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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I rewatched Revenge of the Sith and wanted to read about Mace Windu. So I tracked down the only book starring him. It's no longer Cannon so I'll be interested in seeing if they give him another book to make his story official once more. My money is on showing that he survived the battle with The Emperor. After all there was no body.
As for this book, it was solid if undewhelming. Stover did a good job balancing Mace's personality. He needed to be a bad MoFo since Sam Jackson portrayed him and he was was. But he also needed to be vulnerable. He was that, too. He gets his butt kicked a couple of times but also kicks butt.
The jungle planet was in line with Star Wars' habit of making worlds characters. But the plot machinations didn't quite work for me. Too many bait and switches near the end.
Just an average book for me.
As for this book, it was solid if undewhelming. Stover did a good job balancing Mace's personality. He needed to be a bad MoFo since Sam Jackson portrayed him and he was was. But he also needed to be vulnerable. He was that, too. He gets his butt kicked a couple of times but also kicks butt.
The jungle planet was in line with Star Wars' habit of making worlds characters. But the plot machinations didn't quite work for me. Too many bait and switches near the end.
Just an average book for me.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good to see Mace Windu being the bad-ass he deserved to be. Shatterpoint was really dark for a Star Wars book, but nice to see that the author didn't shy away from or sugarcoat the realities of war, even in the Star Wars universe.
I would not have liked this book as a kid who enjoyed Star Wars because of the funny droids and good guys. There are no funny droids and no "good guys" in this book. But as an anthropology student, I found this fascinating.
Man, this was DARK. I really appreciating seeing a version of the dark side of the force that doesn't have anything to do with red lightsabers or Sith ideology. Mace, Yoda, and Depa's relationships in this book help illuminate the community and culture of the Jedi, which was harder to see in the Anakin-centric movies, and the new characters Nick and Chalk are fantastic.
Man, this was DARK. I really appreciating seeing a version of the dark side of the force that doesn't have anything to do with red lightsabers or Sith ideology. Mace, Yoda, and Depa's relationships in this book help illuminate the community and culture of the Jedi, which was harder to see in the Anakin-centric movies, and the new characters Nick and Chalk are fantastic.
This book has the high lyrical and emotional quality you'd expect from Stover and, even though it's no longer canon, I believe it's still important. Mace Windu is probably among the least understood in a pantheon of really-badly-understood prequel characters, and this book gets at his heart.
Even without that, since the Star Wars: Rebels TV show and Kanan: The Last Padawan comic series has adapted Depa Billaba's story and made it continuously relevant to emerging canon, I really appreciate the value that still lies in Depa's original storyline.
4/30/2020 Edit: Matthew Stover has a PhD in STRESSING ME OUT.
Obviously the ROTS novelization is far worse, but this book is no walk in the park. There's atrocity! Darkness! Fatalism beyond that of the usual level of Star Wars prequels fatalism! Attempted suicide! War crimes! Death! So much death!
This book takes place in the Legends timeline at the very beginning of the war, and functions as Mace Windu's crash course in the spirituality of warfare. Depa sees that the Jedi way is fundamentally incompatible with winning a war, and is crushed by that knowledge into an avatar of darkness. It's all been overwritten now, which is good for Depa, but this book still provides a huge window into Mace Windu as a person. Where else can you find that?
The good things we have here are a short, but important list:
Even without that, since the Star Wars: Rebels TV show and Kanan: The Last Padawan comic series has adapted Depa Billaba's story and made it continuously relevant to emerging canon, I really appreciate the value that still lies in Depa's original storyline.
4/30/2020 Edit: Matthew Stover has a PhD in STRESSING ME OUT.
Obviously the ROTS novelization is far worse, but this book is no walk in the park. There's atrocity! Darkness! Fatalism beyond that of the usual level of Star Wars prequels fatalism! Attempted suicide! War crimes! Death! So much death!
This book takes place in the Legends timeline at the very beginning of the war, and functions as Mace Windu's crash course in the spirituality of warfare. Depa sees that the Jedi way is fundamentally incompatible with winning a war, and is crushed by that knowledge into an avatar of darkness. It's all been overwritten now, which is good for Depa, but this book still provides a huge window into Mace Windu as a person. Where else can you find that?
The good things we have here are a short, but important list:
• NICK LIVES!!! Honestly, this is the one straw that could have broken the camel's back. He started out kind of annoying, but by the end his constant chatter was the only bright spot in a gruesome horror show. Especially the scene where Mace is trying to narrate to his journal, but Nick keeps interrupting.
• Mace Windu's unflagging, stubborn refusal to give up on the light, even when there are no good choices. He is an expert at taking the trolley problem and single-handedly forging a third track.
• Palpatine: Goodness, who would have known that fighting a war could have had such a detrimental effect on the Jedi?
Mace Windu, sadly: Yes, who could have known?
Yoda, eyes narrowing: Perhaps the most important question of all, that is.
Palpatine: ..............ANYWAY
• Honestly, I love all the completely over-the-top action scenes in this book. Mace defeating three gunships by himself has such Lords of the Sith energy. The semi-final battle is a masterpiece of Jedi devilry. Has anyone but Anakin ever been more OTT?
• All the philosophy is so interesting. The Jedi is altruistic less because to be so is good, than because to be so is safe. There's a lot of exploration of the Jedi mindset and philosophy, and I greedily absorbed all of it. I just wish the conclusion had been more satisfying; Mace's final thoughts don't seem to stand up to the dark premonitions he and Depa both shared about the coming war.
• Mace quoting Jesus made me LAUGH. A prophet receives no honor on his own world, indeed.
A page turner for sure. This book follows Mace Windu as he searches for his former padawan, Depa Billaba, to find out what happened to her.
This was a good read, full of action and believable characters. Well written and the story was executed superbly.
Throughout the story I found myself really connecting with Mace. As the story progressed, I could feel his dispair in me. At one point I felt overwhelmed with hopelessness. A book rarely does that to me, and I was surprised. But in the end, I was left satisfied. A bitter sweet satisfaction, but satisfaction nonetheless.
This was a good read, full of action and believable characters. Well written and the story was executed superbly.
Throughout the story I found myself really connecting with Mace. As the story progressed, I could feel his dispair in me. At one point I felt overwhelmed with hopelessness. A book rarely does that to me, and I was surprised. But in the end, I was left satisfied. A bitter sweet satisfaction, but satisfaction nonetheless.