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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Karen Traviss vastly improves this story. Honestly the movie is nothing to write home about but Traviss manages to add just enough inner thought to keep it dark, and much more interesting.
Once again a novelisation of a star wars movie has lastly improved the experience for me. Looking forward to revenge of the sith.
Once again a novelisation of a star wars movie has lastly improved the experience for me. Looking forward to revenge of the sith.
I think Traviss did a remarkable job with the barely acceptable script she was given to work with.
Also, Rex. ❤️
Also, Rex. ❤️
I'm still not sure what I think about this movie being made. It is the only Star Wars movie that I have not seen in the theater, in fact it kind up snuck up on me and it did so poorly in the theaters that it was done with its run before I got the chance to see it. I really don't like that Anakin because it seemed to run against everything that had been written in Clone Wars novels, cartoons, comic books, video games, and the cannon prequel movies. It seemed to me awfully late in the game to be trying to change the storyline so drastically. Having said that the movies did not satisfy fans' desire to see the Clone Wars that were mentioned so fleetingly in passing in Episode IV and became so critical to the early Expanded Universe novels.
I mention all of this to set the scene and to explain that I don't count a bad script against the author. Having said that I also look for one to add to the other. If the book comes first then I expect the movie to add visuals, inflection, scene setting, or something else that is beyond what the original author was able to explain. On the other hand if the movie comes first [or in this case the movie script and idea came first because this is the adaptation of the film rather than a novel turned into a movie], I expect the novel to add some background or insight into characters' thoughts or some other details that add to the story. This novel is very true to the movie, even more so than the Episode I novel I praised previously, but doesn't add anything to the movie or the experience. I suppose if you are going to read instead of watch then the book is good enough, but otherwise I don't find it all that useful or much of an improvement. Not bad, just the same and therefore bland.
Spoiler
was given a padawanI mention all of this to set the scene and to explain that I don't count a bad script against the author. Having said that I also look for one to add to the other. If the book comes first then I expect the movie to add visuals, inflection, scene setting, or something else that is beyond what the original author was able to explain. On the other hand if the movie comes first [or in this case the movie script and idea came first because this is the adaptation of the film rather than a novel turned into a movie], I expect the novel to add some background or insight into characters' thoughts or some other details that add to the story. This novel is very true to the movie, even more so than the Episode I novel I praised previously, but doesn't add anything to the movie or the experience. I suppose if you are going to read instead of watch then the book is good enough, but otherwise I don't find it all that useful or much of an improvement. Not bad, just the same and therefore bland.
Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s fast-paced, it flows really well. It’s written very simply. This is the novelization of The Clone Wars film and while the film was a bit underwhelming, it did continue the Skywalker saga and, most importantly, gave us Ahsoka Tano and led the path to the Clone Wars tv show.
What I like about the book was the internal dialogue and monologue of the characters. Jabba, Dooku, Asajj, Palpatine, Ani and Rex are the main characters and being inside their heads, understanding their motivations, their thought processes and feelings added a new depth to the story and the characterizations. I couldn’t stop listening to the book. I love Ani, and reading that his resentment simmered for so long helps us understand how and why he turned to the Dark Side. Rex‘s internal monologue was also interesting. Asajj is a fascinating character and I see parallels between her and Ani. Palpatine continues to be the worst but he is so shrewd it’s scary. Dooku is a sycophant with no back-bone. But Jabba was the surprise here. He understands that other species judge him because he looks and is different from them but he finds others just as rightfully vile. There’s a humanization to Jabba that I quite liked.
The narrator is very good, but I don’t think he captured Ashoka’s voice that well. His Obi-Wan Kenobi was so on point though. He sounded just like the tv show. My only criticism would be his pronunciation of ‘short-lived’ - he said it like it was a live match not like lived.
But in all honesty, this book is amazing. The camaraderie among the characters and internal monologues kept me hooked.
What I like about the book was the internal dialogue and monologue of the characters. Jabba, Dooku, Asajj, Palpatine, Ani and Rex are the main characters and being inside their heads, understanding their motivations, their thought processes and feelings added a new depth to the story and the characterizations. I couldn’t stop listening to the book. I love Ani, and reading that his resentment simmered for so long helps us understand how and why he turned to the Dark Side. Rex‘s internal monologue was also interesting. Asajj is a fascinating character and I see parallels between her and Ani. Palpatine continues to be the worst but he is so shrewd it’s scary. Dooku is a sycophant with no back-bone. But Jabba was the surprise here. He understands that other species judge him because he looks and is different from them but he finds others just as rightfully vile. There’s a humanization to Jabba that I quite liked.
The narrator is very good, but I don’t think he captured Ashoka’s voice that well. His Obi-Wan Kenobi was so on point though. He sounded just like the tv show. My only criticism would be his pronunciation of ‘short-lived’ - he said it like it was a live match not like lived.
But in all honesty, this book is amazing. The camaraderie among the characters and internal monologues kept me hooked.
adventurous
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
funny
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't know why, but I actually liked this novelization of The Clone Wars BETTER than the movie.
I have not seen The Clone Wars movie since November 20th, 2019...and I have been reading a lot of the novels/novellas that have led up to this story, so maybe that is the reason. OR the book was able to convey the story better than the movie did. I rated the movie at 2.5 Stars. and rated this novelization at 3.75 Stars.
I was locked into this story. At the beginning, I wasn't even sure that it was a novelization of THAT movie. When I figured it out (through the scenes that I remember "straight from the movie", I became more critical. I just enjoyed the dialogue better. The story beats are the same, the conflict was the same, but for some reason...it hit differently.
I enjoyed hearing Anakin calling Ahsoka "Snips" and then her retort was "Sky Guy". I remember not liking Ahsoka, back then...at her introduction, but NOW, she's one of my favourite characters. She's had such an arc, that time and focus has truly helped grow.
Reading about Rex and the other Clone troopers, and their individual identities was cool to read about.
Loved being back with Jabba the Hutt. Seeing Chancelor Palpatine and his wranglings (playing both sides). Dooku and his asperations. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé, C3P0 and R2D2. This was just another fun story, that has some actual tense moments. IF I didn't know the movie arcs of these characters, and was coming to this blind, I would've been truly worried for these characters.
Alas, I know the character arcs really well, and still enjoyed this story. In fact, if memory serves, I watched Star Wars: Rebels before watching The Clone Wars TV series. I've tried to look it up, but it seems it doesn't go back that far. I think I liked Ahsoka in the later series, but the bratty version needed some getting used to. They did an amazing job with her character.
I have not seen The Clone Wars movie since November 20th, 2019...and I have been reading a lot of the novels/novellas that have led up to this story, so maybe that is the reason. OR the book was able to convey the story better than the movie did. I rated the movie at 2.5 Stars. and rated this novelization at 3.75 Stars.
I was locked into this story. At the beginning, I wasn't even sure that it was a novelization of THAT movie. When I figured it out (through the scenes that I remember "straight from the movie", I became more critical. I just enjoyed the dialogue better. The story beats are the same, the conflict was the same, but for some reason...it hit differently.
I enjoyed hearing Anakin calling Ahsoka "Snips" and then her retort was "Sky Guy". I remember not liking Ahsoka, back then...at her introduction, but NOW, she's one of my favourite characters. She's had such an arc, that time and focus has truly helped grow.
Reading about Rex and the other Clone troopers, and their individual identities was cool to read about.
Loved being back with Jabba the Hutt. Seeing Chancelor Palpatine and his wranglings (playing both sides). Dooku and his asperations. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé, C3P0 and R2D2. This was just another fun story, that has some actual tense moments. IF I didn't know the movie arcs of these characters, and was coming to this blind, I would've been truly worried for these characters.
Alas, I know the character arcs really well, and still enjoyed this story. In fact, if memory serves, I watched Star Wars: Rebels before watching The Clone Wars TV series. I've tried to look it up, but it seems it doesn't go back that far. I think I liked Ahsoka in the later series, but the bratty version needed some getting used to. They did an amazing job with her character.
Satisfied an Itch
For some reason I’ve been nostalgic for the prequels lately and have been watching the clone wars show but I wanted to listen to a book on my commute. This was cute and I was glad to get some internal monologue from Anakin.
Love the master/padawan dynamic between him and Ahsoka.
For some reason I’ve been nostalgic for the prequels lately and have been watching the clone wars show but I wanted to listen to a book on my commute. This was cute and I was glad to get some internal monologue from Anakin.
Love the master/padawan dynamic between him and Ahsoka.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I’ve watched the 2008 Clone Wars movie this is the novelisation of, and I can happily say I prefer this much more. There’s a lot more depth for the characters than in the movie, and the Rex sections almost made me cry. Old but gold. Would definitely recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War
Moderate: Death
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A reread of a childhood favorite that held up very well. Now that I'm older I can see where it suffers a little from Traviss's personal dislike of the Jedi order, but it's not too blatant or unprofessional in this book. Really fascinating military worldbuilding and description of tactics and clone culture - Rex's POV was fantastic and one of my favorite things about this book. I like that she leaned into Togruta as carnivores though it's odd that she didn't include an Ahsoka POV, despite having lots of time spent on other characters trying to figure out what she's thinking. It would have been good to see her more alien perspective, especially since I also thought Traviss fleshed out Jabbas POV as a long-lived non humanoid very well. All in all a very enjoyable novelization that to me is a more realistic and interesting experience than the film, despite a few misses.