After years of waiting in the shadows, the evil Darth Sidious is taking the first step in his master plan to bring the Republic to its knees. He meets secretly with his Neimoidian contacts in the Trade Federation to plan the blockade of the planet Naboo. But one member of the delegation is missing, and Sidious suspects betrayal. He orders his apprentice, the deadly Darth Maul, to hunt the traitor down. On the capital world of Coruscant, the treacherous Neimoidian moves quickly to sell what he knows to the highest bidder. For Lorn Pavan, an information broker, the deal is too good to pass up. He grabs it, unwittingly earning a place on Darth Maul's hit list, right behind the Neimoidian defector himself.

Meanwhile, a young Jedi Padawan by the name of Darsha Assant stands on the verge of ascension to Jedi Knighthood. A single mission will be her test, but a greater challenge awaits her. For in the labyrinthine alleyways and sewers of Coruscant's own dark side, she will cross paths with Lorn, who is fleeing from the Sith stalker, carrying with him crucial information that must reach the Jedi Council at all costs.

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?

Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is a thrilling new original Star Wars novel by Michael Reaves, set before the events of The Phantom Menace and starring Episode I's most intriguing new character. The hardcover novel is scheduled for release on February 6, 2001 by Del Rey Books.