WARNING: The following review contains several spoilers for the novel in question.
StarCraft: Shadow Hunters is the recently released 2nd book in the Dark Templar Trilogy that has been confirmed to tie-in to the events of StarCraft II. The book picks up immediately where the first book, Firstborn, ended, with the rogue archeologist Jake Ramsey and the mercenary Rosemary Dahl escaping from the Dominion due to the Protoss Zamara – a Protoss Preserver possessing the memories of every dead Protoss – forcing her consciousness into Jake’s mind.
Many familiar characters appear in the book, including Fenix, Raynor, Mengsk and Kerrigan. New characters return, including the Heir Apparent of the Dominion, Valerian Mengsk, the above-mentioned protagonists, and new characters are introduced. Among them is Ladranix, a Templar who fought alongside Raynor and Fenix during the evacuation of Aiur, and also returning is the malevolent Ulrezaj of Enslavers infamy, a Dark Archon composed of seven of the most powerful and deadly Dark Templar assassins ever known.
The book continues the events of book one, with Zamara relentlessly pursuing her mysterious mission by returning to Aiur to explore the caverns in which Khas and his apprentice, Temlaa, discovered the Khaydarin Crystals in thousands of years before. However, this trip is not without benefit for Jake, as his own life is in danger and can only be saved with technology found in the caverns.
Upon arriving on Aiur, they meet the Protoss survivors, led by Ladranix, and learn that other Protoss have rejected the Khala and taken refuge in the caverns, ignoring the age-old Conclave edict that the caverns are sacred and are not to be entered. This second group is in service of Ulrezaj due to his possession of the Sundrop, a powerful topical cream that is a literal drug, giving the Protoss a euphoric high with severe withdrawal symptoms when applied to the skin, although unbeknownst to all but Ulrezaj, using the Sundrop denies the user access to the Khala. Despite being able to sway dozens of Protoss to his cause using the Sundrop, Ulrezaj’s motives are still shrouded, although he is clearly using some sort of technology he has found in the caverns.
As the Protoss survivors plan a way to get Zamara into the caverns, Jake is subjected to more memories, the ones of Adun, recently appointed Executor of the Templar. When Raszagal is brought before him by the Conclave, he is ordered to kill her and all of the other Dark Templar. However, Adun finds Raszagal’s desires are not without merit, and spares the Dark Templar. However, the Conclave’s drive to exterminate the rogues escalates, and Adun is unable to hide them any longer. This leads to what could be the undoing of the species in a battle between the Conclave and the Dark Templar. Fortunately, through Adun’s intervention they are able to escape in a Xel’Naga ship. Jake experiences all of these memories through the eyes of Vetraas, Adun’s friend and comrade. The dogmatic leader of the Conclave, Kortanul, who is reminiscent of Aldaris in his blind zealousness, orchestrates the entire situation.
However, during this, Valerian scrapes together a rogue fleet commanded by Devon Starke, a former Ghost under Valerian’s personal employ and one of the Terrans that experienced the idyllic joining of minds that concluded Firstborn. With the Heir Apparent’s fleet racing towards Aiur, Kerrigan also sends her minion. After attacking Dead Man’s Rock, Kerrigan retrieves and infests Rosemary’s lover Ethan Stewart, and he is reborn as a powerful Infested Terran with four arms, great strength, great intelligence, and also a deep love and loyalty to Kerrigan. However, despite his power, Kerrigan quickly squashes any hopes he may harbor of challenging her, and after a display of psionic might that Ethan lacks, he affirms his absolute loyalty to her and only her. Here for your reading pleasure in an excerpt of Ethan's rebirth.
Quote:
Kerrigan smiled. Everything about him pleased her, from the color of his skin, a browner green than her grey-green; to the shape of his body, fit and toned; to the limbs that did not challenge her own graceful bone-winged but complimented them. Beautiful...he was beautiful. She has chosen well, and had manipulated his genetic redesign masterfully. He opened his eyes, a glowing green hue, and looked down at his new form. She watched, her smile widening, as her child-consort beheld himself. He ran his fingers along his sleek, hard skin, turned his head to examine the new blades protruding from his sides, and stepped free of the cocoon."You-you are the one who has done this?" It was a statement, not a question.
"I am," she said, her own voice reverberating and strong and changed by her own transformation. "I am Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades. I have made you to serve me and be my companion."
After a successful foray into the caverns, Zamara acquires a powerful, pure shard of Khaydarin and plots to repair the damaged Warp Gate in the ruins Raynor’s base as a means to travel to Shakuras. With the reformed followers of Ulrezaj to assist them, the refugees escape to the gate, only to be met with Ethan’s Zerg, Valerian’s fleet, and eventually, Ulrezaj himself. After an epic battle between the four sides, the Protoss, Jake and Rosemary narrowly escape to Shakuras, leaving the fate of their enemies on Aiur a mystery.
Beyond the very enjoyable memories of Adun, clear groundwork for StarCraft II is set. The successful infestation of Ethan confirms what many previous novels have hinted, that if he is to be the first of many in a line of advanced Infested Terrans, then Kerrigan will indeed be a mighty force with such soldiers leading her former broods as her generals. Ulrezaj is also a villain if there ever was one, described as an Archon of pure dark energy with enough psionic power to kill a dozen Mutalisks in one psychic blast, and he effortlessly slaughters dozens of Zerg, Protoss and Terrans alike in his final attack. Both Ethan and Ulrezaj are devastated by a massive psionic storm from the combined powers of the Protoss at the end of the novel, but neither of them is confirmed dead and will likely return.
Also appealing is the return of classic characters fans know and identify with. Arcturus Mengsk returns and has changed little since StarCraft. Not even trusting his own son to not betray him, Mengsk’s brief appearance nonetheless conveys his character perfectly as ever: ruthless, intelligent and not afraid to utilize either quality to get what he wants. To this end, Valerian has his own agenda and deliberately keeps Jake’s powers secret from his father with the hopes of exploiting them for his own means. Raynor and Fenix are also shown during flashbacks of the evacuation of Aiur. But Kerrigan appears more often, and her motives are still shrouded in mystery. But at last she is given an equal in Ethan, and his thinly veiled, if obligatory, love for her clearly pleases her, as does his intelligence and loyalty.
Overall, the book is a fantastic read, and a must-have for any StarCraft fan. The book expertly weaves the events of StarCraft into the upcoming sequel and its related events as well as the universe’s history while filling in the four-year gap after the conclusion of the Brood War. The characters are enjoyable, the plot fantastic, and I eagerly await the conclusion in the upcoming third and final book, Twilight.
