"Star Wars Novel Gets 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition"

In 2025, reflecting on the passage of time hits hard when you realize that "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" is celebrating its 20th anniversary. But there's good news: the film is returning to theaters in May as part of Lucasfilm's anniversary festivities. And it doesn't stop there—Matthew Stover's critically acclaimed novelization of "Revenge of the Sith" is getting a special 20th anniversary rerelease, which you can preorder on Amazon.

According to Collider, a Deluxe Edition hardcover of "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" is set to launch in October. This edition boasts new cover art, luxurious upgrades like red foil-edged pages, and a removable acetate jacket. What's more, it includes over 170 new annotations by Stover himself, adding depth and insight to the beloved story.

"We couldn’t be more excited to publish this incredible deluxe edition of the Revenge of the Sith novelization," said Tom Hoeler, Editorial Director of Fiction and Special Projects for Random House World. "It has been thrilling to work with author Matthew Stover and Lucasfilm to create a fully annotated edition that gives readers unprecedented insight into the creation of this masterpiece. Across nearly 50 years of Star Wars books, it stands alone, and even among film novelizations, its approach to adapting characters and story from screen to page is unique. Two decades later, this novelization is as essential, enduring, and influential – on readers and creators – as it has ever been. Bringing the book back to hardcover in a stunning deluxe keepsake edition is a perfect way to celebrate 20 years of Revenge of the Sith."

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: Episode III - Deluxe Edition (Hardcover)

$60.00 at Amazon

If you've never experienced Stover's "Revenge of the Sith" novelization, you're missing out on what many consider to be one of the finest Star Wars novels—arguably even better than the film itself. While it sticks closely to George Lucas' screenplay, the book enriches numerous scenes and subplots, providing a more profound exploration of characters like Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Count Dooku. The novel also employs a distinctive second-person narration, setting it apart from other Star Wars literature. Consider this passage that offers a unique perspective on Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader:

And you rage and scream and reach through the Force to crush the shadow who has destroyed you, but you are so far less now than what you were, you are more than half machine, you are like a painter gone blind, a composer gone deaf, you can remember where the power was but the power you can touch is only a memory, and so with all your world-destroying fury it is only droids around you that implode, and equipment, and the table on which you were strapped shatters, and in the end, you cannot touch the shadow. In the end you don't even want to. In the end, you do not even want to. In the end, the shadow is all you have left. Because the shadow understands you, the shadow forgives you, the shadow gathers you unto itself—And within your furnace heart, you burn in your own flame.

Contrast this with the film's depiction of the same scene:

This comparison underscores the value of exploring the novelization. The "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" novelization is currently available in paperback and audiobook formats, with the Deluxe Edition hardcover set to release on October 14. You can preorder your copy on Amazon.

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