Ryder Windham

Of the last six volumes of The Clone Wars graphic novellas, Strange Allies is by far the worst. It focuses on a young Chiss Jedi with a group of loyal clone soldiers and a friend who is a burly swoop bike racer; the story tries to simultaneously tell us he's inexperienced and he's been on all these different adventures. The plot jumps around a lot, like the writer made it up as they went along, and there are threads that don't go anywhere. Only once I finished it did I discover that the main show more characters originate in a series of YA Clone Wars tie-in novels, which I guess explains some of my issues, but while this may work for someone who has read those stories it didn't work for me. show less

Even as someone who hasn't watched Clone Wars yet (shh, I'm working on it,) this was a fun little romp that I would have absolutely loved as a kid. There were parts of it that made me go 'bzuh??' specifically regarding Breaker's character--I wasn't sure like if he was being coded as like autistic at times, or if spoilers were part of that, but it was all very weird. Also there was like a very unsubtle reference to the movie that I think kids would find delightful.

I might actually look for show more the second book, though, because I do want to know what happens next with these characters, and these are very soft and lovely and remind me of getting into Star Wars as a kid, which is nice. show less

Ryder Windham and Adam Bray's Star Wars: Stormtroopers: Beyond the Armor traces the history of the Empire's white armored shock troops from the earliest drafts of George Lucas's The Star Wars to the hype machine for The Last Jedi. They deftly weave interviews, archival documents, test shots of costumes, promotional materials, and more to chronicle how they became the icons they are. Fans who want to know more about the making of the movies will find this a great resource as will those show more interested in the work of the story group will gain a better understanding for how filmmakers balance all the different variations on the Imperial troops. Windham and Bray even include references to the Holiday Special and other non-canonical material. This book was released as part of the build-up to The Last Jedi and does include some information about the Stormtrooper Executioner and the Elite Praetorian Guard, but that's about it. Most of the book is a love letter to the 501st, who offered a great deal of insight into the fan culture that Windham and Bray document. show less

Action and tension drive every page forward, while a sense of family and friends offer the needed platform true heroes thrive on.

The team has received a mission, and while the transformers and older Terran siblings are off to catch an enemy, Robby and Mo are stuck at home to finish up their homework. It isn't fair, since missions are rare and the two really want to join the fun. To hurry things along, they decide to use one of Nightshade's inventions to assist with the homework, but they show more don't expect it to turn on them! Meanwhile, the rest of the team has lost track of the enemy...and it might be headed right to the farm where Robby and Mo are already dealing with more than the can almost handle.

While the beloved transformers start off and end this read, it centers more on Robby and Mo as they get themselves into some pretty sticky situations. Action fans will enjoy the blasts, high tension, and danger as the siblings personally battle lasers and more...and all of this in ways which still slide in with a level fitting to the intended age group. To round things off, there's a wonderful sense of family, teamwork, coming-to-aide, and support.

The text does push readers to expand their vocabulary. Thanks to the theme and plot, readers are engaged and will be willing to work through the few more difficult words to see what happens next. The text is also in a large font for easier reading purposes. I was surprised at the length of several of the paragraphs, but thanks to the shorter word amount on each page, this shouldn't be overwhelming. The illustrations found on every page not only keep the text from growing overwhelming but follow the story to help support each scene.

Not only does the action make this fun, but the family and friend aspect offers a wholesome background. Robby and Mo do make mistakes but aren't chastised much. Rather, it's the learned wisdom which is focused on. This is definitely a nice choice for Transformer fans and those who enjoy a little more action. I received a complimentary copy and find this a great read to improve reading skills, especially for fans. show less