STAR WARS: DARTH BANE: RULE OF TWO by Drew Karpyshyn

What did I read over break, you ask? I read a totally for me novel, Star Wars: Darth Bane: Rule of Two. I love these Sith Era novels. I sure hope that there are more on the way. Star Wars seems to be able to extend ever into the future, but I really do not like Luke Skywalker and what has become of the Jedi; these novels are fun, but they lake a true sense of light vs. dark side intrigue.

The Sith Era novels focus on the exploits of the Dark Lord Darth Bane the Master of the Sith. Star Wars: Darth Bane: Rule of Two is full of twists, turns, Sith Holocrons, and a strange symbiotic species that feeds off Force users.

The novel starts up with Darth Bane leaving the battle scene on Ruusan where the Thoughtbomb was unleashed killing every user of the Force within its area of effect. Bane escaped, but experiences strange side effects, which was dropped halfway through the novel. His visions of the Sith Masters killed in the Thoughtbomb, is plot point I hope will be revisited in future books.

With the Sith destroyed, Bane is able to put into practice the Rule of Two. The Force delivers Bane a suitable apprentice in the child named Rain. She is a natural at wielding the dark side of the Force. Bane wittiness Rain kill several mercenaries in rage of Force Lightning that rivals his own.

The novel soon skips over the next ten years and pick back up with Rain, now called Darth Zannah in the middle of mission and training exercise. She is working with a group of anarchist hand has convinced them to try to kill the former Senate Chancellor in an upcoming diplomatic mission to their planet.

Meanwhile Darth Bane struggles to create this own Holocron.

The book is really good. Please, if there is anyone out there listing, continue to produce Sith Era novels.

Karpyshyn, Drew. Star Wars: Darth Bane: Rule of Two. New York: Ballantine Books, 2008.