TFN Review: Angry Birds Star Wars Character Encyclopedia

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Love them or loathe them, Angry Birds Star Wars is destined to be around for a while, and it hasn't taken very long for a wealth of characters to be developed, so much so that DK recently released the Angry Birds Star Wars Character Encyclopedia.

Sized to the same dimensions as DK's other Star Wars-related character encyclopedias, the book gives readers the opportunity to learn everything they could possibly want to know (and undoubtedly more besides) about the brave birds of the Rebellion and the wicked pigs of the Empire.

Opening with an introduction that provides an explanation for the galactic conflict between the likes of Darth Swindle and Lard Vader on the side of the Empire, and Red Skywalker and Chuck Solo, fighting for the Angry Bird Rebels, the book is split into two main sections, one for each faction.

The first half of the book is dedicated to Bird Rebels and Jedi, beginning with a Bird Rebel Line-up and then covering all of the main characters, like the aforementioned Skywalker and Solo, as well as Obi-Wan Kaboomi, Yoda Bird, Jar Jar Wings and Peckme Amidala to name but a few, along with a couple of key locations such as Dagobah, Tatooine and Hoth. Each profile is split across two pages, and provides a collection of amusing details and images, a fun fact and also for the characters, a data file that lists the home planet, special skill and bird buddy.

Littered amongst all of the character and location profiles are a variety of two-page spreads that look at answering questions like "What does it take to be a good droid bird?" ("Keep yourself in eggs-ellent shape!"), as well as providing features on "Epic Duels", "The Art of the Lightsaber" and "From eager Padawan to evil porker" among others.



The second half of the Angry Birds Star Wars Character Encyclopedia comes under the title "Welcome to the pork side", and along with members of the Empire, also features bounty hunters such as Jango & Boba Fatt, crime leader Jabba the Hog, and other ne'er-do-wells. The section is in much the same format as that of the first, albeit with a few more vehicles, such as Lard Vader's TIE Fighter, Pork Federation Ship and AT-AT, and the features provide answers to such burning questions as "What makes a good bird turn bad?" and "What does it take to be the leader of the Pig Empire?", as well as looking at "Evil pig alliances" and the likes and hates of both Redkin & Red Skywalker in "Like Father Like Son". The section also includes two quizzes, "Which Jedi Bird are you?" and "Which path will you take?", and is rounded out with an index to all of the profiles in each section, plus many more topics referenced throughout the book.

Clearly, a great deal of artistic licence has been taken as far as the names of characters are concerned, and while the vast majority are incredibly cheesy, there are a couple that aren't quite so cringe-inducing, Quail-Gon & Mynhogs being my personal favourites. If you're willing (and/or able) to see past the silliness of the whole Angry Birds Star Wars mash-up, then there's plenty of humour contained within the book, and who knows, you may even catch yourself chuckling at a couple of things; I know I did!



Whether or not you've had your fill of Angry Birds Star Wars, there's no denying the appeal that it has with kids, and this book is aimed squarely at the younger age group. So while the Angry Birds Star Wars Character Encyclopedia may not be for you, there's every likelihood that a kid you know will be all over it.

Angry Birds Star Wars Character Encyclopedia is out now and available at all good bookstores, priced $17.99 CDN and $16.99 USD.

A big thanks to DK Canada for providing us with a review copy of Angry Birds Star Wars Character Encyclopedia, and don't forget to listen to Jedi Journals for your monthly roundup of Star Wars publishing news, commentary, and discussion on the latest releases in the realm of novels, comics, and magazines.

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