A Really Great Prequel

This review covers the audio tape version (4 Cassettes, 6 Hours). This was a really good pre-SW Ep 1 movie. It goes a long way to filling in a lot of the chess moves made prior to Trade Federation blockade of Naboo. I felt that the story was a little rough in places, as though trying to keep track of one too many story tracks. Alexander Adams does a very good job of acting out all of the parts, with the usual good music and sound effects blazing away in the background. The audio is crisp and clear, and is easily heard in my car's stereo. Well worth the purchase price.

Familiar with the SW Universe, but too much description.

I bought this book roughly a year ago and decided to finally read it after reading the "Hand of Thrawn" duology (which is excellent.)

I found it to be very disappointing.

For one, the story just seems to be sluggish and a lot like a history lesson. Don't get me wrong, it was good to see what caused the taxation of the Trade Federation routes.
However, just as the story seemed to be progressing--BAM!!--he goes on about what the battle droid's blaster looks like for almost two pages, or something like that. And it totally ruins the fluidity.
To make matters worse, is that he throws Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan in there for the sake of tradition. It would have been just as good to have other Jedi in there, such as Mace Windu, Kit Fisto or Plo Koon.
I guess the biggest spoiler for me was that Luceno seemed to try too hard. It was almost as if he had no taste for the characters, which seemed to use lines derived from Episode 1. The only thing he was really vivid about was their descriptions, which were more often than not, intrusive.
Cloak of Deception would have been a great paperback, but this abomination was apparently good enough to be published as a hardback...oh well. I only just read them.

Read this before you watch or read Episode I again....

... and you'll thank me. You'll understand the nature of the Trade Federation embargo that dominates the plot and provides it with its main conflict. That Darth Sidious (Palpatine, the future Emperor) is engineering it to his advancement, as well as the downfall of the Jedi, is not news; however, I never fully understood why everybody else was doing what they were doing (why is the Trade Federation blockading Naboo, anyway?). This book provides excellent backstory - as well as an interesting and entertaining plot of its own.

I won't cover the plot details, as Guy DuBlanc and Alex Diaz-Granados have excellent reviews that do so very well. What I will add is that the cover art was well-chosen, as the three on the front are indeed the main characters of this novel, as well as pirate Captain Cohl. Palpatine moves chess pieces at will, and there's a great piece of foreshadowing early on (Valorum wonders where the galaxy would be without the Jedi. Palpatine's reply: "I can only imagine."). Qui-Gon chooses his own path, often against the collective will of the Council, but does so not to rebel as much as following his instincts in order to prevent disaster and nab the bad guys. This is an important dimension of this character, one that Episode I did not (could not) fully explore. My only lament is that this novel did not really have any humor in it. "Star Wars" isn't a laugh-fest, but should feature some witty barbs and an occasional funny turnabout of events.

I recommend reading this and then immediately following it up with Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter (an excellent, fast-paced novel - and tinged with humor, as all "Star Wars" stories should be). Then go on to Episode I - and you'll get a fresh viewing of both the noble Qui-Gon and the vile Darth Maul.