4/5 Rancors - Darth Maul was arguably the single most popular character introduced in The Phantom Menace. Moviegoers thrilled to his stunningly fluid fighting moves and the shot in the Theed Hangar where the double doors slide apart to reveal Maul standing behind them is a truly classic cinematic moment. Legions of fans were left craving more Maul - does Michael Reaves' novel help quench that thirst?
I say it does. Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is a thrill-ride of an action novel, virtually a single extended chase sequence with a few bits of story draped here and there. Since Maul is sent on a mission to prevent discovery of the Sith Lords' nefarious plot, Reaves introduces several new characters pre-destined to meet the business ends of Maul's double-bladed lightsaber. In the fairly short space he has, Reaves does a good job of fleshing out several new characters and wisely focuses closely on their story so we have time to get to know them a little better.
The best of his characters is I-Five, an acerbic and independently-minded protocol droid who partners with a human information broker, Lorn Pavan. Lorn carries a grudge against the Jedi which is revealed slowly through the story and which is mediated by his growing closeness with Jedi Padawan Darsha Assant. Their reactions to their various encounters with Maul are well-written and portray the sheer terror of tangling with a Sith Lord nicely.
The book follows Maul and attempts to get inside his head. Being almost a complete cipher in The Phantom Menace, any insight into his character is welcome, but I would have liked to see a little more. Reaves drives home Maul's hatred for the Jedi and reverence for his master Darth Sidious and the Sith Order solidly, but we don't get much of a grasp on who Maul is beyond that. We know he was taken as a child from Iridonia and forged into a living weapon by Sidious, but we don't know if he ever felt anything about his life beyond his devotion to what Sidious taught him. Did he ever feel resentment? Try to escape his fate? Was he raised in complete isolation except for sporadic visits from his Master? None of this information is critical and possibly it is best left to the imagination, but in a book titled Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, a little more exploration of his character would be justified.
I dig the idea of a fourth Neimoidian attempting to sell information on the Sith plot; it is very believable based on the craven and greedy nature of the species. (For that matter, I'm fond of Neimoidians as characters in general, which puts me in rather a minority of Star Wars fans). I enjoyed the glimpse of Padawan Obi-Wan traveling around Coruscant on his own investigative mission, although I'm not convinced it really added much to the main story. Good flavor nonetheless.
This book is a fun and speedy read. Maul is a cool villain and Reaves knows how to write the action sequences Maul demands. The survival of I-Five is welcome and I look forward to his return in later novels. The ending of the book attaches some urgency to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's departure for their mission to the blockade of Naboo and left me ready to roll straight into The Phantom Menace.
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