Star Wars: Rogue Planet (Star Wars: Episode I) [Mass Market Paperback]

The story and the writing are outstanding. This book reads with the same familiarity that the middle trilogy and the writings that surround those characters posses. I do not include the "Vector Prime" series, which has been jarring to say the least.

Mr. Bear is faithful to all that is appealing in this Universe of long ago, and he certainly has his own style. Unlike many other Authors he brings his talents to bear without trampling over the "feel" of Star Wars, he does not impose himself on the ongoing saga he relates it beautifully.

This adventure has to be read as it is filled with events that will need to be known before the next movie is released. Like Phantom Menace this story centers around Anakin, and expands on what we know about him from the movie. I was curious how they were going to fill a 10 year gap between the story of Episode 1 and 2, but this books demonstrates how, and even includes a slick Coda at the end that makes the reader wish there were an additional 341 pages.

A young man who we all know from the Deathstar is introduced, and other familiar characters we know from the middle trilogy appear here.

The book opens with a type of race that is every bit as good, or better than the Pod Race, Anakin's flying skills are tested with an incredible ship. And throughout it all, Obi-Wan keeps up. He knows like we do, that Anakin is not one to be competed with. "The Chosen One" and what he is and will become are beginning to show in this volume.

I hope Mr. Bear will write many more installments. I kid you not, he's that good!

First, I really liked that we see the Jedi Masters, Mace especially, as people.

I enjoyed very much the look at Obi-Wan and Anakin's relationship as master/apprentice and friend/friend alike. I also loved the personal struggles that we see each one go through--it shows they're very alive and very real, such as Obi-Wan's love for Anakin and his lonliness for Qui-gon, and Anakin's battle with himself and the voice he hears and the dreams he dreams. It's also interesting to observe the great power that he cannot yet control.

The appearance of Tarkin was very interesting as well. It is nice to see him as a young man, but he is little changed from when we see him in A New Hope. I thought it ironic that he makes the same mistake of underestimating his enemy, only this time it did not lead him to death. I thought it was a little confusing in the book when it says he came up with the initial idea for the death star, but if you remember, so did the scientists in the maw installation.

This book also does some major foreshadowing and linking. It hints, or more like shouts, that the world of Zonama Sekot has been attacked by the Yuuzhan Vong. From this, and the second Dark Tide novel, we gather that the Vong have been planning to attack for decades...I wonder what would have happened if they had striked the Old Republic, or the Empire... And speaking of the Empire, Tarkin constantly hints that a great change in power and ways of the government are about to take place in the future. He also hints at what we know as the Empire's ways, telling Sienar that humans are the race of the future and so on.

In my opinion, the book also links Anakin Skywalker with his grandson, Anakin Solo. Notice how they both are incredibly strong in the Force, have a knack for dealing with machines, and want adventure and excitement.

Overall, this was a wonderful book that bridged the gap between the first two episodes of the Star Wars prequels perfectly, and provides exactly what Episode 1 lacked the most--character developement.