Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: this book rocks Review: it will be a great must-have book.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Great Review: Michael Reaves is a fantastic writer. I hope that he continues with Star Wars novels. This novel was great, especially because there really can be no other outcome to the story. But Mr. Reaves makes you forget that Maul's victims are doomed because of his twists and turns. The book is one long chase, and it's riveting. I also liked the insight into the Sith and Maul's devotion to Sidious. This book is not just for ardent fans. It is a great story. A definite must read!
Rating: ![1 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-1-0.gif) Summary: For The Die Hard Star Wars Enthusiast Only Review: Although well written by an author of obvious talent, I did not particularly enjoy this book. I liked it for what it was. It is a book that offers insight, albeit very little, into the new cool bad dude. The problem is that the book still wants you to cheer for the Jedi. It is a book that I thought was going to be about the Sith and I truly wanted to root for the bad guy(like you do with the Sopranos); however that was not the case. I did find that I was more intrigued by Maul, but I had no connection to him. Maybe one day we'll have a novel that really shows something from the Sith perspective. I say that if you are a die-hard then buy the book. If not, you won't have to wait long for a new novel.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Impressive, Most impressive!!!! Review: Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter was a truly entertaining Star Wars novel. I am not a huge fan of the SW written works, and picked up this book just to see if they had gotten any better. All i can say is that I was happy I did. Reaves gives the reader a deeper insight into the shadowy character of Darth Maul as he sets out upon a mission of the utmost importance for his evil Sith master Lord Sidious. Reaves also introduces us to Lorn Pavan a down-on-his-luck scoundrel of the first degree, I-5 the sarcastic, and nearly sentient 'droid sidekick and one of my favorite characters the young jedi student Darsha Assant. It was so refreshing to see the jedi portrayed in such a young, inexperienced yet focused role. In most of the books they are portrayed as the Know-It-All protectors of the galaxy, and Reaves expresses that through Lorn's intense contempt for the Force Using crime fighters. I loved the back story of Lorn's hatred for the Jedi, and thought that it was explored very well. Darsha is bright, and shining, and made a wonderful addition to the Star Wars universe. Yes the ending of the novel is intense, and dark, but then the good guys don't always win, even in Star Wars. I respect Reaves for having the 'tude to tackle that ending the way he did. BRAVO!! I can go on, but any fan should read this book! It is fresh, new, and exciting, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: EXCELLENT! Traditional Star Wars Excitement and Imagination Review: "Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter" is a sagacious spin off the move Phantom Menace; however the novel takes place before the movie. Reaves delivers a delightful chase tale with the sinister Darth Maul as the hunter. The lyrics are enticing, eliciting macabre images of the surreptitious Sith against not only the Jedi, but other ubiquitous forces. Reaves grabs your imagination, your love for Star Wars, and your thirst for adventure, wraps it up into an engrossing tale, and delivers an audacious story that will have you turning pages into the wee hours of the night. Reaves maintains the traditional Star Wars imaginative galaxy of mystique characters, menacing environments, and stimulating battles between good and evil. He introduces some new characters and expounds on familiar characters, but still manages to give us a capricious adventure. The story is not at all jagged; instead, the plot is tightly wound and intramural. The characters are lurid, colorful, and engrossing. I'm hoping that Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is the initial book, and that this spin off will evolve into a collection of ominous tales that will keep all of us Star Wars junkies occupied and entertained.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Fast-paced Review: This book had non-stop fast paced action. Reaves does a good job in showing Maul's thoughts and actions and I can see why he gets killed in TPM. Although Maul has a look that can kill and has great martial arts skills...he lacks patience...and he is very arrogant. This does him in, in TPM. Reaves gives us a tour of the lower levels of Coruscant along the Crimson Corridor...where the dregs and criminals of society hang out. Maul is in pursuit of a Neimodian who has the plans of what Darth Sidious and the Trade Federation are about to do...blockade of Naboo. This Neimoidian gets the info to Lorn Pavan, a Corellian who reminds us of Han. Well, Maul now has two people he has to exterminate. We meet a yound Jedi padawan, Darsha Assant, who besides Maul, is generally the main character in this book. She eventually runs into Maul and Pavan...helping Pavan and his sidekick droid I-5 escape the clutches of Maul for a short while. Maul pursues these three along the lower and sub levels of Coruscant where we meet some intersting creatures, one of which is resistant to the Force. Obi-Wan is introduced trying to find out what happened to Darsha as she was on a graduation assignment. He senses corruption as he looks for Darsha when he runs into the remnants of wreckage and such, but he is lead to believe that it may be the Black Sun gang lead by a Hutt. Basically this book centers on a pursuit by Maul to kill anyone who knows of the plans and to get the holocron with the plans on them back to his master. There are a couple of great light saber duels. A must read...especially for fans of Darth Maul. In addition, based on a previous review about Reaves not giving too much background on Darth Maul's past; I read an interview with Reaves where Lucas did not want him to reveal too much about our Dark Lord of the Sith. So, not sure if something will come up in the next movie or another book about his past.
Rating: ![1 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-1-0.gif) Summary: Possibly the coolest villian ever in a very un-cool book Review: To put it simply, this was the worst Star Wars book I every read. Enticed by the cool cover, I just had to have this book. Evidently, it turned out to be a waste of cash. Shadow Hunter was not only a simple read, but also a horrifyingly simple story. There were no plot twists or surprises that made Zahn's books incredible. None of the great lightsabre/space battle descriptions that kept you on the edge of your seat for Stackpole's books. This book was simply telling things the way they happened. Although this books plot really lacked, I think some writers still have the ablility to turn a poor thought out plot into a good book. I'm not criticizing the author's ability. You can tell other people liked it, I just didn't share their enthusiasm. I didn't even like hearing Darth Maul's thought process. It brought a lot of mysticism away from the character, and replaced it with boredom and simplicity. I mean, the whole time it was repeating "I serve my master to the death." Although it was a remarkably bad book, I think the author was set up. First of all - a prequel to a prequel series? Come on. Second of all, he couldn't change events too much, or give too many twists and surprises, because everyone knows the events of Episode I. What he could have done, was feed from the new characters - obvously Maul would acheive his mission, and how it happened wasn't a large surprise. I guess I shouldn't have judged this book by it's cover.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: Powers of the Sith Review: I had heard that Darth Maul was coming out with a book but it didn't really hit me untill I stood in the book store and stared at the cover. The very name sent a shiver down my spine. As I read the inside cover I had a ton of questions that I couldn't wait to be anwsered. After a couple days I had all the anwsers and an even greater respect for the "shadow Hunter". This book is as close to an edge of your seat thriller as a novel can get.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: the darker side of the force Review: If you're one of those people that misses the older days of the expanded universe, when the Empire was in control, you'll love this episode of prehistory. Shadow Hunter is easily one of the best-written SW books, sharing the top of the list with the original Thrawn trilogy. Instead of following around a Jedi on a mission of peace, it is refreshing to get down-and-dirty with the Sith, chasing around the sub-levels of Coruscant. If you've ever wondered how it would feel to hack off someone's head with a lightsaber, this book is for you!!!
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: The Dark Side's Shadow Looms Review: The time line that is the basis for Robert Heinlein's "future history" series includes a takeover of the United State by a religious "theocracy". He wrote Revolt in 2100 to tell how the theocracy was overthrown and the republic reestablished, but he never told the story of how the theocracy came to be. Reportedly, he said that writing that story would be too depressing. As a result, readers must wonder how it might have happened, and how that master storyteller would have presented it. The Star Wars Saga presented us with a similar conundrum. The original Star Wars trilogy, as Revolt in 2100, begins with the tyranny in place and the revolution beginning. The trilogy carries the revolution through to its successful conclusion, and many supplemental books have projected what happens beyond the movie set. Then the movies return, but at a time well before the downfall of the "Republic". Readers are still curious about what happens in between. In Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, Michael Reaves gives us a hint about what happens. The story is not conclusive-there is a least one more book, maybe several, in the unresolved story. And we know the eventual outcome. It takes a very good storyteller to pique your interest while telling a story where you already know the ending, and don't like it. Reaves is a good storyteller. This is not a happy story. Good guys die and bad guys win. Still, for the curious it sets up the downfall of the Republic and rise of the Emperor. Shadow Hunter is set even before the most recent movie; Obi-Wan is just a senior apprentice Jedi at this point, and only a contributing character. Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is light reading, but interesting.
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