Book: Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side
ISBN-13: 978-1612182612
Author: Daniel Wallace
Series: Star Wars
Publisher: 47North
Genre: Science Fiction Reference
Release: February 10, 2012
Length: 160 pages (Hardcover)
Book Rating: F (40 / 100)
Verdict
Book of Sith is a pretty bit of eye candy that fills in some long-anticipated back story of the line of Sith masters that culminated in Darth Sidious (Emperor Palpatine). However, it reads like a reference manual, without much in the way of depth or story. In short it’s a whole lot of gimmick without much substance.
This is a book that will really only be of interest to truly pathologically obsessed Star Wars fans.
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Pros: Beautifully illustrated. Great packaging. Interesting trivia tidbits.
Cons: Contains a lot of snippets, but not much in the way of a story.
Synopsis
In Brief: Bits and bobs from the history of the Sith Lords.
Official: The Sith have existed in the galaxy for centuries, lurking, waiting for their chance to seize control. As various Sith Lords emerged and rose to power, they recorded their thoughts, exploits, and plots for Sith control of the galaxy. When they fell, their knowledge vanished with them forever. Or so it seemed. . . .
Over the years, these writings were passed among numerous Sith and Jedi, who added their comments to the pages. In his quest for domination, Darth Sidious tracked down what remained of five pivotal Sith texts written by his most powerful predecessors. Then, drawing on the knowledge within the compiled pages, he wrote a sixth text—his own manifesto. Together, these documents, along with several collected objects associated with them, shed light on the philosophy, achievements, and failures of the Sith Order.
For years, this collection remained hidden, existing as legend only. But now all who are tempted may unlock the Book of Sith and delve into the dark side. . .
Review
In my opinion, Book of Sith is the epitome of everything that’s (gone) wrong with the Star Wars franchise. It’s eye-catching, it’s intriguing, and it’s wholly devoid of any depth or substance. It’s the sort of book you only get excited about if you’re a twelve year old boy.
What made the original Star Wars movie trilogy so revolutionary was that it combined a great story fueled with timeless archetypes with stunning larger-than-life visual imagery. Over time, though, Lucas film has systematically abandoned the great story and timeless archetypes in favor of an endless deluge of backstory and the sort of dialog normally reserved for comic books written in the fifties. It’s all great fun if you’re obsessed with the Star Wars universe, and I know that there are more than a few of you out there, among my readers, but in a continuum of science fiction novels worthy of your time, most Star Wars novels rank somewhere just north of Flash Gordon serials. Book of Sith is no exception.
That being said, it is worth noting that the artwork in this book is impressive, and reviewers across the web have nothing but good things to say about the craftsmanship of the actual physical book. If you are, in fact, a rabid Star Wars fan, this might be a book worth checking out, if only you thumb through it at the book store. Otherwise, the newly released 3D prequels ought to be enough provocation for your fanboy ire for one year.
Note:
Readers who aren’t interested in purchasing the edition of Book of Sith packaged in the Holocron case are best advised to wait. The Book of Sith’s counterpart, The Jedi Path was eventually released without it’s Holocron vault at a significantly reduced price. The same will more than likely happen with Book of Sith.
Contents
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• A chronicle by Sorzus Syn of her encounters with Sith Purebloods, explorations in alchemy, and the foundations of the Sith Order.
• A war journal kept by Darth Malgus during the Great Galactic War, describing methods of war and the campaigns of the Sith army.
• A source book by Darth Bane that details the idea and the philosophy behind the Rule of Two as well as the training required for a Sith.
• An instructional manual by Mother Talzin exploring the Nightsisters’ use of the dark side and their role as dark side mercenaries in the galaxy.
• A scientific journal by Darth Plagueis with notes about his experimentation with and manipulation of the Force.
• Darth Sidious’s manifesto about the philosophy and political manipulation that marked his rise to power and established his Empire.
Disclaimer
Wunderkind PR sent The Great Geek Manual a copy of an advance review copy of Book of Sith at no cost. We extend our sincere thanks to them. However, the free copy did not influence the opinion of this reviewer.
Readers of this article should be aware that this review is based on an abbreviated copy of Book of Sith specifically prepared for reviewers. As such, this review may not accurately gauge the quality of the actual novel.
Further Information
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