Most Popular Books by Matthew Stover

In this essential Star Wars Legends novel, Mace Windu must journey to his long-forgotten homeworld to confront a terrifying mystery with dire personal consequences. The jungle planet of Haruun Kal, homeworld of the legendary Jedi Master Mace Windu, has become a battleground in the increasing hostilities between the Republic and the renegade Separatist movement. The Jedi Council has sent Depa Billaba—Mace’s former Padawan and fellow Council member—to Haruun Kal to train the local tribesmen as a guerrilla resistance force. But now the Separatists have pulled back, and Depa has not returned. The only clue to her disappearance is a cryptic recording left at the scene of a brutal massacre: a recording that hints of madness and murder, and the darkness in the jungle . . . a recording in Depa’s own voice. Mace Windu trained Depa. Only he can find her. Only he can learn what has changed her. Only he can stop her. He will leave behind the Republic he serves, the civilization he believes in, everything but his passion for peace and his devotion to his former Padawan. And he will learn the terrible price that must be paid when keepers of the peace are forced to make war. . . .

In the midst of the Clone Wars, Master Mace Windu returns to his Separatist-occupied homeworld, where his former Padawan, Depa Billaba, has been working as an undercover agent. But Depa hasn''t been reporting in lately, and Republic intelligence has been gathering disturbing hints of bloody ambushes and terror-strikes in the deep outback. Mace trained Depa--he knows that no one but he can hope to even reach her, let alone save her from the darkness...

From the depths of catastrophe, a glimmer of hope After the capture of Coruscant, the mighty heart of the New Republic, a stunned galaxy fears that nothing can stop the Yuuzhan Vong. Still, that crushing defeat produces one small miracle: Jacen Solo is alive. Yet he can scarcely imagine himself in stranger circumstances. The young Jedi Knight is in the care of Vergere, a fascinating creature of mystery and power, her intentions hard to fathom, her cruelties rarely concealed. But this master of inscrutable arts has much to teach the young Jedi . . . for she holds the key to a new way to experience the Force, to take it to another level—dangerous, dazzling, perhaps deadly. In the wrong hands, the tremendous energies of the Force can be devastating. And there are others watching Jacen’s process closely, waiting patiently for the moment when he will be ready for their own dire purposes. Now, all is in shadows. Yet whatever happens, whether Jacen’s newfound mastery unleashes light or darkness, he will never be the same Jedi again. . . . Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!

Downtrodden and powerless, Planeswalker Tezzeret must do everything he can to return to his former glory—even if it means relying on old enemies From the ashes of defeat, Tezzeret rises again. Beaten to within an inch of his life and left for dead by the psychic sorcerer Jace Beleren, Tezzeret has lost control of the Infinite Consortium—an interplanar cabal he commanded with a power and influence few in the Multiverse have ever achieved. Now he must turn to a former enemy for help: the dragon Nicol Bolas, perhaps the only Planeswalker in the Multiverse powerful enough to get him back on his feet. Bolas, however, has his reservations. What can Tezzeret give him that he doesn’t already have? So begins Tezzeret’s search for the secret of etherium—a magical alloy infused with all the power of the Blind Eternities—thought to have been lost with the disappearance of the great sphinx, Crucius the Mad. Tezzeret’s quest is clear, but his thirst for revenge clouds his decisions. Will he achieve his goal, or will he be bested by his own ambition?

SOME LAWS YOU BREAK. SOME BREAK YOU. AND THEN THERE’S CAINE’S LAW. From the moment Caine first appeared in the pages of Heroes Die, two things were clear. First, that Matthew Stover was one of the most gifted fantasy writers of his generation. And second, that Caine was a hero whose peers go by such names as Conan and Elric. Like them, Caine was something new: a civilized man who embraced savagery, an actor whose life was a lie, a force of destruction so potent that even gods thought twice about crossing him. Now Stover brings back his greatest creation for his most stunning performance yet. Caine is washed up and hung out to dry, a crippled husk kept isolated and restrained by the studio that exploited him. Now they have dragged him back for one last deal. But Caine has other plans. Those plans take him back to Overworld, the alternate reality where gods are real and magic is the ultimate weapon. There, in a violent odyssey through time and space, Caine will face the demons of his past, find true love, and just possibly destroy the universe. Hey, it’s a crappy job, but somebody’s got to do it.

Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader are dead. The Empire has been toppled by the triumphant Rebel Alliance, and the New Republic is ascendant. But the struggle against the dark side and the Sith Order is not over. Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and their faithful comrades have had little time to savor victory before being called on to defend the newly liberated galaxy. Powerful remnants of the vanquished Empire, hungry for retaliation, are still at large, committing acts of piracy, terrorism, and wholesale slaughter against the worlds of the fledgling New Republic. The most deadly of these, a ruthless legion of black-armored Stormtroopers, do the brutal bidding of the newly risen warlord Shadowspawn. Striking from a strategically advantageous base on the planet Mindor, they are waging a campaign of plunder and destruction, demolishing order and security across the galaxy–and breeding fears of an Imperial resurgence. Another reign of darkness beneath the boot-heel of Sith despotism is something General Luke Skywalker cannot, and will not, risk. Mobilizing the ace fighters of Rogue Squadron–along with the trusty Chewbacca, See-Threepio, and Artoo-Detoo– Luke, Han, and Leia set out to take the battle to the enemy and neutralize the threat before it’s too late. But their imminent attack on Mindor will be playing directly into the hands of their cunning new adversary. Lord Shadowspawn is no freshly anointed Sith Chieftain but in fact a vicious former Imperial Intelligence officer–and Prophet of the Dark Side. The Emperor’s death has paved the way for Shadowspawn’s return from exile in the Outer Rim, and mastery of ancient Sith knowledge and modern technology has given him the capability to mount the ultimate power play for galaxy wide dominion. Dark prophecy has foretold that only one obstacle stands in his way, and he is ready– even eager–for the confrontation. All the classic heroes, all the explosive action and adventure, all the unparalleled excitement of Star Wars come breathlessly alive as the adventures of Luke Skywalker continue. Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!

Tempted by the power of the Dark Side and plagued by nightmares of Padme’s death, Anakin must choose his path. His decision will reverberate throughout the galaxy. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . . War! The Republic is crumbling under attacks by the ruthless Sith Lord, Count Dooku. There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere. In a stunning move, the fiendish droid leader, General Grievous, has swept into the Republic capital and kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine, leader of the Galactic Senate. As the Separatist Droid Army attempts to flee the besieged capital with their valuable hostage, two Jedi Knights lead a desperate mission to rescue the captive Chancellor. . . .

In Heroes Die and Blade of Tyshalle, Matthew Stover created a new kind of fantasy novel, and a new kind of hero to go with it: Caine, a street thug turned superstar, battling in a future where reality shows take place in another dimension, on a world where magic exists and gods are up close and personal. In that beautiful, savage land, Caine is an assassin without peer, a living legend born from one of the highest-rated reality shows ever made. That season, Caine almost single-handedly defeated–and all but exterminated–the fiercest of all tribes: the Black Knives. But the shocking truth of what really took place during that blood-drenched adventure has never been revealed . . . until now. Thirty years later, Caine returns to the scene of his greatest triumph–some would say greatest crime–at the request of his adopted brother Orbek, the last of the true Black Knives. But where Caine goes, danger follows, and he soon finds himself back in familiar territory: fighting for his life against impossible odds, with the fate of two worlds hanging in the balance. Just the way Caine likes it.

The Battle of Mindor, where the forces of the New Republic, led by Luke Skywalker, take on the Black Stormtroopers, led by Lord Shadowspawn, self-styled new Emperor of the galaxy. What Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han, Solo, Chewbacca, C-3P0, R2-D2, Lando Calrissian, and the pilots of Rogue Squadron don''t realize is that the Battle of Mindor is a trap devised just for them -- a diabolical attempt by Lord Shadowspawn to do away with the heroes of the New Republic so that he can crush the upstarts and restore the Empire -- with himself at the helm. But Lord Shadowspawn has underestimated the bravery and resourcefulness of his enemies...

After the glories of Greece have begun to fade, Barra the Pict discovers that her efforts to save the Prince of Jericho may be thwarted--by a man named Joshua. "Flashy battle scenes and magical confrontations will appeal to fans of sword and sorcery."--"Library Journal."

Offering deeper insights into the critically acclaimed God of War® franchise, this novel returns us to the dark world of ancient Greek mythology explored in the heart-pounding action of God of War I, the bestselling video game. A brutal warrior, Kratos is a slave to the gods of Olympus. Plagued by the nightmares of his past and yearning for freedom, the Ghost of Sparta would do anything to be free of his debt to the gods. He is on the verge of losing all hope when the gods give him one last task to end his servitude. He must destroy Ares, the god of war. But what chance does a mere mortal have against a god? Armed with the deadly chained Blades of Chaos, guided by the goddess Athena, and driven by his own insatiable thirst for vengeance, Kratos seeks the only relic powerful enough to slay Ares . . . a quest that will take him deep into the mysterious temple borne by the Titan Cronos! From the black depths of Hades to the war-torn city of Athens to the lost desert beyond, God of War sheds a brutal new light on the bestselling video game and on the legend of Kratos.

For the first time in one stunning volume, here is the complete, epic story arc: The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. Experience the sweeping tale of good and evil, of myth and magic, of innocence and power–and witness the tragic transformation of Anakin Skywalker from mere slave to one of the greatest, most powerful, and feared villains of the galaxy: Darth Vader. “The path has been placed before you, Anakin. The choice to take it must be yours alone.” On the barren desert world of Tatooine, young Anakin Skywalker toils by day and dreams by night . . . of traveling the stars to worlds he’s only heard of in stories. When Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, cross paths with Anakin, it marks the beginning of the drama that will become legend. Courageous to the point of recklessness, Anakin comes of age in a time of great upheaval. The attempted assassination of Senator Padmé Amidala thrusts the Republic close to the edge of disaster–and brings Anakin and Padmé into a secret romance as intense as it is forbidden. As combat escalates across the galaxy, the stage is set for an explosive endgame. Tormented by unspeakable visions, Anakin edges closer to the brink of a decision with profound ramifications. It remains only for Darth Sidious to strike the final staggering blow against the Republic–and to ordain a fearsome new Sith Lord: Darth Vader. THE PHANTOM MENACE by Terry Brooks, based on the story and screenplay by George Lucas ATTACK OF THE CLONES by R. A. Salvatore, from a story by George Lucas and a screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales REVENGE OF THE SITH by Matthew Stover, based on the story and screenplay by George Lucas Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!