Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones - Softcover

Salvatore, R A

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0099410575 ISBN 13: 9780099410577

Publisher: Arrow, 2003

Synopsis

There is great disturbance in the Force . . .

Mischievous and resolved, courageous to the point of recklessness, Anakin Skywalker has come of age in a time of great upheaval. The nineteen-year-old apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi is an enigma to the Jedi Council, and a challenge to his Jedi Master. Time has not dulled Anakin’s ambition, nor has his Jedi training tamed his independent streak. When an attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala’s life brings them together for the first time in ten years, it is clear that time also has not dulled Anakin’s intense feelings for the beautiful diplomat.

The attack on Senator Amidala just before a crucial vote thrusts the Republic even closer to the edge of disaster. Masters Yoda and Mace Windu sense enormous unease. The dark side is growing, clouding the Jedi’s perception of the events. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, a slow rumble is building into the roar of thousands of soldiers readying for battle. But even as the Republic falters around them, Anakin and Padmé find a connection so intense that all else begins to fall away. Anakin will lose himself―and his way―in emotions a Jedi, sworn to hold allegiance only to the Order, is forbidden to have.

Based on the story by George Lucas and the screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales, this intense and revealing novel by bestselling author R. A. Salvatore sheds new light on the legend of Star Wars―and skillfully illuminates one of our most beloved sagas.

About this title

Review:

Attack of the Clones is the inevitable novelisation of the new Star Wars movie, and fantasy author RA Salvatore does his best with a script which relies heavily on spectacular visual effects.

Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi has a hard time with his apprentice Anakin Skywalker, now 20 but lapsing frequently into teenage bad attitude. Master Yoda backward speaking still is, and disturbance great in the Force as always senses. Lovable droids R2D2 and C3PO remain terminally cute. Princess Padme Amidala is now a hot babe, a Senator of the Republic and highly disturbing to Anakin's hormonal Force. Jar Jar Binks retains his irritating accent even in print: "Mesa so smilen to see'en yousa! Wahoooo!" Political supremo Palpatine makes diplomatic noises, but we suspect he's up to no good...

When someone tries to fix a big Senate vote by assassinating Amidala, much action follows--an aerial car chase which must be hair-raising in the movie, and interstellar pursuit including a spaceship dogfight in a crowded asteroid belt. Obi-Wan discovers a lost world that's grown a warrior-clone army for mysterious reasons and another world's heavy industry is cranking out innumerable battle droids. Can the renegade Jedi with the majestic name Dooku be responsible?

Meanwhile, following orders to protect Padme by staying very close to her, Anakin sulks a lot, finds his Jedi vows of chastity dissolving fast, and is temporarily saved by a bid to rescue his mother from sadistic kidnappers on planet Tattooine.

Now, the climax: "Take them to the arena!" Our favourite characters are duly chained up as a snack for unspeakably horrible CGI beasties, but they have some tricks left--and practically everything else in the plot is converging on that arena for the mother of all special-effects battles. Many, many light-sabres come into it.

All rather silly, really: not so much a serious novel as a memento of the film, something to jog memories until the DVD release. Every hardcore Star Wars fan will want a copy. --David Langford

Review:

Despite the lacklustre quality of the film itself, Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace was the kind of phenomenal success that everyone expected, and there is no question that this second film will do equally well. Salvatore is an old hand at novelisations, and imparts a true professionalism along with the imagination required to reinvent a tale designed for one medium into another. Attack tells the story of the downfall of Anakin Skywalker, the young Jedi who became Darth Vader. In this book (which takes place 10 years after the events of The Phantom Menace) the 19-year-old Anakin is torn between his own dreams and his responsibilities as a Jedi as he and his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, struggle to deal with the machiavellian plotting that is slowly tearing the Republic apart.

About this edition

• Publisher: Arrow
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0099410575
• ISBN 13: 9780099410577
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368