The Phantom Menace
A Youtini Collection

Star Wars books you should read if you like
The Phantom Menace

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The Phantom Menace
"At last, we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last, we will have revenge."
E

pisode I: The Phantom Menace not only marked a new chapter of the Star Wars film franchise, but also established an entirely new era for the saga to explore. Set 32 years before A New Hope, it featured previously undiscovered worlds and species, epic duels between the Jedi and the Sith, and (of course) podracing.

Perhaps the best way to fully understand and appreciate the impact of TPM is to imagine the state of Star Wars today without it. Quite simply, without TPM, Star Wars as we know it wouldn’t exist. We would have never seen the Jedi at the height of their influence, housed within the Temple walls on Coruscant. We would have never seen a droid army or its violent potential in the hands of the Trade Federation. We would have never seen a double-bladed lightsaber or the Dathomirian who wielded it. We would have never seen the raucous arguments in the Senate chambers that literally decided the fate of the billions. In fact, we would have never seen the Clone Wars, Order 66, or the rise of Darth Vader.

Clearly, The Phantom Menace is more than just a movie, and more than just a time period. It’s a literal launching point for so much of the saga as we know it.

This is where it all begins.

The Sith are revealed and the galaxy will never be the same again...

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Books in this Collection

The Youtini Collections team has hand-selected the books in this collection
Legends
Legends
Junior Reader

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (Junior Novel)

Written by
Patricia Wrede
Artwork by
Star Wars is for everyone -- especially for kids. While writers don’t have to oversimplify a story or its themes to create a worthwhile, enjoyable experience for younglings, those experiencing these stories in book form might benefit from a retelling crafted just for them. This unique adaption of The Phantom Menace tells the same story that unfolded on-screen over 20 years ago, written with younger fans in mind.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

A world is threatened.

A young queen must save her people.

A dark evil rises again.

A young Jedi is discovered.

The journey begins.

Canon
Canon
Audio Drama

Dooku: Jedi Lost

Written by
Cavan Scott
Artwork by

Few know much about Count Dooku or his past that led him from the highest ranks of the Jedi Order to the knee of Darth Sidious. But when he charges his new assassin, Asajj Ventress, with her first mission, he also opens a window into his past. That past, riddled with dark prophecies and broken relationships is the key to Ventress understanding her new master…and his weaknesses.

Cavan Scott, bolstered by a whole host of voice actors, delivers one of the most engaging, immersive stories in all of the Expanded Universe with Dooku: Jedi Lost. This origin story enriches Dooku’s character so much that it even manages to elevate his on-screen appearances in the films.

Delve into the history of the sinister Count Dooku in this audio original set in a galaxy far far away....

Darth Tyranus. Count of Serenno. Leader of the Separatists. A red saber, unsheathed in the dark. But who was he, before he became the right hand of the Sith? As Dooku courts a new apprentice, the hidden truth of the Sith Lord's past begins to come to light.

Dooku's life began as one privilege-born within the stony walls of his family's estate, orbited by the Funeral Moon where the bones of his ancestors lie interred. But soon his Jedi abilities are recognized and he is taken from home to be trained in the ways of the Force by the legendary Master Yoda. As he hones his power, Dooku rises through the ranks, befriending fellow Jedi Sifo-Dyas and taking a Padawan of his own, the promising Qui-Gon Jinn—and tries to forget the life that he once led. But he finds himself drawn by a strange fascination with the Jedi Master Lene Kostana, and the mission she undertakes for the Order: finding and studying ancient relics of the Sith, in preparation for the eventual return of the deadliest enemies the Jedi have ever faced.

Caught between the world of the Jedi, the ancient responsibilities of his lost home, and the alluring power of the relics, Dooku struggles to stay in the light-even as the darkness begins to fall.

Legends
Legends
Junior Reader

Jedi Apprentice 01: The Rising Force

Written by
Dave Wolverton
Artwork by
Cliff Nielsen

In the start to this series written for audiences ages 9-12, Jedi student Obi-Wan Kenobi competes for the attention of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. He and fellow hopeful Padawan Bruck Chun provoke each other to anger, threatening their futures with the Jedi. Obi-Wan’s future as a Jedi Knight hangs in the balance as he battles his anger with his peer.

As a result of his displays of his temper, Obi-Wan is sentenced to serve in the Agricultural Corps on the planet of Bandomeer. Also assigned to this mission is Qui-Gon himself. En route to their destination, the Republic ship is ambushed by pirates. This mission might prove to be Obi-Wan’s last chance to prove that he has what it takes to be a Jedi.

Twelve-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi desperately wants to be a Jedi Knight. After years at the Jedi Temple, he knows the power of the lightsaber and the Force. But he cannot control his own anger and fear. Because of this, the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn will not take him on as a Padawan apprentice. Now Obi-Wan is about to have his first encounter with true evil. He must face off against unexpected enemies—and face up to his own dark wishes. Only then can his education as a Jedi truly begin.
Canon
Canon
Adult Novel

Master & Apprentice

Written by
Claudia Gray
Artwork by

The relationship between Jedi Master and Padawan is tumultuous as often as it is tight. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi Wan Kenobi know this fact all too well. In the midst of their struggles to work together, Qui-Gon gets an offer that would allow them to part ways forever. However, after being sent on what may be their final mission together, Qui-Gon begins have visions that cast everyone’s future into doubt.

Claudia Gray once again does what she does best by delivering a moving, impactful story that delves into big questions surrounding the Force. She was entrusted with hugely important characters and uses them expertly.

An unexpected offer threatens the bond between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi as the two Jedi navigate a dangerous new planet and an uncertain future.

A Jedi must be a fearless warrior, a guardian of justice, and a scholar in the ways of the Force. But perhaps a Jedi’s most essential duty is to pass on what they have learned. Master Yoda trained Dooku; Dooku trained Qui-Gon Jinn; and now Qui-Gon has a Padawan of his own. But while Qui-Gon has faced all manner of threats and danger as a Jedi, nothing has ever scared him like the thought of failing his apprentice.

Obi-Wan Kenobi has deep respect for his Master, but struggles to understand him. Why must Qui-Gon so often disregard the laws that bind the Jedi? Why is Qui-Gon drawn to ancient Jedi prophecies instead of more practical concerns? And why wasn’t Obi-Wan told that Qui-Gon is considering an invitation to join the Jedi Council—knowing it would mean the end of their partnership? The simple answer scares him: Obi-Wan has failed his Master.

When Jedi Rael Averross, another former student of Dooku, requests their assistance with a political dispute, Jinn and Kenobi travel to the royal court of Pijal for what may be their final mission together. What should be a simple assignment quickly becomes clouded by deceit, and by visions of violent disaster that take hold in Qui-Gon’s mind. As Qui-Gon’s faith in prophecy grows, Obi-Wan’s faith in him is tested—just as a threat surfaces that will demand that Master and apprentice come together as never before, or be divided forever.

Canon
Canon
YA Novel

Queen's Shadow

Written by
E. K. Johnston
Artwork by
Part of the
"Queen" Trilogy

What does one do after ruling an entire planet? For Padmé Amidala, that answer came easily: move on to even bigger things. However, transitioning from the throne on Naboo to a seat in the Galactic Senate is not without challenges, especially at such a young age. Uneasy alliances, ruthless media, and hidden agendas not only leave her wondering how she can possibly hope to instate positive change in the galaxy, but also how she can survive long enough to do it.

EK Johnston’s story bridges the gap between the Padmé fans see in The Phantom Menace and the one they see in Attack of the Clones. It largely expounds upon Naboo culture, including the fashion, government, and the role of the handmaidens.

Written by the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Ahsoka! When Padmé Naberrie, "Queen Amidala" of Naboo, steps down from her position, she is asked by the newly-elected queen to become Naboo's representative in the Galactic Senate. Padmé is unsure about taking on the new role, but cannot turn down the request to serve her people. Together with her most loyal handmaidens, Padmé must figure out how to navigate the treacherous waters of politics and forge a new identity beyond the queen's shadow.

Legends
Legends
Short Story

Darth Maul: Saboteur

Written by
James Luceno
Artwork by
Part of the

The Sith have been extinct for a millennium. At least…none have been seen. But the finest Sith are as patient as they are ruthless, and Darth Maul is no exception. Sent on a covert mission to fuel a vendetta between rival mining companies, Maul hopes to strengthen the Trade Federation, please his master, and get one step closer to revealing himself to the Jedi…and having revenge.

This short story by James Luceno gives a bit more backstory to the mysterious black-clad figure fans meet in The Phantom Menace and, in the process, proves that Maul’s mind was every bit as sharp as his saber.

On the distant planet Dorvalla, precious ore is mined by two competing companies: InterGalactic Ore and Lommite Limited. Neither rival suspects that they are central to a sinister plot masterminded by Darth Sidious, Lord of the Sith, himself.

Dispatched by Sidious on his very first solo mission, Darth Maul infiltrates Lommite Limited. There, his unique gifts of deception and subterfuge will set off an explosive chain of events that could destroy both companies, leaving them ripe for takeover by the Trade Federation. But a vengeful Lommite Limited Manager with his own thirst for retaliation against InterGal could blow Maul's cover — and all of Sidious's fiendishly laid plans.

Legends
Legends
Adult Novel

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Written by
Terry Brooks
Artwork by

The Sith are a thing of ancient history. Some even question their existence to begin with since not a single one had been seen for centuries. But as a long-awaited prophecy starts to come to fruition, the Jedi will soon learn that their greatest fear is emerging from the shadows.

Soon, they will reveal themselves to the Jedi.

Soon, they will have their revenge.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, an evil legacy long believed dead is stirring. Now the dark side of the Force threatens to overwhelm the light, and only an ancient Jedi prophecy stands between hope and doom for the entire galaxy.

On the green, unspoiled world of Naboo, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, arrive to protect the realm’s young queen as she seeks a diplomatic solution to end the siege of her planet by Trade Federation warships. At the same time, on desert-swept Tatooine, a slave boy named Anakin Skywalker, who possesses a strange ability for understanding the “rightness” of things, toils by day and dreams by night—of becoming a Jedi Knight and finding a way to win freedom for himself and his beloved mother. It will be the unexpected meeting of Jedi, Queen, and a gifted boy that will mark the start of a drama that will become legend.

Legends
Legends
Adult Novel

Outbound Flight

Written by
Timothy Zahn
Artwork by
The Outbound Flight Project—Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth’s plan to discover new planets and species in the Unknown Regions—has been approved. However, Darth Sidious knows that the project could lead to the downfall of the entire Republic if the ship carrying C’baoth and his followers happens across a mysterious threat he has long sensed in the far reaches of space. When Sidious’ operatives discover Thrawn and the Chiss Ascendency directly in the ship’s path, a deal must be struck to stop C’baoth at any cost. Zahn delivers another powerful chapter of Thrawn’s story in this novel that depicts one of his earliest confrontations with the Republic. Not only does it flesh out details of the Chiss Ascendency, but it also sets the stage for the eventual arrival of what lurks in the Unknown Regions.

It began as the ultimate voyage of discovery–only to become the stuff of lost Republic legend . . . and a dark chapter in Jedi history. Now, at last, acclaimed author Timothy Zahn returns to tell the whole extraordinary story of the remarkable–and doomed–Outbound Flight Project.

The Clone Wars have yet to erupt when Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth petitions the Senate for support of a singularly ambitious undertaking. Six Jedi Masters, twelve Jedi Knights, and fifty thousand men, women, and children will embark–aboard a gargantuan vessel, equipped for years of travel–on a mission to contact intelligent life and colonize undiscovered worlds beyond the known galaxy. The government bureaucracy threatens to scuttle the expedition before it can even start–until Master C’baoth foils a murderous conspiracy plot, winning him the political capital he needs to set in motion the dream of Outbound Flight.

Or so it would seem. For unknown to the famed Jedi Master, the successful launch of the mission is secretly being orchestrated by an unlikely ally: the evil Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, who has his own reasons for wanting Outbound Flight to move forward . . . and, ultimately, to fail.

Yet Darth Sidious is not the mission’s most dangerous challenge. Once underway, the starship crosses paths at the edge of Unknown Space with the forces of the alien Chiss Ascendancy and the brilliant mastermind best known as “Thrawn.” Even Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, aboard Outbound Flight with his young Padawan student, Anakin Skywalker, cannot help avert disaster. Thus what begins as a peaceful Jedi mission is violently transformed into an all-out war for survival against staggering odds–and the most diabolical of adversaries.

Legends
Legends
Adult Novel

Darth Plagueis

Written by
James Luceno
Artwork by

Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? It's a sprawling tale that establishes several important origin stories for characters fans know well. Readers learn how Plagueis seduced Palpatine to the dark side and how their alliance led to the Sith apprentice’s ultimate betrayal of his master. This is how darkness truly began to rise.

Darth Plagueis: Like all Sith Lords before him, he craves absolute power. But like no Sith Lord ever, he possesses the ultimate power—over life and death.

Darth Sidious: In secret he masters the power of the dark side, while publicly climbing to the highest government office.

One desires to rule supreme; the other dreams of living forever. Together, they will destroy the Jedi and rule the galaxy. Unless merciless Sith tradition becomes their undoing. . . .

Legends
Legends
Adult Novel

Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter

Written by
Michael Reaves
Artwork by

Plans for the Trade Federation’s blockade of Naboo is at risk of being compromised, so Darth Sidious sends his skilled apprentice to Coruscant to take care of the problem. Completely loyal to his master, Darth Maul vows to crush any threat that is prone to delivering their secret agenda to the Jedi.

Shadow Hunter is a spectacular display of a Sith apprentice’s devotion to their master. Darth Maul had been trained by Darth Sidious since he was a child, and it shows in the way he hunts his prey and fuels on his anger to finish the job.

For the infamous, power-hungry Sith, beholden to the dark side, the time has come to rise again.

After years of waiting in the shadows, Darth Sidious is taking the first step in his master plan to bring the Republic to its knees. Key to his scheme are the Neimoidians of the Trade Federation. Then one of his Neimoidian contacts disappears, and Sidious does not need his Force-honed instincts to suspect betrayal. He orders his apprentice, Darth Maul, to hunt the traitor down.

But he is too late. The secret has already passed into the hands of information broker Lorn Pavan, which places him right at the top of Darth Maul’s hit list. Then, in the labyrinthine alleyways and sewers of Coruscant, capital city of the Republic, Lorn crosses paths with Darsha Assant, a Jedi Padawan on a mission to earn her Knighthood. Now the future of the Republic depends on Darsha and Lorn. But how can an untried Jedi and an ordinary man, stranger to the powerful ways of the Force, hope to triumph over one of the deadliest killers in the galaxy?

Legends
Legends
Adult Novel

Maul: Lockdown

Written by
Joe Schreiber
Artwork by

Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious discover a way to annihilate the Jedi before they can even comprehend that the Sith still exist. But this plan involves a certain nuclear device, so the Sith Lords send their deadly apprentice to a prison colony to find the merchant who owns it. While Maul dukes it out with the prisoners in a fight-to-the-death contest in search for the target, Plagueis and Sidious plot against each other in how they'll use the weapon for their own personal gains.

Darth Maul is a favorite among many when it comes to Sith characters, and the merciless brutality he displays like that in Maul: Lockdown is probably why. Author Joe Schrieber has effortlessly integrated the genre of horror into the Star Wars universe, and using the most menacing-looking character to do it calls for a bloody good time.

It's kill or be killed in the space penitentiary that houses the galaxy's worst criminals, where convicts face off in gladiatorial combat while an underworld gambling empire reaps the profits of the illicit blood sport. But the newest contender in this savage arena, as demonic to behold as he is deadly to challenge, is fighting for more than just survival. His do-or-die mission, for the dark masters he serves, is to capture the ultimate weapon: an object capable of obliterating the Jedi and conquering the galaxy.

Sith Lords Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious are determined to possess the prize. And one of the power-hungry duo has his own treacherous plans for it. But first, their fearsome apprentice must take on a bloodthirsty prison warden, a cannibal gang, cutthroat crime lord Jabba the Hutt, and an unspeakable alien horror. No one else could brave such a gauntlet of death and live. But no one else is the dreaded dark-side disciple known as Darth Maul.

Legends
Legends
Adult Novel

Cloak of Deception

Written by
James Luceno
Artwork by

It may be lonely at the top…but it’s also dangerous. Chancellor Valorum learns that fact when a terrorist group makes an attempt against his life. However, there is no shortage of enemies for the leader of the Republic, and Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are soon assigned to the case. As arguments spark in the Senate and the jockeying for power intensifies, it seems that someone must be benefitting…but who?

James Luceno delivers a story filled with conspiracy, duplicity, and political intrigue as he fleshes out the character of Chancellor Valorum and enlightens readers to just some of the turmoil that ultimately led to the vote of no confidence in his leadership.

Mired in greed and corruption, tangled in bureaucracy, the Galactic Republic is crumbling. In the outlying systems, where the Trade Federation maintains a stranglehold on shipping routes, tensions are boiling over?while back in the comfort of Coruscant, the hub of civilized space and seat of the Republic government, few senators seem inclined to investigate the problem. And those who suspect Supreme Chancellor Valorum of having a hand in the machinations are baffled?especially when Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi foil an assassination attempt on the Chancellor.

With the crisis escalating, Valorum calls for an emergency trade summit. As humans and aliens gather, conspiracies sealed with large sums of money run rampant, and no one is entirely above suspicion. But the greatest threat of all remains unknown to everyone except three members of the Trade Federation who have entered into a shadowy alliance with a dark overlord. While the trio will be content with more money and fewer problems, Darth Sidious has grander, far more terrifying plans.

It is a time that tests the mettle of all those who strive to hold the Republic together?none more so than the Jedi Knights, who have long been the galaxy's best hope for preserving peace and justice. Yet despite their most valiant efforts, the meeting will explode into fiery chaos beyond everyone?s worst fears . . .

Legends
Legends
Adult Novel

Rogue Planet

Written by
Greg Bear
Artwork by

In Rogue Planet, we find Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi a few years into his training of Anakin Skywalker, said to be the Chosen One by the late, great Qui-Gon Jinn. Chosen One or not, Anakin is quite the troublemaker, and the Jedi Council decide it best for him to pour his energy into a mission rather than illegal races in Coruscant's underbelly. Along with Obi-Wan, Anakin is sent to investigate the disappearance of a Padawan named Vergere and see how it relates to the purchase of a unique Sekotan spacecraft on the mysterious planet Zonama Sekot.

Greg Bear gives readers a story that focuses on a unique time in Anakin's training. The planet Zonama Sekot and the character of Vergere have some important implications later in the EU, though those implications do nothing to hamper the enjoyment of Rogue Planet as a standalone story.

The Force is strong in twelve-year-old Anakin Skywalker . . . so strong that the Jedi Council, despite misgivings, entrusted young Obi-Wan Kenobi with the mission of training him to become a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan? like his slain Master Qui-Gon?believes Anakin may be the chosen one, the Jedi destined to bring balance to the Force. But first Obi-Wan must help his undisciplined apprentice, who still bears the scars of slavery, find his own balance.

Dispatched to the mysterious planet of Zonama Sekot, source of the fastest ships in the galaxy, Obi-Wan and Anakin are swept up in a swirl of deadly intrigue and betrayal. They sense a disturbance in the Force unlike any they have encountered before. It seems there are more secrets on Zonama Sekot than meet the eye. But the search for those secrets will threaten the bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin . . . and bring the troubled young apprentice face-to-face with his deepest fears?and his darkest destiny.

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