*Possible Spoilers*
This is part of a "project" to read the Star Wars Expanded Universe novels in some sort of chronological order. I've read some books in the series and doing it this way will involve re-reads, which is good because I could use the refresher. I'm starting at the Rise of the Empire Era, maybe at a later date I'll backtrack and read the Old Galactic Republic and such. But I digress...
This was a fascinating listen. First off, the narrator did such a wonderful job! It was so easy listening; it felt as though I was in the middle of an actual Star Wars movie. I didn't know if I would like this as it doesn't focus on the "good guys" but rather Darth Plagueis, his master, and his (future) apprentice. I was unsure if I would enjoy a story focused on characters I wasn't familiar with. I was pleasantly surprised. The story starts with Darth Palgueis and his master, Darth Tenebrous. Right at the start, Plagueis betrays his master and murders him, almost killing himself in the process. After getting himself home, Plagueis immerses himself in his studies of the force and midichlorians. His desire is to learn bend the force and midichlorians to his will to stop death. It is so different hearing things from the Sith's point of view. In their view they are the "good guys". When you see how complacent and indoctrinated the Jedi order has become, you can kind almost agree with the Sith.
Plagueis lives a double life, as a Sith Lord in the shadows and a powerful member of the banking conglomerate (?) in public. He uses his power, money and contacts to attack the Jedi on a front they will least expect it. His goal is the infiltrate the senate and destroy the republic from within, and thus destroying the Jedi and all they are working for. While conducting his experiments on beings with high midichlorian counts or the force adept--including the second apprentice that his master had been training in secret--Plagueis then finds himself a potential apprentice in Palpatine. Palpatine, who only gose by the family surname, is the degenerate son of a wealthy, powerful, ruling-class politician from Naboo. Plagueis courts friendship with Palatine for a long while, eventually steering him to murder his family, and freeing him to become his apprentice as well as his ally within the senate.
Getting the story of Palatine from the early years is key to knowing his motivations in later years. At first it seems like he was afterso much more, but in the end, the only thing he truly sought was power. He maneuvers his was through politics, working his way up the senate with the help of his master.B and by some will of the force, he is presented with an infant apprentice of his own, Maul. Much to my surprise, he told Plagueis about his acquisition, and is instructed to train him alone and in secret. Maul never knows that his master is also an apprentice himself.
I spent most of the book wondering if Palpatine had some type affection, or respect for his master, or if he was just biding his time waiting to betray him (as all Sith apprentices do.) It was surprising to learn that Darth Sidious (Palpatine) was actually still an apprentice when the Trade Embargo of Naboo took place. Plagueis was still behind the scenes setting things into motion. I found seeing things from each of their points of view very interesting. All three had different agendas. Plagueis wanted immortality--he wanted to tear down the Jedi and the republic and build it in his image, yes, but his main focus was immortality. Palpatine only wanted absolute power. Maul, it seems as though he was born to hate, and when that hate was pointed somewhere, it was singular and focused. He was so hell bent on defeating the Jedi, on defeating a Jedi Master by himself that it was his ultimate downfall.
This story truly set the stage for the rise of the empire and gave a lot of insight into the Sith and their ultimate agenda. Plagueis and Palpatine were right, the senate was corrupt and the Jedi Order was lax in their duty to uphold justice and help the downtrodden by aligning themselves with the Republic. They basically became the attack dogs of the Republic. They should have been their own entity, and they definite should have evolved with time, instead of clinging to ancient beliefs. I believe it is why the Sith were able to survive without the Jedi realizing it. It is why they were able to destroy the Jedi. In reality, the Jedi were the makers of their own demise.
I loved this and cannot wait to read more in the Rise of the Empire era of Star Wars.
This is part of a "project" to read the Star Wars Expanded Universe novels in some sort of chronological order. I've read some books in the series and doing it this way will involve re-reads, which is good because I could use the refresher. I'm starting at the Rise of the Empire Era, maybe at a later date I'll backtrack and read the Old Galactic Republic and such. But I digress...
This was a fascinating listen. First off, the narrator did such a wonderful job! It was so easy listening; it felt as though I was in the middle of an actual Star Wars movie. I didn't know if I would like this as it doesn't focus on the "good guys" but rather Darth Plagueis, his master, and his (future) apprentice. I was unsure if I would enjoy a story focused on characters I wasn't familiar with. I was pleasantly surprised. The story starts with Darth Palgueis and his master, Darth Tenebrous. Right at the start, Plagueis betrays his master and murders him, almost killing himself in the process. After getting himself home, Plagueis immerses himself in his studies of the force and midichlorians. His desire is to learn bend the force and midichlorians to his will to stop death. It is so different hearing things from the Sith's point of view. In their view they are the "good guys". When you see how complacent and indoctrinated the Jedi order has become, you can kind almost agree with the Sith.
Plagueis lives a double life, as a Sith Lord in the shadows and a powerful member of the banking conglomerate (?) in public. He uses his power, money and contacts to attack the Jedi on a front they will least expect it. His goal is the infiltrate the senate and destroy the republic from within, and thus destroying the Jedi and all they are working for. While conducting his experiments on beings with high midichlorian counts or the force adept--including the second apprentice that his master had been training in secret--Plagueis then finds himself a potential apprentice in Palpatine. Palpatine, who only gose by the family surname, is the degenerate son of a wealthy, powerful, ruling-class politician from Naboo. Plagueis courts friendship with Palatine for a long while, eventually steering him to murder his family, and freeing him to become his apprentice as well as his ally within the senate.
Getting the story of Palatine from the early years is key to knowing his motivations in later years. At first it seems like he was afterso much more, but in the end, the only thing he truly sought was power. He maneuvers his was through politics, working his way up the senate with the help of his master.B and by some will of the force, he is presented with an infant apprentice of his own, Maul. Much to my surprise, he told Plagueis about his acquisition, and is instructed to train him alone and in secret. Maul never knows that his master is also an apprentice himself.
I spent most of the book wondering if Palpatine had some type affection, or respect for his master, or if he was just biding his time waiting to betray him (as all Sith apprentices do.) It was surprising to learn that Darth Sidious (Palpatine) was actually still an apprentice when the Trade Embargo of Naboo took place. Plagueis was still behind the scenes setting things into motion. I found seeing things from each of their points of view very interesting. All three had different agendas. Plagueis wanted immortality--he wanted to tear down the Jedi and the republic and build it in his image, yes, but his main focus was immortality. Palpatine only wanted absolute power. Maul, it seems as though he was born to hate, and when that hate was pointed somewhere, it was singular and focused. He was so hell bent on defeating the Jedi, on defeating a Jedi Master by himself that it was his ultimate downfall.
This story truly set the stage for the rise of the empire and gave a lot of insight into the Sith and their ultimate agenda. Plagueis and Palpatine were right, the senate was corrupt and the Jedi Order was lax in their duty to uphold justice and help the downtrodden by aligning themselves with the Republic. They basically became the attack dogs of the Republic. They should have been their own entity, and they definite should have evolved with time, instead of clinging to ancient beliefs. I believe it is why the Sith were able to survive without the Jedi realizing it. It is why they were able to destroy the Jedi. In reality, the Jedi were the makers of their own demise.
I loved this and cannot wait to read more in the Rise of the Empire era of Star Wars.
