Customer Reviews

Star Wars: Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil: A Novel of the Old Republic (Star Wars (Del Rey))

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This is a great way to end the Darth Bane trilogy and even if Drew Karpyshyn does not continue on with Darth Zannah's adventures, this is a perfect way to go out. To me, Darth Bane is as interesting (if not more so) as any Sith Lord we've heard of, including Darth Sidious. He was a well-developed, intriguing character that I enjoyed getting to know through the course of three books.

The pacing of the book was excellent and the new characters introduced helped raise the tension as the book built to its climax. There seemed to be many ways for the story to end still, even with only 20 pages left. And that is a great compliment for any book or author.

I still believe the Darth Bane books are the best of the Expanded Universe books, even better than the Timothy Zahn trilogy that started them all.

I have always been a fan of Old Republic Star Wars fiction from the comic books and on, so I have avidly been following the tales of Darth Bane as they unfolded. I loved the direction of the previous two novels but after finishing this third one I am slightly disappointed. For this reason I can only give it 4 stars. The book is well written and the story is good I just felt that comparatively speaking it was more of a rushed effort. Bottom line: Too short. Maybe my perspective is skewed cause I generally read novels around 400 to 500 pages long but it just seemed that this book is a little too clean and concise. But in hindsight the author does state in his little blurb in the front that this "novel was difficult to complete" and he has also just moved from Canada to Texas so maybe it was a combination of a lot on his plate at once and a deadline needed to be met. Still I would recommend this novel to anyone who wants to see the next chapter of Darth Bane and the Sith unfold. I look forward to seeing if Drew will write a follow up to this or if someone else will pick up the reins.

So this was simply a good fast read for me. I enjoyed the first two books immensely and enjoyed seeing Drew bring in some of the minor characters from previous books to expand. I also like seeing him expand in his writing from just one person in the first book (Bane) to multiple in the 3rd. He is starting to do a better job of weaving multiple stories into one large story which is very good for us.

The only thing I would have to go for against the book is that it is semi-predictable but only in the matter that you have the Rule of Two. Sorry for the semi-spoiler but it does make sense, and read the book if you want to learn more.

Overall I would highly recommend this book and the previous two as they start to fill in some much needed information in regards to the storylines that are referenced in the movies.

Drew put together one of the best 3-book series ever written under the Star Wars title and saga. Of all the authors in rotation, Drew should be commissioned to do parts 4-5-6 or continuation books of the Darth Bane Series. Of the three books, you will find yourself unable to put any of them down. Someone tell Lucas to work this guy into the rotation, his style is not limited, and can be read by kids, young adults and the older folks who are addicted to these novels. He will blow you away. The only author and book which can compete in my opinion is Matt Stover's "Traitor". Let these two team up, they share Lucas's vision for Matrix style climactic, nail biting, final battle scenes. Hats off to you Drew, i only hope you are permitted to put your talents to work again for Lucas Books.

Having finished reading the Darth Bane Trilogy, I feel no sense of disappointment. Drew Karpyshyn is solid storyteller with good pacing. The reader never gets a sense that something is "filler" in the story. Though some have pointed out minor contradictions in the Darth Bane character, these readers seem to have the pure purpose of finding a flaw.

"Dynasty of Evil" finds Darth Bane feeling vulnerable. Physical ailments are becoming more apparent, and Bane is certain that his apprentice Darth Zannah has noticed. The time for the apprentice to become the master is drawing near. Bane questions whether Zannah is a worthy apprentice and begins a search for the secrets of immortality.

But even as Bane seeks self-preservation, Zannah plans her path as Darth Lord of the Sith. She discovers the vary flaws in herself that Bane recognizes. Unaware that Bane is trying to seek immortality, she even finds an apprentice who combines the suave of James Bond with a college slacker. The Jedi hover in the background of the story as the Sith take center stage. Characters from the previous books reappear and play a key role in the book. Even naming the characters would risk revealing the ending.

For a moment, I thought the endig would be inappropriate. Without giving the ending away, Karpyshyn chose the correct way to end the series. My only regret is that the series is over. Darth Bane is an incredibly compelling character.

Drew Karpyshyn pulls through once again with Star Wars: Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil, the conclusion to the Darth Bane series. In this book, Bane and Zannah realize the time has come for a final confrontation between them. The question is who will succeed as the Sith master, and who will be the new apprentice.

Karpyshyn introduces several new characters who could potentially become Sith apprentices, including a Dark Jedi, Iktotchi assassin, and even the daughter of a healer Bane encountered in Path of Destruction. Each has a touch of the Dark Side, and Karpyshyn drops hints favoring each. The book does a good job of keeping readers guessing until the very end by giving each character just enough potential, but not too much.

The book is also dark and grisly, even more so than its predecessors. Good people die, and often cruelly. But each of the deaths is poignant and reveals something about the character, and often becomes much more interesting than the all too quick deaths of characters in other Star Wars novels. Kudos to Karpyshyn for exploring the darker side of Star Wars.

Note: The ending is subtle and, I thought effectively written. However, some fans were unsure what exactly happened. Karpyshyn has written a brief spoiler ending on his website, so after reading the book I encourage you to find and read it.

With Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil, Drew Karpyshyn ends his trilogy chronicling the powerful Sith Lord's ascension to power and formation of an order based on the Rule of Two. In the second book, Bane and his apprentice Darth Zannah firmly established their working relationship and additionally managed to deceive the galaxy into believing the Sith Order was extinct. Bane had ostensibly trained Zannah to one day overthrow him and take an apprentice of her own, furthering the Sith cause and continuing the slow progression to overthrowing the galaxy. As Dynasty of Evil starts, Bane is still waiting on Zannah to challenge him, and indeed has begun to wonder if she has what it takes to be the next Sith Lord. Therefore, Bane is looking for alternatives, one of which would be prolonging his own life to ensure the future of the Sith (and of course perpetuate his own power).

Two key elements from the prior books feature in this story. One is Serra, the daughter of Caleb the healer who saved Bane's life in years past. She is living a new life as a princess on the harsh mining world of Doan (a place reminiscent of Bane's own childhood world Apatros). The other is Lucia, a member of Bane's old Brotherhood of Darkness regiment the Gloom Walkers: she's now Serra's bodyguard and friend. Completing the main cast is The Huntress, a Force-sensitive assassin who revels in the hunt and uses her latent Force abilities to her advantage, and Set Harth, an ex-Jedi artifact hunter who lives purely for his own pleasure. These two play into the plot as candidates for new apprentices as Bane and Zannah scheme to their own ends.

Dynasty of Evil features two particularly page-turning action sequences (along with quite a few other battles, naturally). The first is an ambush where the Huntress and some minions attempt to actually capture the Lord of the Sith in his own mansion. It's grippingly cinematic and realistically portrayed, with sound tactics employed by both sides. The second big action beat is in the gloomy and secretive Stone Prison on Doan, as all six of the main characters are brought together, each with their own agenda. Great chase scene and a very intense interrogation sequence showing Serra overwhelmingly out of her depth.

From the comics detailing ancient times in the Old Republic Mr. Karpyshyn borrows Darth Andeddu's holocron. Within this relic is the secret to life transference and possibly the key to Bane's ambitions. Bane visits Prakith in the Deep Core to forcibly retrieve the holocron while distracting Zannah with a separate assignment. The pacing is excellent as the two each start to realize what the other has in mind and as they accept their inevitable confrontation to determine primacy.

Speaking of the end, there is a fascinating twist in the climactic battle. I won't detail it any further in an effort to avoid spoilers, but suffice to say it's one that will inspire debate as to its true nature. Personally, I felt there were enough cues provided that the outcome was fairly clear, but I'll leave that discussion to messageboards rather than this review. I was satisfied with this ending for the trilogy but it does leave at least one significant question mark about the continuity of the Sith line.

Mr. Karpyshyn did an excellent job in the Bane trilogy of rendering an evil protagonist in a balanced and intriguing manner. He gave plenty of background and insight into what made Bane tick and after the first book showed a talent for taking the story sketched out in the older Jedi vs. Sith comics and running with it. This set of books is over for now, but I would welcome further Star Wars contributions from Mr. Karpyshyn in the future.

This book was just as great as Drew first two books on Darth Bane. The action never stops. Dynasty of Evil kept me on the edge of my seat and I found myself cheering for both Siths. All of his characters are interesting and well developed. I also enjoyed how the women were portrayed as strong characters but not as men trapped inside a female's body. The ending left me wanting more. The book was worth the wait. I'm hoping there will be a fourth book soon.

Read the first two books first, as this is the third in the Darth Bane series. First read Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, then read Darth Bane: Rule of Two, and once you have ordered both of these from Amazon, waited a couple of days for them to arrive, and spent several hours reading them, then you may return to your computer, unminimize this window, and finish reading this excellent and modest review. This book was written by Drew Karpyshyn, one of the writers for the original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) game. Anyone who has played KOTOR is well aware that it has the most shocking moment in Star Wars history since you first heard Vader is Luke's dad. Drew Karpyshyn doesn't weave intricate plotlines the way Timothy Zahn does, but instead gives his books the feel of a video game. I mean that in the sense of action and adventure around every corner, with few pages preparing deep plots, and many spent growing the character. Darth Bane is one of the few characters who truly and constantly grows, as Bane moves from place to place, struggling to survive, to grow in power, and to ensure the continuation and eventual victory of the Sith. It makes his character feel more alive, and makes me care more about his success or failure. If you want a series where the main character is NOT thrust into an impossible situation, but instead chooses his own path of danger, growing his knowledge, experience, and power along the way, then these books are for you, and the latest installment in this series is a worthy successor to the legacy of Darth Bane.

This book is the final chapter in a trilogy about the story of Dessel, a miner who eventually becomes Darth Bane, the Sith Lord that created the Rule of Two and reshaped the Sith Brotherhood into the structure of Master and Apprentice that is seen in the Star Wars movies.

The first two books are great, very well written, the characters are deep and the events are well founded. These two books describe very well the Star Wars universe of the Old Republic, and how the Sith, Republic and Jedi co-existed in the galaxy. It also helps to understand the events from the six movies.

This third book, however, appears to be just a draft copy of the two others, with repetition of Bane's archeological searches and light saber duels, but none of these events brings any surprise, as if the author did not have any time to deepen his first draft into a true story.

The ending is the most disappointing part of the story, although I should not comment on it to avoid spoiling the book experience for those who intend to read it.