Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars) (Mass Market Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Force is still to be reckoned with, primarily because Darth Vader continues to be one of the most fascinating dark pop icons since Dracula. Picking up where Matthew Stover's Revenge of the Sith (2005) left off, Luceno (Labyrinth of Evil) delivers exciting battle scenes and brave characters, including the beloved Wookie, Chewbacca. His ease with Star Wars techno-jargon is admirable. What's needed in this intermittently entertaining installment is a better opponent for Vader. Unfortunately, Yoda, the spiritual heart of the saga, appears to be in hiding. Instead, Luceno focuses on Jedi knight Roan Shryne; his Padawan sidekick, Olee Starstone; and other survivors of Emperor Palpatine's Jedi extermination. All appear to be earnest, if pale, imitations of Obi-Wan Kenobi. And where's Han Solo, far older than the Skywalker twins? Why can't Vader sense his twins' existence with his vaunted supernatural abilities? Too often the sympathetic Vader wallows in self-pity. Thankfully, exuberantly evil Palpatine (aka Darth Sidious) returns with more power lessons Vader laps up eagerly: "Where the Jedi gained power through understanding, the Sith gain understanding through power."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Picking up where the last Star Wars movie, Revenge of the Sith, ended,Dark Lord chronicles Anakin Skywalker's emotional transition from angry young Jedi to cold, ruthless Darth Vader. The novel opens on the planet Murkhana, hours before the clone troopers are given the order to turn on the Jedi and slaughter them. Jedi Master Roan Shryne and Padawan Olee Starstone escape death and manage to get off the planet, but not before getting a glimpse of the deadly Darth Vader, the new Sith lord who is the emperor's new right-hand man. But the former Anakin Skywalker is still filled with anger and resentment over what he perceives as the betrayal of his wife and his former mentor. As Sidious and Vader work to destroy the remains of the republic, Shryne and Starstone set out to rescue the remaining Jedi, who are spread out throughout the galaxy. Now that all three Star Wars prequel movies are out, expect plenty more novels along the lines of this gripping, fast-paced story. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (June 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345477332
• ISBN-13: 978-0345477330
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (147 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,992 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rise of the Most Intriguing Villian in Fiction, November 29, 2005

By	J. Bongiorno "The Sith Empire" (Valley Stream, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars) (Hardcover)

James Luceno's brilliant sequel to Revenge of the Sith manages to not only complete the saga of Anakin's descent into Darth Vader, but create a dynamic, moving portrait of loss and acceptance in a galaxy turned suddenly upside down.

Jedi Knight, Roan Shryne, has all but abandoned his faith in the Force in the wake of the tragic events of Order 66. He finds little solace in his companion, a plucky young Padawan who has grand plans of saving the remnant of Jedi. En route, he discovers something even more disturbing, a chance to give up life as a Jedi and start over as an ordinary man.

Darth Vader is also undergoing a crisis of faith, unable to move on past the deceit and betrayal of his masters (both Obi Wan and Sidious) and to forge for himself a reason for being other than as yet another pawn for Palpy. But the dark plans of Sidious have only just begun as the Sith Lord prods and pushes Vader into situations that will trigger the chrsalysis of rage, a pathway to the true power of the dark side. His machinations will team Vader up with the newest emergent power, an Imperial Moff, who's overarching designs will mean the enslavement of a nation and the means of fueling life into the Empire's emerging superweapon, the Death Star.

Luceno builds a story filled with pathos, horror and intriguing insights into the minds of Darths Vader and Sidious. Numerous long-standing questions are answered along the way as we're enmeshed in the moral dilemma of a galaxy that's lost its way: a Clone Commando who will not obey Order 66, a politician who risks all to secretly undermine the Empire, a young Padawan that learns -- too late -- the price of blind obedience to duty, a race of fierce beings who will fight at all costs a losing battle against tyranny, and the former Chosen One who learns that he needs the Jedi still to grow into the agent of evil he's chosen to become.

40 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Luceno Fails Terrribly, January 25, 2006

By	George H. Lyda "TK1733 - 501st Legion" (Gray Court, SC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars) (Hardcover)

This has got to be the most disappointing Star Wars novel I've ever had the misfortune of purchasing and reading. I typically read through a good Star Wars novel in two to three days, this book took two months it was so awful.

Nothing major is revealed to the reader, some minor stuff like Vader doesn't like the fit of his new armor and decides it will need some adjustments in the future.

The story has some really slack Jedi Knights who escaped order 66. They are an unremarkable group of stooges. The book doesn't capture the readers attention until the final chapters and the attack on the Wookiee homeworld.

I'd highly advise fans to forget this sad attempt at connecting Episodes 3 & 4. Maybe the next novel (by someone else, hopefully) will have some interesting revelation.

30 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Darklord A Dark Disappointment, January 25, 2006

By	GH "GH" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars) (Hardcover)

Where Labyrinth captued the heart and sole of the characters, its plot racing us to the opening of Episode III as fast as I could turn the pages-Dark Lord was a huge disappointment- I had to make myself finish it and was left wondering why this book was such a stark contrast in writing and depth for Luceno.