Star Wars: Darth Maul Shadow Hunter Book Review

Star Wars: Darth Maul – Shadow Hunter was written by Michael Reaves. This story belongs to the Expanded Universe/Legends novel timeline. It takes place 32 years before the events of A New Hope.

SUMMARY

Darth Sidious, the dark lord of the Sith is getting so close to accomplishing his order’s goal – conquering the galaxy. One of the first major steps to throw the galaxy into chaos is at risk! A delegate of the the Trade Federation with knowledge of the planned blockade has gone on the run. Sidious sends out his apprentice, Darth Maul, to hunt down the deserter and traitor. The trail leads Maul to the Republic political world, of Coruscant.

Darsha Assamt, a Jedi Padawan, is sent on her first solo mission; to retrieve a known former member of the Black Sun crime organization. Darsha is to transport him to the Jedi temple unharmed, where he will trade information for safety. This mission takes Darsha to the underbelly of Coruscant, a dark dingy place overrun with crime and degenerates. The mission spirals out of control, and Darsha must tap into all that she’s trained for.

Lorn Pavan, a mildly depressed Information broker, gets himself caught up in a dangerous game when he purchases valuable information from a Namodian – a Holocron! Pavan knows he can earn a pretty penny selling the Holocron to the right buyer. He and his droid business parter, I-Five, would be able to leave Coruscant and start a new life. This “Sith Holocron” actually contains Sidious’s plans of taking out the Jedi Order and conquering the Galaxy. Darth Maul must find the Holocron before it falls into Jedi Hands.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

With so much going on, many paths being crossed with multiple characters, it’s surprisingly a very smooth read. With the first couple chapters I was a bit concerned that the book was going to be derailed or I’d get lost with the multiple stories going on all at once. That concern quickly faded as the stories came together rather seamlessly. So it turned out, that I was delighted with the flow of the story and the setting. The deep dive into the nasty underworld of Coruscant was highly entertaining.

It was interesting to follow a Jedi character that struggled so much. Not that I want to see the Jedi fail, but to see that such a powerful character-type can struggle. Throwing Darsha in the lower levels of Coruscant on her first mission was a fantastic story element. It takes her out of her comfort zone, being so close to home, yet seeming so far away and foreign.

Michael Reeves did a fine job giving us new characters such as Darsha, Lorn Pavan and his droid partner, I-Five. I was slightly irritated that a few characters were so quick to label the Sith. The Sith were thought dead and gone for so long, why would their existence/presence be at the forefront of multiple people’s minds? I think some of the story points could have been altered so that folks would think that a Jedi had gone rogue, and the Jedi are trying to figure out who it would be.

Speaking of the Sith, following Maul on his mission gave us a great look at the character’s inner thoughts, his control and lack there of with his actions. His quest for death and irradiation of the Jedi gets the better of him.

So, do I recommend that you read Darth Maul – Shadow Hunter? Yes! a fun story in a contained environment, easy to follow.

RATING

I will give this book an A.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Wild Space Book Review

by Matthew Wilson

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Wild Space Book Review

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Wild Space was written by Karen Miller. This novel is part of the Expanded Universe, aka, Legends timeline. The tale takes place during the Rise of the Empire era, during the Clone Wars. The story is roughly 22 years before the battle of Yavin.

SUMMARY

Control of hyper-space lanes have become essential at the beginning of the galactic conflict. The separatist movement has picked up its pace in acquiring space-lanes throughout the galaxy. The plan is to disrupt the supply lines for the Republic; such as Tiabani Gas and Kessel Spice. General Grievous, of the Separate Army, has become a thorn in the Jedi’s side. The General geeks a kick out of keeping the order on edge at all times.

The Separatists are using brutal tactics to force planetary governments into withdrawing from the Republic. Intelligence has revealed that General Grievous has set sights on his next target, Bothawui, home-world of the Bothans. Kenobi was injured during a terrorist attack on Coruscant! As a result, the Jedi Council appoints newly raised Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker to lead a battle group . Skywalker is to fight against the assault on Bothawui.

Once Kenobi is healed, he and Senator Bail Organa team up to meet one of Organa’s informants. The contact has coordinates to the mysterious planet Zigoola, in Wild Space. Secrets of the Sith and a plan to overthrow the Jedi, may be found there. Kenobi and Organa are greatly challenged by the dark side.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

The first few chapters of the book are extremely good. We get important details that I had assumed were always overlooked. Such great detail is given about the horrible of tragedy that befalls the Jedi on Geonosis. I’ve always been curious with what happened after the battle; Karen Miller does a wonderful job laying it all out. The concern, the dread, the sorrow was expressed perfectly in the opening chapters. Miller does such a wonderful job of filling in the blanks between Attack of the Clones & The Clone Wars.

I was pleased with seeing a different side of Yoda, more grim and direct. It’s been a long time since Yoda had to use his Lightsaber, seeing this conflict with Republic is heavy on his spirit. He wasn’t just the kind, wise Yoda we’re used to, he was authoritative and direct.

Miller managed to put a little thing in this book that I thought to be a brilliant move. Palpatine pushed the media to highlight Jedi that play a prominent roll in battle. It’s brilliant because this cloud be used later in his Imperial propaganda pieces. The Jedi, did not like being on the forefront of the Holo-Net.

I was hearting that this story would be one of the worst! Honestly, I really have to disagree, I found it to be entertaining. That said, there are some things about this that are too silly, that in my opinion, somewhat belittle Obi-Wan. I thought the book, while mostly decent, has some really weird things, the title should’ve been “Kenobi Crisis.”

I don’t want to spoil the book for those that haven’t read it; but if you replace the word “Sith” with “the dark side” so many moments would have been so much better. This mix up really is what deducted some points for the rating.

Do I recommend this book? If you like the Clone Wars, yes.

RATING

This book receives a 3/5 stars, or a C+.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: No Prisoners Book Review

by Matthew Wilson

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: No Prisoners Book Review

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: No Prisoners was written by Karen Traviss. This novel is part of the Expanded Universe, aka, Legends timeline. The tale takes place during the Rise of the Empire era, during the Clone Wars, somewhere between 22-19 years before the battle of Yavin.

SUMMARY

Anakin Skywalker needs a break from everything, his padawn, the war, space, just responsibilities in general. He is desperate for some quite alone time with his wife, Padme. So, he sends his padawan, Ahsoka Tano off with Clone Trooper Captain Rex and his team of “new” clones. The squad boards the Republic Assault Ship, Leveler, to join Captain Pallaeon on a routine “shakedown cruise.”

Meanwhile, Republic Secret Agent Hallena gets caught up in a sticky situation, and is forced to send out an SOS. The message is picked up by some Jedi that live by a different set of rules than the Order. These Jedi come across The Leveler and deliver the message to the Republic forces. The urgent news of Hallena’s situation, will take take Captain Pallaeon, his crew of “green” clones, Captain Rex, Ahoska and a few Jedi from outside the order – on a rescue mission.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

I found this book to be a strange one. It’s not too bad, but I definitely wouldn’t call it good. Karen Traviss delivers some bizarre takes on the Jedi Order and how they operate. I was really enjoying the first half of the book, but when the author shoved in a few new Jedi characters, everything turned upside down for me.

Before I get into what went wrong, I’d like to cover what I did enjoy about the book. Traviss does well writing dialogue for the characters. The structure was straight forward, making the book a breeze to get through.

I thought it was pretty cool that we get to see some fresh clones getting involved in the war. We focus in on the small group as their pulled into a rescue mission, and it was pretty fun. The slower moments with characters sitting around talking with each other was well done. It’s in the action that the story felt weighed down.

In the Clone Wars show, I always thought Ahsoka’s attire was disturbing… she’s a 14 year-old girl and she revealed more skin than necessary. In this book, Karren Traviss brings attention to the dress-code when Ahsoka boards Pallaeon’s ship; the Captain makes her put on cloths that don’t reveal skin, as the young lady looked unbecoming and undisciplined.

We meet some new Jedi from outside of the Republic’s Jedi Order. The group of three Jedi, are very strange. I thought they were a bit interesting at first, but they ended up being too weird. They viewed the Jedi Order as way too strict, enforcing rules that didn’t matter, rules that bred defiance. The Clone Troopers disturb them quite a bit, they are disgusted by the Republic’s decision to send cloned humans to war as a disposable tool; the lives of these clones, basically meaningless. I feel like these characters were shoved in as a way for the author to rebel against the canon (at the time).

The message in this book, that was driven into the endless reaches of space, the message that beat the dead banhta… “attachment is good – obsession is bad.” It was such an annoying subject to cover. We learn that Ki-Adi-Mundi has several wives (5 of them, and he’s got children. His race has a low birth rate and males are rare). Anakin is highly irritated by this, as it just isn’t fair, it didn’t affect Ki-Adi-Mundi’s abilities, and he’s on the Jedi Council!

Traviss’s character, Master Altis, was created to be wiser than Yoda. He understood so much more about everything than the nearly 900 year old Jedi Master. Altis was a better teacher, able to bring in new students to train as Jedi, that were older than Anakin is at this current time. Altis had a wife at one time, he has students that are in a relationship… I found these characters absurd. It really felt like the author just wanted to put in new Jedi, to express how she viewed the Order – or how the Jedi should have been. It’s strange.

So, do I recommend that you read Star Wars: The Clone Wars: No Prisoners? No, I think this is one that could be left out of your reading stack.

RATING

I give No Prisoners a D, or 2 out 5 stars.

Star Wars: Darth Plagueis Book Review

by Matthew Wilson

Star Wars: Darth Plagueis Book Review

Star Wars: Darth Plagueis was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, James Luceno. This novel marks the first story in the Rise of the Empire Era. It takes place around 67 to 32 years before A New Hope.

SUMMARY

Hego Damask, head of Damask Holdings, which is a financial institute closely affiliated with the Muun’s Intergalactic Banking Clan, is secretly the Sith, Darth Plagueis. Plagueis uses his company to produce more wealth, which, in turn brings him exotic resources and political gain. Darth Plagueis is scheming to fulfill the Sith’s grand plan… to conquer the galaxy.

The Sith have remained in the shadows for far too long, the plan to rule is a massive undertaking. One cannot simply take control of the galaxy with pure ferocity and power. However, with strict strategic measures, it could be taken through political means. Darth Plagueis knows he cannot fulfill this task alone. He seeks out his apprentice, specifically one with political potential. When he stumbles upon a young and defiant Palpatine on Naboo, he takes him under his wing to mold the boy to his liking, and fulfill the Sith’s grand plan.

CHARACTERS

Darth Plagueis: In his public life, the Muun is known to others as Magister Hego Damask. He is wealthy, smart, and hungry for power. His wisdom in the dark side of the force tames his patience. He understands that in order for the Sith to conquer the galaxy they must forfeit their physical prowess and be successful in the affairs of politics. The transfer of power from the republic to the Sith is one of his goals, but his obsession with cheating death is his primary objective, but ironically… ultimately, it is his undoing.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Luceno’s word structure, or prose, is incredible. The descriptions are extremely vivid. The visuals he produces really stand out from the pages, making this book one of the most descriptive books I’ve read in the Expanded Universe. The story is so ominous, and it gives incredible insight as to how the Sith have failed in the past and how they succeeded in their quest to rule the galaxy.

With a title like Plagueis, I assumed the book would have been a bio of sorts, on where the Sith had come from… his history. Of course his name is mentioned in Revenge of the Sith so the book could have just been some shallow tale about some old Sith who was killed by his apprentice. I was wrong. The book actually covers a lot of Hego Damask’s life but also, so much of Palpatine’s raising. This book could have been titled “Sidious.” But, this story really shines light on the genius and arrogance of Darth Plagueis.

The book is loaded with tons of Sith lore, it’s so cool. The relationship between Plagueis and Sidious is full of distrust, but, that’s just the way of the Sith, they constantly test each other. The apprentice needs the master, and the master needs an apprentice that desires power, and has the drive to accomplish the grand plan. Sidious learns of Plagueis’s secret experiments of prolonging life long after he’d already been taken on as apprentice after Plagueis suffers a bad injury, which keeps the suspense and tension at a heightened level for the reader. Sidious is surprised by his masters obsession.

Plagueis says to Sidious, “Together, we are the new born stars that complete the Sith constellation.” I absolutely love how the plan to overtake the Republic unfolds, Plagueis and Sidious are master manipulators and warriors. Learning the details of Dooku and Maul adds so much more to their story, giving these shallow characters from the film so much depth. Maul was was trained as a warrior, to be the violent tool in the Sith’s back pocket when they need him. Plaguies and Sidious are on a completely different level in relation to Maul. It’s odd that Sidious would choose him to be his apprentice. It’s not that Maul isn’t intelligent, but he has no political knowledge. He is strictly focused on brute force, craving action immediately, rather than patiently.

Palpatine see’s the obsession that Plagueis has with prolonging his life. The shifting of Republic affairs has become a burden for him alone. This really goes to show how deceptive and powerful Palpatine truly is. This book is a must read for Star Wars fans. If you’ve never read a Star Wars book… if you’ve never read an Expanded Universe book, this novel is the perfect example of how awesome media tie in material can be. Darth Pagueis should be required reading for any Star Wars fan.

So, do I recommend that you read Darth Plagueis? Yes! An excellent introduction of the Sith in a new era.

RATING

I will give this book an A+. It’s a wonderful telling of Palpatine’s introduction to darkness and power and delivers an incredible insight of who Darth Plagueis was.

Star Wars: Kenobi Book Review

by Matthew Wilson

Star Wars: Kenobi Review

Star Wars: Kenobi was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, John Jackson Miller. This novel takes place in the Rise of the Empire era, following the events of Revenge of the Sith, about 19 years before the battle of Yavin.

SUMMARY

After the fall of the Republic and the dismantling of the Jedi Order, Obi-Wan Kenobi has taken Anakin & Padme’s infant son, Luke Skywalker, to Tatooine. On this outer-rim world, the boy may be out of the Empire’s reach. Her, Kenobi must keep out of trouble and try to to bring little to no attention to himself.

Tusken Raiders roam the desert. They view the settlers in the Jundland Wastes as a parasites that needed to be removed. One leader, A’yark, is determined to rid the land of these disgusting creatures. This particular Tusken stands out among the rest, and is known to the settlers, as Plug Eye. The Tusken Raiders would often attack settlements and homes in the desert, looting resources they found useful. The people in the area had created the Settler’s Call, an alert system that would bring the people together to go out and defend the victims of the Tusken Raiders.

In this tale, the Settler’s in the Pika Oasis, must defend their lives and lively hood. Trouble seems to follow a new stranger that strolls into the Oasis. Can this newcomer be trusted? Or is the stranger the root of all the settlers problems?

CHARACTERS

John Jackson Miller created new characters that were truly worth investing in.

Annileen Calwell runs a little shop, Dannar’s Claim, out in the Pika Oasis. Widowed, she’s got two kids to raise on her own, ages 16 and 17. Her husband passed away nearly 8 years prior to this tale. However, she isn’t truly alone. Her deceased husband’s best friend, Orrin, is still around and does a pretty good job of keeping an eye out for the family and many others around the area. Annileen does her best to raise her kids up right and has a pretty good sense of humor. She’s very protective of her kids and her property.

A’yark, the Tusken leader is irritated and saddened by the fact that the tribal people are diminishing. A’yark is cautions and intelligent, able to speak some words in basic. This character’s past is full of tragedy and loss, giving A’yark the wisdom needed to lead other Tusken Raiders.

Kenobi, is adjusting to life outside of the Jedi Order. His new life mission is to stay hidden, and keep watch over the boy he hopes will truly bring balance to the force, the son of Anakin Skywalker. He’s cautious of everything, which is wise. He does have a bit of paranoia, which raises curiosity with those he interacts with. He seems to be at the right place at always the wrong time, drawing way to much attention to himself, but his presence usually saves the day. He’s gets a mixed reputation, wherever Kenobi goes, trouble follows.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

I enjoyed this book, a lot. It was interesting to see Kenobi out of his element, surrounded by common folks who see him as some stranger, a drifter, a hermit. Kenobi’s interaction with Annileen was always entertaining. It’s obvious that there was an attraction between the two. However, Ben holds onto the oath of the Jedi Order, which forbids attachment.

This book has some cool surprises throughout, keeping the story interesting and the reader glued to the pages. There are some really high lighthearted moments, and some that actually get pretty dark. I would say it has a pretty good balance when it comes to evoking particular emotions.

Miller touches on familiar story points, such as the Lars family and the event that took place mentioned in Attack of the Clones (more specifically the novelization), when Shmi was taken by Tusken Raiders. I loved that moment, which anchors the story into the previous material. It’s also mentioned that Owen Lars really doesn’t like Ben. I find that very interesting and wish we had more as to the reason why.

There are “Meditation” segments in the story, I really enjoyed those moments. They are actually pretty emotional. Kenobi, alone in the desert, speaking out to his old master Qui-Gon, desperate to commune with him. These moments are what make Kenobi human. The galaxy has become such a different place for him. His loneness in the force, in the desert, remind me of just how much of a burden Kenobi has on his shoulders. He was there at the fall of galactic republic. He tried to protect Republic, but his failure along with the Jedi Order, altered the course of galactic affairs for many years to come.

Overall, the story is fantastic. It’s gritty, it contains some pretty dark moments but has some light humor throughout. Toward the end, I found some elements to be less intriguing and had some heavy Twilight Zone vibes, but it still ends in a high note. Nothing negative to say about this novel.

Do I recommend you pick up Star Wars: Kenobi? Yes, I highly recommend this book. It’s full of great character and takes place during an interesting time in the Star Wars timeline.

RATING

I give Kenobi an A+

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Novelization Review

by Matthew Wilson

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Novelization Review

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Novelization was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Terry Brooks. This tale takes place during the the Rise of the Empire Era, taking place 32 years before A New Hope.

SUMMARY

The galactic trade federation oversteps its bounds and releases its droid army against Naboo after a trade dispute. The Jedi step in to bring peace to the whole situation, but find themselves unable to do so. The Jedi assist in protecting the Queen of Naboo, leaving her home planet. They find themselves stranded o far away planet Tatooine, where they need to find parts to repair their ship. While there, Jedi Master Qui-Got Jinn comes across a young boy, Anakin, who is force sensitive. Qui-Got feels that this boy will be something great, someone that could potentially be spoken of in Jedi prophecy, the chosen one… the individual to bring balance to the force.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

This novelization was fine, a lot of it reflected the film almost beat for beat. We did have a few additions to the story, such as a pod race with Anakin, which was pretty cool. Something that I found goofy was this exchange that Anakin has with the Sand People, or to be politically correct, Tusken People.

We do have mention of Darth Vane but it’s said that he had a male apprentice. Well, I’ve read the Darth Bane trilogy, Zannah… was a female.

I found it interesting that Qui-Got actually sold Anakins Podracer after Anakins victory to Sabulba, Anakins pod racing rival.

There really isn’t all that much to say about the book or the plot, let’s get real, if you’re watching this, you’ve probably seen the film… at least 5 times. Maul speaks a bit more, he has a verbal exchange with the trade federation folks.

The final thing worth mentioning that I found just bizarre is that at Qui-Gons funeral, doves were released… ha what?

So, do I recommend that you read The Phantom Menace novelization? No need to, while it did add some to the story, it’s not enough to go out of your way to read.

RATING

I will give this book a B.

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