Publishing Information: Kindle
Publisher: Random House; 10 January 2012
ISBN: 978-0345511294
ASIN: B0051ANRMW
Series: Pre movie prequel
Copy: Out of pocket
Reviewer: Tyson
Amazon
Synopsis: "He was the most powerful Sith lord who ever lived.
But could he be the only one who never died?
“Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? It’s a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise that he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life. He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying.”
—Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
Darth Plagueis: one of the most brilliant Sith Lords who ever lived. Possessing power is all he desires. Losing it is the only thing he fears. As an apprentice, he embraces the ruthless ways of the Sith. And when the time is right, he destroys his Master—but vows never to suffer the same fate. For like no other disciple of the dark side, Darth Plagueis learns to command the ultimate power . . . over life and death.
Darth Sidious: Plagueis’s chosen apprentice. Under the guidance of his Master, he secretly studies the ways of the Sith, while publicly rising to power in the galactic government, first as Senator, then as Chancellor, and eventually as Emperor.
Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious, Master and acolyte, target the galaxy for domination—and the Jedi Order for annihilation. But can they defy the merciless Sith tradition? Or will the desire of one to rule supreme, and the dream of the other to live forever, sow the seeds of their destruction?"
As a fan of the original trilogy, not so much the new prequel trilogy, I still find myself wanting to put all the pieces together. How did the Sith come to beat the Jedi, and how the "Rule of Two" played apart in their rise to control the universe. Darth Plagueis attempts to answer those questions and fill in the gaps that lead to the Episode I: The Phantom Menece.
Lucerno does a great job of writing a very tight novel that ties up a lot of loose ends that fans of the series will be happy to see things come full circle. Darth Plagueis, The Wise, is a compelling read that came about through a short dialogue between Anakin Skywalker and Senator Palpatine in Episode III.
The novel opens with Plagueis as the apprentice and his Master, Darth Tenebrous on a planet that could change the course of history and place the Sith in a position to finally destroy the Jedi for good. Tenebrous learns too late that Plagueis plans to kill him and take his place as the Sith Master.
Plagueis takes his time finding an apprentice believing that the force will show him in due time. Instead he spends his time planning the Jedi's downfall. His alter-ego, Hego Damask, a powerful Magister in the Munn Intergalactic Banking Clan. Using his vast wealth, he manipulates the galaxy by providing financing for endeavors stretching from unground spice rackets to providing funding for mid-rim political runs. He has his fingers in just about every pie and he deftly runs things from the shadows in order to navigate things towards his ultimate goal, destroying the Jedi.
Darth Plagueis was not what I had expected. The book contained several plots that are tied up in the movies and did a great job of showing just how the clans and various companies truly run the galaxy before the events in the movies. Something that Lucas failed to show. Fans of political thrillers should also enjoy all of the strings being pulled behind the scenes.
While this is a book telling the story of Darth Plagueis, we also gain a lot of background on Senator Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious. The novel tells his history as a minor political figure on Naboo to his rise as Supreme Chancellor in the Galactic Senate. The partnership that Plagueis and Sidious have is fascinating and does a great job of showing how the two lords work in concert with one another to bring about the ultimate goal. For me that was the highlight of the story. I have never seen the dynamic in which the Sith work together. The movies never really did the Rule of Two any justice and in Darth Plagueis, we finally get to see how the Sith work together and how the relationship is developed and nurtured. The Darth Bane trilogy gave us the Rule of Two, Darth Plagueis shows us how it is developed, nurtured, and put into action.
Darth Plagueis has a lot to offer readers. There are a few cameos that anyone familiar with the mythos of Star Wars will appreciate. Anyone just getting started might not recognize every player, but the way in which they are handled shouldn't ruin or distract from the overall plot. The cameos just enrich the story.
My one complaint is the breather. Not sure why every other Sith Lord has an issue with their respiratory system but Plagueis is required to wear a breather later on in the book and it gets rather tiring to see the same trope over and over. There could have been any number of ailments that befell him and it just seemed lazy to use this one, again.
Darth Plagueis is a great book that really is the prequel to the prequel movies. Answering a lot of questions and helping to make the prequel movies feel more complete, something that is certainly needs. I recommend Darth Plagueis to anyone who is a fan of the movies and wants a more complete picture and for anyone who is looking for more information regarding the Sith. Recommended.
Overall 8/10
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