Cover Artist: David Stevenson (Photo Cover Design)

I was fortunate enough to be able to persuade my wife to go with me to see "Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace" in theaters at the first midnight showing on opening day. I have never been to an experience like that either before or since, and I am happy to say that I loved the movie right from the start. I wasn't one of those rabid fanboys who had worked up in his mind exactly what the movie was going to be like, and as a result I was able to enjoy it for what it was.

That being said, I have always enjoyed a good read as much as any movie. The novelization for this movie I thought was fantastic. We were given several additional scenes in the book that provided a little more background color and characterization. We are given a little deeper insight into what's going through Anakin's mind, and what motivates his decisions. We also are given further clarification as to Watto's reticence to lose Anakin as a slave.

Overall I thought this was an excellent book. I happen to love Terry Brooks' work. I own his "Shannara" series and some of his "Magic Kingdom" series, and they are all books that I would be content to pick up and read again. I found this story to be on par with his other writing, and I would recommend it to anyone.