• Path of Destruction

  • A Novel of the Old Republic
  • By: Drew Karpyshyn
  • Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
  • Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (20,162 ratings)

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Path of Destruction  By  cover art

Path of Destruction

By: Drew Karpyshyn
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
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Publisher's summary

Once the Sith order teemed with followers. But their rivalries divided them in endless battles for supremacy - until one dark lord at last united the Sith in the quest to enslave the galaxy and exterminate the Jedi. Yet it would fall to another, far more powerful than the entire Brotherhood of Darkness, to ultimately realize the full potential of the Sith and wield the awesome power of the dark side as never before.

Since childhood, Dessel has known only the abuse of his hateful father and the dangerous, soul-crushing labor of a cortosis miner. Deep in the tunnels of the desolate planet Apatros, endlessly excavating the rare mineral valued throughout the galaxy, Dessel dreams of the day he can escape - a day he fears may never come. But when a high-stakes card game ends in deadly violence, Dessel suddenly finds himself a wanted man.

On the run from vengeful Republic forces, Dessel vanishes into the ranks of the Sith army and ships out to join the bloody war against the Republic and its Jedi champions. There, Dessel’s brutality, cunning, and exceptional command of the Force swiftly win him renown as a warrior. But in the eyes of his watchful masters, he is destined for a far greater role in the ultimate Sith plan for the galaxy - if he can prove himself truly worthy.

As an acolyte in the Sith academy, studying the secrets and skills of the dark side at the feet of its greatest masters, Dessel embraces his new Sith identity: Bane. However the true test is yet to come. In order to gain acceptance into the Brotherhood of Darkness, one must fully surrender to the dark side through a trial by fire that Bane, for all his unquenchable fury and lust for power, may not be strong enough to endure... especially since deception, treachery, and murder run rampant among the Sith disciples, and utter ruthlessness alone is the key to survival.

Only by defying the most sacred traditions, rejecting all he has been taught, and drawing upon the long-forgotten wisdom of the very first Sith can Bane hope to triumph - and forge from the ashes of that which he must destroy a new era of absolute dark power.

©2012 Drew Karpyshyn (P)2012 Random House Audio

Featured Article: Tap into Your Inner Jedi (or Sith) with the 66 Best Star Wars Audiobooks in the Galaxy


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What listeners say about Path of Destruction

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  • Overall
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The Force is with Jonathan Davis

Would you listen to Path of Destruction again? Why?

Definitely. In fact, I've already "read" it twice. I got the print edition when it was first released in paperback and absolutely loved it. But after hearing Jonathan Davis read it, I would never go back to print. He brought this story to a whole new level.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bane. This is his story, and for good reason. He's not a good guy, but you can't help but cheer for him anyway.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Davis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. I just finished listening to Snow Crash and Jonathan is way better in this one. His voices are far more varied and they suit each character perfectly.

Any additional comments?

Path of Destruction is the best of the Darth Bane trilogy and one of the best Star Wars books available. I can easily recommend this to any Star Wars fan, but also to anyone who would enjoy a story about a villain unleashed. The pacing is great, the story is solid, and the characters cannot be beat. This book is well worth a listen.

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51 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thrilling tale

Any additional comments?

I know this is completely nerdy of me to say, but I absolutely loved this book!

It was my first Star Wars book. It came highly recommended and I can now see why. The story line was believable and you really get to know and understand the characters. There was always enough action and twists to keep the story engaging, but not too many to detract from the actual story line.

On top of that, the performance was extraordinary! There was music and sound effects that, admittedly, made me giggle at first, but then really added something special to the story. They picked a great person to read the story. Davis's voice was almost seductive and made me want to keep coming back to listen. Each Character sounded different and he was really able to show emotion through his words.

I must admit, I did not get much work done while I listened to this audio book! Great Read! Your credits will not be wasted!

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30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A High School Wrestling Tournament

Though I have watched all the movies, I have only read two other Star War Novels. Those were written by Bear and Zahn. Those turned me off to reading in the genre. This book has brought me back. Karpyshyn is a good writer and brings life to the story or story to the story.

I like the look at the bad guy as the good guy. In most wars, both sides believe they are the good guys and it is nice to see this brought out in this story. Because of the history of Star Wars, the Dark Side is stuck calling themselves the Dark Side. In real life I don't believe they would think of themselves as Dark.

Bane starts out as a miner in a typical company owned planet, in which the company takes advantage of it's workers. There are several chapters dedicated to a card game and in explaining all the details of the card game. This card game happens early in the book, and made it slow for me to get into the story, as I wondered if the whole book was going to be this detailed about minute stuff. Around chapter 13 the story really picks up and I am glad I hung in there. Bane goes to a school to learn to be a Sith, which involves students challenging each other. It brought back memories of high school wrestling, only with deadlier consequences. Several times Bane is like Ben Roethlisberger, it seems like he is going to get sacked and that is when he is the deadliest. Matter of fact this theme was played out about once to often. Most of the book is predictable, but not in a bad way. This did not earn five stars, but I will be listening to the second book in the series.

I am not a big fan of the narrator, he has a sort of melancholy voice that seems better suited for girl books or classics, but the sound effects for this make up for that. The audio for this makes the book lots better then reading it.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Start to a Trilogy

What made the experience of listening to Path of Destruction the most enjoyable?

Adapting the dark side to be an appreciable path rather than just a choice of evil.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Path of Destruction?

Seriously don't want any spoiler alerts here

What does Jonathan Davis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

As a huge fan of listening to the Star Wars books this reader was an excellent vocalist. Most of the other books are by Marc Thompson, who is awesome. I'm glad to know that they can bring in someone else equally as good.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Peace is a Lie, there is only passion.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story, Fantastic Production

I really enjoyed "Path of Destruction". I found the story to be compelling and extremely satisfying. The narration and overall production (sounds, music, and voice acting) was exceptional. The characters were captivating and the stories being told from the position of the Sith and the Jedi were expertly done.

Do I have any complaints? I am not sure that I really have any. For me, this book was precisely what I look for when I listen to or read a book... a fun and interesting escape from reality. I thought the book was narrated to near perfection, it was well written, had great action, excellent dialog, and provided amazing production value through and through.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Just wow, made the Star Wars interesting again.

Would you consider the audio edition of Path of Destruction to be better than the print version?

Yes, the audio uses real sounds from the movies, I felt like I could picture what I heard.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bane, he's a badass beyond belief!

What about Jonathan Davis’s performance did you like?

His ability to play different voices without me really noticing it was him, few times I swore there was someone else.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Bane discovered the Unknown Planet.

Any additional comments?

Without a doubt the best sic-fi Audiobook I have ever listened to. It was so good, I listen to it a gain, but I have to finish the 2nd & 3rd!

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great

Simple a great introduction to the legendary character in the star wars universe. Jonathan Davis as usual never dissapoints.

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9 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My absolute favorite star wars book but.....

Would you consider the audio edition of Path of Destruction to be better than the print version?

i wouldnt consider this audio edition better than the print because its missing a chapter or two. theres a gap from the end of chapter 17 to chapter 18 thats not there. it goes from bane going to bed to bane missing with no explanation. other than this the audio is great

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Davis – was your favorite?

bane

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

where is the part where bane argues with the master and leaves to search the sith temple?

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Informative

This book was pretty good. It follows the transformation of a decent man into an evil emotionless hollow man whose goals are totally warped by the dark side of the force. I think this book was interesting to learn how the Star Wars universe converted from many sith to only two. It explains it more completely and for me that was reason enough to get it to understand why their are only two sith in the movies.

That said I won't be getting book 2 or 3 because this was the only portion of the story that is at all relevant to the larger story of star wars and the 2 books just tell about later portions of Banes life.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Bane Trilogy

Don't judge from others, just give this a listen. Best audio book in star wars history. love the book 2

After this get Rule of Two
Then get Dynasty of Evil

If can't urge enough how amazing this series is. Please enjoy

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