Star Wars: Cloak of Deception [Hardcover]

James Luceno again brings us a superb Star Wars novel, Dark Lord is up their with his best like Star Wars New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force, Labryinth of Evil and Cloak of Deception. He really gives a brilliant look into the state of the galaxy one month after Revenge of the Sith with Darth Vader hunting some of the remaining Jedi and a wayward senator. We get to visit Coruscant (Imperial Centre now), Kashyyyk and Alderaan and more. The new characters are well rounded and you quickly begin to root for them although you know they are not going to defeat Darth Vader.

Dark Lord is an enjoyable although quite short look into Star Wars "dark times" that take place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It shows the last pieces of Anakin Skywalker fall from Darth Vaders mind and by the end he is well on the way to being the Vader we see in the Original Star Wars Trilogy. Highly Recommended.

Although titled Dark Lord, it isn't exclusively about Darth Vader, but tells the story of a group of Jedi that manage to escape from the Clone Troopers following Order 66. It also gives an in depth look at how Vader slowly comes around to being a Sith Lord and his rise to power.

It's all very well written and as with 'Labrynth of Evil', it manages to avoid all the political nonsense that can sometimes spoil these books.

There ia also a bit in at the end about Obi-Wan Kenobi, which I think brings the new trilogy to a fitting close. If you're a Star Wars fan, and enjoyed Revenge of the Sith, this I think, is a must read!

The Jedi are destroyed and Chancellor Palpatine has named himself Emperor. The Republic has become an empire, and the Senate is now useless. But Palpatine still has to consolidate his power, with outlying worlds still holding out and a few rogue Jedi on the run. He needs a right-hand man who can be his weapon, a man indebted to him for his life, and an apprentice who wants power for its own sake, enough to even consider eventually killing Palpatine and taking it for himself. This weapon is Darth Vader, the new incarnation of the horribly wounded Anakin Skywalker, a man who is still completely unsure of his place in the universe. Palpatine uses Vader's hunt for the elusive Jedi to bring him completely under the Emperor's deformed thumb. Will the Jedi realize that teaming up to try and bring down this dark force will be futile, and that they must bide their time? Or will the newly confident Vader be able to completely wipe them out?

It's fascinating to see Vader in Dark Lord, as he's completely different than what we're used to. He still has the imposing figure, the dark mask that will intimidate all but the most gutsy prisoner. But inside, he's a mess. Remnants of Anakin still exist, he's plagued with self-doubt, and he realizes that Palpatine is manipulating him even as he allows it to happen. Palpatine, for his part, needs an apprentice who is thirsty for all the power he can give, and he's irritated that Vader doesn't seem to want to take it. Thankfully for both of them, there are some Jedi that keep popping up that Vader is obsessed with, which will certainly help them both. I loved the characterization of both men. Even better, the George Bush overtones are a lot more subtle (and probably only recognizable if you either agree with them or if you know that Luceno feels that way from the previous book). While we see Vader's internal monologues, his discomfort with his new armour and his bionic appendages, outwardly he covers it well. The combination of the dark, imposing mask and his manner are the same as what we're used to. The contrast is very striking.

I can't leave the other Jedi out of the characterization question, but unfortunately they're not quite as well done. I really liked Roam Shryne and Olee Starstone (what is it with these names?), and Roam's internal conflict was quite good. He's torn between the life of a Jedi and returning to a normal life, especially when he meets a long-lost relative. Starstone is an idealistic apprentice, and she can't fathom what Shryne is going through. She's determined to seek out as many Jedi as possible, to see if something can be done about the Emperor. The other characters, however, aren't as well-drawn. It's not that they're two-dimensional, but Luceno doesn't generate enough interest in them to make us (or me, anyway) want to read about them. The smugglers are rather stereotypical (with the exception of Jula). Bail Organa and his wife are fine, but their storyline seems superfluous considering the rest of the book. Yes, it introduces Lord Vader to the broader galaxy, but the fake suspense involved in the "will Vader find Anakin's droids in Bail's house, and will he recognize his infant daughter" just lie there because we know none of that happened.

The book is more characterization than plot, which is strange for a Star Wars book. It does drag at times, but Vader is cool enough, and Shryne is interesting enough, that it doesn't become that much of an issue. The final confrontation is a wonderful set-piece that Luceno draws out to almost a perfect pitch on the Wookie homeworld. We see some familiar faces and even the starship action is riveting. Dark Lord truly benefits from having no known characters as its lead protagonists, as anything can happen to them, and does. You never know who's going to die, how they're going to die, or what will happen. This gives the finale an even more gripping feel.

Ultimately, the thing that makes Dark Lord great is the interplay between Vader and Palpatine, as well as Palpatine's machinations. I loved the details of what exactly the suit does, and how Vader is initially very conscious of how vulnerable his breathing unit is (he's constantly protecting it in a lightsaber duel). His bionic limbs make him clumsy, especially his legs, and he has to relearn his lightsaber technique. He's very strong in the Force, which helps him compensate in his initial duels, but he slowly grows more confident.

It will be interesting to see if there are more books planned between the two trilogies, showing even more the rise of the Empire and the initial stages of the Rebellion. We see some of the figures that will become prominent, and you have to wonder if some of the other rogue Jedi will become part of the whole thing. We know how it all has to end up, with Ben Kenobi and Yoda the last of the Jedi until Luke gets trained, but there is a lot of room for other stories. Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader makes a fitting beginning to that, giving us a Vader familiar yet different, and showing us exactly how he became the villain so many people have loved.