Description:
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
R. A. Salvatore is a fantasy author best known for The DemonWars Saga, his Forgotten Realms novels, and Vector Prime, the first novel in the Star Wars: The New Jedi Order series. He has sold more than fifteen million copies of his books in the United States alone, and more than twenty of his titles have been New York Times bestsellers. R. A. Salvatore lives with his wife, Diane, in his native state of Massachusetts.
Matthew Stover is perhaps best known for his four Star Wars novels, Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Traitor; Star Wars: Shatterpoint; Star Wars: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor; and the novelization of the movie Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith. He has also written several fantasy novels, including Iron Dawn and Jericho Moon, and four science fiction/fantasy stories featuring a hero named Caine.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Tatooine.
The suns burned down out of a cloudless blue sky, washing the vast desert wastes of the planet in brilliant white light. The resultant glare rose off the flat, sandy surface in a wet shimmer of blistering heat to fill the gaps between the massive cliff faces and solitary outcroppings of the mountains that were the planet’s sole distinguishing feature. Sharply etched, the monoliths stood like sentinels keeping watch in a watery haze.
When the Podracers streaked past, engines roaring with ferocious hunger and relentless drive, the heat and the light seemed to shatter and the mountains themselves to tremble.
Anakin Skywalker leaned into the curve of the raceway that took him past the stone arch marking the entry into Beggar’s Canyon on the first lap of the run, easing the thruster bars forward, giving the engines a little more juice. The wedge-shaped rockets exploded with power, the right a tad harder than the left, banking the Pod in which Anakin sat sharply left to clear the turn. Swiftly, he adjusted the steering to straighten the racer, boosted power further, and shot through the arch. Loose sand whiplashed in the wake of his passing, filling the air with a gritty sheen, whirling and dancing through the heat. He ripped into the canyon, fingers playing across the controls, hands steady on the steering.
It was all so quick, so instantaneous. One mistake, one misjudgment, and he would be out of the race and lucky if he weren’t dead. That was the thrill of it. All that power, all that speed, just at his fingertips, and no margin for error. Two huge turbines dragged a fragile Pod over sandy flats, around jagged-edged mountains, down shadowed draws, and over heart-wrenching drops in a series of twisting, winding curves and jumps at the greatest speed a driver could manage. Control cables ran from the Pod to the engines, and energy binders locked the engines to each other. If any part of the three struck something solid, the whole of the assembly would collapse in a splintering of metal and a fiery wash of rocket fuel. If any part broke free, it was all over.
A grin split Anakin’s young face as he injected a bit more power into the thrusters.
Ahead, the canyon narrowed and the shadows deepened. Anakin bore down on the slit of brightness that opened back onto the flats, keeping low to the ground where passage was widest. If he stayed high, he risked brushing the cliff faces on either side. That had happened to Regga in a race last month, and they were still looking for the pieces.
It would not happen to him.
He shoved the thruster bars forward and exploded through the gap onto the flats, engines screaming.
Sitting in the Pod with his hands on the controls, Anakin could feel the vibration of the engines travel up the control cables and fill him with their music. Wrapped in his rough-made jumpsuit, his racing helmet, his goggles, and his gloves, he was wedged so closely in his seat that he could feel the rush of the wind across the Pod’s skin beneath him. When he raced like this, he was never simply the driver of a Podracer, never just an additional part. Rather, he was at one with the whole, and engines, Pod, and he were bound together in a way he could not entirely explain. Each shimmy, each small throb, each tug and twist of strut and tie were apparent to him, and he could sense at any given moment exactly what was happening throughout the length and breadth of his racer. It spoke to him in its own language, a mix of sounds and feelings, and though it did not use words, he could understand everything it said.
Sometimes, he thought dreamily, he could sense what it would say before it even spoke.
A flash of gleaming orange metal shot past him on his right, and he watched the distinctive split-X of Sebulba’s engines flare out before him, taking away the lead he had seized through an unusually quick start. His brow wrinkled in disgust at himself for his momentary lapse of concentration and his dislike of the other racer. All gangly and crook-legged, Sebulba was as twisted inside as out, a dangerous adversary who won often and took delight in doing so at the expense of others. The Dug had caused more than a dozen crashes of other Podracers in the past year alone, and his eyes glinted with wicked pleasure when he recounted the tales to others on the dusty streets of Mos Espa. Anakin knew Sebulba well—and knew better than to take chances with him.
He rode the thruster bars forward, fed fresh power to the engines, and rocketed ahead.
It didn’t help, he supposed as he watched the distance between them narrow, that he was human or, much worse, that he was the only human ever to drive in the Podraces. The ultimate test of skill and daring on Tatooine and the favorite spectator sport of the citizens of Mos Espa, it was supposed to be beyond the skill and capability of any human. Multiple arms and multihinged joints, stalk eyes, heads that swiveled 180 degrees, and bodies that twisted as if boneless gave advantages to other creatures that humans could not begin to overcome. The most famous racers, the best of a rare breed, were strangely shaped, complexly formed beings with a penchant for taking risks that bordered on insanity.
But Anakin Skywalker, while nothing like these, was so intuitive in his understanding of the skills required by his sport and so comfortable with its demands that his lack of these other attributes seemed to matter not at all. It was a source of some mystery to everyone, and a source of disgust and growing irritation to Sebulba in particular.
Last month, in another race, the wily Dug had tried to run Anakin into a cliff face. He had failed only because Anakin sensed him coming up from behind and underneath, an illegal razor saw extended to sever Anakin’s right Steelton control cable, and Anakin lifted away to safety before the saw could do its damage. His escape cost him the race, but allowed him to keep his life. It was a trade he was still angry at having been forced to make.
The racers whipped through columns of ancient statuary and across the floor of the arena erected on the edge of Mos Espa. They swept under the winner’s arch, past row upon row of seats crammed with spectators cheering them on, past pit droids, repair stations, and the boxes where the Hutts watched in isolated splendor above the commoners. From an overlook in a tower centered on the arch, the two-headed Troig who served as announcer would be shouting out their names and positions to the crowd. Anakin allowed himself a momentary glimpse of blurred figures that were left behind so fast they might have been nothing more than a mirage. His mother, Shmi, would be among them, worrying as she always did. She hated watching him drive in the Podraces, but she couldn’t help herself. She never said so, but he thought she believed that simply by being there she could keep him from coming to harm. It had worked so far. He had crashed twice and failed to finish even once, but after more than half a dozen races he was unharmed. And he liked having her there. It gave him a strange sort of confidence in himself he didn’t like to think about too closely.
Besides, what choice did they have in the matter? He raced because he was good at it, Watto knew he was good at it, and whatever Watto wanted of him he would do. That was the price you paid when you were a slave, and Anakin Skywalker had been a slave all his life.
Arch Canyon rose broad and deep before him, an expanse of rock leading into Jag Crag Gorge, a twisting channel the racers were required to navigate on their way to the high flats beyond. Sebulba was just ahead, rocketing low and tight across the ground, trying to put some distance between Anakin and himself. Behind Anakin, close now, were three other racers spread out against the horizon. A quick glance revealed Mawhonic, Gasgano, and Rimkar trailing in his strange bubble pod. All three were gaining. Anakin started to engage his thrusters, then drew back. They were too close to the gorge. Too much power there, and he would be in trouble. Response time in the channel was compacted down to almost nothing. It was better to wait.
Mawhonic and Gasgano seemed to agree, settling their Pods into place behind his as they approached the split in the rock. But Rimkar was not content to wait and roared past Anakin split seconds before they entered the cleft and disappeared into darkness.
Anakin leveled out his Pod, lifting slightly from the rock-strewn floor of the channel, letting his memory and his instincts take him down the winding cut. When he raced, everything around him slowed down rather than sped up. It was different than you’d expect. Rock and sand and shadows flew past in a wild mix of patterns and shapes, and still he could see so clearly. All the details seemed to jump out at him, as if illuminated by exactly what should make them so difficult to distinguish. He could almost close his eyes and drive, he thought. He was that much in tune with everything around him, that much aware of where he was.
He eased swiftly down the channel, catching glimpses of Rimkar’s engine exhausts as they flashed crimson in the shadows. Far, far overhead, the sky was a brilliant blue streak down the center of the mountain, sending a frail streamer of light into the gap that lost brilliance with every meter it dropped so that by the time it reached Anakin and his fellow racers, it barely cut the dark. Yet Anakin was at peace, lost deep within himself as he drove his Pod, bonded with his engines, given over to the throb and hum of his racer and the soft, velvet dark that folded about.
When they emerged into the light once more, Anakin jammed the thruster bars forward and streaked after Sebulba. Mawhonic and Gasgano were right behind. Ahead, Rimkar had caught Sebulba and was trying to edge past. The lanky Dug lifted his split-X engines slightly to scrape against Rimkar’s Pod. But Rimkar’s rounded shell eased smoothly away, unaffected. Side by side the racers tore across the high flats, headed for Metta Drop. Anakin closed on them, drawing away from Mawhonic and Gasgano. People said what they wanted about Watto—and there was plenty to say that wasn’t good—but he had an eye for Podracers. The big engines jumped obediently as Anakin fed fuel into the thrusters, and in seconds he was drawing alongside Sebulba’s split-X.
They were even when they reached Metta Drop and rocketed over and tumbled straight down.
The trick with drops, as every racer knew, was to gather enough speed going down to gain time over your opponents, but not so much speed that the racer couldn’t pull out of the drop and level out again before it nose-dived into the rocks below. So when Sebulba pulled out early, Anakin was momentarily surprised. Then he felt the backwash of the split-X engines hammer into his Pod. The treacherous Dug had only looked as if he would pull out and instead had lifted away and then deliberately fishtailed atop both Anakin and Rimkar, using his exhaust to slam them against the cliff face.
Rimkar, caught completely by surprise, jammed his thruster bars forward in an automatic response that took him right into the mountain. Metal fragments of Pod and engines careened away from the rock wall in a fiery shower, leaving a long black scar along the ravaged surface.
Anakin might have gone the same way but for his instincts. Almost before he knew what he was doing, at the same instant he felt the backwash of Sebulba’s engines slam into him, he lifted out of his own descent and away from the mountain, almost colliding with a surprised Sebulba, who veered off wildly to save himself. Anakin’s sudden wrenching of his Pod’s steering took him spinning away into the midday, off course and out of control. He pulled back on the steering, eased off on the thrusters, cut the fuel supply to the big engines, and watched the ground rise up to meet him in a rush of sand and reflected light.
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great first 2 books
Loved the first two books but struggling with the third one because some things seem out of place, like from the beginning it's presented to us that Palpatine was "the man who might as well have been his father" to Anakin. Where did that come from? There was no mention of Palpatine and Anakin being close in the previous 2 books, however there was a mention of Obi Wan being the closest thing to a father he's ever had. This got me confused and has no connection to the previous books at all. I get it that in the movies Palpatine was like a mentor to Anakin but in the books this is out of the blue and it feels like a big chunk is missing from the story line of the books. Also not crazy about the descriptions: "This is Obi Wan:", "This is Obi Wan and Anakin"... That's unnessassary and annoying. I can draw my ows conclusions of who they are based on reading and come on, we've all seen the movies. I've only started on the 3rd book so wd'll see but feels like there is a big discord between this one and the previous ones, primarily in Anakin's passionate feelings towards Palpatine out of the blue that were non existent in the previous 2 books.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
This is a handy book that includes Episodes IV, V, and VI all in one. You learn additional information about the characters than you do in the books. Written in an easy to read style, engaging and detailed. Do yourself a favor and buy this book, you won't be sorry!
5.0 out of 5 stars great series
Added so much depth to the Star Wars saga and I loved every page! 100% recommend to all Star Wars fans!
4.0 out of 5 stars No longer truly canon, but enriching and informative reads for fans
A paperback collection of what is commonly referred to as the "Prequel Trilogy" or "Skywalker Saga" Episodes I, II, and III, these books were all written with some amount of oversight from Star Wars creator George Lucas, and were at the least informed by his screenplay material. The product itself is larger than your basic print paperback about the dimensions of a typical hardback, with an Episode III promotional photo on the floppy cover. While in no way a collectors piece, it is ideal for Star Wars completists like myself attempting to glean some added insight into the somewhat maligned trilogy of films.Star Wars: Episode I 'The Phantom Menace' by Terry BrooksThe Episode I novelization is very close to the film, with a few additional scenes, none of which have been officially debunked by canon. These additions, most of which concern either Darth Sidious (not officially confirmed as Senator Palpatine, but heavily suggested, much as in the film), and Anakin Skywalker the 9-year-old-slave destined to become Darth Vader. One of the added accounts adapts a deleted scene confirming, via odd coincidence that the bounty hunter Greedo as a childhood nemesis of Skywalker. Much of the heavily criticized dialogue in the film is touched up and expanded, proving a smoother experience for readers. Some of the improved dialogue, even gives clarity to the oft repeated "Now this is Podracing" meme. A relatively quick and painless read, that calls for an immediate rewatch of the movie right after.Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones by R.A. SalvatoreNot a bad read, by any means, this novelization is easily the weakest of the Star Wars prequel novelizations. Much like the film it is based on, the narrative bounces from compelling to mundane story beats. Salvatore's character work is his strength, but his action is hard to read, often seeming like a technical readout of the movie's story board. The opening of the book is an absolute strength giving added insight to the political context of the episode, as well as a fascinating dive into Anakin's mother's time spent with the Lars family. Most of the opening content has not been disproven by any subsequent canon material, and some of the political concepts involving Padme, have actually been upheld by later writings. The major things no longer to date are mid-book scenes adapted from a set of deleted movie scenes recounting Padme's visit to her family's home on Naboo. The scenes themselves communicate some appreciated character development for Padme, and mirror nicely with attention spent on the Lars family, but details regarding certain members of her family no longer hold up to continuity. Ultimately all the narrative issues of Anakin and Padme's frustrating A-plot, coupled with the more interesting B-plot revolving around Obi Wan are here, but it benefits from strong moments of character insight.Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith by Matthew StoverThe best read of the prequels, complements the best film which details the ultimate fall of Anakin Skywalker to the dark side of the force. The biggest issue of it is how much peripheral material has been disproven by later canon. Much of the novelization references an old Clone Wars expanded universe that George Lucas himself de-canonized when he executive produced the hit animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Stover habitually mentions plot points of his own "Star Wars: Legends" Clone Wars novel, Shatterpoint, much of which does not line up with the newer iterations of the saga, and his character insights on Padme and Dooku do not quite gel with the profiles they have since been given. That said, anything not thoroughly disproven by subsequent work act as truly compelling additions to the Star Wars universe, especially Palpatine's fixation with the Jedi Archives and Mace Windu's alleged "shatterpoint" force gift: content I hope is upheld in future canon, and not discarded. Additional context is given through adaptations of deleted scenes involving the Senate dissent to Palpatine's rule, much of which have been supported by current canon reference material. All in all, it is an absolutely engrossing read, and offers a lot to the knowledge and perspective of a true fan.
5.0 out of 5 stars THIS is a must read for everyone who hated SW I, II, and III
Bless you, Terry Brooks (and other authors) After reading this trilogy I felt restored....relieved. The COMPLETE story--It is all here, told with all the color, life and emotion that the movies missed. Anniken's torment and the FULL story of his slip into the madness of the dark side is revealed. Obi-won's relationship with his panawan, Annikin, is revealed as being one of complexity, being one of partnership and rich with humor. Obi-won's own master, Qui-gon, and the fellow Masters of the Jedi Counsel become important characters in the novels, not just convenient plot movers. Even Jar Jar Binks--such an embarrassment in the movie!--becomes somewhat more 'real', although that terrible (let's not say 'ethnic') verbal assault on spoken language is still present.I LOVE Star Wars...was a young adult when the original (Star Wars IV) came out and was entranced. I've always been a reader of Science Fiction, having read and reread Azimov, Bova, Heinlen, Ellison, and love love love space opera scenario tales of combat, spaceships, and androids. Star Wars hit all three with the addition of a little romance tossed in for color.Imagine my HORROR at the failures of SW I, II, and III. I've watched them many times, and SO MUCH was left...untouched, untold. Herein the questions are answered, the tale told with such life that you come away yearning for a fast ship to fly to that 'galaxy far, far away'.
Star Wars Episodes I to III.
If you've seen the films,then you know the tale. Annakin Skywalker grows up to become something else. (Spoiler alert if you don't know the story). Engrossing yarn brilliantly told, and even better than the films. More details and characterizations. Great treat for the fans!!😎
tolles Buch, schnelle Lieferung
Alles perfekt!
Che la forza sia con voi
Buon libro sulla saga di star wars, si chiariscono molti aspetti che si trovano nei film. Assolutamente da consigliare agli appassionati.
Gift
This was a requested gift for my grandson, who lives it.
Reliable seller
I was afraid it wouldn't arrive but everything is as specified in the description
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Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy
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Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy
AED14901
Quantity:
Order today to get by 7-14 business days
Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.
Imported From: United States
At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.
BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.
Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.
If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.
Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.
All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.
While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.
Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.
BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.
All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.
All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.
Description:
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
R. A. Salvatore is a fantasy author best known for The DemonWars Saga, his Forgotten Realms novels, and Vector Prime, the first novel in the Star Wars: The New Jedi Order series. He has sold more than fifteen million copies of his books in the United States alone, and more than twenty of his titles have been New York Times bestsellers. R. A. Salvatore lives with his wife, Diane, in his native state of Massachusetts.
Matthew Stover is perhaps best known for his four Star Wars novels, Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Traitor; Star Wars: Shatterpoint; Star Wars: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor; and the novelization of the movie Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith. He has also written several fantasy novels, including Iron Dawn and Jericho Moon, and four science fiction/fantasy stories featuring a hero named Caine.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Tatooine.
The suns burned down out of a cloudless blue sky, washing the vast desert wastes of the planet in brilliant white light. The resultant glare rose off the flat, sandy surface in a wet shimmer of blistering heat to fill the gaps between the massive cliff faces and solitary outcroppings of the mountains that were the planet’s sole distinguishing feature. Sharply etched, the monoliths stood like sentinels keeping watch in a watery haze.
When the Podracers streaked past, engines roaring with ferocious hunger and relentless drive, the heat and the light seemed to shatter and the mountains themselves to tremble.
Anakin Skywalker leaned into the curve of the raceway that took him past the stone arch marking the entry into Beggar’s Canyon on the first lap of the run, easing the thruster bars forward, giving the engines a little more juice. The wedge-shaped rockets exploded with power, the right a tad harder than the left, banking the Pod in which Anakin sat sharply left to clear the turn. Swiftly, he adjusted the steering to straighten the racer, boosted power further, and shot through the arch. Loose sand whiplashed in the wake of his passing, filling the air with a gritty sheen, whirling and dancing through the heat. He ripped into the canyon, fingers playing across the controls, hands steady on the steering.
It was all so quick, so instantaneous. One mistake, one misjudgment, and he would be out of the race and lucky if he weren’t dead. That was the thrill of it. All that power, all that speed, just at his fingertips, and no margin for error. Two huge turbines dragged a fragile Pod over sandy flats, around jagged-edged mountains, down shadowed draws, and over heart-wrenching drops in a series of twisting, winding curves and jumps at the greatest speed a driver could manage. Control cables ran from the Pod to the engines, and energy binders locked the engines to each other. If any part of the three struck something solid, the whole of the assembly would collapse in a splintering of metal and a fiery wash of rocket fuel. If any part broke free, it was all over.
A grin split Anakin’s young face as he injected a bit more power into the thrusters.
Ahead, the canyon narrowed and the shadows deepened. Anakin bore down on the slit of brightness that opened back onto the flats, keeping low to the ground where passage was widest. If he stayed high, he risked brushing the cliff faces on either side. That had happened to Regga in a race last month, and they were still looking for the pieces.
It would not happen to him.
He shoved the thruster bars forward and exploded through the gap onto the flats, engines screaming.
Sitting in the Pod with his hands on the controls, Anakin could feel the vibration of the engines travel up the control cables and fill him with their music. Wrapped in his rough-made jumpsuit, his racing helmet, his goggles, and his gloves, he was wedged so closely in his seat that he could feel the rush of the wind across the Pod’s skin beneath him. When he raced like this, he was never simply the driver of a Podracer, never just an additional part. Rather, he was at one with the whole, and engines, Pod, and he were bound together in a way he could not entirely explain. Each shimmy, each small throb, each tug and twist of strut and tie were apparent to him, and he could sense at any given moment exactly what was happening throughout the length and breadth of his racer. It spoke to him in its own language, a mix of sounds and feelings, and though it did not use words, he could understand everything it said.
Sometimes, he thought dreamily, he could sense what it would say before it even spoke.
A flash of gleaming orange metal shot past him on his right, and he watched the distinctive split-X of Sebulba’s engines flare out before him, taking away the lead he had seized through an unusually quick start. His brow wrinkled in disgust at himself for his momentary lapse of concentration and his dislike of the other racer. All gangly and crook-legged, Sebulba was as twisted inside as out, a dangerous adversary who won often and took delight in doing so at the expense of others. The Dug had caused more than a dozen crashes of other Podracers in the past year alone, and his eyes glinted with wicked pleasure when he recounted the tales to others on the dusty streets of Mos Espa. Anakin knew Sebulba well—and knew better than to take chances with him.
He rode the thruster bars forward, fed fresh power to the engines, and rocketed ahead.
It didn’t help, he supposed as he watched the distance between them narrow, that he was human or, much worse, that he was the only human ever to drive in the Podraces. The ultimate test of skill and daring on Tatooine and the favorite spectator sport of the citizens of Mos Espa, it was supposed to be beyond the skill and capability of any human. Multiple arms and multihinged joints, stalk eyes, heads that swiveled 180 degrees, and bodies that twisted as if boneless gave advantages to other creatures that humans could not begin to overcome. The most famous racers, the best of a rare breed, were strangely shaped, complexly formed beings with a penchant for taking risks that bordered on insanity.
But Anakin Skywalker, while nothing like these, was so intuitive in his understanding of the skills required by his sport and so comfortable with its demands that his lack of these other attributes seemed to matter not at all. It was a source of some mystery to everyone, and a source of disgust and growing irritation to Sebulba in particular.
Last month, in another race, the wily Dug had tried to run Anakin into a cliff face. He had failed only because Anakin sensed him coming up from behind and underneath, an illegal razor saw extended to sever Anakin’s right Steelton control cable, and Anakin lifted away to safety before the saw could do its damage. His escape cost him the race, but allowed him to keep his life. It was a trade he was still angry at having been forced to make.
The racers whipped through columns of ancient statuary and across the floor of the arena erected on the edge of Mos Espa. They swept under the winner’s arch, past row upon row of seats crammed with spectators cheering them on, past pit droids, repair stations, and the boxes where the Hutts watched in isolated splendor above the commoners. From an overlook in a tower centered on the arch, the two-headed Troig who served as announcer would be shouting out their names and positions to the crowd. Anakin allowed himself a momentary glimpse of blurred figures that were left behind so fast they might have been nothing more than a mirage. His mother, Shmi, would be among them, worrying as she always did. She hated watching him drive in the Podraces, but she couldn’t help herself. She never said so, but he thought she believed that simply by being there she could keep him from coming to harm. It had worked so far. He had crashed twice and failed to finish even once, but after more than half a dozen races he was unharmed. And he liked having her there. It gave him a strange sort of confidence in himself he didn’t like to think about too closely.
Besides, what choice did they have in the matter? He raced because he was good at it, Watto knew he was good at it, and whatever Watto wanted of him he would do. That was the price you paid when you were a slave, and Anakin Skywalker had been a slave all his life.
Arch Canyon rose broad and deep before him, an expanse of rock leading into Jag Crag Gorge, a twisting channel the racers were required to navigate on their way to the high flats beyond. Sebulba was just ahead, rocketing low and tight across the ground, trying to put some distance between Anakin and himself. Behind Anakin, close now, were three other racers spread out against the horizon. A quick glance revealed Mawhonic, Gasgano, and Rimkar trailing in his strange bubble pod. All three were gaining. Anakin started to engage his thrusters, then drew back. They were too close to the gorge. Too much power there, and he would be in trouble. Response time in the channel was compacted down to almost nothing. It was better to wait.
Mawhonic and Gasgano seemed to agree, settling their Pods into place behind his as they approached the split in the rock. But Rimkar was not content to wait and roared past Anakin split seconds before they entered the cleft and disappeared into darkness.
Anakin leveled out his Pod, lifting slightly from the rock-strewn floor of the channel, letting his memory and his instincts take him down the winding cut. When he raced, everything around him slowed down rather than sped up. It was different than you’d expect. Rock and sand and shadows flew past in a wild mix of patterns and shapes, and still he could see so clearly. All the details seemed to jump out at him, as if illuminated by exactly what should make them so difficult to distinguish. He could almost close his eyes and drive, he thought. He was that much in tune with everything around him, that much aware of where he was.
He eased swiftly down the channel, catching glimpses of Rimkar’s engine exhausts as they flashed crimson in the shadows. Far, far overhead, the sky was a brilliant blue streak down the center of the mountain, sending a frail streamer of light into the gap that lost brilliance with every meter it dropped so that by the time it reached Anakin and his fellow racers, it barely cut the dark. Yet Anakin was at peace, lost deep within himself as he drove his Pod, bonded with his engines, given over to the throb and hum of his racer and the soft, velvet dark that folded about.
When they emerged into the light once more, Anakin jammed the thruster bars forward and streaked after Sebulba. Mawhonic and Gasgano were right behind. Ahead, Rimkar had caught Sebulba and was trying to edge past. The lanky Dug lifted his split-X engines slightly to scrape against Rimkar’s Pod. But Rimkar’s rounded shell eased smoothly away, unaffected. Side by side the racers tore across the high flats, headed for Metta Drop. Anakin closed on them, drawing away from Mawhonic and Gasgano. People said what they wanted about Watto—and there was plenty to say that wasn’t good—but he had an eye for Podracers. The big engines jumped obediently as Anakin fed fuel into the thrusters, and in seconds he was drawing alongside Sebulba’s split-X.
They were even when they reached Metta Drop and rocketed over and tumbled straight down.
The trick with drops, as every racer knew, was to gather enough speed going down to gain time over your opponents, but not so much speed that the racer couldn’t pull out of the drop and level out again before it nose-dived into the rocks below. So when Sebulba pulled out early, Anakin was momentarily surprised. Then he felt the backwash of the split-X engines hammer into his Pod. The treacherous Dug had only looked as if he would pull out and instead had lifted away and then deliberately fishtailed atop both Anakin and Rimkar, using his exhaust to slam them against the cliff face.
Rimkar, caught completely by surprise, jammed his thruster bars forward in an automatic response that took him right into the mountain. Metal fragments of Pod and engines careened away from the rock wall in a fiery shower, leaving a long black scar along the ravaged surface.
Anakin might have gone the same way but for his instincts. Almost before he knew what he was doing, at the same instant he felt the backwash of Sebulba’s engines slam into him, he lifted out of his own descent and away from the mountain, almost colliding with a surprised Sebulba, who veered off wildly to save himself. Anakin’s sudden wrenching of his Pod’s steering took him spinning away into the midday, off course and out of control. He pulled back on the steering, eased off on the thrusters, cut the fuel supply to the big engines, and watched the ground rise up to meet him in a rush of sand and reflected light.
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great first 2 books
Loved the first two books but struggling with the third one because some things seem out of place, like from the beginning it's presented to us that Palpatine was "the man who might as well have been his father" to Anakin. Where did that come from? There was no mention of Palpatine and Anakin being close in the previous 2 books, however there was a mention of Obi Wan being the closest thing to a father he's ever had. This got me confused and has no connection to the previous books at all. I get it that in the movies Palpatine was like a mentor to Anakin but in the books this is out of the blue and it feels like a big chunk is missing from the story line of the books. Also not crazy about the descriptions: "This is Obi Wan:", "This is Obi Wan and Anakin"... That's unnessassary and annoying. I can draw my ows conclusions of who they are based on reading and come on, we've all seen the movies. I've only started on the 3rd book so wd'll see but feels like there is a big discord between this one and the previous ones, primarily in Anakin's passionate feelings towards Palpatine out of the blue that were non existent in the previous 2 books.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
This is a handy book that includes Episodes IV, V, and VI all in one. You learn additional information about the characters than you do in the books. Written in an easy to read style, engaging and detailed. Do yourself a favor and buy this book, you won't be sorry!
5.0 out of 5 stars great series
Added so much depth to the Star Wars saga and I loved every page! 100% recommend to all Star Wars fans!
4.0 out of 5 stars No longer truly canon, but enriching and informative reads for fans
A paperback collection of what is commonly referred to as the "Prequel Trilogy" or "Skywalker Saga" Episodes I, II, and III, these books were all written with some amount of oversight from Star Wars creator George Lucas, and were at the least informed by his screenplay material. The product itself is larger than your basic print paperback about the dimensions of a typical hardback, with an Episode III promotional photo on the floppy cover. While in no way a collectors piece, it is ideal for Star Wars completists like myself attempting to glean some added insight into the somewhat maligned trilogy of films.Star Wars: Episode I 'The Phantom Menace' by Terry BrooksThe Episode I novelization is very close to the film, with a few additional scenes, none of which have been officially debunked by canon. These additions, most of which concern either Darth Sidious (not officially confirmed as Senator Palpatine, but heavily suggested, much as in the film), and Anakin Skywalker the 9-year-old-slave destined to become Darth Vader. One of the added accounts adapts a deleted scene confirming, via odd coincidence that the bounty hunter Greedo as a childhood nemesis of Skywalker. Much of the heavily criticized dialogue in the film is touched up and expanded, proving a smoother experience for readers. Some of the improved dialogue, even gives clarity to the oft repeated "Now this is Podracing" meme. A relatively quick and painless read, that calls for an immediate rewatch of the movie right after.Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones by R.A. SalvatoreNot a bad read, by any means, this novelization is easily the weakest of the Star Wars prequel novelizations. Much like the film it is based on, the narrative bounces from compelling to mundane story beats. Salvatore's character work is his strength, but his action is hard to read, often seeming like a technical readout of the movie's story board. The opening of the book is an absolute strength giving added insight to the political context of the episode, as well as a fascinating dive into Anakin's mother's time spent with the Lars family. Most of the opening content has not been disproven by any subsequent canon material, and some of the political concepts involving Padme, have actually been upheld by later writings. The major things no longer to date are mid-book scenes adapted from a set of deleted movie scenes recounting Padme's visit to her family's home on Naboo. The scenes themselves communicate some appreciated character development for Padme, and mirror nicely with attention spent on the Lars family, but details regarding certain members of her family no longer hold up to continuity. Ultimately all the narrative issues of Anakin and Padme's frustrating A-plot, coupled with the more interesting B-plot revolving around Obi Wan are here, but it benefits from strong moments of character insight.Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith by Matthew StoverThe best read of the prequels, complements the best film which details the ultimate fall of Anakin Skywalker to the dark side of the force. The biggest issue of it is how much peripheral material has been disproven by later canon. Much of the novelization references an old Clone Wars expanded universe that George Lucas himself de-canonized when he executive produced the hit animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Stover habitually mentions plot points of his own "Star Wars: Legends" Clone Wars novel, Shatterpoint, much of which does not line up with the newer iterations of the saga, and his character insights on Padme and Dooku do not quite gel with the profiles they have since been given. That said, anything not thoroughly disproven by subsequent work act as truly compelling additions to the Star Wars universe, especially Palpatine's fixation with the Jedi Archives and Mace Windu's alleged "shatterpoint" force gift: content I hope is upheld in future canon, and not discarded. Additional context is given through adaptations of deleted scenes involving the Senate dissent to Palpatine's rule, much of which have been supported by current canon reference material. All in all, it is an absolutely engrossing read, and offers a lot to the knowledge and perspective of a true fan.
5.0 out of 5 stars THIS is a must read for everyone who hated SW I, II, and III
Bless you, Terry Brooks (and other authors) After reading this trilogy I felt restored....relieved. The COMPLETE story--It is all here, told with all the color, life and emotion that the movies missed. Anniken's torment and the FULL story of his slip into the madness of the dark side is revealed. Obi-won's relationship with his panawan, Annikin, is revealed as being one of complexity, being one of partnership and rich with humor. Obi-won's own master, Qui-gon, and the fellow Masters of the Jedi Counsel become important characters in the novels, not just convenient plot movers. Even Jar Jar Binks--such an embarrassment in the movie!--becomes somewhat more 'real', although that terrible (let's not say 'ethnic') verbal assault on spoken language is still present.I LOVE Star Wars...was a young adult when the original (Star Wars IV) came out and was entranced. I've always been a reader of Science Fiction, having read and reread Azimov, Bova, Heinlen, Ellison, and love love love space opera scenario tales of combat, spaceships, and androids. Star Wars hit all three with the addition of a little romance tossed in for color.Imagine my HORROR at the failures of SW I, II, and III. I've watched them many times, and SO MUCH was left...untouched, untold. Herein the questions are answered, the tale told with such life that you come away yearning for a fast ship to fly to that 'galaxy far, far away'.
Star Wars Episodes I to III.
If you've seen the films,then you know the tale. Annakin Skywalker grows up to become something else. (Spoiler alert if you don't know the story). Engrossing yarn brilliantly told, and even better than the films. More details and characterizations. Great treat for the fans!!😎
tolles Buch, schnelle Lieferung
Alles perfekt!
Che la forza sia con voi
Buon libro sulla saga di star wars, si chiariscono molti aspetti che si trovano nei film. Assolutamente da consigliare agli appassionati.
Gift
This was a requested gift for my grandson, who lives it.
Reliable seller
I was afraid it wouldn't arrive but everything is as specified in the description
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