Star Wars: Darth Maul - Shadow Hunter | |||||||||
Michael Reaves | |||||||||
Lucas Books, Del Rey Books, 310 pages | |||||||||
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A review by David Maddox
Actually, "continues" is not entirely accurate, since this adventure takes place before events
in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Although the book does stand on its own, it's actually part two of a
loose trilogy, following in the wake of Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars: Darth Maul (written by former Green Lantern
scribe Ron Marz with art by Jan Duursema) and concluding in Star Wars: Cloak of Deception by James Luceno, to be published in May 2001.
For Shadow Hunter, well established SF writer Michael Reaves takes us on an adventure through the seamy underworld
of the Star Wars Galaxy. No stranger to genre writing, the Emmy Award Winning, New York Times bestselling
novelist boasts credits from such SF series as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Twilight Zone,
Sliders, and The Flash as well as Batman: The Animated Series. Reaves also
wrote episodes of the Ewoks and Droids cartoons from the mid-80s. In addition to 14
published novels he's also written for sci-fi magazines and, oddly, dialogue for a Megadeth rock video.
Set mere days before Episode I, the book begins when a rouge Neimodian decides to get rich by selling information
on the Trade Federation's impending blockade of Naboo. He travels to Coruscant, centre of the Galactic Republic, but the
evil Darth Sidious sends apprentice Darth Maul to eliminate the traitor and anyone else he's interacted with. This turns
out to be Lorn Pavan, a rogue information broker with a grudge against Jedi along with his sarcastic partner, a 'droid
named I-Five. Along the way, young Jedi Padawan Darsha Assant, out on her first mission (which she manages to botch
horribly), gets caught up protecting the two from the deadly Sith Apprentice. Can the trio evade the dark warrior and
reach the Jedi Temple to warn the Council in time to prevent the blockade? Well, if you've seen the film, then you
realize the answer is "no."
The arc of the story does feel like a Shakespearean or Greek tragedy. From watching Episode I we know the Jedi are
unaware of the Sith, so it's an easily drawn conclusion that our heroes fail. However, Reaves puts enough spins and twists
into the story to make it an exciting trip. When Lucas Books (an imprint of Del Rey) acquired the rights to publish
Star Wars novels two years ago, they gave writers more of a free hand in dealing with established
characters (even going as far as to kill off Chewbacca in last year's Star Wars: Vector Prime) and, since these
stories are designed to fill in the gaps between what happens on screen, Reaves takes a "no-holds barred" approach
with his created heroes.
Darth Maul is best summed up with the line, "He can't be bought off, scared off, or thrown off the trail, and he'll stop
at nothing to get it." Reaves shows exceptional skill at capturing the essence of what makes Darth Maul so popular. He
delivers this "completely unstoppable" attitude and plays with the character's blind, unquestioning obedience to the
Dark Side of the Force. He instills Maul with a strong sense of "honour," which adds an extra level depth to the character
who came off a little two-dimensional in the film. However, Reaves showcases Maul's over-confidence which eventually led
to his own downfall in Episode I's climactic duel. We're also given a glimpse of Maul's origins, as well as a
flashback to the day he created his now famous double-bladed lightsaber, which should definitely pique most fans' interest.
Having read virtually all previously published Star Wars novels (what can I say, I'm addicted to this stuff),
I noticed distinct similarities to Alan Dean Foster's classic 1978 book Star Wars: Splinter of the Mind's Eye. Darsha
and Lorn's journey through the dark, seemingly endless underground caverns of the Crimson Corridor almost parallels Luke
and Leia's journey through the swamp caves of Mimban, most likely an homage to Star Wars past.
Special mention must be made of I-Five, Lorn Pavan's incredibly acerbic yet likeable 'droid. The two have a unique
relationship, operating as partners rather than owner and property. This gives a much needed new element to the 'droids
of the Star Wars world, who are sometimes poorly utilized and not given enough opportunity to grow. Using his
superb dialogue skills, Reaves creates some clever and truly funny banter between I-Five and Lorn on par with any
classic Hollywood buddy-movie.
The novel does suffer from some slow chapters, especially near the end. And, for a book that's supposed to be about Darth
Maul, there's really not enough of the guy. In fact, sometimes three to five chapters will go by without his
appearance. But these are minor complaints and don't detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.
The novel climaxes with an exciting lightsaber battle (I can almost picture Ray Park in all his acrobatic glory) as well
as the creative use of carbon-freezing, making for a heart-stopping ending -- an excellent prelude to the film. All in
all, Star Wars: Darth Maul - Shadow Hunter introduces some good characters and mixes high-spirited adventure
with humour. While not as grand in scope as any of the feature films, it is a rousing adventure that fits well into
the Star Wars mythology.
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