goodverbsonly's reviews
563 reviews

It’s good to know that Kanan and Hera have always Been In Love and that they challenge and impress each other.

Overall quick read, obviously targeted towards a middle grade audience, just like the show, but it’s got all the star wars things:

1. Jedi being sad
2. Love Stories
3. cyborgs
4. over complicated political intrigue
5. a gripping center action that keeps the plot moving forward until its cataclysmic end

I also ended up feeling like Sloane’s victory was ours. Vidian’s story was confusing and and hard to get through, and in terms of cyborgs, he’s no where near close to my fave.

I’ve read four star wars novels so far (ROTS, Wild Space, New Dawn) and this one is my favorite. Here’s why:

1. The Anakin POV and all-around characterization was beautiful. Panicky, caring boy, with a little more bluster than we saw in the movies, but less than in the cartoon. In other words, my Anakin. In fact, anything I didn’t like about this book is overshadowed by the fact that it felt like my Anakin. I felt like there was enough done in regards to his Trauma(tm) and a lot of reflection on Shmi and Tatooine, and Padme, also his brand new Padawan Ahsoka Tano. Also he was funny and a child and I loved him

2. Yes. Early tcw Ahsoka is annoying. She’s...a really optimistic 13 year old girl whose temper and lack of impulse control gives Anakin a run for his money. She’s all of these things. She’s wonderful tough and dangerous and I love her.

4. Palpatine, AS ALWAYS, was deliciously evil. And smug. God, what a good villain.

5. Rex. I was shocked and surprised by how much Rex was in this book and it was Amazing. He had such a strong voice and a wonderful personality and he made a joke about taxes, and also Anakin loves Rex so much and Rex loves Anakin.

6. Speaking of Clones I am of course Sad About Them, which goes without saying, and I remembered that I love star wars, because their armor is literally designed to have them keep up with Jedi, which of course, you know...worked out terribly for everyone involved.

7. i’m glad the book gave some weight to all of Anakin’s shit. Especially the Hutts. I just rewatched the movie, and I remember thinking that they probably should have spent a little more time, but I instead liked Anakin’s constant internal meltdown about it. It was both sad and funny. Actually all of the weight, and how YOUNG Anakin was and the battle and the losses and THE FORCE. IT WAS ALL GOOD. For a book clearly written for middle grade it was DARK. Anyway, will someone check on Anakin PLEASE GOD.

8. When Padme calls at the end, Anakin literally thinks “Padme? Hey! That’s my wife!” which is so funny. Also, I’m calling it -Ahsoka knew about them from the beginning. Fight me, Filoni.

Some things I didn’t like:

1. Why didn’t Anakin call Obi-Wan Obi-Wan A Single Time! Kenobi this, Kenobi that! Boooooo!

2. i could do without hutt narration, frankly. or dooku.

3. i’m on the fence about ventress and the backstory the novelization provides. i mean, i love her, but still.

4. i guess this is something i’m just going to have to get used to about star wars, but the constant perspective changing is annoying!!!! Also, like no Ahsoka perspectice! What gives?

EDIT: I’m a bad Ahsoka fan bc i’ve actually read FIVE star wars novels! i own Ahsoka in hard cover wtf is wrong with me?

I am intrigued by the characters so far, especially (well, pretty much only) Andrew, and I will read the rest of the series to find out more about how he operates and what exactly the nature of his relationship with Kevin is. I also like Kevin and Neil, but I find Neil to be very flat and predictable, Kevin one-dimensional because of Neil's single-mindedness. At times the writing feels choppy and over-explains situations, while leaving others without enough detail. It's a quick read, though, and, truly, I want to know more about Andrew. It looks like it took me a long time, but that's because I was in the middle of a semester, and I forgot about it. It took me about a week during finals and then once I got home from school, just a few days.

So, this book was probably my favorite of the trilogy, but, it made the other two books seem...more ridiculous, so that brings the rating down a bit.

The fact that I still don't understand what the honest to god Yakuza has to do with Not-Lacrosse is troubling, and I've given it a little bit of thought, and I just think that is book could have been helped if it were one book, and not a trilogy. In that case, the action that primarily drives Neil (not, Not-Lacrosse, but the Gangsters), would have happened closer to the end instead of the middle of the action, the exy could have been savored a little more, and the characters would be more fleshed out based solely on the fact that she had less room to do the same amount of work with them. They would feel more nuanced and less plastic, and also you wouldn't have a year and a half to think about how ridiculous it was that anyone cared enough about college level not-lacrosse to tattoo teenagers faces.

Also, it's like,

Spoiler

enraging to me that Ichirou shot Riko in the epilogue

.
Also, shit, like there was any doubt in your mind that they were going to lose against the Ravens? Really.

I give it three stars for being an extremely faithful novelization of the movie, and also for Anakin’s praise kink and a moment when he battles Dooku and controls his movements and it surprises Dooku. That’s neat. It’s my least favorite star wars novel for boring writing and it does little to explore the characters motivations or feelings. Now a regular novelization and star wars reader I can confidently say that Anakin was not nearly dramatic enough.

***edit: Also at some point they acknowledged how handsome bail organa was and i felt it was both necessary and took away from the moment.

I’m still not convinced by the characters, or even remotely interested in their lives. They feel like fabrications instead of real people, and the story is the same. It wasn’t until the very last chapter that I finally started to feel something for Neil. I’ll read the last book, but I don’t expect to enjoy it that much more.

tryna start reading comics this year, this one was free on kindle AND it had my boy, darth vader. he was pretty sad in it so 4/5 stars just for that.