Shadow Hunter (Star Wars - Star Wars, Darth Maul

I was struggling to get through The Approaching Storm, so I bought Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter off of the store. I hated it whenever I had to put the book down to do something else. I wanted to just keep reading it, and even though the ending was a rare "bad guys win" situation, of course, the reader knows it has to be, because Darth Maul is still alive at the beginning of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and Hath Monchar isn't among the Trade Federation Neimodians, and the blockade of Naboo and the resurgence of the Sith have both come as total surprises to the Republic and the Jedi Order.

The characters were great. I-5 in particular was a fantastic character, the total opposite of C-3PO. It's easy to see, in the droids of Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, elements of C-3PO, HK-47, C-3PX, and also I-5. It was nice to see a wisecracking droid who acts so human.

Oh yeah, and Anoon Bondara...really cool name.

Ahem. Anyway, Darth Maul is also a very nicely written character. He's just forged by hatred and his training is intense. He's terrifying to behold, really.

I think my most major gripes with this book were the constant references to stuff from the movies. Wampas and dragonsnakes as forms of teras kasi martial arts, when Hoth and Dagobah both are supposed to be remote, forgotten, insignificant backwater planets. The constant references to Tatooine and Sarlaccs and the like are only slightly more acceptable, mainly because Tatooine does lie near the intersection of two important hyperspace trade routes and is an important world to the Hutts, but even still, it is a backwater planet that is a prime example of an Outer Rim world. Sarlaccs are supposed to be immensely rare so I'm not sure why there are so many mentions of them.

All in all, four of five stars, standard fare for the "good" Star Wars books that aren't mediocre pieces of work like The Cestus Deception and what The Approaching Storm seems to be shaping up to be as I continue into the book (three stars) but neither are they exemplary like the Thrawn Trilogy or Yoda: Dark Rendezvous (five stars). Not quite as good as the Wraith Squadron books or Republic Commando: Hard Contact, but about equal with Labyrinth of Evil, which is not at all a bad thing to be.

This is a must read/listen for any Star Wars fan. It's a short book so can be read in a day, you won't want to put it down. This would make a great movie IMHO, it's that kind of book. Action packed and a great story. Darth Maul is a bad dude, does some amazing things in the story. I recommend the audiobook, it's an even better listen

When I started this book, I wasn't sure what to expect, it does get off to a slow start, but once Darth Maul arrives on Courasaunt, it doesn't let up, it becomes a thrill ride from that point foward, It begins on the Trade Federation ship where Nute Gunray & Rune Haako, (the two cowardly dudes seen at the beginning of TPM) is vistited by a Holographic image of Darth Sideous who quickly notices one of their lackeys missing, Nute & Rune downplay the absense by saying he is not feeling well, when in essence the lackey Hath Monchair has disappeared without notice, Darth Sideous then lays out his plan & tells them he will be in touch, Nute & Rune, terrified of Sideous hires a female bounty hunter to track down Hath & bring him back before Sideous contacts them again, meanwhile Sideous is just as suspicious & knows the Nemidions are oppurtunist & Hath Monchair's absense can only mean that he is going to sell this sensitive information to the highest bidder, Sideous then dispatches his apprentice Darth Maul to kill Hath & anyone else who may know of this conspiracy that we know will happen in TPM, we are then introduced to Darsha Assant, a Jedi Padewan who in essence could be the girl next door, who is facing her final trial as a Padewan & is told by Yoda & Mace Windu to bring back a spy who may have information vital to the Republic, but it means going into dangerous territory in a remote part of Courasaunt, which she does but faces opposition in every way possible & loses her charge & ultimately fails in her mission, we are then introduced to Lorn Paven & his droid I-Five (think a pre-generation Han Solo & C-3PO, only with a sense of humor), Paven is a Corrilean like the future Han will be, & has just as many one-liners, & meets with Hath to discuss the news he has, Hath then tell Lorn to meet him at his place later, Darth Maul eventually tracks Hath down as does the bounty hunter who follows him, when Darth Maul dispatches Hath Monchair & his cronies a face-off ensues between Maul & the bounty hunter in which she dispatches a missle, blowing up Hath's place, killing her with Maul just barely escaping with his life, leaving behind a hologram that Lorn & I-Five take when they arrive later & then try to sell it to Yantha the Hutt, when Maul returns to retrieve it, he learns that Lorn & I-Five are on their way to the Hutt, & quickly dispatches the Hutt & all his cronies with Lorn & I-Five escaping just barely & are pursued by Maul but are saved by Darsha & her Jedi Master, who is also killed when he takes on Darth Maul leaving Darsha to help Lorn & I-Five escape, what follows is treacherous jounrney for the three of them with Maul in hot pursuit, eventually there is a bit of an attraction between Lorn & Darsha, but it never really goes anywhere because a face-off between her & Darth Maul happens as well, & well, I won't spoil it, what I really liked about this was the fact that Darth Maul really gets to do a lot here, unlike TPM, & Darsha could be that sweet innocent girl we all know, even Padewan Obi-Wan Kenobi has a fondness for her & is dispatched by Qui-Gonn to find her & her Jedi Master unaware of the events taking place, this story is told with consistency to TPM & would make a great SW film, sadly, it will never be, but a great read, especially for the Darth Maul fans out there, Eric Bana would make a good Lorn Paven...while Sophia Bush would be who I would picture as Darsha Assant

Oh, this was a fun ride! Mr. Reeves has a lot of potential as a Star Wars author, as he's captured the sense of non-stop adventure that many (myself included) find so appealing.
Readers may find themselves needing a dictionary nearby in order to understand the vocabulary that pops up at least once in each chapter. But even though it jarred me enough to notice it, I didn't really mind. It added to the richness of his descriptions and always seemed to flow well with the rest of his writing. A good workout for those of us used to devouring these books in one sitting.
The new characters were so much fun. Others have said that they were disturbed by the lack of outright description, but I never found myself lacking a mental picture of the characters. You build up their image as the book moves along. And it was great to see not only a not-super-human Jedi in the form of Darsha, but a wonderfully written and humanlike droid named I-5. He really plays with the general sterotypes of the Galaxy Far, Far Away and I hope to see more of it.
The only negative I could cite would be his portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He seemed to be there more for appearance value and lacked the spark that other authors have captured with him. Perhaps before he is given a New Jedi Order novel (which I would LOVE to see), Mr. Reeves could warm up on the established characters with a short story in Star Wars Gamer?
All in all, a fun book with loveable characters. Buy it!

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.

If you ask me, Darth Maul's life ended prematurely. He should have returned in Episode II alive and well. Thank goodness for Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, where we can see the mystical Iridonian in action once again. What a wonderful book, full of twists and turns page after page. Like Cloak of Deception, I had a hard time putting this book down. There really is never a dull moment.

Although this story is obviously centered around Maul, you will get an absolute kick out of I-5, Lorn Pavan's droid sidekick. He is as close to human as he can get and puts Pavan in his place time and time again. The one thing that got a little old was the author repeating over and over throughout the book how much Maul hated the Jedi. After reading it about four times, I was thinking, "OK, I get it. He really hates the Jedi and wants them all dead." Other than that, I thought the novel was brilliantly written.

This is one Star Wars novel where you don't have to be a nut about the movies to enjoy it. If you like cloak and dagger type romps, this story is the one for you.

I tried to keep an open mind when LucasBooks released Shadow Hunter, starring whirlwind of death Darth Maul. I had just read Dark Horse Comic's awful Maul miniseries and I thought the character was best left to what he did in the movies. Unfortunately, this novel is not much better than the comics. And worse, it requires you to lower your I.Q. just to finish it.
Not that it is completely hopeless. The two heroes are quite compelling, but you know they are going to die, so why root for them? Some of the situations are energetic, and at least the cover is nice.
But unfortunately, Maul himself is the biggest problem. He is a fighting machine, nothing more, a henchman and a lackey. He did not deserve a novel to himself, and no amount of double-bladed saber action will change that. Having Maul use is saber is a bad idea, anyway. Wouldn't the Jedi Council discover the Sith if one of their numbers is slashing people up left right and center? Let alone all evidence points to the first Jedi Maul encountered being Qui-Gon Jinn.
The other problem is Sideous, the cleaver Senator Palpatine. Or rather, the not so cleaver Palpatine in this story, as his plans lack the brilliant edge they did in Episode I, and the only reason they work is because everyone else in this novel is portayed as complete idiots (especially the one-note trade federation.)
The Old Republic, the Jedi, and the readers deserve better than this.

This is a great quick read that follows the exploits of Darth Maul just prior to the events in Episode I. If you are looking for a deep meanful plot...look somewhere else but if you want a fast, action packed story full of cool locations, this is the one. I enjoyed this "non-thinker" more than I want to admit and honestly would love to see a series based on Maul. He is just to cool of a character to leave cut in half at the bottom of a pit on Naboo. I'd love to see more stories that take place before his demise. This one is great fun and worth the time to read. One down point is that it is hard to get attached to any new characters since they are obviously going to loose. Neat idea to have the bad guy as the focal point of the story and...WHAT A BAD GUY!!!!

First of all, this is my first book review on the store, so I am kind of exited.
Right off the bat, you should know that this book is essentially a cat and mouse chase story.
The main plot is that a member of the Trade Federation was coming foreward with information about the plan to blockade Naboo, and Darth Maul was sent to kill him and everyone he talked to. It happens right before episode 1, and at the end of the book (Don't worry, I'm not giving away any spoilers!) Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are sent to deal with the blockade of Naboo. This is the best scene in the book feturing Obi-Wan. He doesn't really do anything else in the others, and just relates to his training with the Jedi Padawan who is helping the person Darth Maul is chasing. I think the book could be a lot better without these. Maybe make the Obi-Wan going to Naboo into a short story, and include it in the back, then it would have felt less like it was taking you away from the main story.

So, I've spent enough time talking about the bad, so now I need to talk about the good, and there is a lot of it. First, it introduces some new environments and creatures of Corucant, which I always like hearing about. Second, because he was able to keep it feeling so different whenever Darth Maul and his target, Lorn Pavan run into each other, it feels fresh and new. I think it could have been made into a two book series. Third, in some books,when there are combat scenes, there is a blow by blow account of what is happening, but here he includes all of the major twists of the battle, and spends the time instead describing the usage of the Force during the battle. He will tell it from one characters point of view, and then the others point of view. It makes you almost root for both sides Finally, the last thing I liked was its many twists and turns. It follows a predictable pattern, and then the outcome is different than what you would expect.
A really good read that I would put on my top 20 list.

As much as I loved the new characters in the book, I would have liked to have seen more of Darth Maul. There are often large gaps between his appearances. However, I realize it could be difficult to have him around all the time and keep it interesting. Maul can be a rather flat character if not used sparingly.

I also would have liked to have seen more background on Maul. Why does he hate the Jedi so much? How did he hook up with Sidious? What was his training like? Some is given on this, but not a lot. Most of that was told in the Darth Maul Journal, something many fans will probably not read. It should have been saved for this.

The timing of this book is also confusing. It takes place days, if not hours, before the Naboo blockade. The whole point of the novel is that the Sith don't want the Jedi to know about their existence or the blockade. However, just a couple of days later, they completely reveal themselves to the Jedi and their plans. If the events were so close to happening that they were almost unstoppable, why did they care if some little information broker tried to sell the info? If it had been months before, their concern would have been more understandable. The closeness in chronology kind of takes away from the urgency of the events in the book.

Final Thoughts: Only read this book if you are a Darth Maul junkie. If you read this book for any other reason, you will be let down. Reading this book is not necessary to stay abreast of the Star Wars galaxy.

Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter (written by Michael Reaves) is an action-packed, enthralling deity that pulls you in right away and doesn't let go until you've finished it. Usually, any books that I read (especially Star Wars novels) tend to take a few chapters before my interest is sparked. However, Shadow Hunter hooked me right away.

The story centers around Darth Maul and his latest mission assigned to him by his sinister master, Darth Sidious. Mere days before the blockade of Naboo is initiated, one of the scheming Neimoidians flees to Coruscant, hoping to sell his knowledge of the impending blockade for his personal wealth. Maul's mission is to hunt down and kill this Neimoidian (along with anyone he might have spoken to) in order to contain the information.

Reaves gives spectacular characterization of Maul as he scours Coruscant to find his target. The reader begins to understand why Maul is the way he is and the Sith lord's failings that will ultimately lead to his downfall.

Joining Reave's rich cast of characters is a trio of newcomers: Lorn Pavan, I-5 (a droid), and Darsha Assant, who find themselves unknowingly enmeshed within the Sith lord's pursuit. In my personal opinon, Pavan and I-5 are worth reading the story for, if nothing else. Their dry, sarcastic chemistry with one another is highly amusing and has the feel of the classic bickerings of Han and Chewie.

The only reason I didn't give this story five stars was because of the faint love story that weakly develops between Darsha and Pavan towards the end of the book. Their attraction was unnecessary and didn't seem to fit with their personalities. (They'd only known eachother for two days!)

Overall, I really enjoyed Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. Its classic feel of adventure is highly reminiscent of Star War's earlier days. The force is certainly strong with Michael Reaves.

4/5 stars. Thanks for reading. :)

This book is not integral to the plot of Star Wars in any way. Don't feel obliged to read it. In fact, the whole plot concerns covering up information. Information that anyone who saw TPM already knows, so nothing important actually happens.

If you're into Darth Maul, and I know that there are plenty of people who are, you'll like this piece of Maul action and insight. You really get to see him on the job, and get some nice looks into his psyche. Although fanboys may be as frustrated as he is at how often he seems to be eluded yet again for the sake of continuing the story.

Otherwise, the book is just an exciting game of cat and mouse, a wild chase through the dangerous and mysterious depths of Coruscant.

One thing I'll say is that the author tends to go overboard with adding new things. The back of the book will tell you that there are exciting new creature never before seen, and it's true. They're also never see again. I think the author got too excited about making up new things to add to Star Wars, and the end result is something like a fan-fic, when they should have just tied the book to the sage through existing source material.

Overall, it's a fun read. Interesting, exciting, and Maul-a-rific. It's not very well written, and it's extremely unimportant and insignificant, but still, a fun, easy read.

I read this one some time ago, and I remember it being very action packed, but I can't recall much about the story. It must not have left too much of an impression on me. If you've read Darth Plagueis then you will come across a point in the book where Darth Maul goes on a mission to destroy Black Sun. This is the complete story of that mission. Very action packed and a was probably a very good tie in novel at the time Episode I came out to give people more Darth Maul. Now years later it doesn't add too much to the Star Wars mythos.

After reading through 300-plus pages of what passes for prequel literature these days, all I can say is I'm glad I waited to borrow Shadow Hunder from the library instead of handing over good money for it. It wasn't as bad as Rogue Planet, but it wasn't much better either. The worst thing about this book was its potential to be better. It's a waste of some potentially good characters in a nonexistent plot that builds up to a predictable conclusion. Reaves is a good writer and has obviously put some effort into his book, but it lacks inspiration. Much of the book seemed forced, as though the author had been told to write a book the same way you would ask hire someone to pain your house or mow the lawn. Reaves tries admirably to fill this void, but much of the book is just that: filler. Reaves tries to stuff everything, Obi Wan, the Jedi Council, the Trade Federation and colorful bounty hunters into his book, but the result is a lot of artificial plot devices, cliches and side-storys that go nowhere and don't contribute. You can't make an epic novel out of a prolonged chase scene. And now I have no choice to mention the title character, Darth Maul: the biggest dissapointment of '99. There's nothing of value in the scenes dealing with him, Darth Sidious or the Trade Federation. The Shadow Hunter himself is a joke with the face of a demented clown and the personality of the Terminator (no, wait, Schwarzenegger had more lines, better lines, and was actually scarey now and then). Shadow Hunter merely reinforces Darth Maul as more caricature than character, he's not fit to dry-clean Vader's cape. I give it 3 stars, for effort on the part of the author, some good cover art, and a few good scenes with Darsha, Lorn and I-Five that almost save the story. Star Wars fans expect and deserve more than average, though. Reaves should have been given time to develope Shadow Hunter. As it stands now, the Force ain't with you.

Written by the Emmy award winning Michael Reaves, Shadow Hunter delivers everything a fan would want in this Episode 1 prequel - almost.

The story follows the human Lorn Pavan and his droid I-Five. Despite being a robot, I-Five is Lorn's business partner and is a highly modified protocal droid - C3PO with attitude and guns. Both Lorn and I-Five have interesting and deplorable back stories. This makes the book all the more enrapturing when they get caught up in a mess with the Sith.

Padawan Darsha Assant is sent to the grimy streets of Coruscant for her Jedi Trial. The mission goes haywire, and Darsha witnesses someone very dear to her slain by Darth Maul. During this confrontation, she meets Lorn and I-Five. Together they must flee from the Sith - for their lives and the republic are at risk.

The story takes off from there, bringing in such characters as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jin, Mace Windu, and Yoda. However, the roles these characters play is minimal. The real stars are Lorn Pavan and his droid I-Five.

Shadow Hunter is a fast, fun read and a good addition to the Star Wars universe. Although lacking in the classic characters everyone loves, Reaves creates a cunning cast of his own. The story leads perfectly into The Phantom Menace with a poignant ending not to be missed.

This was a very good book. It was a quick read that captures your interest from the beginning and keeps it throughout with a nice pace of action and adventure.

Reaves did a good job in creating interesting characters. He delved into some of the psychology and history of the infamous and mysterious Darth Maul. I would have preferred a little more info on the Sith apprentice though. His I-Five droid is definitely one of the best characters to ever come out of the star wars EU. Once you found out about Lorn Pavan's situation with the Jedi one could not help but empathize with him. It was great to see him develop as a person during the story. And what is there to say about Darsha - I really just wanted to slap her so many times....I found myself really getting attached to Darsha, Lorn, & I-Five.

I loved the ending of this book. Even though everyone who reads this book knows that Darth Maul will be around for TPM and that nobody knows about him yet, Reaves does a masterful job in writing an ending that one won't soon forget. The ending was so good that I had to read it again several times.

This is a must read for Star Wars fans. Beside the fact that this the only adult novel that has the poster boy for Star Wars Episode I as a main character, it is also wonderfully, terrific read. It ranks among the best Star Wars prequel novels.

If you are wondering what happen after Episode one this is the book for you. It tells about Darth Maul right before Episode one hunting down some people from the Trade Federation. He ends up having the hunt down Lorn Pavan, and his droid I-Five. Lorn Pavan is just like Han Solo, and his droid is like 3P0 but much smarter and armed with some weapons. The two of them get lucky many times and even get a Jedi Padawan to help them out. There is are a few Jedi Duels and gun fights. You get to more about Darth Maul and his master, Darth Sidious. I liked this book because I really enjoy Star Wars. I would recommend this book to all Star Wars fan, but not for any other casual reader.

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.

My son recently wrote a short review:
The Sith lord, Darth Maul, is sent on an ominous task: to capture and slay the traitor, Hath Monchar. Monchar has information about the blockade of Naboo. The Sith's only hope is that Maul can stop Monchar before the info leaks out.
This book should be made into a movie, jam-packed with action, suspense, and the swish-swish of the light saber (which all kids like). I was really excited when I found out there was a Darth Maul book coming out. Michael Reaves did a great job of keeping me entertained. He chose great characters, from the witty I-Five to (my favorite) force-sensitive Darth Maul, shadow hunter.

Compared to the other pre Phantom Menace novel, Cloak Of Deception, this book is much more exciting and well written. I read it in less than 2 days, though I do read most Star Wars books in that time. It is nice to see something written about everybody's favorite Episode I character. Michael Reaves informs on how Darth Maul came to be Darth Sidious' apprentice. It lets you in on all of the backround information of Lord Maul. Though all of the other characters are unknown, they are fun and help make this book great. Also, one of Hyperspace's top 20 Expanded Universe's moments is included. If you are interested in what happens before The Phantom Menace, I recommend this book. It takes place mere days before Qui Gon and Obi Wan are supposed to meet with Viceroy Gunray. Read, Read, Read.

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.

My son recently wrote a short review:
The Sith lord, Darth Maul, is sent on an ominous task: to capture and slay the traitor, Hath Monchar. Monchar has information about the blockade of Naboo. The Sith's only hope is that Maul can stop Monchar before the info leaks out.
This book should be made into a movie, jam-packed with action, suspense, and the swish-swish of the light saber (which all kids like). I was really excited when I found out there was a Darth Maul book coming out. Michael Reaves did a great job of keeping me entertained. He chose great characters, from the witty I-Five to (my favorite) force-sensitive Darth Maul, shadow hunter.

Compared to the other pre Phantom Menace novel, Cloak Of Deception, this book is much more exciting and well written. I read it in less than 2 days, though I do read most Star Wars books in that time. It is nice to see something written about everybody's favorite Episode I character. Michael Reaves informs on how Darth Maul came to be Darth Sidious' apprentice. It lets you in on all of the backround information of Lord Maul. Though all of the other characters are unknown, they are fun and help make this book great. Also, one of Hyperspace's top 20 Expanded Universe's moments is included. If you are interested in what happens before The Phantom Menace, I recommend this book. It takes place mere days before Qui Gon and Obi Wan are supposed to meet with Viceroy Gunray. Read, Read, Read.

Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter was an excellent novel. It is set shortly before Episode 1, and was better than the movie. The basic plot: Originally, there were 4 Neimodians involved in the Trade Federation blockade of Naboo. When one decides to sell the information on the blockade to the Republic, Sidious send Darth Maul to make sure no one else learns of his plans. Darth Maul tracks the Neimodian traitor, Hath Monchar, to Coruscant. Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is reccomended to any Star Wars readers, or those who read the Medstar books (Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is also about I-Five, the droid from Medstar). An excellent read.

Darth Maul Shadow Hunter was our first look into Darth Maul's thought process and who he was. In the movie, he had about two lines but he was such a great fighter and the less lines he had, the more mysterious he became. Having a novel that described Maul and the techniques he used, it was awesome! I hope to continue to see more novels on Darth Maul come out as good as this novel, aka Maul Lockdown!

I've been a fan of Reaves for a while now, after his work on Warner Bros. Animated Batman series and Batman: Mask of the Phantasm...hell, I've even talked to him on occasion via email, but this book does not live up to what it could've been. his writing style reminds me of Steve Perry (Author of Shadows of the Empire, prob the best SW book outside Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy) but without the whip-smart sequences and dialouge. Admittedly, I admire the downbeat ending, which makes this book a notch more interesting than, say, every "Kindly southern lawyer helps woman-in-need/homeless child/missonary on the Nile" book out there. Still, Reaves is partial to FAR superior novelization like his work on Aliens vs Predator: Prey...wait, that was Steve Perry again, sorry...

If you are wondering what happen after Episode one this is the book for you. It tells about Darth Maul right before Episode one hunting down some people from the Trade Federation. He ends up having the hunt down Lorn Pavan, and his droid I-Five. Lorn Pavan is just like Han Solo, and his droid is like 3P0 but much smarter and armed with some weapons. The two of them get lucky many times and even get a Jedi Padawan to help them out. There is are a few Jedi Duels and gun fights. You get to more about Darth Maul and his master, Darth Sidious. I liked this book because I really enjoy Star Wars. I would recommend this book to all Star Wars fan, but not for any other casual reader.

Shadow Hunter wasnt that bad of a read. It did have its flaws but it also had allot of positive pros.
Pros:
1: Darth Maul! This was really the first novel based on the red dread Sith lord. We get to see things through his perspective and see how effective he can be.
2: Lorn Pavan, I liked Lorn and his droid, they made for an interesting team even if they were pretty much a han solo and chewie style archetype.
3: Jedi Scum. I liked how it showed peoples view of the Jedi, and even some justification for Palpatines hatred of them as they were so detached and cruel to people who had dealings with them.

Cons:
1: Lorn gets Drunk. Yeah unfortunately when Lorn gets drunk he starts speaking with a Scottish accent. Reaves really did not convey this well.
2: Mawhi Linn. I was all excited to see her in this from the galactic battlegrounds game, and what happens, well i dont wanna give spoilers but she sucks as a bounty hunter.
3: Maul Bumbles alot. It seems Maul is constantly failing or just getting lucky in this story
4: Obiwan is kind of wasted, of course we cant have him battling Maul here or discovering the Sith but still it was like why even have him in the story if he cant really interact with anyone.

Overall it wasnt a bad story but seemed rather short and pointless. Would have made an excellent short story though.

We all know the good guys die in this book. We all know the evil Darth Maul has to win. We all know the Naboo blockade has to go through. Still, Reaves did a good job. For a book that, truthfully, doesn't go anywhere. This situation is similar to the Star Wars comic Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire. Maul comes just a split-second away from death, but of course, he has to live here. The best new invention for this novel: the taozin. Great. Just genius, they are even better than the old ysalamiri! This brings a little new insight into the teras kasi fighting style, but me being a hardcore fan, there was little I could learn from this. But the ultimate irony was at the end. I will not even say it here. Read the book yourself and find out what I mean!

There are so many things wrong with this book, I just don't know where to begin. I'll hit the high points:
* Lousy character development. Everything about Darth Maul is a rehash from "Darth Maul (Star Wars Episode I: Journal Series)", by Jude Watson. Watson's book is a MUCH better study of Darth Maul and the philosophies of the Sith, despite being a children's book. Read it instead!
* Most everything in the plot relating to the Jedi is inconsistent with the Star Wars universe. (Why would a Padawan's test be so rediculously easy, and on Coruscant to boot?!)
* The "sly" references and details Reaves liberally smatters through the book are feeble at best. Every martial arts move used by Darth Maul is based on Tatooine-native animals. But Tatooine is a less-than-minor backwater planet whose natives barely rate as thugs, much less cultural masters.
* There are no new details to add to the Star Wars canon, just a bunch of rehashed, repackaged slop.
* Did I mention the writing itself is infantile?
I am dismayed that I wasted a gift certificate on this book. It's reprehensible to charge money for it!

This is easily my favorite Star Wars book to date. It has a completely different feel. This is like one of those simplistic, but great Stephen King novels that you simply can't put down. If you want to get away from all the politics and huge number of characters and planets involved in most Star Wars books and instead take a wild ride as the coolest villain ever made relentlessly and brilliantly hunts his unfortunate group of prey throughout Coruscant than this book is for you. The action is non-stop with lightsabers, blasters, and horrendous creatures lighting up every page. I recommend this not only to fans of Star Wars, but to fans of thrillers in general.

Some people would praise this book highly simply because it's about a cool character, namely Darth Maul. But that would be doing this novel a disservice. It deserves praise for far more reasons than just that. Now, I'm a really, really nit-picky stickler for Star Wars trivia. So when I read anything Star Wars-related, and can find nothing important to complain about, that should tell you two things: that the book in question meets or exceeds very high standards of quality, and that I really, really, really need to get a life. "Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter" succeeds on many levels, and here are just a few:
Firstly, and most importantly, the author is familiar with the Star Wars universe. Wonderfully and comprehensively so. Mr. Reaves has included rare and little-known trivia in his narrative, showing that he is either a fellow obsessive fan boy at heart, or that he has the best Star Wars research materials at his disposal. Or even both, perhaps. His attention to detail is admirable and a rare gift to be treasured in the Star Wars universe, where a number of authors (and I am not naming names) ignore previously-written continuity for the sake of convenience or their story.
An example of the attention to detail in this volume: Mr. Reaves describes Maul as belonging to the Iridonian species, a conclusion which has not been stated specifically elsewhere to my knowledge. But it IS a conclusion to which many fans have come after learning about Jedi Master Eeth Koth, who IS officially listed as an Iridonian, and has similar stunted horns. Excellent work, Mr. Reaves.
Another praiseworthy aspect of this book is the vocabulary. It makes the reader not only sit up and take notice, it doesn't talk down to the reader. The word choice invites active participation in the reading of this novel, and not once did I find my eyes unfocusing and requiring me to go back and reread the same section over six times, as is the case with some other books I've read. This story keeps the reader riveted throughout. And not only that, it will help build an impressive and sesquipedalian vocabulary. Example: I can think of only one other book I have ever read that contains the word "poltroon," a word which Mr. Reaves uses to great effect. Again, excellent work.
And speaking of keeping the reader riveted throughout, the thrust of the plot is fairly straightforward, but it has enough twists, branches, and action to keep the momentum of the narrative strong. What's more, the characters are well-fleshed out, and if you don't like them from the start, they'll grow on you. You LIKE the characters. Even the despicable Sith Lords are given unexpected depth. Even the near-hopeless Jedi padawan, Darsha Assant, who I desperately would have liked to smack senseless at the beginning of the story, even she grew on me.
Well, this can't be a proper critique without some criticism. And there isn't much of it to come. Apart from a very few spelling mistakes (such as "ommni box" with only one "m"), the only complaint I have is the over-use of the word "photonic". Photonic sconces I could understand and accept, but photonic LAMP? Show me a lamp that DOESN'T give off photons, I dare you. And that's practically all I have to say that's bad about the work.
So, in all, this is an excellent paperback novel (and the bonus "Darth Maul: Saboteur" story is just that: a nice bonus). This is a definite must-have for your library. Do not hesitate to acquire it. And if the folks at Lucas Licensing are reading this review, I have been unemployed since early January 2001, and would like a job as an editor. Thank you.

Overall the book is well written and held my interest from start to finish. But, some of the situations that the characters encounter along the way made me feel that I was reading a D&D novel instead of a Star Wars novel. We get some good insights into life in the underbelly of Coruscant, but no real clues as to why the Jedi are so despised by the Sith. Finally, for one who's already familiar with the events of Episode I, the entire book is read with the fore-knowledge that the Jedi counsel will not receive warning about the impending blockade of Naboo, nor information about the existence of the Sith. In short, we know in advance that the heroes will fail.

Hello, my name is Elaine, and I'm a Maulaholic.
When I heard Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter was out, I grabbed it as soon as I could. I wasn't disappointed, either. Maul's very first scene should send shivers of glee up any good Sithly spine!
Now, there are those who want to know more about Maul and his past, but I say, keep him enigmatic: his mystery is part of his allure. Happily, not much of his past is revealed here, though we do get a flashback of the creation of his signature weapon. What is revealed is how he thinks, what makes him tick, his motivation.
The story is a constant race of action. The characters aren't shorted in personality, though, being well thought out and as fully fleshed as their tatooed nemesis. Darth Maul isn't the only danger, of course: a few critters from the darkest underbelly of the capitol world make their appearances, creatures thought by most to be either legendary or extinct.
There's not much to say on the negative side. The only detractors were a few turns of phrase that didn't really belong in the Star Wars universe. (The book starts out 'An even longer time ago in a galaxy far, far away...' but the story makes up for that silliness.) And for a novice in Lucas' universe, Reaves is up on his in-jokes. Look for a tweak at Indiana Jones, too!
One of the intriguing subplots of the book involves the character Lorn Pavan's intense animosity toward the Jedi order. Be assured that it's not just an idle dislike: he has quite a good reason for his hatred. I'd wondered about this facet of Jedi life for a bit; now I'm not sure I'll ever see the order in the same untarnished light again...
All in all, this is one that Star Wars lovers in general, and Darth Maul lovers in particular, should not pass up. I read it cover to cover in about three hours!

In the days before the blockade of Naboo, there is trachery afoot within the Nemoidian council. One of the Trade Federation members has decided to sell the information concerning the blocade.That's where Darth Maul, a previously mysterious character, comes to life in this interesting pre Episode I book that brings you to the underbelly of the capital City-Planet of Coruscant.

While Maul searches for the Nemoidian traitor, Lorn Pavan, and information broker finds out and is also being hunted by the Dark Lord. Darsha Assant, a jedi padawan pursuing Knighthood on her trials, also falls into the mix as she and Pavan are chased relentlessly throughout the dirty, ugly underworld of Coruscants' bowels.

I loved the non-stop action of this book, and how you learn more of Darth Mauls' past, not that Reaves delves too deep. One of the more intersting parts to me was when the description of how Maul created the crystal for his lightsaber came about, it really showed how incestantly devoted to the dark side that he really was.

The pace of the book is very quick due to the relentless chase that Maul puts on his prey, and it's hard to put down once you get into it. So if your looking for an action packed story that involves lightsaber fights and blaster bolts-a-flying, you should definitly pick this one up. May the Force be with you!

WARNING. SPOILERS FOLLOW! I have mixed feelings about this book. It's an exciting tale with interesting characters, and Darth Maul is explored much deeper as it's really his book, which is great to answer all the questions one has about him from his minimal appearance in Ep 1.
The inevitable weakness in the story is that it's predetermined. We already know the blockade happens, and that the jedi know about it. What we don't know is how they find out. That gives us the glimmer of hope that our heroes who we grow to care about will survive Maul's hunt. In the end, the characters we care about are either dead or looking at a not so bright future with no recollection of the past. It's depressing, and serves the purpose of establishing Maul as a killer who gets the job done. It's my own inane wish that all stories have happy endings, which this certainly does not, so it spoils my enjoyment of the book as a whole.
However, the characters are well written, the Jedi, seen through the eyes of a grudging Lorn Pavan, are seen from a different angle then the usual '100% good guys', which is fascinating. The whole book acts as basically the set up to the events of Ep1, which certainly isn't a bad thing.
I give it three, cause the main character is never really established. It could be Darsha, the jedi padawan, or Lorn, who get most of the time in the book. Darth Maul is for the purposes of the title, but he isn't seen as much as those two other characters. I also take off a star for the really depressing ending, which some people may like, but I'd wish for something more positive, still lining up the episode 1 events. Oh well.

The novel does a great job of providing background for the prequel movies. When read along with the Dark Horse comic we learn more about Darth Maul and his relationship with his master Sidious.

Sidious' plan is about to be exposed, and Maul must prevent this. One complaint. With the seriousness of the situation, an apprentice padawan is given the mission. Why, with a temple full of masters, is an apprentice sent. The audion book is 540 minutes and 6 cassettes. I great travel companion on a long drive.

If you're curious about what Darth Maul did before "Phantom Menace,"this is the book for you!Find out what lead to him becoming Darth Sidious' apprentice and learn about his FIRST mission.The story leads up to"The Phantom Menace" and involves Maul,the Trade Federation leaders,and a trader in search of a rare artifact.That's all I can say withoutout ruining it for yoy,except that if you wonder where Darth Maul came from-or what lead to Episode 1 you'll find Shadow Hunter is what you've been hunting for!

Ok, I don't want to gush, but this is the most fun I have had reading in a long while. This book is highly recommended to any Star Wars fan and anyone who appreciates a lively adventure filled with action and suspense. Consider the plot line to encompass the time frame of Episode 1 that transpires during the pre-show trailers. So if you were scratching your head during the opening crawl of The Phantom Menace, pick this book up as soon as possible and explore the backstory to the backstory (and then read Darth Maul: Saboteur to go a little further back). Major kudos to author Reaves for this fascinating book.

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!

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!

If you are a Darth Maul fan, and long for the day where Sith were more than just creepy old guys, then this is the book for you.
It is colorful, exciting, a quick read. Maul is relentless, this book paints him almost as a Michael Myers (of Halloween fame) or a Jason (Friday the 13th): A stalking relentless Menace leaving death and destruction in his path. This is certainly his book.
You'll buzz through it and find that you enjoyed yourself.

When I heard a novel about Darth Maul was in the works, I got a little worried. I too am a Maulaholic, and I became concerned on what kind of story can possibly be told about him. Will it upset the events of Episode I in any way?
Shadow Hunter was a success. Mr. Reaves did a fantastic job of setting the stage up for Episode I. It was a fast-paced, action packed, lightsaber galore, of a novel. What makes this story very interesting is we learn how Maul thinks, the way he see's life, his views towards everyone he encounters (along with the Jedi and his Master), and we even get a peek at his training.
As the book came to a conclusion, there came the grand ending; possibly the best part. I won't spoil it for any potential readers, but the ending was amazing. Just like many scenes in the book, the end was something you would wish to see with your own eyes.
The only thing I didn't like from the book was the Obi-Wan scenes. Nothing new was learned about him and it probably wouldn't have made a difference if he was left out. But that still wasn't enough to hurt the story.
Great book and a job well done by Mr. Reaves.

I was really looking forward to reading this book after Cloak of Deception, which I really enjoyed, but there was little action since it covered the political side of the story. This book really gets into the mind of Darth Maul and is non-stop action all the way through. It also shows how a Padawan makes the Force transition into becoming a Jedi. It's hard to put it down and I highly recommend this to all Star Wars fans. Very well written.

Reading for serious Star Wars fans only. The writing is predictable and almost childlike. Micheal Reaves seems to know nothing about the Star Wars universe, and at several points I wondered if he even saw the movie this book was suppose to precursor. His overuse of the words Bantha and Rancor, both found rarely outside their homeworlds, is just an example of his obsession with cliché phrases. His knowledge of existing characters, ie the Jedi Council, especially Yoda, is rivaled only by my three-year old niece. If you enjoy reading, don't waste your time with this drivel.

Star Wars: Darth Maul Shadow Hunter never failed to let me down. Included in the story is impressive depictions of the Jedi ethic, Jedi fighting skills, and interesting characters.
Not overshadowed by famous Star Wars characters like Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Mace Windu (among others), this story alows lesser or completely unknown characters to fill a simple story.
Tough Pavan an his droid I-5 can represent a duality of Han Solo and Chewbacca, they carry their own uniqueness and offers his story an interesting hook to the Jedi based stories of Star Wars.
Also, Darth Maul seems to make somewhat of a cameo in this book...but every scene he is in provides action and gives a little info into the little seen character (in Episode I) but doesn't reveal too much.
Also the ending and turn of events makes the most-likely ending (Maul wins) a surprise and brought goose-bumps to my skin.
Finally, I found this book to go beyond other Star Wars books. I read this at night and had chills running down my spine especiually in the last 15 pages.
I heavily recommend this book. It will please Maul fans, Star Wars fas, and maybe even casual sci-fi readers not deep into the Star Wars saga.
There is not death...but the Force!

but I was not impressed with this book. Set on Coruscant, Maul is assigned the odious task of hunting down a sniveling neomidian, a Han Solo-esque crook and his droid. Hardly worth his time. The story drags on and on, as Pavin gets lucky break after lucky break, and even a jedi apprentice gets thrown into Maul's path. The story was poorly written, the plot boring, and the characters (even Maul) poorly expanded upon. Get this book only if you are a die-hard Star Wars fan.

There's only three Neimoidans! There's supposed to be four, but there's only three! Darth Sidious is no fool and wants his young apprentice, Darth Maul, to track down the other traitering Neimoidian. After this, Sidious can block to the trade route to Naboo, aiding in the fall of the Jedi and the Republic that the Jedi serve. Maul knows that the Neimodian will come in contact with others, he must kill them as well.

This book is good, it's as simple as that. Its fun and exciting and full of suspense, but the dialog is not realistic in some points. The people in space have there own way to talk, and most of the characters (save for Maul and Sidious) talk like some hicks from Alabama. Lorn Pavan cusses (when have you ever heard someone in the Star Wars Movies drop a cuss word)?

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick read!

I've read my fair share of Star Wars novels...both before and after the original Episodes 4-6...

This is one of the better ones, and actually allows an interesting glimpse into the pre Episode 1 time frame.

I'm not going to rehash the plot, but I will say that Darth Maul is portrayed exactly as he should be...silent, introverted, and respectful of his Master. It would have been nice to have more of him in the novel, but the side plots and other characters allow for Episode 1 to be that much deeper.

Alongside Shadows of the Empire (though not as well written) this should be a must read for any Star Wars fan who wants a bit more depth in the story arc surrounding the movie mythos.

I gave this book two stars because I finished it. I was looking for more character development about Darth Maul. I think everyone who purchased this book is looking for that also. This book is more about some obscure padawan and a couple of non-force users running from Darth Maul over and over. The sad part is that the book really isn't about Darth Maul at all, he just happens to be in it. I would recommend Darth Bane Path of Destruction instead of this. This book really doesn't give you anymore insight into Darth Maul then you may already know.

What an amazing book, though starting off a bit slow its amazing. Whats you get past the first couple of chapters it is impossible to put down, when you get closer to the end its even harder to put down. No joke up to the last page literally the last page there is a plot twist going on that cathces you by surprise. Very well written by far the best star wars book I know of. Must have for any star wars fan.

It doesn't come close to Cloak Of Deception in terms of writing, pacing, et cetera. But it does add interesting insight into the ways of the Sith and the Jedi.

The major problems with the story are the lack of originality (how many times can Jedi blow themselves up? Learn to fight you hippies!) and Darth Maul's reliance on luck, not skill, to get the job done.

Still, I recommend it.

This book was so suspenseful that I paced the room reading it rather than sitting in a nice cozy chair. I couldn't put this book down! As a library clerk, I'm often asked for reading suggestions. I've recommended this book many times. This is absolutely the best novel I have ever read, and at this point I've read all of the Star Wars novels in chronological order (including the junior novels) up to Michael Reaves current novel, "Street of Shadows." The characters have been well developed and their paths intertwined to create a compelling story line that Mr. Reaves continues throughout his books (including the Medstar series). If you like to follow a story line through several books, you'll certainly enjoy Mr. Reaves' Star Wars novels, starting with "Darth Maul Shadow Hunter." Wow, what a great book!!!

What do you get when you take one of the coolest villains in the Star Wars movies and let him kick a little butt? This book is what you get. Enjoy Darth Maul being awesome and gain a whole new respect for the tattooed Sith Lord. I can't wait to read more Darth Maul stories if they are this well written.

This book nailed the feel of the movies perfectly. From the introduction featuring a gigantic spaceship to the twist ending.
Reaves did a phenomenal job with dialogue and with his style, which was reverent when describing Jedi action and gritty when dealing with the Star Wars galaxy's underbelly.
The character of I5YQ is probably his biggest coup.
The only downfall I could find was a lack of physical description of the characters that we don't already know.
Otherwise, this blows the others I have read to smithereens!
Way to go Mike Reaves!

Michael Reaves has done his homework. Not only is he able to slip comfortably into the Star Wars Universe, he also does a very good job at recreating that fast and gritty space opera atmosphere which was the hallmark of the science fiction pulp novel of the fifties and sixties. Michael Reaves may not be Robert Heinlein, but he gets the job done. The story itself continues where "Cloak of Deception" by James Luceno leaves off. Only weeks before the blockade of Naboo ( in the Episode I movie ), a leak has been discovered, and Darth Maul has been sent to plug it before the Jedi have a chance to foil the Siths' evil plans.....

People who like books that have adventure and action would love this book. They would love it because it has tons of action and all of the characters have an adventure that they have to go on. I loved this book because I already knew a lot of the characters and places. Also, I love action books. And finally, it was about one of my favorite subjects, Star Wars.

People who like books that have adventure and action would love this book. They would love it because it has tons of action and all of the characters have an adventure that they have to go on. I loved this book because I already knew a lot of the characters and places. Also, I love action books. And finally, it was about one of my favorite subjects, Star Wars.

My motives for purchasing this novel were pretty straight forward - I like Darth Maul. I had hoped this novel would expand on the mystique of this powerful Sith apprentice. However I was rather dissapointed. The novel was flat and not very exciting to read. The book is littered with way too many Star Wars clichés, references to monsters by name only (do I need to buy the Star Wars encyclopedia to find out which species the author is referring to?) and the general story line is rather weak. Perhaps this novel was somewhat of a let down because it is set prior to the events in the film Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace. You know that Maul's exploits will not be unearthed by the Jedi, you know the plans for the blockade will not be revealed to the Jedi, and you know that Darth Maul survives in the end! So it's pretty predictable. Perhaps an adventure story not relating to Episode 1 would have been a better option. This novel is about as exciting as frozen Tauntaun dung.

This book is pitiful. No other way to describe it. The plot has been gone over in previous reviews, no need to beat a dead horse. The Jedi padawan Darsha, on the verge of knighthood, is portrayed as a moron. A shame that the character is female. It would have been nice to see a strong female jedi in action. Other than that, one would think the death of a Jedi master would cause the council to take notice.
Yes, there are chase scenes, and Obi Wan is in it. But this is simply and hopefully final cash milking of a once popular character that needs to remain dead in the bottom of the Theed pit if this is the best they can do for him.
I think Maul is a cool character, and would like to read something interesting about him from the expanded universe. But after the comic book and this I say 'you have had your 15 minutes of fame Maul, Rest in pieces.'

What do you get when you take one of the coolest villains in the Star Wars movies and let him kick a little butt? This book is what you get. Enjoy Darth Maul being awesome and gain a whole new respect for the tattooed Sith Lord. I can't wait to read more Darth Maul stories if they are this well written.

This book nailed the feel of the movies perfectly. From the introduction featuring a gigantic spaceship to the twist ending.
Reaves did a phenomenal job with dialogue and with his style, which was reverent when describing Jedi action and gritty when dealing with the Star Wars galaxy's underbelly.
The character of I5YQ is probably his biggest coup.
The only downfall I could find was a lack of physical description of the characters that we don't already know.
Otherwise, this blows the others I have read to smithereens!
Way to go Mike Reaves!

Michael Reaves has done his homework. Not only is he able to slip comfortably into the Star Wars Universe, he also does a very good job at recreating that fast and gritty space opera atmosphere which was the hallmark of the science fiction pulp novel of the fifties and sixties. Michael Reaves may not be Robert Heinlein, but he gets the job done. The story itself continues where "Cloak of Deception" by James Luceno leaves off. Only weeks before the blockade of Naboo ( in the Episode I movie ), a leak has been discovered, and Darth Maul has been sent to plug it before the Jedi have a chance to foil the Siths' evil plans.....

People who like books that have adventure and action would love this book. They would love it because it has tons of action and all of the characters have an adventure that they have to go on. I loved this book because I already knew a lot of the characters and places. Also, I love action books. And finally, it was about one of my favorite subjects, Star Wars.

People who like books that have adventure and action would love this book. They would love it because it has tons of action and all of the characters have an adventure that they have to go on. I loved this book because I already knew a lot of the characters and places. Also, I love action books. And finally, it was about one of my favorite subjects, Star Wars.

My motives for purchasing this novel were pretty straight forward - I like Darth Maul. I had hoped this novel would expand on the mystique of this powerful Sith apprentice. However I was rather dissapointed. The novel was flat and not very exciting to read. The book is littered with way too many Star Wars clichés, references to monsters by name only (do I need to buy the Star Wars encyclopedia to find out which species the author is referring to?) and the general story line is rather weak. Perhaps this novel was somewhat of a let down because it is set prior to the events in the film Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace. You know that Maul's exploits will not be unearthed by the Jedi, you know the plans for the blockade will not be revealed to the Jedi, and you know that Darth Maul survives in the end! So it's pretty predictable. Perhaps an adventure story not relating to Episode 1 would have been a better option. This novel is about as exciting as frozen Tauntaun dung.

This book is pitiful. No other way to describe it. The plot has been gone over in previous reviews, no need to beat a dead horse. The Jedi padawan Darsha, on the verge of knighthood, is portrayed as a moron. A shame that the character is female. It would have been nice to see a strong female jedi in action. Other than that, one would think the death of a Jedi master would cause the council to take notice.
Yes, there are chase scenes, and Obi Wan is in it. But this is simply and hopefully final cash milking of a once popular character that needs to remain dead in the bottom of the Theed pit if this is the best they can do for him.
I think Maul is a cool character, and would like to read something interesting about him from the expanded universe. But after the comic book and this I say 'you have had your 15 minutes of fame Maul, Rest in pieces.'

We saw him briefly in Phantom Menace. Then he died. Now we have a whole book about him. I have read the book and listened to the audio. Both are excellent. They delve into his character and nearly every scene has him in it. The other characters are decent. Non jedi Lorn Pavan is a likeable anti-hero in the Han Solo mold. Thats the only problem, I think the author was thinking Han and just made up another name. The jedi padawan was kind of weak and the swift killing of her master, one of the top jedi's, was somewhat unbelievable. The end is what makes this book. It brings you literally up to the minute Phantom starts which is very cool. This is a solid, different, change of pace Star wars book.

Don't let the fancy cover art bedazzle you on this one. It was not enjoyable and really went nowhere from start to finish. It doesn't go into any real detail about the history of Darth Maul other than a few short flashbacks (and I do mean short) of events prior to the storyline or even to the movie.
Definitely would not recommend to anyone.

I really loved this book. This is the first book I have read that allows you to read into the mind of one of the most dangerous killers of that era: Darth Maul. As far as I know this book along w/Darth Maul:Saboteur is as close as you're going to get into knowing what a Sith Lord does and thinks. With that I have to give respect to Michael Reeves for giving us the insight without taking away the secrective ways of the Sith. I recommend this book to all Star Wars readers. Before reading this book I advise everyone to check out Darth Maul:Saboteur. This book takes place Before Shadow Hunter. Darth Maul :Saboteur is only available on e-book, where you can on the store.com for a good price. Saboteur is not a lengthy book but a very good reading, I also recommend this to everyone

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.

I thought this book was a great addition to the saga of Star Wars novels. It allows the readers to get a closer look at the mysterious evil sith, Darth Maul. This book also helps to explain the events that lead up to Episode One. In the beginning, Darth Maul is sent by his master, Darth Sideous to kill a member of the trade federation who decided to sell the information about the planned trade federation blocade of Naboo. After reading this book, I got a better sense of who Darth Maul was. I definitely reccomend this book to anyone who wants to find out what Darth Maul is like. In case any of the people who write these great Star Wars novels read this review, I would like to read a book that centers on Admiral Ackbar and his rise to power.

This book was great! Lots of action, a great cast, and a solid story. The references to Exar Kun as well as Wild Space, Bothans, and other known EU names and places showed Reaves' eye for detail. The characters were very well written, and I actually felt for all the ones who didn't make it out alive. Reaves' work on "Batman" shows as Maul tracks his prey as a kind of anti-Batman set on destruction. The insight into Maul's mind and how it works made you look at his character in a whole new way, and made you understand why he did what he did in TPM.
The story was very straight-forward and didn't get bogged down by subplots. This was a pure action/adventure story. The ending was brilliantly pulled off. It was hard to determine which characters were going to survive Maul's rampage, and which would end up as Banth Fodder. Great work!

A very nice view into the hate of Darth Maul, and many of the characters in the Star Wars galaxy. Although the story jumps in between all the characters, it's still nice to see different perspectives into the mind of Maul. The story is setup with the fear me, I'm your worst nightmare theme, and the characters reactions are great for a laugh. Overall not bad, but the mind of Maul is revealed throughout the book. The Book is shocker towards the events that all the characters, especailly the Padawan Darsha Assant, and Lorn Pavan with I-Five encounter with the Sith in tow.

I wanted to like this. Really I did. Commenor's orbit Michael fought me every step of the way. Determined and Drowning Pool's Hate playing, I ploughed on, trying to ignore the heavy diction wordage and predictable plot mocking me. But stick and stone don't break Jabba's bone; and the bone of contention was Maul.

Maul. Who is he? Where was the background? Why does a single NEGTC page have more data on the bloke than the entire book? Frack Starbuck, I wanted to know this guy. You didn't get to know Pavan either--yet another scofflaw outlaw. Yet another protocol model droid. Wisecracking and laser shooting, Davros would sneer. Sneer.

Michael knows his star wars lore. The world was described without Lucenopedia's ridiculously pointless drivel; he knew his society and paraphernalia. But why say tergiversator when you can say traitor? You don't use massive words in a simple short sentence. Complexify your sentence then.

The pace was horriffically slow. This is what he did. He writes every pov entering a room, Maul, the bounty hunter, outlaw. The same thing, doing the same thing, all book long. You just read someone walking in, why do it for each face?

Fracking editors sitting around doing nothing, you're not worth a penny.

"None shall live."

The line of the book. I'll give Maul that much. No, I don't know who this Maul is. I shall call him John. Every second name in a book is called John. Why not another? To make Johnny more interesting, readable, some flashbacks wouldn't have hurt. He needn't have thought to himself with italics, but you pretty much read him just going through the motions.

Enough of Johnny, lets get to Assant. Moons of Commenor, we had ourselves a wimp mage. Which was all fine and candy, they're pretty much all wimps, aren't they? Right? Fine, don't agree with me. Stench of democracy. Where was I? Right. Right. Assant is trapped in the dangerous underlevels. No communications. No transport. But she's got this thing in her head--she could have CALLED to that tower full of magi, you know. Which would have ruined the plot. Possibly; possibly not. I'm saying, she wasn't as helpless as she made herself out to be, and that's what I wanted to see addressed. She's got some skifters up her sleeve, use or negate them. Did I like her? No. I don't know her. She's just there for a book, so how can readers invest that emotion, that care?

Bondara.

The room darkens. The temperature cools.

Eyes narrow. Mine.

Mister Bondara: superb duelist, master of this and master of that. One page. One page is all we got with him. I wanted to see a fight. I wanted a midbook showdown. All right, thought he was outclassed, fine, but gives us a fight. We know Maul won't die before the movie, but give us some fun. The way the mage Quick Ben took on three draconian goddesses in Reaper's Gale. Who by rights SHOULD have swatted that mortal from their regal path. They got a surprise, all right. Don't just die on me Bondara like that, give us surprise, some fight.

Seems like everyone can see Maul's a Sith on a second's reflection, but one thing did ruffle me above and beyond it all: the hunter shoots a wrist rocket at Maul--

Activate Matrix slow-motion...

Maul spins around... blades carving a hole... down through the floor...another hole through the wall...

The rocket is still shooting...

Wow. That's some awesome speed there. Between the blip it would take to go from launch to explosion, Horney head is through the floor and through a wall. Nup. I don't buy that.

Nup!

This book had serious potential. It could have rocked. But essentially, you didn't get some Johnny background; you don't get to know Pavan and Assant; storyline was just bland and unsurprising at every time. Michael did show enough flair and poise to warrant further reading, and he does have the potential to show better.

This was a great book. I didn't read it till welll after it had been released and wished I'd read it earlier. It not only leads up to Episode I, but also later EU books. I had read the Medstar Duology and it is cool to see were I5 got his start. I know what has to happen, but it is still a good read.

The star wars books have such a huge universe to pull from. The trouble for me was there are like a billion star wars books. This book and the other Darth maul book is a good first step. It has a character you're familiar with and it's about his first missions before the phantom menace movie. I just wish there were more Darth maul books, he's a pretty bad ass character.

Well If you are wondering if you should read this book let me tell you my opinion READ IT it's great lots of fun to read I'm not one who reads a lot of books because I get board but this one I couldnt put down If you liked SWE1 you will love it after this book because it expands on the story before SWE1 it takes you right to the beginning of the movie you can directly relate to whats going to happin and the book gives you an idea of how it happened Oh I almost forgot Darth Maul I'm sure you feel like me that there was not enough of him in SWE1 well there is plenty of him in this one I will end with this I like SWE1 so much more now you just dont know unless you read this book. 'Give yourself to the Dark Side' and read this book.

Surprisingly good. The story was truely interesting. It is told prior to the events in the Phantom Menace. It all revolves around Darth Sidous making sure that the Jedi don't find out about his plan to invade Naboo. One of the nemodians (sp?) is looking to sell the information about the invasion and Darth Sidous sends Darth Maul on a mission to recover the nemodian and the information at all costs. This story moves along at good pace and keeps your attention.

I have read almost all of the Star Wars books out there, and Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is at the top of the heap. Any Maul fan should love this book dearly as it lets you see him do what he was meant to do. Micheal Reeves did an excellent job expanding on this outstanding villian while adhering to the guidelines put forth by Mr Lucas. Even though i knew who would be the victor in this book, I couldn't put it down as the pacing and supporting cast kept my attention. Also, Mr Reeves still managed to slip a little spunk in the ending to make the whole read worth while. I would advise both new and old readers alike to pick up this gem.

With the Star Wars books released in the past year and a half being mostly disappointing, my expectations for this story were pretty low. Surprisingly, they were met ... and even exceeded to some degree.

Most serious Darth Maul fans are going to be disappointed with this story, however. The book doesn't focus on him as much as one would think. It's actually one long chase involving a renegade Neimoidian (the aliens from Phantom Menace), a bounty hunter, a Padawan learner trying to pass her test to become a full-fledged Jedi and a cynical information broker along with his protocol droid companion. Other than the fact that Darth Maul is completely loyal to his Master Darth Sidious, we learn nothing more about him, his past, his origin, etc ...

There were plenty of things to nitpick about the book like scenes that seemed slightly out of sequence and far too many Tatooine references but it's main problem is that it is a side/filler story not really weighty enough to justify a hardcover price. People holding out for the softcover version to come out in another 9 months or so are making a wise decision.

I can see why the book ended the way it did ... but I didn't really care for what actually happened in the final chapters.

Am I the only who thinks that novels such as this and others in the Star Wars franchise tend to miss the point? Star Wars is mythology, pure and simple, and when you try to tell a myth in the language of newspapers and everyday language, the magic is destroyed. The dark counsels of Darth Maul, and the heroics of goodly Obi-Wan (he of the trailing brown robe and long twiggy braid), are simply not suitable topics to be dealt with in everyday speech. Something a bit more Tolkienien is required, such as:
Look!
Now let us pass through the Golden Broadview
Gate, pass over The Sea of Restless Waves,
Upon The Bridge made of hallowed bone,
Dragon's wing, and silver-polished stone,
Back to the netherlands of long, long
Ago; back to the lands of ancestors
Old; back to the dancing-grounds
Of the
Ancient
Jedi Knights.
Upon which path of song shall I embark?
Toward which distant island shore shall I
Strive to stretch my monumental reach?
Whither will these fresh winds bear me, bursting
Forth in seething surf
On this
Pale blue
Sylvan tongue?
Since time allows -- for 'tis a long lay
Full of laughter both and tragedy,
The course that I shall set shall be
The hateful venom spat by the
Black-robed scarlet Sith,
Lords of darkest Spirit-Lamps,
Upon all our brightest, most resplendent
Stars. This shall be the complete
Compass of my lay -- lay sung clear
And loud and Forceful true,
As pristine depths of Crystal Lake at Dawn,
On the surviving moon of Alderaan --
Alderaan,
With her
Grassy Plains.
-- May 12, 2001

I really enjoyed this novel. It is and exciting and fun read. It focuses on several major characters other than Darth Maul who are very interesting, and the ending has a suprising plot twist! I reccommend this excellent novel to all fans of Star Wars.

I have found the book to be enjoyable and easy to read. The book makes you think that you are there fighting Darth Maul and on the speeder chasing him through the streets of that planet. I would say to young children to get this book because once you have started you will want to get to the next chapter and the chapter after that. I would not read this book at night because you will have dreams about being there inside the book. I think for Star Wars fans that they should start off with Star Wars New Hope and then move on to this book.

Not the greatest of star wars books but for fans of Darth Maul or fleeting star wars fans in general it is a good read to learn more about Darth Maul than the movie gave you. The story is basically Darth Maul chasing after someone, during the course of which he has quite a few setbacks that by the end of the book you are screaming "Just catch him already!" The things you realize and learn about Darth Maul through the course of the book are more interesting than the actual plot of the book. You are also introduced to a cool new jedi in training as well.

I loved this novel. The description of battles is top notch, and is one of the best chase novels I ever read. What's more, reading about the characters, you really get to feel an empathy for them. Myself, I'd like to read more of the exploits of the droid character. After reading about him in the Medstar Duology, I can't wait for Coruscant Nights, because chances are he'll show up there once more. Very good book, well worth the $7 price tag. The e-book is mediocre at best, but the other book makes up for that.

This book is excellent. It serves as a prequel to Episode I and gives some backstory on Darth Maul and what he was up to immediately prior to The Phantom Menace. I definitely recommend it. It was a very exciting and fast-paced read.

Wow! This book was very cool! It kept me reading, and I thought the conflict was very interesting. It also does a great job explaining the events that lead up to TPM. This is a VERY good read and I would recommend it to any and everyone!

I know these people had to die, but couldn't they have been launched into space for a few months or something? I must admit all of Maul's kills are stylish, but the dueling descriptions could be better. The way the heroes sacrifice themselves is ingenious, and the plotlines are well written. The revealing of Maul's homeworld led me to a few conclusions, and the new creatures in the book are awesome. I gave this 4 stars because I hardly ever give anything 5. This is well worth the price and it is a must-read for any episode 1 fan.

First of all, this book isn't really much about Darth Maul himself. It's more about some people running from him. A lot of the scenes seemed the same throughout the book and, to me, the ending just kind of fizzled out. The first half of the book was alright, but the main point I'm trying to make is that it's nothing how you would expect and it just doesn't give details about Maul's life and personality that you would expect in a book about Maul himself. So, it will do no harm to just save some time and money and just skip this one.

This book could only have been better if not written at all. Slow character devopement, stupid cat and mouse theme, too many cliche's, all in a no win scenerio. How this book made it to hard cover is beyond me. I'd rank it right down there with Barbara Hambly's dictionary trot "Planet of Twilight". Timothy Zahn where are you?!

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.

I thought this book was pretty cool. I thought the ending was awesome! The only detraction I would have is for the names of the different fighting poses of Darth Maul. I do not really want to take off a whole star for that but I cannot take off a 1/4 of a star. I really did enjoy it and I liked the whole idea of going to the bottom tier of Corosant, and the dregs that live there.

It's a real treat for Darth Maul fans everywhere, my friends love it too. Michael Reaves has a great grasp on character development, and comes through with his excellent writing when sometimes stuck in a pit of cliche's. My favorite character was the ever unfortunate bounty hunter 'Mahwi Lihnn' WHY DID SHE DIIIIEEEE!!?? ;-(
I highly recommend this book and other Micheal Reaves titles.

I just got this book and thought it was a great additon to the Star Wars series. It was great to see the real dark side behing Maul. I also thought that the new characters that were added in were great. Get this book and read it over and over.

I am not a real star wars fan and so when a friend of mine gave me this book to read I was a little skeptical at first, but when I started reading it I could not put it down. It is a very well written book and is a must for fans of the galaxy far far away and also for people who are not familiar with star wars.

I thought this book was pretty cool. I thought the ending was awesome! The only detraction I would have is for the names of the different fighting poses of Darth Maul. I do not really want to take off a whole star for that but I cannot take off a 1/4 of a star. I really did enjoy it and I liked the whole idea of going to the bottom tier of Corosant, and the dregs that live there.

It's a real treat for Darth Maul fans everywhere, my friends love it too. Michael Reaves has a great grasp on character development, and comes through with his excellent writing when sometimes stuck in a pit of cliche's. My favorite character was the ever unfortunate bounty hunter 'Mahwi Lihnn' WHY DID SHE DIIIIEEEE!!?? ;-(
I highly recommend this book and other Micheal Reaves titles.

I just got this book and thought it was a great additon to the Star Wars series. It was great to see the real dark side behing Maul. I also thought that the new characters that were added in were great. Get this book and read it over and over.

I am not a real star wars fan and so when a friend of mine gave me this book to read I was a little skeptical at first, but when I started reading it I could not put it down. It is a very well written book and is a must for fans of the galaxy far far away and also for people who are not familiar with star wars.

My son has a weakness for this stuff, but I am afraid it's pure unadulterated dreck. I can understand liking the characters, but there are better fantasy vehicles aorund and buying this is just being a sheep.

This book is pretty good. There is a really long boring scene in this book which caused me to give it 3 stars. In some scences I not know what they were talking about. The major reason that I liked this book a little bit was because Darth Maul is in it. Darth Maul is the best.

Got this book and couldn't put it down. My wife gave me a hassle because everytime she came looking for me I was reading it. I then gave it to my friend and he also thought it was a great book. Good info on the Sith and on some in-between episode info.

I thought that this book was phenomenal. It was an extremely unpredictable adventure. I would request this book to anyone who is enthralled by non-stop action and adventure. I couldnt put it down until I went from cover to cover.

WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THIS BOOK? IF ONE WORD COULD SUM IT UP: AWESOME!!!!! i dont want to give away any of the story so all i can say is that if you have been let down by sw bks in the past..... THIS ONE MORE THAN MAKES UP FOR IT!!!!

For The Book Star Wars: Darth Maul Shadow Hunter I Would Recomend The Book Only To People Who Like The Star Wars Trilogy. The Book In My Opinion Was Pretty Good Because Of The Plot That Kept Me Guessing On What Was Going To Happen Next In The Book.

Great read. Filled with action, good length. Only regret is that Darth Maul didn't meet anyone that really challenging skill set.

Read the E-book in the rear of the book first, it precedes shadow hunter.