My teen is the biggest Star Wars fan, & getting to read advance reader copies of these titles thanks to Netgalley & Disney Publishing Worldwide has been such a highlight of his time at home during the pandemic.

He devoured this series of stories in less than a day, and absolutely loved it. From stories he knew, and new versions of stories already done this one was one he immediately asked for a hard copy of.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this title with my teen in exchange for our honest review, and being a bright spot in this weird time!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark is a collection of short stories set in the Star Wars universe (in case that wasn't obvious). This collection is much like the animated series, showcasing smaller moments within a much larger time frame.

In total there are eleven stories to this collection, with some huge names worth noting. Actually, the authors involved are half the reason why I was so interested in this particular collection. The titles in this collection include: Sharing the Same Face by Jason Fry, Dooku Captured by Lou Anders, Hostage Crisis by Preeti Chhibber, Pursuit of Peace by Anne Ursu, The Shadow of Umbara by Yoon Ha Lee, Bane's Story by Tom Angleberger, The Lost Nightsister by Zoraida Cordova, Dark Vengeance by Rebecca Roanhorse, Almost a Jedi by Sarah Beth Durst, Kenobi's Shadow by Greg Van Eekhout, and Bug by E. Anne Carvery.

Below you'll find individual reviews for each short story in this collection. It is worth noting that the fans of the Star Wars: Clone Wars television series will be (very) familiar with many of the stories included.

Sharing the Same Face by Jason Fry
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Sharing the Same Face is a tale focused on the long and varied experience of the one and only Yoda. Here Yoda is working alongside several new Clone Troopers in order to thwart Ventress's current plans.
“He'd let his senses be flooded by the life energies around him. And everywhere he visited, he found beauty and wonder.”
This was a quick and fun read, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's a plot I'm familiar with, but it was still nice to see it all through Yoda's eyes. It added a new perspective to the mix, and let me appreciate the series of events that much more.

Dooku Captured by Lou Anders
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Dooku Captured is another familiar event, though it's told in a unique format. The entire short story reads like a message written by Count Dooku. It's an odd mixture of formal and informal, all while recounting his latest battle against Anakin and Kenobi.
“I thought I sensed an unpleasant disturbance in the Force.”
This was another fun and quick read, though it's definitely one of the more unique stories in this collection. Not because of the format itself, but because of the storytelling method. It's told in first person, which worked for such a quick story, but I don't think this format would have worked as well for a complete novel.

Hostage Crisis by Preeti Chhibber
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Next up is Hostage Crisis. We're back to following Anakin Skywalker for this story. His dedication to Padme knows no bounds, even during trying times. Though sometimes that creates more complications for him and his path of being a Jedi.
“He rolls his eyes. If they could get away from all this secrecy and have a few moments to themselves, the great weight of their responsibilities would evaporate, even just for a short while.”
Okay, so this is another one of those stories I distinctly remember from the show. Still, it's nice actually getting a chance to see Anakin's thought process during this whole scene of events – that's something the show could never have done. It simultaneously makes the whole thing sweeter – and more concerning.

Pursuit of Peace by Anne Ursu
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Pursuit of Peace portrays all of the struggles that Senator Amidala went through while attempting to bring peace. There are times where it feels like she's the only one trying to find a solution that doesn't involve bloodshed – this is one of those times.
“But this time were was a new wrinkle: the Senate's war funds were nearly extinguished: they simply could not afford more clones. Padme had entertained a small hope that this, finally, might lead the Senate to discuss peace – but she should have known better.”
Any story that contains Padme is an automatic read in my book, I adore her character. Ursu did justice to a wonderful character here, showing the complexity that comes with Padme's position – and her virtues.

The Shadow of Umbara by Yoon Ha Lee
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
The Shadows of Umbara is a harsh reminder that to many, the Clone Troopers are not real people. They are tools, and they are weapons, but little more than that. This story focuses on Rex, and the bias that he had to battle on more than one occasion.
“It was too late for caution to save them”
This is one of those stories that makes my skin crawl. Not because it was poorly written – if anything, the opposite is true. Just the idea of the Clone Troopers being disregarded in such a way. Getting into Rex's head for this tale made it even more chilling (even while knowing how it was going to play out).

Bane's Story by Tom Angleberger
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Bane's Story revolves around the one and only Cad Bane, and you just know that this is going to be an epic adventure from start to finish. Bane's been imprisoned, but that won't last long. He's going to break out, even if that means working with people he doesn't trust. Followed by a whole new series of events – and crimes.
“But I'll tell you what really happened: the true story of the biggest crime ever attempted this side of Kessel.”

The Lost Nightsister by Zoraida Cordova
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Asajj Ventress has been many things. The Lost Nightsister is a reminder of her past, while a battle for the future begins. It doesn't matter what's coming at her next, Ventress will find a way to survive. She always does.
“Ventress survived because the only other choice was not surviving, and she was too stubborn for that.”
You know a story is well written when it (almost) makes you feel bad for the villains. That is the case for Ventress's story. She may do wicked things, but nobody deserves to have gone through as much as her, or to have lost so much. I really do love the way Zoraida Cordova brought this journey to life.

Dark Vengeance by Rebecca Roanhorse
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Dark Vengeance is the reminder we all need, that one should never count an enemy dead. Especially if their body is not sitting right in front of you. People like Darth Maul are much too difficult to kill, after all.
“Do they whisper my name in the classrooms of your academy, down the winding halls of your space station, in the hollows and fields of your farming planet, or across the dunes of your desert home?”
This story follows the battle of Darth Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and yet it is still a surprising story. There are many elements I enjoyed about this read, including the unique storytelling style. There's something chilling about the idea of Darth Maul addressing the reader.

Almost a Jedi by Sarah Beth Durst
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Ahsoka Tano didn't expect to find herself fighting or running from pirates, not when she signed up to be a Jedi. Yet that is the story that unfolds in Almost a Jedi. She's bound to protect Jedi younglings, in what should have been a relatively easy mission. Now, it's anything but.
“I drew a poster of her signature double lightsabers for my room at the Jedi Temple. Okay, I drew three posters of her.”
This is a retelling of one of my favorite Ahsoka moments from the Clone Wars series. Not only does it highlight a beloved character, but it gave many younglings a chance to shine as well. This short story does that tale justice, while adding a few details that I adored.

Kenobi's Shadow by Greg Van Eekhout
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Obi-Wan Kenobi has long been famous for his stalwart portrayal of the perfect Jedi. Yet there's no doubt that he is also a human, and he has his moments of weakness, as well as room to feel things such as affection, and loss. Kenobi's Shadow is about the events that occurred on Mandalore, and how/why Kenobi got involved.
“Obi-Wan resisted the urge to charge out of the chamber, board a ship, and make the hyperspace jump to help his friend.”
From the moment her name came up, I knew exactly what story was going to unfold on these pages. It was a great story, even knowing what was going to happen (and why). I love this tale for it adds more humanity to Kenobi than many others out there, which is saying something.

Bug by E. Anne Carvery
Rating: N/A
This is the only story I wasn't able to rate, as it wasn't included in the free review copy I received. I'll probably (definitely) end up picking up a copy, though not just to I can read the final short story in this collection.

https://whatsnewonjakku.wordpress.com/2020/08/25/star-wars-the-clone-wars-stories-of-light-and-dark-review/

Stories of Light and Dark is a gorgeous book full of retellings of some of the stories we know and love from the TV series The Clone Wars. Sadly, it did not include some fan favorites like the “Siege of Mandalore,” but it did include some other really great stories. “The Lost Nightsister” and “Almost a Jedi” are two of my favorites. The book added little details like some of the characters thoughts we would not have previously known, but other than that it did not differ much from the show.

Aesthetically, this is one of the prettiest books I have ever laid eyes on. The color scheme, formatting, and art work combined really sell it. It is easy on the eyes and smooth to touch. I felt like I was receiving a Christmas gift when I first opened it up. It fits the overall visual theme of The Clone Wars well.

If you are a casual fan of Star Wars or haven’t seen The Clone Wars, this book probably isn’t your thing. However, if you are a “prequel stan” and obsessed with The Clone Wars, Ahsoka, and that era of Star Wars, you will love this book. It is an anthology, so you can totally crack open any chapter and read it to yourself or your kids before bed. I grew up watching The Clone Wars and am elated to see some of the older arcs still being shown some love. I quite enjoyed this book and I hope you do too!

Children's Fiction ~ Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark
Review by: Bluninja29

Opening Thoughts:
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark is a collection of stories based off the TV show Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2003 TV series.) It has 11 Short Stories all based off episodes from the TV show. with more view points that we didn't get to see in the show. One of the Short stories im are gonna look at is about Count Dooku.

Story:
Count Dooku was surprised attacked by the Republic.

Presentation:
I do like how these are in the characters point of view like Count Dooku. I also like how all the stories are based off the show. What I didn't like is how these are short stories, but it is a nitpick so I won't get crazy over it. I honestly liked this book.
If you are a star wars nerd or want to give your kid a star wars book to read. then this is the book for you!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Stories of Light and Dark is a fun take on some of our favorite stories from the beloved television series The Clone Wars. As a die-hard fan, I was itching to spend more time with characters like Captain Rex, Ahsoka, Padme, Maul, and Hondo Ohnaka, and I was not disappointed. Even if I am not in the target audience, I had a wholly enjoyable time and immediately queued up my rewatch on Disney+.

This book will undoubtedly draw comparisons to the Star Wars: From A Certain Point of View anthology book. While, yes, they are both anthologies, Stories of Light and Dark is written with a younger reader in mind. FACPOV sets out to give us fresh-takes on classic scenes from background or minor characters and is catered to a general audience. Stories of Light and Dark is written to service the younglings who are coming of age and ready to experience the series for the first time or with fresh eyes.

While the advanced copy did not come with the eleventh story included, I enjoyed different aspects of the ten I had the privilege of reading. "Hostage Crisis" by Preeti Chhibber, "The Lost Nightsister" by Zoraida Cordova, "Dark Vengeance" by Rebecca Roanhorse, and "Almost a Jedi" by Sarah Beth Durst are among my favorites. The best novelizations allow you to live inside the mind of the characters in a way that enhances what you see on screen. This collection of stories does just that. Readers will get to experience a new sense of the depth of emotions our characters feel, and they'll stick with you long after you've finished reading.

As I mentioned above, I am not this book's target audience. Having grown up on The Clone Wars, I found myself wanting to return to the series over reading particular sections of the book. While some may view this as a negative, I think it is a testament to the authors and stories selected that I wanted to relive the arcs in their original form. Easily accessible and wholly entertaining, this is a perfect bridge between the padawan and the Master readers out there. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

The stories surrounding Star Wars: The Clone Wars have quickly become a staple in the Star Wars franchise. Earlier this year, season seven of the animated series delivered a well-received end cap that gave fans another round of adventures with our favorite characters. If you are still looking to have that Clone Wars itch scratched, look no further than Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Stories of Light and Dark. Published by Disney–Lucasfilm Press, Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Stories of Light and Dark features stories directly from episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars focusing on the perspective of one character. The eleven stories come from eleven different authors: Lou Anders, Tom Angleberger, Preeti Chhibber, Zoraida Córdova, Jason Fry, Rebecca Roanhorse, Anne Ursu, Sarah Beth Durst, Yoon Ha Lee, Greg van Eekhout, and E. Anne Convery. This powerhouse team of authors is joined by Ksenia Zelentsova who provides both the cover art and the illustrations throughout the anthology.

Despite being stories from the animated series, the focused perspective on the main character gives a fresh take on stories that fans have come to love. Readers can expect to see Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Captain Rex, Darth Maul, Count Dooku, Cad Bane, Padmé Amidala, Asajj Ventress, and Katooni in ways that fans may have not quite experienced back in the early 2000s. There is no question that this vast range of characters are on different sides of the Clone Wars conflict. However, by retelling these episodes and arcs from their perspective, the field evens out as we see each character’s motivations without the influence of a structured animated episode.

As a canon anthology, readers won’t glean any new or groundbreaking information outside a different point of view from the events of the animated series. This certainly does not take away from the amazing voice that each author is able to inject into their stories with their unique writing styles. While the majority of the stories are retelling, readers can expect a nice treat at the end of theStar Wars: The Clone Wars – Stories of Light and Dark with “Bug” from writer Convery. The story is an all-new story in the Star Wars canon that features a story focused on a Nightsister after the assault on Dathormir at the hands of General Grevious.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Stories of Light and Dark is largely aimed at a younger audience. Coming in at over 300 pages with eleven different stories, this anthology feels largely like the young adult version of Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View. The text takes center stage on each page and is presented in a way that is easy to read. Scattered throughout is art from artist Zelentsova of the character-focused on in each story which provides an easy reminder of what the characters look like. This could easily serve as a nightly bedtime story for children just learning to read or an introduction in the vast world of the Star Wars expanded universe for slightly older children.

Despite its clear intended audience, the new story at the end of Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Stories of Light and Dark may be enough for lore diehards to pick up the anthology. However, if you are fine with a TL;DR of that story and do not care much for reading stories you have already heard, then this may not be the book for you. That said, I found myself going back to watch the corresponding episodes to compare and contrast. This really showed how well this team of authors was able to bring all of the stories together in a cohesive book. From that perspective, it is hard to find much fault with Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Stories of Light and Dark outside of not getting more original stories.

I hope that Disney–Lucasfilm Press adapts stories from the other animated shows like Rebels and Resistance, especially since as those shows have characters that we really don’t know as much about compared with The Clone Wars. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Stories of Light and Dark shows that telling these stories we have already seen from a first-person perspective can be done and shows that other animated series could also benefit from this treatment while even giving new stories as well.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Stories of Light and Dark is available now wherever books are sold.

Reading The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark had me feeling so nostalgic, and I loved re-living the Clone Wars episodes that were featured! It was interesting experiencing the same episodes from another character’s point of view: Hostage Crisis told from Anakin’s perspective rather than Padmé’s for example. My only criticism of the book is it’s missing a story from Ahsoka’s perspective - that’s also coming from a huge Ahsoka fan. The Ahsoka illustration before “Almost A Jedi” led me to believe it would be from Ahsoka’s perspective; however, seeing ‘The Younglings’ arc from Katooni’s POV wasn’t all bad and turned out to be one of my favorite stories in the book. Furthermore, the art of each title character by Ksenia Zelentsova before every story was beautiful and such a nice touch to the book - not to mention the cover art is absolutely gorgeous as well! If you’re a Clone Wars fan, this book is a must just to have part of your collection, and the stories are the perfect length for a bedtime story for younglings - a good way to introduce them to the franchise.

It's expected for major Star Wars productions to get a novel adaptation. In fact, if a movie premiered without a novel coming soon thereafter I'm sure fans would make their displeasure known. So it seems fitting for Star Wars longest running television series to get the same treatment.

Enter: Stories of Light and Dark. This is a collection of short stories by a number of very talented authors, many of which are no stranger to writing Star Wars stories.

Stories of Light and Dark is written at a grade school level, so that's the first thing to keep in mind. If you're looking at this book expecting it to be the next Dark Disciple, you should probably pass on it. But if you're looking for an entry point to Star Wars fiction for the young ones in your life, this would be an excellent option - especially if they're already Clone Wars fans. You also might want to check it out if you're an absolute Clone Wars mega-fan.

What Stories of Light and Dark consists of is basically an adaptation of a Clone Wars story for each "chapter" of the book. For example, the first story is "Sharing the Same Face" by Jason Fry. This is an adaptation of the episode "Ambush," told from Yoda's perspective. Each subsequent story follows the same idea: taking an episode (or a couple episodes in some cases) and boiling it down to a short story from one character's perspective.

What you end up with are some interesting takes on the episodes that we're already very familiar with. In the Jason Fry story I mentioned, there is this interesting take on Yoda being disappointed that he'd be facing Ventress. He was secretly hoping to confront Dooku and get the chance to bring him back to the light. It's stories like this that make me feel that even adult Clone Wars mega-fans can find enough to make this worthwhile.

But like I said before, this book is really intended to reach that grade school audience. And for that audience, it should be a home run. It's easily approachable, and you don't really need much Clone Wars background to get into these stories. They read separately very well. So whether you're looking at this for the kid that knows everything about Star Wars, the kid who has a passing interest, or the kid who's just getting started - it seems this book will appeal to any of them.

"Stories of Light & Dark" strikes the perfect balance between satisfying longtime fans of The Clone Wars and introducing newer fans in an accessible way. This book is not just a repeat of what's come before but greatly expounds upon what we see on-screen by inviting us into the minds of our heroes and villains. Through their inner dialogue, as well as a few added scenes, we get a newfound perspective on the familiar events they face, some of which transform the characters mightily.

The ones that stood out to me most are "Pursuit of Peace" and "Kenobi's Shadow." The former gives us a glimpse into the mind of Padmé as she struggles to embrace her own confidence on the Senate floor, and she shows vulnerability in a way that we're not always used to seeing. She finds strength through the belief in herself, dropping the mask she so often puts on for her colleagues to be someone she's not, and the belief that democracy will work. Ironically, she spends much of the chapter criticizing the political machinations that corrupt our own world today, and it almost feels like this story is re-told through the context of a post-2016 world. Kenobi's tale, meanwhile, shows his internal battle with the dark side as a festering anger nearly manifests into eventual suffering. However, it's through the strength of Duchess Satine that he finds peace and balance, and it gives us a better understanding of the emotional weight Kenobi carries up through the events of "Revenge of the Sith." Both stories are so beautifully told and they alone make this collection worth the price.

As a fan of the "From A Certain Point of View" installments, this immediately appealed to me as a television equivalent. I think there's a lot of opportunity for other Star Wars stories, such as the Mandalorian or Rebels, to follow. I'm hoping to pick up the audiobook as well, since it is narrated by the cast.

Full review to follow on the Friends of the Force podcast (attached link).

Novelizations of visual stories can be as difficult as translating print media to the screen, and not all succeed in capturing the emotions that a viewer translates for themselves. Some pitfalls that plague novelizations are evident in Stories of Light and Dark, but each story manages to highlight something new about each Clone Wars episode or arc. Furthermore, there are some true gems that expertly thread themes or unique storytelling devices through the tales.

Tom Angleberger, Sarah Beth Durst, and especially Rebecca Roanhorse capture the voices of their chosen narrators perfectly. Roahhorse's title alone - the full title - matches the character's self-important swagger. Zorialda Córdova, Anne Ursu, and Greg van Eekhout are the masters at weaving themes into how they told their adaptations, thus providing us a deeper look at the central characters.

This anthology also works as a whole and not just because they are adaptations of the same televisions show. Whether by design or by coincidence, concepts or themes introduced (i.e. not explicit in the original episodes) by one author are followed-up by other stories along the way. There are some stories that are excellent on their own merit, but all of them are uplifted by being bound within the same book.

Full review at link: http://eleven-thirtyeight.com/2020/08/stories-of-light-and-dark-is-there-merit-in-a-clone-wars-adaptation/

Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark is an extremely successful adaptation of visual storytelling into a literary medium, preserving the integrity of episodes fans of The Clone Wars know and love while also adding new depth and insight into characters' thoughts, feelings, and motivations. It is a fast, thoroughly engaging read with vivid imagery and clear, concise prose that cuts right to the heart. Each author's individual style is allowed to shine, and each story begins with a beautiful illustration by Ksenia Zelentsova. This book is a definite recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for an e-Arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark

In our household, Star Wars is a way of life, so words could not express my excitement when I was approved for this arc.

My middle son is obsessed with The Clone Wars making this latest Anthology installment a must-read. Familiar faces lead you on adventures shedding new light and perspective on the stories you know and love, which I attribute to the uniqueness of each Author that has contributed to this book.

Between the creative story and impressive art work, I recommend this book to all ages and fans of Star Wars!

Admittedly when I first started reading this book, I thought I was going to get new stories from one of my favorite tv series. As I was reading I kept thinking "this is an episode I watched." Then the next one, the same thing happened. I looked it up and sure enough these are retellings of some of the more loved episodes or story arcs from the show.

That didn't stop me from enjoying this new take. The additional details, especially for inner monologues were a fresh perspective. All the authors did a wonderful job at bringing the characters to life in print form as well. Fans of Star Wars and the Clone Wars should definitely give it a read, just know beforehand that there aren't any new stories being told.

“Rush not into fights. Long is the war. Only by surviving it will you prevail.”

– Yoda

Back in 2008, the idea of a Star Wars weekly cartoon was fresh and new in our heads. I would gather the kids (who were very small in those days) and we would have an adventure each week. The Clone Wars series grew and so did our kids. We followed all the way through, from the Battle of Christophsis to the Siege of Mandalore…

We return to the Clone War in this middle-grade anthology that is perfect for introducing younger readers to the world of The Clone Wars! I enjoy seeing a fresh perspective on something familiar and stories written to introduce new fans to the wonderful world of Star Wars!

The Clone Wars is such a vast and beautiful tapestry that the stories range far and wide. This anthology is no different. Each story and author brings a unique perspective to their telling and the voices each ring with their own unique tone.

In addition to the stunning cover of the book, each story has an illustration by Lorna-ka. I’ve been following her art since I started seeing her pieces of Star Wars Rebels and her style is nothing short of breathtaking. Her art is always so inspired and what she has done for this book is no different. It’s wonderful to see her art on a project like this and I’m super happy that she was able to lend her talents here and I hope to see her art on many more things in the future!

The clones.

At the crux of this war are the clones themselves. Bred only for war and called to action there are a lot of moral questions and ambiguity in their story. We see stories here not only through their eyes, but also the Jedi who fight with them, and even the separatists who fight against them. Yoda, who looks past their identical faces to see each individual for who they are. Rex, who fights and sacrifices so much alongside so many of his brothers. General Krell who sees them only as strategic pieces to be used and expended. The clones’ stories are such a tragic unique outlook on what these beings are.

Warriors? Brothers? Pawns? Friends? Leaders? Allies? Property?

It all comes down to who you ask. And what you see.

The stories range from heroes to Sith, senator to soldier, and Jedi to Nightsister. One thing these stories gives us that their The Clone Wars episodes doesn’t is telling us a story in their words, through their thoughts. Cad Bane recounts his adventures to his prison buddies. Dooku writes in his journal about his misadventures on Florrum. Maul speaks of his true legend. A youngling finds she has the bravery to become a Jedi. The first person stories offer such a unique insight from their storytellers that simply couldn’t be done in any other way.

I mean, c’mon… you KNOW you want to read Dooku’s diary…

While most of the stories are familiar to those who have watched The Clone Wars, there are still so many fresh insights and new details to be gleaned. There is one original story by one of my favorite people E. Anne Convery full of some Nightsister sorcery and storytelling and it is definitely my favorite thing. I love the mystery and wonder that a story can hold even in a galaxy full of spaceships and laser guns.

While the book is a middle-grade book and definitely geared towards that age group, Star Wars has that quality that transcends those limits.

Besides, only a Sith deals in absolutes anyway…

For those wanting to introduce younger readers to the Siege of Mandalore, or the Ohnaka Gang, or Padme’s pursuit of peace this book would probably be perfect! I love anthologies and I think this one has something for everyone!

– Sal P.

“I remember when you could trust a Jedi to at least give you a fair fight.

Well, times change.”

– Cad Bane

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover, 352

Author: Various Authors

Intended Audience: Ages 8-12

Timeline: Follows Attack of the Clones, precedes Revenge of the Sith Main characters: All main characters from The Clone Wars

Brief synopsis: The time of the Clone Wars is a period of great conflict, and this book shares some of the time’s greatest stories.

Gut Feeling

I did not do my research on this book before reading it, so I didn’t know it was sort of a novelization of The Clone Wars. It obviously doesn’t cover the entire series, but some of the best stories from the series are told. I will say that the most popular arcs are not included, like Mortis, the Yoda arc, and Mandalore, but that is ok. I recognized some of the stories as my personal favorites, and I gained more appreciation for others. It was definitely an emotional roller coaster. I have been trying to rewatch the series, but as most of you know, it is a grind to do so. There are a ton of episodes, and some of them can be filler. This book is a great alternative to rewatching the series because it gave me a different perspective on some of the best episodes and arcs. Even though this book’s intended audience is young, I really enjoyed the read. The only downside is that the writing was simple (as it should be because of the intended audience) and there weren’t any new plot points within the stories. However, I didn’t expect there to be, I’m just being nit picky. I enjoyed the book so let’s get into the details.

Characters (8/10 pts)

This book covers a wide array of characters. We get stories from the perspective of protagonists, antagonists, Force users, and non-Force users. Because of that, there are many chances for characters to develop. However, because there are no new scenes added, there aren’t moments where characters can develop, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t develop within the scenes we are already familiar with. The book gives us a glimpse into what characters are thinking throughout the story, which lets us learn more about them. This is the obvious advantage of novels over movies and TV shows, and this book definitely took advantage of it. Another tool used in this book was developing characters through the perspective of others. We can learn a lot about a character about how another thinks of them. For example, Darth Vader got great character development in Rebels by how Kanan and Ezra reacted to being around him. This is how a character’s reputation is established. This book certainly did that for several characters (Ahsoka is the main one I think of). So, overall, despite not being able to add new scenes to the stories, the authors of this book did a great job developing characters. I am giving 8 points for this section.

Writing Style (8.25/10 pts)

There are a multitude of authors that wrote this book, this means that there are a multitude of writing styles. A lot of times when there is a book written by multiple authors, it is preferable that it seems like it is written by one author. However, considering this book, I’m glad that it was obvious it was written by different authors. Each chapter had its own style and it made the writing feel fresh and new. The stories were told in the traditional third person, first person from the protagonist’s viewpoint, and also first person from a secondary character’s viewpoint. Because we are already familiar with the stories, switching up how the stories were told kept it interesting. It is also important to note that the book is written for children, so the style overall is much simpler than what most of us are accustomed to. But I would be remiss to take away points for that. Overall, the writing style was slightly better than what I expected so I am giving 8.25 points.

Plot (7/10 pts)

I’ve mentioned it before, but the book doesn’t really add anything new to the plot that we are already familiar with and was already set in stone from the TV show. In novelizations, I usually look at what the book added to the plot with extra scenes. This can pull the entire stories together and fill in missing gaps. This book does not do that, but it didn’t really need to as the stories within the TV shows are more fleshed out than the movies. But this still means that the book won’t score great in this section because it is just retelling stories. However, there are still a couple reasons why this book will gain some points back. First, it pulled from the best stories within the series. If it pulled some from some of less popular arcs, the plot would not have been as strong. Second, the stories were told from different angles. This gives a different perspective on the story that we are already familiar with. This gives us a more complete understanding of what is happening. These are what the book did well, but it doesn’t fully overcome not being able to add new scenes. I am giving 7 points.

Intrigue (9/10 pts)

There were a multitude of things that added to the book’s intrigue making it the strongest section. First, because the stories told were some of the best within the series, there weren’t many low points in the book. Each chapter, which each included a different story, had an exciting story! They all had a slight build up with an exciting and climatic ending. Second, because most of us will be familiar with the story, it makes the reading go by easier. For the most part, we know what to expect while reading so it is easier to comprehend. Third, because the writing style is simple, it is not difficult to read much of the book in one sitting. If you are an active reader, this is certainly one that you can read in a single day or just a few days. However, because nothing new is added, I understand why that could take away from the intrigue. That is the one downside and is keeping the book from scoring even higher. Despite that, I am still giving a strong score of 9 points.

What does it add? (6.25/10 pts)

This is where the book is going to get its first real weak score. While I really enjoyed the read, it doesn’t really add anything new to the Star Wars universe. It is retelling stories that already exist within the universe and doesn’t add any new scenes. However, that doesn’t mean that the book adds absolutely nothing. Through some of the characters’ thoughts, specifically Yoda, we do learn a little more about using the Force. However, it really isn’t that substantial. This leaves the score for this section to be only 6.25 points, but it shouldn’t deter you from reading it.

Logic (0 pts)

There is nothing in The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark that added to nor took away from the logic within the Star Wars universe. So, I am neither adding nor taking away extra points.

Final Thoughts

So, my final score for The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark is a 7.7/10, or a C plus. This rating is slightly below average what I give Star Wars novels, but please don’t let that deter you from reading the book. If you love The Clone Wars, this is a great trip down memory lane! It is a much easier alternative than rewatching the entire series. Also, if you have not gotten a chance to watch the series, this also serves as a great introduction to the series. It highlights what makes the series so good. It is a quick and easy read and as long as you have even any interest in reading it, I think you’ll enjoy it! The only reason I can think of for you not wanting to read it is if you want something new to Star Wars. If so, there are other options available to youo. But I enjoyed this book, and it is likely that you will too.

Personally, one of my very favorite characters in the franchise is Padmé, and I jump at almost any chance to read more about her. As such, reading Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark has been so fun! Not only does the anthology include one-shots throughout the TV show’s timespan, featuring characters like Padmé, Ventress, Bane, & Darth Maul, but it also includes some fantastic authors, such as Zoraida Córdova, Jason Fry, and Rebecca Roanhorse. I have loved reading it, and almost feel like I’m back watching extra episodes of the TV show when I read it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to revisit one of my favorite shows (as well as giving me a glimpse into one of my favorite Mandalorian Duchesses 😉)! So excited for its Pub Day tomorrow, 8/25!

A decent collection of stories showing different perspectives of key events from the excellent tv series, The Clone Wars. Not my favourite Star Wars collection since I found some of the stories to be a bit to much of a rehash of an episode but still an entertaining read by a number of great authors.

If you’re a fan of the Star Wars: The Cline Wars series, the stories in this book will feel familiar. That’s both good and bad. Some of the stories come off like a novelization of existing Clone Wars episodes without adding anything to the experience. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy reading it. But I already get enough of someone commentating. exactly what is going on in real time while we’re watching from my 6 year old son.

If you’re trying to decide between this book and another book, maybe skip this one. If you really want to relive Clone Wars episodes in print form, this will be your jam.

The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark is a short story collection of Clone Wars episodes. This collection retells episodes from new perspectives and has one brand new story to tell as well.

I have to be honest, I did not expect much going in to this novel. I am baffled why this impressive list of authors were asked to retell stories, when they could have created new ones for us to enjoy. My assumptions were correct. This book does not bring much to the table, and did not even use what I would consider to be the best episodes of the Clone Wars.

All is not lost though, I did enjoy getting in to Kenobi’s head during Kenobi’s Shadow and Maul’s retelling of his encounter with Obi-Wan in Dark Vengeance. Stories like the two previously mentioned are written well, I’m just not sure what purpose they serve.

I will mention that the brand new story “Bug” was not included in my review copy, I am unsure why that is, but I will be eagerly awaiting the release so that I can check it out.

Overall, I believe this is a missed opportunity. I understand that it is a middle grade novel, but I think a whole collection of new stories would have been great for fans young and old. I recommend this to a younger audience who has yet to see The Clone Wars series, but I can not recommend to anyone else. I give it a 2 out of 5 stars.

*Thank you to Disney Publishing for an early review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc to review.

First things first, please be aware that this is a collection of short stories based on actual episodes of the Clone Wars show. I was initially disappointed because I was inunder the mistaken impression that these were all new stories set in-universe. So imagine my dismay when upon starting the first story in the book, about Yoda and 3 clone troopers I immediately recognized the story as being an actual episode of the Clone Wars.

After that initial disappointment subsided I proceeded to thoroughly enjoy the book. As with all collections some stories are stronger than others, but all in all, if you are a fan of the series and would like to revisit some of the stories from an alternate viewpoint than the actual episode this is your book.

I especially enjoyed Captain Rex's story and also Asajj Ventress's.