by James Luceno
First published 2012
Darth Plagueis stands among the most brilliant Sith Lords in galactic history. He craves power above all else and fears losing it more than death itself. As an apprentice, Plagueus masters the brutal Sith methods and eventually kills his own Master. He swears never to meet the same end. Unlike other dark side practitioners, Plagueis discovers how to control life and death itself through the Force and midi-chlorians. He selects Darth Sidious as his apprentice and trains him in secret Sith knowledge. Meanwhile, Sidious climbs the political ladder from Senator to Chancellor to Emperor. The Master and apprentice set their sights on galactic conquest and Jedi extinction. Yet the Sith tradition demands betrayal. Plagueis dreams of eternal life while Sidious hungers for absolute rule. Their conflicting ambitions threaten to destroy them both. The question becomes whether they can break the cycle of Sith treachery or whether their competing desires will ensure their mutual downfall.
Genres: science-fiction, historical-fiction, fantasy, thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, power-struggle
Setting: Galactic Empire
Period: Star Wars Universe
379 pages · Hardcover · LucasBooks/Del Rey Books/Ballantine Books/Random House, Inc.
Content warnings: violence