Alex James's Blog: AlexJamesNovels Blog - Posts Tagged "sith"

The sequel to Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, Rule of Two continues with Darth Bane and his apprentice Zannah as they make connections and exploit political tensions in order to fortify the Republic against any rival groups that threaten it. Bane does this because he knows that the Republic, one target, can be more easily manipulated than many. With his abundant patience and secrecy, his plans will eventually lead to the destruction of the entire Jedi.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Ruusan, where the thought bomb weapon wiped out nearly all Sith and many Jedi, new political developments are occurring. The Jedi, confident that their enemies are now extinct, are making the fatal decision to retire as warriors and hand over political power to the politicians of the Republic. Young Jedi Johun Othone thinks that the battles and sacrifices made by the Jedi in the war against the Sith are in vain now that the Jedi are relinquishing their political power, and he can’t rid himself of the suspicion that a formidable Dark Lord of the Sith may still survive to rise again.

I really enjoyed the exploration of themes relating to the aftermath on Ruusan, and how the war affected the planet’s atmosphere and inhabitants. This element of back-story, along with the back-story throughout with regard to other planets and civilisations, made Rule of Two rich in detail and well thought-out. There were some nice ideas in there too, such as parasites that can grant unlimited strength, but possession of which can lead to some problems. I thoroughly liked reading through the entirety of this well-polished novel, which had some jaw-opening events close to the end. Apprentice Zannah was just the sort of character I wanted to learn more from, being ruthless, creative, and yet not completely swayed by the dark side. Such things as love, care, and doubt were still small uncertainties for her. Even though the source of her strength in the dark side is not as obvious or concentrated as her master’s, I did respect her intelligence in supporting the Sith Order.

Criticism: I didn’t find Rule of Two to be as exciting and compelling as Path of Destruction, which impeccably described Bane’s struggle and had many twists and turns. But then, POD did set a very high standard. Some of the passages were too descriptive, and maybe it could have been balanced better by focusing more on apprentice Zannah’s development as a character.

SPOILER: The orbalisks’ weakness was electricity, which surprised me because I rather thought or hoped that it was their own power fuelled by Bane that led to their destruction.

If you liked Path of Destruction, or even if you haven’t read it, I recommend Rule of Two. The battles were well-described and critically believable. The author has done his research on this, borrowing ideas, technologies, and scenes from the films and using them to great effect to bring the Old Republic to life.

The Darth Bane series is the most enjoyable series of books I’ve read about the Star Wars universe. I give the series 5/5 stars on the whole. It follows Darth Bane, who started out as a miner in the first book Path of Destruction and surpassed all expectations and abilities to create what is called the Rule of Two: a rule intended to keep the Sith strong so that one day, as in the prequel trilogy of films, they would rise to fight the Jedi and take over the galaxy.

However, Darth Bane’s current apprentice, Zannah, has not challenged him yet and the tremors in Bane’s left hand attest to infirmity and aging muscles, which is fatal in a warrior who relies primarily on martial prowess. The future of the Sith is at stake and Bane seeks the secret to eternal life, and a new apprentice, as a backup plan. Zannah mistakenly thinks her master wants her to be patient in challenging him, but also wonders if it is time. She actively thinks about recruiting a new apprentice.

There are a few captivating additions to the series including a Iktotchi assassin who has visions of the future; healer Caleb’s daughter Serra who seeks justice for her murdered husband and father; a dark Jedi Set Harth whose reliance on escape and self-preservation make a contrast between him and the Sith.

There was a touch too much background information at times, reminding us of what happened in earlier books, but it did give the reader a well-rounded understanding of the thoughts of each character. We see less of Bane in Dynasty of Evil and the chapters about each character were shorter than I would have liked.

I must say the battles were well imagined and incredibly exciting. I reckon I was drooling when the Sith battled one another, anticipating how the battles would play out. With the background information sketched out previously, all the characters and situations came together in a clash that combined political reality with petty vengeance and brutal challenge/survival.

Path of Destruction is still the best book, but I wouldn’t hesitate to read another in this series, if it was possible. Or maybe I’ll have to reread Drew Karpyshyn’s Mass Effect series again or other works he has written. There is a visual quality to his writing that I like.