession, Chancellor Palpatine requests the Jedi Council send a couple of Jedi to Ansion to find a diplomatic solution to quietly find a way to keep Ansion in the Republic. The Jedi Council sends Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luminara Unduli, and their Padawan apprentices Anakin Skywalker and Barriss Offee. "The Approaching Storm" is somewhat of an adventure story. It is well paced, has humor, some action and some politics. What I liked best about this novel was the characters of Luminara and Barriss. We got to see some of their perspective, but I would love to see a novel focus on these two characters. They provide a perfect counter balance to Anakin and Obi-Wan, and give a greater look at the variety of personalities in the Jedi Order. Alan Dean Foster was the ghostwriter of the first Star Wars novelization, and he wrote the first Extended Universe novel "Splinter of the Mind's Eye". His latest Star Wars novel had a great feel to it, and it was so fast paced that I was able to easily finish it in two days. This isn't high literature, but it was certainly entertaining. -Joe Sherry
Rating:
Summary: Well done effort from a Star Wars veteran
Review: Foster, the writer of the first Star Wars books ever written rejoins the expanded universe with The Approaching Storm. Set on a backwater planet, The Approaching Storm is supposed to prepare the way for Episode II. It does to a certain extent although it downplays dark side of Anakins personality and relies on some predictable characters to move the story along. The setting was unique. In a universe filled with seedy space ports, seeing our Jedi ride herd animals and waltz over a savannah was a nice change of pace. The interation between the 4 Jedi was very well done. The original points of the story helped to make The Approaching Storm a very readable book. As for the bad, the villain is a hut of course with a tie in to Episode II villain Darth Tyrannus. The worst part of the story, is that Foster invents his own Gungan type characater in the person of Tooqui ( I know I spelled that wrong). This character generally causes mischief but by the end of the day, saves our heroes. He is not really needed. Overall, though I applud Foster's return to a galaxy far far away and hope that he consents to write another story for lucasbooks
Rating: 
Summary: Light on Star Wars, but Good Science Fiction
Review: 'The Approaching Storm' is Alan Dean Foster's contribution to the prequel era of novels. Like Greg Bear's 'Rogue Planet,' it takes place in the years between Episode One and Episode 2. Also like 'Rogue Planet' it suffers from being un-Star Wars like. By this, I mean that although the story takes place in the Star Wars universe and uses Star Wars characters, it just doesn't have the feel of a Star Wars novel. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker have been sent to Ansion to join another Jedi, named Luminar, and her Padawan, Barriss. Their mission is to negotiate a truce between the Unity Council that controls the city on Ansion and the Alwari, who are nomads that roam the plains. In doing so, they hope to keep Ansion from seceding from the Republic and taking countless other worlds with them in the Seperatist movement. Although I enjoyed Foster's descriptions of the Jedi characters, I felt this story lacked too many other Star Wars elements. Established races and vehicles were lacking. A few characters that were introduced to the public at large in Episode Two make an appearance in this novel, but not enough other 'friendly' faces are present. Overall, the novel has a style that is more akin to 'Allen Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold' than a Star Wars novel, as the Jedi roam the plains interacting with various Alwari tribes and taking on the dangerous life forms that inhabit Ansion. While the adventure was fun to read, it felt like was being accomplished. The worst aspect of the novel was the character Tooqui. Anyone who hated the Ewoks from 'Return of the Jedi' or Jar Jar Binks from the first two prequel movies is really going to despise this character. Although this character has a few heroic moments without complete bumbling, his mannerism and description is incredibly annoying. Despite all of this, this is still a decent novel. There are several good insights into Anakin and his impending turn to the Dark Side. The Jedi/Padawan relationship is fleshed out nicely between Anakin and Obi-Wan and Luminar and Barriss. It is a decent adventure story, it just lacked that special something that makes the Star Wars universe so unique and fun.
Rating:
Summary: Very good for the older fan
Review: This book is full of character development and light on action. It introduces some characters like Luminara and Bariss that you actually care about. They are not the typical Jedi stereotype in the Obi-Wan, Yoda, Mace Windu tradition, which is refreshing and make them less robotic. The continued character development of Anakin was welcome, however it is hard to justify the separation he feels from his mother since Phantom Menace did such a lousy job in establishing that to begin with (the book established this better, however I had the misfortune of seeing the movie first). Personally, I don't think that any of the books/movies will ever recover from the fact that they didn't establish a believeable mother/Anakin connection to thoroughly explain why Anakin is who he is. Another issue is that they are not continuing to establish a wish for Anakin to be with Padme'. It just rekindles out of the blue with "clones"
Rating:
Summary: A charming prequel to a Prequel
Review: One of the worst things Star Wars fans have to face while new Episodes are in the works is the three-year wait between movies...I mean, Episodes. Most of us then turn to the myriads of Star Wars discussion groups and analyze the existing five movies (sometimes going off into bizarre tangents such as the "is Palpatine really Darth Sidious or isn't he?") and, like fortune tellers reading tea leaves, try to divine the particulars of the next Episode. Another thing we Star Wars fans do while we wait for new Episodes is wondering what happens to the characters between Episodes, especially when the span of time (10 years between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones...and four between Episodes II and III, for instance)is long. Or maybe we hear a line in an existing film about something that happened prior to the current movie and we want to know more. This is where the Expanded Universe novels are at their best, when they address events mentioned but not seen in the film series. Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter and Cloak of Deception, both Episode I prequels, fill in some of the blanks dealing with the rise of Palpatine in the Senate and explain somewhat better the blockade of Naboo. Greg Bear's Rogue Planet also showed a glimpse of 12-year-old Anakin Skywalker's relationship to Obi-Wan Kenobi and his life as a Padawan learner. Of all the prequels to the Prequels, though, Alan Dean Foster's The Approaching Storm works best as an appetizer to Episode II. While it is a novel that has characters created by Foster alone, it also teems with major and minor characters who appeared in Episode II. The plot revolves around a border dispute on the planet Ansion, a minor planet by itself but bound by a series of treaties to other systems. In the shadows lurk the separatists led by Count Dooku, who makes a brief literary cameo. Although the hardcover of this novel was released 4 months before the premiere of Episode II, I only read the paperback version in December of 2002, so I wasn't bugged by the spoilers or by the constraints imposed by Lucasfilm so fans would not find out too much about the plot of Episode II far, far in advance. Because Foster wrote the novelization to Star Wars: A New Hope, he captures the voices and personalities of the movies well. He also is wonderful at creating his own characters, even if they are characters who will never be seen on film. The Approaching Storm is therefore a fun and exciting novel that makes the two-year wait for the conclusion of the Prequel Trilogy more bearable.
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