*Official* LABYRINTH OF EVIL Thread (direct lead-in to ROTS!)

I'm starting this up now.

The events in this book tie in directly, and I mean directly, into ROTS. I.e., the end of Labyrinth of Evil is the start of the film.

There is definitely information in this book that will give us some hints about ROTS. I know that James Luceno, the author, thanks Haden Blackman, writer for Obsession and Republic, for letting him use some of the "big ideas" - evidently they had some really similar thoughts of where to go...

I'm only a few chapters in.

Anakin and Obi-Wan (with Commander Cody) on Cato Neimoidia, trying to capture Nute Gunray and co.

He escapes, but what does the TF leave behind?

Gunray's walking mechno-chair from TPM.

And what does that mechno-chair have? Holographic communication with Darth Sidious.


Right now, it's great to see the mature relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin. Obi-Wan has evidently become Anakin's biggest booster in the Council.

 

I saw this book at work tonight. I'm not usually a fan of PT EU, but I'm thinking about checking it out. I need a good read. So, should I? Yes or no.

 

I'm just quoting a PM I sent to Ghost:

actually, I'm not big on the EU either.

I liked the Thrawn trilogy okay by Timothy Zahn.

Really liked Shatterpoint by Stover - I'm stoked he's doing the ROTS novelization - good insight into how war is difficult for the Jedi, and great characterization of Mace Windu.

Obi-Wan, Yoda, Dooku.

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous was quite a good read - EXCELLENT insight into Yoda and Dooku's characters....not so much Ani and Obi- they only have a cameo, more or less.

The other big plus is that it's a mass-market paperback, which = way cheaper.

I ordered my Labyrinth of Evil online and saved 30% (even though it's a brand new book).

It literally ties DIRECTLY into the start of ROTS. If you know anything about what happens in the first half an hour of the film, Labyrinth gets you there.

Heavily features Obi and Ani, and the relationship is great. Has Nute, Grievous, pretty much all the major characters. Yoda.

I would say pick up Dark Rendezvous AND Labyrinth...if only one, then Labyrinth, b/c it ties in directly with ROTS. James Luceno spoke with Lucas and often with Matt Stover(doing ROTS novel) and it's been officially approved by Lucas.

And, of course, I'm secretly hoping that this man will show up:

[image=http://uashome.alaska.edu/~jndfg20/website/bowie.jpg]

 

Awesome book. But I guess I should save my general impressions on the book and the non-movie related parts for the Lit forum, and focus on the ROTS tie-ins.

The biggest thing - this book is tragic. You know that no matter how far the characters get, and what they accomplish, they're going to lose in the end. The conversation at the end between Obi-Wan and Anakin is pretty sad when you realize that within weeks (in-universe time), they'll be trying to kill each other. But it is a great scene as they acknowledge their friendship and how they depend on each other.

Grievous is great. Definitely a good old-fashioned "evil" villain, with the almost excessively dramatic dialogue and disregard for life (of his enemies and allies). Sounds like he's got some neat fighting tricks up his sleeve too. It makes sense that LoE's portrayal of him is what ROTS' is going to be like, so he should be really enjoyable.

The tie-ins to Reversal of Fortune were pretty cool. It fills in a lot of the gaps there (like that whole scene with the Senators escaping the attack, or why Nute didn't know about the plans on Belderone, and just why the Confederacy fled Belderone).

Some plot points:

Darth Sidious' master was named (I'll highlight to be safe) - Darth Plagueis.

The Separatists have been driven from the Core (at least until Grievous' attack on Coruscant), and Palpatine has sent pretty much the entire army to the Outer Rim to drive them back and defeat them. Mygeeto, Saleucami, and Felucia are the three main planets he's going after. Bail and the loyalists would rather he concentrate on the Seperatist leadership, which unknown to the Republic is currently holed up on Utapau (a planet of sinkholes and "lizard mounts", according to the book).

Grievous doesn't know about the Palpatine/Sidious connection. Bail doesn't realize Palpatine's playing both sides, but he does think he's making a strong bid for power (an ironic part where Bail ponders how lucky for Palpatine that the Separatists attacked Coruscant, since it will give him an excuse to enact more security measures). There are already agents spying and weeding out sedition in the name of Republic security. Bail's upset at all the new measures from Palpatine, and Palpatine is playing the "Oh, but this is what the Senate wants" and at Bail's urging says he'll let them hold a debate on the new security measures.

Dooku erased Kamino from the archives and killed Sifo-Dyas to prove he would follow Sidious. Sifo-Dyas sensed the coming darkness, and Sidious claimed that he ordered the clones as a precaution. No doubt Sidious lied.

 

I read an excerpt of this novel in Yoda: Dark Rendez Vous, and I liked it. I think I will pick up this book somewhere this week.

I like most of the PT EU, though it can be as contradictory as the OT EU, I liked seeing some things fleshed out, like Darth Maul's character and the events surrounding the blockade of Naboo in Darth Maul: Shadowhunter, and I liked seeing a relationship develop between Obi-Wan and Anakin in Rouge Planet.

 

Let me ask this:

If I am trying to stay as spoiler free as possible is it ok to read this book? I know it is EU stuff, but I do not want to read anything that ROTS is going to reveal.

I do watch the Clone Wars cartoons so you can use that to weigh on your decision.

 

If you're going to watch Season 2 of the Clone Wars, you might as well pick Labyrinth up.

It and the webstrip Reversal of Fortune and the cartoons all tie together.

It certainly is implied in one part that Palpatine is aware of the relationship between Padme and Anakin - as is Obi-Wan. What is not clear is how much Palps and Obi know.

And Anakin has definitely discussed the events on Tatooine with Palps.

 

Like Garth, I liked the Thrawn Trilogy and Shatterpoint. Other than that, I've never been too big into the EU. I will give it a try but I'll probably read it in March or April.
I'm not too excited about it, and I have other stuff to read.

-Seldon

 

Garth, does Padme have a role in the story as well? I like her character, and I was pleased to see she turned up, however shortly, in YR, but she barely appears in any EU.

I think I'll buy this book as soon as I am done with the one I am reading right now.

 

ha ha I think of david bowie everytime I hear that title too!

 

Oh yes, Padme is in there. Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, Yoda, Mace, Grievous, Sidious, Palpatine, Nute Gunray and Rune Haako, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Commander Cody, have all been in it so far (1/3 the way through).

Mentions of Qui-Gon, Dooku, Sifo-Dyas, Darth Maul, Tatooine, slaves, Kit Fisto, Saesee Tinn, Jango Fett, Cestus Deception, Jedi Trial, Reversal of Fortune.

Luceno is nothing if not thorough.

 

Speaking of Qui-Gon, he does speak to Yoda - "Master Yoda, we still have much to learn. The Force remains a code only partially deciphered. But another key has been found. We will become stronger than we have ever been..." (transcription copied from Cheebo86 on the Lit board, since I don't have the book handy).

It's already been said we won't see Qui-Gon as a ghost, but between this and Dark Rendezvous, I'd say it's pretty certain he will at least have a vocal part.

 

Thanks Garth!
That book is a buyer!

 

So is it just like the opening scroll?

 

I'm about to start reading this RIGHT NOW.

Homework be damned!

 

I just skipped down to the bottom here without reading. I don't have a copy yet. I still haven't finished Dark Rendezvous yet. Will post in here once I finish. Too many other things going on.

 

So you feel that if I plan on watching Clone Wars season 2 that I will be OK reading this? Spoiler-wise that is

 

The spoilers LoE has are pretty much all info that sets up the beginning of ROTS. If you already know the situation at the beginning (like through the OS or CW2, and since this isn't an HCSF thread, I'm guessing you do), this won't be a problem. It tells how all the major players get to their positions by the beginning of the movie, and as a result, doesn't give away any plot points from the movie itself, except perhaps through foreshadowing. New characters and locations, it goes into more. Grievous, mainly.

I guess there could be some small "Oh cool!" moments this would diminish (like Grievous' bag of fighting tricks, for example, if any of them turn up in the movie), but again, if you've seen the OS stuff (or the trailer, even), no more than some of the things they've shown.

 

I wanna get this. I'll probobly run out and get it tomorrow.

 

I really enjoyed the Thrawn trilogy, along with a few other OT-era EU books. And from what people have been saying, I think I may pick this book up tomorrow.

Btw, I work at a bookstore, and Labyrinth of Evil is 30% off because it's a new release. So, if you're going to buy it, get it now. Of course, I can just check it out (like at the library) to save on some cash.

 

They had an interview with James Luceno at the OS.

Here's what he had to say:

Labyrinth of Evil is said to be the prequel to Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Does the novel take place immediately prior to the film? What will audiences who see film without having read the book be missing?

Labyrinth of Evil takes place in the final month of the Clone Wars and leads directly into the opening moments of Revenge of the Sith. It supplies plot and character backstory that George Lucas didn't have the time -- or inclination -- to include in the film. In addition, the novel addresses a couple of story points that remain unresolved from Attack of the Clones. With regard to whether audiences will be missing out by not reading the book, Sue Rostoni, of Lucas Licensing, put it best when she asked fans to consider whether knowing precisely how Princess Leia received the Death Star plans is essential to enjoying A New Hope. Personally, I like the fact that Star Wars films always begin in the midst of the action and leave the backstory for audiences to fill in. But I jumped at the chance to provide the back-fill.

Did you have access to the shooting script for Revenge of the Sith in writing Labyrinth of Evil? Were you able to look at any early rushes from the film?

I read the first version of the script, and was kept updated on revisions until the last possible moment -- that is, until no further edits could be made to the manuscript. I read the novelization as it was being written, and, because I was also working on the Episode III Visual Dictionary, had access to film stills and props, and spoke frequently with Sue Rostoni, Pablo Hidalgo (Episode III Set Diarist), and Jonathan Rinzler (author of The Making of Revenge of the Sith), all of whom were either attending dailies or seeing screenings of the rough cuts. Even so, Labyrinth contains a few minor continuity errors, owing to my attempts to be specific when I probably should have been vague.

Can you set the scene of the novel for us?

Following on the heels of events in Jedi Trial and Dark Rendezvous, Anakin Skywalker has been dubbed a Knight, and Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has been named to the Jedi Council. The Separatists have been pushed from the galactic core, and the war has taken a toll on everyone. The Outer Rim sieges have been going on for four months, and Anakin and Padmé haven't seen each other for at least that long. Labyrinth is the first chance to focus the action on Anakin and Obi-Wan, both as warriors and close friends. The first half of the book takes them through a series of adventures, during which they gather clues which coalesce in the second half, setting the stage for the opening sequence of Revenge of the Sith.

Some have commented that the war the Republic faces parallels the uncertainty the U.S. faces in its current war. Were these intentional parallels or is this a case of reality mirroring art?

Views espoused by the characters do not necessarily reflect those of the writer, and no intentional parallels are made. So it must be a case of reality mirroring art. In public and in private George Lucas has said that the prequel films show the way in which democracies fall and dictators come to power. But galactic politics, even the war itself, are backdrop. Ultimately, Star Wars is a family saga about loss and redemption, and the repercussions that spring from cutting deals with the devil. Revenge's political scenes will probably end up on the cutting room floor, in any event, though they are included in the novelization, and with luck will show up on the DVD.

It's interesting to see how the relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan has evolved over the course of the films and novels since Episode I The Phantom Menace. How would you describe that relationship in Labyrinth of Evil?

Jealousy and concern undermine the depth of Anakin and Obi-Wan's friendship. Obi-Wan fears that he has failed to persuade Anakin of the danger inherent in anger, and to convince him to distance himself emo

 

Nice interview. Thanks for posting Garth!

 

I've always wondered: is Dooku older or Sidious older?

 

Just finished!

Whew- I feel like I need some time to recover after that. Immediately before ROTS indeed.

113 days left to finish the story...


PLOT SPOILERS:

Ah man, I was just waiting on the edge of my seat for Anakin to tell Obi-Wan the truth- but I suppose that will really be more satisfactory in the movie. So it seems that the one person Pablo said would know about the marriage is Bail. He also seems to know that she's pregnant. But I think it might be intuition on his part, rather than Padme actually having told him. I found it interesting that her pregnancy is never explictly referenced either.

I just love it that Grevious has turned out to be only a blind pawn. He's being manipulated just as much as the Jedi. I mean the "accident" that destroyed his living body was no accident at all. It's such an obvious parallel to Vader- though that incident does seem to be an accident. I wonder how Grevious will react once he finds out the truth... surely he must eventually?

Such great character development, I wish everyone would read this before seeing the movie. The Anakin/Obi-Wan dynamic is especially powerful, since as Anakin says in a moment of pure honesty at the end, Obi-Wan is his best friend. Now in a matter of weeks they will be fighting each other to the death.

While Ani is on the edge, he still seems to be trying to be a good Jedi. He is being torn apart from three seperate directions: his need to be with Padme, his desire to be a good Jedi, and his belief that he is the Chosen One. In the book it's definitely inferred that the death of those who "ground" him will drive him over the edge. Since clearly Obi-Wan doesn't die as Sidious wanted, his sights are surely re-focused on Padme. It seems that her death will be the final blow- and more than Sidious originally plans because, unlike Anakin, he doesn't know she's pregnant.


Ahhh... excellent stuff. Now everyone hurry up and read it!!

(edits: darn markup codes)

 

There's lots of implications for ROTS...I think I will re-read LoE in light of seeing ROTS and reading the novelization.

Anakin flat out says to Obi-Wan that the two of them could defeat any Sith and that they'd have a better chance against Sidious than Mace and Shaak Ti!

Maybe that's why Sidious wants Obi-Wan dead so badly - not only is he a good influence on Obi-Wan, but they're the deadliest team in the galaxy!

Apparently the Dark Side can conceal rooms and objects? No wonder the Jedi couldn't sense the Force in Palpatine!