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Summary: DARTH MAUL: SHADOW HUNTER peers into the darkness of evil
Review: Star Wars Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is definitely a must read for all Star Wars fans wondering what happened immediately before the events to come in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. I thoroughly enjoyed Michael Reaves' dark tale which gives readers insight into the dark side of the force, the evil of Darth Maul's mind and his devotion to his Master, Darth Sidious. The skill of Reave's craft creates life to his words and the reader has no choice but to become totally immersed in the Star Wars world. Star Wars fans will be reaquainted with familiar Jedi characters Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Ginn and Yoda, and introduced to new players Lorn Pavan, an information broker, his droid I-Five and a young Jedi Padawan named Darsha Assant. Shadow Hunter is full of heart-pounding action, daring pursuits and escapes, and vividly stunning lightsaber duels. Follow the characters as they travel through such varied settings as the darkness of Coruscant's seedy alleyways and the breathtaking magnificance of the Jedi Temple on a mission to thwart the evil intentions of a Sith apprentice skilled in the darker arts of the Force. Although Darth Sidious calls the shots, Darth Maul is a formidable foe with lightning fast reflexes aided by the Force with a penchant for pleasing his master. Will the Jedi be successful in their effort? Star Wars fans will be begging for more dark revelations!
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Summary: fast paced Star Wars action
Review: "Shadow Hunter" is a prequel novel set in the Star Wars universe. The setting is on Coruscant just days before the event of "The Phantom Menace". Whereas "Cloak of Deception" was a novel set on a grander scale and told of the origins of Darth Sidious's plan for the Naboo trade blockade and dealt with political intrigue, "Shadow Hunter" is a fairly straight-forward action ride of a novel. One of the Neimoidians who was instrumental in setting up the Naboo blockade has gone missing. Nate Gunray suspects that Hath Monchar is betraying the other Neimoidians and Darth Sidious knows that there is a betrayal even though Gunray has said nothing about this. To track down Monchar, Darth Sidious has sent his apprentice Darth Maul to find Monchar, kill him and kill anybody Monchar has spoken to about the upcoming blockade. Monchar has contacted a criminal named Lorn Pavan about selling this information. With Pavan we meet his droid, I-Five. While this is going on Jedi Padawan Darsha Assant is sent on her final test before becoming a Jedi. She must escort someone back to the Jedi Temple, but while her mission initially seems unrelated to the other storyline in the novel the mission becomes complicated and eventually intertwines with the lives of Darth Maul and Lorn Pavan. This is a very fast paced novel, and one in which we get to see a different side of the Star Wars universe: namely, the Sith. Darth Maul becomes a more interesting character as we learn a little bit more about his background and that of the Sith and part of a reason why there are only two Sith at a time. After the exposition, "Shadow Hunter" is non-stop and everything is constantly moving, driving the story forward. I was pleasantly surprised with this Star Wars novel. It was a well told story (as far as Star Wars goes) with lots of action, some light saber action and a deeper look at the Sith. It was good enough that it made me want to continue on with the Star Wars novels. This isn't a great book, but I found it entertaining and I finished it in a couple of days.
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Summary: Awesome SW book
Review: This was a great book. I would recommend it, I love the ending, very suprising. First book ive read that evil prevails!HAHAHA!!!
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Summary: Entertaining, fun read but that's pretty much it....
Review: Shadow Hunter brings to life everyone's favorite painted Sith Lord Darth Maul. Yet even though the story is about Darth Maul, the side characters are actually a bit more interesting and steal much of the spotlight from the Episode I baddie. The young Jedi apprentice and her master along with an embittered information broker make this story very fast paced and entertaining. Our Jedi heroes fight hard to save a man with information about the impending Naboo blockade while Obi-Wan Kenobi makes an extended cameo. At times, Darth Maul is regulated to side story status, something that is a bit puzzling since the story is about him. If you want some fun reading filled with spectacular fight scenes and short on originality, this books for you. It is a fine Star Wars book, but simply not original enough to be considered anything more than above average.
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Summary: Bad Guy Finally Wins
Review: This book was excellent. It was exciting, cool, and sort of scary. The Sith Lord Darth Maul takes a leading role in this sci-fi thriller. It is his first major mission and turns out to be difficult. While chasing the trade federation emmisary he runs into two jedi knights and elimenates them both. He finally catches up with the alein and completes his mission. The entire book all leads up to the recent Star Wars Episode 1 feature film. To top off the great story filled with unpredictable turns it contains all the familar cast of characters, including Obi Wan Kenobi, Qui Gon Jinn, and Yoda. Overall this had it all and was great.
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Summary: Star Wars goes "noir" in gripping "pre-prequel"......
Review: One of the things I find interesting about the Star Wars prequels is the notion that although most fans know the eventual outcome -- Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is going to declare himself Emperor, Anakin Skywalker will succumb to the Dark Side, and a climactic duel with his friend and mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi will leave Skywalker terribly scarred and transform him into Darth Vader -- the movies (flaws and all) give us the details of the story. To those few fans -- if the reviews of Episodes I and II on this site are a reflection of how many people do like the new movies by George Lucas -- who enjoy The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, the revelations about the decline and fall of the Galactic Republic, the roles, missions, and lifestyles of the Jedi Order, and the tragic transformation of a well-intentioned but vulnerable Jedi into the galaxy's most menacing villain are intriguing. Because the prequels cover a much longer span of time than the Classic Trilogy and focus mostly on Anakin, his stormy apprenticeship with Obi-Wan, and his forbidden romance with Padme Amidala -- with Palpatine's rise to power as the backdrop -- there are always "untold stories" about the mysterious Sith and the soon-to-be-vanquished Jedi Order. A few details are divulged in the films, such as the Sith being limited to two members -- "a master, and an apprentice." But inevitably running time and other considerations preclude more detailed explanations about Darth Sidious (Palpatine's Sith alter ego) and his sly machinations to defeat the Jedi and take over the decaying Galactic Republic. Some novelists -- Alan Dean Foster, James Luceno, Greg Bear, and Michael Reeves -- have written an Expanded Universe series of novels that seek to fill in some of the blanks about the prequel era. Bear and Foster, for instance, chronicle some of the events in the decade between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones in Rogue Planet and The Approaching Storm. Luceno and Reeves' novels, on the other hand, are "pre-prequels" set shortly before the events depicted in Episode I. Whereas Luceno's Star Wars: Cloak of Deception focuses on the political machinations of Palpatine and sets up the downfall of Supreme Chancellor Valorum, Reeve's Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is a Star Wars film noir-styled mystery set shortly before The Phantom Menace. Darth Sidious and his greedy but none-too-brave Neimoidian allies are planning to blockade the small planet of Naboo to express the Trade Federation's objection to the taxation of trade routes. Everything is going according to plan: the Federation's fleet is preparing to head to the Outer Rim and the Naboo system, the battle droids are hidden in the doughnut-shaped starships' holds, and Sidious' sly maneuvers have thrown the Galactic Senate into a political maelstrom. But when one of the four Neimoidian conspirators, Hath Monchar, reverts to his species' cowardly nature and flees to the city world of Coruscant, Sidious realizes that he must take decisive steps to prevent the Republic from discovering the Naboo scheme prematurely. Fortunately, he has a powerful asset: Darth Maul, his young, well trained, and formidable apprentice. The horned and tattooed Dark Lord and his double-bladed lightsaber should not have too much trouble finding one scared and desperate Neimoidian, even one hidden among Coruscant's teeming billions. Reeves, of course, can't change the Star Wars galaxy's destiny and having Maul fail in his mission. He -- and the audience -- knows that the rise of the Sith and the Empire is set in celluloid and print, yet somehow he manages to write a suspenseful tale pitting the relentless Maul (who really got very little screen time in a movie that was heavily promoted with his likeness) against a strange alliance between the cynical rogue Lorn Pavan, a ne'er do well former employee of the Jedi Temple who lives in the fringes of Coruscant society, and Darsha Assant, a young Jedi Padawan on her first mission without her Master's direct supervision. Thrown together by circumstance and pursued by the relentless Darth Maul, these two characters -- and Lorn's sarcastic droid companion I-Five -- prove to be an unexpected challenge to the Jedi-hating Sith Lord. Reeves' style and tone are similar to Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer stories, albeit set in George Lucas' "galaxy far, far away." The characters are vividly described and are, for a space/fantasy genre novel, engaging and even believable. And even though -- like its film source -- the ending is not a surprise, Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is a fast-paced and entertaining read.
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Summary: Best Star wars book!
Review: I don't read excessive amounts of starwars books, enough but not excessive. I've read 5 or so Galaxy of Fears, Darksaber, the last 2 of the Jedi Academy Trilogy, and more! This one is my fave! It has a sad ending I would say and that's all I am saying but you kinda feel happy at the end. 5 stars!!!!
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Summary: Fast paced and a little weak
Review: The subject header for this review pretty much sums up my thoughts regarding 'Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter'. The book is a story set just before Episode I, centred around Darth Maul and his activities just prior to the blockade of Naboo. The story quickly falls into an action adventure involving a Jedi Padawan, an information broker, and the broker's droid, all trying to escape from Darth Maul in the Coruscant underworld. The book progresses along in a quick and simple fashion, lacking the detailed style and grace of other SW works by Zahn or Anderson. The ending, while ultimately bad (as we all know, Darth Maul survives to see Episode I), is also somewhat satisfying. The book had some interesting background information about the Jedi, particularly with regards to their training and discipline, and the Jedi Code itself was interesting, and was referred to a number of times by the Jedi in their thoughts. Shadow Hunter was released around the time that Episode I came out, and many people expected a detailed background to the movie to be in this book. It isn't. While this book may satisfy younger readers and fans of action based stories, I believe that most fans will be dissapointed by this book. If you're looking for a good background book, read 'Cloak of Deception', which gives all the political manouverings pre-Episode I.
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Summary: Entertaining story but thats about it...
Review: I picked this book up while being apprehensive of how good it might be. The appeal of such a menacing character usually would draw fans in but many times these concoctions are lousy. Well Shadow Hunter was a decent story and entertaining it was only a quick snack compared to what Star Wars fans may have wanted. The story reads very fast. I sprinted through this book in a couple hours and didn't feel as though I missed a single word. In comparison to other Star Wars novels the writing is simple and fast. The story itself is reminiscient of a Sylvester Stallone movie whereas on the surface it just is a shoot um up action story but you stay glued to see what happens. The unfortunate situation the author finds himself in is if you have seen or read the Phantom Menace and have an ounce of common sense you already know what is going to happen after the first few pages so no surprises here. He does a good job of articulating Maul's prowress as an elite Sith warrior but he offers no history or explanation into what the Sith actually are. In oreder to escape the problems plaguing many other Star Wars writers Reaves centers the story completely around his own made up protagonists with Maul being the only developed Star. Obi Wan appears but really offers little to the story. The characters he does create are interesting at times but his attempts to create mysterious pasts fail and knowing their fate you kind of find yourself just reading to see how it happens instead of what or why. Basically I found this book to be more entertaining than most Star Wars novels but it was a pure cotton candy read. No historical background info is explained nor are any events integral to the timeline of the overall theme of the universe. Couple that with the fact the plot has nowhere to go and nothing is really accomplished one could easily be discouraged after reading this book. Basically if you liked Maul and wanna read a fast action story to kill some time I definately recomend this book but don't expect some real developed story here with a climactic ending. Story: 3 of 5 purely on action scenes and decent iagery but no real plot development is needed. Writing: 3 of 5 simple and in your face descriptions. No hidden messages or convoluted descriptions here. Characters: 2 of 5 decent likable characters but no real back story supplied and no explanation of the Sith. Entertainment: 2 of 5 action scenes and the weak plot will keep you reading but the ending is unavoidable if you know the Phantom Menace. Seems like a waste of time but still enjoyable.
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Summary: Predictable, but still worth a read
Review: OK, you know how this book has to end: Darth Maul succeeds, the good guys fail (and probably end up dead), the Jedi Council as a whole never hears about a Sith Lord on the loose until TPM, etc. All of the above HAS to happen in order for TPM to occur. However, the author actually pulls me into this narrative with interesting characters and a storyline that had me on the edge of my seat, even knowing what I did. Some highlights:
1. Despite what some say, I think the author did a great job fleshing out one of the most interesting (and mysterious) characters of the SW universe, Darth Maul. I am impressed when a storywriter makes me feel respect for the villian, and this one does.
2. The lovable rogue and his almost-sentient droid make up one of my favorite buddy teams since R2/3PO and Han/Chewie.
3. His description of the tunnels underneath Coruscant gave ME claustrophobia.
4. The last page almost made me cry, even though I saw it coming a mile away.
To those who are questioning the inclusion of Obi Wan, you might have forgotten that he and the Padawan were good acquaintances, possibly leading to friends, and he is there to make her death more poignant (sp?). When he finds out, the author does a good job of rending your heart. Obi Wan is also there to lead right into TPM.
LOTS of action, the lightsabre battle at the end was incredible, and interesting characters that actually made me care about them.
All in all, a great read. I would have preferred to give it 4 1/2, but the system won't let me, and I reserve 5 stars for perfection (which this is not). Highly recommend it to all SW fans, both hardcore and those a little confused by TPM.
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