James Luceno is without a doubt my favorite Star Wars author. It makes me slightly sad that the majority of his Star Wars works are now considered secondary canon.
In Cloak of Deception James Luceno takes on the task of explaining to Star Wars fans precisely what leads to the events of Episode I, by laying out the political catalysts for the turmoil which would eventually build to the rise of the Empire.
The books of James Luceno are able to seamlessly fill out background details of the movies without drowning the reader in boundless exposition. He provides a consistent blend of action and plot while masterfully fleshing out the existing mythos of the Star Wars saga.
The way Luceno writes familiar Star Wars characters is subtle and spot-on. One scene in particular that stands out to me from this book is when the falsely congenial Senator Palpatine takes a meeting with an individual and convinces him to do something against his will. On the surface Luceno writes the conversation to appear as though Palpatine is simply a convincing negotiator, however small details such as Senator Palpatine nonchalantly waving his hand as he talks reveal, upon a closer reading, that the sith-lord-in-disguise is subtly employing a Force induced mind trick! There is no explicit mention of the act brought to the forefront of the writing however. Palpatine and Sidious are written as completely different characters within the book with no direct connection stated. Palpatine remains the goodly, if only slightly ambitious, Senator of Naboo while Darth Sidious lurks around in the shadows building the greed fueled alliances which will launch the events of the Phantom Menace.
It is this commitment to nuance which I believe is completely absent from many other Star Wars novels. Luceno seems able to casually delve into the Star Wars universe without the need to bludgeon readers with reminders of the setting. He seems to understand that Star Wars novels aren't for casual readers, they are for fans of Star Wars looking to discover more about this galaxy far, far away . . . .
Several of Luceno's other Star Wars works are loosely connected and have minor self-referential nods and are worth checking out - Labyrinth of Evil, Darth Plagueis, Catalyst, and Tarkin.
Good reading and I hope you enjoy!
