William Shakespeare's Tragedy of the Sith's Revenge

I recently received a copy of William Shakespeare's Tragedy of the Sith's Revenge by Ian Doescher. I have seen these Star Wars as told in the style of Shakespeare books several times in recent months, but hadn't read any of them yet. I must admit, even though I have read many of Shakespeare's plays over the years, this book took me a little while to get into. However, once I figured out the flow, it was a fantastic read.

This book is the third in the Star Wars prequels. As such, it tells the tale of the fall of Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side; a fall that the author has compared to the fall of Othello at the hands of Iago. The book uses Elizabethanan English, interspersed with technical jargon from the Star Wars Universe. While this can be a little jarring at first to the Shakespeare fan, it quickly seems fitting when describing lightsaber battles or strange creatures on distant planets.

I truly enjoyed this book. I was surprised by how lovely the rhyming quatrains between Anakin and Padme are. It makes Anakin's inevitable fall even more heart wrenching. And there is humor in the book as well. I especially enjoyed Yoda's speeches when written in Elizabethan English. Such as:

         "Yet some misgiving
           In mine old green gorge doth rise --
           Fear most unresolv'd."

Somehow, it makes his odd speach patterns even funnier. The illustrations are also wonderful. And each act is marked by an image of Chewbacca in an Elizabethan hat, bearing a standard declaring the act number.

I would highly recommend this book to Star Wars and Shakespeare fans alike. I do believe I will have to find the rest of the series and read them all! If you would like to know more about this book or any of the other titles in the series, please visit the Quirk website. There you will find information about the books, educators' guides, and an interview with the author. William Shakespeare's Tragedy of the Sith's Revenge is available in bookstores today, September 8, 2015.

I was provided with a copy of this book by Quirk Books for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.