Path of Destruction (Star Wars: Darth Bane, #1) in The Expanded Universe

Feb 24, 2023 Scott Rhee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: star-wars, old-canon-legends, the-old-republic

There’s no canon like the old canon, I’ve decided. After having read a dozen or so books in the growing new canon Star Wars collective, I have sadly deduced that they aren’t that great. Most of them are mediocre at best, with only a few standing out as somewhat decent. I am, of course, not giving up on them, but I’ve decided that I just need a little break from the new canon. There are so many old canon novels on my bookshelves that I haven’t read yet, so I figured now’s the time.

I’ve wanted to There’s no canon like the old canon, I’ve decided. After having read a dozen or so books in the growing new canon Star Wars collective, I have sadly deduced that they aren’t that great. Most of them are mediocre at best, with only a few standing out as somewhat decent. I am, of course, not giving up on them, but I’ve decided that I just need a little break from the new canon. There are so many old canon novels on my bookshelves that I haven’t read yet, so I figured now’s the time.

I’ve wanted to read Drew Karpyshyn’s trilogy featuring Darth Bane for a long time, but the one thing stopping me was the fact that I didn’t really like Karpyshyn’s only other contribution to the SWEU, “Revan”, a novel set in the Old Republic. Apparently, that novel (and, I think, a video game character based on it) has gained cult status among SWEU fanatics. I don’t play video games, so it didn’t interest me much. I thought the novel was Meh and read like a video game, i.e. boring.

Maybe the fact that my expectations were low going into “Path of Destruction” was what helped, but I actually really enjoyed the novel. It is fast-paced, action-packed, and the characters are well-developed. Things that tend to be missing from some of the new canon novels I have read.

The evolution of the anti-hero Bane is a fascinating one. Raised on a rough mining planet, abused by a heartless drunk of a father and shown little to no compassion or affection, Bane’s path toward becoming a Sith is somewhat inevitable. When he finds himself on the run for the murder of a Republic officer, Bane escapes off-planet and becomes a part of an army called the Brotherhood of Darkness, led by Sith Masters in the continuous war against the Republic and the Jedi Knights protecting it. (This novel is set during the Old Republic.)

A Force-sensitive, Bane is hand-picked by a Sith Master to attend an academy for young Sith. It is there that he learns to hone his Force abilities. Very quickly, he starts to overcome even his Masters. Against the wishes of his masters, Bane sneaks into the ancient library and studies the forbidden Sith scrolls. It is there that he learns of the accounts of Revan, one of the most powerful Sith Lords in history. He vows to become the most powerful Sith Lord ever. To do so will involve mass murder on a phenomenal scale.

It’s weird to enjoy a novel about a truly evil character, but the story of Bane is nevertheless gripping. One almost roots for Bane to succeed, partly because there are few other likable characters anyway. Even the few Jedi in the novel are douche-bags.

In the SWEU old canon timeline, this trilogy is a must-read, if only because it explains why, a hundred years later during the era of Skywalker, there are only two Sith Lords that can ever exist at any given time, by design. ...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Kent rated it it was amazing

I thought this was a really great book and trilogy. This one is probably the best of the bunch, but the others are great too.
It tells the story of Bane and how he began the rule of two and defeated the rest of the Sith. He begins the lineage that eventually leads to Palpatine/Emperor from the movies. It's a pretty intense book filled with action and ancient Sith history and sorcery. If you like Star Wars novels this is definitely a series to check out. ...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Jim rated it liked it

Shelves: 2013, 2013-adult

I had been avoiding this book because I neither a big Sith fan nor a fan of the Old Republic. I will say that this exceeded expectations and was pretty good. It actually had me looking forward to reading the next in the series. This book offers great insight into how the sith become the way there are come the movies which is fascinating. I did not especially care that the main villian, Sirak, was essentially Darth Maul only yellow, that was bit unoriginal. Overall, the book was entertaining and ...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Aleksejs Miščuks rated it liked it

Not the best EU novel i've read, but it is pretty decent nevertheless.The story was ok, though sometimes it felt somehow rushed and some character potential was never fully revealed(although i understand that the book is mainly about Darth Bane's rise to power).For any fan of Star Wars EU this book can be recommended without any doubt, although it clearly isn't as good as the Heir to the Empire trilogy, or some others. ...more

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