The stories in this book, whilst not being new stories, they are clever retellings from alternate perspectives. Written by a great team of collaborators and illustrated interludes that really embelish the look and feel of the book.
If you love the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, you'll love this book.

Fantastic. The authors each captured the voices of the characters that they wrote and the format for this was great. I think Disney has done a fantastic job curating authors for the characters of the Star Wars universe.

This was a fun collection of stories! I think fans of the Clone Wars series will enjoy reading retellings of favorite episodes from the POV of different characters. I do wish there was more 'newness' and some writing from moments we didn't see as viewers.

War! This book brings together a talented group of writers who all put a unique spin on stories from "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (as the title suggests). Like many books of this nature, it's kind of a mixed bag, but each story has its own merits. Anne Ursu's "Pursuit of Peace" is probably my favorite of the bunch. (Note: this galley edition does not include E. Anne Convery's original story, "Bug.") If there's a young "Star Wars" fan looking for a good read, I'd recommend picking up this title for a breezy and well-portioned read!

Overall, I was disappointed in this title. I went in expecting new stories about my favorite Clone Wars characters, but found rehashes of the existing episodes. Yes, these renditions were written by excellent writers, but I needed something fresh from them.

I love these anthology series! It so cool to see these little side stories about some of our favorite characters or places.

The ending of THE CLONE WARS in many ways still feels like a fresh wound in its early stages of healing. I don't know if I'll ever recover from "Victory and Death," if I'm being honest. Moments from that finale will stay with me for a very long time. But the same goes for some earlier episodes of the series - which is why I was so excited about this anthology.
STORIES OF LIGHT AND DARK features a group of retellings of familiar episodes of the show, aside from the one original story at the end that truly makes the book as a whole stand out (MORE, PLEASE). From Obi-Wan's brief stint as a bounty hunter (if you know, you know) to Maul's brutal occupation of Mandalore (NOOOOO), this book hits many of the series' high points. And it's the perfect way to revisit the show if you're not in the mood for another full rewatch.
But the stories themselves aren't all that make up this anthology, which is why it works so well. The art, both on the cover and within the pages themselves, is stunning. I want it all on my wall? Also, it's a beautiful book to display. Especially if you have a few Funko figures to pose with it.
Some stories add more depth and intrigue to the original, while others are more of a straight retelling - and that's OK. The great thing about an anthology is that even if you don't love every story in it, it doesn't take away the value of the whole package.
Now if we could get a REBELS version, and ALL THE SABINE POV ... that would be wonderful.

This book was a mixed bag for me. But that seems to be common with short story anthologies. There were some stories that I enjoyed greatly. Others, not so much.

One high points of this anthology is the variety of stories within. Some of my favorite characters from both the light and dark side had stories including Yoda, Padme, and Bane.

It is a solid addition to the Star Wars Canon series. And one I think fans old and new would enjoy.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide in exchange for this review.

I was excited to hear about a new Star Wars short story compilation set during The Clone Wars called Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark. I couldn’t wait to check out this anthology featuring tales by Jason Fry, Zoraida Cordova, Rebecca Rhoanhorse, Lou Anders and more. When this book was offered up on Netgalley, I jumped on the chance to review it.
But as I started reading the book, I realized something: this wasn’t a fresh set of new stories set in the Star Wars Universe during The Clone Wars. This was a novelization of episodes of the animated television series. The more I read, the more annoyed I got. Sure, the writing was great and it transported me back to the time when I watched the series. The descriptiveness of each of the eleven writers enabled me to picture every scene in their assigned episode all over again. And it was nice to see these episodes written in certain character’s points of view. My favorites included Zoraida Cordova’s Asajj Ventress tale (Bounty), Padme’s attempt at ending the war in The Pursuit of Peace by Anne Ursu and Yoon Ha Lee’s Shadow of Umbara.
That being said, I was expecting NEW stories, whether they featured characters I knew in the animated series or all new characters created by the authors set in the time frame of the series. Even more disappointing was the fact that most of the novelizations really did nothing to reveal thought processes or emotional influences behind character actions in each story. That’s the beauty of a film novelization that makes you want to read it – there are always bits of insight added that allow you to get into certain characters’ brains. This anthology had none of that. Had I purchased Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark, I would have considered it a rip-off at $16.00. Definitely not worth the money.

This is fun read for fans of The Clone Wars TV series, but I wanted more from it. I was hoping to read new adventures and gain new insights into the characters that didn't make it into the show. However, each story was essentially a retelling of an episode of the series from one character's point of view, but there wasn't enough in these stories that you couldn't infer from watching the show. I also don't think all of the story arcs included in this anthology were necessarily the most important or interesting for the characters.

Maybe I would've enjoyed this collection more if I hadn't watched the whole series so recently. This is a well-written and fun concept for Star Wars fans of all ages looking for a new medium to revisit The Clone Wars; however, the execution doesn't offer enough new material to the canon to make this a must-read.

I think the book is great for the intended audience of middle-school readers. I wish there would have been a bit more consistency in the stories - all 1st person vs some 1st, some 3rd, etc..

This anthology sparked excitement among fans of all ages when it was first announced. Not only did we finally get a fitting ending to the series, but we were getting a book too? Star Wars book twitter was ecstatic. I was momentarily a bit disappointed upon finding out these would not be new stories, but retellings of episodes told from a specific character’s point of view. That changed when I heard who was writing for this anthology and what characters had been chosen. Plus, who wouldn’t want to get inside their favorite character’s head during key moments?

We get perspectives of Maul, Cad Bane, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, Asajj Ventress, Captain Rex, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and more. My personal favorites were Padmé’s version of the events of “Pursuit of Peace” (Season 3 Episode 11), Obi-Wan’s of “The Lawless” (Season 5 Episode 16), and the delightful surprise of Jedi Youngling Katooni’s during part of the Younglings arc (Season 5 Episodes 6-9). Admittedly, I skipped Bane’s as I was never a fan of his and wasn’t interested in his POV of the Rako Hardeen story arc (Season 4 Episodes 15-18). I would have preferred Obi-Wan’s perspective of his time undercover until I got to his story that is.

The Galaxy According to Padmé and Obi-Wan
Padmé has been a favorite character since she was introduced. I was a year younger than the young queen when The Phantom Menace came out and was very excited for her character, and even more so when I spotted the lone blonde handmaiden. However, I have since been a bit disappointed in the lack of Padmé content, and unfortunately am not impressed with the author Disney Lucasfilm press has chosen to write her stories. So I was excited to see a different author was writing her here, and I very much enjoyed – and preferred- this author’s version of this strong young woman. Her determination and dedication to peace really shine through, as does her struggle at trying to prove herself to the Senate at large and Chancellor Palpatine. We also see her fighting spirit as she evades those pesky Bounty Hunters. This story gave us the Padmé I know and love from The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. The young woman who takes matters into her own hands when traditional means fail.

In Obi-Wan’s story, we get a perspective I’ve longed to see: his thoughts during “The Lawless” episode of Season Five. As a Satine fan and Obi-Wan/Satine shipper, this is a major part of their story. We are given insight into Obi-Wan’s decision to disobey orders and rescue Satine, his thoughts during the rescue, and his emotions during their final confrontation with Maul. Obi-Wan quickly cycles through fear of losing her, to anger at Maul for what’s he done, to hating him, and wanting to kill Maul once and for all. But in true Obi-Wan fashion, he realizes he would be betraying his beliefs – and Satine’s – if he does give in to his dark emotions. He triumphs as the better man, and Jedi. Obi-Wan and Satine’s relationship has long stood as a foil to Anakin and Padmé’s, and this difference between how Master and Apprentice deal with losing a woman they deeply care for drives this home. Obi-Wan can love without attachment and come out the other side of loss without losing himself to darkness.

Katooni’s point of view was an added delight. I did not expect to get the point of view of a Youngling, not to mention my favorite one. This one jumps in as they are attempting to escape from Hondo’s crew after rescuing Ahsoka. The author perfectly captured the personality of this fan-favorite, showing a girl who was almost a Jedi as she learns to trust in herself and the Force, even when she thinks she’ll fail.

A Galaxy of Authors
Many authors contributed to this anthology, including already established Star Wars authors and some new to the galaxy. Star Wars Adventures authors Cavan Scott and Lou Anders, Resistance Reborn author Rebecca Roanhorse, Crash of Fate author Zoraida Córdova, Chewbacca in the Forest of Fear author Tom Angleberger, and Servants of the Empire author Jason Fry. New to Star Wars authors include Sarah Beth Durst (Katooni’s story), Preeti Chhibber, E. Anne Convery, Anne Ursu (Padmé’s story), Yoon Ha Lee, and Greg van Eekhout.

There was artwork included before each story, alas, my ARC was read on a Kindle Paperwhite, so it did not show up in color. It looked to be watercolor and match the cover art. I’d love to see it in color and hope that it is included in color in the print copy.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, this anthology is a great insight into the characters of Star Wars that we don’t usually get to see. It’s also a great companion to The Clone Wars series. While geared towards Middle-Grade readers, this would make a great family read. Recommended for Clone Wars fans of all ages.

Fans of the Clone Wars will enjoy this Anthology. Well written but technically not 'fresh' from a story perspective because except for Bug all the stories are POV of the Clone Wars episodes.

I loved seeing Padme in action amongst her peers (much as I loved seeing Leia do the same in Bloodlines).

I felt a deep ache as Matt Lantner gives us prime Ani (back on my WHY ANAKIN BS).

My fist was shaking and the later in the air as Rex and the other clones fought in a war they didn’t ask for under a Jedi who didn’t care for them.

Bb Boba will never not make me laugh but dang do I want more Ventress after her story here (I know, I still need to read her book).

Being inside of Maul’s head is terrifying but also his hatred of Obi-Wan has never been more clear. If you know nothing else, it’s easy to see how this will be his downfall.

Speaking of Obi-Wan, this book didn’t have to punch me in the feels with Satine. I was not prepared for that.

Speaking of feels, the story featuring the younglings made me smile and also come back to my WHY ANAKIN curse. Why. Why Anakin.

This book is marketed as middle grade, which I assume is because the show is designed for that age. Other than that, I’m not finding specific themes that are common in middle grade. This is truly a story for fans who want to see different views on favorite episodes!

I always love to see Star Wars books for younger readers! These stories re-tell the episodes of The Clone Wars TV show from various points of view. The authors work hard to bring the voices of the characters to life, including Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Darth Maul. The plots themselves are not new, and at times, it felt a little slow, but the insight on the characters was fantastic! This would be great for a younger person excited about Star Wars and working on learning to read more challenging books. The familiarity with the plot allows readers to really live inside the head of the character for a while.

Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark are broken down into easy short stories featuring one main character. As with most compilations, some stories are better than others and I found that the best stories were Rex, Padme and Obi-Wan.

If you are planning to give this to a younger reader, be warned that there is a significant amount of violence and death. it was more sad to read than expected and definitely displayed the very dark side of war and loss.

Back in 2008 the full-length cartoon “Clone Wars” was released on big screens and then the series followed. Many Star Wars fans initially felt hostility towards all the new things “Clone Wars” brought, but in time most of them actually fell in love. The series have also nursed a whole brand new generation of Star Wars fans. And now that the show has officially ended with the long-awaited seventh season, Disney-Lucasfilm Press is releasing a collection of eleven stories designed to give the fans an opportunity to meet their favorite characters once again.

The book consists of ten retellings on behalf of particular characters, depicting and describing some particular moment in the series, as well as one completely new story dedicated to the Dathomirian witches. It should be noted that there was no new story in the preliminary version of the book that the publisher sends out for review, so this review will focus only on the ten that were there.

Of course, a book with eleven different authors could not have been turned out without any flaws. Some of the writers have managed to unravel the chosen character’s depth and show them from a new point of view, simultaneously revealing new facets of a familiar story, while others simply retold the plot of the series adding almost nothing.

The most original approach was chosen by the Star Wars mastodon Jason Fry, who wrote a story based on the episode “Ambush” — the very first series of the first season of The Clone Wars. Fry recounted the events of the episode on behalf of Master Yoda without any significant changes, but at the very end the readers will be surprised: awaiting them is a small, but completely new scene that connects different “Star Wars”products.

Of course, in a publication that retells familiar stories, the focus should be shifted from the plot to the inner world, thoughts and feelings of the characters on whose behalf these stories are told. In general, there is nothing to complain about, the characters are well recognizable and match their images: Yoda is wise and reasonable, Dooku is cold-blooded and arrogant, Anakin is emotional, Obi-Wan is ready to come to the rescue in any situation, and Maul, as usual, wants to take revenge on Kenobiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

The stories of villains have perhaps been fleshed out best. It is understandable — in the series, fans rarely had a chance to look at the stories from the perspective of the “enemy”. All the more interesting is to learn the point of view of Asajj Ventress, for example. She agrees to work together with a gang of bounty hunters and in the process finds out that everything is not as clear as it seems. It is also exciting to “eavesdrop” on the thoughts of Count Dooku who is captured by the gang of Hondo Onaka along with Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. (By the way, what this story really lacks is the point of view of Hondo himself.)

If you want to delve more into the atmosphere and are also good at listening to English speech, consider getting your hands on the audio version of the book, because the stories there are read by the “Clone Wars” voice actors themselves. Listening to the story of Maul’s mental anguish read by Sam Witwer is a particular kind of pleasure.

Summing up, the book “Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark” is intended primarily for the most ardent fans of the animated series who can not accept its end and are ready to absorb any bits of information related to it. It is unlikely for the rest of us to find anything interesting in the book, except for the emotions of the characters and the opportunity to look at the stories from a slightly different angle.

The stories included in this collection are all adaptations of episodes of The Clone Wars animated show. While the stories here are told from the perspective of one character (leaving out any scenes from the shows where that character wasn't present), the stories follow the shows pretty closely, even down to 80% or more of the dialogue. I was able to read along as I watched the episodes.

I read 6 of the stories, but found very few enhancements or *significant* additions to the stories. For example, in the first story, which is a retelling of the first episode of the show, we get Yoda's musings on the nature of clones and individuality. But the additions, for me, didn't add to my understanding of Yoda, or the event in the story, or the larger Star Wars universe in a significant way. I was supremely disappointed. I was hoping for NEW stories with favorite characters from this time period in the saga.

Initially I thought this might be a good fit for readers who have never seen the show. But if a reader's only context is the movies, they might be lost as they encounter Clone Wars-only characters and contexts. The episodes referenced are from seasons 1, 3, 4 and 5. Your mileage may vary if you are brand new to the Clone Wars TV show stories.

I think the best reader for this book would be someone who enjoys novelizations. Reading about favorite moments from the show can be enjoyable for some who loved the series and are familiar with the characters and major events. But readers who are hoping for new content may be disappointed.

My teen is the biggest Star Wars fan, & getting to read advance reader copies of these titles thanks to Netgalley & Disney Publishing Worldwide has been such a highlight of his time at home during the pandemic.

He devoured this series of stories in less than a day, and absolutely loved it. From stories he knew, and new versions of stories already done this one was one he immediately asked for a hard copy of.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this title with my teen in exchange for our honest review, and being a bright spot in this weird time!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark is a collection of short stories set in the Star Wars universe (in case that wasn't obvious). This collection is much like the animated series, showcasing smaller moments within a much larger time frame.

In total there are eleven stories to this collection, with some huge names worth noting. Actually, the authors involved are half the reason why I was so interested in this particular collection. The titles in this collection include: Sharing the Same Face by Jason Fry, Dooku Captured by Lou Anders, Hostage Crisis by Preeti Chhibber, Pursuit of Peace by Anne Ursu, The Shadow of Umbara by Yoon Ha Lee, Bane's Story by Tom Angleberger, The Lost Nightsister by Zoraida Cordova, Dark Vengeance by Rebecca Roanhorse, Almost a Jedi by Sarah Beth Durst, Kenobi's Shadow by Greg Van Eekhout, and Bug by E. Anne Carvery.

Below you'll find individual reviews for each short story in this collection. It is worth noting that the fans of the Star Wars: Clone Wars television series will be (very) familiar with many of the stories included.

Sharing the Same Face by Jason Fry
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Sharing the Same Face is a tale focused on the long and varied experience of the one and only Yoda. Here Yoda is working alongside several new Clone Troopers in order to thwart Ventress's current plans.
“He'd let his senses be flooded by the life energies around him. And everywhere he visited, he found beauty and wonder.”
This was a quick and fun read, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's a plot I'm familiar with, but it was still nice to see it all through Yoda's eyes. It added a new perspective to the mix, and let me appreciate the series of events that much more.

Dooku Captured by Lou Anders
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Dooku Captured is another familiar event, though it's told in a unique format. The entire short story reads like a message written by Count Dooku. It's an odd mixture of formal and informal, all while recounting his latest battle against Anakin and Kenobi.
“I thought I sensed an unpleasant disturbance in the Force.”
This was another fun and quick read, though it's definitely one of the more unique stories in this collection. Not because of the format itself, but because of the storytelling method. It's told in first person, which worked for such a quick story, but I don't think this format would have worked as well for a complete novel.

Hostage Crisis by Preeti Chhibber
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Next up is Hostage Crisis. We're back to following Anakin Skywalker for this story. His dedication to Padme knows no bounds, even during trying times. Though sometimes that creates more complications for him and his path of being a Jedi.
“He rolls his eyes. If they could get away from all this secrecy and have a few moments to themselves, the great weight of their responsibilities would evaporate, even just for a short while.”
Okay, so this is another one of those stories I distinctly remember from the show. Still, it's nice actually getting a chance to see Anakin's thought process during this whole scene of events – that's something the show could never have done. It simultaneously makes the whole thing sweeter – and more concerning.

Pursuit of Peace by Anne Ursu
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Pursuit of Peace portrays all of the struggles that Senator Amidala went through while attempting to bring peace. There are times where it feels like she's the only one trying to find a solution that doesn't involve bloodshed – this is one of those times.
“But this time were was a new wrinkle: the Senate's war funds were nearly extinguished: they simply could not afford more clones. Padme had entertained a small hope that this, finally, might lead the Senate to discuss peace – but she should have known better.”
Any story that contains Padme is an automatic read in my book, I adore her character. Ursu did justice to a wonderful character here, showing the complexity that comes with Padme's position – and her virtues.

The Shadow of Umbara by Yoon Ha Lee
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
The Shadows of Umbara is a harsh reminder that to many, the Clone Troopers are not real people. They are tools, and they are weapons, but little more than that. This story focuses on Rex, and the bias that he had to battle on more than one occasion.
“It was too late for caution to save them”
This is one of those stories that makes my skin crawl. Not because it was poorly written – if anything, the opposite is true. Just the idea of the Clone Troopers being disregarded in such a way. Getting into Rex's head for this tale made it even more chilling (even while knowing how it was going to play out).

Bane's Story by Tom Angleberger
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Bane's Story revolves around the one and only Cad Bane, and you just know that this is going to be an epic adventure from start to finish. Bane's been imprisoned, but that won't last long. He's going to break out, even if that means working with people he doesn't trust. Followed by a whole new series of events – and crimes.
“But I'll tell you what really happened: the true story of the biggest crime ever attempted this side of Kessel.”

The Lost Nightsister by Zoraida Cordova
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Asajj Ventress has been many things. The Lost Nightsister is a reminder of her past, while a battle for the future begins. It doesn't matter what's coming at her next, Ventress will find a way to survive. She always does.
“Ventress survived because the only other choice was not surviving, and she was too stubborn for that.”
You know a story is well written when it (almost) makes you feel bad for the villains. That is the case for Ventress's story. She may do wicked things, but nobody deserves to have gone through as much as her, or to have lost so much. I really do love the way Zoraida Cordova brought this journey to life.

Dark Vengeance by Rebecca Roanhorse
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Dark Vengeance is the reminder we all need, that one should never count an enemy dead. Especially if their body is not sitting right in front of you. People like Darth Maul are much too difficult to kill, after all.
“Do they whisper my name in the classrooms of your academy, down the winding halls of your space station, in the hollows and fields of your farming planet, or across the dunes of your desert home?”
This story follows the battle of Darth Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and yet it is still a surprising story. There are many elements I enjoyed about this read, including the unique storytelling style. There's something chilling about the idea of Darth Maul addressing the reader.

Almost a Jedi by Sarah Beth Durst
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Ahsoka Tano didn't expect to find herself fighting or running from pirates, not when she signed up to be a Jedi. Yet that is the story that unfolds in Almost a Jedi. She's bound to protect Jedi younglings, in what should have been a relatively easy mission. Now, it's anything but.
“I drew a poster of her signature double lightsabers for my room at the Jedi Temple. Okay, I drew three posters of her.”
This is a retelling of one of my favorite Ahsoka moments from the Clone Wars series. Not only does it highlight a beloved character, but it gave many younglings a chance to shine as well. This short story does that tale justice, while adding a few details that I adored.

Kenobi's Shadow by Greg Van Eekhout
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Obi-Wan Kenobi has long been famous for his stalwart portrayal of the perfect Jedi. Yet there's no doubt that he is also a human, and he has his moments of weakness, as well as room to feel things such as affection, and loss. Kenobi's Shadow is about the events that occurred on Mandalore, and how/why Kenobi got involved.
“Obi-Wan resisted the urge to charge out of the chamber, board a ship, and make the hyperspace jump to help his friend.”
From the moment her name came up, I knew exactly what story was going to unfold on these pages. It was a great story, even knowing what was going to happen (and why). I love this tale for it adds more humanity to Kenobi than many others out there, which is saying something.

Bug by E. Anne Carvery
Rating: N/A
This is the only story I wasn't able to rate, as it wasn't included in the free review copy I received. I'll probably (definitely) end up picking up a copy, though not just to I can read the final short story in this collection.