Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Mass Market Paperback – October 25, 2005

This novel got to me in a way that I didn't think a novel could; let alone a Star Wars novel; let alone a Star Wars novel based on one of the movies;let alone a Star Wars novel based on one of the PREQUEL movies.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.

This is one of the best Star Wars novels out there--and for how hit-or-miss the EU can be (yes, "can"--I refuse to call it "Legends" and consider it "dead"), there are some really good books within it by which to make such a comparison.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.