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Darth Plagueis: Star Wars Legends Paperback – April 5, 2022
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This essential Star Wars Legends novel chronicles the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise, and the origins of the saga’s most enduring evil—the malevolent Sith master Palpatine.
“The best Star Wars publication to date . . . [James] Luceno takes Darth Plagueis down the dark path and never looks back.”—Newsday
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. When the time is right, he destroys his Master—and 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?
“Luceno draws on his storytelling skill and prodigious knowledge of the [Star Wars] world . . . to craft a complex tale of ambition and desire.”—Library Journal
- Print length464 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherRandom House Worlds
- Publication dateApril 5, 2022
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.97 x 8.25 inches
- ISBN-100593358805
- ISBN-13978-0593358801
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the storyline masterful, thought-provoking, and engaging. They also say the content is well-structured and interweaves with Episode I brilliantly. Readers describe the book as very well-written and detailed. They praise the characters as developed. Opinions are mixed on the pace and political content, with some finding it great and others slow.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the storyline masterful, well done, and interesting. They also say the book starts off amazingly and is definitely worth it. Readers also say it can be a standalone fantasy novel and is one of the finest additions to the Expanded Universe since Timothy Zahn's THRAWN.
"...The book starts off amazingly with the death of the main character...." Read more
"This book is SO good...." Read more
"...All you need to have seen are the movies, really. It can be a standalone fantasy novel, and it may prove to be a good rival EU introductory novel to..." Read more
"James Luceno does a marvelous job bringing the Mythos of Darth Plagueis the wise to life, culminating a slow burn and explaining the events that led..." Read more
Customers find the content engaging, clever, and intelligent. They also say it builds on the intelligent aspects of the prequels and involves a lot of introspective narration. Readers say the narrative is tight, relevant, and thought-provoking, and it offers a rare perspective into the Star Wars universe.
"...Bc he does a great job explaining the capability of the force and its uses that can be implemented if merely looked at a different way...." Read more
"...study that reads through the eyes of Plagueis and involves a lot of introspective narration, plotting, and strategic political games...." Read more
"...The book is extremely clever, using an omnipresent third-person narrator but multiple protagonists, a non-linear timeline, and nudge-nudge chapter..." Read more
"...It's a decent book, and good enough to keep me interested in trying out other Luceno-written titles, but it's only for die hard fans, in my opinion." Read more
Customers find the story flawless, excellent, and exciting. They also say it provides the back story of Darth Plagueis and is a great jumping point for the events that lead into the prequel trilogy. Readers also mention that the pacing and plotting is done quite well.
"...Almost beautifully. As mentioned before, the Bane Trilogy is a good pre-book series to read, as those set up everything that this book continues...." Read more
"...Star Wars “author laureate” James Luceno has done an incredible job setting up the events and characters for the Prequel Trilogy (PT)...." Read more
"...For the rest of the title, the pacing and plotting is done quite well; not once was I left feeling it a chore to continue reading...." Read more
"...determination to pull through the dull moments, but the ending was worth it...." Read more
Customers find the book very well-written, fast-paced, and a real page turner. They say it gives a detailed look at how the Sith used the force to bring forth. Readers also say the dialog is extremely fluid.
"...Almost beautifully. As mentioned before, the Bane Trilogy is a good pre-book series to read, as those set up everything that this book continues...." Read more
"...This book easily revolutionizes writing for the EU: Its prose is cerebral, lyrical, and delves into philosophical discussions of morality and ethics..." Read more
"The new cover is so, so good. Love the composition and the color. The yellow really pops...." Read more
"...Dialog is extremely fluid and is definitely one of Luceno's biggest strengths here...." Read more
Customers find the characters in the book well developed. They also appreciate the great voice acting.
"...So character development is good...." Read more
"Pros:The voice acting was great...." Read more
"...Most of the ancillary characters are completely forgettable and many of them do literally nothing: Sate Pestage and Killman Doriana are two of..." Read more
"...issue with Plagueis being alive well into episode 1, his character is pretty awesome...." Read more
Customers find the universe in the book good, well layered, and brilliant.
"Brilliant. The Star Wars universe is so well layered that it boggles the mind. Darth Plagueis’s story answers so many questions...." Read more
"...Moreover, it incorporates ideas from other Expanded Universe authors (something I always really loved about the EU) ...." Read more
"...one gets to be a bit long winded but overall another great addition to the star wars universe." Read more
"...Very well written and consistent with the Star Wars universe." Read more
Customers are mixed about the pace. Some mention it's a quick read with psychology and origin stories. Others say the first third to half is rather slow and dry.
"...One other thing that bothered me, aside from how slow the novel got at certain points, is the fact that after part one Plagueis' importance quickly..." Read more
"...Luceno also handles the pacing quite well...." Read more
"...The book is not without flaws. The first third to half is rather slow and somewhat dry, and the entirety of the novel is difficult to resume between..." Read more
"...The author did a good job with structuring the book and pacing the action...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the political content. Some find the book amazing, while others say it's a little politics-heavy.
"...the Force gets a little dense; some of the political machinations are not well developed and, thus, difficult to follow; and the last few chapters..." Read more
"...Pros: well planned story, cunning political maneuvering by the Sith, the inclusion of many well-known SW characters..." Read more
"...I strike! No grand design? No forethought? No conflict, no character arc, no climax!! Seriously!Ok this is enough...." Read more
"...This is a great prequel to the movie prequels that is filled with political intrigue, Sith history, and explorations of the Dark Side...." Read more
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First off, I grew up reading star wars. Started with the kids books obi wan kenobi adventures, when he starts off not even getting picked as an apprentice to falling in love with Siri and almost leaving the jedi order. I've read all the Old republic books. The Bane Trilogy (which is a great precursor book to this one) all of Timothy Zahn's works, and the New Jedi Order Series, and pretty much everything in between. A good 60+ books I would say with confidence.
Secondly. I abhor the decision made to turn the Expanded Universe into....the....legends.........It physically angers me. That all those works done to make Star Wars into My star wars, the star wars I know and love, are turned into stories merely so Disney can have creative f***ing insight to make their new movies--......... It was a poor and crap decision. Bc now everything I know is out the window to pave the way for the crap they're wanting to do now. The movies could have been great if they did the yhuuzhang vong invasion....but I digress.....
Thirdly. This is the best book about the force I have ever read. Those 60+ books I've read don't include the omnibus's, comics, or the guide books they've created to explain the star wars universe. Yet, this book talks about the force in a way that the matrix animated movie explains what the matrix was really about.
The author goes so in depth with the force, what it is, what its capable of, that some chapters you'll read twice just to be sure you gathered all the info correctly. So either he had Lucas on speed-dial to ask him about what the force really is, or he has a better understanding than even Lucas himself has. Bc he does a great job explaining the capability of the force and its uses that can be implemented if merely looked at a different way. Things the jedi could never do bc of their almost religious way of using it and seeing it as something given, instead of something that exists to be used. As always, its about point of view in how you perceive it.
The book starts off amazingly with the death of the main character. Entices you into wondering "what just happened?" and then delving into the...I believe 50-75 year journey of this barely aging, very mysterious, almost mad Dr. like Sith who delves into the science and experimentation of what the force can do, and he does it well. Almost beautifully. As mentioned before, the Bane Trilogy is a good pre-book series to read, as those set up everything that this book continues. The bane trilogy is one of my favorites, and is the beginning of the Rule of 2 sith. This book, is basically the culmination of of a thousand years of building, planning, and gaining knowledge to bring about the downfall of the jedi and the coming of the sith. They go into detail about the secret contacts, meetings, almost illuminati like gatherings of the galaxies most powerful people, and how they are all being manipulated to do the sith's bidding. Eventually finding palpatine, and delving into his previously unknown backstory and even the intro of Darth Maul and how he came to be in an almost "slap on the knee I can't believe that just happened they had no idea they were giving maul to a sith instead of a jedi" moment.
The story follows Plagueis's experiments into solving the biggest thing the Sith have looked for, immortality, and he FINDS it. It follows the story of Palpatines training and involvement into becoming the President of the Republic Galaxy basically.
AND....in a sith ritual to put a veil over the jedi.......basically tells you what happened that brought Anakin into the world.
And in one part, IF IT WERE CANON, places Plagueis being present during the time of episode I. Literally in the background of when the ship first lands on Coruscant when they're looking at Anakin knowing that this is the child they basically created and knew he would be the future.
Which just goes to upset me more that this is just....legends.......grrrrrrr.......
But anyway, I've downvoted all the 1 star reviews about "lack of character development bc of a pretentiousness of the authors inability to blah blah blah I'm probably an art history major and am filled with years of culture that make me better than you and use big words bc I'm smart blah blah blah"
The story starts out with Plagueis being old, almost if not over 100, for a good reason it starts here. and Palpatine wasn't trained as a child, bc sith apprentices are different from jedi, they don't come as babies all the time, look at Dooku. Its more of someones ideals than it is them just being young, and they explain Palpatines desires to join and the "how it happened" very well. So character development is good. Action isn't everywhere, but this is more about learning about previously unknown origins and new facts about things we've never thought of than a book of Sith going on a killing rampage.
All in all, I bought this a while ago on paper back, and wanted it on my kindle. So I BOUGHT IT AGAIN. Bc I'm that happy with it.
May the force be with you.
This lead me to Darth Plagueis and MAN was I not disappointed because it was EXACTLY what I was looking for. Not only do I feel like I understand the Sith better, but I feel like this is the first time the lure of the Sith felt more realistic and accessible, not just about villainous selfishness and power.
As a heads up, unlike most Star Wars novels out there, this is not an action-packed space thriller, so if that’s what you’re looking for, this may not be for you. This is much more a character study that reads through the eyes of Plagueis and involves a lot of introspective narration, plotting, and strategic political games. Although the true introspective voice is only Plagueis’, we still get to learn a lot about the way Sidious feels/thinks as well as more about where he came from. As a bonus, we also get to learn a bit more about Maul in the meantime and see a lot of crossover with other Legends canon.
All in all, walking away from this book, I feel like I have a better understanding of the Sith, Sidious, and the “grand plan”. A very rewarding read.
This book easily revolutionizes writing for the EU: Its prose is cerebral, lyrical, and delves into philosophical discussions of morality and ethics that people -- for those who had the privilege to take a few philosophy or political science courses in college -- are familiar with, though they are obviously cast in a new light (see: Nietzsche, Hume, Hobbes, and Schopenhauer, not to mention Freud and Plato.) *This book is not for Star Wars fans who like action/adventure or like to see things go boom.
The book is extremely clever, using an omnipresent third-person narrator but multiple protagonists, a non-linear timeline, and nudge-nudge chapter titles that remain grounded in our world (I recall a chapter named "The Discreet Charm of the Bureaucracy" -- ha) and keeping us with one foot in the Star Wars Universe and one in Earth's. The stories of lobbies, bureaucrats, political machinations with corporations may be dull to some, but why not learn that strings are pulled by the rich, powerful and violent in EVERY GALAXY? Take an ethics lesson with Hego Demask and Palpatine, Star Wars fans; "Darth Plagueis" is, to some extent, a micro textbook on modern international politics and sentient moral philosophy, and for that I love it. Another major plus is that, while fleshing out the backstory of Palpatine, the man is not made sympathetic. He was always petulant, always manipulative, always superficially charming, always violent, and always destined for this future -- no mere Anakin Skywalker he. Palpatine is not a classic fallen hero trope, and his malevolent anti-social personality disorder is on gorgeous display in writing here.
"Darth Plagueis" is for fans who have always wanted their Star Wars a little darker and a lot smarter than the average.
My only qualm is that the species of Darth Plagueis, the Muun species, is an obvious (and so obvious it was not unintentional) amalgam of various stereotypes of the Jewish people: Isolationist, obsessed with money, nearly only bankers and lawyers, not fighters but rather people who use money to win, and, of course, the famous stereotype that Jews are the puppetmasters behind all kinds of political lobbies and massive global schemes. As much as I adored the character of Darth Plagueis, I felt, as a Jewish woman, a little bothered that James Luceno would exploit common and harmful stereotypes of a real-life community of people to make his point about the nature of the Grand Plan of the Sith. It showed a lack of creativity on Luceno's part, just as George Lucas' casting of the Neimoidian Trade Federation leaders as East Asian peoples was crass and brought down his brand. Luceno might as well have said he thinks George Soros is a Sith Lord and taken it from there.
The puzzling pseudo-antisemitism notwithstanding, this book is fantastic and the only must-read EU novel since, I don't know, anything that had Thrawn in it (exception: "Choices of One".) It's for the fans of the Empire and/or Sith who want to know the nitty-gritty without it all being romanticized or flashy. It is also removed enough from the heavy canon discussion that happens in the NJO/Legacy series for it to be acceptable to non-Star Wars fans. All you need to have seen are the movies, really. It can be a standalone fantasy novel, and it may prove to be a good rival EU introductory novel to "Heir to the Empire" or "Shadow of the Empire".
This was the Expanded Universe book I was looking for.
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Also brilliantly done the connect to Episode Ⅰ: The Phantom Menace with Qui-Gon Ginn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala and last but not least Anakin Skywalker.
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Reviewed in Spain on February 18, 2023
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