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Science Fiction & Fantasy |
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Star Wars: Darth Maul - Shadow Hunter
written by Michael Reaves
Studio : Random House Audio
by Random House Audio
Release Date : 2001-01-30
Publisher : Random House Audio
Released : 2001-01-30
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 4
EAN : 9780375416743
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 144 reviews)
List Price : $25.95
Our Price : $1.92
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Product Description |
He made your blood run cold in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace–Darth Maul, merciless apprentice of evil and one of the legendary Sith, a twisted order given over to the dark side of the Force. Darth Maul, champion of the nefarious Sith Lord, Darth Sidious–a legend sprung to life from the nightmares of history, about to be unleashed…
After years of waiting in the shadows, Darth Sidious is taking the first step in his master plan to bring the Republic to its knees. He meets secretly with his Neimoidian contacts in the Trade Federation to plan the blockade of the planet Naboo. But one member of the delegation is missing, and Sidious does not need his Force-honed instincts to suspect betrayal. He orders his apprentice, Darth Maul, to hunt the traitor down.
On Coruscant, capital of the Republic, the Neimoidian moves quickly to sell what he knows to the highest bidder. For Lorn Pavan, an information broker, the deal is too good to pass up. He grabs it, unaware that he has now earned a place on Darth Maul’s hit list, right behind the Neimoidian defector himself.
Meanwhile, a young Jedi Padawan by the name of Darsha Assant stands on the verge of ascention to Jedi Knighthood. A single mission will be her test. But a greater test awaits her. For in the labyrinthine alleyways and sewers of Coruscant’s own dark side, she will cross paths with Lorn, who is fleeing from the Sith stalker, carrying with him crutial information that must reach the Jedi Council at all costs.
The future of the Republic depends on Darsha and Lorn. But how can an untried Jedi and an ordinary man, stranger to the powerful ways of the Force, hope to triumph over one of the deadliest killers in the galaxy?
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Americancivilwar.com |
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Here's another Star Wars spinoff novel, a brisk and extremely uncomplicated action-adventure romp set on planet Coruscant immediately before the events of The Phantom Menace. After a few setting-up exercises, it's essentially a prolonged chase sequence whose implacable pursuer is Darth Maul--the almost absurdly villainous-looking Sith Lord with the biggest lightsaber and worst makeup job in the entire saga to date. The plot? Insidiously evil Darth Sidious is poised to launch the Naboo trade blockade featured in The Phantom Menace. But one of his alien henchmen has sneaked away to betray this scheme and must die. So must the traitor's contacts, smalltime crook Lorn Pavan and his uppity droid, I-Five. Likewise Darsha Assant, the female Jedi Knight apprentice who gets entangled with Pavan through either mind-boggling coincidence or the mysterious ways of the Force. Michael Reaves makes a reasonably slick job of all this nonsense and is not afraid of clichés. Plenty of characters have wooden lines like "I've got a bad feeling about this," and "Too many questions, and not enough answers." Meanwhile in the Jedi council, Yoda makes characteristic remarks: "A good choice he would be... No accident this was." Unfortunately, the well-known story line of The Phantom Menace defuses suspense in Shadow Hunter. That trade blockade has to happen despite the good folks' doomed heroics, and horrible Darth Maul (already far more powerful and deadly than the puny opposition he faces here) is fated to win out. This novel is for dedicated fans only. --David Langford |
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Repetitive And A Dull Ending |
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First of all, this book isn't really much about Darth Maul himself. It's more about some people running from him. A lot of the scenes seemed the same throughout the book and, to me, the ending just kind of fizzled out. The first half of the book was alright, but the main point I'm trying to make is that it's nothing how you would expect and it just doesn't give details about Maul's life and personality that you would expect in a book about Maul himself. So, it will do no harm to just save some time and money and just skip this one. |
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Pre-prequel |
In order to best appreciate the story in "Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter", it is recommended that "Darth Maul: Saboteur" be read first. Previously an ebook, it is included at the end of most publications of "Shadow Hunter". Reading "Saboteur" first allows a picture of the characters to develop in the reader's mind before the main novel.
Although menacing, the Darth Maul character portrayed in Michael Reeves' novel is flawed. Though a Sith apprentice, his greatest struggle in the book is killing a human who by his own admission is not particularly good at anything. Lorn Pavan, an information trader, comes into possession of a holocron crystal that contains information about the upcoming trade embargo. Neimoidian Hath Monchar attempted to made a quick profit by selling the secrets of the Trade Federation and the Emperor. This fatal decision sets up the chase. Though the end of the novel seems easy to foresee, the reader is drawn into this quick paced read.
Though the protagonists are heavily flawed, the characters are well drawn. As I did, readers may have a problem with such flawed individuals giving a Sith Lord such a menacing chase. It makes the primary villian of the Phantom Menace seem weak. But seeing the story ending exactly where the Phantom Menace begins will be pleasing to Star Wars fans. |
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Easy read, hard review |
If you picked up a book called "Star Wars: Darth Maul, Shadow Hunter" what would you expect to read? Perhaps a book who's main character is, oh, I dunno, Darth Maul??
Yeah, me too which is why I purchased the book in the first place. After reading both of the author's Medstar: Jedi Healer books, I should have learned my lesson. Apparently the author likes to use the concept of the book (Darth Maul, Jedi Healers) as nothing more than a jumping off point for characters of his own creation.
While this book was a frustrating read because I kept waiting for more Darth Maul attention, overall it wasn't bad. I'm giving it a low rating for two reasons:
1. It's treatment of Darth Maul was horrendous. When he does show up (which is rare) all we learn about him is that he wants to kill Jedi and he WILL kill Jedi. Barely do we read much about his actually killing said Jedi. And if he's such a hot stuff Sith, why can't he do better than he's doing throughout the book... which largely amounts to a Keystone Kops version of cat and mouse.
2. The author is FAR more interested in describing Corusant than he is telling the story. Yes, I get it. Downlevels are dungy. He's also far more interested in his own characters than the one the book should focus on.
There are myraid plot holes too, and while this book reads fast and easy, you're left with very little afterwards.
That said, the fantastic (formerly e-book) short story in the back of the book is worth the price alone. James Luceno can write! |
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Finally, some Darth Maul |
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We saw him briefly in Phantom Menace. Then he died. Now we have a whole book about him. I have read the book and listened to the audio. Both are excellent. They delve into his character and nearly every scene has him in it. The other characters are decent. Non jedi Lorn Pavan is a likeable anti-hero in the Han Solo mold. Thats the only problem, I think the author was thinking Han and just made up another name. The jedi padawan was kind of weak and the swift killing of her master, one of the top jedi's, was somewhat unbelievable. The end is what makes this book. It brings you literally up to the minute Phantom starts which is very cool. This is a solid, different, change of pace Star wars book. |
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big paradox |
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the darth maul part - very good. the rest of the book - not good. i'm not going to spoil the storry, but what darth maul was doing unsuccessfully almost during the whole book was just absurd. the biggest absurd i've ran into in a star wars novel. |
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