Book Review: 'Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil'
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| Cover art by Steven D. Anderson. (C) 2005 Del Rey Books and Lucasfilm Ltd. |
One of the more challenging aspects Star Wars fans
face when they read any of the “expanded universe” novels set in the Prequel
Era is dealing with the fact that the characters from the films have their
destinies set in stone. Most of them, especially those that have followed
George Lucas’ space-fantasy saga since the first Episode premiered in 1977, are
keenly aware that the Galactic Republic depicted in the Prequel years is being
transformed into the Galactic Empire, that the once-unassuming and politically
unassailable Palpatine of Naboo is the mysterious Sith Lord known as Darth
Sidious, and that the brash and headstrong Anakin Skywalker will turn his back
on his fellow Jedi Knights and every good thing he stands for and become the
infamous Darth Vader.
These broad strokes on this huge celluloid and literary canvas have, of course, been visible for over 40 years, but there are still plenty of little brushstrokes that fill the empty spaces and add badly-needed detail to what Star Wars’ creator calls The Tragedy of Darth Vader.
Of the many novels that describe events during the Republic's decline and the Clone Wars are raging across the galaxy, James Luceno’s Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil is among the very best.
Set three years after the events depicted in 2002’s Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Luceno’s novel begins on the planet Cato Neimoidia, home world of Trade Federation Nute Gunray, who has been one of Darth Sidious’ co-conspirators for the past 13 years. A Republic force of clone troopers led by Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker has invaded the Viceroy’s fortified palace, forcing the greedy but cowardly Separatist Council member to flee aboard a small shuttle. Nute Gunray leaves behind substantial amounts of cash, jewelry, antiques…and a modified mechno-chair fitted with a secure communications array which Darth Sidious uses to confer with Gunray and the other Trade Federation lackeys.
This is one of the biggest intelligence coups of the Clone Wars; for three long years the Jedi Council has been grappling with the mystery of the Master Sith Lord whose existence was revealed by Count Dooku on Geonosis when the leader of the Separatist movement attempted to recruit Kenobi to his cause. What if I told you that hundreds of Senators were under the influence of a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious? Dooku had asked Obi-Wan on the very day the Clone Wars began.
These broad strokes on this huge celluloid and literary canvas have, of course, been visible for over 40 years, but there are still plenty of little brushstrokes that fill the empty spaces and add badly-needed detail to what Star Wars’ creator calls The Tragedy of Darth Vader.
Of the many novels that describe events during the Republic's decline and the Clone Wars are raging across the galaxy, James Luceno’s Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil is among the very best.
Set three years after the events depicted in 2002’s Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Luceno’s novel begins on the planet Cato Neimoidia, home world of Trade Federation Nute Gunray, who has been one of Darth Sidious’ co-conspirators for the past 13 years. A Republic force of clone troopers led by Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker has invaded the Viceroy’s fortified palace, forcing the greedy but cowardly Separatist Council member to flee aboard a small shuttle. Nute Gunray leaves behind substantial amounts of cash, jewelry, antiques…and a modified mechno-chair fitted with a secure communications array which Darth Sidious uses to confer with Gunray and the other Trade Federation lackeys.
This is one of the biggest intelligence coups of the Clone Wars; for three long years the Jedi Council has been grappling with the mystery of the Master Sith Lord whose existence was revealed by Count Dooku on Geonosis when the leader of the Separatist movement attempted to recruit Kenobi to his cause. What if I told you that hundreds of Senators were under the influence of a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious? Dooku had asked Obi-Wan on the very day the Clone Wars began.
And although Yoda and other council members had at first
rejected Dooku’s revelation as a bit of Sith-inspired deception, several
questions still need to be answered. Who trained Darth Maul, the vicious Sith
Lord who killed Qui-Gon Jinn on Naboo and was destroyed by Obi-Wan? Who helped
convert Dooku, once a powerful Jedi Master in his own right, to the dark side
of the Force? And how and why can Sidious always stay one step ahead of the
Jedi Order without making even the slightest ripple in the Force?
But the discovery of the mechno-chair is just the beginning of a long and exhausting investigation. Even as Anakin – now a fully-fledged Jedi Knight and a general at the age of 22 – and Obi-Wan track down the beings that made the device and delivered it to Coruscant, the Republic’s enemies, particularly Count Dooku and the alien cyborg known as General Grievous receive orders from Darth Sidious: Let the Jedi believe they are closing in and create diversions in various star systems to disperse the Republic’s star fleet:
”What is thy bidding, my Master?” Grievous asked from behind Dooku.
Sidious turned slightly toward Grievous, but continued to speak to Dooku. “The Jedi have divided their forces. We must do the same. I will deal with the ones on Coruscant. I need you to deal with the rest.”
“My fleet stands ready, Master,” Grievous said, still without raising his gaze from the grid.
“The Republic is monitoring you?” Sidious asked the general.
“Yes, Master.”
“Can you divide the fleet – judiciously?”
“It can be done, Master.”
“Good, good. Then move however many ships are needed to crush and occupy Tythe.”
Again Dooku was stunned. So, too, was Grievous.
“Is that wise, Master,” Grievous asked carefully, “after what happened at Belderone?”
Sidious adopted a faint grin. “More than wise, General. Inspired.”
Later, in that same conversation, after Dooku and Sidious mull over the matter of setting a trap for Anakin and Obi-Wan and decide to move the Separatist Council to Utapau, the head of the Sith Order gives Grievous a decisive order:
”General, I’m certain you recall the plans we discussed some time ago, regarding the final stage of the war.”
“Regarding Coruscant.”
“Regarding Coruscant, yes.” Sidious paused, then said: “We must accelerate those plans. Prepare, General, for what will be your finest hour.”
My Take
As he did in 2001’s Star Wars: Cloak of Deception (a novel set just before Episode I: The Phantom Menace), Luceno takes little details from the back story of Revenge of the Sith and creates a seamless setup story that dovetails nicely with Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He captures in print the essence of the major characters perfectly, so much so that the reader can hear the cadences and voices of the major cast, ranging from Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) to Ian McDiarmid (Palpatine/Darth Sidious).
I particularly enjoyed this novel’s description of intergalactic detective work as the Jedi and Republic Intelligence chase down leads that just might identify Darth Sidious as they track the Sith Lord all the way to Coruscant’s Senatorial district; I know intellectually that Mace Windu and the other Jedi involved won’t find out who Sidious is until Episode III. Nevertheless, Luceno is such a good writer that the reader is drawn into the plot even though the ending is predetermined.
The action sequences, particularly those featuring the Kenobi-Skywalker team, are also enjoyable. As Genndy Tartakovsky did in Clone Wars’ final episodes, there is a sense that although there is still some tension between Anakin and Obi-Wan, the bonds of a friendship forged over a 13-year period are still very strong. The scenes that feature them together, and there are plenty of them here, evoke the warmth and comradeship that are evident during the first act of Revenge of the Sith.
Now, although I have no problem with the allegories to 21st Century issues such as parallels to the Patriot Act and barely-disguised comparisons between Palpatine and modern-day leaders who have abused executive powers, I don’t know if I like the discrepancies between Star Wars: Clone Wars (Volume Two) and the description of events in the book’s final third.
But the discovery of the mechno-chair is just the beginning of a long and exhausting investigation. Even as Anakin – now a fully-fledged Jedi Knight and a general at the age of 22 – and Obi-Wan track down the beings that made the device and delivered it to Coruscant, the Republic’s enemies, particularly Count Dooku and the alien cyborg known as General Grievous receive orders from Darth Sidious: Let the Jedi believe they are closing in and create diversions in various star systems to disperse the Republic’s star fleet:
”What is thy bidding, my Master?” Grievous asked from behind Dooku.
Sidious turned slightly toward Grievous, but continued to speak to Dooku. “The Jedi have divided their forces. We must do the same. I will deal with the ones on Coruscant. I need you to deal with the rest.”
“My fleet stands ready, Master,” Grievous said, still without raising his gaze from the grid.
“The Republic is monitoring you?” Sidious asked the general.
“Yes, Master.”
“Can you divide the fleet – judiciously?”
“It can be done, Master.”
“Good, good. Then move however many ships are needed to crush and occupy Tythe.”
Again Dooku was stunned. So, too, was Grievous.
“Is that wise, Master,” Grievous asked carefully, “after what happened at Belderone?”
Sidious adopted a faint grin. “More than wise, General. Inspired.”
Later, in that same conversation, after Dooku and Sidious mull over the matter of setting a trap for Anakin and Obi-Wan and decide to move the Separatist Council to Utapau, the head of the Sith Order gives Grievous a decisive order:
”General, I’m certain you recall the plans we discussed some time ago, regarding the final stage of the war.”
“Regarding Coruscant.”
“Regarding Coruscant, yes.” Sidious paused, then said: “We must accelerate those plans. Prepare, General, for what will be your finest hour.”
My Take
As he did in 2001’s Star Wars: Cloak of Deception (a novel set just before Episode I: The Phantom Menace), Luceno takes little details from the back story of Revenge of the Sith and creates a seamless setup story that dovetails nicely with Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He captures in print the essence of the major characters perfectly, so much so that the reader can hear the cadences and voices of the major cast, ranging from Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) to Ian McDiarmid (Palpatine/Darth Sidious).
I particularly enjoyed this novel’s description of intergalactic detective work as the Jedi and Republic Intelligence chase down leads that just might identify Darth Sidious as they track the Sith Lord all the way to Coruscant’s Senatorial district; I know intellectually that Mace Windu and the other Jedi involved won’t find out who Sidious is until Episode III. Nevertheless, Luceno is such a good writer that the reader is drawn into the plot even though the ending is predetermined.
The action sequences, particularly those featuring the Kenobi-Skywalker team, are also enjoyable. As Genndy Tartakovsky did in Clone Wars’ final episodes, there is a sense that although there is still some tension between Anakin and Obi-Wan, the bonds of a friendship forged over a 13-year period are still very strong. The scenes that feature them together, and there are plenty of them here, evoke the warmth and comradeship that are evident during the first act of Revenge of the Sith.
Now, although I have no problem with the allegories to 21st Century issues such as parallels to the Patriot Act and barely-disguised comparisons between Palpatine and modern-day leaders who have abused executive powers, I don’t know if I like the discrepancies between Star Wars: Clone Wars (Volume Two) and the description of events in the book’s final third.
Both tell essentially
the same story, but the specific details are very different even though some of
the same characters (Shaak Ti, Mace, Grievous, and Palpatine) are involved. In
both Tartakovsky’s animated film and Luceno’s novel, the Battle of Coruscant is
the climactic setup for Revenge of the Sith; the only question is, which
is the “official” story?
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