Darth Plagueis is an engrossing set up to The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, providing a wealth of back-story the films only hinted at. Peppered with appearances by Darth Maul, Count Dooku, Qui-Gon Jinn and the still puzzling Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, the story is almost guaranteed to appeal to fans of the Prequel Trilogy.

The plot is heavy on midi-chlorians, intrigue and Sith philosophy. It’s interesting, even thought-provoking stuff, but at times I found myself longing for a good lightsaber duel to break up all that talking.

Plagueis is an interesting character, equal parts shrewd businessman, political mastermind and mad scientist. Sadly, I never felt I got to know him since he is often shunted to the sideline and his apprentice Sidious given centre stage.

For the first time, Palpatine is fleshed out, his rise from sullen Naboo teen to Supreme Chancellor chronicled. Yet for all the information given here, Palpatine remains an enigma, shrouded in the Dark Side.

If Darth Plagueis is a bit short on characterisation, it excels at making evil and chaos seem like logical choices. The two Sith are adept at subtle machinations, playing a long game, their malevolence disguised by a facade of public service. There’s no black and white here, truth exists only as shades of gray.

Despite its failure to provide a complete portrait of Plagueis, this book is compelling and complex, a nice change of pace from the action-heavy pacing of a typical Star Wars novel. It’s not a fast read; more than once I felt overwhelmed by the amount of detail being provided. Still Darth Plagueis is one of a handful of Expanded Universe books that I label "must reads."