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Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Mass Market Paperback – October 25, 2005
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As combat escalates across the galaxy, the stage is set for an explosive endgame: Obi-Wan undertakes a perilous mission to destroy the dreaded Separatist military leader, General Grievous. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine continues to strip away constitutional liberties in the name of security while influencing public opinion to turn against the Jedi. And a conflicted Anakin fears that his secret love, Senator Padmé Amidala, will die. Tormented by unspeakable visions, Anakin edges closer to the brink of a galaxy-shaping decision. It remains only for Darth Sidious to strike the final staggering blow against the Republic–and to ordain a fearsome new Sith Lord: Darth Vader.
Based on the screenplay of the final film in George Lucas’s epic saga, bestselling Star Wars author Matthew Stover’s novel crackles with action, captures the iconic characters in all their complexity, and brings a space opera masterpiece full circle in stunning style.
- Print length480 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherRandom House Worlds
- Publication dateOctober 25, 2005
- Dimensions4.13 x 1.03 x 6.85 inches
- ISBN-100345428846
- ISBN-13978-0345428844
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
By Matthew Stover; Based on the story and screenplay by George Lucas
A LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY. . . .
This story happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
It is already over. Nothing can be done to change it.
It is a story of love and loss, brotherhood and betrayal, courage and sacrifice and the death of dreams. It is a story of the blurred line between our best and our worst.
It is the story of the end of an age.
A strange thing about stories --
Though this all happened so long ago and so far away that words cannot describe the time or the distance, it is also happening right now. Right here.
It is happening as you read these words.
This is how twenty-five millennia come to a close. Corruption and treachery have crushed a thousand years of peace. This is not just the end of a republic; night is falling on civilization itself.
This is the twilight of the Jedi.
The end starts now.
INTRODUCTION: The Age of Heroes
The skies of Coruscant blaze with war.
The artificial daylight spread by the capital's orbital mirrors is sliced by intersecting flames of ion drives and punctuated by starburst explosions; contrails of debris raining into the atmosphere become tangled ribbons of cloud. The nightside sky is an infinite lattice of shining hairlines that interlock planetoids and track erratic spirals of glowing gnats. Beings watching from rooftops of Coruscant's endless cityscape can find it beautiful.
From the inside, it's different.
The gnats are drive-glows of starfighters. The shining hairlines are light-scatter from turbolaser bolts powerful enough to vaporize a small town. The planetoids are capital ships.
The battle from the inside is a storm of confusion and panic, of galvened particle beams flashing past your starfighter so close that your cockpit rings like a broken annunciator, of the bootsole shock of concussion missiles that blast into your cruiser, killing beings you have trained with and eaten with and played and laughed and bickered with. From the inside, the battle is desperation and terror and the stomach-churning certainty that the whole galaxy is trying to kill you.
Across the remnants of the Republic, stunned beings watch in horror as the battle unfolds live on the HoloNet. Everyone knows the war has been going badly. Everyone knows that more Jedi are killed or captured every day, that the Grand Army of the Republic has been pushed out of system after system, but this --
A strike at the very heart of the Republic?
An invasion of Coruscant itself?
How can this happen?
It's a nightmare, and no one can wake up.
Live via HoloNet, beings watch the Separatist droid army flood the government district. The coverage is filled with images of overmatched clone troopers cut down by remorselessly powerful destroyer droids in the halls of the Galactic Senate itself.
A gasp of relief: the troopers seem to beat back the attack. There are hugs and even some quiet cheers in living rooms across the galaxy as the Separatist forces retreat to their landers and streak for orbit --
We won! beings tell each other. We held them off!
But then new reports trickle in -- only rumors at first -- that the attack wasn't an invasion at all. That the Separatists weren't trying to take the planet. That this was a lightning raid on the Senate itself.
The nightmare gets worse: the Supreme Chancellor is missing.
Palpatine of Naboo, the most admired man in the galaxy, whose unmatched political skills have held the Republic together. Whose personal integrity and courage prove that the Separatist propaganda of corruption in the Senate is nothing but lies. Whose charismatic leadership gives the whole Republic the will to fight on.
Palpatine is more than respected. He is loved.
Even the rumor of his disappearance strikes a dagger to the heart of every friend of the Republic. Every one of them knows it in her heart, in his gut, in its very bones --
Without Palpatine, the Republic will fall.
And now confirmation comes through, and the news is worse than anyone could have imagined. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine has been captured by the Separatists -- and not just the Separatists.
He's in the hands of General Grievous.
Grievous is not like other leaders of the Separatists. Nute Gunray is treacherous and venal, but he's Neimoidian: venality and treachery are expected, and in the Viceroy of the Trade Federation they're even virtues. Poggle the Lesser is Archduke of the weapon masters of Geonosis, where the war began: he is analytical and pitiless, but also pragmatic. Reasonable. The political heart of the Separatist Confederacy, Count Dooku, is known for his integrity, his principled stand against what he sees as corruption in the Senate. Though they believe he's wrong, many respect him for the courage of his mistaken convictions.
These are hard beings. Dangerous beings. Ruthless and aggressive.
General Grievous, though --
Grievous is a monster.
The Separatist Supreme Commander is an abomination of nature, a fusion of flesh and droid -- and his droid parts have more compassion than what remains of his alien flesh. This halfliving creature is a slaughterer of billions. Whole planets have burned at his command. He is the evil genius of the Confederacy. The architect of their victories.
The author of their atrocities.
And his durasteel grip has closed upon Palpatine. He confirms the capture personally in a wideband transmission from his command cruiser in the midst of the orbital battle. Beings across the galaxy watch, and shudder, and pray that they might wake up from this awful dream.
Because they know that what they're watching, live on the HoloNet, is the death of the Republic.
Many among these beings break into tears; many more reach out to comfort their husbands or wives, their crèche-mates or kin-triads, and their younglings of all descriptions, from children to cubs to spawn-fry.
But here is a strange thing: few of the younglings need comfort. It is instead the younglings who offer comfort to their elders. Across the Republic--in words or pheromones, in magnetic pulses, tentacle-braids, or mental telepathy -- the message from the younglings is the same: Don't worry. It'll be all right.
Anakin and Obi-Wan will be there any minute.
They say this as though these names can conjure miracles.
Anakin and Obi-Wan. Kenobi and Skywalker. From the beginning of the Clone Wars, the phrase Kenobi and Skywalker has become a single word. They are everywhere. HoloNet features of their operations against the Separatist enemy have made them the most famous Jedi in the galaxy.
Younglings across the galaxy know their names, know everything about them, follow their exploits as though they are sports heroes instead of warriors in a desperate battle to save civilization. Even grown-ups are not immune; it's not uncommon for an exasperated parent to ask, when faced with offspring who have just tried to pull off one of the spectacularly dangerous bits of foolishness that are the stock-in-trade of high-spirited younglings everywhere, So which were you supposed to be, Kenobi or Skywalker?
Kenobi would rather talk than fight, but when there is fighting to be done, few can match him. Skywalker is the master of audacity; his intensity, boldness, and sheer jaw-dropping luck are the perfect complement to Kenobi's deliberate, balanced steadiness. Together, they are a Jedi hammer that has crushed Separatist infestations on scores of worlds.
All the younglings watching the battle in Coruscant's sky know it: when Anakin and Obi-Wan get there, those dirty Seppers are going to wish they'd stayed in bed today.
The adults know better, of course. That's part of what being a grown-up is: understanding that heroes are created by the HoloNet, and that the real-life Kenobi and Skywalker are only human beings, after all.
Even if they really are everything the legends say they are, who's to say they'll show up in time? Who knows where they are right now? They might be trapped on some Separatist backwater. They might be captured, or wounded. Even dead.
Some of the adults even whisper to themselves, They might have fallen.
Because the stories are out there. Not on the HoloNet, of course -- the HoloNet news is under the control of the Office of the Supreme Chancellor, and not even Palpatine's renowned candor would allow tales like these to be told--but people hear whispers. Whispers of names that the Jedi would like to pretend never existed.
Sora Bulq. Depa Billaba. Jedi who have fallen to the dark. Who have joined the Separatists, or worse: who have massacred civilians, or even murdered their comrades. The adults have a sickening suspicion that Jedi cannot be trusted. Not anymore. That even the greatest of them can suddenly just . . . snap.
The adults know that legendary heroes are merely legends, and not heroes at all.
These adults can take no comfort from their younglings. Palpatine is captured. Grievous will escape. The Republic will fall. No mere human beings can turn this tide. No mere human beings would even try. Not even Kenobi and Skywalker.
And so it is that these adults across the galaxy watch the HoloNet with ashes where their hearts should be.
Ashes because they can't see two prismatic bursts of realspace reversion, far out beyond the planet's gravity well; because they can't see a pair of starfighters crisply jettison hyperdrive rings and streak into the storm of Separatist vulture fighters with all guns blazing.
A pair of starfighters. Jedi starfighters. Only two.
Two is enough.
Two is enough because the adults are wrong, and their younglings are right.
Though this is the end of the age of heroes, it has saved its best for last.
Product details
- Publisher : Random House Worlds (October 25, 2005)
- Language : English
- Mass Market Paperback : 480 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0345428846
- ISBN-13 : 978-0345428844
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 4.13 x 1.03 x 6.85 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #31,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #365 in TV, Movie & Game Tie-In Fiction
- #984 in Space Operas
- #1,514 in Science Fiction Adventures
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Matthew Woodring Stover (born 1962) is an American fantasy and science fiction novelist. He may be known best for his four Star Wars novels, including the novelization of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. He has also written several fantasy novels, including Iron Dawn and Jericho Moon. He has written four science-fiction/fantasy hybrid stories featuring a hero named Caine: Heroes Die, Blade of Tyshalle, and Caine Black Knife, with the most recent, Caine's Law, released April 4, 2012.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Matthew Stover (The Author) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book a good read that draws them into the story. They praise the writing quality as very good and amazing. They also appreciate the descriptiveness, saying it brings depth and complexity that you can't really achieve through film. Readers say the book is a great complement to the movie and provides rare insight into characters. They describe the narrative depth as immersive and stunning.
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Customers find the book compelling and solid. They also say the book starts out light and fun, then gets progressively darker and more disturbing.
"This is one of the best Star Wars novels out there--and for how hit-or-miss the EU can be..." Read more
"Truly one of the best Star Wars books I have ever read...." Read more
"...of Revenge of the Sith is without a doubt the most well-written Star Wars book I have ever read (and I’ve read nearly a hundred)...." Read more
"...Outstanding book. Probably my favorite of all time now." Read more
Customers find the plot of the book draws them into the story. They also say the fight scene with Palpatine is awesome and in depth. Readers also appreciate the sound effects and additional information from the movie.
"...Characters are far better explored, far deeper, and whole new storylines are developed from things that were taken out of the movie - and the book's..." Read more
"...Books like this remind me why I enjoy Star Wars, reading, great storytelling, and even the English language...." Read more
"...The fight scene with Palpatine was awesome and in depth, but at the end of the fight, we all know what happens, and the author only chose to..." Read more
"...the characterization is insightful and spot on, the plot shows excellent pacing and detail, and this book does an amazing job of taking Obi-Wan,..." Read more
Customers find the writing quality of the book very good, vivid, and amazing. They also say the author uses his words to create a vivid picture and the scenes work well on paper.
"...Scenes like this worked so well on paper that I haven't the foggiest why they didn't make an appearance in the movie...." Read more
"...Mathew Stover is a great author and uses his words to create a vivid picture...." Read more
"...Emotional, complex and beautifully written; the RotS novelization is far beyond an adventure and far beyond a sci-fi novel; it is a book about..." Read more
"The most important thing this book does, and it does it wonderfully, is to give you the background and depth of the friendship between Anakin..." Read more
Customers find the book brings depth and complexity that they can't really achieve through film. They also say it does a wonderful job showing the conflict and struggle within the chosen one. Readers also mention that the book provides entrancing moral dilemmas and philosophical thoughts.
"...so far as to transcend the Star Wars canon itself, providing such entrancing moral dilemmas and philosophical thoughts that, at some points, these..." Read more
"Truly one of the best Star Wars books I have ever read. It gives so much more detail than watching the movie can and can clear up a lot of confusion..." Read more
"...Characters are far better explored, far deeper, and whole new storylines are developed from things that were taken out of the movie - and the book's..." Read more
"...Not even to begin on the writing style. Metaphorically descriptive, and there’s an ongoing pattern throughout the entirety of the novel which I..." Read more
Customers find the book adaptation a great complement to the movie, and an excellent addition. They also say it's one of the best Star Wars installments and goes beyond the movie.
"...Revenge of the Sith, Stover sets the standard for not only a great film novelization, but for an engaging Star Wars book...." Read more
"...The book in my opinion is a GREAT complement to the movie, and each stand on its own...." Read more
"...done Star Wars book, and has the added bonus of being an excellent add-on to the movie...." Read more
"I believe this book is the perfect companion to the movie, because they compliment each other very well...." Read more
Customers find the narrative depth of the book immersive, and say it grants rare insight into characters that have been distant. They also say the characters seem very human, relatable, and sympathetic.
"...Characters are far better explored, far deeper, and whole new storylines are developed from things that were taken out of the movie - and the book's..." Read more
"...It is not only well-written, but also immersive, and grants rare insight into characters that have been distant and perhaps even tertiary to the..." Read more
"...motivations in a way that makes them all seem very, very human and relatable (in the case of Padme, Obi-Wab, and Anakin) or infuriatingly horrifying..." Read more
"...I love how each character is so much more developed and Stover really provides a lot of emotion the story's most critical moments...." Read more
Customers find the visuals in the book stunning and unique.
"...Matt Stover does a great job of painting the scenery of the galaxy at the end of the Clone Wars...." Read more
"...The tale of Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side is nicely fleshed out in this novel and I have to say that once things get rolling the book is..." Read more
"I devoured this book while on vacation. Not only is Stover's style appealing and fast paced, but he is utterly true to the movie's characters, both..." Read more
"...This book goes into great character detail, and paints a great picture of the transformation of skywalker to darth Vader...." Read more
Customers find the craftsmanship of the book excellent. They also say it's a good thick novel with great stuff.
"...Over all, this novel is a good thick one with all the great stuff that you expect from Star Wars...." Read more
"Good product" Read more
"I like the way it was packages and the quality is excellent" Read more
"Five stars...Book was in splendid condition and will go well with my hard copy anthology collection." Read more
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Stover adds layers and shading to the story of Revenge of the Sith, expanding on characters' emotions and motives where the film did not--likely due to time constraints. His writing might not be everyone's cup of tea: some have called it "flowery"; I'd call it "lyrical" or "poetic". He has a flair for similes and metaphors and weaves something almost like a horror story while utilizing grandiose descriptions and phrases that are syntactically pleasing. He prodigiously uses third-person omniscient perspective, delving into pretty much everyone's head at one point or another, to greater or lesser success.
The book isn't without flaws. He does reference the EU quite a bit, which might be difficult if one hasn't delved too deeply into it or doesn't care for it. Occasionally his descriptions of lightsabers are unappealing at best--"a bar of light," for example. His attempts at humor or extraneous details are at times ill-placed:
Example 1: Obi-Wan's coming 'round while rescuing Palpatine; being slung across Anakin's shoulders, he wakes up to a view of Anakin's rear and slowly realizes what he's looking at. This is different from the film, and seemed an unnecessary change--if only because it takes place during an otherwise tense "action sequence". Even as an attempt at humor, I think it would have felt out-of-place almost anywhere.
Example 2: Anakin senses that Obi-Wan's been in Padme's apartment, and also smells that some kind of broth or tea has been served. Stover takes this moment to add that Obi-Wan's severely allergic to said broth / tea and that his finding this out the hard way almost caused a diplomatic incident. The issue with this scene is that Stover, at the same time, is trying to flesh out what's implied in the movie--that Anakin (in his hyper-possessive / paranoid state) suspects his wife is having an affair with his former Master. As with the "butt" scene, this jars the reader out of the emotional suspense that the preceding paragraphs have built.
This having been said, these details aren't always amiss; some do indeed add to the story--or tug at the heart. Mace Windu's explaining to Obi-Wan why he's the perfect choice to fight Grievous, or Obi-Wan's having an inward-spiraling breakdown when he realizes that Anakin's gone to the Dark Side (going so far as to wish he'd died on Naboo with his Master, Qui-Gon)--before Yoda snaps him out of it. As for Anakin's inner "dragon", I simply took it to mean "Krayt dragon"--or something similar. It's an overused metaphor, which does grate on the nerves, but . . . at least Stover's trying to illustrate the idea that there are two parts to Anakin--and one of them is something he's not sure he can control (and, indeed, over which he does lose control as the novel progresses). These details may or may not resonate with readers; for myself, I found them immensely impactful.
One further point of critique is that the book ends too quickly. If you thought the ending to the film was rushed, the book is worse. I wanted Obi-Wan's reaction to hearing about Qui-Gon's "return"--especially since Stover had hitherto done an excellent job of basically doing a psychological study of his character. I wanted a little more world-building when it came to getting everyone set up for A New Hope. But these matters are concluded in a series of short paragraphs, no more . . . and given how much lovingly painstaking detail went into the rest of the book, I felt a little bit let down. It almost felt as if the publishers said to Stover, "You must end the book within X number of words" . . . and he didn't save enough to do the end justice.
But all-in-all--this is one of my favorite Star Wars novels, despite its flaws. I think said flaws are at times miscues on the author's part, and at times simply a matter of reader's preference in terms of writing style, etc. Of course the book won't be exactly like the movie, no more than a film adaptation can be exactly like the book. But in my mind, Stover did a pretty darn good job.
The sole reason I purchased this book was on account of Matthew Stover's name being attached to it. I had recently jumped back into Star Wars novels thanks to his book, SHATTERPOINT. Up until then, as I've mentioned before, I had only perceived the Star Wars line of books to be marketable pieces of fanfiction (no thanks to previous experiences). But thanks to Stover, I came to believe in Star Wars again. He showed that there can be some ruthlessness in that realm, and that there is some room in the Expanded Universe for deep, philosophical musings about the ever-present clash between light and dark.
I found that book just shy of a five-star rating because of a few gratuitous action scenes and some hang-ups I had with character development and pacing.
His novelization of REVENGE OF THE SITH, however, not only came to fully deserve a five-star rating, but also developed to become one of the best, if not THE best, novels I've ever read. Again, I realize how silly that might sound: that a novelization of a Star Wars movie could accomplish such a thing. But I couldn't be more sure of it, because this novel is more than a mere interpretation of a screenplay, it serves the core-story to an extent that if I had read this book before seeing Episode III for the first time, I probably would have felt cheated by the amount of content that had all but disappeared in translation.
I don't think I have to recap the story as, essentially, the main story-arc remains the same as the movie. But as I said, it expands on this to an insane degree. Characters, like Count Dooku, who really only seemed evil for the sake of evil, now have motive, fears, ambition. Every turn of emotion and every betrayal seems more devastating because of this exposition. Even Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who we've followed through three movies, seem almost alien as we completely rediscover who they are, what motivates them, and exactly how close they were to each other. The pair actually feel as though they're brothers-in-arms here, not the squabbling pair they came off as on film.
Some scenes are extended and pack more of a punch. One particular addition that I was mesmerized by came just before Palpatine reveals his true identity as Darth Sidious, where he tells a troubled Anakin that he can give him anything he wants in the galaxy. Anakin playfully begins naming off anything from an expensive speeder to an entire star system, and Palpatine, without hesitation, grants all of these things purely to prove a point. Scenes like this worked so well on paper that I haven't the foggiest why they didn't make an appearance in the movie.
And, yes, I would certainly say this book is better than the movie it's based upon. It goes so far as to transcend the Star Wars canon itself, providing such entrancing moral dilemmas and philosophical thoughts that, at some points, these thoughts leap off the page and make you wonder their context within our own universe: the frail divide between good and evil, relativity, and giving in to tradition.
Again, this is a Star Wars book.
I must also mention the writing, because Stover has a natural gift for making the reader feel what his characters are feeling. He tells this story from many points of view so that this vast story is properly covered, and he tells it all with the exuberance of a narrator of a tragic play. He allows you to see through the eyes of the characters, and takes you aside to really point out key moments in their lives. And when the end comes, and Darth Vader dons his trademark armor for the first time, there is no "Hey, look, it's Darth Vader!" moment, there's only the pity and sadness for a boy that you've come to know and care for who had flown too close to the sun. And he sums it all up perfectly in a way where you come to understand Vader so much more intensely:
"This is what it's like to be Anakin Skywalker, forever."
I must fiercely recommend this to any Star Wars or Stover fan. The way this book reads, it's as if you've missed out on half of the movie--the good parts--and you will come to know some of your favorite characters in a way that you didn't think possible. [SPOILER]: Mace Windu's death will actually shock you! Yeah! And if you've read SHATTERPOINT, it will most certainly sadden you.
I have two more Stover/Star Wars novels left to go. Here's hoping he doesn't stray too far from that universe, because it's in desperate need of him. May the Force be with us all.
When one thinks about adapting screenplays into books, it doesn't sound like too heavy a literally work. Certainly not the place to find complex storytelling devices or deep soul-searching inner monologues. One thinks the author will be bound and gagged by the movie.
... Someone forgot to tell Stover all of that.
The Revenge of the Sith is everything the movie should have been - and more; that only literature could give you. Even the stunted dialogue seems to be dissolved by everything going on around it. Characters are far better explored, far deeper, and whole new storylines are developed from things that were taken out of the movie - and the book's better for it; hell, the MOVIE is better after reading the book.
Not to mention some very remarkable quotes.
Emotional, complex and beautifully written; the RotS novelization is far beyond an adventure and far beyond a sci-fi novel; it is a book about people (human or not). And in bringing this feeling to life, Stover also brings the feeling that made Star Wars so well loved by both people who are sci-fi fans and those who aren't, back.
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Para empezar: la libertad creativa, la voz absoluta del autor. Nunca he agradecido tanto el estilo de un autor en un libro de este tipo. Sobre todo porque sus inclusiones son geniales. Inicia diciendo, advirtiendo al lector: "This story happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. It is already over. Nothing can be done to change it". Wow. La tragedia, la atemporalidad, la contextualización. El poema sobre la oscuridad: "The dark is generous. The dark is patience". Increíble. Terrible. Lo amo. Y cuando, en el primer capítulo dice: "A pair of starfighters. Jedi starfighters. Only two. Two is enough". ¡El pathos! ¡El peso! Quiero besarle el cerebro a Stover. Es poético y preciso. Con tres palabras "two is enough", te dice todo lo que necesitas saber sobre Anakin y Obi-Wan.
Ahora: la caracterización de nuestros protagonistas. El Obi-Wan de Stover es increíble. Un ser de absoluta luz, un receptáculo perfecto para el poder de la Fuerza, noble y puro y precioso. Sus diálogos, su conexión con la Fuerza, su compromiso por Anakin... ¡Y Anakin! El dragón que vive en su corazón, sus miedos, sus pesares, la gravedad de sus sentimientos, por Padmé, por su maestro, por si mismo. Mace Windu es perfecto. Yoda es perfecto. Palpatine es lo peor que me ha pasado en la vida y Stover lo caracteriza perfectamente. ¡La pobre de Padmé! (Y ni hablar de que pudo haber sido un excelente personaje y le tocó la mala fortuna de ser la madre/amante muerta de los protagonistas...) Incluso los diálogos de C3PO y R2-D2 son perfectos.
Toda mi copia de Kindle está subrayada y anotada. Cada página me decía algo importante, algo clave para entender el terrible desenlace de la vida de estos personajes. Sus motivaciones, los deseos de su corazón. Y descritos de una forma tan preciosa y clara y, honestamente, citable. Siento que mi cerebro no va a poder superar esa parte de: "There is not other Jedi I would rather have at my side right now. No other man". Literal tengo tatuado en mi cortex frental la parte que dice: "This was not Sith against Jedi. This was not light against dark or good against evil; it had nothing to do with duty or philosophy, religion or morals. It was Anakin against Obi-Wan. Personally. Just the two of them and the damage they had done to each other". En mi tumba necesito esta cita grabada en la piedra: "The man he faced was everything Obi-Wan had devoted his life to destroying: Murderer. Traitor. Fallen Jedi. Lord of the Sith. And here, and now, despite it all... Obi-Wan still loved him"
¡Vamos! ��Quién escribe eso para una novelización? Solamente Matthew GODring Stover. Grité, lloré, me levanté de mi asiento, desesperada. Este libro es una experiencia, realmente.
En fin.
Este libro es el equivalente a, no sé, El Quijote de la Mancha del mundo novelístico de Star Wars. Stover es como el Shakespeare del canon de este mundo. Incluso otros autores han comenzado a referenciarlo, posicionándolo al centro de este canon. Dioses. Podría decir que es uno de mis libros favoritos, pero no quiero pecar de ñoña, así que nada más les dejo esta reseña inflamada en Amazon.
10/10, recomiendo altamente.
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Reviewed in Mexico on September 2, 2022
Para empezar: la libertad creativa, la voz absoluta del autor. Nunca he agradecido tanto el estilo de un autor en un libro de este tipo. Sobre todo porque sus inclusiones son geniales. Inicia diciendo, advirtiendo al lector: "This story happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. It is already over. Nothing can be done to change it". Wow. La tragedia, la atemporalidad, la contextualización. El poema sobre la oscuridad: "The dark is generous. The dark is patience". Increíble. Terrible. Lo amo. Y cuando, en el primer capítulo dice: "A pair of starfighters. Jedi starfighters. Only two. Two is enough". ¡El pathos! ¡El peso! Quiero besarle el cerebro a Stover. Es poético y preciso. Con tres palabras "two is enough", te dice todo lo que necesitas saber sobre Anakin y Obi-Wan.
Ahora: la caracterización de nuestros protagonistas. El Obi-Wan de Stover es increíble. Un ser de absoluta luz, un receptáculo perfecto para el poder de la Fuerza, noble y puro y precioso. Sus diálogos, su conexión con la Fuerza, su compromiso por Anakin... ¡Y Anakin! El dragón que vive en su corazón, sus miedos, sus pesares, la gravedad de sus sentimientos, por Padmé, por su maestro, por si mismo. Mace Windu es perfecto. Yoda es perfecto. Palpatine es lo peor que me ha pasado en la vida y Stover lo caracteriza perfectamente. ¡La pobre de Padmé! (Y ni hablar de que pudo haber sido un excelente personaje y le tocó la mala fortuna de ser la madre/amante muerta de los protagonistas...) Incluso los diálogos de C3PO y R2-D2 son perfectos.
Toda mi copia de Kindle está subrayada y anotada. Cada página me decía algo importante, algo clave para entender el terrible desenlace de la vida de estos personajes. Sus motivaciones, los deseos de su corazón. Y descritos de una forma tan preciosa y clara y, honestamente, citable. Siento que mi cerebro no va a poder superar esa parte de: "There is not other Jedi I would rather have at my side right now. No other man". Literal tengo tatuado en mi cortex frental la parte que dice: "This was not Sith against Jedi. This was not light against dark or good against evil; it had nothing to do with duty or philosophy, religion or morals. It was Anakin against Obi-Wan. Personally. Just the two of them and the damage they had done to each other". En mi tumba necesito esta cita grabada en la piedra: "The man he faced was everything Obi-Wan had devoted his life to destroying: Murderer. Traitor. Fallen Jedi. Lord of the Sith. And here, and now, despite it all... Obi-Wan still loved him"
¡Vamos! ¿Quién escribe eso para una novelización? Solamente Matthew GODring Stover. Grité, lloré, me levanté de mi asiento, desesperada. Este libro es una experiencia, realmente.
En fin.
Este libro es el equivalente a, no sé, El Quijote de la Mancha del mundo novelístico de Star Wars. Stover es como el Shakespeare del canon de este mundo. Incluso otros autores han comenzado a referenciarlo, posicionándolo al centro de este canon. Dioses. Podría decir que es uno de mis libros favoritos, pero no quiero pecar de ñoña, así que nada más les dejo esta reseña inflamada en Amazon.
10/10, recomiendo altamente.
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