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Star Wars: Darth Plagueis (Star Wars - Legends) Mass Market Paperback – October 30, 2012

by James Luceno (Author)

4.7 9,935 ratings

Part of: Star Wars - Legends (44 books)

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

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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

Part of series

Star Wars - Legends
Print length

496 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Random House Worlds
Publication date

October 30, 2012
Dimensions

4.17 x 0.99 x 6.85 inches
ISBN-10

0345511298
ISBN-13

978-0345511294
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Popular Highlights in this book

What are popular highlights?

“Uncertainty is the first step toward self-determination,” Plagueis said. “Courage comes next.”
Highlighted by 715 Kindle readers
“The power of the dark side is an illness no true Sith would wish to be cured of.”
Highlighted by 546 Kindle readers
Damask knew, too, that the ancient Sith had once had an outpost on Tatooine, but he kept that to himself.
Highlighted by 450 Kindle readers

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Luceno is the New York Times bestselling author of the Star Wars novels Millennium Falcon, Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, Cloak of Deception, and Labyrinth of Evil, as well as the New Jedi Order novels Agents of Chaos I: Hero’s Trial and Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse, The Unifying Force, and the eBook Darth Maul: Saboteur. He is also the author of the fantasy novel Hunt for the Mayan Looking-Glass, available as an eBook. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland, with his wife and youngest child.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

PART ONE

Enlistment

67–65 Years Before the Battle of Yavin

1: THE UNDERWORLD

Forty-seven standard years before the harrowing reign of Emperor Palpatine, Bal’demnic was nothing more than an embryonic world in the Outer Rim’s Auril sector, populated by reptilian sentients who expressed as little tolerance for outsiders as they did for one another. Decades later the planet would have a part to play in galactic events, its own wink of historical notoriety, but in those formative years that presaged the Republic’s ineluctable slide into decadence and turmoil, Bal’demnic was of interest only to xenobiologists and cartographers. It might even have escaped the notice of Darth Plagueis, for whom remote worlds held a special allure, had his Master, Tenebrous, not discovered something special about the planet.

“Darth Bane would appreciate our efforts,” the Sith Master was telling his apprentice as they stood side by side in the crystalline cave that had drawn them across the stars.

A Bith, Tenebrous was as tall as Plagueis and nearly as cadaverously thin. To human eyes, his bilious complexion might have made him appear as haggard as the pallid Muun, but in fact both beings were in robust health. Though they conversed in Basic, each was fluent in the other’s native language.

“Darth Bane’s early years,” Plagueis said through his transpirator mask. “Carrying on the ancestral business, as it were.”

Behind the faceplate of his own mask, Tenebrous’s puckered lips twitched in disapproval. The breathing device looked absurdly small on his outsized cleft head, and the convexity of the mask made the flat disks of his lidless eyes look like close-set holes in his pinched face.

“Bane’s seminal years,” he corrected.

Plagueis weathered the gentle rebuke. He had been apprenticed to Tenebrous for as many years as the average human might live, and still Tenebrous never failed to find fault when he could.

“What more appropriate way for us to close the circle than by mimicking the Sith’ari’s seminal efforts,” Tenebrous continued. “We weave ourselves into the warp and weft of the tapestry he created.”

Plagueis kept his thoughts to himself. The aptly named Darth Bane, who had redefined the Sith by limiting their number and operating from concealment, had mined cortosis as a youth on Apatros long before embracing the tenets of the dark side. In the thousand years since his death, Bane had become deified; the powers attributed to him, legendary. And indeed what more appropriate place for his disciples to complete the circle, Plagueis told himself, than in profound obscurity, deep within an escarpment that walled an azure expanse of Bal’demnic’s Northern Sea.

The two Sith were outfitted in environment suits that protected them from scorching heat and noxious atmosphere. The cave was crosshatched by scores of enormous crystals that resembled glowing lances thrust every which way into a trick chest by a stage magician. A recent seismic event had tipped the landmass, emptying the labyrinthine cave system of mineral-rich waters, but the magma chamber that had kept the waters simmering for millions of years still heated the humid air to temperatures in excess of what even Tenebrous and Plagueis could endure unaided. Close at hand sat a stubby treddroid tasked with monitoring the progress of a mining probe that was sampling a rich vein of cortosis ore at the bottom of a deep shaft. A fabled ore, some called it—owing to its scarcity, but even more for its intrinsic ability to diminish the effectiveness of the Jedi lightsaber. For that reason, the Jedi Order had gone to great lengths to restrict mining and refinement of the ore. If not the bane of the Order’s existence, cortosis was a kind of irritant, a challenge to their weapon’s reputation for fearsome invincibility.

It was to Tenebrous’s credit that the Sith had learned of Bal’demnic’s rich lodes before the Jedi, who by means of an agreement with the Republic Senate had first claim to all discoveries, as they had with Adegan crystals and Force-sensitive younglings of all species. But Tenebrous and the generations of Sith Masters who had preceded him were privy to covert data gleaned by vast networks of informants the Senate and the Jedi knew nothing about, including mining survey teams and weapons manufacturers.

“Based on the data I am receiving,” the treddroid intoned, “eighty-two percent of the ore is capable of being purified into weapons-grade cortosis shield.”

Plagueis looked at Tenebrous, who returned a nod of satisfaction. “The percentage is consistent with what I was told to expect.”

“By whom, Master?”

“Of no consequence,” Tenebrous said.

Strewn about the superheated tunnel were broken borer bits, expended gasifiers, and clogged filtration masks, all abandoned by the exploratory team that had sunk the shaft several standard months earlier. From the shaft’s broad mouth issued the repeated reports of the probe droid’s hydraulic jacks. Music to Tenebrous’s auditory organs, Plagueis was certain.

“Can you not share your plans for this discovery?”

“In due time, Darth Plagueis.” Tenebrous turned away from him to address the treddroid. “Instruct the probe to evaluate the properties of the secondary lode.”

Plagueis studied the screen affixed to the droid’s flat head. It displayed a map of the probe’s movements and a graphic analysis of its penetrating scans, which reached clear to the upper limits of the magma chamber.

“The probe is running an analysis,” the treddroid updated.

With the reciprocating sounds of the probe’s hydraulic jacks echoing in the crystal cave, Tenebrous began to circle the shaft, only to come to a sudden halt when the drilling ceased.

“Why has it stopped?” he asked before Plagueis could.

The droid’s reply was immediate. “The Em-Two unit informs me that it has discovered a pocket of gas directly beneath the new borehole.” The droid paused, then added: “I’m sorry to report, sirs, that the gas is a highly combustible variant of lethane. The Em-Two unit predicts that the heat generated by its hydraulic jacks will ignite an explosion of significant magnitude.”

Suspicion crept into Tenebrous’s voice. “The original report made no mention of lethane.”

The droid pivoted to face him. “I know nothing of that, sir. But the Em-Two unit is quite insistent. What’s more, my own programming corroborates the fact that it is not unusual to find pockets of lethane in close proximity to cortosis ore.”

“Query the probe about excavating around the lethane pocket,” Plagueis said.

“The Em-Two unit recommends employing that very strategy, sir. Shall I order it to proceed?”

Plagueis looked at Tenebrous, who nodded.

“Task the probe to proceed,” Plagueis said. When the hammering recommenced, he fixed his gaze on the display screen to monitor the probe’s progress. “Tell the probe to stop,” he said after only a moment had elapsed.

“Why are you interfering?” Tenebrous said, storming forward.

Plagueis gestured to the display. “The map indicates a more massive concentration of lethane in the area where it’s drilling.”

“You’re correct, sir,” the droid said in what amounted to dismay. “I will order the unit to halt all activity.”

And yet the hammering continued.

“Droid,” Plagueis snapped, “did the probe acknowledge your order?”

“No, sir. The Em-Two is not responding.”

Tenebrous stiffened, narrowly avoiding slamming his head into one of the cave’s massive crystals. “Is it still within range?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then run a communications diagnostic.”

“I have, sir, and all systems are nominal. The unit’s inability to respond—” It fell briefly silent and began again. “The unit’s refusal to respond appears to be deliberate.”

“Deactivate it,” Tenebrous said. “At once.”

The hammering slowed and eventually ceased, but not for long.

“The Em-Two unit has overridden my command.”

“Impossible,” Tenebrous said.

“Clearly not, sir. In fact, it is highly probable that the unit is executing a deep-seated subroutine that escaped earlier notice.”

Plagueis glanced at Tenebrous. “Who procured the probe?”

“This isn’t the time for questions. The probe is about to breach the pocket.”

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Worlds; Reprint edition (October 30, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0345511298
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345511294
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.17 x 0.99 x 6.85 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #82,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,334 in Space Operas
- #3,658 in Science Fiction Adventures
- #31,420 in Genre Literature & Fiction

Customer Reviews:
4.7 9,935 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

9,935 global ratings

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Customers 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.

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Storyline Content Story and plot Readability Character development Universe Pace Political content

527 customers mention "Storyline"512 positive15 negative

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

221 customers mention "Content"191 positive30 negative

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

204 customers mention "Story and plot"161 positive43 negative

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

192 customers mention "Readability"150 positive42 negative

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

61 customers mention "Character development"45 positive16 negative

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

16 customers mention "Universe"16 positive0 negative

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

48 customers mention "Pace"19 positive29 negative

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

21 customers mention "Political content"9 positive12 negative

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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Daniel

PLEASE, READ THIS.

Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2015

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I have a few things to say about this book before I start my review, I hope it helps someone.
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.

258 people found this helpful

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Rosslyn

If you only read one Legends book, let it be this one

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2023

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This book is SO good. My current focus in reading Star Wars novels has been to gain a deeper understanding of Anakin’s fall to Darth Vader, because I feel like there’s a lot of questions left when watching only the films/Clone Wars show. This has lead me to realizing that I really wanted to see the bigger picture, because Anakin’s story is a small snapshot in a series of carefully planned disasters. I have since taken a deep dive into a few character studies centered around their journies in the Force (Mace, Maul, Kenobi, Vos, Qui-Gon, Dooku, Ventress). Ultimately, I was left wanting to know more about the Sith and, in particular, about Sidious.

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.

9 people found this helpful

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ATammerijn

Sophisticated writing for those who like it darker and smarter...

Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2012

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I've read plenty of books in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, including recent offerings. "Darth Plagueis" was not only heavily anticipated, but worth the wait. It is a magnum opus, a labor of love, with superior writing and lasting artistic insight enough for it to merit a title of "classic" even so early in its run.

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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Mark

More or less the book of Genesis in SW nerd bible

Reviewed in Canada on September 17, 2023

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I was 7 years old when I saw Empire at the movies. I was a Star Wars era kid. But I didnt really get it. Toys were hip. But not my thing as a kid. The prequels came out in my late 20s. Took my kids to all the movies, but still felt the whole show was too dense. Hard to follow the plot. Could not relate to the characters. It was actually the sequels that came out in my 40s, when I really got interested. When I fully understood the depth of the religious and political philosophies that this epic masterpiece is putting forth. All of a sudden I wanted to know more. I wanted to know the contextual history of these events. This book more or less explains how the wars started before they started. It's a 400 page book, but to develop the dozens of characters and species described it would need to be 3000 pages. If you are a casual Star Wars fan like I am, you will need to do constant research to follow the plot and make sense of all the characters named in it. But the effort and time will be worth it.

One person found this helpful

Al

Excelente

Reviewed in Mexico on August 27, 2023

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Muy buen libro, en estado decente. Muy buena historia!!

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Begeisterter Leser

Brilliantly written

Reviewed in Germany on April 8, 2024

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Even though the book is actually about Darth Plagueis and his way from the moment he killed his master, Darth Tenebrous, to the moment he was killed by his apprentice, Darth Sidious. It was great to see or better read the story of how Palpatine came to be The Emperor. And his or better their, Plagueis’ and Palpatines, machinations behind the scenes over quite a long timespan to achieve their goal ruling the galaxy.
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.

JAVIER

Entretenido y el inglés en el que está escrito es fácil de entender.

Reviewed in Spain on February 18, 2023

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Siempre he sentido curiosidad por el personaje de Darth Plagueis y además siempre estoy intentando mejorar mi inglés. La historia es entretenida y el inglés fácil de seguir con lo que estoy encantado.