Star Wars: Darth Plagueis

By: James Luceno

Narrated by: Daniel Davis

He was the most powerful Sith lord who ever lived.
But could he be the only one who never died?

“Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? It’s a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise that he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create life. He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying.”
—Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith

Darth Plagueis: one of the most brilliant Sith Lords who ever lived. Possessing power is all he desires. Losing it is the only thing he fears. As an apprentice, he embraces the ruthless ways of the Sith. And when the time is right, he destroys his Master—but vows never to suffer the same fate. For like no other disciple of the dark side, Darth Plagueis learns to command the ultimate power . . . over life and death.

Darth Sidious: Plagueis’s chosen apprentice. Under the guidance of his Master, he secretly studies the ways of the Sith, while publicly rising to power in the galactic government, first as Senator, then as Chancellor, and eventually as Emperor.

Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious, Master and acolyte, target the galaxy for domination—and the Jedi Order for annihilation. But can they defy the merciless Sith tradition? Or will the desire of one to rule supreme, and the dream of the other to live forever, sow the seeds of their destruction?

couldn't stop listening

Any additional comments?

let me first say, this is my first star wars book. i'm a huge star wars fan and saw star wars 33 times as a kid. i have enjoyed the movies, even the last 3.

all i have to say is that this book is instrumental to understanding what the 6 movies are about. i can't say it enough...this book adds so much depth to the story and answers so many questions- why invade nabooo? why did count doku leave the jedi? where did darth maul come from? who was darth plagueis?

wow...this book was soooo much better than i thought.

george lucas should make this into a movie. well maybe not. lucas makes movies too kid friendly, e.g. ewoks and jar jar. we would need christopher nolan. think darker like the batman reboot.

this book is darker than the movies. being in my 30's, i got just as much a thrill listening to this story as i did seeing the original star wars.

the narration is excellent. there are some sound effects, and they add to the listening.

the story is complex, but i enjoyed understanding how the dark side, the sith, amassed power and influence throughout the galaxy.

one of the things i most enjoyed was the insight into the way the sith think. the history and influence of the major sith lords adds another layer of enrichment to the overall story. i found myself rewinding and re-listening to darth plagueis explaining the sith's understanding of the force to palpatine.

in the movies, i didn't really like palpatine. this book has changed my mind about him. this book does an awesome job building and revealing who he is and why he does what he does. this book adds a new dimension to that character. he is a schemer, and you get drawn into his machinations. this book covers palpatine from uncomfortable child to new apprentice to sith lord and does it in a way that's utterly irresistible. i just kept wanting to listen.

Behind the Scenes Plotting has never been so fun!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Star Wars: Darth Plagueis?

Spoiler Alert!





Last Warning!




When Plagueis was murdered by Palpatine and the latter was declared Supreme Chancellor the next day. Palpatine’s speech had me at the edge of my seat the entire time.

What about Daniel Davis’s performance did you like?

The voice acting for the titular character, Darth Plagueis the Wise, was extraordinary. It really enhanced my enjoyment of every scene where he spoke.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I chuckled at both Palpatine's and Plagueis intitial reaction to Anakin's existance. It was priceless.

I can't remember tearing up during the book but I experienced a nightmare that I am really pretty sure was triggered by Palpatine's terrifying act before becoming Plagueis apprentice. Well played, James Luceno.

Any additional comments?

I was gutted when I realized this book was not canon anymore. A few details within were re-canonized in the Tarkin new canon novel but just like how Timothy Zahn was allowed to personally reintroduce Grand Admiral Thrawn, the fan favorite character he created in the Legends continuity, back into the canon with an upcoming novel, James Luceno should be allowed to re-canonize Plagueis's backstory with a book one day.

The story episode 1 should have been

Amazing performance by Davis. This book gives so much more substance and meaning to the events that take place in the phantom menace.

Narration is bone-chilling! Made me feel "there"!

Many different locations and characters are each personified uniquely to give the listener a truly descriptive and enveloping adventure!

Good stuff.

I love this narrator, he’s awesome. Give the man lots more money. Palpatine commands it.