Rating: 
Summary: Definitely makes Episode I easier to swallow.
Review: Yes, it's mainly a novel of politics and intrigue, but it offers a much needed explanation of why things happened the way they did. Luceno's return to the Star Wars universe is welcome; after the well-written Agents of Chaos duology, it's nice to see him tackle the so-called "early years." Granted, there is not as much overt action, but a good book doesn't require a space battle or cooridor shootout every other chapter. It's not for everybody, however; those of you who feed off of the...explosiveness of the X-wing series and others probably won't have an easy time with this one, so I'd recommend either checking it out at the library or waiting for the paperback. There is a level of maturity in the book in that it's not written for the younger fans. Most would have a hard time grasping the political aspect of things. All in all, I'd buy it, if only for the appearances of some familiar names and a taste of what to expect in the next film.
Rating:
Summary: Rise of Palpatine
Review: James Lucerno is greatly welcome in the Star Wars universe. I enjoyed his last two novels immensely and now he has taken a wonderful new step into the prequel time line. Reading this book, it really seems he has a handle on Senator Palpatine. If you were left wanting more of him (like I was) from the Phantom Menace, look no further. This book sets up the events of Episode 1 with Palpatine angling for the taxation of the outer rim trade routes on one hand and dealing with the Trade Federation on the other. Valorium is shown to be even more of Palpatine's target in this book. And Qui Gon Jinn and Obi Wan are well used, but the real strength in this story is the Senator who would be Emperor Palpatine. Star Wars fans...buy this one!
Rating:
Summary: Luceno does it again
Review: Bottom line: This book was very good. I enjoyed it from the first word to the very last word. If you have read any of Luceno's other works and you enjoyed them, think about picking up a copy of "Cloak of Deception." The story does an excellent job of explaining all the details that caused the actions of people in Episode 1. I highly recommend this enthralling book.
Rating: 
Summary: Essential Prelude to TPM
Review: Cloak of Deception is not only an exciting read, but it also nicely sets the stage for the events of TPM.Most importantly for Star Wars fans, this book explains what the vague "dispute over taxation" at the beginning of Episode I is all about. Much of the information to be found here would have improved the film as well, by more fully explaining the motivations of key characters and more sharply setting the tension. For instance, the fact that the dispute isn't really about taxes, but rather about (a) a nascent rebellion, (b) the reactions of both the Trade Federation and the Republic to growing anarchy and (c) political control over large portions of the galaxy is important to understanding the issues behind TPM. Of course, Palpatine's behind-the-scenes manipulation of everyone on every side is also interesting and illuminating. As a side note, I think that in TPM Lucas wanted to hide Palpatine's actions behind a veil of secrecy and mystery, a goal that was largely successful. On the other hand, Lucas was so successful that the film left us clueless as to what the political factions were debating and why the Trade Federation was making such a hostile play for Naboo. TPM as a stand alone film would have been better served if Lucas had cleaned up those plot lines a bit - even one or two lines explaining the dilema would have helped (it's all about motivation!). Cloak of Deception corrects that oversight. Perhaps just as important to the future development of the SW epic is Luceno's treatment of the rift among the Jedi regarding the nature of the Force. Luceno tell us that some (Qui-Gonn Jinn among them) adhere to the precepts of the "Living Force," while others (the majority of the Jedi Council) follow those of the "Unifying Force." In the interest of brevity and my unwillingness to spoil an interesting plot line for fans, suffice it to say that this book begins to explain why Qui-Gonn is somewhat of an outsider (his adherence to the Living Force) and how these conceputal differences have somewhat divided the council. I think that this philosophical difference will also tie in with the midi-chlorian thingies and the disappearing Jedi conundrum (SW fans understand those references). I'm not even going to outline the plot in this review - it's mostly standard dueling, space chases and other swashbuckling. As far as all of that goes, Luceno does a fine job balancing action, political intrigue and character development. Footnote: I think that reading this book will probably be as essential as watching TPM again before Episode II hits the screens. The political intrigue is bound to play a role in the next film, too.
Rating:
Summary: Politics
Review: "Moving us around like pieces on a hologame board", according to Master Yoda, and how often is he wrong? This latest installment from Mr. James Luceno is as well written as his previous offerings, however it is very different. This book has its share of Lightsabers and includes more high-level Jedi involvement than other books I can recall. But this is a book about a political chess match, and the action that takes place is not the focus of the story. The Grand Master that this book centers upon is Palpatine and his manipulation of a wide variety of players that lead up to the time when Episode I would just about begin. The book is a valid entry to the series as it makes very clear how the initial plot line of the first movie is arrived at, and also reveals how Palpatine was able to promote himself continuously until one day he becomes Emperor. Until now the Jedi Council Members have primarily sent Qui Gon and Obi Wan to take care of the tasks at hand. This time many of the council actually participate in travel from the Jedi Academy, and are confronted with the trials that are usually reserved for others. More detail is shared about the personal histories of Council Members, and in at least one instance the specific event that caused one member to be elevated to the council. This was a new slice of information that will please the detail minded fan. As I mentioned this book is different, the pace is slower, but the story is still well conceived and executed. However if your taste runs to Rogue Squadron or the action of, The New Jedi Order Series, the pace here may be a bit slow.
Rating:
Summary: A Very good Book
Review: Unlike most of the other Star Wars books, this book has a lot more politics in it. Not nearly as much action as the Rogue Squadron or Thrawn books. There is a lot of debates and things like that, so this might not be the best for you. It does have some Episode II spoilers in it so that can be another drawback to it.
Along with the poltics that are in the book, there is a lot of action from the Jedi, Obi Wan and Qui Gon. They fought both on the ground and in space, making the book interesting. It flows well from scene to scene and expecially at the end, where it links up with Episode I and Shadow Hunters. Another good thing is that there are lots of cameos around in it. Jorus C'Boath(From the Thrawn Books)and Governor Tarkin for example. And there is the things between Palpatine and Valorum, and how they interact with each other. Over all, a good read, one that introduces a new view on the pre-movies era of Star Wars.
Rating: 
Summary: Good big-picture background, but lacks strong characters
Review: Reason for writing this review, too many reviews give 4-5 stars. To clarify, if ur looking to dig deeper into the big picture stuff, such as the relations between the Republic and the Trade Federation and Nubula Front, or Palpetine, then this is a 4 star book. Other than that, if u want a character driven story look somewhere else. The only interesting characters in this book to follow are Palpetine, for his subtle scheming and Captain Cohl who is a hard nosed mercenary working against the Republic. All the jedi are quite one dimensional even though they take up 1/2 the book. The main Jedi here is Qui Gon who is intent to catch Cohl. The author does touch on why Qui Gon is a sort of mavrick in Jedi circles, but would have been interesting to see more of this and less Yoda/Windu babble.
Rating:
Summary: Okay Beginning
Review: Mr. Luceno does an okay job at setting up the events that will take place in Phantom Menace. He gives us descriptions and reasons and explanations about things we saw in Phantom and things we only heard mentioned. The action isn't too intense, not like Labyrinth of Evil. Obi-Wan seemed a little too "green" of a Padawan and not as sure of himself as he was in Phantom. And there are some red herrings thrown at us about Senator Palpantine that only distracted and didn't enhance the story. Qui-Gonn is at the center of most of the story and much deserved. I thought that he was a cool character who, in Lucas fashion, was cut down before we could get to know more about him.
If you are looking for an okay Star Wars book and want to find some more info about what happened behind Phantom, then this is your book.
Rating:
Summary: It was...okay
Review: "Cloak of Deception" is the first Star Wars novel that I have read. This novel is set before the events of "The Phanton Menace" and set some things in motion which help better explain potential questions raised in the movie. Some questions that get addressed in this book: "What is the deal with the Trade Federation?", "Why is Chancellor Valorum ineffective as the leader of the Senate?", "How does the Senator from such a small planet has such influence in the Senate?". We are in the waning days of the Galactic Republic. The Trade Federation has an absurd amount of power, influencing the Senate and maintaining control over trade lanes. They are, in effect, a Galactic Monopoly. Few in the Senate are willing to deal with this growing problem, but there are bands of terrorists attacking the Trade Federation in the Outer Rim. Members of the Trade Federation have entered into an alliance with a mysterious figure only known as Darth Sidious. The Jedi-Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi get involved in one of the terrorist attacks and sensing a larger problem that is worth getting involved in, Qui-Gon defies the Jedi Council and continues to work to find the root of the terrorist problem and the Trade Federation. Qui-Gon also foils an assassination attempt on Chancellor Valorum, and the implications of this event are far reaching. I did not have very high expectations regarding this book. I have not heard very many good things about the quality of the Star Wars novels. The beginning of this novel was moderately weak as I didn't find any of the characters to be engaging at all (despite my familiarity with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan). They seemed to be simply acting, and Luceno was not very successful in revealing who these men, women, and aliens were. About halfway through the novel, the story picked up a bit and I was able to get into it a bit more, and I enjoyed the book more than when I began. It was good enough that I'm willing to try a few more Star Wars novels and try to work my way through the series for a while longer so that I can see what happens after the events of "The Return of the Jedi". This isn't a great book, but it's not bad. It is middle of the road science fiction set in the Star Wars universe.
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