[Shehzad]

The release date for Revenge of the Sith creeps ever nearer, and the book is starting to make the Amazon best-seller lists. Also, Matt will start his book-signing tour in support of RotS fairly soon as well.

http://www.locusmag.com/2005/Monitor/Bestsellers0322.html

So, who's getting it on publication day? And who's waiting to watch the movie first?

[Spears&Buckler]

I'll be getting it as soon as I can. The excerpt at [dead cities] was awesome, and I can't wait to read it.

Matt's coming to my area (sort of) for his signing tour. I'll have to drive for 1.5 hours, but I think it'll be worth the trip.

[Erfael]

He's signing at my local indie store, 3 miles from my house....sadly, I'll be 100 miles from my house playing a Handel oratorio while he's signing. Such is life, I guess.

[Shehzad]

Lucky b*****ds... He's nowhere near me...

[Shehzad]

For those who want to read it, HERE (http://p198.ezboard.com/fdeadcitiesver3o19082frm4.showMessage?topicID=233. topic) is an excerpt from the Revenge of the Sith novel.

Minimal spoilers.

[Shehzad]

It's here, it's here... Full review once I finish reading it.

[tdeanatoz@yahoo]

Okay, here's the forum thread I've been looking for! I just finished the novelization of STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH last night. Pretty amazing! Lucas, bless his heart, has saved the best for last. We can only hope that the acting and direction won't let us down...

This movie gets off to a bang above the planet Coruscant, and never lets up. The Lucasfilm PR machine has always said that this movie was going to have more light-saber duels than any of the earlier ones, and they're not kidding! I'm very surprised that Lucasfilm has managed to keep some of this under wraps, particularly the secret plan of Darth Sidious to eliminate all of the Jedi in one fell swoop...

I'm trying desperately not to give away anything here. We need to create a thread with Spoilers, damn it! Which reminds me, earlier today I posted another message about this movie elsewhere on this site, so avoid it if you don't want to here my biggest question that was not answered in this movie (or maybe I just don't see it yet; I'll have to think about it some more).

[juzzza]

Woah, I'm confused now tdeanatoz@yahoo, are you talking about the novelization or the movie?

And you realize of course that Lucas didn't write this book, right? It was Matthew Stover, so you could say that MS saved the best until last, unless you have seen the movie already, and you should be searching in the movie forum?

There's been a few comments in other threads in Matt's forum about the guidance Lucas gave him for the book... the book can rock, and the movie could still suck.

[Erfael]

And you realize of course that Lucas didn't write this book, right?

Are you SURE? I was browsing the books at Overstock.com to see if they had anything good for cheap and came upon this: Revenge of the Sith (Hardcover) by George Lucas (http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?page=proframe&prod_id=1112351)


Sorry, Matt. Guess you don't count on that one, even though it has your name in the little picture.

[Shehzad]

Here's my review:

Firstly: this is a Stover novel, unquestionably. Lucas may own the characters, but few others could have given us the window into Anakin Skywalker's soul as he descended into the abyss. Secondly: we all know how this book will end. We know Anakin will become Darth Vader, apprentice to Palpatine. We know Palpatine will take over the Republic and make it into the Empire. We know that of the Jedi, only Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda will survive. What we're reading this book for is to see Anakin fall.

Stover does a great job of getting us into the characters. Anakin is front and center, but Mace and Obi Wan take their turns as well. However, he saves his best for the Anakin scenes. The Hero With No Fear in fact faces fear every day, as well as other emotions, emotions which his Jedi training should've taught him to let go of. Yet that is his greatest strength, and ultimately his greatest flaw. Anakin cuts a tragic figure, as struggling with conflicted loyalties, he inexorably descends towards darkness, to rise again as Darth Vader.

Even if you abhor novelizations, read this one. If you can't stand media tie-ins, read it. It is possibly one of the finest novelizations ever written.