The Books of Sean Stewart

A Clone Wars novel, set six months before 'Revenge Of The Sith'. Count Dooku contacts Yoda and requests a meeting on Vjun, a world tainted by the dark side of the Force. Joining Yoda on his mission are two young Padawans, the Force-weak Scout and the powerful but troubled Whie. Where Stewart stands out among the Clone Wars authors is that he is the first to truly explore some characters who are familiar and yet have always been mysterious, namely Dooku, Asajj Ventress and, of course, Yoda. The Yoda presented here is a clever mix of the stern and thoughful Master of the prequels and the eccentric old hermit from 'The Empire Strikes Back', making a Yoda who you can really love. However, it is with Dooku that the author really shines, especially when it becomes clear that he is half-tempted by the lie he fabricates about returning to the Jedi Order. It's also good to see his relationship with Ventress, who voices his own fears, and especially interesting to read of his jealousy when Darth Sidious takes an interest in Anakin Skywalker. The almost mundane competition in the Temple at the beginning provides an excellent grounding for the story, rather than the usual case of the Jedi simply setting off on another mission. Stewart's characters are all well realised, with genuine human issues, desires and faults. I was interested to learn that Whie is set to appear in the forthcoming Episode III too (Vader-bait perhaps). Certainly one of the best Clone Wars novels.