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Star Wars Legends Fiction
Darth Plagueis
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Science Fiction (2012)“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?
—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?
379 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2012
About the author
James Luceno
113 books971 followersJames Luceno is a New York Times bestselling author, best known for his novels and reference books connected with the Star Wars franchise and the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and novelisations of the Robotech animated television series. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife and youngest child.
He has co-written many books with Brian Daley as Jack McKinney.
He has co-written many books with Brian Daley as Jack McKinney.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,663 reviews
August 11, 2016
Misleading, the Dark Side of the Force, is.
This is a novel (part of what is known nowadays as "Legends" in the Star Wars novel series, in other words, non-canonical anymore) featuring the events of the life of Darth Plagueis and his apprentice Darth Sidious.
DECEITFUL TITLE
Honestly, it was odd that the book was titled Darth Plagueis since while indeed the events begin with him as "main character", once Palpatine (eventually aka Darth Sidious) comes into the story, Plagueis got less and less relevant and Palpatine (Sidious) became the real protagonist of the novel.
The novel lacks of action, and even in the few times that you have some action is told in such way that you don't feel any thrilled about it.
I have to admit that there some interesting moments where you can appreciate how the financial resources of Hego Damask (Darth Plagueis) was crutial for several recognizable pieces of the Episodes' saga of Star Wars, such as the construction of Podracing track on Tatooine, the improvement of Kamino's cloning facilities, the dealings of the Trade Federation with Naboo and the political career of Palpatine in the Galactic Senate.
However, some mysteries that I was eager to read about like the birth of Anakin Skywalker and the participation of Jedi Master Syfo-Dias in the ordering of the clone army, while they are indeed approached, much of them remain ambiguous without really offering anything new that one didn't know before of reading the book.
PALPATINE, JUST PALPATINE
I was kinda disappointed that Palpatine is named just that...
..."Palpatine"...
...with a poor explanation that he decided of not using his first name and keeping just his family name as his only name.
Some other authors have been bold enough to invent names for elements like "Coruscant", "Jaina Solo", etc... and they became so widely known by fans that later has become "canonical" in the sense of being used in a movie of the saga. And taking in account that the author didn't invent "Palpatine" name, it was quite weak not trying to add some of value to the character's name.
I understand that some talking with George Lucas, Lucasfilms' people, etc... was in the order to get approval for an "official" first name for Palpatine, but since this book covers even more the life of him than the very Hego Damask (Plagueis), I think that it was important to have that discussion and conceiving with a first name for Palpatine.
ALWAYS TWO, NO LESS, NO MORE...OR ISN'T IT?
One very odd thing was the Darth Plagueis said to Darth Tenebrous (his master) when he is killing him that the legacy of the "Rule of Two" from Darth Bane was dying with Tenebrous implying that Plagueis didn't believe wise to keep that rule.
However, in like 30 years (if not more), he only took as apprentice to Darth Sidious... so when the heck was he going to "break" the rule of two?!!!
Even Darh Sidious took as secret apprentice to Darth Maul covered with lies to Plagueis.
And definitely, the decision of time chronology used in this book was unusual according with other novels of Star Wars, since while it tells several events unique to this book, there are many pages invested to tell events covered in other novels even movies.
That wasn't bad per se, since that "filled" some "holes" in those previously told events, BUT also it was "felt" kinda some trick to stretch out long enough the book to reach a more desirable number of pages.
I think that one of the coolest implications here, is that while you never a real interaction between Smee Skywalker (Anakin's mom) with Darth Plagueis...
...there is a casual mention that Palpatine (just Palpatine, please) was a really good podracer pilot on his young days...
...Mmmh.
This is a novel (part of what is known nowadays as "Legends" in the Star Wars novel series, in other words, non-canonical anymore) featuring the events of the life of Darth Plagueis and his apprentice Darth Sidious.
DECEITFUL TITLE
Honestly, it was odd that the book was titled Darth Plagueis since while indeed the events begin with him as "main character", once Palpatine (eventually aka Darth Sidious) comes into the story, Plagueis got less and less relevant and Palpatine (Sidious) became the real protagonist of the novel.
The novel lacks of action, and even in the few times that you have some action is told in such way that you don't feel any thrilled about it.
I have to admit that there some interesting moments where you can appreciate how the financial resources of Hego Damask (Darth Plagueis) was crutial for several recognizable pieces of the Episodes' saga of Star Wars, such as the construction of Podracing track on Tatooine, the improvement of Kamino's cloning facilities, the dealings of the Trade Federation with Naboo and the political career of Palpatine in the Galactic Senate.
However, some mysteries that I was eager to read about like the birth of Anakin Skywalker and the participation of Jedi Master Syfo-Dias in the ordering of the clone army, while they are indeed approached, much of them remain ambiguous without really offering anything new that one didn't know before of reading the book.
PALPATINE, JUST PALPATINE
I was kinda disappointed that Palpatine is named just that...
..."Palpatine"...
...with a poor explanation that he decided of not using his first name and keeping just his family name as his only name.
Some other authors have been bold enough to invent names for elements like "Coruscant", "Jaina Solo", etc... and they became so widely known by fans that later has become "canonical" in the sense of being used in a movie of the saga. And taking in account that the author didn't invent "Palpatine" name, it was quite weak not trying to add some of value to the character's name.
I understand that some talking with George Lucas, Lucasfilms' people, etc... was in the order to get approval for an "official" first name for Palpatine, but since this book covers even more the life of him than the very Hego Damask (Plagueis), I think that it was important to have that discussion and conceiving with a first name for Palpatine.
ALWAYS TWO, NO LESS, NO MORE...OR ISN'T IT?
One very odd thing was the Darth Plagueis said to Darth Tenebrous (his master) when he is killing him that the legacy of the "Rule of Two" from Darth Bane was dying with Tenebrous implying that Plagueis didn't believe wise to keep that rule.
However, in like 30 years (if not more), he only took as apprentice to Darth Sidious... so when the heck was he going to "break" the rule of two?!!!
Even Darh Sidious took as secret apprentice to Darth Maul covered with lies to Plagueis.
And definitely, the decision of time chronology used in this book was unusual according with other novels of Star Wars, since while it tells several events unique to this book, there are many pages invested to tell events covered in other novels even movies.
That wasn't bad per se, since that "filled" some "holes" in those previously told events, BUT also it was "felt" kinda some trick to stretch out long enough the book to reach a more desirable number of pages.
I think that one of the coolest implications here, is that while you never a real interaction between Smee Skywalker (Anakin's mom) with Darth Plagueis...
...there is a casual mention that Palpatine (just Palpatine, please) was a really good podracer pilot on his young days...
...Mmmh.
May 14, 2024
Being a lifelong Star Wars fan. The thing I love about the Star Wars universe is the commitment to continuity. This book goes back and provides the background information to Revenge of the Sith obviously, however it uses info from Darth Maul books and comic series, a brief mention of Jungo Fett's comic series, and even season 3 of Clone Wars (to be resolved in season 4).
I think this book is great and well written. Having said that, I have two main problems with this book. The first is that it tells you more of Palpatine's story than Plagueis. I can understand why this was done as Palpatine is the more recognisable character. The other thing is I thought this would give more background into who Anakin Skywalker's father was. Palpatine/Sidious did seem to hint to know something of Anakin's parentage on two occasions towards the end of the book.
As soon as I finished this book, my head started spinning with possible sequels. One could be Count Dooku as the author has already touched on Dooku falling into the manipulations of both Plagueis and Sidious and the seed of darkness planted within him. The other would never happen, but I would love for it too is the Force premonition Darth Plagueis has if Qui-Gon had taught Anakin instead of Obi-Wan. To the point where it saw Qui-Gon s the shatter point of the whole scheme to be eliminated at all cost.
I think this book is great and well written. Having said that, I have two main problems with this book. The first is that it tells you more of Palpatine's story than Plagueis. I can understand why this was done as Palpatine is the more recognisable character. The other thing is I thought this would give more background into who Anakin Skywalker's father was. Palpatine/Sidious did seem to hint to know something of Anakin's parentage on two occasions towards the end of the book.
As soon as I finished this book, my head started spinning with possible sequels. One could be Count Dooku as the author has already touched on Dooku falling into the manipulations of both Plagueis and Sidious and the seed of darkness planted within him. The other would never happen, but I would love for it too is the Force premonition Darth Plagueis has if Qui-Gon had taught Anakin instead of Obi-Wan. To the point where it saw Qui-Gon s the shatter point of the whole scheme to be eliminated at all cost.
April 8, 2018
Darth Pelagueis is one of the most elusive characters in Star Wars. Other than this book, there’s just not much information about him to be found. So I expected so much from it and, ultimately, all my expectations were shattered. This is not the dark lord of the Sith I imagined.
The Phantom Menace is an absolutely dreadful film. I’m not speculating here, critically speaking, this is a fact. There are so many things wrong with it. Why George Lucas felt the need to quantify the force is beyond me. Its power resided in its mystery. Somethings are best left a secret. For me, it took some of the wonderment away from the driving force of this series. This book takes off where The Phantom Menace began in elucidating what should have remained unknown.
Darth Pelagueis seeks immortality. And how does he attempt to achieve such a feat? You guessed it: midichlorians. He uses science to manipulate them and test his theories on pro-longing life. As such Luceno bombards us with repetitive scientific jargon to make the situation even more boring than it already is. I got sick of reading the word midichlorians. That may sound silly, though after a while it just started to grate on me. Give me some action! Give me some excitement! Not test tubes and experiments.
The book had major pacing issues. It started off really strongly. The prologue was the ending we’ve all heard about, Pelagueis murdered at the hands of his apprentice. The first chapter displayed a very similar murder, Pelagueis murdering his master; I guess what goes around comes around. So it was dramatic and there should have been a lot of tension in the book going forward as Darth Sidious was introduced but somehow there just wasn’t. It felt like such a wasted opportunity. Pelagueis was so distracted with his research that he was blind to all else.
Other than that the book was riddled with lengthy descriptions of politics all leading up the Naboo crisis and eventual Clone Wars, trade federation drama and senate based disputes. All in all, it was dull. For the right reader, this would be a great book: for someone who wants to see the political tension and strife Palpatine caused on his rise to power.
For me it was lifeless and devoid of any energy. Not something I recommend.
The Phantom Menace is an absolutely dreadful film. I’m not speculating here, critically speaking, this is a fact. There are so many things wrong with it. Why George Lucas felt the need to quantify the force is beyond me. Its power resided in its mystery. Somethings are best left a secret. For me, it took some of the wonderment away from the driving force of this series. This book takes off where The Phantom Menace began in elucidating what should have remained unknown.
Darth Pelagueis seeks immortality. And how does he attempt to achieve such a feat? You guessed it: midichlorians. He uses science to manipulate them and test his theories on pro-longing life. As such Luceno bombards us with repetitive scientific jargon to make the situation even more boring than it already is. I got sick of reading the word midichlorians. That may sound silly, though after a while it just started to grate on me. Give me some action! Give me some excitement! Not test tubes and experiments.
The book had major pacing issues. It started off really strongly. The prologue was the ending we’ve all heard about, Pelagueis murdered at the hands of his apprentice. The first chapter displayed a very similar murder, Pelagueis murdering his master; I guess what goes around comes around. So it was dramatic and there should have been a lot of tension in the book going forward as Darth Sidious was introduced but somehow there just wasn’t. It felt like such a wasted opportunity. Pelagueis was so distracted with his research that he was blind to all else.
Other than that the book was riddled with lengthy descriptions of politics all leading up the Naboo crisis and eventual Clone Wars, trade federation drama and senate based disputes. All in all, it was dull. For the right reader, this would be a great book: for someone who wants to see the political tension and strife Palpatine caused on his rise to power.
For me it was lifeless and devoid of any energy. Not something I recommend.
October 14, 2017
A very enjoyable and entertaining Star Wars novel.
Less solicitous reviewers might call this filler, and while that would be callous but somewhat accurate, author James Luceno has captured the essence of Lucas’ duality of the Force, between the light and the dark. When this is at its best it is an exploration of the similarities and distinctions between Jedi and Sith.
Darth Plagueis was Darth Sidious’ / Emperor / Senator Palpatine’s Sith master. An alien Muun, who might resemble a somber and elongated Homer Simpson, Plagueis was also the leader of a Galactic Banking Clan that brokered power and mechanized the millennia Sith plan for revenge.
Luceno provides plenty of backstory, going back decades to when Plagueis discovers an elitist but promising young larval politician. We are shown the evolution of a Sith apprenticeship and foreshadowing of the canonical film story. We also see an infant Maul and the beginnings of the collusion with Count Dooku.
The novel finishes contemporaneously with the events in the 1999 George Lucas film Phantom Menace. Upon finishing I had a great thirst for the movie and as I type these words young Anakin is speeding around the pod-racing track on Tatooine.
A must read for fans and really a well told story that a more casual observant of the Star Wars story would enjoy.
Less solicitous reviewers might call this filler, and while that would be callous but somewhat accurate, author James Luceno has captured the essence of Lucas’ duality of the Force, between the light and the dark. When this is at its best it is an exploration of the similarities and distinctions between Jedi and Sith.
Darth Plagueis was Darth Sidious’ / Emperor / Senator Palpatine’s Sith master. An alien Muun, who might resemble a somber and elongated Homer Simpson, Plagueis was also the leader of a Galactic Banking Clan that brokered power and mechanized the millennia Sith plan for revenge.
Luceno provides plenty of backstory, going back decades to when Plagueis discovers an elitist but promising young larval politician. We are shown the evolution of a Sith apprenticeship and foreshadowing of the canonical film story. We also see an infant Maul and the beginnings of the collusion with Count Dooku.
The novel finishes contemporaneously with the events in the 1999 George Lucas film Phantom Menace. Upon finishing I had a great thirst for the movie and as I type these words young Anakin is speeding around the pod-racing track on Tatooine.
A must read for fans and really a well told story that a more casual observant of the Star Wars story would enjoy.
October 27, 2015
Perhaps my favorite scene in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is the one where Palpatine entices Anakin toward the dark side by recounting the story of Darth Plagueis—a Sith Lord who manipulates the Force in an effort to become immortal. I love the scene in part because it focuses on personal relationships as opposed to bureaucratic procedure. It also emanates with the most spiritual strains of Jedi and Sith lore. So when I saw a new Star Wars novel titled Darth Plagueis, I snatched it eagerly from my library’s New Release shelf.
Though there is plenty to compliment in veteran Star Wars author James Luceno’s novel, I came away deeply disappointed. This book is not what I expected, and frankly, this book is not what publisher Del Rey bills it as on the dust jacket. Darth Plagueis’s Frankensteinian excursions into the Force do not drive this story. After an engrossing opening, which ties off Darth Plagueis’s relationship to his master, the novel quickly sinks into the same sludgy bureaucratic opera that mired the plot of Episode One: The Phantom Menace. The bulk of this yarn plays about as mystically as a cop procedural. Law and Order: Sith Unit would have been a more honest title.
It could be argued that Darth Plagueis is not even the main character. Sith all-stars Palpatine, Dooku and young Darth Maul keep wresting the spotlight from him. While adequate back story is provided to explain Plagueis’s obsession with immortality, his macabre Force experiments remain on the periphery of a plot too invested in Republican politics and backroom business deals. The Sith Lords, herein billed as mystical zealots, come over largely as stoic crime bosses. What colorful personalities they sport at the outset are quickly steam cleaned away to conceal their powers from the Jedi. A justified storytelling choice? Yes. But not an especially interesting one.
What is more, in the most egregious missed opportunity of the book, Plagueis’s greatest feat of Force manipulation gets mentioned only in hindsight. Ever notice how The Empire Strikes Back, a critical and fan favorite, is as much a lean ensemble play as it is a grand action film? Now imagine Luke’s training by Yoda not being depicted as it transpires. Instead, picture Luke all but dropped from the middle third of the film while Darth Vader and the Emperor have conference calls with coconspirators. What a disappointing Empire Strikes Back that would have been.
I picked up Darth Plagueis because I wanted—and was promised—a mystical fantasy. Instead I got a complicated and rather impersonal history of organized crime in a galaxy far, far away. Perhaps hardcore enthusiasts of Star Wars novels had a different experience than me. I freely admit to being a fair-weather fan of this sprawling subgenre. It is my impression that this novel was written solely for readers who devour every Star Wars novel published. That may be okay, but it strikes me as a franchise growing too insular and selling itself short.
Though there is plenty to compliment in veteran Star Wars author James Luceno’s novel, I came away deeply disappointed. This book is not what I expected, and frankly, this book is not what publisher Del Rey bills it as on the dust jacket. Darth Plagueis’s Frankensteinian excursions into the Force do not drive this story. After an engrossing opening, which ties off Darth Plagueis’s relationship to his master, the novel quickly sinks into the same sludgy bureaucratic opera that mired the plot of Episode One: The Phantom Menace. The bulk of this yarn plays about as mystically as a cop procedural. Law and Order: Sith Unit would have been a more honest title.
It could be argued that Darth Plagueis is not even the main character. Sith all-stars Palpatine, Dooku and young Darth Maul keep wresting the spotlight from him. While adequate back story is provided to explain Plagueis’s obsession with immortality, his macabre Force experiments remain on the periphery of a plot too invested in Republican politics and backroom business deals. The Sith Lords, herein billed as mystical zealots, come over largely as stoic crime bosses. What colorful personalities they sport at the outset are quickly steam cleaned away to conceal their powers from the Jedi. A justified storytelling choice? Yes. But not an especially interesting one.
What is more, in the most egregious missed opportunity of the book, Plagueis’s greatest feat of Force manipulation gets mentioned only in hindsight. Ever notice how The Empire Strikes Back, a critical and fan favorite, is as much a lean ensemble play as it is a grand action film? Now imagine Luke’s training by Yoda not being depicted as it transpires. Instead, picture Luke all but dropped from the middle third of the film while Darth Vader and the Emperor have conference calls with coconspirators. What a disappointing Empire Strikes Back that would have been.
I picked up Darth Plagueis because I wanted—and was promised—a mystical fantasy. Instead I got a complicated and rather impersonal history of organized crime in a galaxy far, far away. Perhaps hardcore enthusiasts of Star Wars novels had a different experience than me. I freely admit to being a fair-weather fan of this sprawling subgenre. It is my impression that this novel was written solely for readers who devour every Star Wars novel published. That may be okay, but it strikes me as a franchise growing too insular and selling itself short.
August 11, 2012
"sentient life is meant to evolve, not simply languish in contended stasis"
NOTE: I received this book from the Amazon Vine Program.
The time has come for the Sith to reveal themselves, to step away from the Rule of Two setup by Darth Bane many years ago. Darth Plagueis emerges and, with the assistance of his apprentice, Darth Sidious, begins the final steps to the destruction of the Republic and the Jedi.
I have some wonderful news! After SIX MONTHS of reading this book, I have finally finished it!! Roll out the barrel, cut yourself a slice of cake, blow on the party horns, it's time to CELEBRATE!!
The first question I know you will have is: "I know you are a slow reader, Crystal, but why did it take you six months to read this book? It's just a tad over 350 pages!" And to answer that properly, I will have to back up a bit.
Although it took me six months to finish this book, it was a very good book--probably the best Star Wars book Luceno has ever written. "Darth Plagueis" allows Luceno to do what he is best at: intertwine various pieces of the movies, comics, and other novels into one cohesive work and, most importantly, have it all make sense. The problem with the book is, it is not a light-hearted, easy read, a fun, little adventure with Jedi swinging lightsabers and conniving, devilish Sith cackling about taking over the world. It is extremely dense; it has a pretty broad scope; and it, at times, moves at a snail's pace.
When I first started reading, I had a very hard time "getting into" this book, because of the reasons I stated above. But once I began to picture "Darth Plagueis" as "Star Wars historical fiction", everything started to click into place. I didn't mind the slow pace; I didn't mind the politicking; I didn't mind the passage of time.
Luceno handles his cast of characters really well. Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious are very well-done. I liked how Plagueis was an alien, how he thought about the Force differently, and how he moved away from the Rule of Two phase (I know some fans aren't fond of how many Sith appear, but for once, I actually could understand the motivation behind the new Sith Order and liked it). Palpatine/Sidious was fascinating, particularly in his youth, though I still would love to know what his first name was! I was hugely impressed with the way Luceno wrote Dooku. FINALLY, Dooku comes across as a frustrated Jedi who wants to turn the Republic around, instead of some EVUL Sith wanting to kill and be EVUL. I loved how Pestage, Doriana, Isard, and more appeared. I didn't even mind Darth Maul's new backstory (too much).
As you would expect for a "historical fiction" novel, a lot of characters appear only to fade into the background, never to be seen again. This is particularly frustrating when so much time is built upon introducing them to the story--such as the crew of the Woebegone or the Jedi Knight Palpatine befriends after the Knight's father is killed.
Some of the writing is the best I've seen in a Luceno novel. The Prologue was particularly nice to read. But Luceno doesn't get rid of all his quirks; read this with a dictionary nearby so you can define such SAT vocab words as:
presaged
ineluctable
moribund
scabrous
bilious
cognomen
calumny
And now, time for your favorite section and mine...NERD NITPICKS!!
1. Who tattoos a baby? And how do these tattoos remain intact throughout the child's growth?
2. "Every action has an equal but opposite reaction" is NOT a Law of Thermodynamics!!!
3. Seriously? Another Sith Lord who has to wear a breathing apparatus? Is it a job requirement or something? "Turn in your lungs here, please!"
4. "I knew Gunray slightly...he is acquisitive and ambitious but oddly immune to intimidation." WHAT?!??!! Are we talking about the same Nute Gunray?! Dude was intimidated by a dragonfly!!
5. If Kamino is technically "extragalactic", then why the big deal over the "Outbound Flight" and the Yuuzhan Vong? Leaving the galaxy would be old hat to these people...right?
6. Luceno, I realize that you may have the script to "The Phantom Menace" on hand, but it is okay for the Sith characters to not, okeedokee?
And thank you for joining us for yet another, NERD NITPICKS!!
One thing I would definitely recommend to those considering whether to read this or not is to buff up on your Star Wars Expanded Universe--particularly, Star Wars: Cloak of Deception, Shadow Hunter, the Darth Maul comic, and, of course, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. ALL of these books are referenced at some point in this novel, some more than others. Some of those books (such as DMSH) will have the ending spoiled in the course of this novel; other books (such as CoD) are alluded to so tenuously, that I, who had fairly recently reread the book, had trouble remembering important plot elements.
In short: if you are a newbie to Star Wars Expanded Universe, this is NOT the book for you.
On the other hand, if you are a hard-cover Star Wars fan wanting to read this only to understand Darth Plagueis' power better, you are in for major disappointment. While his special midichlorian ability does appear, it is never given very much space to grow. I really am just as mystified about his special power as I was before I read the novel.
In short: if you expected to learn ONLY about Plagueis, his powers, and (most importantly to some) whether or not he is "the father" of Anakin Skywalker, this is NOT the book for you.
Even though this book took me forever to finish, even though this was a complete departure from most Star Wars novels, even though there were plenty of bumps, I did enjoy myself when reading this novel. This is the type of book that Luceno is PERFECT for writing: one that ties in multiple plot lines, characters, story elements from varied source materials and bringing it all into one coehsive whole. And while "Darth Plagueis" might have failed to answer all questions about Plagueis and his control over the midichlorians, it DID succeed in showing us where he came from and where Palpatine came from. And making "The Phantom Menace" look clever.
George Lucas ought to give Luceno a raise :)
NOTE: I received this book from the Amazon Vine Program.
The time has come for the Sith to reveal themselves, to step away from the Rule of Two setup by Darth Bane many years ago. Darth Plagueis emerges and, with the assistance of his apprentice, Darth Sidious, begins the final steps to the destruction of the Republic and the Jedi.
I have some wonderful news! After SIX MONTHS of reading this book, I have finally finished it!! Roll out the barrel, cut yourself a slice of cake, blow on the party horns, it's time to CELEBRATE!!
The first question I know you will have is: "I know you are a slow reader, Crystal, but why did it take you six months to read this book? It's just a tad over 350 pages!" And to answer that properly, I will have to back up a bit.
Although it took me six months to finish this book, it was a very good book--probably the best Star Wars book Luceno has ever written. "Darth Plagueis" allows Luceno to do what he is best at: intertwine various pieces of the movies, comics, and other novels into one cohesive work and, most importantly, have it all make sense. The problem with the book is, it is not a light-hearted, easy read, a fun, little adventure with Jedi swinging lightsabers and conniving, devilish Sith cackling about taking over the world. It is extremely dense; it has a pretty broad scope; and it, at times, moves at a snail's pace.
When I first started reading, I had a very hard time "getting into" this book, because of the reasons I stated above. But once I began to picture "Darth Plagueis" as "Star Wars historical fiction", everything started to click into place. I didn't mind the slow pace; I didn't mind the politicking; I didn't mind the passage of time.
Luceno handles his cast of characters really well. Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious are very well-done. I liked how Plagueis was an alien, how he thought about the Force differently, and how he moved away from the Rule of Two phase (I know some fans aren't fond of how many Sith appear, but for once, I actually could understand the motivation behind the new Sith Order and liked it). Palpatine/Sidious was fascinating, particularly in his youth, though I still would love to know what his first name was! I was hugely impressed with the way Luceno wrote Dooku. FINALLY, Dooku comes across as a frustrated Jedi who wants to turn the Republic around, instead of some EVUL Sith wanting to kill and be EVUL. I loved how Pestage, Doriana, Isard, and more appeared. I didn't even mind Darth Maul's new backstory (too much).
As you would expect for a "historical fiction" novel, a lot of characters appear only to fade into the background, never to be seen again. This is particularly frustrating when so much time is built upon introducing them to the story--such as the crew of the Woebegone or the Jedi Knight Palpatine befriends after the Knight's father is killed.
Some of the writing is the best I've seen in a Luceno novel. The Prologue was particularly nice to read. But Luceno doesn't get rid of all his quirks; read this with a dictionary nearby so you can define such SAT vocab words as:
presaged
ineluctable
moribund
scabrous
bilious
cognomen
calumny
And now, time for your favorite section and mine...NERD NITPICKS!!
1. Who tattoos a baby? And how do these tattoos remain intact throughout the child's growth?
2. "Every action has an equal but opposite reaction" is NOT a Law of Thermodynamics!!!
3. Seriously? Another Sith Lord who has to wear a breathing apparatus? Is it a job requirement or something? "Turn in your lungs here, please!"
4. "I knew Gunray slightly...he is acquisitive and ambitious but oddly immune to intimidation." WHAT?!??!! Are we talking about the same Nute Gunray?! Dude was intimidated by a dragonfly!!
5. If Kamino is technically "extragalactic", then why the big deal over the "Outbound Flight" and the Yuuzhan Vong? Leaving the galaxy would be old hat to these people...right?
6. Luceno, I realize that you may have the script to "The Phantom Menace" on hand, but it is okay for the Sith characters to not, okeedokee?
And thank you for joining us for yet another, NERD NITPICKS!!
One thing I would definitely recommend to those considering whether to read this or not is to buff up on your Star Wars Expanded Universe--particularly, Star Wars: Cloak of Deception, Shadow Hunter, the Darth Maul comic, and, of course, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. ALL of these books are referenced at some point in this novel, some more than others. Some of those books (such as DMSH) will have the ending spoiled in the course of this novel; other books (such as CoD) are alluded to so tenuously, that I, who had fairly recently reread the book, had trouble remembering important plot elements.
In short: if you are a newbie to Star Wars Expanded Universe, this is NOT the book for you.
On the other hand, if you are a hard-cover Star Wars fan wanting to read this only to understand Darth Plagueis' power better, you are in for major disappointment. While his special midichlorian ability does appear, it is never given very much space to grow. I really am just as mystified about his special power as I was before I read the novel.
In short: if you expected to learn ONLY about Plagueis, his powers, and (most importantly to some) whether or not he is "the father" of Anakin Skywalker, this is NOT the book for you.
Even though this book took me forever to finish, even though this was a complete departure from most Star Wars novels, even though there were plenty of bumps, I did enjoy myself when reading this novel. This is the type of book that Luceno is PERFECT for writing: one that ties in multiple plot lines, characters, story elements from varied source materials and bringing it all into one coehsive whole. And while "Darth Plagueis" might have failed to answer all questions about Plagueis and his control over the midichlorians, it DID succeed in showing us where he came from and where Palpatine came from. And making "The Phantom Menace" look clever.
George Lucas ought to give Luceno a raise :)
November 17, 2021
“The power of the dark side is an illness no true Sith would wish to be cured of.”
I've always loved this book, it's very slow and political, but it perfectly sets up how Palpatine comes to power, it's really great. Definitely in the top 3 of Star Wars novels.
“Remember why the Sith are more powerful than the Jedi, Sidious: because we are not afraid to feel. We embrace the spectrum of emotions, from the heights of transcendent joy to the depths of hatred and despair. Fearless, we welcome whatever paths the dark side sets us on, and whatever destiny it lays out for us.”
I've always loved this book, it's very slow and political, but it perfectly sets up how Palpatine comes to power, it's really great. Definitely in the top 3 of Star Wars novels.
“Remember why the Sith are more powerful than the Jedi, Sidious: because we are not afraid to feel. We embrace the spectrum of emotions, from the heights of transcendent joy to the depths of hatred and despair. Fearless, we welcome whatever paths the dark side sets us on, and whatever destiny it lays out for us.”
September 13, 2015
Apparently this Star Wars novel had been highly anticipated since its announcement years ago, and I had no idea until after I finished it and decided to look it up. Now that I've read it, I guess I can see why. Darth Plagueis is probably worth reading simply if for no other reason other than how "canon" it is, if you're a big Star Wars fan. I heard that the author worked really closely with LucasFilms to get it just right. And yes, I did find that it explained a lot about the events of the prequel movies, and I now have a better understanding of the backstory behind them.
But I don't want to make it sound like that's the only reason to pick up this book, because there's a lot more that makes it a worthwhile read. For one thing, I was surprised at the quality of the writing, especially for a Star Wars novel. I've read some of Luceno's other Star Wars titles in the past, and as you can see from those reviews in my book list, I wasn't very impressed. But I was quite happy with his efforts with Darth Plagueis, to the point I couldn't believe it was the same author. It's obvious he put his full heart and soul into writing this.
Darth Plaguis is also quite different from many of the Star Wars book I've read in the past. It's less action oriented, and instead focuses more on political intrigue. There are some fight sequences and light saber action of course, but the bulk of the story is about the Sith lords acting and pulling strings behind the scenes.
But I don't want to make it sound like that's the only reason to pick up this book, because there's a lot more that makes it a worthwhile read. For one thing, I was surprised at the quality of the writing, especially for a Star Wars novel. I've read some of Luceno's other Star Wars titles in the past, and as you can see from those reviews in my book list, I wasn't very impressed. But I was quite happy with his efforts with Darth Plagueis, to the point I couldn't believe it was the same author. It's obvious he put his full heart and soul into writing this.
Darth Plaguis is also quite different from many of the Star Wars book I've read in the past. It's less action oriented, and instead focuses more on political intrigue. There are some fight sequences and light saber action of course, but the bulk of the story is about the Sith lords acting and pulling strings behind the scenes.
December 16, 2019
This is an excellent book for the discerning Star Wars fan. In literary terms, there are too many infodumps and exposition. But overall it's so damn good with the world-building.
Admittedly, the prequel movies themselves are objectively not good movies. If we are judging on their own merits y'know. Yet when it comes to embracing one's inner geek and exploring how everything works in this fictional galaxy of Jedi/Sith/Force/Republic et. al... that's just so very much fun sometimes.
The novel is titled Darth Plagueis, who is mainly the focus, but it really gets especially good when revealing the origins of Emperor Palpatine. Considering the master plan involves, of course, the conspiratorial plans which will lead to the Empire, it works very well that Plagueis is one of those banker aliens.
Plagueis, who was briefly mention in Revenge of the Sith, studies the Dark Side of the Force and these lessons certainly add to the mythology... Then there are the backgrounds of Darth Maul and Count Dooku as well. All these deep dives into minutiae fleshes out the prequel world so much that it actually almost all makes sense!
And isn't that often the real fun of being a continuity-obsessed geek?
So Disney, is this still canon? (Btw, it was published in 2012 just before the big Lucasfilm deal.) It should be; there's absolutely no reason why not. Please Disney, let some of the EU stand so that at the very least the pre -Force Awakens universe can still be good.
Admittedly, the prequel movies themselves are objectively not good movies. If we are judging on their own merits y'know. Yet when it comes to embracing one's inner geek and exploring how everything works in this fictional galaxy of Jedi/Sith/Force/Republic et. al... that's just so very much fun sometimes.
The novel is titled Darth Plagueis, who is mainly the focus, but it really gets especially good when revealing the origins of Emperor Palpatine. Considering the master plan involves, of course, the conspiratorial plans which will lead to the Empire, it works very well that Plagueis is one of those banker aliens.
Plagueis, who was briefly mention in Revenge of the Sith, studies the Dark Side of the Force and these lessons certainly add to the mythology... Then there are the backgrounds of Darth Maul and Count Dooku as well. All these deep dives into minutiae fleshes out the prequel world so much that it actually almost all makes sense!
And isn't that often the real fun of being a continuity-obsessed geek?
So Disney, is this still canon? (Btw, it was published in 2012 just before the big Lucasfilm deal.) It should be; there's absolutely no reason why not. Please Disney, let some of the EU stand so that at the very least the pre -Force Awakens universe can still be good.
May 14, 2020
Pretty much everyone who knows me knows I like Star Wars, but what some of them may be surprised to hear is that The Phantom Menace was pretty much my introduction to George Lucas' space opera. Oh, sure, I'd been hearing references to it for years prior, and I even had a primitive (by today's standards, anyway) Jedi pilot game on my Commodore 64, but Episode I was what really opened my eyes to the saga. You've probably heard that TPM is coming out in 3-D next week; people will probably flock to the theaters in droves to see it, as usual. If you're going to see it, and you're a fan of the Star Wars novels as well as the films, Darth Plagueis is worth checking out. Not only does it take place around the time of Phantom Menace, but it also gives an excellent window into the events of the movie as well as what led up to them. Jar Jar haters, don't worry; that despised Gungan is nowhere to be found in this novel. Even Warsies who aren't interested in seeing the upcoming 3-D release will find plenty to like about Darth Plagueis, unless they absolutely hate the prequel trilogy. Check it out!
June 14, 2024
3.5 stars
Star Wars Reading Guide https://youtu.be/k8WtQMRgCjA
This is a solid Star Wars novels that fills in the mystery surrounding the backstory to the prequels. It makes references to Darth Bane so I recommend reading Path of Destruction first along with it's sequels before reading this one. Despite the title, this novel is really more about the rise of Darth Sideous than his master. I found the narrative pace and plot to be inconsistent but the character development made the book worthwhile.
Star Wars Reading Guide https://youtu.be/k8WtQMRgCjA
This is a solid Star Wars novels that fills in the mystery surrounding the backstory to the prequels. It makes references to Darth Bane so I recommend reading Path of Destruction first along with it's sequels before reading this one. Despite the title, this novel is really more about the rise of Darth Sideous than his master. I found the narrative pace and plot to be inconsistent but the character development made the book worthwhile.
Read
April 2, 2022DNF at page 214 so no star rating.
I really wanted to read this after listening to those couple of lines in the film about the "The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise".
What I got was dull, political trade stuff with no action at all. The book is supposed to be about Darth Plagueis but seems more focused on Sidious.
I don't have the time or the patience to carry on reading to see if anything of note happened.
I really wanted to read this after listening to those couple of lines in the film about the "The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise".
What I got was dull, political trade stuff with no action at all. The book is supposed to be about Darth Plagueis but seems more focused on Sidious.
I don't have the time or the patience to carry on reading to see if anything of note happened.
May 27, 2023
James Luceno’s 2012 novel “Darth Plagueis” does for the Star Wars prequel trilogy what Gareth Edwards’s film “Rogue One” did for “Episode IV: A New Hope”: filled in some major plot holes that had annoyed fans for years.
Basically, “Darth Plagueis” is a prequel of a prequel. Despite that, it’s actually quite good, working well as a stand-alone novel. It’s true achievement, though, is helping to clarify the ridiculously confusing mess of a script that was George Lucas’s “Episode I: The Phantom Menace”, which is, hands down, the least coherent of any of the Star Wars films, followed closely by “Episode II: Attack of the Clones” and “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”.
Luceno answers the question: who was Emperor Palpatine’s Sith Master? I mean, Darth Sidious had to learn his evil Sith ways from someone. The answer is Darth Plagueis, whose real name is Hego Damassk II. A Muun (from the planet Muunilinst, a world of bankers and financial experts), Damassk believed that the Sith’s ultimate goal of galactic conquest could be achieved through political and economic means, rather than through sheer aggression and violence.
Setting his sights on a young politician from Naboo, Damassk takes the young Palpatine under his wings. Palpatine, early in his career in the Galactic Senate, demonstrates a gift for political power plays. With Damassk’s financial backing and, more importantly, Sith training, Palpatine quickly becomes an adept Sith apprentice.
While there are very few actual action sequences in the novel, the novel still moves at a fast pace, as Damassk and Palpatine wage a secret war of political maneuverings with the ultimate intent of positioning Palpatine as Chancellor and, ultimately, Emperor. They also set in motion the falling dominoes that will eventually result in the Great Purge, otherwise known as the death of the Jedi Knights.
This may be considered “old canon”, but it’s still an essential read for fans.
Basically, “Darth Plagueis” is a prequel of a prequel. Despite that, it’s actually quite good, working well as a stand-alone novel. It’s true achievement, though, is helping to clarify the ridiculously confusing mess of a script that was George Lucas’s “Episode I: The Phantom Menace”, which is, hands down, the least coherent of any of the Star Wars films, followed closely by “Episode II: Attack of the Clones” and “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”.
Luceno answers the question: who was Emperor Palpatine’s Sith Master? I mean, Darth Sidious had to learn his evil Sith ways from someone. The answer is Darth Plagueis, whose real name is Hego Damassk II. A Muun (from the planet Muunilinst, a world of bankers and financial experts), Damassk believed that the Sith’s ultimate goal of galactic conquest could be achieved through political and economic means, rather than through sheer aggression and violence.
Setting his sights on a young politician from Naboo, Damassk takes the young Palpatine under his wings. Palpatine, early in his career in the Galactic Senate, demonstrates a gift for political power plays. With Damassk’s financial backing and, more importantly, Sith training, Palpatine quickly becomes an adept Sith apprentice.
While there are very few actual action sequences in the novel, the novel still moves at a fast pace, as Damassk and Palpatine wage a secret war of political maneuverings with the ultimate intent of positioning Palpatine as Chancellor and, ultimately, Emperor. They also set in motion the falling dominoes that will eventually result in the Great Purge, otherwise known as the death of the Jedi Knights.
This may be considered “old canon”, but it’s still an essential read for fans.
July 24, 2018
Review of the audiobook narrated by Daniel Davis.
Even though I love the movies I must not be as big a fan of Star Wars as I thought. This is the second Star Wars books I've listened to and neither one has been particularly engaging for me. This is essentially the origin story for Palpatine (Darth Sidious) and the majority of the book follows the rise of his career as a politician bolstered by his apprenticeship to Darth Plagueis. I've never had much interest in the political drama of any of the Star Wars films and had the same reaction here.
On the plus side, there are some great actions scenes peppered throughout the book that held my interest. We know the technology and important denizens of the universe which means that it's easier to jump into things without needing too much backstory. In the last 10% of the book there is some satisfying dovetailing of storylines leading up and including some of The Phantom Menace that explains what was going on from Palpatine's point of view.
I found the writing to be dry and there are many chapters in the book that begin with infodumps regarding Muuns, Sith, Palpatine, etc. that drag on for a little too long. We know the universe, yes, but it's a universe that is much more satisfying to be seen than read. The movies are so visually spectacular and I don't think that feeling could ever be reproduced in a book.
The Star Wars audiobooks are produced with special effects and audio enhancements. There is ambient background noise for every scene. Sometimes it adds to the scene and sometimes it's distracting. In the end I found it to be a wash, neither improving or detracting from my overall enjoyment of the book. Daniel Davis does well with different voices, but I found him to be just ok with everything else.
Final verdict: 3 star story, 3.5 star narration, 3 stars overall
Even though I love the movies I must not be as big a fan of Star Wars as I thought. This is the second Star Wars books I've listened to and neither one has been particularly engaging for me. This is essentially the origin story for Palpatine (Darth Sidious) and the majority of the book follows the rise of his career as a politician bolstered by his apprenticeship to Darth Plagueis. I've never had much interest in the political drama of any of the Star Wars films and had the same reaction here.
On the plus side, there are some great actions scenes peppered throughout the book that held my interest. We know the technology and important denizens of the universe which means that it's easier to jump into things without needing too much backstory. In the last 10% of the book there is some satisfying dovetailing of storylines leading up and including some of The Phantom Menace that explains what was going on from Palpatine's point of view.
I found the writing to be dry and there are many chapters in the book that begin with infodumps regarding Muuns, Sith, Palpatine, etc. that drag on for a little too long. We know the universe, yes, but it's a universe that is much more satisfying to be seen than read. The movies are so visually spectacular and I don't think that feeling could ever be reproduced in a book.
The Star Wars audiobooks are produced with special effects and audio enhancements. There is ambient background noise for every scene. Sometimes it adds to the scene and sometimes it's distracting. In the end I found it to be a wash, neither improving or detracting from my overall enjoyment of the book. Daniel Davis does well with different voices, but I found him to be just ok with everything else.
Final verdict: 3 star story, 3.5 star narration, 3 stars overall
May 17, 2012
A prequel to the prequels. That's the description to this book. James Luceno does a good job at creating the character of Darth Sidious that is in the movies through his life and how the whole entire movies started. It's great to see how everything becomes connected between the prequel movies and the original trilogy. How the whole Sith plan was furnished on two of the most powerful beings in the galaxy.
I'm glad that George Lucas had approved of the backstory of Plagueis in this book. The last time he had done it for another epic book was the Thrawn series.
Make no mistake there is a TON of references of other books, movies, and the TV series in this book. And as I had said before, almost everything in the movies and books are all interconnected by a web that these two Sith and Qui-Gon had unintentionally created.
As a SW nerd, I'm pleased with this book. I could say for a fact that whenever I spotted a reference, even a minuscule one, I would get all jittery with excitement. I would like to contradict on what other people say that this book answers TOO many questions that have been asked. This is what this book is for. The question if Darth Maul survived has been answered by the TV series. What Darth Maul will do, will be answered in time. There are plenty of others as well, but if you're an original trilogy fan, and hate the prequels, then please don't respond negatively to this book. It's a great book and deserves respect for having to making the origin of Darth Sidious and the sith from the movies.
This ain't how you thought of Star Wars this is how George Lucas thought of Star Wars.
I'm glad that George Lucas had approved of the backstory of Plagueis in this book. The last time he had done it for another epic book was the Thrawn series.
Make no mistake there is a TON of references of other books, movies, and the TV series in this book. And as I had said before, almost everything in the movies and books are all interconnected by a web that these two Sith and Qui-Gon had unintentionally created.
As a SW nerd, I'm pleased with this book. I could say for a fact that whenever I spotted a reference, even a minuscule one, I would get all jittery with excitement. I would like to contradict on what other people say that this book answers TOO many questions that have been asked. This is what this book is for. The question if Darth Maul survived has been answered by the TV series. What Darth Maul will do, will be answered in time. There are plenty of others as well, but if you're an original trilogy fan, and hate the prequels, then please don't respond negatively to this book. It's a great book and deserves respect for having to making the origin of Darth Sidious and the sith from the movies.
This ain't how you thought of Star Wars this is how George Lucas thought of Star Wars.
Read
December 17, 2022Have you ever heard The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? If you have, you should read this.
The perspective of the Sith and the background of Palpatine’s master plan we got was so interesting. If you want something that dives into a lot of force and midichlorian lore, this is it. It also provides more depth of the logistics of Anakin’s virgin birth. It’s definitely not very action packed but more a recount of Palgueis and Palpatine politically undercover. Definitely interesting and probably one of the better Star Wars novels.
The perspective of the Sith and the background of Palpatine’s master plan we got was so interesting. If you want something that dives into a lot of force and midichlorian lore, this is it. It also provides more depth of the logistics of Anakin’s virgin birth. It’s definitely not very action packed but more a recount of Palgueis and Palpatine politically undercover. Definitely interesting and probably one of the better Star Wars novels.
March 8, 2023
ain’t no way this was only 300 pages. ain’t no way.
currently reading star wars novels in preparation for going to galaxy’s edge on may 4th.
you know, as far as being vague and just name dropping people/places that never come up again, it sure does that. it’s still a good story, though.
currently reading star wars novels in preparation for going to galaxy’s edge on may 4th.
you know, as far as being vague and just name dropping people/places that never come up again, it sure does that. it’s still a good story, though.
August 17, 2022
Darth Plagueis is a novel that covers both the stories of Hego Damask/Plagueis and Palpatine/Sidious. It starts off with Plagueis killing his Master, Darth Tenebrous and ends with his death at the hands of Darth Sidious. It goes through both Plagueis' backstory, interests, and experimentation with midichlorians, with the hope of eventually achieving immortality. It also covers Palpatine's story, from his young adult years in the Youth political programs all the way to his election to the Supreme Chancellorship.
I enjoyed this novel prominently for its excellent contribution to the SW Legends universe, which has since been foolishly discarded and replaced with the Disney canon universe, a travesty that I believe should be reversed. This novel also does in excellent job literary-wise, with its splendid setting development, character development, and general imagery. Another advantage is that this novel is clearly geared toward adults. This clearly comes out in its use of complex language, complex themes and topics (politics is central to the plot), and gory imagery, making this novel clearly an adult one. This novel also makes The Phantom Menace a more interesting film, as you know what is going on behind the scenes and how.
All in all, I would highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in SW lore, and especially to those who enjoy the prequels.
I enjoyed this novel prominently for its excellent contribution to the SW Legends universe, which has since been foolishly discarded and replaced with the Disney canon universe, a travesty that I believe should be reversed. This novel also does in excellent job literary-wise, with its splendid setting development, character development, and general imagery. Another advantage is that this novel is clearly geared toward adults. This clearly comes out in its use of complex language, complex themes and topics (politics is central to the plot), and gory imagery, making this novel clearly an adult one. This novel also makes The Phantom Menace a more interesting film, as you know what is going on behind the scenes and how.
All in all, I would highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in SW lore, and especially to those who enjoy the prequels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2019
I realize that this isn't officially canon anymore but this book has given me a newfound understanding and an entirely new outlook on the prequel trilogy. I won't see those movies in the same terrible light as I did before. I'm thoroughly impressed and will definately read more Star Wars novels, canon or not.
March 1, 2012
I have the feeling that I liked "Darth Plagueis" by James Luceno more than the average Star Wars fan would...and more than any of the reviews I read online before purchasing this book. Why? Deep down, I feel much more like a Sith (and, hey, why not a Dark Lord of the Sith...might as well dream big) than a Jedi most of the time and this book is a chronicle of the rise of Palpatine a.k.a. Darth Sidious as well as the story of Darth Plagueis (with a bit of Darth Maul and Count Dooku and a dash of Darth Tenebrous to boot). A few Jedi do make an appearance, but they don't do much of anything. That probably illustrates why it was possible for the dark side to rise in secret with such power. The Sith had a point--the Republic was corrupt and deeply flawed and the Jedi were no longer in tune with the Force. Not in tune enough to sense the Sith until it was much too late.
So, yes, "Darth Plagueis" is something of a misleading title. This book is mostly about Palpatine's rise to Dark Lord of the Sith. One of the criticisms I read online before buying this book was that it reads a bit like a history text. I agree with that assessment, but only a little.
If you're looking for thrilling lightsaber battles and good triumphing over evil...look elsewhere.
"Darth Plagueis" is more about machinations and subterfuge and how the Sith operate when sumberged and living secret lives.
I'll glide over the main points of the story. We start with Palpatine's apotheosis upon Plagueis' demise. Then the story begins with how Plagueis seized power from his master, Darth Tenebrous, and how Plagueis began his obsession with manipulating midi-chlorians and the science of immortality. Darth Tenebrous was obsessed with Bith computers and science, which Plagueis often cites as his downfall. Yet Plagueis goes on to become similarly obsessed with biology and manipulating midi-chlorians to create eternal life for himself and the Sith. Plagueis is not a warm and cuddly Munn, but he sees the Sith Rule of Two (one master, one apprentice) as a partnership, not a struggle to the death. And you can guess how Palpatine viewed that desire for parity differently than Plagueis did.
I was pleased how James Luceno made it plausible that Palpatine that Palpatine could come from Naboo...home of Jar Jar Binks. Because I honestly had a hard time reconciling the two disparate characters. There wasn't much about the prequel films I liked except for the Sith machinations and a few of the battle sequences. So the author finding a way to make Palpatine a snake in Naboo's garden was a large step towards making this book more enjoyable for me.
Palpatine is discovered by Plagueis--in his non-Sith capacity as an influential Munn financial wizard--while Plagueis is trying to manipulate the monarchy of Naboo to secure their plasma resources. Plagueis takes Palpatine under his wing and begins to guide him down the path to the dark side. Of course, Palpatine sprints down the evil path and soon becomes Plagueis' apprentice. Though because of Plagueis being more philosophical than the average Sith, he doesn't constantly challenge or berate or torture Palpatine after the first few years of his training.
Darth Plagueis sees the Sith partnership taking over the galaxy--Palpatine controlling the masses and Plagueis controlling the Force. Plagueis installs Palpatine in the Senate to become a wolf in sheep's clothing and focuses himself on contemplation of the dark side of the Force and manipulation of midi-chlorians. What follows is how Palpatine and Plagueis fight with corrupt politicians and criminals who don't fit in with their plans. The origins of Darth Maul are explored briefly. He was always intended as a weapon, not a true Sith Apprentice. And the courting of renegade Jedi Master/Count Dooku by both Plagueis and Palpatine is touched upon as well.
As the story gets closer to the era of the first prequel film, this book begins to summarize events more and more. I suspect some of that is because the author had to reference events depicted in other books (most of which I have not read). I found myself longing for footnotes about what books the "full story" of some of the events could be found in. I'm guessing the book about Darth Maul is one of them. The amount of summary in the latter third of the book does slow the story down and make it seem less interesting.
I was surprised that Plagueis and Palpatine were not responsible for the "Force" conception of Anakin Skywalker, especially since Plagueis was working on that very subject.
I was also surprised that Plagueis was not assassinated by Palpatine until almost the end of the events of "The Phantom Menace" film. So Plagueis had knowledge of Anakin and was startled by his appearance as a harbinger of doom for all his plans.
One of my least favorite things about "Darth Plagueis" was the amount of typos and errors I found in the text. Shame on you, editors.
But a Goodreads reader of this review did point out to me that one of the "errors" I found was actually not one. They really did mean Bail Antilles and not Bail Organa, as I thought. Two Senators named Bail from Alderaan at the same time. Wow, that's not confusing at ALL. Sheesh.
Though "Darth Plagueis" is not at all action-packed, it is a subtle novel about Machiavellian manipulation in the Star Wars universe. If you ever wondered how Emperor Palpatine came to power, this book will give you many of the dark secrets that gave rise to his tyrannical reign.
So, yes, "Darth Plagueis" is something of a misleading title. This book is mostly about Palpatine's rise to Dark Lord of the Sith. One of the criticisms I read online before buying this book was that it reads a bit like a history text. I agree with that assessment, but only a little.
If you're looking for thrilling lightsaber battles and good triumphing over evil...look elsewhere.
"Darth Plagueis" is more about machinations and subterfuge and how the Sith operate when sumberged and living secret lives.
I'll glide over the main points of the story. We start with Palpatine's apotheosis upon Plagueis' demise. Then the story begins with how Plagueis seized power from his master, Darth Tenebrous, and how Plagueis began his obsession with manipulating midi-chlorians and the science of immortality. Darth Tenebrous was obsessed with Bith computers and science, which Plagueis often cites as his downfall. Yet Plagueis goes on to become similarly obsessed with biology and manipulating midi-chlorians to create eternal life for himself and the Sith. Plagueis is not a warm and cuddly Munn, but he sees the Sith Rule of Two (one master, one apprentice) as a partnership, not a struggle to the death. And you can guess how Palpatine viewed that desire for parity differently than Plagueis did.
I was pleased how James Luceno made it plausible that Palpatine that Palpatine could come from Naboo...home of Jar Jar Binks. Because I honestly had a hard time reconciling the two disparate characters. There wasn't much about the prequel films I liked except for the Sith machinations and a few of the battle sequences. So the author finding a way to make Palpatine a snake in Naboo's garden was a large step towards making this book more enjoyable for me.
Palpatine is discovered by Plagueis--in his non-Sith capacity as an influential Munn financial wizard--while Plagueis is trying to manipulate the monarchy of Naboo to secure their plasma resources. Plagueis takes Palpatine under his wing and begins to guide him down the path to the dark side. Of course, Palpatine sprints down the evil path and soon becomes Plagueis' apprentice. Though because of Plagueis being more philosophical than the average Sith, he doesn't constantly challenge or berate or torture Palpatine after the first few years of his training.
Darth Plagueis sees the Sith partnership taking over the galaxy--Palpatine controlling the masses and Plagueis controlling the Force. Plagueis installs Palpatine in the Senate to become a wolf in sheep's clothing and focuses himself on contemplation of the dark side of the Force and manipulation of midi-chlorians. What follows is how Palpatine and Plagueis fight with corrupt politicians and criminals who don't fit in with their plans. The origins of Darth Maul are explored briefly. He was always intended as a weapon, not a true Sith Apprentice. And the courting of renegade Jedi Master/Count Dooku by both Plagueis and Palpatine is touched upon as well.
As the story gets closer to the era of the first prequel film, this book begins to summarize events more and more. I suspect some of that is because the author had to reference events depicted in other books (most of which I have not read). I found myself longing for footnotes about what books the "full story" of some of the events could be found in. I'm guessing the book about Darth Maul is one of them. The amount of summary in the latter third of the book does slow the story down and make it seem less interesting.
I was surprised that Plagueis and Palpatine were not responsible for the "Force" conception of Anakin Skywalker, especially since Plagueis was working on that very subject.
I was also surprised that Plagueis was not assassinated by Palpatine until almost the end of the events of "The Phantom Menace" film. So Plagueis had knowledge of Anakin and was startled by his appearance as a harbinger of doom for all his plans.
One of my least favorite things about "Darth Plagueis" was the amount of typos and errors I found in the text. Shame on you, editors.
But a Goodreads reader of this review did point out to me that one of the "errors" I found was actually not one. They really did mean Bail Antilles and not Bail Organa, as I thought. Two Senators named Bail from Alderaan at the same time. Wow, that's not confusing at ALL. Sheesh.
Though "Darth Plagueis" is not at all action-packed, it is a subtle novel about Machiavellian manipulation in the Star Wars universe. If you ever wondered how Emperor Palpatine came to power, this book will give you many of the dark secrets that gave rise to his tyrannical reign.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2023
Anyone expecting an action filled Star Wars story with huge space battles maybe disappointed as Darth Plagueis reads more like a political thriller than anything else.
Exploring the origins of Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine ,this was a deep dive into the politics and events leading upto The Phantom Menace.
I really enjoyed the book and particularly in the last quarter, when the characters from the first prequel movie were introduced, but ,happily, not JarJar Binks !
Very good indeed. An excellent Star Wars Legends novel. 4 Death Stars !
Exploring the origins of Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine ,this was a deep dive into the politics and events leading upto The Phantom Menace.
I really enjoyed the book and particularly in the last quarter, when the characters from the first prequel movie were introduced, but ,happily, not JarJar Binks !
Very good indeed. An excellent Star Wars Legends novel. 4 Death Stars !
April 29, 2012
Upon finishing this book I have read only two Star Wars novels, but can say from my limited experience in Star Wars literature that this may be the book by which many after will be judged. You definitely get the impression that James Luceno did his homework here, because his command of the universe seems seamless and nearly infinite. There are so many good descriptions and accurate references/inferences to events that add to the overall enjoyability of this book. I wanted to read this title because not only was I interested in Palpatine's backstory, I wanted to know the Sith that bred him and seemed to command the most "biological knowledge" of the force. I definitely wasn't disappointed. Luceno paints a picture of a very intelligent, level headed and pragmatic Darth Plagueis who is less apt to act on inward emotion and rage as many Sith we have seen in film. Plagueis is also well detailed as one that has all sorts of knowledge as a result of endless research and experiments on living beings with midichlorians. The back story of Palpatine was also interesting and brings new light to the character we've all seen as the already capable supreme chancellor and dark emperor Sidious.
Overall I thought this a really good and very descriptive read. It was an easy read, but not overly easy to where you felt you were reading a Star Wars book meant for minors. My main criticism is that there was an overwhelming number of characters at play and it was hard to follow who was who at times. Even still, after reading it I feel as if I know not just more about the characters involved, but about Star Wars in general. I highly recommend you re-watch The Phantom Menace after finishing this book. It overlaps events in that film, and it is a much more enjoyable movie with this back story. You can even place Plagueis' whereabouts in the film between scenes! This book will make me view the films (not just Phantom Menace) in a different and more fully realized light. I would have given this one 4.5 stars (if possible) but I will give it the benefit of the doubt at 5 due to the solid research, dedication and execution you can tell the author put forth here.
Overall I thought this a really good and very descriptive read. It was an easy read, but not overly easy to where you felt you were reading a Star Wars book meant for minors. My main criticism is that there was an overwhelming number of characters at play and it was hard to follow who was who at times. Even still, after reading it I feel as if I know not just more about the characters involved, but about Star Wars in general. I highly recommend you re-watch The Phantom Menace after finishing this book. It overlaps events in that film, and it is a much more enjoyable movie with this back story. You can even place Plagueis' whereabouts in the film between scenes! This book will make me view the films (not just Phantom Menace) in a different and more fully realized light. I would have given this one 4.5 stars (if possible) but I will give it the benefit of the doubt at 5 due to the solid research, dedication and execution you can tell the author put forth here.
July 12, 2018
This may be controversial to those who think that Darth Plagueis heralded a glorious bright spot in the latter day of the Extended Universe… but it’s not that great. True, it indeed raises itself above the morass of churned out, 200-pages-in-hardback, simply forgettable novels that were really plaguing the EU towards the end. Darth Plagueis is fresh and interesting and stands out enough that you won’t forget which one it was. It’s a genuinely decent read. It’s just not a great read.
After all these years, we still know so little about the Sith – at least compared to the Jedi. Believe it or not, it’s hard for people to knowingly embrace being evil all the time. It takes a pretty sustained effort. So are the Sith just fooling themselves into thinking they’re in the right? If not, how do they overcome that pesky innate impulse to goodness? What are their techniques, their ways and rituals, their supposed knowledge and wisdom that strengthen their resolve and convince them that the Jedi have it wrong? Seriously, they must have these things otherwise what’s the point. This is the kind of thing I’ve idly wondered about for years, ever since becoming immersed in the world of Star Wars. It’s a critical collection of questions because the Jedi/Sith conflict, the dual nature of the light side and the dark side, defines the tale of Star Wars. Let me just say that after reading hundreds of book in the EU, I am none the wiser. Some characters say the Force has no ‘sides’, it’s how you use it. Other characters rubbish that and stick to the dark side/light side view. Some characters talk about succumbing to the dark side, other characters talk about controlling the Force itself as something almost tangible. Every Sith novel that comes out offers a tiny snippet of ritual but never actually answers the key questions definitively. And I suspect they never will. In that respect, Darth Plagueis offers nothing new.
But still, I keep getting suckered into these things because dammit I want answers! Plus, the allure of finally discovering the deep dark history of a major character – Palpatine himself – was a huge lure. The novel does fairly well on that front. Everything is set up, everything is put into place and the events of pretty much everything that follows, chronologically, is explained and featured here. There’s even Armand Isard and Sate Pestage and Kinman Doriana. But that’s kind of the book’s weakness as well as its strength. It offers a pretty good overview of exactly what was going on behind the scenes and what the Grand Plan was, and it reads like a detailed history book of the events of the period. But it’s too good. Everything has been so meticulously retconned that it’s unbelievable. Jabba the Hutt? He was working for Plagueis. Gardulla the Hutt creating podracing events on Tatooine? Plagueis. Dooku’s leaving the Jedi Order? Plagueis. Sifo-Dyas placing the order for the clone army? Plagueis. And how convenient too that Plagueis should have been incredibly rich, and that his master, Tenebrous, should have been a starship designer. Come on now. Leave some stuff down to the forces of chaos and chance, Mr Luceno! Sometimes a smalltime Hutt gangster is just a smalltime Hutt gangster. As for Sifo-Dyas, I always just figured that was a really unimaginative alias for Sidious placing the order in disguise. You don’t need to overcomplicate it. You don’t need to have Plagueis come in and actually manipulate the Jedi Master over a period of decades to prompt the placing of the clone order. Just kill the Jedi and fake the order. Simple. But rather than follow simple logic, the book engages in making everything convoluted and interconnected, I guess to try and make Plagueis look like a master of his craft. This is boring though – the story lacks excitement with the outcome so assured. Bribing people to do whatever is required for the Sith Grand Plan? Not a problem. Pushing politicians about to do whatever he wants? Plagueis doesn’t even have to lift a finger. Heck, windfalls just keep falling into his lap like gifts from the Force… sorry, no, that’s wrong, I meant to say: Because the story needs them to in order for the movies to happen.
I admit I am being harsh in my criticism. It’s a pretty interesting read if you read it as a history rather than an exciting tale. It fleshes out a lot of previously mysterious areas. It just does it a little too perfectly to be plausible. Case in point is Palpatine. The book dodges out of telling us his first name under some silly pretext that he has rejected his given name and simply wishes to be known forever by his family name. Urgh. The convenience is physically painful. And if you were looking for a fascinating insight into the mysteries of the Sith – look elsewhere. The novel touches on Plagueis’ experiments with midi-chlorians but it never delves into them in depth or leads us to any conclusions. Most of the book is taken up with the mundane and practical matters of executing the Grand Plan, with almost no insight into the Sith philosophy. The closest we get is chapters 12 and 13 in which snatches of Palpatine’s training outline some of Plagueis’ lessons or views regarding the Sith and the Force. I wish we’d had more of this stuff. And more emotion, to boot. Plagueis and Palpatine, for the most part go about executing their plan with the utmost cool and collectedness. Those that join them seem to have no qualms whatsoever. Yeah, I’ll work for the Sith. No biggie. This feels decidedly odd.
I should explain that in the absence of actual solid answers about the Sith way, I have a hypothesis that much of what occurs in a Sith’s tale should be driven by high drama and emotion. Much of the draw towards these characters, for fans, is not so much the intimidation of them (which quickly wears off with familiarity), but the question of their motivations and just how it is they stick to the life they do. To make them truly scary and delve into that fascination of fans, I firmly believe that the lives of the Sith are chock full of high drama, emotion, and tragedy. Events spiralling out of control and their instinctive terrible reaction that drags the individual, kicking and screaming, into a place where they feel completely trapped, and thus prompted into perpetrating ever more dubious deeds in horrified desperation. Now that’s what makes for a great story! How scary, to be a good person caught up in the tides of seemingly unstoppable horror and tragedy, and what you might do to survive! How heart-wrenching and gripping to watch such a person make poor decision after poor decision, never realising that they had other options! This is always what made Palpatine such a compelling Emperor. The Palpatine of the original trilogy was a master manipulator and always knew with sickening accuracy exactly where to jab. He didn’t care about his own life if it meant the perpetuating of his evil. He made other people feel like they were caught up on that tide of their own desperation and fear and that they had no choices available to them. We learn a lot about Palpatine and about Darth Plagueis in this book, but every step they take down the path of the dark side is so calm and poised. Where is the horror and the fear? Where is the book’s dark heart?
6 out of 10
After all these years, we still know so little about the Sith – at least compared to the Jedi. Believe it or not, it’s hard for people to knowingly embrace being evil all the time. It takes a pretty sustained effort. So are the Sith just fooling themselves into thinking they’re in the right? If not, how do they overcome that pesky innate impulse to goodness? What are their techniques, their ways and rituals, their supposed knowledge and wisdom that strengthen their resolve and convince them that the Jedi have it wrong? Seriously, they must have these things otherwise what’s the point. This is the kind of thing I’ve idly wondered about for years, ever since becoming immersed in the world of Star Wars. It’s a critical collection of questions because the Jedi/Sith conflict, the dual nature of the light side and the dark side, defines the tale of Star Wars. Let me just say that after reading hundreds of book in the EU, I am none the wiser. Some characters say the Force has no ‘sides’, it’s how you use it. Other characters rubbish that and stick to the dark side/light side view. Some characters talk about succumbing to the dark side, other characters talk about controlling the Force itself as something almost tangible. Every Sith novel that comes out offers a tiny snippet of ritual but never actually answers the key questions definitively. And I suspect they never will. In that respect, Darth Plagueis offers nothing new.
But still, I keep getting suckered into these things because dammit I want answers! Plus, the allure of finally discovering the deep dark history of a major character – Palpatine himself – was a huge lure. The novel does fairly well on that front. Everything is set up, everything is put into place and the events of pretty much everything that follows, chronologically, is explained and featured here. There’s even Armand Isard and Sate Pestage and Kinman Doriana. But that’s kind of the book’s weakness as well as its strength. It offers a pretty good overview of exactly what was going on behind the scenes and what the Grand Plan was, and it reads like a detailed history book of the events of the period. But it’s too good. Everything has been so meticulously retconned that it’s unbelievable. Jabba the Hutt? He was working for Plagueis. Gardulla the Hutt creating podracing events on Tatooine? Plagueis. Dooku’s leaving the Jedi Order? Plagueis. Sifo-Dyas placing the order for the clone army? Plagueis. And how convenient too that Plagueis should have been incredibly rich, and that his master, Tenebrous, should have been a starship designer. Come on now. Leave some stuff down to the forces of chaos and chance, Mr Luceno! Sometimes a smalltime Hutt gangster is just a smalltime Hutt gangster. As for Sifo-Dyas, I always just figured that was a really unimaginative alias for Sidious placing the order in disguise. You don’t need to overcomplicate it. You don’t need to have Plagueis come in and actually manipulate the Jedi Master over a period of decades to prompt the placing of the clone order. Just kill the Jedi and fake the order. Simple. But rather than follow simple logic, the book engages in making everything convoluted and interconnected, I guess to try and make Plagueis look like a master of his craft. This is boring though – the story lacks excitement with the outcome so assured. Bribing people to do whatever is required for the Sith Grand Plan? Not a problem. Pushing politicians about to do whatever he wants? Plagueis doesn’t even have to lift a finger. Heck, windfalls just keep falling into his lap like gifts from the Force… sorry, no, that’s wrong, I meant to say: Because the story needs them to in order for the movies to happen.
I admit I am being harsh in my criticism. It’s a pretty interesting read if you read it as a history rather than an exciting tale. It fleshes out a lot of previously mysterious areas. It just does it a little too perfectly to be plausible. Case in point is Palpatine. The book dodges out of telling us his first name under some silly pretext that he has rejected his given name and simply wishes to be known forever by his family name. Urgh. The convenience is physically painful. And if you were looking for a fascinating insight into the mysteries of the Sith – look elsewhere. The novel touches on Plagueis’ experiments with midi-chlorians but it never delves into them in depth or leads us to any conclusions. Most of the book is taken up with the mundane and practical matters of executing the Grand Plan, with almost no insight into the Sith philosophy. The closest we get is chapters 12 and 13 in which snatches of Palpatine’s training outline some of Plagueis’ lessons or views regarding the Sith and the Force. I wish we’d had more of this stuff. And more emotion, to boot. Plagueis and Palpatine, for the most part go about executing their plan with the utmost cool and collectedness. Those that join them seem to have no qualms whatsoever. Yeah, I’ll work for the Sith. No biggie. This feels decidedly odd.
I should explain that in the absence of actual solid answers about the Sith way, I have a hypothesis that much of what occurs in a Sith’s tale should be driven by high drama and emotion. Much of the draw towards these characters, for fans, is not so much the intimidation of them (which quickly wears off with familiarity), but the question of their motivations and just how it is they stick to the life they do. To make them truly scary and delve into that fascination of fans, I firmly believe that the lives of the Sith are chock full of high drama, emotion, and tragedy. Events spiralling out of control and their instinctive terrible reaction that drags the individual, kicking and screaming, into a place where they feel completely trapped, and thus prompted into perpetrating ever more dubious deeds in horrified desperation. Now that’s what makes for a great story! How scary, to be a good person caught up in the tides of seemingly unstoppable horror and tragedy, and what you might do to survive! How heart-wrenching and gripping to watch such a person make poor decision after poor decision, never realising that they had other options! This is always what made Palpatine such a compelling Emperor. The Palpatine of the original trilogy was a master manipulator and always knew with sickening accuracy exactly where to jab. He didn’t care about his own life if it meant the perpetuating of his evil. He made other people feel like they were caught up on that tide of their own desperation and fear and that they had no choices available to them. We learn a lot about Palpatine and about Darth Plagueis in this book, but every step they take down the path of the dark side is so calm and poised. Where is the horror and the fear? Where is the book’s dark heart?
6 out of 10
May 23, 2017
I've been reading a lot of Star Wars books over the last couple of years. I've been trying to get through most of the new canon stuff from Disney. I'm failing a bit at catching up because they keep publishing new books.
But anyway
Even though this is no longer considered "canon", I decided to read it anyway because it's one of the books you hear Star Wars fans talking about the most. And after reading and finishing it, I can see why. It's pretty fantastic.
The book is titled Darth Plagueis and while he is a central character in the book, the story focuses just as much on young Palpatine and his rise in both politics and the dark side.
Both Plagueis and Sidious plot and scheme and build towards their Grand Plan (which we know is the eventual Galactic Empire) all from the shadows while Hamsaek and Palpatine put on public faces for the politics side of things.
In a way it's kind of a prelude to The Phantom Menace (especially towards the end of the book), but this does the politic side of Star Wars in a much more interesting way that The Phantom Menace.
I really enjoyed it. A lot could still easily be canon and it could be adapted into a great Anthology film. There's lots of nods to greater Star Wars lure (especially from the prequels) and it make you appreciate Palpatine (who is already a very strong and good character in the movies alone) even more.
Very glad I didn't let the fact that it's no longer "canon" put me off from reading it.
But anyway
Even though this is no longer considered "canon", I decided to read it anyway because it's one of the books you hear Star Wars fans talking about the most. And after reading and finishing it, I can see why. It's pretty fantastic.
The book is titled Darth Plagueis and while he is a central character in the book, the story focuses just as much on young Palpatine and his rise in both politics and the dark side.
Both Plagueis and Sidious plot and scheme and build towards their Grand Plan (which we know is the eventual Galactic Empire) all from the shadows while Hamsaek and Palpatine put on public faces for the politics side of things.
In a way it's kind of a prelude to The Phantom Menace (especially towards the end of the book), but this does the politic side of Star Wars in a much more interesting way that The Phantom Menace.
I really enjoyed it. A lot could still easily be canon and it could be adapted into a great Anthology film. There's lots of nods to greater Star Wars lure (especially from the prequels) and it make you appreciate Palpatine (who is already a very strong and good character in the movies alone) even more.
Very glad I didn't let the fact that it's no longer "canon" put me off from reading it.
June 4, 2012
Darth Plaguies was one of the characters in the star wars universe that had really peaked my interest ever since his all to brief mention in Episode 3, and this book gives me all the detail I want about the character leading right up to a certain point of the Star Wars saga (I'm not saying what part so is not to spoil anything. What's interesting is that in may ways I actually found Sidious to be the far more interesting character in this book, from his introduction all the way up to the conclusion. That is not to say that Plagueis isn't a great character but at least in my opinion he wasn't even the focal point of the book. None of this stops the book from being enjoyable, interesting and absolutely essential for those who are fans of the Star Wars saga. The timeline that this book spans alone should really make this required reading, especially if you have somehow not seen Episode 1 read this first than check out the movie, it adds so much to the movie that could easily be seen as a weak entry into Star Wars lore.
August 2, 2017
Ahh, Darth Plagueis the Wise 0.00000001%er...Your book was so much more interesting over the first two thirds when the author did not have to flex and contort all plausibility in service of the bat guano crazy plotting of Dear Uncle George's prequels trilogy.
Plagueis himself made for a very intriguing, deep-scheming villain- merciless and inhumane, yes, but also intelligent and subtle. I would've been perfectly satisfied if the book had ended with the completion of his "seduction" of young Palpatine to the dark side and the ways of the Sith, but plodding on through literally decades of double lives, senatorial intrigue, and endless cameos by familiar figures spoiled the final act for me.
Still, Luceno is a heck of a writer, and listening to Daniel Davis' narration was a real treat- the man's got some golden pipes, to be sure, though he might need some help with his Huttese.
Plagueis himself made for a very intriguing, deep-scheming villain- merciless and inhumane, yes, but also intelligent and subtle. I would've been perfectly satisfied if the book had ended with the completion of his "seduction" of young Palpatine to the dark side and the ways of the Sith, but plodding on through literally decades of double lives, senatorial intrigue, and endless cameos by familiar figures spoiled the final act for me.
Still, Luceno is a heck of a writer, and listening to Daniel Davis' narration was a real treat- the man's got some golden pipes, to be sure, though he might need some help with his Huttese.
May 16, 2021
Was enjoyable, especially the last hour or 2, but it also was kind of slow moving and tried to hard to be a political thriller, when everyone reading it probably wanted more Sith action.
April 1, 2024
I’m sure 90% of the “Darth Plagueis” reviews allude to the classic “Have You Ever Heard The Tragedy of…” line/meme at some point. It's understandable because it's arguably the best dialogue-focused scene in the Star Wars prequels and really did capture fans’ imaginations. The Darth Plagueis novel expands upon that scene and gives an interesting examination of Plagueis and his relationship with apprentice/future Emperor Palpatine (the book could also be considered a Palpatine origin story).
With its heavy emphasis on shady political/financial dealings shaping the Star Wars galaxy, I get the feeling George Lucas circa 1999-2005 would love the novel’s story as it pretty much resembles the initial films of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. Probably the fact it's like that rather than a more exciting space opera akin to the Original Trilogy with plenty of accompanying action sequences is probably why some GoodReads reviews I’ve seen say its a boring book. I myself kind of tuned out a bit whenever there was significant time devoted to Plagueis in his “Hego Damask” identity doing financial deals to promote Sith interests and undermine the Republic. Still, these parts could be interesting at times. The shady plotting in general though is much more interesting when it dealt with the Sith Order’s internal politicking and backstabbing. Author James Luceno draws upon the films, the entire Legends continuity and even the then recent Clone Wars show to explore the Sith’s history and how it paved the way for Plagueis and eventually Palpatine’s rise. Palpatine’s training and education in Sith history are the best parts of the book.
The other best part of the book I’d say was Plagueis himself. I really appreciated his overall personality and how he was far more of a manipulative strategist rather than a full on warrior, although he does acquit himself well in the fight. The emphasis on his scholarly/scientific mind was also a real interesting variation on other Sith characters in other Star Wars projects, especially as it gave us insight into the Midi-chlorians and Plagueis/Palpatine’s eventual obsession with immortality. Probably my favorite thing about Plaguies’ voice in the audiobook as provided by Daniel Davis, it gave the character a real menace and alien feel to it (with a bit of Vader mixed in eventually).
There are some details/changes to the lore I didn’t care for. Personally I didn’t like how Luceno’s decisions to have Plagueis be alive as far as the final scenes of The Phantom Menace and that Maul was not deemed a real Sith Lord. I had much preferred the idea that Plagueis had died sometime before and Palpatine did consider Maul a worthy apprentice (even though what Luceno did is no different than what Lucasfilm does with Ventress or the Inquisitors). Still these didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel and its close exploration of the Sith’s Grand Plan and the efforts it took for them to keep it on track and not the Force “push back” on their machinations too much (even if they ultimately fail by inadvertently causing the creation of The Chosen One).
While it might appeal to those curious about the scene in the movie, “Darth Plagueis” is really meant for fans of Star Wars Legends content. The novel came out a year or so before Disney created Legends and deemed most including this book non Canon. So in many ways this book acted like a grand finale for that timeline, while still paving the way for content that would make its way for future Star Wars novels in the official Star Wars Canon(Luceno’s “Tarkin” novel did ensure some of this novel’s events still happened in Canon). Regardless, the book’s biggest appeal is the Sith and their treacherous ways, so if you like that type of Star Wars you are in luck.
With its heavy emphasis on shady political/financial dealings shaping the Star Wars galaxy, I get the feeling George Lucas circa 1999-2005 would love the novel’s story as it pretty much resembles the initial films of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. Probably the fact it's like that rather than a more exciting space opera akin to the Original Trilogy with plenty of accompanying action sequences is probably why some GoodReads reviews I’ve seen say its a boring book. I myself kind of tuned out a bit whenever there was significant time devoted to Plagueis in his “Hego Damask” identity doing financial deals to promote Sith interests and undermine the Republic. Still, these parts could be interesting at times. The shady plotting in general though is much more interesting when it dealt with the Sith Order’s internal politicking and backstabbing. Author James Luceno draws upon the films, the entire Legends continuity and even the then recent Clone Wars show to explore the Sith’s history and how it paved the way for Plagueis and eventually Palpatine’s rise. Palpatine’s training and education in Sith history are the best parts of the book.
The other best part of the book I’d say was Plagueis himself. I really appreciated his overall personality and how he was far more of a manipulative strategist rather than a full on warrior, although he does acquit himself well in the fight. The emphasis on his scholarly/scientific mind was also a real interesting variation on other Sith characters in other Star Wars projects, especially as it gave us insight into the Midi-chlorians and Plagueis/Palpatine’s eventual obsession with immortality. Probably my favorite thing about Plaguies’ voice in the audiobook as provided by Daniel Davis, it gave the character a real menace and alien feel to it (with a bit of Vader mixed in eventually).
There are some details/changes to the lore I didn’t care for. Personally I didn’t like how Luceno’s decisions to have Plagueis be alive as far as the final scenes of The Phantom Menace and that Maul was not deemed a real Sith Lord. I had much preferred the idea that Plagueis had died sometime before and Palpatine did consider Maul a worthy apprentice (even though what Luceno did is no different than what Lucasfilm does with Ventress or the Inquisitors). Still these didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel and its close exploration of the Sith’s Grand Plan and the efforts it took for them to keep it on track and not the Force “push back” on their machinations too much (even if they ultimately fail by inadvertently causing the creation of The Chosen One).
While it might appeal to those curious about the scene in the movie, “Darth Plagueis” is really meant for fans of Star Wars Legends content. The novel came out a year or so before Disney created Legends and deemed most including this book non Canon. So in many ways this book acted like a grand finale for that timeline, while still paving the way for content that would make its way for future Star Wars novels in the official Star Wars Canon(Luceno’s “Tarkin” novel did ensure some of this novel’s events still happened in Canon). Regardless, the book’s biggest appeal is the Sith and their treacherous ways, so if you like that type of Star Wars you are in luck.
August 17, 2020
3.5 / 5
I mostly enjoyed this SW novel, which acts as a prequel to the Prequel films.
Darth Plagueis first comes across as a “cool” Sith Lord, outwitting everyone like a Shakespearian villain, only to then succumb to his crazed desire for immortality. Even though Palpatine / Sidious plays a more central role halfway through, his inclusion (along with the wide array of side characters) makes the novel varied and gripping.
I’m probably in the minority saying this, but if you thought the political intrigue that permeated the Prequel films was entertaining then this book won’t disappoint.
James Luceno’s world-building is detailed while still leaving room for the reader’s imagination. The dialogues are fun too, and very much reminiscent of the ones in the Prequels.
I mostly enjoyed this SW novel, which acts as a prequel to the Prequel films.
Darth Plagueis first comes across as a “cool” Sith Lord, outwitting everyone like a Shakespearian villain, only to then succumb to his crazed desire for immortality. Even though Palpatine / Sidious plays a more central role halfway through, his inclusion (along with the wide array of side characters) makes the novel varied and gripping.
I’m probably in the minority saying this, but if you thought the political intrigue that permeated the Prequel films was entertaining then this book won’t disappoint.
James Luceno’s world-building is detailed while still leaving room for the reader’s imagination. The dialogues are fun too, and very much reminiscent of the ones in the Prequels.
August 11, 2022
3.5 stars.
This book was pretty much this:
Psychopaths! Sociopaths! Learn to destabilize governments, amass massive wealth through exploitation of planetary resources and people, slaughter many in training exercises and research, coerce, manipulate and assassinate your way to the top, only to be murdered by your apprentice. Fun times!
Though not canon, it was still interesting to watch powerful, wealthy muun and Dark Side practitioner Darth Plagueis' remorseless energy directed towards both finding immortality through studying midichlorians (*sigh* those stupid things) and performing horrific experiments on live subjects, while destabilizing the increasingly corrupt Republic and recruiting the seventeen-year old self-centred, amoral schemer Palpatine as his apprentice.
There is a lot of political intrigue (my favourite), planet-hopping, and murder. The book gets a little dry in spots, but as I was reading this as a possible history of Darth Siddious' rise to power.
This book was pretty much this:
Psychopaths! Sociopaths! Learn to destabilize governments, amass massive wealth through exploitation of planetary resources and people, slaughter many in training exercises and research, coerce, manipulate and assassinate your way to the top, only to be murdered by your apprentice. Fun times!
Though not canon, it was still interesting to watch powerful, wealthy muun and Dark Side practitioner Darth Plagueis' remorseless energy directed towards both finding immortality through studying midichlorians (*sigh* those stupid things) and performing horrific experiments on live subjects, while destabilizing the increasingly corrupt Republic and recruiting the seventeen-year old self-centred, amoral schemer Palpatine as his apprentice.
There is a lot of political intrigue (my favourite), planet-hopping, and murder. The book gets a little dry in spots, but as I was reading this as a possible history of Darth Siddious' rise to power.
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