Clone Wars Novelization News!

This in from the Official Star Wars Blog:

Del Rey & LucasBooks announce Novels Based on Star Wars: The Clone Wars Feature Film and Animated Series
June 25, 2008

This just in from the wire:

NEW YORK, NY – June 25, 2008 – LucasBooks and Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, announced today that Del Rey will publish five novels to tie-in with the upcoming Star Wars: The Clone Wars feature film, premiering on August 15, and the animated TV series that will air in fall of 2008 on Cartoon Network and TNT.

The first novel – Star Wars: The Clone Wars – is written by fan-favorite Star Wars author Karen Traviss, and will go on sale July 26, 2008. Popular science-fiction/fantasy author Karen Miller will write the second novel, to be published in December 2008. Both books will add depth, color and background to the screen stories and characters, making them must-reads for every Star Wars fan.

The story follows the heroic Jedi Knights as they struggle to maintain order and restore peace during the tumultuous Clone Wars. More and more systems are falling prey to the forces of the dark side as the Galactic Republic slips further and further under the sway of the Separatists and their never-ending droid army. Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano find themselves on a mission with far-reaching consequences, one that brings them face-to-face with crime lord Jabba the Hutt. But Count Dooku and his sinister agents, including the nefarious Asajj Ventress, will stop at nothing to ensure that Anakin and Ahsoka fail at their quest. Meanwhile, on the front lines of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda lead the massive clone army in a valiant effort to resist the forces of the dark side.

Del Rey Editor Shelly Shapiro says, “It is a gift to all Star Wars fans to see the franchise continue to grow and develop under the watchful and ever-inventive eye of its creator, George Lucas. The Star Wars galaxy is one of the richest fictional “worlds” ever invented, and it is exciting to be able to explore this new area with novels, as we’ve done with so much success–and so much fun–with the original six movies.”