Book Review: Star Wars: Traitor by Matthew Stover

Okay, so I remember when Mister Buch first recommended Star Wars: Shatterpoint to me, and I remember what I was thinking: Star Wars books are obviously a silly concept. I had been talking about Heart of Darkness for some reason when he more or less said, "Hey, you know this one Star Wars book was sorta inspired by Heart of Darkness. Also, I am British." I nodded a bit, confused by such a concept. It actually sounded like a good idea.

I totally impulse-bought the book the next day, I think. Before I started, I was a little uneasy reading about Mace Windu of all people: the Jedi who almost did a lot of things. So, I start reading. The intro of the book drags on. We get a very long Apocalypse Now scene that goes on forever and almost convinces me to put the book down. Such exposition grates on me like some sort of device used for grating cheese...whatever those could be called. (wink)

But! I didn't stop there. I kept going, well into the book, past the part where Mace Windu flips someone off and where he uses his lightsaber to perform brain surgery. I sorta skipped around the giant battle near the end, which took up so much space and had none of the great pacing or development that had taken up every sentence of the past 300 pages, and made my way to the back cover. Wow. That was amazing, I thought. That was like...Wow.

Jedi can do that? STAR WARS can do that?! Was this insane wordsmith, Matthew Stover, allowed to do any of this? Wow.

Star Wars seemed so much deeper, so vibrant, alive. Plausible. No longer was it being communicated to me through rose-colored glasses, through the words of authors who wanted nothing more than to retell a story the way the movies would have, or to show good triumphing over evil, Jedi over Sith, so on. Stover showed me that he could do all of that if he wanted to, but that would be a lie - and the truth.

Basically, shit got real.

I read his novelization of Revenge of the Sith afterward, also by Buch's recommendation, and absolutely adored it. For one, he didn't drag on at all except for two parts, if I remember correctly. The opening battle was very long, but I got into it after awhile, but the second battle over Utapau was daunting as hell. But even with that, I still loved that book. Why? Because I loved Episode III a lot, but it fell just short of my expectations. It's like Stover knew what I wanted out of that movie and wrote the book accordingly. To him, everyone matters. People like Count Dooku aren't evil for the sake of evil, they have motive. Similarly, Anakin's fall makes much more sense this time around; it wasn't just predicated on his love for Padme, it was on account of the expectations that had been thrust upon him, the power that he knew he had, and didn't have. It felt real. I could understand it all, fully.

Also, Palpatine was just an amazing character, as well. He, too, had motive.

After those two, it was awhile before I read another Stover book. I was just in awe. I hadn't been so excited about reading since R.A. Salvatore's Icewind Dale Trilogy or Ender's Game or Foundation. Not only are Stover's books well-written, they have this gravitas about them that makes them properly dramatic. Makes them a proper Space Opera, and almost gives me an image that all of his stories are happening on a stage, complete with a Master of Ceremonies who hops up on stage to set the tone.

Then I read Heroes Die and I sorta stopped caring as much. As I've said, I liked it more for the concept, which was totally up my MMO loving alley. But the thing kept going on and on and on about little, insignificant things. Though there was a good story in there, all the little flaws that were present in his Star Wars books that weren't very noticeable took center stage here. My friend read the book, loved it more than I did, but agreed that the exposition got in the way a lot.

Stover's strength is in his characters and how real they are. And even if you can't sympathize with them, you KNOW who they are. You understand them, and that's where the real drama of his stories come. Like I said, one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever read was seeing Mace Windu realize that all that he's ever been just was not enough to overcome the jungle.

I've had another one of his Star Wars books, Traitor, sitting on my shelf for a long time. The reason for the hesitation: I was still kind of at odd with what I read in Heroes Die and I had promptly forgotten the reasons I loved Stover's books in the first place (not on account of the book, it had just been a long time since I've read them). Also, Traitor is Book 13 in a really long series of books called The New Jedi Order. Who picks up a book so late in the series and starts reading? I do, I guess.

I've read books from the Old Republic and some from the Clone Wars, but I hadn't read any that took place during the New Republic. I was hesitant; I wasn't quite sure how reading about characters I had come to love on screen would work. Thankfully, I didn't need to find out, because this book revolves around a character I had only heard about, never read about: Jacen Solo: twin brother of Jaina, son of Han and Leia Organa Solo. Interesting.

The book, in short, is amazing. Again, it's hard for me to believe that this is actually a Star Wars book. I came to love Jacen Solo as a character and really feel for him as he went through his various tortures, which are crazy to read. The action is top notch and as bloody as Stover was probably allowed to make it. The dialogue is real, witty, and emotional at times. There was one moment where I very nearly teared up, something I'm not sure a book has been able to do to me yet. And even though this is Book 13, I was very rarely lost in what was going on. All that you MUST know is that the New Republic has been fighting an alien race for control of the galaxy: no big surprise there, huh?

This is one of the best books I've ever read. Stuff like this just speaks to me, and I enjoy it when an author like Stover has something to say and not just write. This thing talks about fundamentalism, tradition, the frail divide between good and evil, the true nature of the Force, and how being yourself is paramount to all else in life, and can even land your actions on the list of most epic scenes ever created within the Star Wars universe (which I won't spoil here, and yes, that's a real list).

This book is on my shelf, and there it will stay. I am proud to have read this and infinitely glad that Buch suggested Stover's works to me. Everything he does inspires me in some way: his honesty, tenacity, and his liberal usage of words like fuck and/or shit. He still remains one of my inspirations, and this book has sealed his fate as such.

I'm off to buy the next/last Star Wars book he wrote, Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. Reviewers have been tough on him for this entry, but I have a good feeling that it won't disappoint. In any case, I'm really not sure how he could top himself with Traitor. He has two more books coming out this year, both of which I'll list here, both of which I'll be buying.

/end ass-kissing

Star Wars: Traitor
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God of War (co-authored with Robert E. Vardeman)
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Test of Metal: A Planeswalker Novel (Magic the Gathering)
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