About book Battle Surgeons (Star Wars: Clone Wars, #4) (2004)
"You watch people in this kind of fire...and you see what they're really made of"On the swampy world of Drongar, a fierce battle ensues between Republic and Separatists over bota, a plant that has amazing healing qualities for humans. On this outpost, a team of top doctors and nurses work to save the lives of soldiers and keep themselves alive as well.I Liked:The only "movie" character you will find in this book is the Jedi, Barris Offee. Now some people might be turned off by this fact. But given how well done these "every beings" are done, I think they more than deserve a second chance.My particular favorite characters are Den Dhur, the Sullustan reporter, Barris Offee, the Jedi Padawan, and Zan, the Zabrak doctor who is also a music aficionado. I love how Den Dhur is so cynical, but at the very end, he goes out of his way to rescue Zan's beloved musical instrument, risking his own hide, something he said he would never do. I also love how he is not a sexy Twi'Lek, a stupid Weequay or a thieving Rodian, but a Sullustan (and not like Nien Nunb from Return of the Jedi, either). Barris has always been one of my favorites. Here, I love how childish she can come across, causing Phow Ji to trip and generally not liking him. It shows the Jedi have emotions and that she isn't perfect. Lastly, Zan. Zan is so tender-hearted, and while his affinity to music could be construed as a cliche, I can't help but like it.Although these are my favorite characters, the other characters are pretty well written. Jos Vondar has this interesting debate within himself, whether to abandon his beliefs for his love of Tolk, or to reject her. His ultimate choice comes at a perfect time. We also see the reappearance of I-FYQ, the droid with humor, and my favorite from the first Coruscant Nights book, Kaird of Nediji.In case you haven't heard this already, this book has the feel of M*A*S*H. I really liked this change of pace from your typical action/adventure/fluffy novel that has become the trademark of Star Wars. I appreciate the change in feel, in "genre" (almost) in this novel. It really stands out. And while it is not your "typical" action novel that many were/are complaining are missing from the Clone Wars era novels, I think it serves its purpose well, showing a small battle (aren't all the battles ultimately small, with Jedi stretched all over the galaxy?) on a dusty world in the midst of a medical camp.I also thought it was an interesting move to have one of our "bad guys" end up being a "good guy", meaning that Admiral Bleyd was working with Filbar the Hutt to make money off stolen bota. It tends that if someone is on the Republic or Rebel's side, they are automatically painted as "good". This book avoids that stereotype nicely.I Didn't Like:I really don't have a lot to complain about. It was challenging keeping track of characters. What happened to Phow Ji was kinda confusing.Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:Star Wars invented (though I think I caught a "heck").Jos considers a liaison with Tolk and recollects other previous liaisons.A lot of scenes occur in an OR, so be wary for blood and guts. Also, there are battles, evacuations, and several characters die at the end.Overall:One word: Enjoyable! It's nice to read a niche story about characters we don't see in the movies. We have no idea what happens to them, so when it does, we are appropriately surprised, happy, sad, or angry. I also loved seeing recurring characters, such as I-Five and Kaird. I always appreciate this kind of continuity.Of course, some people may bemoan the lack of Clone Wars action. It is good to keep that in mind when considering this novel. But if you like good characters and enjoyed watching M*A*S*H, then I suggest you read this book. You won't regret it.
If you ever wanted the MASH unit's view of the Clone Wars, this book does it. Its strengths are diving deep into the psyche of various characters - the hunter Admiral, the wily reporter, the surgeons, the Jedi visiting, a spy, and even a philosophical droid. These make it a worthwhile read - the flashbacks to lessons Barriss got from Luminara are very well done, and this book goes the furthest into FTL travel and the inventor(s) of it in a two-page aside. All of this makes it interesting and a worthwhile read.The writing is well done, great use of language and descriptors - I am reminded of Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, which has made more of an impression than many novels since. Reaves is no slouch, and I'm happy I have 6 more books in the EU from his pen.The negative is mainly the VERY limited action. There's one or two quiet murders, and one or two limited droid attacks - the rest is development, discussion, and internal monologues. The Jedi lightsaber only comes out once. This is not to say its' a bad book - I look forward to a few novels that focus on Han or bounty hunters or non-Jedi characters, just to break it up really - but it does seem odd that a force using Jedi like Barriss is just hanging around meditating and not leading a battle, when other Padawans do. It's going to be very tough to reconcile THIS Barriss - and the one seen in The Approaching Storm - with the later Clone Wars TV series Barriss, by then murdering Jedi and an adept enough fighter to take down Ventress - AND impersonate her easily. I really think the TV show went adrift with that arc.
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Battle Surgeons raconte l'histoire des médecins de guerre et des guérisseurs Jedi durant la Guerre des Clones. On voit aussi le quotidien pas toujours facile de ces héros méconnus de Star Wars. Il y a aussi une histoire de corruption et d'espionnage qui tournera bien mal pour ces personnages.Ce que j'ai aimé de ce livre c'est qu'on change de milieu. Ce n'est plus de la diplomatie ou des batailles spatiales. Ici, on voit les résultats des ces batailles. Ce sont les blessés et les morts dont on parle rarement dans la série, sauf quand ça touche les personnages principaux.C'est une livre quand même surprenant dans la série en entière.
—Yves
I'm torn on these two books. At times the books try for too much hard science and use too much technical medical jargon that often can give the story a real-Earth colloquial vibe that sometimes jarringly shatters the fourth wall because it all feels too close to real-life; this includes humor based upon modern day catch-phrases and punch lines, that although I get the joke, I wonder how it makes sense in the SW 'verse. And yet, the pure sci-fi fan in me rejoices at the change of style and wonders if SWEU fiction could perhaps use a little more realism and fact-based science from our 'verse. At times the authors spell out characterizations and scenes too literally and could have taken some more time "painting the picture" vice spelling it out in detail. Other than that I truly enjoyed the look at the small, "local" side of the war and the attention to detail given to the daily lives of civilians and medics *not* on the front lines. Great spy intrigue/mystery story that, despite it's provinvial characters and setting, still manages to build to an epic SW conclusion.
—Jim
Scarily honest. This is the M*A*S*H of the Clone Wars. And it doesn't let you forget that war is horrible. You get to see characters come to grips with the fact that droids aren't just buckets of bolts, they have personalities and worse, Clones aren't just flesh and blood droids. You get to like characters only to have war tear them away.And you get to see Padawan Barriss Offee, Jedi healer, do her best to save people all fighting for one planet by healing them one at a time. We don't get another real look at her in novels, nor do we get much of a view, otherwise, of Jedi healers, so its a unique point of view.And this is only part one.
—Terri Paxton
