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44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Refreshing Change of Pace, February 1, 2001
I found Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter to be an interesting, exciting and fun change of pace from the more run-of-the-mill Star Wars novels. It obviously takes place in the Prequel Era, and covers the events immediately before the start of The Phantom Menace. Basically the plot is that a Neimoidian with news of the Naboo blockade tries to sell the information on Coruscant, so Darth Maul is sent to hunt the guy down and kill him, as well as anyone he has told about the blockade. Michael Reaves is by no stretch of the imagination a fantastic author; his writing style and mechanics just weren't that great. However, this minor lapse is more than made up for by all the great elements to this book. Reaves introduces several new and interesting characters, which is a boon since because they aren't "main" characters, there are no assurances that they will survive, and the suspense is therefore much greater than in most of the Star Wars stories. The author also explores a lot of hitherto underexplained and -explored elements of the Star Wars universe. For example, the fighting style known as tëras käsi has been referenced and mentioned a lot in previous novels, but here for the first time we see what it really is. Also, we get more insight into the Sith culture -- why they want "revenge" on the Jedi, why Darth Maul in particular is so obssessed with killing Jedi, and things that make the Sith's motivations in the films much more clear. The book goes more into the actual role of the Jedi in the galaxy, and how much influence they have, and it explores some of the problems with Jedi policy. Also, though Reaves is a newcomer to the Star Wars universe, there are enough small references to other works to please fans especially. In terms of action, of which there is certainly plenty to be found here, the author had a lot of fun. New and innovative ways of killing and dying in the Star Wars universe, cool weapons and capabilities. And instead of giving us a blow-by-blow breakdown of lightsaber duels, Reaves instead opts to go more into the mindset of the fighters, how the Force helps and influences their actions and decisions, which gives us a unique view in that regard. In fact, for a novel more oriented towards adventure, I think that this book has an outstanding amount of introspection and thought regarding the ways, the use, and the limits of the Force, and the differences between the Light Side and the Dark Side. There were really only a few small downfalls in terms of plot. First of all, the Obi-Wan subplot was really unnecessary. It didn't really go anywhere, and it didn't really establish anything new about the character anyway. Also, in this book it seems that Holocrons are also able to be used as simple recording devices -- I had thought from previous sources that they were something different. And finally, there was really no reason to introduce the "Crimson Corridor." There are already plenty of bad places that we know about on Coruscant, an easy example being the Southern Underground, without the author having to create an even new, even worse section than we've seen before. Overall, however, this was a great effort. A quick, fun, and entertaining romp through the bowels of Coruscant, filled with fun and enjoyable characters that I for one would like to see more of in the future. Good job Michael Reaves!
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The immediate pre-history to the Phantom Menace, February 25, 2001
I loved this book. Finally are we able to learn something of the life of Darth Maul. Taking place immediately before the beginning of The Phantom Menace, we follow the efforts of Darth Maul to prevent the premature exposure of the Sith. Reaves combines action, suspense, and often humor, into an effortless, fast read. As the story takes place in the bowels of Coruscant, we see some of the incongruities of the Republic government, and the Jedi. We also get a few tantalizing glimpses of Darth Sidious, as he directs the actions of Maul in his pursuit. The battles are very nicely written, without being overdone, and letting us into the mind of Maul, with his contempt for the Jedi, and basically all non-Sith. I had a few minor complaints about this book, but to discuss them would be to reveal essential events in the story. I do recommend this book to all Star Wars enthusiasts, assuming you haven't already got this one. If you're waiting for paperback, you still want to remember to get this one. It reads fast, like all the Star Wars books -- you just can't put it down!
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fast and fun read!, February 27, 2001
I picked up this book not quite knowing what to expect. Could this just be a story slopped together to cash in on one of the most popular villians in recent memory? A possibility. To me, Maul seemed in the Phantom Menace to be Darth Sidious' personal killing machine, and not a lot more. He didn't have the great characterization or presence of, say, Vader. But dang was he cool when he went about being that killing machine, and that fact, along with an uncontrollable urge to pick up every Star Wars novel that comes along, made me pick it up. Fortunatly, this book is chock full of characters and the adventures they go through made me forget that most of the action takes place on Coruscant. Usually SW books hop from planet to planet. We get to know Lorn Pavan, a character I grew to really like, even though his dislike of the Jedi was annoying at first. But, like it has been pointed out, he had his reasons, and he grew a bit by the end of the story. This book also introduces us to the coolest droid since R2 and 3PO, the sarcastic, quick witted I-Five. His scenes with Lorn are great, up there in SW lore with duos such as R2/3PO, Han/Chewie and Luke/Mara. Also, we find ourselves on a journey to Jedi Knighthood with Padawan Darsha Assant, who has her troubles, moments of doubts, and times when she really shines as a Jedi. As her path leads her to Lorn and co, the story really gets interesting, for this is where our friendly neighborhood Dark Lord of the Sith comes in. I've heard him compared to a Star Wars Terminator in this book, and that description ain't that far off. Like the movie, our anti-hero doesn't have a lot to say, but his actions always speaks louder than what he would say. He is truly a figure to be feared here, and anytime a character I began to care for in the story crossed his path, I feared for them. Some would say that knowing the events of The Phantom Menace takes away any suspense from this book, but I say nay. There's plenty of suspense here, you don't know exactly what's going to happen to these characters; what twists and turns may come into play, so don't let that deter you. The pages fly fast and the pacing is perfect. Never a dull moment, and I finished the book faster than anything in recent memory, but I give this book 5 stars for being a fast, vastly entertaining read with some laughs and tears. If that seems your cup of tea, it probably won't disappoint.
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