"The Phantom Menace" by Terry Brooks [Del Rey, 1999]

Star Wars: The Phantom Menance by Terry Brooks.

[image=http://www.theforce.net/books/images/tpm-maul.gif]



Synopsis

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, an evil legacy long believed dead is stirring. Even the Jedi are caught by surprise, their attentions focused on the political unrest between the Trade Federation and the Republic. Now the dark side of the Force threatens to overwhelm the light, and only an ancient Jedi prophecy stands between hope and doom for the entire galaxy.

On the desert world of Tatooine, far from the concerns fo the Republic, a slave boy works by day and dreams by night--of being a Jedi Knight and one day traveling the stars to worlds he's only heard of in stories. . .of finding a way to win freedom from enslavement for himself and his beloved mother. His only hope lies in his extraordinary instincsts and his strange gift for understanding the "rightness" of things, talents that allow him to be one of the best Podracers on the planet.

In another part of the galaxy, the Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, young Obi-Wan Kenobi, are charged with the protection of the Amidala, the young Queen of Naboo, as she seeks to end the siege of her planet by Trade Federation warships. It is this quest that brings QUi-Gon, Obi-Wan, and the Queen's beautiful young handmaiden to the sand-swempt streets of Tatooine and the shop where the slave boy Anakin Skywalker toils and dreams. And it is this unexpected meeting that marks the beginning of the drama that will become legend. . .

 

I thought that this was the best of the prequel novelisations so far, only becuase of the extra material that was written that was not included in the movie... literary cut-scenes if you will.

 

9/10

It was very well-written, and the inclusion of extra Anakin scenes in the beginning were a good choice.

 

I give it 9. It's very good.

 

Impeccable. One of my favorite EU titles to date.
10/10

 

I gave it a 7.

 

I give it a perfect 10! It's excellant,and even a little better then the AOTC novel,IMHO.

 

It's better than the film for all the extra content.

E_S

 

One of the things that I really LOVE about the TPM Novel, was when Qui-Gon announces that Anakin will be his new apprentice, there is absolute bitter disappointment and rejection felt from Obi-Wan. This lasts through a number of chapters.

 

My "The Phantom Menace" policy goes like this: the movie gets better with each new prequel. It kinda sucked at first, but by the time Episode III comes out, everything'll make sense, and the plot won't seem as irrelevant.

This book, however, far surpasses the movie. It's rare that a novelization actually surpasses the source material, but Terry Brooks did it with "Menace". The expansion on the film alone makes the book worth the price. Brooks is one of only two authors that grasp the Star Wars universe, and make you feel like it's 1977 all over again (Timothy Zahn being the other).

10

 

9

Great novelisation that expands on the film enough to make it worth reading more than once. Especially the Anakin stuff.

 

10 for me. Although there is mention of Aks Moe, as candidate for Chancellor, when Ainlee Teem has been mentioned onscreen, as well as later when was published, the book is a wonderful expansion of the film. Some small snippets seem to be missing from film to book, but then I chalk that up to the difference of mediums. Palpatine's first appearance in hologram in the film maybe wouldn't be great reading? Anyway, the book is great.

 

Loved this book especially the inclusion of Anakin saving the Tusken Raider. Oh how I wish that had been in the movie.

 

Wonderful. It expanded on the film in the best way.

 

...eh...I gave it a 7. He gets an A- for effort at least; he didn't have much to work with....

 

Good one.

 

I thought it was great i gave it a 10 because it was very descriptive in the battle parts. And it was suspenseful.

 

I got it for 30p, and it's one of the best star wars books I have read. I enjoyed way more then the movie though I was having to get used to some incorrect quotes.
I was amazed at quickly I powered through, when I first saw the text size put me off a bit but I was finishing it in a week.

Yes very good, 9/10

 

9/10

 

7.5/10. Struck me as somewhat insubstantial, though I would regard the material Brooks was given to be somewhat insubstantial, too.

This novelization, as stated earlier, does provide two excellent "cut scenes": the Darth Bane passage, which gives the reader a fascinating history of, and practical reason for, the "rule of two"; and the tale of Anakin and the Tusken Raider, which gives us a real insight into Ani's caring and giving nature, above and beyond helping others out in the most thrilling way _he_ can imagine.

 

A commendable attempt at insubstantial writing, but if you're not used to it by now, the stimcaf needs a higher dose.

The opening chapter is exciting and explains just how the kid busts up his racer, which is about the only good writing you'll see in the book. Once the movie's opening scene kicks in, the parameters of restrictive writing closes in, limiting attention to detail, depth and casual flow till the back cover.

And the simple, easy style of writing certainly doesn't impress. Numerous occasions he'll begin a scene saying "Qui-Gon, Padme, See-Threepio and Jar Jar Binks returned to Watto's shop, or something to that effect. These lists of character names strung out one after another is about as boring as you can get. How about "Qui-Gon was the first to enter Watto's shop, Padme at his back; Jar Jar trailing her wake."

He falls into the same robotic writing that Luceno, Zahn and certain others have; repeating the same descriptive features, repetitive wordage and other annoying facets. While we didn't get Denning's infamous efflux word 30 times a book, I don't want to see Qui-Gon's "leonine" face described as such even half as much, or the kid's "pug face."

It was almost as if you just went through the motions, you didn't quite feel the real emotions and thoughts of the characters. A rather detached style, all too common nowadays with Star Wars. And don't say the book was based off a rigid manuscript and a few available movie shots---you don't need them to deeper decriptive surroundings, emotive thoughts and flow of action. Dialogue was equally stiff and I really don't see why characters just can't speak whatever extra they want, so long as the movie lines are of course used.

And when your career evolved around outright and unpunished LOTR plagurism, it's insurmountably challenging to take Brooksie seriously.

It was rare for a character to actually be wrtitten without their full names; I think saying Bibble instead of Sio Bibble would have sufficed, what do you think? And though Brookes' book had to specially cater to a global audience new to a SW book, having seen the movie, just why was a major name like Obi-Wan write so rigidly and awkwardly? Was he ever not seething with impatience, anger, impetuous?

The final showdown almost saves this light pancake, and it was apparent how awkward it would be if Qui-Gon and McGreggor could only call Maul "dark warrior" or Sith Lord" every time, so he gives in and just says Darth Maul, despite the fact Qui-Gon's pov couldn't know his name.

One of the rare books whose paperback came out mere months after its debut hardcover, but like Cloak of Deception, it's not catering to dedicated fans.

Of course, just how Maulie tracked them to Tatooine is still a mystery.



6 / 10

 

I gave it 7.

 

mhm....6 or 7 /10

 

Very poor for me... 7 (and thats being generous)