Darth Plagueis

Star Wars books are a dime-a-dozen nowadays, so it takes something unique to stand out in the overwhelmingly mediocre crowd. Darth Plagueis, by James Luceno, is one that has the potential to do just that. Detailing Palpatine's apprentice-ship, and revealing more about his Master, Darth Plagueis that he told Anakin about, the novel veers into new territory for the Star Wars series.

Synopsis for Darth Plagueis:

"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.”

show more

—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?

For the most part, the novel is well-written, weaving disparate story-lines together, while keeping the reader entertained. The locations are well-defined, and we're introduced to a few planets we've only ever heard about. There's no over-abundance of specific words or phrases--in other words, nothing to be annoyed by.

The characters are equally well-thought out. Plagueis is sinister and cunning, while Sidious spends the novel coming into his own. Darth Maul receives a much more fleshed-out background, which should make fans of the fearsome lightsaber handler excited--at last, an origin story for him! Many of the major characters make appearances, including Qui-Gon Jinn, Count Dooku, Anakin and Obi-Wan, who all play their parts convincingly.

Dialogue in the novel is typical Star Wars fare, though delving much more deeply into the political and financial than most Star Wars novels are known for. Luceno does an excellent job of preventing overlap of this book and the events in the prequel films. Though some of the book takes place simultaneously, readers are treated to new scenes and situations not covered in the movies.

The thought of the origin story of Darth Plagueis and Palpatine is a heady one, and Darth Plagueis delivers on some of the promise that it proposes. Unfortuately, it also falls flat in some respects. The plotting and scheming of both Plagueis and Sidious reveal just how long events had been building up to ensure the downfall of the Republic, but Sidious is revealed as much less of a mastermind than we had ever previously considered. Palpatine always seemed such an evil, despicable figure, but Darth Plagueis lessens much of those conceptions. He is revealed to have been a fairly ordinary young man, with an strong connection to the Force. But rather than be malevolent from the very beginning, he is turned toward the Dark Side (and fairly easily, at that), and takes a secondary role in the culmination of the revenge of the Sith--at least until the end. Still, this sheds new light on the characters, and will cause new insight into the saga fans know so well.

The sheer intensity of reading about the discovery and training of Darth Sidious by Darth Plagueis is fascinating to read, and one that most fans will enjoy. It's a much better novel than the typical Star Wars book, though it doesn't quite fulfill it's promise. Still, Darth Plagueis is practically required reading for any fan of the saga. show less

Fantastic lead-up to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. When this book was first released I read it within a matter of days and have since been reading it again to re-live the intriguing story of Darth Plagueis the wise. I was really impressed with how well James Luceno incorporated material and cannon from previous books on the Sith (particularly the Darth Bane series) in order to give you a sense of continuity in the initial plan set in motion by Darth Bane himself.

The intelligent writing and knowledge that Luceno has on the galaxy as a whole helps this novel have a real Star Wars 'feel' about it, where others before and after it have failed to capture that atmosphere. At times the book can be a little slow, and you may find yourself show more thinking, if only slightly, "Where is this going?", but ultimately it is all relevant in some way. The details matter a lot for me in this book and it does a fantastic job of tying up loose ends here and there in the periods set before and around the first three movies. show less

Star Wars books are a dime-a-dozen nowadays, so it takes something unique to stand out in the overwhelmingly mediocre crowd. Darth Plagueis, by James Luceno, is one that has the potential to do just that. Detailing Palpatine's apprentice-ship, and revealing more about his Master, Darth Plagueis that he told Anakin about, the novel veers into new territory for the Star Wars series.

Synopsis for Darth Plagueis:

"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.”

show more

—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?

For the most part, the novel is well-written, weaving disparate story-lines together, while keeping the reader entertained. The locations are well-defined, and we're introduced to a few planets we've only ever heard about. There's no over-abundance of specific words or phrases--in other words, nothing to be annoyed by.

The characters are equally well-thought out. Plagueis is sinister and cunning, while Sidious spends the novel coming into his own. Darth Maul receives a much more fleshed-out background, which should make fans of the fearsome lightsaber handler excited--at last, an origin story for him! Many of the major characters make appearances, including Qui-Gon Jinn, Count Dooku, Anakin and Obi-Wan, who all play their parts convincingly.

Dialogue in the novel is typical Star Wars fare, though delving much more deeply into the political and financial than most Star Wars novels are known for. Luceno does an excellent job of preventing overlap of this book and the events in the prequel films. Though some of the book takes place simultaneously, readers are treated to new scenes and situations not covered in the movies.

The thought of the origin story of Darth Plagueis and Palpatine is a heady one, and Darth Plagueis delivers on some of the promise that it proposes. Unfortuately, it also falls flat in some respects. The plotting and scheming of both Plagueis and Sidious reveal just how long events had been building up to ensure the downfall of the Republic, but Sidious is revealed as much less of a mastermind than we had ever previously considered. Palpatine always seemed such an evil, despicable figure, but Darth Plagueis lessens much of those conceptions. He is revealed to have been a fairly ordinary young man, with an strong connection to the Force. But rather than be malevolent from the very beginning, he is turned toward the Dark Side (and fairly easily, at that), and takes a secondary role in the culmination of the revenge of the Sith--at least until the end. Still, this sheds new light on the characters, and will cause new insight into the saga fans know so well.

The sheer intensity of reading about the discovery and training of Darth Sidious by Darth Plagueis is fascinating to read, and one that most fans will enjoy. It's a much better novel than the typical Star Wars book, though it doesn't quite fulfill it's promise. Still, Darth Plagueis is practically required reading for any fan of the saga. show less

There will be two schools of thought on Darth Plagueis. I haven't yet decided into which camp I fall.

There will be those who believe that the Sith – those who embrace the Dark Side of the Force – should be warriors, or at least something more than a sniveling businessman or politician who aims to control the known galaxy from his office. Those people will not like this book. They will be continually frustrated by Darth Plagueis and his pupil Darth Sidious as they play political games and barely lift a lightsaber between them. Even the best parts of Sith mythology – the Force lightning, the double-bladed lightsaber – only just eke out a mention. And I just can't see such a powerful figure allowing a puppy-dog-like droid to follow show more him around, which does happen here.

Those who get more out of the book will be impressed with author James Luceno's ability to take the events of The Phantom Menace and its two sequels and posit a reasonable (if slightly boring) beginning to the story. It's actually pretty impressive to see him connect the dozens of threads between the Trade Federation, the families that wound up in the Empire (watch for a name drop of Wilhuff -- Grand Moff -- Tarkin, for example), the clone army, the defection of Count Dooku, and so many more.

Even with his hands tied to a particular ending, Luceno generally spends more of the book with Palpatine instead of Plagueis. Prior to this book, the only canonical mention of Plagueis was the brief statement in Revenge of the Sith: ("Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? [He] was a Dark Lord of the Sith so powerful and wise, 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.") In fact, Plagueis disappears from the story to work on his scientific studies, allowing his pupil to become the main character.

But to get the most out of this book, you really need to be comfortable with the Star Wars universe. Luceno throws out dozens of species names (Yinchorrians, Muuns, Kimoians, Zabraks), and then often refers to a character by his (and it's always "his" except for very brief moments with Queen Amidala) race instead of by his name. It's a little confusing sometimes but there's no point where this is absolutely critical to the plot.

Ultimately, then, the amount of pleasure you get out of this book will likely depend on what you want from a Star Wars book. If you want the space battles, lightsaber duels, and sometimes corny space opera, you should find a different book. But if you just want to submerse yourself into the Star Wars universe again, and the plot of the prequel movies didn't bore you to tears, then you'll find a lot of enjoyment out of Darth Plagueis.

[Early Reviewer book]

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LT Haiku(s)!

Sith Darth Sidious:
More the main guy in book of
Darth Plagueis the Wise.

"Always two there are"
Is Sith teaching, except when
The plot needs one more. show less

I haven't read all of the Star Wars EU--far from it--but of those that I have read, this ranks near the top. Luceno has before him the task of making the Sith the protagonists of this novel--the necessity accompanying that being that he has to flesh them out and make them more than merely one-dimensional characters. To his credit, he does this extremely well. Plagueis himself does not come off as "evil," per se, more coldly logical--he is a researcher in the arcane aspects of the Force.

The book is as much about Palpatine and his acquisition of the mantle of Sith Lord as it is about Plagueis, and Luceno here again does a marvelous job of making Palpatine seem real; if not exactly a sympathetic character, the reader does certainly at show more times root for him.

But the novel's greatest accomplishment, in my mind, is that it makes sense of the chaotic and half-expressed politics and machinations behind the Prequel trilogy, explaining exactly what the "taxation of the trade routes" mentioned in Episode 1's opening crawl is about, and how we got there; it explores Naboo's political past, the role of the Banking Clan in galactic politics, and the decadence at the heart of Coruscant which allows for (necessitates, even) the change in government personified by Palpatine. This creates a coherent backstory which makes sense and doesn't contradict anything in the prequels--no mean feat.

I'm not a huge prequel fan, but I really enjoyed the book--for those who are, it's probably an even bigger treat.

Recommended for any Star Wars fan. show less

2.5 stars.

Flowery prose, often incoherent attempts at philosophy, and sloppy plots that fall into place simply because the story demands them to (e.g., the creation of the clone army), along with an utter lack of female characters who act as anything but set dressing—

This is the first Star Wars book that made me feel like I was intruding on a very old-school boys' club.

I liked Plagueis. He’s exactly the kind of Sith Lord I’d love to see more of, and I enjoyed reading about both his political machinations and his relentless pursuit of knowledge—but that’s about it, sadly. A large part of the book focused on Palpatine. By contrast, Palpatine comes across as an awfully generic, petty, angry young man, with little initiative or show more captivating ambition of his own beyond a vague desire to rule and impose his will on others. Despite him being, in many ways, the original template, he turned out to be an utterly uncompelling character who may as well not have been a Sith, as surprisingly irrelevant as it ended up being to his arc, to be honest. Though it is admittedly very fitting for him, as an icon of fascism, to be so ideologically devoid of any substance. show less

Darth Plagueis was mentioned in a parable in Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith told by Chancellor Palpatine. Though not directly stated, it was implied that Plagueis was actually Palpatine's own Sith master, killed by his apprentice. In the wake of Episode III, a Plagueis novel by Luceno was announced-- and then cancelled. I was thankful for this, because I had my doubts that any novel about young Palpatine and his master could be as cool as my imagination.

Well, it was uncancelled, and here it is. Darth Plagueis begins with the death of Plagueis's own Sith master, and covers the next several decades, as Plagueis recruits an apprentice and plots the downfall of the Republic and the Jedi. Palpatine is recruited to be Darth show more Sidious fairly early in the book, and it moves between the perspectives of the two Sith as they both learn about being a Sith Lord and manipulate galactic affairs.

Maybe I was set up for it by my own biases, but I was disappointed. Some of it is definitely Luceno making choices that I wouldn't make. According to this take on events, Plagueis is active well beyond the point where I would have thought, meaning that Palpatine is but an apprentice during the vast majority of the time the groundwork for the prequel films is being laid. As someone who considers Palpatine (at least as depicted in Episodes I, II, and VI and Dark Empire) one of the coolest villains of all time, this is completely lame! Palpatine should be the top man, not some guy's lackey.

Furthermore, the book weaves in and out of established Star Wars events too much. We see Jedi Council: Acts of War, Darth Maul, Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, Cloak of Deception, and much more told from the Sith point-of-view, but without seeing the actual events, meaning far too much of the action happens out-of-sight. Having the Sith say that cool things are happening somewhere else is not terribly interesting in and of itself. Also, Lucenopedia overload! Also, they're usually fighting mooks, which stops you from being impressed; outmanipulating Nute Gunray is not exactly the act of a genius, and even potentially intelligent characters like Chancellor Valroum come across as a bit thick.

Worst of all, though, is that the book doesn't really communicate what it is to be Darth Plagueis or Palpatine, at least not in a way that's really satisfying. Luceno has never exactly had a gift for character, and though we see a lot of what the two Sith Lords think, we never get to experience what they feel for the most part... and when we do, it's kinda lame. "Oh, I just hate the Jedi so much!" We see them make decisions, but I don't feel like I understand why they do what they do, or how it is for them to do it. Even manipulating Dooku's fall, which should be completely fascinating (I love Dooku), turns out to be deadly dull. Going by this book, being a Sith Lord is actually fairly blasé. show less