Path of Destruction (Star Wars: Darth Bane, #1) by Drew Karpyshyn

Jan 04, 2010

Aaron rated it

· review of another edition

This book seemed like a good choice for something to read on a plane. On my previous trip I was confronted with a new peril of trying to read something challenging in a confined space: sitting next to a conversation about which Twilight was hotter. I'm used to reading in loud areas, but I have limits where my brain will shut down. And a working brain really is no requirement for a Star Wars book. While I had never read a Star Wars book before, I was actually familiar with the author's work as he...moreThis book seemed like a good choice for something to read on a plane. On my previous trip I was confronted with a new peril of trying to read something challenging in a confined space: sitting next to a conversation about which Twilight was hotter. I'm used to reading in loud areas, but I have limits where my brain will shut down. And a working brain really is no requirement for a Star Wars book. While I had never read a Star Wars book before, I was actually familiar with the author's work as he had written one of my favorite video games. This accomplishment is as poor a reason to read someone's book as you may imagine. Karpyshyn's greatest strength is to work in pastiche, twisting recognizable characters and motifs enough to keep things interesting. It's actually a pretty good skill -- when one's characters are 2D cut-outs, it's pretty easy to drop them onto any back drop and make it work. However, his choices here may have been a bit too prosaic, too easy to reach for.

He combines a central motif of post-Dune space fair -- that people from hell planets grow up real tough -- and the most staid pop-psychology daddy issues as the central ideas for formulating what is supposed to be the galaxy's biggest badass. First, I doubt that either factor makes any sense for this character. They might make someone ruthless and morally empty, but they also seem likely to make that person physically broken and traumatized, stripping away the sangfroid that we so love to see in our ultimate villains. At best, being space-poor might make Bane a space-Somali pirate. And those daddy issues probably only qualify him to work as a stripper. Secondly, even if those daddy issues DID make Bane a vicious killer, I don't want to hear about it. Just skip to the vicious killing.

Briefly I toyed with reading the other books in the series just to see how it all turns out, but that seemed like more effort than I could justify. Then I thought about reading the internet summaries, but those appear to be almost as long, and even more dully written. I'm left to assume that many more people die, light sabers are used, and that a hard-fought comeuppance is earned. Now if only there was some comeuppance for those 30-year-old women yammering about Twilights.(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Feb 19, 2008

Ryan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

More like "Darth 'Meh'." I'm a huge Star Wars fan, I am. But I really just couldn't bring myself to care at all about anything going on in this book. It didn't help that there was little in the way of character development and not much of a story here to begin with. Add in the author's background as a video game writer and you get a big pile o' mediocre.

like 2 likes

· see review

Dec 07, 2007

Angel rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: science_fiction

I may have mentioned before that I don't read a lot of Star Wars novels. I consider myself a casual fan. Like many fiction series, the SW books are very "hit or miss." I have enjoyed some, but I have also found others were not very good. This is one I highly recommend. I think the more "hardcore" fans will definitely appreciate it. I also think more casual readers like me will like it. The book gives the origins of the Sith, explaining why it is that we only see two Sith, a m...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Oct 03, 2007

Derek rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Star Wars Fans

The book is set a thousand years before the Star Wars Trilogy, the story is about a boy called Bane who had always lived in his fathers debts and always despised his father. One day after he kills a man with force he is taken in by "Brotherhood of Darkness" Also known as the "Sith". There Bane trains hard to become the Ultimate Sith to destroy the rest of the Jedi and end the endless war betwen the jedi and the sith. While training in the academy he finds faults in the "...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Jan 24, 2008

Olivia rated it

Shelves: star-wars

Being a bit masochistic, I have read many a crap Star Wars book in my day. Jedi Trial, The Ruins of Dantooine, Labyrinth of Evil, Dark Lord, The Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy and Children of the Jedi all spring to mind, among others. Suffice to say, Darth Bane: Path of Destruction joins the ranks of its less-than-illustrious predecessors. This book is pure crap. Seriously, how does this kind of shit even make it to press? Has Del Rey even heard of quality control? The writing is shoddy, the charact...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Jan 27, 2012

Richard Barnes rated it

· review of another edition

It's a Star Wars book - I've long since given up on reading anymore genuinely good Star Wars books, the Thrawn trilogy that the books kicked off with have never been surpassed. I have waded through the awful Jedi Academy trilogy, the even worse Darksaber and last year, gave up on the dismal "I Jedi".

The only reason I gave this a go was because I had just got a Kobo and it was one of my library's limited selection of ebooks.

However, I'm pleased to say it was a fu...more

like

· see review

Nov 28, 2011

Joshehs rated it

· review of another edition

Star Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction Book Review
The book I read was Star Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction. The book was about 325 pages long. Its author was Drew Karpyshyn and works as a writer for a PC game company called BioWare. Path of Destruction is the first book in a series of three books for the Star Wars franchise.
I want to talk about some of the characters in the book. My favorite characters in the book are Bane, Githany, and Sirak. The reason why I like them ...moreStar Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction Book Review
The book I read was Star Wars: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction. The book was about 325 pages long. Its author was Drew Karpyshyn and works as a writer for a PC game company called BioWare. Path of Destruction is the first book in a series of three books for the Star Wars franchise.
I want to talk about some of the characters in the book. My favorite characters in the book are Bane, Githany, and Sirak. The reason why I like them so much is because they’re kind of similar to characters that are in the future. I think Bane relates to Anakin Skywalker because they’re childhoods were similar. They both lived on desolate and dangerous worlds. They were both slaves to something. Bane had to work in the mines his whole life and Anakin had to work with a guy that owned a junkshop. Later in their lives, they both succumbed to the dark side through their emotions. I think Githany and Sirak are more developed than Bane in the middle of the book. Bane still had to learn things as a Sith, while those two knew more things than him. I think that they are believable because Bane had a life that could be very similar to many human people on Earth. I don’t think that Githany and Sirak are believable because I can’t think of anything that would relate them to people on Earth.
I think that plot can be very realistic for a science fiction book. It is one of the most realistic Star Wars books that I have read. There were some much unexpected twists in the book. One part in the book, Bane killed a man and had to leave his homeworld. That was the most unexpected twist I have come across in the book. There are a couple others, but they are not as interesting. These twists in the story kept me thinking while I was reading the book. This book can be a little fast for a realistic book.
When I read this book, I was impressed by the way the author writes. He writes very realistically and mixes it up with unexpected twists and action filled chapters. I liked his style very much and plan to read more of his books in the future. I think that the writing is simple and easy to understand. I would say that the author is developed but not too developed. I saw throughout the writing was never funny. It was always action-packed or serious writing throughout the whole book.
This book is very good and I would give it 4.5/5 for this book. I’d recommend to everyone in the school and it depends if anyone in the school likes the Star Wars series.
(less)

like

· see review

Oct 31, 2011

Tristan Mouradian rated it

· review of another edition

In the book, Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, the story of an old Sith Lord is revealed. In the beginning, a man named Dessel, who was abused as a child, works on a mining plant on a desolate planet. He is very angry about his father since it was his fathers fault he was stuck on the planet. As this is happening, the great Sith Empire continuously battles the forces of the Republic. Lord Kaan, leader of the Sith, and General Hoth, leader of the Jedi, are at constant war. Back o...more

like

· see review

Jun 15, 2011

Samuel rated it

· review of another edition

I honestly wasn't sure that I'd like this book. I don't particularly like reading about where darkness wins or where the bad guy is really the good guy, or whatever. I don't like dwelling in darkness. That's just something about me that I just have always had. But I want to know as much about Star Wars as I can, so I read it anyway.

What to my surprise when I found a well-written, -storylined, -set up, -characterized, and absolutely amazing story unfolded in front of my eyes. It ...moreI honestly wasn't sure that I'd like this book. I don't particularly like reading about where darkness wins or where the bad guy is really the good guy, or whatever. I don't like dwelling in darkness. That's just something about me that I just have always had. But I want to know as much about Star Wars as I can, so I read it anyway.

What to my surprise when I found a well-written, -storylined, -set up, -characterized, and absolutely amazing story unfolded in front of my eyes. It displays realistic characters, every one with their own goals and motives, every one following THE STAR WARS GALAXY PATTERNS LIKE THEY SHOULD. Sometimes, this isn't found in these books. (*cough* *cough*..."Crosscurrent" and "The Old Republic: Deceived"...*cough* *cough*) But it was stupendously entertaining. I can see Darth Bane as he searches for "truth" (if you can call it that; I prefer the Jedi's ideals...), and finds it. Mr. Karpyshyn makes a fool out of the Sith Order as it appears at the beginning because, well, it IS. The Sith Order hardly sounded like the "Sith", but rather sounded too much like the Jedi. Darth Bane obviously sees this, and conducted himself in a stupendous manner.

But another thing that I REALLY liked was the Jedi side of the story as well. It is obvious that both the Jedi and the Sith (as Darth Bane views it) win. It is unfortunate that General Hoth had to die, but sometimes, what can you do? You can't write a Star Wars novel without SOMEBODY dying. And, just like R.A. Salvatore had to do in his book "Vector Prime", sometimes, the good guys need to die. (As a note: I am not trying to say "good riddance" to Chewie, but rather saying that he killed off a main character masterfully, and for a strong story, or something like that. I don't know specifically why....) If you have a story where no good person dies or departs indefinitely, then the writer had better write it well, or it is, in simpler terms, lame. In a story, there needs to be a balance to good and bad situations. Drew Karpyshyn did this well. (That is, even though most of it talks about evil combating evil. But who cares.... :D)

Good job, though! Drew Karpyshyn, you've earned my five-star rating!(less)

like

· see review

May 27, 2011

Greg rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: star-wars

"Path of Destruction" is an awesome story. As you may have noticed (if you've looked over some of the other books I've read) I'm somewhat of a Star Wars "geek". I've always wanted to learn more of the history of Star Wars and where the rules of master and apprentice, there can be only 2, came from. I had been able to pick up throughout my searches on the Internet that Darth Bane was the Sith Lord who changed the Sith ways, and started the new way of thinking for the Sith. Whe...more

like

· see review

Feb 22, 2011

Leeloodallas rated it

· review of another edition

The long and the short: The Sith finally get smart and use some of the better Jedi ideas to actually score some real victories against their enemies. Then some retro-idiot gets obsessed with scrolls and destroys the one hope the Dark Side had for victory over the light side by manipulating a power-hungry Sith into using a WMD (weapon of mind-destruction). In the process, he reduces the Sith to less than nothing: one shadowed, "cunning," figure who trains a second to lust for his power...more

like

· see review

Jul 20, 2010

Crystal Starr Light rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: simply-the-best, star-wars

"One to embody the power and one to crave it"
A thousand years before The Phantom Menace, Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine, and the Clone Wars, the Sith and the Jedi were large forces and at war with each other. On a God-forsaken world, Apatros, better known for being a source of cortosis, a mineral used in deflecting lightsabers, Dessel mined the tunnels as his abusive father before him. His life is pretty dreary until he plays cards with some Republic soldiers and wins. The soldiers s...more"One to embody the power and one to crave it"
A thousand years before The Phantom Menace, Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine, and the Clone Wars, the Sith and the Jedi were large forces and at war with each other. On a God-forsaken world, Apatros, better known for being a source of cortosis, a mineral used in deflecting lightsabers, Dessel mined the tunnels as his abusive father before him. His life is pretty dreary until he plays cards with some Republic soldiers and wins. The soldiers seek to show him whose boss but one Republic officer is killed in the process. Dessel is on the run, seeking refuge in the only place left: the Sith. He rises to fame in the army then as Bane at the special Masters Academy on Korriban. Slowly, this Sith establishes the order that would keep the Sith alive during the peace, in wait for their unveiling in Revenge of the Sith.

What I Liked:
So much to choose from!
The first thing I loved was Bane/Dessel. Although he is a bad guy, allied to the Dark Side of the Force, Drew Karpyshyn is adroit at being able to write so that we the readers are rooting for him all the way. I enjoyed his backstory, how similar, yet different it was to Anakin Skywalker. Both came from harsh worlds, suffered harsh losses, and were given an out-of-this-world chance at freedom. However, Dessel's story is more tragic as his father was abusive while Anakin's mom was loving. Then, his growth from miner to soldier to apprentice to Sith Master was well-done. You watch as he gradually learns of his skills, begins to use them, fails, succeeds, learns of the Dark Side, and gives himself over. This is amazing as Karpyshyn is the first novelist to detail a story with the primary view from the Sith (all other novels had a Jedi emphasis).
The plot is not complicated (the demise of the Brotherhood of the Sith), however, it is done so well, kept interesting and briskly written. We all know the outcome (or if you didn't, I divulged, sorry), but it's not the destination, it's the journey that makes it enjoyable. Karpyshyn takes us where no other Star Wars novelist has done: he takes us into the heart of the Sith Order, the tension, the anger, the hatred, the barely concealed restraint the Sith Masters have to each other and the bare tendrils Kaan has to keep his brood in order. It is a visceral story, harsh and gritty, yet satisfying.
Then sidelines characters: I enjoyed Kas'im, the Sith swordsmaster. I felt he was real, he was a mentor, but not afraid to push his student. I also enjoyed General Hoth, the Jedi leading the Army of Light. I liked how he really treaded the line between the Light and Dark Side, how he fought partially for revenge.
While I was not fond of Githany, I did appreciate how Karpyshyn did keep her from being too omnipotent, by having her miss out on Bane's ultimate request. Also, I think Karpyshyn did not allow her complete sway over her male counterparts, as seen in the character, Kaan. This simple scene keeps her from being a groan worthy Mary Sue...mostly (see below).
There is more I could detail, but I think you get the picture.

What I Did Not Like:
What to say? There is so much that I enjoyed in this book, it was really challenging to find much that I did not. But there are two things that come to mind. The first is a continuity slip (which Karpyshyn has admitted). Bane says he is studying Vapaad, which is not possible as Mace Windu developed Vapaad nearly 1000 years before the events in this book. However, Karpyshyn admitted this was a mistake; Bane should have said he was studying Juyo, a form that was in existence during the era of this book.
My second dislike is probably the character of Githany. While not as frustrating and annoying as many other females I have encountered in fiction (and I found out in the graphic novel, Jedi vs. Sith, she is not quite the Mary Sue she tends to be here), I grew tired of how the author went to great extents to detail her sexuality and beauty and how her greatest skills were basically seduction. A rhetorical question, but why is it that female villains are only "villainous" in the fact that they can seduce men to do their whims? Why can men be bad ass fighters, superb Force Users, or great pilots, but the only skill women are allowed is the ability to romp in the bedroom? Time and again, women's roles are reduced to objects of gratification or duties deemed "feminine" (and I am not even a feminist!).

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Star Wars expletives are about as rough as it gets.
Githany reveals she had a lover. She also flirts frequently with her male companions and develops feelings for Bane.
Violence is the real kicker in this one. Dessel's father dies and this is shown in retrospect and in a vision/dream sequence. The first murder shown is the death of a Republic ensign. From there, the body count increases. This doesn't even include multiple injuries. A miner's finger is bitten off; Bane and another student end up so badly damaged as to spend weeks in bacta therapy. And frequently, the details are pretty graphic.

Overall:
WOW! After reading a few downer Star Wars books, this revives faith in the EU franchise. If you are interested in learning more about the Sith, reading about good characters, crisp dialogue, and intense, fast-paced action, then Path of Destruction is your book! Five stars, no questions asked. (less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Jan 23, 2010

C. L. Roberts rated it

· review of another edition

Darth Bane is the sith that brought about the order of two. We first hear about the order of two in Star wars Episode one “The Phantom Meanace.” When Yoda is talking to Mace Windu during Qui-Gong Jin’s funeral pyre. Drew Karpasyan, which also was the lead writer for Star wars Knights of the old republic was given the task to write this story and he doesn’t disappoint. We begin our journey down the dark side with Bane from his life on a mining world.

Bane at the start is a youn...more

like

· see review

Jan 11, 2010

Leeanna rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: i-own

Star Wars: Darth Bane #1: Path of Destruction, by Drew Karpyshyn

"Path of Destruction" novelizes the story of Darth Bane, which had previously been told in comic format. Bane is the creator of the modern Sith order, the one who created the Rule of Two; he believe that there should only be two Sith, one Master to embody the power and one apprentice to want the power.

The book is a solid start to a series about one of the most famous figures in the Star Wars Univer...more

like

· see review

Oct 31, 2011

Emily rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: series, it-s-a-trap, scfi, travis-recommends

Really, going into this book you have to know this is a Star Wars book and it's pretty much sanctioned fan fiction.

Before I started this book someone told me that the author writes for video games. And once I learned that it could not be unlearned. The first chapter of this book should have really started, "Level one. Fight!". Many of the chapters read like levels in a video game or like the mini movies that play in between levels.

The writing is super over th...more

like

· see review

Aug 07, 2011

Isis rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: star-wars

After hearing Darth Bane mentioned several times as one of the seminal members of the Sith Order, it was interesting to finally read his story. Bane isn’t an instantly likable character, and of course he gets more and more evil throughout, but somehow he grows on you, perhaps because the reader is looking over his shoulder through it all. But it’s easy to see where Bane goes wrong, even from the beginning of the book. There’s something slightly off about Dessel’s attitude, even making allowances...moreAfter hearing Darth Bane mentioned several times as one of the seminal members of the Sith Order, it was interesting to finally read his story. Bane isn’t an instantly likable character, and of course he gets more and more evil throughout, but somehow he grows on you, perhaps because the reader is looking over his shoulder through it all. But it’s easy to see where Bane goes wrong, even from the beginning of the book. There’s something slightly off about Dessel’s attitude, even making allowances for his awful environment and appalling upbringing, hints of the dark side show through. Thus, Bane’s fall doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Then again, I already knew he was going to be a Sith before picking up the book, so maybe that contributed to the lack of surprise when Bane finally falls.

One of the most interesting things about the book is undoubtedly its Sith perspective and the chance to learn so much more about them. Even the Jedi Order still has many aspects left to explore, and they are usually the protagonists. I was anticipating this book revealing more about the Jedi Order’s opposite, the culture surrounding this Order, their beliefs and codes, the techniques they use in contrast to the Jedi way of approaching the Force. Sadly, Bane conveniently exists in a time where the traditional way of the Sith has been distorted and abandoned, and where he must patch the pieces together himself to restore the old ways, and very little of what Bane finds in his Holocrons and ancient library texts is revealed to us, the readers. One of the surprising elements was Bane’s struggles to connect with the dark side. According to Jedi lore, the dark side of the easy path, but Bane’s spirit begins to violently reject it partway through his training. Seems the dark side path isn’t that easy after all. Bane’s progression and development feels natural, his level of power doesn’t feel contrived.

I've never been a big fan of the "Sith alchemy" stuff though, and there were a couple of continuity bloopers afoot in this one. The character of Dessel/Bane, with his fall and his forceful personality definitely carries the day here.

8 out of 10.(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Jun 11, 2010

Nicholas Karpuk rated it

Recommends it for: DORKS! You know who you are!

Star Wars is funny. Not on purpose, mind you.

This book features a protagonist whose chosen name is so stupid I refuse to actually use it. For the purposes of this review, he shall be Darth Tickle.

Darth Tickle lives a couple thousand years before Luke ever whines about power converters, born to an abusive father on an unpleasant mining planet. After committing a murder in self-defense, Tickle flees the planet, joining the Brotherhood of Darkness (snicker), and eventually ...moreStar Wars is funny. Not on purpose, mind you.

This book features a protagonist whose chosen name is so stupid I refuse to actually use it. For the purposes of this review, he shall be Darth Tickle.

Darth Tickle lives a couple thousand years before Luke ever whines about power converters, born to an abusive father on an unpleasant mining planet. After committing a murder in self-defense, Tickle flees the planet, joining the Brotherhood of Darkness (snicker), and eventually gets recruited by the Sith, because he's "force sensitive" as we nerds call it.

Here's what gets to me about all the history of Star Wars. The Old Republic goes back a couple thousand years, then this book describes space flight and Jedis and light saber battles and holographic technology made 3000 FREAKING YEARS before that by Darth Revan.

Not to get tangential here, but that implies that people in this universe have had basically the same technology for roughly 5,000 years! Iain Banks envisioned the human race in a utopian, post-scarcity society on a lesser timeline. What this seems to suggest is that races in the Star Wars universe consume a lot of lead-based products, or are really, really, REALLY comfortable with their current level of technology. I mean, seriously, think of all the things man kind has knocked out in the last 5000 years.

Anyhoo, Darth Tickle joins up with the Brotherhood, and the silliness of it becomes apparent really quickly. Even Tickle himself can't help but observe that there's an inherent problem with a large organization entirely devoted to mustache-twirling, overt evil. Evil is not a team sport, there is indeed an I in Evil. It tends to favor self-starters rather than group-think.

The first half of the book is him going through a Harry-Potter-style training at the school, before he throws a tantrum and runs off to learn the older, truer ways of the darkside. You see, Darth Tickle is the Kwisatz Haderach, the Boy Who Lived of evil jedi. He's super good, but has to get past his hang ups by reading Joseph Campbell, the Writer's Journey, and going to overpriced seminars about story structure.... I mean he has to get past all his hang ups and doubts.

You see, Darth Tickle started that whole rule of two thing that Sidious and Vader do. One guy has the power, the other looks on like a puppy at the dinner table saying, "Oh man, I bet that power tastes soooo freaking sweet."

I was fine with the potboiler writing (yes, Aaron, you were right, it's perfect airplane reading) right up until the end where the Sith unleash the THOUGHT BOMB (snicker). Yes, a thought bomb, a bomb of thinking. They basically give up on the whole science meets spiritual structure of Star Wars and go full-tilt Dragonball Z on the Jedis.

This book deserves some credit for at least being competent. Karpyshyn doesn't embarass himself the way a lot of licensed Star Wars books do. It still doesn't feel like he's trying very hard, more like it's something he did between games he worked on for Bioware. There are some chunks of clumsy prose, some telling rather than showing. And the regular Jedi are actually bigger dorks than usual. But I read the bulk of it in two days, and was reasonably amused, so there's gotta be something to that, right?(less)

like 10 likes

· see review

Jan 27, 2009

Adam rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

I fought against reading Star Wars books for SO LONG. It seemed to me like the dregs of sci-fi, there's nothing speculative in it, it's all in a pre-made universe with nothing new to it. But a co-worker got me to start reading this novel and I'm glad he did. I always liked the movies, and the books expand on the characters you know, or have heard of from the movies, plus some background on all the races of aliens that you may only catch a glimpse of in the movies. Pretty decent read.

like 1 like

· see review

Dec 24, 2008

Ron rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, star-wars

I'm being generous. This reads like the "go path" of a video game. Not surprising, I guess.

like 1 like

· see review

Dec 06, 2011

Christopher rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Wow. This book was awesome!!! It's hard even to give it a full review because it has rendered me speechless. The character of Bane himself is absolutely troubling. Karpyshyn must have read up on some basic abnormal psychology, because Bane's character arc seems to follow the one from how a normal child turns into a serial killer in adulthood. Karpyshyn's ending also reflects some of the core characteristics at work in Darth Sidious's (aka Emperor Palpatine's) plan to eliminate the Jedi and rule ...more

like

· see review

Jun 03, 2011

Bob Kublawi rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, books

This story focuses on the Sith long before even the first stories of Annakin Skywalker and Obi Wan. Bane is a miner on the small planet of Apatros where he has spent all of his life, never knowing his mother and enduring an abusive father whom he eventually kills using the Force, although he doesn't realize it at the time. Bane ends up killing a Republic soldier on Apatros after a card game and is forced to flee. Thus begins his journey deep into the Dark Side of the Force.

Bane is e...more

like

· see review

Feb 22, 2010

Jack rated it

· review of another edition

"Darth Bane: Path of Destruction" written by Drew Karpyshyn

Review by Jack Strosser

This epic tale of a Dark Lord of the Sith is based in the midst of the New Sith Wars. This tale is told one thousand years before Darth Sidious rose to power, purging most of the Jedi.

Here's a synop sis:

Dessel is a miner on the planet of Apatros, with a haunted past. He's prompted to join the Sith Army. Soon enough, he's brought by Sith Lord Kopecz to the S...more"Darth Bane: Path of Destruction" written by Drew Karpyshyn

Review by Jack Strosser

This epic tale of a Dark Lord of the Sith is based in the midst of the New Sith Wars. This tale is told one thousand years before Darth Sidious rose to power, purging most of the Jedi.

Here's a synop sis:

Dessel is a miner on the planet of Apatros, with a haunted past. He's prompted to join the Sith Army. Soon enough, he's brought by Sith Lord Kopecz to the Sith Academy on Korriban. In his rise to power, he is named Bane. Soon enough, he's slaughtering fellow Sith, as he sees flaws in the ever powerful Brotherhood of Darkness.

Soon, he names himself Darth Bane, and leaves the Brotherhood for good. On the force sensitive planet of Lehon. After finding a Sith Holocron of the great Darth Revan, he becomes more powerful than any other Sith Lord. Before long, all of the other Sith are purged through the explosion of a thought bomb. Darth Bane's the only Sith left, his plan to become Dark Lord was a success.

In this tale; Bane clashes with himself, as he clashed with others. In his gruesome altercation with Sirak - another Sith Apprentice - Bane couldn't kill his rival, but soon decapitated him later in the story. Also, Bane used to trust the Brotherhood of Darkness. He'd believed in their perspective of the Dark Side. But he soon turned on that as well, which ultimately led to the Purge of the Sith and Darth Bane's ruling.

One intriguing aspect of the story was Bane's personal relationship with Githany, a fellow Sith Apprentice. She's seduced him into killing Sirak in the first place. Their relationship faltered at points, when Githany attempted to poison the Sith Lord. It ultimately ended when Githany was killed by the massive Sith thought bomb.

Of course the action was intense, it's Star Wars! But it was interesting to read a story based before Darth Sidious, Darth Vader, and Glen Malek. The plot was full of some unexpected twists, especially with the relationship between Bane and Githany.

Just because this book ishttp://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/35430 Star Wars doesn't mean it's all about the Force. There are many spiritual, mental, physical and personal aspects to it. They all mold together to make an extremely intriguing blast to the past. "Path of Destruction" is definitely not a book to put down. You probably won't even be able to put it down, the Dark Side of the Force is too compelling! "Path of Destruction" deserves five stars, and so it gets five stars!

Recommendation: It's Star Wars, basically anyone can pick it up and read it. Yeah, they can read it. That's true, but I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone below ten or eleven, due to some disturbing and vulgar scenarios. Such as the newly emerged Darth Bane brutally murdering a father and his sons. Also, Bane strangling the life out of Fohargh. The conclusion was quite brutal, as Githany was turned to pure bone as a mere victim of the Sith thought bomb. Obviously, this book isn't good for anyone seeking a read concerning the light side of the force. ;)(less)

like

· see review

Aug 24, 2010

Adam rated it

· review of another edition

You know how we all wondered what the story of Darth Vader was and hoped it would be awesome? Well if the prequel movies were like this those movies would be awesome. Instead of a whiny Anakin wishing he could be with his love interest and all of that, this guy, starts out as just a regular guy who through a series of accidents (including murder) becomes conscripted in the Sith army. He quickly realizes the flaws with that army and decides to try to wipe them out. I thought that would be som...more

like

· see review

Jun 06, 2009

Amielle rated it

· review of another edition

As an avid Star Wars fan, I found this an interesting book. Not only does it come so long before the original Star Wars (according to the time line in the front of the books, it says 1020 years before A New Hope), but most of the book is focused on a Sith's point of view. That's not something I've read in my few Star Wars readings.

Watching Des's path from becoming just a miner to becoming Darth Bane is interesting. I was captured from when I started the book to when I finished the b...more

like

· see review

Apr 11, 2010

Melissa rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, absolute-favorites, star-wars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Excerpt:

Once the Sith order teemed with followers. But their rivalries divided them in endless battles for supremacy. Until one dark lord at last united the Sith in the quest to enslave the galaxy–and exterminate the Jedi. Yet it would fall to another, far more powerful than the entire Brotherhood of Darkness, to ultimately realize the full potential of the Sith, and wield the awesome power of the dark side as never before.

Since childhood, Dessel has known only the ...more

like

· see review

Jun 09, 2010

Jessi rated it

· review of another edition

"The Force will change you. It will transform you... the teachings of the Jedi are focused on fighting and controlling this transformation... True power can come only to those who embrace the transformation. There can be no compromise." - Darth Revan

As a fan of Jedi, I was disappointed in the small glipse of their troops and characters. General Hoth (nice name) was more like a dictator wanna-be than an enlighted Jedi leader. Then there's Farfalla, a vain man who likes t...more"The Force will change you. It will transform you... the teachings of the Jedi are focused on fighting and controlling this transformation... True power can come only to those who embrace the transformation. There can be no compromise." - Darth Revan

As a fan of Jedi, I was disappointed in the small glipse of their troops and characters. General Hoth (nice name) was more like a dictator wanna-be than an enlighted Jedi leader. Then there's Farfalla, a vain man who likes to show off his dazzling clothing and well-groomed apeparance. Isn't vanity kind of completely against the Jedi nature? Very disappointing Jedi in this book.

Darth Bane has redeemable qualities, despite being the lord of all evil, such as he's philisophical, works hard, studies, learns, and is not some crazy Sith. He does not kill senselessy but does so when necessary.

I think there were some good contrasts between the Brotherhood of Darkness (Sith) and the Army of Light (Jedi). The author shows some thoughtful similarities between the two camps of the Force. They can be quite similar and are based on how you weild your power. The delving into the dark side rules and philosophy was interesting and done well. The rule of 2 makes sense now.

**SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT***
There were some cool Sith characters. Blademaster Kas'im is cool and unfortunately met his end the way of Sirius Black (quickly and like a chump). Githany and her weapon were both unique and interesting. Unfortunately, the author completely underused her character and you never actually see her in a full-fledged battle with her whip.

Overall, I thought it ended well. Its not a surprise because you know the characters are being manipulated. The suprise comes in some of the fates of the characters based on the choices they made along the way. The ending also left possiblities open for the next one, but I'm not rushing out there to read it. This book was not a thrilling big page turner for me. It left me feeling kinda "blah" versus exciting for more.(less)

like

· see review

Jan 02, 2009

Joseph rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: star-wars

This book kind of blew and is only a 1 1/2 stars. I was hoping for a really cool book about the past of the Sith's and how this one guy destroyed the Brotherhood to restore the Sith tradition, etc. Yeah it was really bad in the story details.

It starts out good, a guy who joins the Sith and is learning the dark side, but then there is just a lot of unbelievable stuff that happens next. He is barely in training and we are expected to believe he is not only the top student, but all t...more

like

· see review

Jul 24, 2011

grellian rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, star-wars

In a galaxy far, far away…

Virtually anyone knows these legendary words, which allude to the glory and greatness of the Star Wars universe that excites and inspires thousands. The setting inhabited by the righteous Jedi and the perfidious Sith, by crafty scoundrels and charming princesses has become a symbol of the epic struggle between the forces of light and the hordes of darkness, as well as a paragon of space opera. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is a steady stream of p...moreIn a galaxy far, far away…

Virtually anyone knows these legendary words, which allude to the glory and greatness of the Star Wars universe that excites and inspires thousands. The setting inhabited by the righteous Jedi and the perfidious Sith, by crafty scoundrels and charming princesses has become a symbol of the epic struggle between the forces of light and the hordes of darkness, as well as a paragon of space opera. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is a steady stream of products - books, comics, computer games, a TV series even - intended to lure more and more followers to the Star Wars cult.

The book that I am about to describe falls to the category of works marked as extended universe, meaning that it fails to follow the struggles of the characters from the movies. Instead, the author of the novel “Path of Destruction”, which is the first installment in a trilogy, delves into the cloudy past of the Old Republic, at a time when the clash between the Jedi and their deadly foes, the Sith, is inevitable. It is a time of confusion and fear, of intergalactic strife for dominance, when a powerful and cunning enemy of the peacekeepers emerges. This is his story.

The book captures the early years of Darth Bane suffused with fear and hatred, the subsequent training in the ways of the Force and his inexorable rise to power. The delusions of youth, the ensuing disillusionment with the divergence of the Sith order from the dark side, the destructive struggle for power in a ruthless world of competition, where every mistake equals to death, are the key points in the novel. Indeed, Bane is a fantastic character, whose soul is filled with thirst for knowledge, envy, hatred and self-doubt. Fortunately, Drew Karpyshyn has captured this seething maelstrom of emotion and has given a human face to the imposing and threatening figure of a Sith lord, thus giving the book an undeniable appeal.

To be quite frank, in most of the other Star Wars novels I have read, my time was spent in vain waiting for intriguing characters, an adequate plot and a writer’s skill. “Path of Destruction”, however, is an excellent exception to the rule. Probably the most enthralling aspect of the novel is its dark-side-feel, as it focuses solely on the counterpart of the Jedi and immerses the reader in a dark and twisted version of loyalty and ambition. Furthermore, the author has laid down an elaborate plot of lying and deception that perfectly complements the main character’s progress throughout the book. Thankfully, the faint-hearted will come across practically no displays of violence and gory horror. Still, do not let your guard down, as the book may influence you badly (remember that the dark side offers cookies?).

Nevertheless, “Path of Destruction” is left with little other than the main character and his schemes. The secondary characters are easily manipulated (despite the feeble claims of Drew Karpyshyn), therefore no real hindrance to the dark lord of a character we have here emerges. It is as though they are puppets waltzing in to keep Bane happy. Yes, there is the occasional brawling with force lightning and lightsabers, but I still expected some terrible hurdles along the way of the main antagonist, some more doubt and questioning. What is more, the writer’s style is regretfully flawed with (again) no focus on descriptions of the setting.

Despite these shortcomings, “Path of Destruction” is probably one of the few Star Wars novels out there that is actually very close to literature. Moreover, there are scant few other books that emphasize on the bad guys these days, so any attempt to make up for this authors’ meanness is welcome. Do not hesitate to read the novel, even if you are not a raving Star Wars fan, because it generally lives up to expectations and delivers a genuinely interesting plot. And Darth Bane is even more so. (less)

like

· see review

Sep 24, 2011

Dennis Brock rated it

Recommends it for: hard core Star Wars Fans

Recommended to Dennis by: Jedi Journals of The Forcecast.net

Shelves: star-wars-novels

I finished this book more than a week ago and I still am not really sure how I feel about it. This was my first foray into stories in the Star Wars universe that do not deal with characters from any of the 6 movies. This story takes place 1,000 years before any of the films. And because of that I found it initially hard for me to connect with characters that exist in this fictional universe I really enjoy but are in no way attached to any of the films.

As the main character of th...moreI finished this book more than a week ago and I still am not really sure how I feel about it. This was my first foray into stories in the Star Wars universe that do not deal with characters from any of the 6 movies. This story takes place 1,000 years before any of the films. And because of that I found it initially hard for me to connect with characters that exist in this fictional universe I really enjoy but are in no way attached to any of the films.

As the main character of this novel is a Dark Lord of the Sith, it is obviously a dark story. Initially I felt sorry for Bane because of his upbringing and I started to like him. However the farther I got into the novel the more I realized I don't want to cheer for Bane, because he represents everything that is wrong in this fictional universe. In one scene he stumbles upon a father and his 3 young children. Bane kills the family pretty graphically so he can absorb energy from their suffering. Pretty crazy. But it is what you would expect from a Sith.

Still the scene made me sick to my stomach. Obviously I am rooting for Bane when he is going after other bad Sith Lords, but the slaughter of 3 young children made me upset. I hated Bane from that point on and really wanted some Jedi to come along and kill him, end of novel...so maybe the author did his job fairly well, but I was shocked, repulsed, and almost gave up on the book right at that scene. Maybe the author did his job a little too well then!

I guess I really like stories about the "good guys," and in the end want to see good triumph over evil, but that's not the point of telling Darth Banes story.

Even though I might not like the main character, as a novel this book was well executed. I really thought he writing was great. The pacing of the story was also executed well. This book kept my attention and was hard to put down. I often found myself staying up into the late hours of the night trying to "get a few more pages in before going to bed."

(less)

like

· see review

Aug 05, 2011

Charity rated it

I've been a Star Wars fan since 2007, when I finally sat down to play Battlefront II and then watch the movies. Ever since there, I've been fascinated with everything Star Wars and collect just about everything I can find that has to do with the sage and expanded universe. Sadly, the first Star Wars books I had read turned me off reading any more. I'm glad I finally decided to read Path of Destruction because now I want to read, read, read more Star Wars books!

I thought Path of the Des...more

like

· see review

title link	preview: Path of Destruction
avg rating	preview: Path of Destruction Goodreads rating: 4.10 (2322 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/731296.Path_of_Destruction?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320503704m/731296.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/731296.Path_of_Destruction?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Path of Destruction by Drew Karpyshyn[/url]

Path of Destruction (Star Wars: Darth Bane #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (9)

Genres

Readers Also Enjoyed

About Drew Karpyshyn

Books by Drew Karpyshyn

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Path of Destruction

Quotes from Path of Destruction

Groups That Shelved Path of Destruction