Star Wars: Darth Plagueis

By: James Luceno

Narrated by: Daniel Davis

Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

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?

©2012 James Luceno (P)2012 Random House Audio

A must read for any star wars fan!!

I didn't expect to have this good of a time, and yet here I am! it made me feel like a kid who just got into the franchise all over again!

thought provoking

Spoiler kinda!


the whole story just made me think, what if Plagueis had succeeded?
what if he had taken Anakin as an apprentice instead? i could watch an entire series just about Plagueis in general, such an interesting character and an impressive story around him.

Straight to the point

It’s really the story of darth sidious of course, my personal hero. But it tells the story perfectly! Definitely a good listen.

needed Canon knowledge that I required

it was to be expected as it was ! my first experience with an audio book so my opinion is prolly clouded from that but I enjoyed it!

How it all ties together

I loved this book, the narration keeps you involved and the effects the producers chose capture the Star Wars essence. Outstanding story that you can see weave directly into the films cannon. The inter connections the book references adds so much more depth to the already complex world of Star Wars. Highly recommend this book.

Easily the best Star Wars audio production

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I've already told many friends about this audio book, both for the story and the excellent performance of mister Davis.

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

Definitely the climax at the final chapter, and Palpatine's revelation of his intentions towards Plagueis and

Which scene was your favorite?

The aftermath of the Grans' assassination attempt on the Sith Lords, a turning point which really defines the motivations and goals of both of the main characters, loaded with all the violence we wouldn't get to see on the screen of a PG movie.

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

Yes, however 14 hours is a long time. I listened to it for about an hour at bed time nightly as I do with all my other audio books, but multiple nights I had skipped a good night's rest just because I became so involved with the story I stayed up to listen for 3-4 hours instead.

Any additional comments?

As a fan of the Audible full scale productions of many of the Star Wars novels (especially Drew Karpyshyn and Jonathan Davis' work), this one is my favorite. While I'd enjoy this as one of the planned six films announced by Disney, I think it may be too mature and dense to be made well in to a two hour film. James Luceno does really well at expanding both the known and obfuscated details of the characters and the motivations which drive them. I particularly enjoyed some of the philosophy of the Dark Side of the Force and moral relativism presented in the novel. For those listeners/readers who aren't of the morbid opinion that the Sith are actually the heroes of the ongoing saga during the era in which the six films occur with the greater good of the galaxy in mind like myself, this book tells the story from their point of view and makes sure to separate the concepts of darkness and evil as entirely different and not necessarily connected ideologies very well.
While most of the Star Wars expanded universe books are well told stories and great pulp fiction, I think this one in particular stands apart, and would have been used as a good example of ethical relativism, and the struggle for spiritual balance (whether it be skewed towards one direction or another) that even Joseph Campbell would have mentioned as noteworthy. Characters and stories like these are our modern day mythology, and serves the same purpose, both as something to make us think about the world around us, and as entertainment. Darth Plagueis has appealed to both the literature scholar and dime novel fan in me, and should not be overlooked as anything less legitimate than many of the books we praise as classic literature dealing with human nature and ethics due to its backdrop as sci-fi/fantasy setting or serial backdrop.
My two cents being thrown it, I should probably mention my day job for the last half decade was watching television at a broadcasting facility all day.

Superb Immersion into the Sith, Riveting!

This is the best Star Wars book I've ever listened to. James Luceno is the finest author in the Star Wars series. His expertise in characterization is unmatched. It was hard to leave this exciting story. This book covers the story of the very powerful Sith Lord and his apprentice Palpatine. Star Wars fans know what happens, but it is a fascinating journey arriving there. Absolutely riveting! Noted character actor Daniel Davis brilliantly handles all voices beautifully and this production is enhanced by John Williams wonderful score and great sound effects. This surpasses Tarkin. A classic, must listen for any Star Wars fan.

Simply Stunning

Superb pacing and riveting characters. This work is a worthy addition to the Star Wars non-canon.

F'ing awesome

by far the best star wars book so far and I've gone through 6 or 7 so far. Top notch performance by the narrator too. not the best, but one of them and no complaints at all.

Thick plotted story

Pretty long, and a ton of plot and detail. But it really fills in the gap leading up through the Phantom Menace. Bridging the plot and master plan started by Darth Bane all the way through to Sidious.