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

See Episodes I-III in a whole new light!!!

If you were like me and thought that Star Wars episodes I-III were ruled by special effects and the music of John Williams rather than an epic story with epic characters, then you need to read/hear this book! You will come to understand the nature and history of the Bannite Sith Order, and the masterful and ruthless subterfuge that resulted in the fall of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi order.

All of the characters from episodes I-III are given greater depth and texture than could be conveyed in the roughly 8 hours of film in the movies. Emperor Palpatine will no longer be just a stooped,gravelly-voiced shadow hidden in a cowl to you after this, Darth Maul will be more than a silent, scowling killer wielding an exotic weapon, Count Dooku will no longer seem like Saruman in a cape and boots. The mystery of the death of Jedi Master Sifo Diyas will puzzle you the same way it puzzled the Jedi Council.

And you will understand that Anakin Skywalker was destined for greatness, but NOT in the way that the Jedi imagined when they accepted him for training.

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.

Great prequel to The Phantom Menace

Would you listen to Star Wars: Darth Plagueis again? Why?

I would listen to this again. The story was great. It gave a lot of background to what happened in Episode 1, The Phantom Menace, but it was also a great story in itself. It was interesting to hear the story told with the Sith being the main protagonists, to see what their motivations are. Although the book is titled "Darth Plagueis", it is really about both Plagueis and Sidious. It shows how Plagueis became a Sith Lord, how he tried to unlock the secrets of life (which is important in Episode 3), and how he recruited Palpatine to be his apprentice. It shows why Naboo and Tatooine were critical in Sith plot. I highly recommend it.

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

Memorable moments were when Plagueis met Palpatine, when Palpatine feel to the dark side, and when Plagueis was surprised by events even though he thought he had everything under control.

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

This is my first Daniel Davis performance, and I thought it was excellent. Of course, Lucasfilm does a good job on all the Star Wars audio.

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

Episode 0: The Dark Side Emerges

Any additional comments?

I think George Lucas should make a movie from this book. I don't understand why he hasn't made any more movies given the volume of expanded universe books. He runs the risk of the general public "moving on" and forgetting about Star Wars. This would make a great "Episode 0" because of its tie to the prequel movies. Then he should make films from Zahn's Outbound Flight and Thrawn trilogy.

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.

Easily worth 10 stars!

Not only does the pace and power of Luceno's story turn SW:TPM into a movie that makes sense (it's my least favorite), but the choice of Daniel Davis was absolutely brilliant. The depth and smoothness of his voice was the crown of perfection; he has the right touch of magnificent malevolence needed for a Sith-based story. I hope that if Random House decides to make the Darth Bane stories available on audio, they choose Mr. Davis as the reader. And thanks to James Luceno (ok, and George Lucas) for filling in all the unanswered questions about Palpatine, Dooku and the so-called "rule of two" among other things. I would highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys SW history.

THIS should have been episode I

What made the experience of listening to Star Wars: Darth Plagueis the most enjoyable?

I love how the star wars books have TOP notch narrators as well as the score from the films and the unmistakable sound effects. This one, sheds light on the history of palpatine (one of the most crucial characters in the Star Wars universe).

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

It's a coin toss between the account of palpatine being given a baby darth maul by one of the night sisters......and the possibility that plagueis could have caused the birth of anakin.

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

HE IS THE BEST PART...... His classic deep voice combined with the background score and sound effects.

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

Not that kinda book

Any additional comments?

This is the BEST of the Star Wars books

The best Star Wars book ever written

What did you love best about Star Wars: Darth Plagueis?

Every beautiful word. This book is amazing beyond compare in Star Wars literature.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Have you ever heard the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? It's a Sith legend...

What about Daniel Davis’s performance did you like?

His brilliant voice, his intensity, I wish he could narrate everything.

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

yes. i'd listen to it every day if i could.

Any additional comments?

If you are a Star Wars fan, listen to this audiobook!

Misleading but GREAT!!!

This isn't really the story of Darth Plagueis as the title and description would have you believe. In fact he rarely appears in the second half of the book. It gives very little information on his trying to use the force to extend his life. If Darth Plagueis interests you, this book will hold your interest but not answer all your questions.
What this book really focuses on is Darth Sidious and the events that led up to Episode 1. What I can't understand is why they didn't just call it Darth Sidious. I am sure it would have sold more copies with that title as Sidious is a much more well-known Sith Lord.
Aside from being misleading the writing was great (for a Star Wars book) and the narration was top notch. I will definitely read more Star Wars books in the future.

100% satisfied

The narrator was amazing.
i've been searching for this book for ever.
truely an amazing listen.

Putty

This wasn't a bad book, nor was it a great book.
It seemed to me that the author had an assignment to construct a story to fill the gap in time and explain how things got to a particular state. If that were the case then Luceno did his job admirably.

Alas, my expectations were for a bit more entertainment and less "putty".

The performance was reasonably good. Nice separation of the characters in terms of audible differentiation. Character development was mixed. The hard part is that this filler history had a lot of voices.

I'd only recommend this to the true Star Wars historian type who really wants to understand how the Phantom Menace situation came to be. This was possibly my least favorite SW book.

One of the best!

Other than the Bane trilogy this is the best Star Wars audiobook yet. Truly amazing.

The rise of Emperor Palpatine

I struggled with the book but the audiobook was excellent and very well narrated.

The story is essentially the rise of the Emperor (Palpatine) and includes many nuggets not known by me before (ie: how Maul came on to the scene).

The book is set years before Episode 1 and progresses through to the end of 'A Phantom Menace.'

Characters you'll hear about other than the Emperor who you'll know: Count Dooku, Maul, Obi Wan, Anakin, Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, Padmé Amidala, Mace Windu, Jabba the Hutt, the Trade Federation as well as others I'm sure.

If you followed the Star Wars saga including the prequels this is a great addition and is of interest.

amazing

how is this no cannon. would make an amazing film or series. the tie ins are so clever.

just fantastic

Epic story and narration. I wad blown away and fascinated to learn more of the backdrop of the movies.

Great dive into Plagueis and Palpatine

A great read that ties together a lot of events before The Phantom Menace. Seeing the rise and development of Palpatine is a great ride, but I found Luceno's dive into Plagueis, his history and his motivation to change the direction of the Sith to be the real highlight of the book.

Overall it's great, however some of the sections of speech, particularly from Plagueis, do go on (I imagine for several pages). At times it feels like Luceno is trying to cram as much explanation into a single speech, to explain his train of thought directly to the reader. These sections can feel a drag, and do take the reader/listener out of the drama of the story and more into a lecture, but thankfully this only happens a few times.

The narration and sound effects are fantastic. I mostly enjoy the narration of Star Wars staples Marc Thompson and Jonathan Davis, however I do find they can be a bit overly-theatrical at times. Daniel Davis, however, is spot on all the time through the book, and I wish he did more narration in general. His voice is low, dark and swells when needed. It suits the characters and tone of the book perfectly.

excellent

I read the book and in my head I had visions and sounds of how I'd imagine they sounded like Plagueis speaking and his actions and this audio book brought it all to life. Both the actual book and this audio version deserve full marks A*** .

awesome

tragic that this isn't canon anymore but a quality listen nonetheless. may the force be with you.

Amazing look into the rise of the Sith

Really enjoyed this book. The narration is great and fits the mood of the book perfectly. The story is gripping and I enjoyed that fact that it starts with Plagueis as an apprentice before introducing a young palpo. It’s a very dark tail and focuses more on politics than lightsaber battles (although there are afew) but still maintains a relatively fast pace.

Highly recommend!!

Great audiobook

I enjoyed the narration and the plot in this book. I liked the way the author developed the story over the course of the book. Highly entertaining and worth every cent. Well done.

Plagueis

Although an important part of the overall story I did struggle to get through it. It was narrated well, but there just seemed to be lots of needless details to wade through and the storyline just wasn't gripping enough.