Star Wars: Cloak of Deception

​Star Wars: Cloak of Deception
by James Luceno
Published in May 2001
342 Pages
Thibault’s Score: 4/5


Cloak of Deception is a novel that takes place roughly a year before the Phantom Menace (Star Wars Episode 1). The novel covers the behind-the-scene political machinations that threatened the Galactic Republic, and eventually culminated in the Trade Federation siege of Naboo.


Roughly half of the book covers the political intrigue over taxation and trade policy. As a professional in the real world SEZ industry, I found it very entertaining to real about these issues as they pertained to the Star Wars universe. I will definitely read James Luceno’s other books in the Star Wars universe.


As a teenager, I read a lot of Star Wars fan fiction, and greatly enjoyed a lot of it. In the last year, I picked up two books, only to be disappointed. This book has restored my faith in the genre. It is a must read for any neckbeards out there.