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

Still Fantastic Post Disney EU Purge

James Luceno is simply fantastic. This adds SO much to Phantom Menace! Despite Disney making this book "Legends" it still fits wonderfully in the current cannon. Even though it mentions a couple of characters who are no longer, there is nothing that conflicts with the new canon. Because of the time frame, I doubt it ever will.

This book has a great deal of background on Sideous, Maul, Dooku, and the plan to finally reveal the Sith to the Jedi after their 1000 years in hiding. It really enriches the Phantom Menace, and quite honestly, makes the whole blockade make sense.

The narrator is perfect for this role as well. It was very easy based on his acting to know who was talking, and really sold the whole thing!

James Luceno + Daniel Davis = a Powerhouse

Would you consider the audio edition of Star Wars: Darth Plagueis to be better than the print version?

I don't know if one is necessarily better than the other but I'd definitely recommend the audio. Who wants to miss out on the Star Wars sound effects? Honestly, this did make me want to go out and purchase the paperback for later reading.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Darth Sidious. James Luceno and Daniel Davis gave him a lot of depth.

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

This was my first experience with Daniel Davis and I was impressed. I hope to find more Star Wars novels narrated by him.

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

Not particularly but it certainly gave me a lot to think about.

Any additional comments?

I like how Luceno basically implies that Anakin's birth was like the force giving Darth Plagueis the middle finger. Under the events of Darth Plagueis, it's quite possible Anakin would have never been born if it hadn't been for the Sith Lord.

Outstanding reader and a great story.

The narrator was fantastic. It gripped me from start to finish. I began listening to it again the very same day that I finished it.

I love this book.

I loved this book, listened to it 3+ times! Voice acting is great. The music is very good and really helps move the story.

fantastic book for any starwars fan

amazing book for anyone that like stars it bridges the gap to episode 1 really good makes the prequials make a little more sense. would highly recommend!!

The essential novel to understanding the prequels

Luceno does a masterful job of tying the EU and prequel trilogy together. I dearly miss this kind of consistency in the star wars universe and hope that one day Lucasfilm will wisely canonize this book in thier current Star Wars book line, which has been mediocre at best.

The best piece of star wars literature out there!

This novel answers many questions pertaining to the prequels, notably episodes one and two; and ties up many loose ends in the overarching plot. Being able to flawlessly connect the events leading to the rise of the manipulative and incredibly calculative Darth Sidious has forever changed the way I percieve the prequels and the sith. It's only a shame that they won't canonize it. It is the greatest star wars novel to date, and that's comparing it to current canon material

Great Book!

This book answers some questions about the origins of Palpatine, Maul and Dooko. Narrator was excellent.

Improves the prequels

James Lucerne clearly loves Star Wars. He loves it so much, he felt he had to write a story that closes the many open loops and plot holes presented in "The Phantom Menace." The book does a nice job of providing background and detail to the muddled story Lucas told. This doesn't perfectly address each story line, neither does it overcome some of the dull characters of the prequels, but it certainly helps. Do I now care about intergalactic tariffs and trade zones? No. Do I sympathize with the tedious banking clan or techno-union? Also no. At least I now see what motivated the story. I also got background on key Jedi and Sith masters and their motivations. A worthy read. Also a great audible performance.

Brought together episodes 1-3

Brings to light the brilliant machinations of palpatine and adds much cohesion to the prequels. Palpatine sounds a bit off but short of that quite amazing.