The Approaching Storm

[Jedi Master Carr]

Ok I just finished reading this prologue to Ep2 and I have to say it is a very good novel a lot better than Rogue Planet and in the same league with Cloak of Deception. Okay here are some spoilers the novel concentrates on four characters all Jedi: Obi-Wan, Anakin, and two new ones Luminara (she was in Cloak of Deception briefly and is supposed to be in EP2) and her apprentice Barriss Offee. They are set to the planet Ansion to settle a conflict between the city dwellers and the nomads of the planet. What is happening is the planet is on the break of Seceding from the republic and if they go hundreds of worlds will follow. Now the novel is pretty good especially in dealing with Anakin and Obi-Wan we begin to see problems with Anakin especially because he keeps thinking about his mother and questions a lot of things especially the republic. The big spoiler though is at the end of the novel, it turns out that the whole Ansion thing was being manipulated by someone else. A Hutt, forget its name was being paid by the head of the Commerce guild, Shu Mai. After the defeat of the secession movement on Ansion, she goes to her office and discusses her failings with here superior and it is none offer than Count Dooku a intreasting hint of what is to come in AOTC. Overall it is a very good novel and if you are worried it might spoil you for the movie, don't it only shows four (maybe 5 I am not sure about one of them) characters that appear in AOTC but it doesn't really deal with the plot of the movie but it does give a few hints of what is to come and make you wonder what is ahead. There is one corny thing I wished they would have left out, one of the characters gets a news briefing from Coruscant News Network I am not sure if it was on purpose or what but that makes up CNN, that seems a little corny to me but oh well.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I guess I am the only one who has read it:\ I was hoping Jedieb had read it, I just wanted to discuss it further thats all but I guess I will have to wait.

[Nichos Marr]

Sorry, haven't read it either. I'll probably read it sometime after Episode II.

[Jedieb]

I just finished it last night. I have to say I enjoyed it more than DJ. I really liked the character of Luminara. Her Padwan Barss was a bit of a pain, but not too bad. I really liked it when the novel focused on Obi-Wan. Foster really portrayed him like the accomplished and mature Jedi Master we saw in ANH. I do think that Foster's hands were tied with Anakin though. It seemed as if he was only allowed to hint at what was going on inside of Anakin. Those times in which the novel did deal with Anakin's impatience or restlessness were some of my favorites.

What did you think of the Jedi being bound and gagged for not one, but several days? I find it hard to swallow that those nomads would have been capable of keeping two Jedi Masters and their padawans held captive like that for that length of time. Especially when you consider they left their weapons in an unlocked trunk. But they needed some scenario for that little Tooqui(sp?) to come in and save the day. What a coincidence that he joined the group just a few days earlier huh? :rolleyes

Overall, it was a pretty good novel. I didn't like it as much as Cloak of Deception, but I had fun reading it. I'm really looking forward to reading the AOTC novelization after I see the movie. I'm curious to see how Brooks describes the turmoil inside of Anakin. He shouldn't have any of the restraints that Foster apparently had.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I agree I liked how they showed Obi-wan myself and Luminara was cool, I am curious how she will be seen in Ep 2. I agree with you about Anakin there was a lot of things Foster could not do. I do wish they had a better main villain, I guess there was the Hutt and then the head of the Commerce guild she was particularly nasty when she had that senator killed. Also I agree with you about that Tooqui it seemed a little too good that he just showed up and then imeditely helped them, I would have prefered if it was Anakin or Obi-Wan who did it, I also didn't understand why they were knocked out, when Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were on board the Droid ship in TPM then held their breaths and waited until the doors opened, why couldn't they have done something like that here, or didn't they not realize it until it was too late.


Close the spoiler tags Carr ;) -Fett

[Jedieb]

I got the impression that it was the food that knocked them out. If it was a gas, it was released in a manner that they couldn't detect. Leave it to the idiot Trade Federation to try to gas Jedi by releasing cloudy gas through a ventilation system that makes more noise than a Hutt's digestive track. Plus, why would they expect gas if their host was also in the room? As for convienient, how about that shot the Hutt pulled off at the end? He not only killed his majordomo, butt fried the recorder he was carrying. Good thing Luke, Han, & Leia didn't run into him on the Death Star or our favorite saga would have been over pretty quick.:lol

Overall, this was a good book. I really liked it. I CAN'T WAIT FOR AOTC!!!!:crack

[Jedi Master Carr]

Whoops Thanks Reaper I wrote it pretty quick and just completely forgot as I had to leave the second I finished it. I don't think it was anything that would really spoil the book too much. Also Jedieb that was funny about the Hutt, also I have one to ask you what did you think of Dooku in the book? They didn't tell us much except he was a former Jedi who left and we learn he is the behind the entire plot involving Anson. For me I know more intreguied about him and can't wait to see what role he plays in Ep2. I closed them this time:D

[Jedieb]

Part of me wanted to have him featured more in the book, but the spoiler sensitive side of me didn't want to get to know him at all. That's why I liked Cloak of Deception and the recent Maul novel. Since I'd already met Maul I was just getting neat backstory. Right now I don't want a lot of Dooku material. I wouldn't mind reading stories about him AFTER I see AOTC, but right now I want to keep the mystery intact. I thought it fitting that the first mention of Dooku in TAS got cut off in mid-sentence. It let you know right away you weren't going to be hearing much about him.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I liked that too, I also liked how you saw very little of Dooku and more his middle person the head of the Commerce guild that was neat I though. Also is the Commerce guild the same as the Corporate Sector or is it apart of the Corporate sector. I am just curious because I remember in the EU the Corporate Sector collaberated with the Empire so I thought this maybe was the beginning of that.

[Jedieb]

I don't believe the Corporate Sector of the Han Solo novels is the same as the Corporate Guild. But I could see a scenario where the CG ends up becoming the CS after the rise of the Empire. Palpatine pays them off by giving them a sector or something along those lines.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think that seems like a possibility, I am sure some EU writer will explore that in a future novel;)