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Star Wars Legends: Novels
Star Wars: The Wrath of Darth Maul
Forged by rage. Taken as a child and trained in the ways of the Sith, he became the apprentice to the greatest evil the galaxy has ever known... Honed by the dark side. After years of plotting in secrecy, he and his Master will take revenge on the Jedi Order--and the once-mighty Republic will tremble... The savage story of Darth Maul has been shrouded in mystery--until now.
227 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
1098 people are currently reading
1394 people want to read
About the author
Ryder Windham
277 books170 followersRyder Windham is an American sci-fi author who has written over sixty Star Wars books, including novels, comics, reference books, and so on. He has also written junior novelizations for Indiana Jones movies. Since 1993, he has been working on Star Wars projects either by himself or with other authors. His reference book Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide had been on the New York Times Best Seller list for three weeks in 2005. Although he has written lots of books, accepted interviews, and appeared at several fan-conventions, little is known about his personal life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
September 4, 2016
Seeing Maul go through everything he did as a child was hard to watch.
Watching (the wretched hunk of my life) grow up was definitely the most interesting aspect of the book. Every trial and error took us a step closer to understanding the horrors of Maul's childhood, (born with the Force or not, I'm still having trouble comprehending a small toddler living through such scorn).
But still I had trouble understanding how a child, who just wanted to escape the torture and loneliness, could become the 100% loyal lapdog of Darth Sidious.
Then comes Orsis (assassin) Academy and Maul gets his first social experience. While still Sidious's obedient pet, Maul might actually have a chance at making a friend in Kilindi. He doesn't trust her, or anyone else, but her continual kindness towards him gives him something to look forward to at the end of every trial.
And then...oh....and then the event that causes him to leave the academy happens.
Long story short: A few years later Maul goes through the most excruciating test of survival he's ever faced and finishes with a saber fight between him and his master. It is this moment where Maul's thirst for freedom turns into pure loyalty as Sidious anoints him Darth Maul, Sith master. The Maul we all know (...and love).
The rest is pretty much Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (which turned out to be very very awesome!! The thoughts going through Maul's head as he tumbles down the vent shaft? Amazing!)
Positive:
I loved going crazy trying to figure out HOW Maul became the way he is. That poor, POOOOOOOR little 4 year old forced to muscle through broken bones and endless punishment. (If I ever become a mom, I probably won't be able to read this again.) It was killing me that I couldn't just give him a warm hug, or teach him what love and kindness is--HE'S FOUR &%@#*! YEARS OLD FOR GOD SAKE!!!!!!! (i hav a nephew who's 4) D,':
Anyway, the transitions between time were well done and I pretty much stayed entertained all the ways through.
Negative:
Um....okay.
I didn't think I would have anything negative to say about this. At all.
1.) Amateur Writing. I really don't want to bring this up, but it is my biggest peeve as a reader (especially concerning this is about my favorite character in Star Wars). Typos weren't too bad of a problem (there were hardly any), but the descriptions fell flat. Locations, alien characters, and most importantly the character's emotions and thoughts. Too simple-almost lifeless-depictions of everything.
Another grammatical "no no" that bugged me, was the repeating of words in the same sentence and/or paragraph.
Example:
"...they proceeded to a nearby outcropping of bedrock, which was bordered by a broad field covered in stones. The tops of a few large boulders loomed over the stones. Sidious and Maul stopped at the edge of the bedrock. Surveying the stones, Sidious said, "What do you see?"
"I see rocks, Master Sidious."
Sidious frowned. Then he pointed to the center of the field of stones--" ALL RIGHT ENOUGH WITH THE STONES ALREADY!
This is done SEVERAL times throughout the novel with people, objects, weapons...uhg! I felt like I was reading a fanfiction.
2.) Improper Continuity. (This is for Clone Wars animated series viewers).
Ryder Windham did a really good job filling in the holes of Maul's life we haven't yet seen. He did such a good job keeping it legit that I was thoroughly surprised and increasingly annoyed when this huge error was made. (Incorrect comparison to the Clone Wars episode).
HOWEVER...I did some research and discovered that this particular episode was released March 2012. This novel was released January 2012. This means that Windham was probably basing his info off of an early script during the creation of this book, since the episode (most likely) wasn't finished.
Issues aside, everyone who ever loved Darth Maul should definitely read this book!
Watching (the wretched hunk of my life) grow up was definitely the most interesting aspect of the book. Every trial and error took us a step closer to understanding the horrors of Maul's childhood, (born with the Force or not, I'm still having trouble comprehending a small toddler living through such scorn).
But still I had trouble understanding how a child, who just wanted to escape the torture and loneliness, could become the 100% loyal lapdog of Darth Sidious.
Then comes Orsis (assassin) Academy and Maul gets his first social experience. While still Sidious's obedient pet, Maul might actually have a chance at making a friend in Kilindi. He doesn't trust her, or anyone else, but her continual kindness towards him gives him something to look forward to at the end of every trial.
And then...oh....and then the event that causes him to leave the academy happens.
Long story short: A few years later Maul goes through the most excruciating test of survival he's ever faced and finishes with a saber fight between him and his master. It is this moment where Maul's thirst for freedom turns into pure loyalty as Sidious anoints him Darth Maul, Sith master. The Maul we all know (...and love).
The rest is pretty much Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (which turned out to be very very awesome!! The thoughts going through Maul's head as he tumbles down the vent shaft? Amazing!)
Positive:
I loved going crazy trying to figure out HOW Maul became the way he is. That poor, POOOOOOOR little 4 year old forced to muscle through broken bones and endless punishment. (If I ever become a mom, I probably won't be able to read this again.) It was killing me that I couldn't just give him a warm hug, or teach him what love and kindness is--HE'S FOUR &%@#*! YEARS OLD FOR GOD SAKE!!!!!!! (i hav a nephew who's 4) D,':
Anyway, the transitions between time were well done and I pretty much stayed entertained all the ways through.
Negative:
Um....okay.
I didn't think I would have anything negative to say about this. At all.
1.) Amateur Writing. I really don't want to bring this up, but it is my biggest peeve as a reader (especially concerning this is about my favorite character in Star Wars). Typos weren't too bad of a problem (there were hardly any), but the descriptions fell flat. Locations, alien characters, and most importantly the character's emotions and thoughts. Too simple-almost lifeless-depictions of everything.
Another grammatical "no no" that bugged me, was the repeating of words in the same sentence and/or paragraph.
Example:
"...they proceeded to a nearby outcropping of bedrock, which was bordered by a broad field covered in stones. The tops of a few large boulders loomed over the stones. Sidious and Maul stopped at the edge of the bedrock. Surveying the stones, Sidious said, "What do you see?"
"I see rocks, Master Sidious."
Sidious frowned. Then he pointed to the center of the field of stones--" ALL RIGHT ENOUGH WITH THE STONES ALREADY!
This is done SEVERAL times throughout the novel with people, objects, weapons...uhg! I felt like I was reading a fanfiction.
2.) Improper Continuity. (This is for Clone Wars animated series viewers).
Ryder Windham did a really good job filling in the holes of Maul's life we haven't yet seen. He did such a good job keeping it legit that I was thoroughly surprised and increasingly annoyed when this huge error was made. (Incorrect comparison to the Clone Wars episode).
HOWEVER...I did some research and discovered that this particular episode was released March 2012. This novel was released January 2012. This means that Windham was probably basing his info off of an early script during the creation of this book, since the episode (most likely) wasn't finished.
Issues aside, everyone who ever loved Darth Maul should definitely read this book!
August 24, 2013
Finally we get to see more of the origin behind the infamous Sith Lord, Darth Maul. I read this novel in one afternoon as I couldn’t put it down. The story mainly focuses on the childhood and the training of Darth Maul, but we also get to get his perspective in the events from “The Phantom Menace.” In addition, we get a better understanding as to how he could survive the devastating fall to reappear in the TV show Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
What I love the most about the story was how characters and events from the iconic TV Show Star Wars: The Clone Wars were taken and incorporated into Maul’s history. The other thing I liked I stated before, Maul’s perspective in The Phantom Menace. Finally, I just really enjoyed experience the evolution of Darth Maul in the story. Though his entire history wasn’t included in the novel, we get to learn a lot more about him. I didn’t have any complaints about this one. It was well written beginning to end. I hope to see more Darth Maul novels and stories as good as this one in the future.
What I love the most about the story was how characters and events from the iconic TV Show Star Wars: The Clone Wars were taken and incorporated into Maul’s history. The other thing I liked I stated before, Maul’s perspective in The Phantom Menace. Finally, I just really enjoyed experience the evolution of Darth Maul in the story. Though his entire history wasn’t included in the novel, we get to learn a lot more about him. I didn’t have any complaints about this one. It was well written beginning to end. I hope to see more Darth Maul novels and stories as good as this one in the future.
November 3, 2025
Set in 20BBY(?)
Why the questionmark? Because if you're like me, you want to read everything in chronological order, and the end of that book takes place right there, riiight after towards the end of season 4 in Clone Wars where we see Savage finding Maul.
Most of the time in the novel you will spend with little Maul, getting kidnapped by Palpatine and training and raising him to be a killing machine, teaching him to hate the Jedi and pretty much hating everything and everyone, including him.
Then, towards the end his mission is to kill two Jedis on Tatooine. So you know where this is going.
A quick read, and a fun one for the lore, especially for Maul fans.
Why the questionmark? Because if you're like me, you want to read everything in chronological order, and the end of that book takes place right there, riiight after towards the end of season 4 in Clone Wars where we see Savage finding Maul.
Most of the time in the novel you will spend with little Maul, getting kidnapped by Palpatine and training and raising him to be a killing machine, teaching him to hate the Jedi and pretty much hating everything and everyone, including him.
Then, towards the end his mission is to kill two Jedis on Tatooine. So you know where this is going.
A quick read, and a fun one for the lore, especially for Maul fans.
July 24, 2014
Rating: 4 Stars out of 5.
Darth Maul needs a hug.
If there was a takeaway point to this book, that was the one I learned. Really, this book could be called ‘The Tragedy of Darth Maul’. There was a lot of wrath going on, but this book really is at its best while chronicling Maul’s traumatic childhood experiences and turning him into someone that is a little more sympathetic, interesting, and relatable that I might have originally given him credit for.
This was my first time going into the EU to learn about Maul’s character. Though I did read the other Star Wars Episode 1 journals when I was little, I never read Darth Maul’s. As a kid, I think I just assumed that since he was the bad guy, and had almost no lines in the movie, he wouldn’t have anything interesting to say. But my curiosity in Maul was piqued when he made his reappearance in The Clone Wars TV series, (Partially thanks to the ever-amazing Mr. Witwer) and so I decided to give this a try.
With my limited Maul knowledge, this served as a very good tie-in to the franchise. It was basically a very brief and simple biography of the Darth’s life, from young toddler to where he is in the Clone Wars episode ‘Brothers’.
This book gave a lot of really great info on Maul’s history, and I’m now really interested in reading up on Maul more, and discovering what Windham created for his backstory and what he borrowed from other stories.
I’m not going to go into a ton of detail on this book and the life of Darth Maul, but I will mention that I think the first part of this book is definitely the best. The Mustafar and Orsis sections were my favorite, as they offered a lot of new insight on the character. I wouldn’t say that the sections that overlap Episode 1 are bad, but they’re not as intriguing. Those parts often felt like they were both dragging and being skimmed over quickly in the way they were handled.
The only big issue I had with this book was that it was a middle grade book. I honestly think that this deserved to be an adult book, because I feel like the story was complex and could have gone deeper and really delved into Maul’s mind. I always felt like The Wrath of Darth Maul was trying to be a really dark tale, but never reached its potential since it was being held back by its kid demographic.
It’s weird, because the book seems to want to straddle the line of ‘for kids’ and ‘for tweens and up’. The story here is a lot more intense than say, the Jedi Apprentice series. I was reading those when I was around 8 or 9. If I had read this book when I was that age, I think I would have been pretty freaked out. Here, we have Maul being tortured through his young life, savagely killing LOTS of people from a young age though various brutal means, chopping off people’s limbs, snapping heads, bloodying people by head-butting them, and (spoilers!) murdering all of his young teenage school friends without remorse. (spoilers) He’s like a wild, vicious animal when he goes into action mode.
None of the violence is described in super graphic terms, but it’s still kind of jarring for a kid’s book. This story would have benefited by being targeted at an older audience.
But those complaints aside, The Wrath of Darth Maul was still an informative, quick, enjoyable read that gave some appreciated insight into a character who wasn’t given much to do in the films. If you have any interest in Maul whatsoever, pick it up and give it a read!
(If Sam Witwer were to meet Maul:)
Darth Maul needs a hug.
If there was a takeaway point to this book, that was the one I learned. Really, this book could be called ‘The Tragedy of Darth Maul’. There was a lot of wrath going on, but this book really is at its best while chronicling Maul’s traumatic childhood experiences and turning him into someone that is a little more sympathetic, interesting, and relatable that I might have originally given him credit for.
This was my first time going into the EU to learn about Maul’s character. Though I did read the other Star Wars Episode 1 journals when I was little, I never read Darth Maul’s. As a kid, I think I just assumed that since he was the bad guy, and had almost no lines in the movie, he wouldn’t have anything interesting to say. But my curiosity in Maul was piqued when he made his reappearance in The Clone Wars TV series, (Partially thanks to the ever-amazing Mr. Witwer) and so I decided to give this a try.
With my limited Maul knowledge, this served as a very good tie-in to the franchise. It was basically a very brief and simple biography of the Darth’s life, from young toddler to where he is in the Clone Wars episode ‘Brothers’.
This book gave a lot of really great info on Maul’s history, and I’m now really interested in reading up on Maul more, and discovering what Windham created for his backstory and what he borrowed from other stories.
I’m not going to go into a ton of detail on this book and the life of Darth Maul, but I will mention that I think the first part of this book is definitely the best. The Mustafar and Orsis sections were my favorite, as they offered a lot of new insight on the character. I wouldn’t say that the sections that overlap Episode 1 are bad, but they’re not as intriguing. Those parts often felt like they were both dragging and being skimmed over quickly in the way they were handled.
The only big issue I had with this book was that it was a middle grade book. I honestly think that this deserved to be an adult book, because I feel like the story was complex and could have gone deeper and really delved into Maul’s mind. I always felt like The Wrath of Darth Maul was trying to be a really dark tale, but never reached its potential since it was being held back by its kid demographic.
It’s weird, because the book seems to want to straddle the line of ‘for kids’ and ‘for tweens and up’. The story here is a lot more intense than say, the Jedi Apprentice series. I was reading those when I was around 8 or 9. If I had read this book when I was that age, I think I would have been pretty freaked out. Here, we have Maul being tortured through his young life, savagely killing LOTS of people from a young age though various brutal means, chopping off people’s limbs, snapping heads, bloodying people by head-butting them, and (spoilers!) murdering all of his young teenage school friends without remorse. (spoilers) He’s like a wild, vicious animal when he goes into action mode.
None of the violence is described in super graphic terms, but it’s still kind of jarring for a kid’s book. This story would have benefited by being targeted at an older audience.
But those complaints aside, The Wrath of Darth Maul was still an informative, quick, enjoyable read that gave some appreciated insight into a character who wasn’t given much to do in the films. If you have any interest in Maul whatsoever, pick it up and give it a read!
(If Sam Witwer were to meet Maul:)
October 17, 2022
*4.25
And then his pounding heart turned to stone and he said, "I live to do your bidding, Master."
Sidious nodded. "And as long as you do, you will continue to live."
Oh my GOD.
Umm... is this supposed to be a middle-grade book?? Because the writing definitely feels like that, but the content...
This book opens with a scene of a young Maul being kept in a room on Mustafar. He reflects on how he doesn't know why he's there, but he's made to answer questions and do exercise or a droid shocks him. Then, at the end of the chapter, the droid injects him and carries him away. Then there's this line: "The boy was not at all heavy. He was barely three years old."
I literally said "Oh my god" out loud and had to put the book down at that point. Does that give you an idea of what's in store?
There's not an overabundance of torture, but... yeah, a lot of this book is just a toddler, then a child, then a teenager being tortured. It's not all on-screen and it's not particularly graphic, but the amount of stuff that's left to the imagination just makes this all the more horrific. I get very much that Maul would have gone through a lot of stuff in his life, but I just can't imagine why THIS was the character someone was slated to write a middle-grade book about.
There are some pretty good scenes, like Maul's tenuous friendship with that droid and the part where Palpatine tells him "make introductions with that kid and then beat him up" and Maul says his name then gets beaten up by the other kid until he asks for his name and when, confused, the other kid says his name, Maul nearly kills the guy. Cool.
I have to say, though, I kind of wished Maul and Palpatine's relationship had a little more depth. Their entire bond was just Palpatine repeatedly testing and torturing Maul and then claiming that anger made him strong, etc etc. I get that Maul had a rough upbringing with Palpatine, so I guess I can't judge his actions, but it felt odd that Maul never really turned on Palpatine at any point.
I did really like that this book led into TPM and specifically Maul's anger at Qui-Gon - and everything about that final duel. And I wasn't sure when this book came out, so I was VERY pleasantly surprised that the epilogue tied into TCW there! I was honestly disappointed it didn't keep going - I'd love to read another book like this that follows Maul through TCW and into Rebels. But dang, it hurt to finish this and realize I wish Maul had a "happy" ending of sorts.
The final line of this book is actually brilliant - when you think about season 7 of TCW, it's honestly shocking that this ties into the show so well, given that it came out eight years earlier!
Also, just hearing about that creepy nursey rhyme thing that Palpatine taught Maul - ooh, yes, love it.
This book is good, but pretty messed up - maybe not quite right for kids. Although they've probably seen a lot if they've watched TCW, haven't they? 4.25/5 stars.
And then his pounding heart turned to stone and he said, "I live to do your bidding, Master."
Sidious nodded. "And as long as you do, you will continue to live."
Oh my GOD.
Umm... is this supposed to be a middle-grade book?? Because the writing definitely feels like that, but the content...
This book opens with a scene of a young Maul being kept in a room on Mustafar. He reflects on how he doesn't know why he's there, but he's made to answer questions and do exercise or a droid shocks him. Then, at the end of the chapter, the droid injects him and carries him away. Then there's this line: "The boy was not at all heavy. He was barely three years old."
I literally said "Oh my god" out loud and had to put the book down at that point. Does that give you an idea of what's in store?
There's not an overabundance of torture, but... yeah, a lot of this book is just a toddler, then a child, then a teenager being tortured. It's not all on-screen and it's not particularly graphic, but the amount of stuff that's left to the imagination just makes this all the more horrific. I get very much that Maul would have gone through a lot of stuff in his life, but I just can't imagine why THIS was the character someone was slated to write a middle-grade book about.
There are some pretty good scenes, like Maul's tenuous friendship with that droid and the part where Palpatine tells him "make introductions with that kid and then beat him up" and Maul says his name then gets beaten up by the other kid until he asks for his name and when, confused, the other kid says his name, Maul nearly kills the guy. Cool.
I have to say, though, I kind of wished Maul and Palpatine's relationship had a little more depth. Their entire bond was just Palpatine repeatedly testing and torturing Maul and then claiming that anger made him strong, etc etc. I get that Maul had a rough upbringing with Palpatine, so I guess I can't judge his actions, but it felt odd that Maul never really turned on Palpatine at any point.
I did really like that this book led into TPM and specifically Maul's anger at Qui-Gon - and everything about that final duel. And I wasn't sure when this book came out, so I was VERY pleasantly surprised that the epilogue tied into TCW there! I was honestly disappointed it didn't keep going - I'd love to read another book like this that follows Maul through TCW and into Rebels. But dang, it hurt to finish this and realize I wish Maul had a "happy" ending of sorts.
The final line of this book is actually brilliant - when you think about season 7 of TCW, it's honestly shocking that this ties into the show so well, given that it came out eight years earlier!
Also, just hearing about that creepy nursey rhyme thing that Palpatine taught Maul - ooh, yes, love it.
This book is good, but pretty messed up - maybe not quite right for kids. Although they've probably seen a lot if they've watched TCW, haven't they? 4.25/5 stars.
November 25, 2022
Good Stuff
I really enjoyed this book. I am a Star Wars fan and this gave good background material on one of the most evil vilians.
I recommend.
I really enjoyed this book. I am a Star Wars fan and this gave good background material on one of the most evil vilians.
I recommend.
September 28, 2012
This novel is aimed at a younger generation of reader and doesn't contain the hard-edged grit that I think it could have had to make it a leading novel for the Star Wars universe. It gives a fresh view on the life of Darth Maul and his place in the SW universe. I couldn't pinpoint any plot holes os it has been well researched and is keeping with the connectivity of related stories.
A quick read and finished in 3 days.
Plot ***Spoilers***
The Wrath of Darth Maul sees a resurrected Darth Maul as a half Zabrak Half machine hybrid with his upper torso mounted upon a spider-like machine lover half.
Shortly after the introduction of the resurrected Maul we are taken on a memory trail from his first memories of his training as a young child under a droid to being introduced to his Master Darth Sidious. Under Sidious, his training becomes intense and deadly with his life one of harsh training and cruel lessons as he is moulded in to the perfect killing machine and potential Sith apprentice.
Maul is forced to make the choice to be completely subservient to Sidious and do his bidding. This results in taking the lives of anyone or anything he becomes attached to.
During the story, we are informed of more of the Sith history and philosophies of the Sith and why they hate the Jedi so much.
Towards the end of his memories returning, we are taken through events of Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace.
The book concludes with Maul remembering much and paves the way for his return with the intent of exacting his revenge upon Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Jedi Order.
A quick read and finished in 3 days.
Plot ***Spoilers***
The Wrath of Darth Maul sees a resurrected Darth Maul as a half Zabrak Half machine hybrid with his upper torso mounted upon a spider-like machine lover half.
Shortly after the introduction of the resurrected Maul we are taken on a memory trail from his first memories of his training as a young child under a droid to being introduced to his Master Darth Sidious. Under Sidious, his training becomes intense and deadly with his life one of harsh training and cruel lessons as he is moulded in to the perfect killing machine and potential Sith apprentice.
Maul is forced to make the choice to be completely subservient to Sidious and do his bidding. This results in taking the lives of anyone or anything he becomes attached to.
During the story, we are informed of more of the Sith history and philosophies of the Sith and why they hate the Jedi so much.
Towards the end of his memories returning, we are taken through events of Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace.
The book concludes with Maul remembering much and paves the way for his return with the intent of exacting his revenge upon Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Jedi Order.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2025
This book is mostly plagiarized stories of Darth Maul taken from better authors. The result is a surprisingly good book from Ryder Wyndham, but it’s not really his. Only the prologue, the last chapter, and the epilogue take place after Episode I so I recommend reading it with the other Episode I novels during a chronological readthrough. 2.7 stars
February 1, 2025
It's very odd to say this about a scholastic book, especially considering the other books in this series (which were insightful and interesting, but recited too much from the movies) but this book is a masterpiece. It's brilliant in every sense of the word. Not only is it extremely well written and cleverly connects numerous stories together, but the concept itself is brilliant. It shouldn't really be possibly to feel pity for a character like Darth Maul, and still uphold the image the character has. Yet the author does so brilliantly, managing to tell a fantastic story while somehow making you emotional about an emotionless character.
Again, it's worth noting that this story stands apart from others in the series because it doesn't spend hardly any time rehashing events that have already been told. He uses other stories, (restraint, Jude watsons episode 1 journal, one of TCW episodes, and obviously the phantom menace) but really makes this story new and exciting without focusing on those even a fraction as much as the previously mentioned books do.
Again, it's worth noting that this story stands apart from others in the series because it doesn't spend hardly any time rehashing events that have already been told. He uses other stories, (restraint, Jude watsons episode 1 journal, one of TCW episodes, and obviously the phantom menace) but really makes this story new and exciting without focusing on those even a fraction as much as the previously mentioned books do.
January 28, 2025
What a great expansion to the character of darth maul. I do wish there was more detail and it felt like a lot of the scenes were rushed. The material was great I just feel like if the book was more detailed and twice as long I would have loved it.
July 31, 2017
The Wrath of Darth Maul by Ryder Windham tells the story of Darth Maul, a Sith first seen in Star Wars Episode I. This novel not only tells Maul's side of the story of the events that take place in The Phantom Menace, but it also gives us a backstory of what it was like for him growing up and being trained by Darth Sidious. I was truly surprised by this novel because I couldn't help but feel bad for Maul after seeing what he went through growing up.
June 9, 2022
No ha estado mal. Me ha gustado la posibilidad de ahondar un poco en Darth Maul antes de su primera aparición en The Phantom Menace, y sobre todo justo después; esos ratos, los que no aparecen en acción real, son los que más me han gustado. El problema es que la pelea entre Maul y Qui-Gon y Obi-Wan es tan épica, está tan bien hecha y es tan inolvidable, que ese momento del libro me ha parecido flojísimo, y ha hecho que me ponga a darle vueltas a otras partes y... no tan bien.
La historia está bien, pero Maul se siente más personaje cuando es un niño que cuando es un adulto. No sabría decir muy bien por qué, pero es mucho más complejo en Mustafar de pequeño que en la academia y en Coruscant de mayor, y aunque sé que Sam Witwer y Ray Park tienen sombras muy alargadas de las que es complicado salir, la primera aparición de cada uno de ellos tiene más carisma que Maul en muchas partes de este libro. Y me fastidia, sinceramente, porque Maul es muchas cosas, pero carismático está entre las más importantes, y no conseguir trasladar eso... Meh.
Lo que sí me ha parecido que se ha trasladado bien es lo muy lo peor que es Sidious: 10/10 a la representación de su maldad por cómo trata a Maul desde que era un crío y luego por desecharlo como si fuera un kleenex. Y, la verdad, pobre Maul: menuda vida de m, me extraña 0 que acabara siendo como acabó. Pero, precisamente por eso, no sé, creo que se merecía más y mejor desarrollo y que si el libro hubiera sido más largo y se hubiera detenido más en eso me habría gustado más.
La historia está bien, pero Maul se siente más personaje cuando es un niño que cuando es un adulto. No sabría decir muy bien por qué, pero es mucho más complejo en Mustafar de pequeño que en la academia y en Coruscant de mayor, y aunque sé que Sam Witwer y Ray Park tienen sombras muy alargadas de las que es complicado salir, la primera aparición de cada uno de ellos tiene más carisma que Maul en muchas partes de este libro. Y me fastidia, sinceramente, porque Maul es muchas cosas, pero carismático está entre las más importantes, y no conseguir trasladar eso... Meh.
Lo que sí me ha parecido que se ha trasladado bien es lo muy lo peor que es Sidious: 10/10 a la representación de su maldad por cómo trata a Maul desde que era un crío y luego por desecharlo como si fuera un kleenex. Y, la verdad, pobre Maul: menuda vida de m, me extraña 0 que acabara siendo como acabó. Pero, precisamente por eso, no sé, creo que se merecía más y mejor desarrollo y que si el libro hubiera sido más largo y se hubiera detenido más en eso me habría gustado más.
August 7, 2012
This is a really good book and reveals much detail about the life of our favorite Sith, but after the plot reaches the point where the films take over (specifically "The Phantom Menace") it was like Windham was trying to finish quickly to get it out to press. The author even states at the end of the book that most of his material came from other novelizations and screenplays. I felt that this was a very lazy effort on the part of the writer and could have been a much better book. I mean, we KNOW what happens to Maul in the films. I believe in strict continuity, but to throw rehashed plot points at us is kind of boring and silly.
December 5, 2016
The book tell you in depth the story behind Darth Maul and his life story. It also tells about the story behind the Sith.
December 5, 2024
He shoulda smashed
October 2, 2020
The Wrath of Darth Maul by Ryder Windham details the life of Darth Maul from when he was just a kid up to the point of his demise in the Phantom Menace. If you're looking to get a bit more background into this infamous Star Wars character and how he became to be how he is, look no further than The Wrath of Darth Maul. The book is just the right length, doesn't stray away from Darth Maul himself and written by someone who truly knows the Star Wars universe. The story reads and feels like it could hit the big screen and become a successful movie.
"You are different because you are stronger." - Darth Sidious
Just who is Darth Maul? Why does he have so much hatred and anger, especially towards the Jedi order? What is Darth Sidious role in turning Maul into who he was to become? All of these questions will be answered and then some. Although I admit that Maul's anger and hatred angle isn't all that original, it does make you feel for the guy. Just a bit. What's a bit more interesting to me is reading about Darth Sidious and his brutal methods of teaching young Maul from an early age. It seems that having to play the part of Senator Palpatine in public forces him to quell his inner anger when things don't go his way. He is only able to be his full self when training his apprentice.
"He will know fear. And I will make him hate me." - Darth Maul
A large portion of book goes about the life of Maul and this is to be expected and one of the main reasons why you are reading it in the first place. Towards the end, we journey with Maul and Sidious during the events of the Phantom Menace when the Neimodians erected the blockade and invasion of the planet Naboo. Finally, we get to see what Darth Maul's thoughts are during these events which we don't get to witness in the movie The Phantom Menace. Most interesting of all is of course when he fights with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi in one of the most memorable Star Wars fight scene. This later section alone makes it a must read for all the Star Wars geeks out there that must study every single detail and character in this diverse universe.
"You are different because you are stronger." - Darth Sidious
Just who is Darth Maul? Why does he have so much hatred and anger, especially towards the Jedi order? What is Darth Sidious role in turning Maul into who he was to become? All of these questions will be answered and then some. Although I admit that Maul's anger and hatred angle isn't all that original, it does make you feel for the guy. Just a bit. What's a bit more interesting to me is reading about Darth Sidious and his brutal methods of teaching young Maul from an early age. It seems that having to play the part of Senator Palpatine in public forces him to quell his inner anger when things don't go his way. He is only able to be his full self when training his apprentice.
"He will know fear. And I will make him hate me." - Darth Maul
A large portion of book goes about the life of Maul and this is to be expected and one of the main reasons why you are reading it in the first place. Towards the end, we journey with Maul and Sidious during the events of the Phantom Menace when the Neimodians erected the blockade and invasion of the planet Naboo. Finally, we get to see what Darth Maul's thoughts are during these events which we don't get to witness in the movie The Phantom Menace. Most interesting of all is of course when he fights with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi in one of the most memorable Star Wars fight scene. This later section alone makes it a must read for all the Star Wars geeks out there that must study every single detail and character in this diverse universe.
May 21, 2020
This book gave me major feels! I love Maul and reading more about his past broke my heart for him even more.
I also appreciated the attempt to stay true to both legends and new canon Canon.
What I didn’t love was the undefined timeline (maul goes from a toddler to a teenager and through the book I was totally confused when the growing up took place).
I also wish Maul’s loyalty to Sidious would have been explained more. After enduring all that he did, I don’t understand why he wouldn’t have wanted revenge or at least a new start somewhere else.
Overall, a decent Star Wars book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I also appreciated the attempt to stay true to both legends and new canon Canon.
What I didn’t love was the undefined timeline (maul goes from a toddler to a teenager and through the book I was totally confused when the growing up took place).
I also wish Maul’s loyalty to Sidious would have been explained more. After enduring all that he did, I don’t understand why he wouldn’t have wanted revenge or at least a new start somewhere else.
Overall, a decent Star Wars book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 25, 2018
When I watched The Phantom Menace I thought Darth Maul was so cool and scary looking! Like no joke I was kinda scared of him but after reading this I was just blown away. I really do love learning about characters pasts and reading on how Darth Maul became how he is was interesting and wow lol
August 11, 2020
I want to say this is the Journal of Dark Maul 2.0 but it's not by any meals better.
The book starts off like The Passion Of The Christ meets Star Wars. Just straight up child abuse and all you want to do is give little Maul a hug.
This book exists because of the retconning of Maul. So with that comes mentions from the book Darth Plagueis, his original Episode 1 Journal, and Star Wars The Clone Wars animated series. So come in having read those books 1st. Well, maybe you could skip his Episode 1 Journal if you aren't a completionist like me. I will say that this book even borrows dialogue directly from that his Journal, including my absolute favorite line when Maul bullies one of the Neimodians out of Amidala's bed chamber. What's not mentioned is his missions before the retcon, such as "Shadow Hunter" and his comic.
If you want to know of Maul's earliest of upbringings this is your book. However, it's all undone because Maul's most infamous mission is already heavily covered. It's his failure in Episode 1! Are we going to read about that again? Nothing new is added so it's a very redundant ending that makes me just want to move on already to the next era of Star Wars. Goodbye, Battle For Naboo. It was very fun, excellent. Except for a very small number of works, including this one.
The book starts off like The Passion Of The Christ meets Star Wars. Just straight up child abuse and all you want to do is give little Maul a hug.
This book exists because of the retconning of Maul. So with that comes mentions from the book Darth Plagueis, his original Episode 1 Journal, and Star Wars The Clone Wars animated series. So come in having read those books 1st. Well, maybe you could skip his Episode 1 Journal if you aren't a completionist like me. I will say that this book even borrows dialogue directly from that his Journal, including my absolute favorite line when Maul bullies one of the Neimodians out of Amidala's bed chamber. What's not mentioned is his missions before the retcon, such as "Shadow Hunter" and his comic.
If you want to know of Maul's earliest of upbringings this is your book. However, it's all undone because Maul's most infamous mission is already heavily covered. It's his failure in Episode 1! Are we going to read about that again? Nothing new is added so it's a very redundant ending that makes me just want to move on already to the next era of Star Wars. Goodbye, Battle For Naboo. It was very fun, excellent. Except for a very small number of works, including this one.
February 14, 2018
The Wrath of Darth Maul by Ryder Windham is a sci-fi book about the Star Wars character Darth Maul. I really enjoyed the book, it's beyond what I expected it to be. It shows how dark Maul's childhood was and what he went through in his training to become his master's apprentice. Before I read this book I hardly knew background information about Maul because all I saw of him was in the movie, Star Wars the Phantom Menace and the show, Star Wars the Clone Wars. That's what I really liked about the book because it starts with him being a child to him being a Man going on to the Phantom Menace and more.
The book also tells side stories of what Maul did. The story of his relationship with a droid whose purpose was to hurt him to make him stronger. The story of him looking at a reflection of a boy who looked like him and how free that boy was. The story of him at Orsis academy, the nightsisters, and finally the pirates. To me, the one thing the booked lacked was more information about his training at Orsis academy but hey, nothing is perfect. The author even gives you other references if you want to know more about Orsis academy which I think is awesome.
Another thing I have to say is this book is extremely Dark, but hey it just shows, the power of the Dark Side. There are constant scenes of Maul doing disturbing Stuff. 1. is him drawing a window in his own blood. 2. him massacring a school and 3. his embracing of killing a Jedi. These 3 are just bits and pieces of how dark he got. It shows how badly he wanted something and how far he would go to get what he wanted or to please his master.
Another good thing the book talks about is his relationship with his master. His master would treat him good or bad depending on how well or how long Maul did something. If Maul would mess up on a dangerous exercise he would be told to do it again. It got so bad that when Maul finished his warmups he had so many broken ribs. Maul's master demanded perfection and that's what he got. Maul's master loved irritating Maul. Always saying how terrible Maul was doing in his training.
The only thing I have to say this book lacks is more information. 1 like I said earlier being Orsis. I think there is a little lack of information on his childhood.It starts off with Maul automatically being in Mustafar but we don't know how he got there since his birthplace is Darthomir. I get this is not a huge book, but you would think he could have added him being born as a chapter and how he got kidnapped.
The ending was predictable only because the movie came out way before the book so if you saw the Phantom Menace you know what happens to him. But I did not expect him to cover what happens after the Phantom Menace.I think its cool tha.t Windham did that because the Clone Wars is a tv show, so you wouldn't expect him to talk about it in this book. If you watch the episode of Darth Maul you hear him say a poem, which is the poem in the book so that is also really neat.
After reading the whole book you just feel sorry for Darth Maul. You feel so bad about how bad he was treated as a boy and how he was raised. How much hate and rage he has towards the Jedi not knowing what good they have done towards the galaxy. Maul is described as an animal and not a person which is just depressing. It makes you wonder what would have happened if the Jedi would have discovered him first and not the sith lord he calls master and what good he could have done. It also makes you wonder what would have happened if he was raised by his keen and the nightsisters.There are so many questions you just want to be answered.
I would strongly recommend this to any Star Wars fan that wants to know more about Darth Maul.
If you love Star Wars or Just a fan of Sci-Fi in general then you need to read this book right now.
I plan on reading more books by Ryder Windham because of this book. Even though Windham didn't have all the information of Maul he still encourages he readers to read other star wars books to know a lot more on the subject.All being said I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.
The book also tells side stories of what Maul did. The story of his relationship with a droid whose purpose was to hurt him to make him stronger. The story of him looking at a reflection of a boy who looked like him and how free that boy was. The story of him at Orsis academy, the nightsisters, and finally the pirates. To me, the one thing the booked lacked was more information about his training at Orsis academy but hey, nothing is perfect. The author even gives you other references if you want to know more about Orsis academy which I think is awesome.
Another thing I have to say is this book is extremely Dark, but hey it just shows, the power of the Dark Side. There are constant scenes of Maul doing disturbing Stuff. 1. is him drawing a window in his own blood. 2. him massacring a school and 3. his embracing of killing a Jedi. These 3 are just bits and pieces of how dark he got. It shows how badly he wanted something and how far he would go to get what he wanted or to please his master.
Another good thing the book talks about is his relationship with his master. His master would treat him good or bad depending on how well or how long Maul did something. If Maul would mess up on a dangerous exercise he would be told to do it again. It got so bad that when Maul finished his warmups he had so many broken ribs. Maul's master demanded perfection and that's what he got. Maul's master loved irritating Maul. Always saying how terrible Maul was doing in his training.
The only thing I have to say this book lacks is more information. 1 like I said earlier being Orsis. I think there is a little lack of information on his childhood.It starts off with Maul automatically being in Mustafar but we don't know how he got there since his birthplace is Darthomir. I get this is not a huge book, but you would think he could have added him being born as a chapter and how he got kidnapped.
The ending was predictable only because the movie came out way before the book so if you saw the Phantom Menace you know what happens to him. But I did not expect him to cover what happens after the Phantom Menace.I think its cool tha.t Windham did that because the Clone Wars is a tv show, so you wouldn't expect him to talk about it in this book. If you watch the episode of Darth Maul you hear him say a poem, which is the poem in the book so that is also really neat.
After reading the whole book you just feel sorry for Darth Maul. You feel so bad about how bad he was treated as a boy and how he was raised. How much hate and rage he has towards the Jedi not knowing what good they have done towards the galaxy. Maul is described as an animal and not a person which is just depressing. It makes you wonder what would have happened if the Jedi would have discovered him first and not the sith lord he calls master and what good he could have done. It also makes you wonder what would have happened if he was raised by his keen and the nightsisters.There are so many questions you just want to be answered.
I would strongly recommend this to any Star Wars fan that wants to know more about Darth Maul.
If you love Star Wars or Just a fan of Sci-Fi in general then you need to read this book right now.
I plan on reading more books by Ryder Windham because of this book. Even though Windham didn't have all the information of Maul he still encourages he readers to read other star wars books to know a lot more on the subject.All being said I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.
December 31, 2017
I don't know where this book came from and how it got on my kindle, but it just happened to be sitting on my digital bookshelf, and since it's the end of the year (2017), the book was relatively short, and I'm striving to read as many books as possible before the clock strikes 12 am later, I figured I'd give it a shot.
I'll admit that The Wrath of Darth Maul ended up being way better than I had originally anticipated. Though it's definitely geared more towards younger readers, and Windham's writing isn't exactly great, I still enjoyed this book. Like most fans of Star Wars I felt Maul never got his fair share of story and his treatment throughout The Phantom Menace was just cruel. Windham does a great job explaining why and how Darth Maul became who he was and in doing so, actually makes you feel a bit sorry for the Zabrack Sith. Plus, Windham keeps the entire Sith continuity going strong, with references to Revan, and Bane's infamous "Rule of Two". Not many YA novels are this in depth or this well researched so major props to the author there.
Overall, I'd say that The Wrath of Darth Maul surprised me. I went in, expecting some cheap, badly written YA novel to grab a couple of bucks and ended up actually liking it. Yes, there are better novels in the Star Wars legends line, but there are definitely far, far worse.
I'll admit that The Wrath of Darth Maul ended up being way better than I had originally anticipated. Though it's definitely geared more towards younger readers, and Windham's writing isn't exactly great, I still enjoyed this book. Like most fans of Star Wars I felt Maul never got his fair share of story and his treatment throughout The Phantom Menace was just cruel. Windham does a great job explaining why and how Darth Maul became who he was and in doing so, actually makes you feel a bit sorry for the Zabrack Sith. Plus, Windham keeps the entire Sith continuity going strong, with references to Revan, and Bane's infamous "Rule of Two". Not many YA novels are this in depth or this well researched so major props to the author there.
Overall, I'd say that The Wrath of Darth Maul surprised me. I went in, expecting some cheap, badly written YA novel to grab a couple of bucks and ended up actually liking it. Yes, there are better novels in the Star Wars legends line, but there are definitely far, far worse.
August 6, 2020
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this book wasn't as childish as I feared it would be. I was very close to skipping it on my EU read through, and I'm happy I didn't. The plot certainly isn't mind blowing and is pretty standard for the coming of age / protege being trained by his master storyline. I just enjoyed it because it was Darth Maul. Even with the other sources that provide a little of his backstory, it seemed criminal to me that we didn't have a complete origin story for him.
I sympathize with the author on what he had to do once the events caught up with Episode I. I agree with some of the other reviewers that it really feels rushed once you get to this point and it is mostly just like reading portions of the script.
There are two things I thought Windham messed up.
1.
2.
I'm definitely not sad that I read it and I'll be including it next time I decide to read the EU.
I sympathize with the author on what he had to do once the events caught up with Episode I. I agree with some of the other reviewers that it really feels rushed once you get to this point and it is mostly just like reading portions of the script.
There are two things I thought Windham messed up.
1.
2.
I'm definitely not sad that I read it and I'll be including it next time I decide to read the EU.
June 22, 2017
Darth Maul is Shooting star through the Star Wars universe, like Boba Fett in the original who only had about 10 min screen time through the original trilogy but everyone wanted to know more about him so he took on a life of his own through comics, books and later movies. However back to the book.
This book is written through the point of view where the author is trying to build sympathy for Darth Maul, and is written as a diary account of Maul. Unlike the Jedi who train children in the formative years so they cannot form attachments outside the order (a system Luke Skywalker scrapped in his New Jedi Order), the Sith take their apprentices older from the dis-satisfied to the ambitious and greedy. Maul is the exception to this rule he was given to Sidious ad a baby read Star Wars: Darth Plagueis . He was trained/tortured and conditioned to be the perfect soldier/assassin.
This book is excellently researched and fits nicely into the Star Wars Universe. It is an excellent companion to Star Wars: Darth Plagueis and Star Wars Clone Wars - Season 3 [DVD] and forth coming season 4. Another parallel Maul and Boba Fett have in common is that they both refuse to die. George Lucas said at the end of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace [DVD] [1999] the reason he had Darth Maul's body separate was to show people he was dead and not coming back. Well he is but how? We have to wait till season 4 of clone wars to find out.
This book is written through the point of view where the author is trying to build sympathy for Darth Maul, and is written as a diary account of Maul. Unlike the Jedi who train children in the formative years so they cannot form attachments outside the order (a system Luke Skywalker scrapped in his New Jedi Order), the Sith take their apprentices older from the dis-satisfied to the ambitious and greedy. Maul is the exception to this rule he was given to Sidious ad a baby read Star Wars: Darth Plagueis . He was trained/tortured and conditioned to be the perfect soldier/assassin.
This book is excellently researched and fits nicely into the Star Wars Universe. It is an excellent companion to Star Wars: Darth Plagueis and Star Wars Clone Wars - Season 3 [DVD] and forth coming season 4. Another parallel Maul and Boba Fett have in common is that they both refuse to die. George Lucas said at the end of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace [DVD] [1999] the reason he had Darth Maul's body separate was to show people he was dead and not coming back. Well he is but how? We have to wait till season 4 of clone wars to find out.
January 7, 2021
I'm already a huge fan of Darth Maul and this book just cemented that love. Mr. Windham did a fantastic job of giving a well written background/childhood on one of the most amazing dark side force users. New information was given while keeping everything fun and interesting for the reader. You still had the same characters you're used too being referenced but more information was revealed. In particular I enjoyed reading about Maul and his master. The emotion that the author wrote into the characters had me feeling hatred just like Maul did. I could honestly sympathize with him because of all the garbage he had been through for his entire life. I loved the writing style that the author used and immediately upon finishing the book wanted to start reading more of the Star Wars legends novels written by him.
My only real disappointment was in the fact that that I was hoping the book would have been more focused on Maul's life after the events of 'The Phantom Menace'. While I enjoyed reading about his childhood and how he was molded towards the dark side and all of his training, I truly just wanted to know what happened to my favorite Sith after the almighty chop happened and how he survived on hatred and anger alone. If anyone knows of any books focused on Maul and that portion of this life please comment it below so I may check it out! This is definitely worth the read for any lovers of Star Wars looking to add a little more knowledge.
My only real disappointment was in the fact that that I was hoping the book would have been more focused on Maul's life after the events of 'The Phantom Menace'. While I enjoyed reading about his childhood and how he was molded towards the dark side and all of his training, I truly just wanted to know what happened to my favorite Sith after the almighty chop happened and how he survived on hatred and anger alone. If anyone knows of any books focused on Maul and that portion of this life please comment it below so I may check it out! This is definitely worth the read for any lovers of Star Wars looking to add a little more knowledge.
February 10, 2017
The story is about Darth Maul. The book tells you how Darth Maul gets his lightsabre and how he trains. At the begging he is a young Zebrak who lives on Mustifar. he went through intense training
broke arms and ribs he had to go to a planet with 100 of spy droids where he was attacked every second. After all of his training he goes to a planet called Nabo0 and fights two jedi named qui gon jin and obi wan kenobi. will they win? I recommend this book to people who wasn't to know how Darth Maul got his lightsabor and his other missions. It tells you what happened before the Phantoms Menace.
broke arms and ribs he had to go to a planet with 100 of spy droids where he was attacked every second. After all of his training he goes to a planet called Nabo0 and fights two jedi named qui gon jin and obi wan kenobi. will they win? I recommend this book to people who wasn't to know how Darth Maul got his lightsabor and his other missions. It tells you what happened before the Phantoms Menace.
March 18, 2015
Finally we get to see more of the origin behind the infamous Sith Lord, Darth Maul. The story mainly focuses on the childhood and the training of Darth Maul, but we also get to get his perspective in the events from “The Phantom Menace." What I love the most about the story was how characters and events from the iconic TV Show Star Wars: The Clone Wars were taken and incorporated into Maul’s history. The other thing I liked I stated before, Maul’s perspective in The Phantom Menace. Though his entire history wasn’t included in the novel, we get to learn a lot more about him. I didn’t have any complaints about this one. It was well written beginning to end. I hope to see more Darth Maul novels and stories as good as this one in the future. I would recommend this book to anyone that like Star Wars and knows a good amount about the characters and the movie. I give this book a five out of five stars.
January 18, 2012
This was a fascinating exploration of a character that many felt was rather one-note upon his introduction. Mr. Windham has done a great job culling old material that originally surfaced back in 1999 in the tie-in fiction marketing blitz surrounding "The Phantom Menace"'s release and incorporating it into the new things we've learned about Maul in recent months thanks to The Clone Wars animated series and James Luceno's Darth Plagueis (and two related short stories). Mr. Windham paints a touching portrait of a brutal killer who sacrificed everything for a Master (Palpatine) he wasn't aware was only using him to further his own agenda. Maul is equal parts loathsome and tragic and this book is a must-read for old and new fans alike in preparation for the 3D re-release of "The Phantom Menace".
January 22, 2012
This book was definitely written for kids. If you are reading it to find out information on how Darth Maul survived then all the have to read is the prologue and the final chapter and epilogue. Overall it is an enjoyable read and sheds light on the childhood and training of Darth Maul.
April 18, 2012
While this is meant for a younger audience, Windham successfully gets the reader to see that Maul has had a tortured life. He didn't start out as a hate-filled killer, though. This book is perfect for anyone who likes Darth Maul, or for anyone who has a thing for the EU of Star Wars. Great read!
March 27, 2013
I loved this book PLEASE TAKE A LOOK. It really goes into detail on Maul`s training and his undercover ops missions for Lord Sidious. READ
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