We’re neck deep in the Clone War books now and in case there was any doubt, the war really sucked but we got some pretty great books out of it. This week, I started a love letter to Matt Stover, continued the one to Barriss Offee, and there was some other book that got lost in the middle. Oops.
Shatterpoint
This book is one of my favorite books in not only the entire Expanded Universe but of all time. Why? Two words: Matthew Stover.
Matthew Stover… How do I begin to explain Matthew Stover? Matthew Stover is flawless. I hear his writing hand is insured for $10,000. I hear he does lightsaber commercials… on Coruscant. His favorite movie is ‘How To Destroy A Reader In 300 Pages’. One time he met GRRM on a plane and he told Stover that he was good at killing people’s emotions. Lots of times he punched us in the feels… it was awesome.
Mean Girls joke out of the way, I positively adore Shatterpoint because this is the book that really establishes Mace Windu as an incredibly powerful Jedi Master who should not be messed with. The best part? It has absolutely nothing to do with SLJ playing him. Mace Windu is a force to be reckoned with and he is going to get his former Padawan off Haruun Kal or else. He’s also going to deal with this war and secure the planet for the Republic but that’s just quick task for after lunch.
Before we get into the book itself, I have to briefly mention the perfection that is Nick Rostu. I am forever sad that no one decided to write more about Mace being a general and Nick as his military aide. They are honestly the last two people who should probably be getting along and yet they have this wonderful dynamic. (“Are you crazy?” “Shut up, Nick.”) Plus, how can you not love someone with that sense of humor? Of course, there’s a lot more to him than just his ability to crack jokes. Underneath, he’s hardened by the lot in life he was dealt and he’s also a pretty good shot and cares about his friends. He’s one of those characters that I would happily buy books about on a routine basis. Or even short e-stories. Please?
Right from the start, this book never fails to draw me in. I get chills every time I read the recording of Depa: “I use the night and the night uses me. I have become the darkness in the jungle… Because nothing is more dangerous than a Jedi who’s finally sane.” Stover deconstructs both Mace and Depa but only one of them makes it out intact. It’s told almost purely from Mace’s point of view and even includes some first person entries and really puts you into his head in a way that no other Star Wars novel has really done. This book is Mace Windu. It’s honestly very difficult for me to describe why I love this book so much because it’s more of an experience than anything else. This is what perfection looks like.
Besides that, the only other thing I’ll say is that this book never fails to make me want a book set pre-Phantom Menace where we get to see Mace and Depa on a mission together, either as Master/Padawan or else after she’s on the Council. Not only could it be something unaffected by the new films but we’d get to read more about one of the most underused Jedi Masters.