Title: The Approaching Storm
Author: Alan Dean Foster
Pages: 363
Type: Adventure
Time: 22 BBY

Novel quality
As a set up two "Attack of the Clones" this books does three things. First, it gives us a clear view of the troubles of the republic, with the focus on the "border-dispute" on Ansion. Second, it gives us an idea of the volatile nature of Anakin and the reasons for this. Third, we get to see old republic Jedi in action when they are trying to resolve the conflict on Ansion. Because of the treaties Ansion has with several other systems, it is a very important system for the republic. A team consisting of Luminara Unduli, Bariss Offee, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker is sent to Ansion to make sure that the system stays in the republic. To do this they have to establish a peace treaty between the city dwellers and the prairie dwellers of Ansion. Needless to say they will have to overcome lot of difficult situations. Mr. Foster succeeds in creating a very interesting planet with very interesting species. You will often find yourself imagining the species and landscapes that are described. Especially the Alwari nomads are portrayed very good. The character development, although primarily based on the four main characters, is really well done. After reading this novel everything in the movies becomes a lot more interesting. We see why Obi-Wan is called "The Negotiator", we see great things from Luminara and Bariss and we see the troubled and relatively unstable personality of Anakin. What's especially interesting is the peek inside the minds of the Jedi Mr. Foster provides. We see them questioning the Jedi way of life and get to see a more personal side of the Jedi for a change. The change during the story in the way Bariss and Anakin view each other is also very nice, their interaction makes clear why they are still Padawans. When we look at the bad guys we don't get a lot of development. We see the beginning of the separatist movement and we see another gangster-Hutt. Not great, but sufficient to keep it entertaining. The battle scenes in this novel are good, but nothing special. The action scenes however are special, it's really nice to see the Jedi show off their mastery of the Force and the wild animals of the plains also provide for some pretty intense action. We now get to the end of the story. It's nice to see that Soergg the Hutt manages to remain the typical cold-hearted cunning Hutt and it's actually good that he gets away from the situations more or less unscathed. The revealing of Count Dooku at the end is interesting as well, but it would have been more fun to read about him a bit more. The story leaves a couple of lose wires however. Supporting characters like Kyakhta, Bulgan and Tooqui don't really get the attention they deserve in the last chapter and the situation turns well a little bit too quick in the end. These however are minor points in what is a great novel to read for anyone interested in expanding his or her view of the Star Wars saga.
Rating: 84/100

Personal tilt
The way Mr. Foster grants us a view into the mind of the Jedi appeals to me greatly. Although very confident in their abilities and their position, we see that they have doubts as well. This personal tint we get to see really adds a great deal to the story. I also like the way Mr. Foster describes the different species and locales. I really got a feeling for Ansion and its inhabitants. From the nomadic Alwari to the small suicidal Kyren, every single one of the species is interesting. The story itself is relatively straightforward, but it does its job well and keeps you entertained. Although it's not really necessary to read this novel concerning the Timeline, I highly recommend this it. The adventure that the group of Jedi takes you on is a very interesting one.
Rating: 90/100


Overall rating: 86.4/100

- - - -

For an overview of all reviews and a ranking see my Book review summary