Observations on Cloak of Deception

Observations on Cloak of Deception (a Prequel-era novel by James Luceno)

Moridin's Observations

Star Wars is about action, adventure, heroism, and epic conflict. So whose bright idea was it to make a novel with heavy political influence? Whoever it was, they should be commended. Cloak of Deception, like Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, is a fun one-shot novel that gives some backstory to the events in Episode I. While the Prequel-Era EU has been fairly lackluster so far, this is another quick read that doesn't really expand the universe much, but does give us some ideas on how things developed prior to the events of The Phantom Menace.

So what does this book do right? Well, for one, James Luceno is the master of the cameo. Similar to Steve Sansweet's "Connections" Con tour going on right now, James Luceno ties together characters from some of the most varied sources in the Star Wars universe. Jorus C'baoth, whose insane clone wreaked havoc in the Thrawn Trilogy, makes an appearance, as do Jedi like Vergere (from Rogue Planet and the Agents of Chaos duology), Master Anoon Bondara and his Padawan, Darsha Assant, as well as Hath Monchar from Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter all make appearances. And there's more, too; characters from Episode II are spread throughout the novel (no spoilers, as no one knows which ones are), and lots of Jedi Council members from Episode I actually have relevant parts in the book. I was very pleased to see the Jedi Council in action, doing what Jedi do best. Luceno even included characters from the Star Wars Tales comic books, which are technically Infinities work now. He's grabbed all corners of the Star Wars Galaxy and tied them together in a way that doesn't seem terribly unobtrusive, at least if you understand the references.

The action is pretty low in this book, as it does in fact deal with the political climate prior to Episode I. There is some good combat in the book, but it's not anything spectacular. I was impressed by the way Luceno handled turning what could have been pages upon pages of boring political dialogue into something readable. In fact, I would highly suggest this novel to anyone who enjoyed Episode I but didn't understand Darth Sidious' plan. It goes into a little more depth on that aspect, though the Sith remains behind the scenes for most of the book.

The new organization, the Nebula Front, and the Trade Federation are both fleshed out a lot more. It makes sense why a trade franchise is so heavily armed now, and why the heck they chose Naboo. If you liked the movie and don't care about these kinds of details, the book might not be for you. Me, I like to know as much as possible, and this really gives me insight into how the galaxy works. It certainly fleshes out the organization of the Galactic Republic, so it's definitely a plus for anyone running games in the Rise of the Empire era.

Overall, this books gets my approval. It's nothing outstanding, but it is a fun, quick read which many people will enjoy. Luceno proves himself a solid author once more, and his depth of knowledge of the Star Wars galaxy is impressive to say the least.

Armage's Observations

I'm normally a concise fellow, but I like deep plots with twists and turns. While Cloak was a relatively short book, it had an involving plot with conspiracies, political intrigue, and action rolled into one. And for good measure, James Luceno threw in cameos by characters such as Jorus C'baoth, Vergere, and Governor Tarkin. Still, I was ambivalent about reading this novel, since I have been avoiding Episode II spoilers like the plague, and some of my friends informed me that I should probably avoid Cloak of Deception.

The Phantom Menace provides a rich background for a story involving Jedi, but the true enemy (the Trade Federation) is still vaguely defined. Enter the Nebula Front, a terrorist/nationalist organization acting against the dominance of the Trade Federation in the Outer Rim Territories. Luceno brings us characters that are somewhat two-dimensional in that they fit the freedom fighter

 

Most impressive.

 

We're not worthy.....