Rating: 
Summary: Refreshing Change Of Pace
Review: "Tatooine Ghost" is a great breath of fresh air rekindling the adventure of the original trilogy. Now I do enjoy the New Jedi Order series, but I also like to read a book without so much impending doom over the course of several novels. With that being said, Denning takes the classic characters of Han, Leia, Chewie, & C-3PO and inserts them in the familiar setting of Tatooine. They then have several scrapes trying to recover a secret device inside a painting with good ol' stormtroopers and Tusken Raiders. Fabulous adventures abound!
Additionally, I really enjoy the way Denning weaves in elements from Episodes I, II, IV, V, & VI, as well as a few EU novels. He also alludes to a certain art-loving Grand Admiral we have seen (in the chronological future).
The inclusion of minor characters from Eps I & II round out Leia's burgeoning knowledge of the force and her family's past and makes for good reading. I highly recommend this novel for all Star Wars fans eager for the return of the swashbuckling adventures we have come to love over the years.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable read
Review: I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I liked Troy Denning's last book, Star by Star, and I was hopeful that this book would be better than some of the other recent Star Wars books. Denning does a good job of writing believable dialogue between Han and Leia and their interaction felt more natural than I have seen it in other books. Some of the humor seemed a little forced at times, but all in the all I enjoyed seeing Han and Leia have a story to themselves. The basic plot involves Han and Leia recovering a piece of Alderaanian art that contains a hidden code key useful in identifying the New Republic's undercover agents throughout the galaxy. The Imperials, under the thinly disguised leadership of Thrawn, eventually guess the painting's significance and begin a race to recover the painting. Han and Leia's attempts to recover the painting take them across Tatooine pursued by Imperials, Tuskens and three somewhat annoying "Squibs", all while Leia learns about her father's history and how it will affect her future. At times the story slows drastically and I think it could have been cut by at least fifty pages, but in all it was still fun to read, didn't take itself too seriously and had plenty of action. Surprisingly, I found this book made the film Episode I more likeable. While I thought that movie was mediocre, this book blends together some characters, places and events and ties them into a new story arc, helping to give them some more substance. I especially liked how Leia slowly learns about her father's childhood through the recordings of Shmi Skywalker. Shmi's recordings fill some of the gaps between Episodes I and II, and Leia's discoveries also flesh out the tragic life of Anakin Skywalker. While we already know Shmi's fate from Ep. II, her recordings give us more of a backstory and also help to give Ep. II much much needed substance as well. If you generally enjoy SW books then you should like this book. While not the best of the bunch, it was definitely better than average, if a little long. There is no Jedi character in this book, and to be honest I was glad for the break. The characters have to rely on wits and determination alone, even though Leia does have some Force-affected visions. I enjoyed this book more than Zahn's latest outing, Survivor's Quest, which did nothing for me. This book felt more comfortable with itself, and that helped me to simply sit back and enjoy the ride.
Rating:
Summary: Hands down awesome! Denning, the force is with you.
Review: I have longed for a Star Wars Novel for a while which captures the spirit of Han Solo, Princess Leia and the rest as they were captured in the early novels, but as the timeline has moved forward in the Star Wars Universe, so has the emphasis to the Solo children, and to other expanded Star Wars Universe characters. And there is nothing wrong with that. But to go "back in time" from the Vong books, and concentrate on the core characters has been an unexpected delight! Plain and simple, I enjoy the adventures of Han and Leia before their persona shifts to being the worried parent, the alchoholic griever or reluctant politician. I like them as adventurers. You will too.
Rating:
Summary: ALMOST as good as Timothy Zahn's stuff...almost...
Review: I have to admit, I've had this book for quite some time, and it was only recently that I picked it up and started to give it the attention that the bulk of reviewers here at amazon said it deserved. I am quite thankful I did.
This is (as far as I know) the first book that takes place after Return of the Jedi which also incorporates information from Episode's I & II. Sure, just because it includes this info doesn't mean it'll be good, but Mr. Denning does it justice, at least in my opinion. 'Tatooine Ghost' centers on the search for a piece of Alderranian artwork called Killik Twilight which is scheduled to go on the auction block on Tatooine, Han & Leia hire some less than scrupulous aliens to purchase the painting for them, hoping to keep their identities a secret for fear of catching the Imperial's attention. The vague reference to Grand Admiral Thrawn is quite obvious for those who have read any of Timothy Zahn's novels.
Where 'Tatooine's Ghost' really takes off is when Leia comes across a holocube of the only human to ever win the Boonta Eve Podrace, namely her Father, Anakin Skywalker. Leia goes through quite a bit of soul-searching within the pages of this novel being forced to come to terms with the fact that not only was she the daughter of one of the biggest monsters in Glactic History, but also that Darth Vader was once a cute little slave-boy who by winning the Boonta Eve Classic and gaining his own freedom, inspired many to aspire to bigger and better things. Darth Vader just COULDN'T have been a cute, inspiring young child now could he? Wasn't he always a tyrant bent on domination? Apparently not, and this is what Leia struggles with. She also comes across her Grandmothers holo-journal which she is keeping for recently freed Anakin in the hopes that she will be able to give it to him some day. Of course he never receives it, and the rest is Star Wars History. The insights that not only Leia becomes familiar with, but also the reader make 'Tatooine Ghost' an above-average Star Wars novel.
Denning captures rather well the 'Feel' of the Star Wars Universe in 'Ghost'. I haven't read all of the novels based on Star Wars, but I have read my fair share, and it seems to me that the vast majority of them do not manage to capture the reality of the movies well enough to convince me that I'm not just reading a story with characters that just happen to be named Han, Luke & Leia. Timothy Zahn is still the King in this arena, but Troy Denning has certainly hit a home run with this tale. If any Star Wars author wishes to give Zahn a boot off his Star Wars throne, I'd be willing to wager a few New Republic Credits that Denning is the only author in print today who could pull it off. But that would require a few more novels...so, how about it, Troy? Let's get writing, and quick!
Rating:
Summary: Leaving the ghosts of the past to rest
Review: I want to have Troy Denning's child. I don't care if it's a biological impossibility. I want to do it. What could possibly spark a reaction like that in me? I just finished Tatooine Ghost, a Star Wars novel written relatively recently but not part of the New Jedi Order series. Instead, it takes place a few years after Return of the Jedi and the Imperials are still stomping around. Stormtroopers! Imperial Walkers! Jawas! Tusken Raiders! This book has everything. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Of course I'm being serious. Don't look at me that way. I have been reading and enjoying the New Jedi Order series, and I thought it was safe to leave the past in the past. Then I read this book. The best thing about Tatooine Ghost is that it is a bridge between the old movies and the new trilogy. I really loved the concepts of the new movies but really disliked how Lucas handled them. This book takes those concepts and runs with them, showing us exactly what those stories should have been as they reach across the years and touch Anakin's daughter. Leia finds a journal left behind by Shmi Skywalker, Anakin's mother, as she records entries that she hopes one day Anakin will read. Leia sees her grandmother and finds another side of Anakin, a side showcased by a mother's love. Elements of Episodes 1 and 2 are woven through the narrative as Han & Leia meet up with some of Anakin's old friends. Some of them don't believe what they've heard about how Anakin became an evil monster. Others accept it but don't let it soil their memories of him. All of this comes at a time where Leia is going through a crisis. She refuses to even think of having children with the possibility that they could turn out to be like their grandfather. She has refused to forgive him or understand what made him who he ultimately was. Through the events in this novel, she slowly comes to terms with it. The characterization is beautiful. The characters in this novel are not older like they are in the new series, and their sense of adventure is palpable. The book is full of the swashbuckling action, narrow escapes, and banter between the regulars that the original movies showcased. Stormtroopers wander around in their white armour, Jawas hungrily scrounge for droids and other machinery, and Tusken Raiders try to kill everybody who invades their desert domain. It showcases everything I loved about the originals, and makes the new series pale in comparison. I'd forgotten how cool the Empire was as an enemy. This is the Han and Leia that we grew up with, and I didn't realize how much I had missed them until I saw them in action again. Han's still a scoundrel and a smuggler-at-heart while Leia's the tough but sophisticated woman who will do what is necessary for the New Republic, despite not really liking it. The book also serves as a bridge in the novel series as well. It references all the books around it, from The Truce at Bakura to The Courtship of Princess Leia, as well as Stackpole & Allston's X-Wing series. It connects Leia's reticence toward having children to the fact that they end up having three. It clarifies why Han is helping the New Republic after he grows to loathe the government in Courtship. Anybody who has read my Star Trek reviews knows how I hate unnecessary continuity references. You'd think I would hate this book because it is full of it. But I didn't. I luxuriated in all of the stuff I used to love but thought was gone. I loved how it clarified and examined things, and how it brought all of the movies together. It could not have been written before The Phantom Menace and The Attack of the Clones was produced, but it filled a need that had clearly been there since the beginning of the Star Wars book franchise way back with Zahn's Heir to the Empire. Enough gushing. I do have to say that Tatooine's Ghost dragged in the middle a little bit. The endless treks through the wasteland, the description of needing water and how they were trying to keep from collapsing started to get old after a while. There were also a few too many in-jokes about how stupid stormtroopers acted in the original movies. The exchanges between the troop commander and his squad as he tries to show them the new, intelligent way to do things was a bit over the top. You know what? I didn't care. My heroes were back. They weren't older, more seasoned, and slightly boring. The Empire was back. I don't care how dumb they could be. Stormtroopers would kick the Yuuzhan Vong rears. Denning's writing made me so awash in nostalgia, I would have forgiven him anything. So it's a good thing that he made a wonderful book as well. If you're a Star Wars fan, check Tatooine Ghost out. You'll be glad you did. David Roy
Rating:
Summary: Leaving the ghosts of the past to rest
Review: I want to have Troy Denning's child. I don't care if it's a biological impossibility. I want to do it. What could possibly spark a reaction like that in me? I just finished Tatooine Ghost, a Star Wars novel written relatively recently but not part of the New Jedi Order series. Instead, it takes place a few years after Return of the Jedi and the Imperials are still stomping around. Stormtroopers! Imperial Walkers! Jawas! Tusken Raiders! This book has everything. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Of course I'm being serious. Don't look at me that way. I have been reading and enjoying the New Jedi Order series, and I thought it was safe to leave the past in the past. Then I read this book. The best thing about Tatooine Ghost is that it is a bridge between the old movies and the new trilogy. I really loved the concepts of the new movies but really disliked how Lucas handled them. This book takes those concepts and runs with them, showing us exactly what those stories should have been as they reach across the years and touch Anakin's daughter. Leia finds a journal left behind by Shmi Skywalker, Anakin's mother, as she records entries that she hopes one day Anakin will read. Leia sees her grandmother and finds another side of Anakin, a side showcased by a mother's love. Elements of Episodes 1 and 2 are woven through the narrative as Han & Leia meet up with some of Anakin's old friends. Some of them don't believe what they've heard about how Anakin became an evil monster. Others accept it but don't let it soil their memories of him. All of this comes at a time where Leia is going through a crisis. She refuses to even think of having children with the possibility that they could turn out to be like their grandfather. She has refused to forgive him or understand what made him who he ultimately was. Through the events in this novel, she slowly comes to terms with it. The characterization is beautiful. The characters in this novel are not older like they are in the new series, and their sense of adventure is palpable. The book is full of the swashbuckling action, narrow escapes, and banter between the regulars that the original movies showcased. Stormtroopers wander around in their white armour, Jawas hungrily scrounge for droids and other machinery, and Tusken Raiders try to kill everybody who invades their desert domain. It showcases everything I loved about the originals, and makes the new series pale in comparison. I'd forgotten how cool the Empire was as an enemy. This is the Han and Leia that we grew up with, and I didn't realize how much I had missed them until I saw them in action again. Han's still a scoundrel and a smuggler-at-heart while Leia's the tough but sophisticated woman who will do what is necessary for the New Republic, despite not really liking it. The book also serves as a bridge in the novel series as well. It references all the books around it, from The Truce at Bakura to The Courtship of Princess Leia, as well as Stackpole & Allston's X-Wing series. It connects Leia's reticence toward having children to the fact that they end up having three. It clarifies why Han is helping the New Republic after he grows to loathe the government in Courtship. Anybody who has read my Star Trek reviews knows how I hate unnecessary continuity references. You'd think I would hate this book because it is full of it. But I didn't. I luxuriated in all of the stuff I used to love but thought was gone. I loved how it clarified and examined things, and how it brought all of the movies together. It could not have been written before The Phantom Menace and The Attack of the Clones was produced, but it filled a need that had clearly been there since the beginning of the Star Wars book franchise way back with Zahn's Heir to the Empire. Enough gushing. I do have to say that Tatooine's Ghost dragged in the middle a little bit. The endless treks through the wasteland, the description of needing water and how they were trying to keep from collapsing started to get old after a while. There were also a few too many in-jokes about how stupid stormtroopers acted in the original movies. The exchanges between the troop commander and his squad as he tries to show them the new, intelligent way to do things was a bit over the top. You know what? I didn't care. My heroes were back. They weren't older, more seasoned, and slightly boring. The Empire was back. I don't care how dumb they could be. Stormtroopers would kick the Yuuzhan Vong rears. Denning's writing made me so awash in nostalgia, I would have forgiven him anything. So it's a good thing that he made a wonderful book as well. If you're a Star Wars fan, check Tatooine Ghost out. You'll be glad you did. David Roy
Rating:
Summary: This is what all STAR WARS books should be like!
Review: Now this is what all Star Wars books should be like. Never before have I read a SW book that is so alive, so true to the spirit of the films and the characters in them. I finished this book in a day, and while I was reading it I felt as though Han and Leia could have leapt off the page while John Williams' score played in the background any minute. Tatooine Ghost got back to the roots of A New Hope and engaged in old-fashioned fun, fast-shooting blasters, witty one-liners, and clumsy but endearing sidekicks. However, that edge and dynamic of Empire Strikes Back with Han and Leia's truly exceptional written relationship is definitely present and the best part of the book by far. Additionally, the austere, philosophical nature of the first movie (The Phantom Menace) is also visible in Leia's dreams and thoughts of the past and how her parentage relates to it. All the best aspects of the SW films rolled into one magnificent book. I will say now I'm a Han/Leia fan, and have been waiting for years for someone to write them right and in a relationship that is a natural development from the one we saw in the movies - one that is both loving and respectful, passionate and affectioante, with some playful teasing and light-hearted banter as well. Finally, Tatooine Ghost did just what many, many Han/Leia fans have been wanting to see for years. It's about time! My favorite scene has to be the one where Han and Leia spend the night together after rescuing Han. I'm so glad Del Rey let Denning write a "hot" scene between them, an element of their relationship all Han/Leia fans are dying to see. It was great to read a book that was absolutely chock full of my favorite characters - Han and Leia, and even Chewie. All of the main trio are characterized brilliantly, but Leia's shines above the rest as far and away the best portrayal of Leia ever seen in the EU. One of the best parts about this book was that there were no annoying EU characters like Mara Jade in sight! (Sorry...Her becoming a major character was a big turn-off for me in the books.) If the H/L short story Denning wrote felt like a slice of chocolate cake from heaven, then Tatooine Ghost felt like eating the entire chocolate cake all at once (The only difference is that too much H/L never makes me sick.) I hope Denning comes back to write more Star Wars stories on Han and Leia. He would definitely be my pick in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Pleasing, connecting story? well=written and action
Review: Review based on paperback 2003 Whenever there is a story including Han, Leia, Chewbacca and C3PO, a 'Star Wars' fan knows that there will be "action". Troy Denning does justice to that "knowing" by applications in his book TATOOINE GHOST. Pro-Episode VI, Han and Leia have been married little less than a year. Accompanied by Chewbacca and C3PO on the Millennium Falcon, they are on assignment to visit a public auction in an attempt to bid for an important Alderaanian moss-painting masterpiece "Killik Twilight. The artwork, lost after the destruction of Alderaan, has resurfaced from the black market. The painting in itself is of importance to descendants of Alderaan; even more so, it contains a secret code. If the painting gets into the wrong hands, specifically the Imperials, mis-possession would present a threat to Republic secret agents. A mission of the Wraith Squadron would be jeopardized. Han 'employs' the services of the Squibs to do the bidding on the artwork, to draw attention away from Han, Leia, Chewbacca and C3PO, who are in disguise. In a frenzy of auction bidding, turmoil turns into chaos as the "Killik Twilight" is abducted. With the arrival of squads of stormtroopers and TIE's, it is guessed that the Imperials are doing whatever is necessary to obtain the artwork. Through trails, Kitster Banain, a long-ago friend of Anakin Skywalker, is guessed to be the artwork abductor. With assistance from Kitster's wife Tamora -- Han, Leia and partners arrive at Tatooine locations. Han strikes a deal for engaging a super-powered ion-engine swoop, aided by a mounted vidcam map. He gives chase through the dangerous serpentine race course of Arch Canyon, to find Kitster before the Imperials. Han is hit by a vicious, damaging sandstorm, vehicle down, and sees Kitster's swoop abandoned. Within the chase, Han spots tracks of a salvage vehicle, guessing that Kitster was picked up by the Jawa. After a period of failure of any contact with Han in the Canyon, Leia, Chewbacca and C3PO set off in a vehicle to find Han. Unfortunately, they are hindered by the sandstorm as well. On the vidcam map, Leia locates a moisture farm owned by the Darklighter family. The Darklighter family lends assistance to Leia and crew to continue the search for Han, finding him alive, a lot worse for wear from the elements, especially dehydration. Leia is in the Tatooine area where her father Anakin, a.k.a. Darth Vader, played as a child. Also where brother Luke Skywalker lived with his aunt and uncle. Here, too, are memories for C3PO, his beginnings - built by Anakin and years later bought from the Jawas by Luke and his uncle. Unbelievingly, she learns that Anakin and mother Shmi were once slaves; that child Anakin was the first human to win the Boonta Eve Classic podrace and was very-well thought of by those who knew him. Leia experiences touches of the "Force" (as she did at the auction) including sensations of the 'Tatooine Ghost'. Given an electronic journal by the Darklighters, Leia watching and listening to the journal entries by her grandmother Shmi, learns Skywalker history on Tatooine; Anakin leaving his home with Jedi Master Qui Gon for Jedi training; Shmi's marriage to moisture farmer Cliegg and her capture by the Tusken raiders. (Cliegg states the secret about being a moisture farmer: "You can't fight life out here. You just take what Tatooine gives you and find a way to use it.") With the help of the Ashajian herders, the foursome plus the Squibs, travelling on dewbacks, again flee from Imperial troopers. Leia still senses that she is being drawn out into the wilds of Tatooine by the Force. Sometimes a cliché serves another purpose: Leia dismounting a dewback, after a chain of events, she falls onto the hot, dry sand of Tatooine... "Stang! 'When it rains... [it pours]!' She glanced up at the sky and shook her head. 'We should be so lucky'." There is disappointment on the reader's part of Leia's contact with Mon Mothma and reference to the assignment of the Wraith Squadron. The second area is Leia's new knowledge to her grandmother's burial site on Tatooine; she is very close to it but the author makes no connection of Leia visiting the site... two loose ends leaving the reader thinking.. 'why bother mentioning the two, when they don't go anywhere'. Troy Denning is one of the best of Star Wars adventure series writers. Denning has the writing talent to give the reader the descriptive senses of imaging the scenery, characters and action throughout the TATOOINE GHOST, along with character humor. Especially vivid is the imaging offered of Han on a swoop travelling through the bends, curves and protrusions of Arch Canyon; plus the travels across the sands of Tatooine via dewback. Denning's TATOOINE GHOST exquisitely connects the history of father Anakin Skywalker, his mother/grandmother Shmi, Luke Skywalker and their lives on Tatooine to daughter/granddaughter/sister Leia. AND, he gave "renewed" life to Chewbacca... a lovable Star Wars crew member... before his demise in a future story, already written before TATOOINE GHOST.
Rating:
Summary: Worthy Prequel Tie-in
Review: Tatooine Ghost is a rare Expanded Universe novel set after Return of the Jedi but ties in elements from the first two prequels as well with regards to Anakin Skywalker, who would become the evil Darth Vader.
Assuming that Anakin was always predisposed to evil, Leia is quite unprepared to accept evidence that suggest otherwise, when she and Han Solo are sent to Tatooine on a dangerous mission.
Even evidence from those who knew him back before he left with the jedi, as well as surviving friends of the Lars.
They also find the Tusken ground where Shmi Skywalker was tortured by the Tuskens and are shocked to learn a local folk tale is tied to the actions of her grieving son that night! Enlightened words from Han also gets Leia wondering what she might have done in Anakin's place.
This odyssey will forever change the way Leia sees her father and his place in the history of the faraway galaxy.....
This book is unique among the whole EU series, and I recommend it to all of you! Order today!
Rating:
Summary: Atypical book with good themes, though not always exciting
Review: Tatooine Ghost is not the most exciting, read-it-from-cover-to-cover-without-stopping Star Wars book. At times it seems a bit long and a bit quiet. There are no Jedi, no lightsabers, no spectacular space battles. Denning rarely jumps between different casts of characters acting out different parts of a larger story. In short, this book is not typical. Its uniqueness, however, is commendable. In Tatooine Ghost, Denning makes an effective link between the prequels and the Classic Trilogy characters with which we are more familiar. He uses material derived from Episodes I and II to explore Leia's reconciliation with her ancestry, and, in the process, to develop Han's and Leia's marriage. In the process, he drops hints about Grand Admiral Thrawn and revisits characters from Anakin Skywalker's past, such as his mother and childhood friends. In revisiting these characters, he enhances our understanding of Anakin and makes that character and his history significantly more satisfying than they were in the prequel movies themselves. Yet what I enjoyed the most about this book was the atmosphere of Tatooine. Denning does an excellent job describing the landscapes and varying his settings, creating a world with real geography that feels as immediate and as backwater as it did in the Classic Trilogy. By combining this setting with a simple, straightforward plot focused on the relationships between characters and their struggle to build and cope with their identities, Denning truly recreates the feel of the Trilogy. This may be the first Star Wars book I have ever read that actually felt like the original movies (not that feeling different from them is bad)--and it achieved this feel without repeating plot devices or lines from them. In sum, then, Tatooine Ghost is a well-written character piece with a superb setting. I recommend it--if you don't mind a book that is less action-packed and convoluted than other Star Wars novels. "A Forest Apart," the story released as an e-book when the hardcover version of Tatooine Ghost came out, is included at the end of the paperback. It provides a rare glimpse into Chewbacca's personal and family life, and, like Tatooine Ghost, is focused on personal relationships--paticularly the parents' responsibility to act as proper role-models for their child. "A Forest Apart" is short and well-told, with good characterization and a well-used extended metaphor of Kashyyyk's forests for Coruscant's skyscrapers. The plot is simple but not simplistic. "A Forest Apart" enhances the themes and mood of Tatooine Ghost by handling the same themes in such a different setting and with such a different kind of family. It is an effective and enjoyable coda to the novel.
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