Star Wars: Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter

By: Michael Reeves

Narrated by: Michael Cumpsty

Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

For the infamous, power-hungry Sith, beholden to the dark side, the time has come to rise again.

After years of waiting in the shadows, Darth Sidious is taking the first step in his master plan to bring the Republic to its knees. Key to his scheme are the Neimoidians of the Trade Federation. Then one of his Neimoidian contacts disappears, and Sidious does not need his Force-honed instincts to suspect betrayal. He orders his apprentice, Darth Maul, to hunt the traitor down.

But he is too late. The secret has already passed into the hands of information broker Lorn Pavan, which places him right on the top of Darth Maul's hit list. Then, in the labyrinthine alleyways and sewers of Coruscant, capital city of the Republic, Lorn crosses paths with Darsha Assant, a Jedi Padawan on a mission to earn her knighthood. Now the future of the Republic depends on Darsha and Lorn. But how can an untried Jedi and an ordinary man, stranger to the powerful ways of the Force, hope to triumph over one of the deadliest killers in the galaxy?

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©2001 Lucasfilm Ltd. and TM. Random House Audio, a division of Random House Inc. (P)2001 Lucasfilm Ltd. and TM. Random House Audio, a division of Random House Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Full of lightsaber battles, the Jedi philosophy, and lots of new life forms." (Chicago Sun-Times)
"Reaves writes with a creative flair, allowing readers to experience an almost cinematic sensation as they move through the story. The language is colorful, the action scenes are dynamic, and the dialogue is realistic." (Winston-Salem Journal)

Maul story good, sound effects horrible.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Simply put, the effects were horrible...this is Star Wars, and sound boards for it are a dime a dozen, so I was more than a little shocked by the production value...A dirt bike putt-putt sound for speeder bikes? REALLY!? I was honestly unable to immerse myself in this a-book because I kept listening for all of the missused sound effects.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Star Wars?

The story in Star Wars: Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is interesting because it explores Coruscant's lower levels in a way that has not been done yet. The story moved along nicely, and Maul's capabilities in skills other than lightsaber combat are exposed to a decent degree.

What three words best describe Michael Cumpsty’s voice?

The narrator, Michael Cumpsty, breathed live into the characters, and delivered the goods in an otherwise mediocre to shooddy Star Wars Production. Michael was able to emote all of the character well, the rogue was rough, Maul was focused and sinister, and the Jedi Padawan character sounded uncertain of her skill, and Jedi-like in her approach to the problems at hand.

Was Star Wars worth the listening time?

This book was worth the time and money if you have credits to burn...if you are looking for a big bang for real $$, this is not it.

Any additional comments?

I am shocked that George Lucas has not had the sound effects remastered on this audio book yet...only slightly less shocking is that he allowed this to roll-out in the first place.

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

Excellent!

As a Star Wars fan, I really enjoyed this book. The writer pulls you right into the Star Wars universe! I read the book, listened to the audiobook, and I find myself doing it over and over again. It's a must have if you're a Star Wars fan.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Make way for the Bad Guy...

Would you listen to Star Wars again? Why?

Yes, if they featured a character as interesting as Darth Maul.

What other book might you compare Star Wars to and why?

Stainless Steel Rat Series by Harry Harrison - thye are both Science Fiction action adventure.

Which character – as performed by Michael Cumpsty – was your favorite?

Darth Maul (of course!)

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The DARK Force is strong in this one.

Any additional comments?

I wish they had included the short 52 page story that was in the paper back version: Darth Maul: Saboteur by James Luceno. I felt let down when it wasn't part of the audio version.

More Maul please!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good book; Weird accent

The fellow who performs this book has the most obscure accent that I’ve ever heard, or has some sort of speech impediment. The story is great though, so there’s that!

Horrible narration

I can’t even finish this book the narration is just so awful. Please avoid this one.

Maul side story with some inconsistencies.

Its a pretty good story however with good character development. The actions of Maul don't flow with his behavior in phantom menace imho. Sound production is a bit low budget or dated. Narrator doesn't get all the voices right.

Not the best narration.

The narration left much to be desired. Were it not a Star Wars story i may not have finished.

Fantastic Book

Kept me on the edge of my seat. Couldnt stop listening to it. Only drawback is the reader is not as good with voices as the 2 main people who normally do it.

Remove sound effects

Do not like the sound effects. some points it even gets hard to hear the reader.

Entertaining piece of the Star Wars timeline

Not the best Star Wars book I’ve listened to. Terrible volume control and probably the worst effects of any audiobook I’ve listened to. However, Maul is a great character and I ended up really liking the characters that were built throughout the story! Ending is a little bit drawn out but overall it is a decent book.