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Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars) Mass Market Paperback – June 27, 2006

by James Luceno (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 2,007 ratings
Anakin Skywalker–the Chosen One–is dead. In his place rises Darth Vader, who now hunts what Jedi survived the desctruction of their temple on Coruscant.

From the site of Anakin Skywalker’s last stand–on the molten surface of the planet Mustafar, where he sought to destroy his friend and former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi–a fearsome specter in black has risen. Once the most powerful Knight ever known to the Jedi Order, he is now a disciple of the dark side, a lord of the dreaded Sith, and the avenging right hand of the galaxy’s ruthless new Emperor. Seduced, deranged, and destroyed by the machinations of the Dark Lord Sidious, Anakin Skywalker is dead . . . and Darth Vader lives.

Word of the events that created him–the Jedi Council’s failed mutiny against Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the self-crowned Emperor’s retaliatory command to exterminate the Jedi Order, and Anakin’s massacre of his comrades and Masters in the Jedi Temple–has yet to reach all quarters. On the Outer Rim world of Murkhana, Jedi Masters Roan Shryne and Bol Chatak and Padawan Olee Starstone are leading a charge on a Separatist stronghold, unaware that the tide, red with Jedi blood, has turned suddenly against them.

When the three narrowly elude execution–and become the desperate prey in a hunt across space–it’s neither clone soldiers, nor the newly deployed stormtroopers, nor even the wrath of the power-hungry Emperor himself they must fear most. The deadliest threat rests in the hideously swift and lethal crimson lightsaber of Darth Vader–behind whose brooding mask lies a shattered heart, a poisoned soul, and a cunning, twisted mind hell-bent on vengeance.

For the handful of scattered Jedi, survival is imperative if the light side of the Force is to be protected and the galaxy somehow, someday reclaimed. Yet more important still is the well-being of the twin infants, Leia and Luke Skywalker, the children of Anakin and his doomed bride, Padmé Amidala. Separated after Padmé’s death, they must be made safe at all costs, lest the hope they represent for the future be turned to horror by the new Sith regime–and the unspeakable power of the dark side.
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  1. Part of series
    Star Wars - Legends
  2. Print length
    338 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Random House Worlds
  5. Publication date
    June 27, 2006
  6. Dimensions
    4.1 x 0.96 x 6.87 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0345477332
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0345477330
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Luceno is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil, Star Wars: The New Jedi Order The Unifying Force, and other Star Wars novels. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland, with his wife and youngest child.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Murkhana. Final Hours of the Clone Wars

Dropping into swirling clouds conjured by Murkhana’s weather stations, Roan Shryne was reminded of meditation sessions his former Master had guided him through. No matter how fixed Shryne had been on touching the Force, his mind’s eye had offered little more than an eddying whiteness. Years later, when he had become more adept at silencing thought and immersing himself in the light, visual fragments would emerge from that colorless void—pieces to a puzzle that would gradually assemble themselves and resolve. Not in any conscious way, though frequently assuring him that his actions in the world were in accord with the will of the Force.

Frequently but not always.

When he veered from the course on which the Force had set him, the familiar white would once again be stirred by powerful currents; sometimes shot through with red, as if he were lifting his closed eyes to the glare of a midday sun.

Red-mottled white was what he saw as he fell deeper into Murkhana’s atmosphere. Scored to reverberating thunder; the rush of the wind; a welter of muffled voices . . .

He was standing closest to the sliding door that normally sealed the troop bay of a Republic gunship, launched moments earlier from the forward hold of the Gallant—a Victory-class Star Destroyer, harried by vulture and droid tri-fighters and awaiting High Command’s word to commence its own descent through Murkhana’s artificial ceiling. Beside and behind Shryne stood a platoon of clone troopers, helmets fitting snugly over their heads, blasters cradled in their arms, utility belts slung with ammo magazines, talking among themselves the way seasoned warriors often did before battle. Alleviating misgivings with inside jokes; references Shryne couldn’t begin to understand, beyond the fact that they were grim.

The gunship’s inertial compensators allowed them to stand in the bay without being jolted by flaring anti-aircraft explosions or jostled by the gunship pilots’ evasive maneuvering through corkscrewing missiles and storms of white-hot shrapnel. Missiles, because the same Separatists who had manufactured the clouds had misted Murkhana’s air with anti-laser aerosols.

Acrid odors infiltrated the cramped space, along with the roar of the aft engines, the starboard one stuttering somewhat, the gunship as battered as the troopers and crew it carried into conflict.

Even at an altitude of only four hundred meters above sea level the cloud cover remained dense. The fact that Shryne could barely see his hand in front of his face didn’t surprise him. This was still the war, after all, and he had grown accustomed these past three years to not seeing where he was going.

Nat-Sem, his former Master, used to tell him that the goal of the meditative exercises was to see clear through the swirling whiteness to the other side; that what Shryne saw was only the shadowy expanse separating him from full contact with the Force. Shryne had to learn to ignore the clouds, as it were. When he had learned to do that, to look through them to the radiant expanse beyond, he would be a Master.

Pessimistic by nature, Shryne’s reaction had been: Not in this lifetime. Though he had never said as much to Nat-Sem, the Jedi Master had seen through him as easily as he saw through the clouds.

Shryne felt that the clone troopers had a better view of the war than he had, and that the view had little to do with their helmet imaging systems, the filters that muted the sharp scent of the air, the earphones that dampened the sounds of explosions. Grown for warfare, they probably thought the Jedi were mad to go into battle as they did, attired in tunics and hooded robes, a lightsaber their only weapon. Many of them were astute enough to see comparisons between the Force and their own white plastoid shells; but few of them could discern between armored and unarmored Jedi—those who were allied with the Force, and those who for one reason or another had slipped from its sustaining embrace.

Murkhana’ s lathered clouds finally began to thin, until they merely veiled the planet’s wrinkled landscape and frothing sea. A sudden burst of brilliant light drew Shryne’s attention to the sky. What he took for an exploding gunship might have been a newborn star; and for a moment the world tipped out of balance, then righted itself just as abruptly. A circle of clarity opened in the clouds, a perforation in the veil, and Shryne gazed on verdant forest so profoundly green he could almost taste it. Valiant combatants scurried through the underbrush and sleek ships soared through the canopy. In the midst of it all a lone figure stretched out his hand, tearing aside a curtain black as night . . .

Shryne knew he had stepped out of time, into some truth beyond reckoning.

A vision of the end of the war, perhaps, or of time itself.

Whichever, the effect of it comforted him that he was indeed where he was supposed to be. That despite the depth to which the war had caused him to become fixed on death and destruction, he was still tethered to the Force, and serving it in his own limited way.

Then, as if intent on foiling him, the thin clouds quickly conspired to conceal what had been revealed, closing the portal an errant current had opened. And Shryne was back where he started, with gusts of superheated air tugging at the sleeves and cowl of his brown robe.

“The Koorivar have done a good job with their weather machines,” a speaker-enhanced voice said into his left ear. “Whipped up one brute of a sky. We used the same tactic on Paarin Minor. Drew the Seps into fabricated clouds and blew them to the back of beyond.”

Shryne laughed without merriment. “Good to see you can still appreciate the little things, Commander.”

“What else is there, General?”

Shryne couldn’t make out the expression on the face behind the tinted T-visor, but he knew that shared face as well as anyone else who fought in the war. Commander of the Thirty-second air combat wing, the clone officer had somewhere along the line acquired the name Salvo, and the sobriquet fit him like a gauntlet.

The high-traction soles of his jump boots gave him just enough added height to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Shryne, and where his armor wasn’t dinged and scored it was emblazoned with rust-brown markings. On his hips he wore holstered hand blasters and, for reasons Shryne couldn’t fathom, a version of the capelike command skirt that had become all the rage in the war’ s third year. The left side of his shrapnel-pitted helmet was laser-etched with the motto live to serve!

Torso markings attested to Salvo’s participation in campaigns on many worlds, and while he wasn’t an ARC—an Advanced Reconnaissance Commando—he had the rough edges of an ARC, and of their clone template, Jango Fett, whose headless body Shryne had seen in a Geonosian arena shortly before Master Nat-Sem had fallen to enemy fire.

“Alliance weapons should have us in target lock by now,” Salvo said as the gunship continued to descend.

Other assault ships were also punching through the cloud cover, only to be greeted by flocks of incoming missiles. Struck by direct hits, two, four, then five craft were blown apart, flaming fuselages and mangled troopers plummeting into the churning scarlet waves of Murkhana Bay. From the nose of one gunship flew a bang-out capsule that carried the pilot and co- pilot to within meters of the water before it was ripped open by a resolute heat seeker.

In one of the fifty-odd gunships that were racing down the well, three other Jedi were going into battle, Master Saras Loorne among them. Stretching out with the Force, Shryne found them, faint echoes confirming that all three were still alive.

He clamped his right hand on one of the slide door’s view slots as the pilots threw their unwieldy charge into a hard bank, narrowly evading a pair of hailfire missiles. Gunners ensconced in the gunship’s armature-mounted turrets opened up with blasters as flights of Mankvim Interceptors swarmed up to engage the Republic force. The anti-laser aerosols scattered the blaster beams, but dozens of the Separatist craft succumbed to missiles spewed from the gunships’ top-mounted mass-drive launchers.

“High Command should have granted our request to bombard from orbit,” Salvo said in amplified voice.

“The idea is to take the city, Commander, not vaporize it,” Shryne said loudly. Murkhana had already been granted weeks to surrender, but the Republic ultimatum had expired. “Palpatine’ s policy for winning the hearts and minds of Separatist populations might not make good military sense, but it makes good political sense.”

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Worlds; Reprint edition (June 27, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 338 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0345477332
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345477330
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.1 x 0.96 x 6.87 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 2,007 ratings

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James Luceno

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4.6 out of 5 stars
2,007 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this Star Wars book well-written with an awesome story about Darth Vader, and one review notes it provides detailed looks into Anakin and Vader's mindset. Moreover, they appreciate the character development and consider it an excellent addition to the Star Wars Universe. However, the pacing receives mixed reactions, with one customer describing it as fast-moving while another finds it slow.

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67 customers mention "Readability"67 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and well-written, with one customer noting it's a must-read for Vader fans.

"...We are on Murkhana when Order 66 is implemented and this is a well written but terrifying description of the mass murder of innocents under the..." Read more

"...If you are not a Star Wars fan but just want to enjoy a well written story that deals with changing characters and transition material done..." Read more

"...Still, it’s not a bad book for fans of the expanded universe. Quick read as well...." Read more

"...I was very impressed. His writing style is familiar and expected, a good thing in my opinion, and the story was well thought out even if the main..." Read more

43 customers mention "Story quality"34 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the story of Darth Vader, describing it as thrilling and awesome, with one customer noting it provides background information.

"...A fantastic battle ensues with lots of action, fight scenes and truly moving events and dialogue to entertain and educate the reader...." Read more

"...YOU WILL ENJOY IT, if you just want to sit back and enjoy a good story. Which, oddly, you don't often find in a transition novel...." Read more

"Cool back story to Anakin and Darth Vader! Adds a lot to the struggle he went internally battling with the dark and light side." Read more

"...The characters are well written, the pace fast moving, and the action first rate. I enjoyed it very much. Highly recommended!" Read more

21 customers mention "Insight"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, particularly appreciating the detailed looks into Anakin and Vader's mindset, with one customer noting how it can really sink your mind into the story.

"...scenes and truly moving events and dialogue to entertain and educate the reader...." Read more

"...to the dark side" here in Dark Lord, you will get an excellent clarification on the film as well as a great exploration of the changing character of..." Read more

"This outstanding book provides significant insight into Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader...." Read more

"...It was awesome to dive into the mind of Vader only a few weeks after order 66." Read more

15 customers mention "Character development"12 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with several noting the well-written characters, and one customer highlighting the fantastic exploration of Darth Vader's psyche.

"...Wars fan but just want to enjoy a well written story that deals with changing characters and transition material done correctly, then get this book...." Read more

"...The characters are well written, the pace fast moving, and the action first rate. I enjoyed it very much. Highly recommended!" Read more

"...Lord that makes the novel so amazing is how Luceno perfectly balances character development, fight scenes, plot progression, and connections to A..." Read more

"...It does include some pretty cool new characters like Roan Shryne and Olee Starstone...." Read more

10 customers mention "Book value"10 positive0 negative

Customers find this book to be an excellent addition to the Star Wars Universe, with one customer noting it stays true to the Star Wars theme and genre.

"...hating it for being awful but making me love it because everything Star Wars is glorious, I was anxious about Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader by..." Read more

"...adapt to his new body and life support systems this is a great read for any Star Wars fan and is my all-time favorite Star Wars novel I give this..." Read more

"...I will give this book one big positive though. It made me want to read more Star Wars books! And the writing style was smooth." Read more

"...A great read for most people and all star wars lovers.It is worth the money." Read more

6 customers mention "Pace"3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it fast-moving while others note it can be slow.

"...The characters are well written, the pace fast moving, and the action first rate. I enjoyed it very much. Highly recommended!" Read more

"...suit and movements and hunting down some jedi, it was a bit hard to keep up at times...." Read more

"...Throw in some Jedi that escaped order 66 and the book starts to pick up pace...." Read more

"...That being said the novel can be very slow and plodding in parts...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Greggorio!
    5.0 out of 5 stars A STUNNING TOUR DE FORCE...
    Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    THE RISE OF DARTH VADER by James Lucerno.
    This novel is set immediately after the events of Episode III Revenge of the Sith and from the outset to me it is a pity that Matthew Stover did not write both books. I say this because reading the novelisation of REVENGE OF THE SITH was one of the literary highlights of 2012 and it would have enhanced this story by the length of the Kessel run if it was written in the same style. In one sense the story of Anakin Skywalker ends on Mustafar and yet George Lucas himself has said that episodes 1 through 6 complete the story of his rise fall and eventual redemption (if such a thing is possible). So what I am saying from the outset is that the novelisation of ROTS and this one is really a two part story which would have been a better read if written by the same author.

    (NOTE: I have come to realise that ROTS and this book are actually the final two thirds of THE DARK LORD TRILOGY so this criticism is clearly invalid. But I would like to leave this in my review as I refer to this paragraph later on. :-))

    That out of the way, I can say that there are moments of pure star wars magic to be found in this book. This first one left me breathless early on in the novel when we entered the tormented mind of Vader as he begins to comprehend what has happened, what he is and what he has become. Regrets begin to form in his soul and rise to the surface of his consciousness when he remembers what he was and what he could have been. Little facts are raised in the book which are fascinating to some readers (me!) but possibly pointless trivia to others.

    Part one of the book is compelling to say the least. We are on Murkhana when Order 66 is implemented and this is a well written but terrifying description of the mass murder of innocents under the guise of war. Part two - subtitled THE EMPEROR'S EMISSARY is when we are introduced to Vader for the first time in the book and this is where the heart of the reader really starts to pump. The story itself too jumps up a notch but in an attempt to humanise Vader it gets stuck in first gear for 50 pages or so. Anyway the heroes of this story become obvious given the context of what has gone before and it is easy to become attached emotionally to what is going on.

    Part three begins on Imperial Centre and obviously is used to set the scene for what happens in the tumultuous and apocalyptic (for some) climax to this tale. Palpatine (Sidious) is still manipulating his new apprentice but at least we signs of development and independent thought processes begin to rise from Vader. Part four is based on KASHYYYK and is the highlight of the book in an emotional sense as well as from the storytelling perspective. A group of renegade Jedi and their support crew decide to use Kashyyyk as a temporary base and when Vader turns up with his support crew they refuse to surrender. A fantastic battle ensues with lots of action, fight scenes and truly moving events and dialogue to entertain and educate the reader. This part of the book is also significant in terms of Vader's development in the dark side and it is easy to close your eyes and see the book "happen" in front of you as you read each page.

    With a deeply satisfying and equally emotional ending this book turned out to be one of the all time great EU novels. As I stated at the start of my review, the writing style is definitely different from that used by Stover in REVENGE OF THE SITH but looking back, that was definitely a good thing. I am not criticising Stover by saying this but even though the two books form the bulk of the same trilogy, they have to be sufficiently different in order to entertain and to give each writer his due. What Lucerno has achieved here is a classic star wars novel for the "new" star wars if you know what i mean. So in summary I give this book four stars out of five. The ending was awesome as I have said but held back by a minor lull in proceedings in part two. But definitely worth reading. The hard part now is to decide which SW book to read next!

    Greggorio (LR)
    24 people found this helpful
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  • Daniel
    5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Read! You will enjoy this book more than Episode III
    Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    One of the first ways that I can tell if a book is well written is if I find myself comfortable in continue to read chapter after chapter, until I've covered over a hundred pages without knowing that I've read so much. I am capable of reading over 350 pages per sitting if the need arises, as it so often does when teachering or working on assignments in college. So when I find that a book invites me to continue to read at a pleasant pace for hours at a time, rather than forcing myself to speed disect for the next class, then it is definantly a good book.

    Whether you are a loyal true believer in Star Wars, or just a passer-by who is vaguely familiar with the movies, you can really sink your mind into this book. YOU WILL ENJOY IT, if you just want to sit back and enjoy a good story. Which, oddly, you don't often find in a transition novel.

    Dark Lord is a story that bridges the Star Wars Saga on two fronts. For readers of the Prequel/Clone War novels and New Republic novels there will be the wonderful experience of transitioning from one era to the next. At the start of the novel the Clone Wars are ragging, though about to come to an abrupt end. The text at this point feels just like the stories written since Lucas began his Episode I-III 'adventures.' However, before you even get through the first 1/3 of the book, the text begins to shift in tones and by the end the author has pulled off the miracle of sounding perfectly in tune with the novels based off the original trilogy. From a writer, and teachers point of view, that alone is a wonder to behold.

    For those of you who are not looking for "wonders to behold" and just want to enjoy a great story, you'll find it in this book. And guess what, THIS TIME YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT ANAKIN AND ALL THE OTHER CHARACTERS ARE DOING! Unlike in Episode III where the audience must strain to understand Anakin's emotions, choices, and the whole "seduction to the dark side" here in Dark Lord, you will get an excellent clarification on the film as well as a great exploration of the changing character of Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader. The paragraphs on how Anakin is dealing with his new "enslavement" to his black armor and life support system alone will make you shiver with the ripples of the dark side.

    No spoilers in my review. I will end this by saying, that if you are a Star Wars fan, you probably already have the book. If you don't, get it, you'll enjoy it. If you are not a Star Wars fan but just want to enjoy a well written story that deals with changing characters and transition material done correctly, then get this book. You will enjoy it more than Episode III.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • TheDManCan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Vader Insights with Dull Sideshow
    Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I’m echoing an enormous review below that contains spoilers to write a concise one that doesn’t. The chapters dedicated to Darth Vader reconciling what’s left of Anakin are fabulous. There has to be some kind of plot to accompany this great material but the author gets a little lost in the details and creates a pretty forgettable, generic cast of characters as a vehicle to move things along. Still, it’s not a bad book for fans of the expanded universe. Quick read as well. Also, just note that this was written before Clone Wars, so you’ll notice some cannon differences.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Cool back story to Anakin and Darth Vader! Adds a lot to the struggle he went internally battling with the dark and light side.
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  • Tyson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
    Reviewed in Australia on July 8, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The writing, the character depth and reading the early stages of Vader’s grief is a bonus step into the pre-OT saga
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  • Freya of Asgard
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un romanzo avvincente
    Reviewed in Italy on November 10, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    “Dark Lord: the rise of Darth Vader” è un appassionante romanzo della serie Star Wars Legends, ambientato subito dopo Episodio III. I temi principali della storia sono due: la nuova vita di Anakin Skywalker come Sith, imprigionato dentro l’armatura necessaria per mantenerlo in vita e la fuga disperata degli ultimi Jedi, inseguiti da Vader senza pietà; una caccia che rappresenta per lui uno strumento di ascesa nel Lato Oscuro.

    Il romanzo, scritto in maniera accurata e in uno stile piacevole, è molto interessante soprattutto perché si sofferma sui pensieri e sulle sensazioni di Darth Vader che prende coscienza dei tragici avvenimenti di Episodio III e delle difficoltà nell’abituarsi al suo nuovo corpo.

    Colui che un tempo era l’uomo di punta dell’ordine Jedi è ora intrappolato in un’armatura nera, non ha più il potere di un tempo ed è troppo tardi quando si rende conto delle macchinazioni di Palpatine, che comunque continua a dimostrarsi una figura paterna (ma sempre per i suoi scopi e per usarlo per consolidare il potere da poco conquistato). Durante la caccia ai pochi Jedi superstiti assistiamo ai progressi di Darth Vader nell’utilizzo del Lato Oscuro, progressi che lo renderanno il temibile comandante che abbiamo conosciuto in Episodio IV.

    In definitiva, una lettura piacevolissima e avvincente; un must per i fan della saga.
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  • Antonio Javier Garcia Pico
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Seller
    Reviewed in Spain on December 8, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Everything was as it should be.
    Very good seller.
    Everything was smooth and without any problems.
    I totally recomend this seller.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Arrived in great condition. Iam loving this tragic masterpiece in every ...
    Reviewed in India on August 9, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Arrived in great condition. Iam loving this tragic masterpiece in every way for every word. You can imagine every scene as you go about this book.
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  • Daniel
    2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on February 19, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Waited for the reprint but quit after 100 pages. Doesn’t make any sense to me.

    Was looning forward to it but really dissapointed.
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