I enjoyed The Phantom of Menace and The Clone Army Attacketh very much, and wanted more; picked up this hardcover at Barnes and Noble today. It is, of course, a retelling of "Revenge of the Sith", told in Shakespearian style.

Among the high points here: the use of a play-within-a-play, "Hamlet"-style, for Palpatine to begin to sway Anakin; it's based on their conversation at a stage production in the film, but this version is more deliberate - and, to my mind, more effective. I also enjoyed the lively, banter-and-pun-filled action sequences - the books have to find ways for the characters to describe the action since there's no big screen to show it on, and in many cases it's more fun than the big-screen version.

Once more the author finds a way to fit in a "those two guys" scene, here adding bleak foreboding: Jedi 1 and Jedi 2 are happily met, chatting about how there's a mysterious gap in the list of orders - there seems to be no "66". They ponder what this might mean and whether they should do anything about it, but agree it's probably nothing - and their chat ends thusly:

"As one we walk, two joyful Jedi Knights -
Long ages hence, we two shall verily
Laugh when we think of order sixty-six."

On a somewhat lighter note, R2-D2 gets one of the random pop-culture references when, while fretting about what Anakin's up to on the volcanic planet Mustafar, he muses (in prose; he only "beeps" when talking to others):

"My fear doth keep me here, in frozen state,
Although the wind howls like a storm inside.
O, let it go - fear not, but be at ease;
The heat ne'er bother'd R2 anyway."

Things only get bleaker from that point, of course, with the story ending in fittingly Shakesperian tragedy. Nicely done!

I'm taking this to this afternoon's BookCrossing meetup at Panera in Porter Square, Cambridge; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in MA here.]

*** Released for the 2018 Science Fiction release challenge. ***

*** Released for the 2018 Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes release challenge, for the embedded "ear" in the title. ***

*** Released for the 2018 Theater release challenge. ***

Picked this up at the Saturday meetup. Looks like fun! Setting aside in my to be read pile.

Orphaned at Boston August 2018 meetup and bound for the work book sharing shelf.

Planned for a stay on the work book sharing shelf

Planned for release ay July 2019 Boston Bookcrossers Meetup

Orphaned at the local bookcrossing meeting. If you find me, please leave a note, read me, and then release me!