Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter

(Star Wars) Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter by Michael Reaves
2001 Del Rey, 320 Pages

Darth Maul's master, Darth Sidious, is no man to cross. Sidious, the alter-ego for a high-ranking politician, has set plans in motion to take control of the entire galaxy. Maul, covered in fearsome tattoos, a crown of horns, glowing yellow eyes, and a black cloak, and wielding a double-bladed lightsaber, is no slouch either. The terrifying Sith Lord Maul cuts a gruesome swath through the galaxy's underworld for his Master, ensuring no one stops their dastardly secret plans...until a recording of those plans is lost. Meanwhile, in the underworld of the galactic capital, serial loser and failed conman, Lorn Pavan, and his loyal droid have suddenly gotten their hands on a mysterious recording...and now a terrifying, heavily tattooed and cloaked man is on their trail, and leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Even worse, though...the Jedi have gotten involved in the matter...and Lorn would rather take his chances with the Sith.

Despite being Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace's most intriguing character, Darth Maul only receives a couple of lines and a few minutes of screen time before he's cut in half. Thankfully, Lucasbooks are here to remedy that with Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter.

Author, Michael Reeves, is in a tough spot, as he has to expound upon Darth Maul's character without taking away his aura of mystery. Thankfully, the seasoned Reeves gives the reader just enough information and page time with Maul, so that something is learned and gained, but the mystique isn't ruined. In order to spend only just enough time with Maul, Reeves has to create another intriguing character for the reader, and he finds it in the hard luck and lovable Pavan, who isn't like the scoundrels we've met up to this point in Star Wars lore. Pavan has neither the swagger nor luck of a Han Solo or a Dash Rendar, and often just barely scrapes by, let alone does anything with style. If not for his loyal droid, he'd be dead, and the droid ends up just as compelling a character as Pavan. Pavan also has a mysterious backstory that has set him against the Jedi, which becomes all the more interesting when he's unexpectedly paired up with a down-on-her-luck Padawan, who's low on the Jedi totem pole.

As this is at its core, a chase novel, Reeves keeps things moving at a breakneck pace, though he knows when to slow down and sit with his characters for a minute. Everyone's fate is up in the air but Maul's, and thankfully, Reeves doesn't get sentimental in the book's shockingly dark and brutal ending. The bad guys have to win this round for there to be a Star Wars at all, but Shadow Hunter is a well told and worthy story, and I had a blast reading it.