While this is not the sort of Star Wars book I really like, I can definitely appreciate what it did for making sense of the taxation dispute that happened in The Phantom Menace. The entire blockade of Naboo and it's justification has always befuddled me, so having a book that gets into the background of tax legislation in the Galactic Senate and Palpatine's role in all that is helpful. Not super fun for me, because I've never been all that interested in political thrillers, but still a solid addition to the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Seeing how extremely convoluted the plan to make Palpatine chancellor - and eventually emperor - was was a little mind blowing because it almost felt like he was just adding extra layers because he wanted to prove to himself how clever he was, and not because it was actually essential to achieve his goals. Which fits with Palpatine's egotism, to be sure. Bit of a headache to puzzle out, though.

I will say, though, that the way Palpatine's thoughts were portrayed in the book was very strange. It was like our third-person omniscient narrator didn't know that Palpatine and Sideous were the same person? I actually had a small crisis wondering if I had somehow misremembered if the audience was supposed to know the connection at the point this book was published or not. But, everyone definitely knew. So the fact that Palpatine is kind of portrayed as a little oblivious at times and not obviously plotting as Sideous as we know very well he is, was disconcerting and a very strange narrative choice. Luceno wouldn't have been giving anything away if he had more explicitly portrayed Palpatine plotting behind the scenes, so it felt weird that he abstained for doing that. ( )

An immediate prequel to Episode 1. I never was a big fan of Qui Gon, so that aspect of things didn't appeal to me. This was more a book of the politics of the day and as such, wasn't very exciting. More about Palps manipulating things. That was interesting :-)
One thing I did like was the inclusion of Vergere. I wish we had the actual story of her turning though.

Sadly, this was much like of most of Luceno's Star Wars books. Not badly written, but not exciting by any stretch of the imagination. I wouldn't recommend this to a casual Star Wars fan. ( )

This was a great entry into the Star Wars universe. Solid writing that really captures the feel of Star Wars action and scene setting. It's a good lead up to Episode 1 and gives you a bit more back story. ( )

This was a great entry into the Star Wars universe. Solid writing that really captures the feel of Star Wars action and scene setting. It's a good lead up to Episode 1 and gives you a bit more back story. ( )

Luceno provides another fun exploration of the Star Wars universe, filled with loved (and sometimes not so loved) characters and places.

Set shortly before the events of The Phantom Menace, the novel follows Qui-gon Jinn and his padawan Obi-Wan as they investigate a series of events tied to a terrorist organization protesting the actions of the Trade Federation. As Chancellor Velorum works to find a middle ground to bring the Republic together, advice from his trusted advisor Palpatine undermines his efforts. The Jedi are loath to interfere and to follow the paths Qui-gon takes based on his sense of the Force in the present. As Palpatine’s plots converge, he moves the Nebula Force, the Trade Federation, and the Senate like pieces on a chessboard. Even the Jedi council proves predictable, though Qui-Gon’s determination and willingness to ignore the High Council as he follows his instincts work to slowly level the playing field. ( )