Star Wars: Maul: Lockdown

Please bear in mind that I review this book as a Maul fan first, and Star Wars fan second. I may come off as a little biased because of that, but it is what it is. I'm a Darth Maul fan and I look for him to be presented to me in a believable way. I haven't read any Star Wars Canon before this one (and Shadow Hunter), so I can't begin to comment on continuity issues or other such aspects. That being said...Just a bit of background, I was born in 81 and never knew of Star Wars existence. I only got into Star Wars when they were re-released as Special Editions in theaters, and even then, I wasn't floored over them. Admittedly, I gravitated towards the prequels, but only because they were newer and thus felt more "familiar" to me (as movies in that time-frame and that technology would). Years have passed and I eventually realized the error of my ways and I can now say I have developed a healthier appreciation for the Original Trilogy. The prequels have their place, of course, but I can finally see what the big fuss was over the Originals.However!! The one character I desperately cling to as one of the BEST villains in the Star Wars Universe (that I personally have been exposed to) is DARTH MAUL. He was soaked with the Dark Side, causing mayhem for the Jedi. And then of course Vader came along and killed him after an epic battle of Sithly proportions, inevitably taking his place at the side of Darth Sidious, one of best battles in Star Wars history! Oh wait, that didn't happen? Of course not! Because he was reduced to the ranks of the blatantly stupid. Being on higher ground and still letting a Padawan fly up in front of him, land behind him, slice him in half, and all while still holding on to his ACTIVATED lightsaber!! And just to recap, Anakin performed the very same action and got himself dismembered for it two movies later! Needless to say, I was absolutely fumed, outraged, throwing a hissy fit, WHATEVER that he not only was robbed of the ample screen time he deserved, but also because he was killed off in such an insulting way to the type of character he was presented to be. I still can never forgive it. I plain and simply just love Darth Maul.So you better believe I was ALL OVER what little options there were to experience more of him. First it was with his book Shadow Hunter, which was awesome when I first read it because, well, MORE DARTH MAUL. Fast forward many years later and I discover Lockdown, which was phenomenally and insanely amazing (I read it in 4-5 hours!). Because it left me salivating for more, I rushed back to my Shadow Hunter again for a second read after spending years on my shelf. And well, Lockdown for the win. There's a special place in my heart for Shadow Hunter, always, but Lockdown is my new favorite Maul book.I won't delve into plot details, as plenty of reviewers have done a fine job of that already. But one detail I will mention--that may or may not be a very minor spoiler--is that throughout this book, Darth Maul is not permitted to use the Force, and thus must force (heh, just caught that pun) himself to resort to other means of getting his mission done. While I thought that would bother me at first, it actually SO WORKED. And here's why: tension. Suffocating, gut-wrenching tension. I gotta applaud this author because he really had me wondering just how in freaking world Maul was going to get through all his deadly situations without resorting to Force usage. Seriously, he'd be just smack dab in the middle of impending doom, and even though I know he'll survive of course, I STILL caught myself more than once thinking, "Omg, what are you going to do NOW? AHHH! *page flip!*" The tension was so THICK in so many places, it had me actually nervous for Maul. Overall, I simply loved how he's presented here; strict warrior with unmatched survivor instincts, killing quickly when he must, hesitating only when it suits his selfish needs. And the way he kills?? WOW. I even caught myself laughing going, "That's SO Maul." And I got so accustomed to him being forced into this situation when he's not using the Force, but only his brute, physical strength and cunning to get his way, that when the time comes for him to be more Sithly, I'm going AHHH THAT'S RIGHT! HECK YEAH! So for me to be so engrossed as to be surprised that, oh yeah, he IS a Sith and he DOES have some masterful abilities at the tips of his fingers, that says something about the writing. I should mention, though, that this isn't JUST a bunch of fighting. The beauty of this book is that there's so much more going on, INCLUDING fights. In fact, the fights/battles are almost a "nuisance" for Maul, who has more important things to be concerned over, but alas, he's gotta do what he's gotta do, and man, he does it so right. Super genius.To be fair, there are plenty of other great aspects to this book...GREAT and believable characters, as well as all their interactions with not just each other, but Darth Maul as well. The writing style is wonderful; it had to be if it sucked me into the tension as I mentioned earlier. The pacing is spot-on to my liking. Short chapters, but so much goodness stuffed inside them made this a fluid read for me. I reiterate, I finished this thing in like 4 or 5 hours. This author certainly has a way of describing horrific scenes--which isn't surprising given that I'm reading that he's got a history in the horror type genre for Star Wars novels. Even a wound is described to such poignant detail; it actually made me writhe in my chair just thinking about them. Like ow, that sounds like it hurts! I love when writing does that to me, makes it seem so real. So I shall chime in with all the other reviewers that this book does have some gore, not for the young readers. Some people may not stomach it. I personally appreciated the gore, and found it just right for the tone of the atmosphere. It was enough to make me cringe, but not gag or anything. As far as this book's relevance to other Star Wars novels, I wouldn't know as I mentioned earlier. I've got some catching up to do!So, in conclusion, if you're a Darth Maul fan as I am, and are looking to see him have some splendidly villainous moments as a warrior (without the need to have him force-choke everyone a'la Vader), then DO get this book. I am not minimizing the importance of the Force in the Star Wars Universe or anything, not at all. I'm merely highlighting the importance of what can be done WITHOUT the Force and who better to do it than Darth Maul? I highly, HIGHLY doubt Maul fans will regret purchasing this book. I know I sure didn't. In fact, I miss it. May even give it another read soon enough.P.S. This would make a SPLENDID movie. Oh if only it were possible....

One of the best stories in Star Wars. Get to know the real Maul. I personally loved it and would love to see a movie but know I won’t. It would be too graphic.

SPOILERS BELOW!Given how little screentime Maul was given in Episode I, I never really understood the hype surrounding him in the fandom. Even his resurrection in The Clone Wars didn't really do much for me. Still, I wanted to give Lockdown a shot. I'm very glad I did.Schreiber is a master of description and he shows off this talent from start to finish. I must say that if you're not familiar with his previous works, Lockdown is certainly not for the squeamish. The first few pages should be more than enough of an indication if you're not going to be able to handle the level of violence and gore in this story. Among the gruesome fight sequences, there are several instances focused on cannibal and mutilated inmates that are not for the faint of heart.Aside from the surprising amount of violence, the plot itself is pretty straightforward if a bit convoluted. It felt as if Schreiber was trying a little too hard to make the mystery surrounding Maul's target, Iram Radique, well, mysterious. Several times in the beginning I thought I knew who he really was, only to be proven wrong time after time. I like when I can't figure something out within the first three chapters, but this went on for the majority of the book. And when Radique was finally revealed it was more of a letdown than all the anticipation had led me to believe.Despite the bloodiness and the disappointment in Radique's reveal, I greatly enjoyed getting more inside Maul's head and learning a bit more about what makes him tick. In the film he was little more than a nightmarish apprentice of Sidious. In The Clone Wars he was still rather limited in dimension since his whole return was based and focused on his hatred of Obi-Wan. But in Lockdown he was actually given something to do and was shown to have intellect as well as emotion.If Schreiber writes another Maul-centric novel I wouldn't turn it down.This may be more of a sidenote than anything else, but my absolute favorite part was when Komari Vosa showed up. I'd only heard of her in passing while devouring everything I could of Asajj Ventress and Dooku's pre-Sith legacy (the parallels between Asajj and Komari are wonderful), so to have her show up in Lockdown was a welcome treat for me. Towards the very end I got the feeling that some kind of connection had been established between her and Maul. It's not very solid and possibly more due to my overactive imagination than Schreiber's intention in bringing her into the story, but it was enough to get my attention and add to my emotional investment.

I like Joe Schreiber's Star Wars books. This man understands how to pace a novel, how to flesh out characters and above all, how to write something that's entertaining. I like the way his stand-alone books bring other genres into the Star Wars fold (normally zombies but in this case, prisonbreak/ semi-horror). I like the myriad ideas he squeezes in to not very many pages. And, like any normal person, I like Darth Maul.Why only three stars then?1. The premise: Maul's mission, ill-defined at first, eventually emerges as a quest to obtain what, with Star Wars technology, sounds like seeking a catapult in the 21st century. It's hard to believe Darth Sidious would need these convoluted means to get it either.2. The inclusion of a certain character irks me. I don't think this person fits in the proper (Legends) timeline so when he reared his ugly head, I suddenly felt put off. This, mind, is my personal preference and won't be shared by most, I expect.3. Characters' actions have dubious motives, with the warden in particular acting repeatedly in a way that puts her in danger. Maul meanders around aimlessly a lot too.4. Two characters are introduced very late on for no better reason than to generate chaos and again, their motives are confused.It's never dull, always entertaining and well written ... It's just a bit aimless.

This is a thoroughly interesting and entertaining Star Wars novel. The story is set shortly before the events depicted in 'The Phantom Menace' film, and the plot centres on Darth Maul. His Sith master, Lord Sidious, has sent Maul on a deadly mission - which involves going 'undercover' as a convict - into one of the worst prisons in the galaxy. While there, he's ordered not to use his Force abilities. So Maul must rely on his strength and agility, as well as the power of his will, to overcome the odds and survive. To make matters worst, the governor of the prison is operating an illegal fighting contest between the prisoners, and making millions of credits. Maul becomes a contestant, and is daily pitched against monstrous foes ... Meanwhile, he's secretly undertaking the mission assigned to him by Sidious.I really like the way this story fits into the wider Star Wars universe established in the novels - especially the  Star Wars: Darth Plagueis , to which it perfectly connects. It also nicely relates to the story presented in the videogame  Star Wars: Bounty Hunter . If you're a fan of the Extended Universe (now known as Legends, since Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm) then I think you'll enjoy this book.It's well-written and action-packed. Maul is presented as an enthusiastic apprentice determined to fulfil his master's wishes. He's a man filled with rage, and this empowers him, giving him strength. The essence of his dark personality is perfectly captured by the author. This is a much better book as compared to Maul's earlier outing ( Star Wars: Darth Maul Shadow Hunter ).Overall, I highly recommend this book. Star Wars: Darth PlagueisStar Wars: Bounty HunterStar Wars: Darth Maul Shadow Hunter

This is a somewhat different novel to the usual Star Wars ones. The plot revolves around Darth Maul infiltrating a hi-tech, and highly dubiously ran, intergalactic prison to complete a loosely defined mission for his master, Darth Sidious. As such the majority of the story is set within the confines of the actual prison, giving the book a its own feel. The plot also means that there are no ‘good guys’ as such within the story. Echoing some of the episodes of the Clone Wars television series, the story features the struggles between various ‘villainous’ figures.The prison locale makes for quite a gripping atmosphere that offers a sense of claustrophobic entrapment. The gambling side of pitching prisoners against each other in a form of gladiatorial combat could easily be overplayed and the early stages of the novel do start to feel like a string a repetitive combats. Fortunately the author reigns it in just before it gets a bit dull and moves the story forward.Using Darth Maul as a main protagonist is fraught with issues. The obvious one being that what we see of Darth Maul in the films is barely sufficient to provide him with enough depth of character to sustain the role of main protagonist. Much of Maul’s character has been developed within other Star Wars media (mainly the Clone Wars television series) and some of that is tapped into here to make him more substantial. The author is relatively successful at walking the line between developing Maul’s character and not moving him too far away from the soulless assassin he was in ‘The Phantom Menace’. Furthermore, Darth Maul is certainly no hero, and his potential to fulfil an anti-hero role is somewhat dubious due to his lack of personality. It makes it very difficult to arouse the reader’s sympathies for the book’s main character. The author does make a good effort at this though.Much like Maul himself, the reader doesn’t entirely know what is going on throughout the novel. Darth Sidious’ objectives remain unclear, even by the close of the story. Part of the enjoyment of the story is not knowing what the objectives are of several characters and trying to work them out. The nature of the story allows for these to remain mysterious to some degree and gives a good sense of there being the wider Sith plot to dominate the galaxy. The various machinations of both Darth Sidious and Darth Plagueis also seem to reflect events featured in the novel ‘Darth Plagueis’ and there is some overlap between the two books. Knowledge of ‘Darth Plagueis’ is not necessary to enjoy this novel but it does give it more depth and intrigue.

This was my type of Star Wars book, best since Plageious in my view. In fact all the better since Sideous and his Boss turn up in this with a bit more dialogue to savour. It starts off hot and gets hotter, its a bit of a tried and tested Stallone / Van Damme prison film rip off at times, but there's lots of good elements to it, the action pretty much runs throughout and if its action your after then this is about as good as Star Wars gets for action.I've given it five Stars but I still have a few little grumbles - (spoilers)Maul's lack of use of the force due to Sidious' requirements, understandable but unbeliveable - although it addded to the tension, I do like a bit of force use in my Sith Lords, just a sneaky bit here and there would have been nice, Sith's are supposed to cheat aren't they?A bit more Plagious and Sideous would have been nice, can't see why chucking a bit more in would have hurt? Their relationship was slightly different in this than in the previous book, more tension which I think, in retrospect was misssing from 'Darth Plagious'.I felt the wrap up at the end was a little weak and I would have liked a meeting between Maul and Sidious, but hardly a massive issue.A couple more fights perhaps but this is beeing greedy, but I think there were a few species that could have given Maul a run for his money? Trandoshan, Wookie (don't tell me there wasn't a Wookie kicking around in there?).I thought the Nogri and Maul would have had a face off. Perhaps even literally.....I loved this book though, right up there with some of the best in my opinion, but I like a Sith Lord romp. This arrived a bit later than 'Kenobi' which I was a short way into, I put Kenobi down and read this. Best decision I could have made - Kenobi was so slow it made this book seem like I'd pushed the leaver for hyper space.

This book was well written and featured a lot of action and drama. The plot was original and dynamic.There was a fair deal of intrigue as Darth Maul pursued the elusive Iram Radique. But there was typical fighting action, of which the reader became accustomed of, that from Darth Maul, a Sith Lord Apprentice.The setting was dark and malevolent ; an undercover mission of Darth Maul in a space prison.All these elements helped to create a pulsating and exciting story. There was some reference to Joe Schreiber's other Star Wars work : "Death Troopers " as well.Overall, a great work from Joe Schreiber.