Review: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction - Drew Karpyshyn

Title - Darth Bane -Path of Destruction

Author - Drew Karpyshyn

Year - 2006

Stand Alone or Series - Series (first of a trilogy)

Pages - 389

Reading Time - 6 days (October 2010)

Rating - 9/10

Summary
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.

Review

Sith were always one of my favourite evil groups. It's like Cobra. Well in this tale we begin by meeting Dessel a mining man with a abused father. He knows that he has some connection with the force but he can't really understand what. After some querrels in the mines and at card games he kills a republic trooper and so the only escape is to flee his world to join the sith army. There he train as a trooper and after several accomplished missions he was made sergent and his own army was called Gloom Walkers. After some battles he didn't agreed with his officer and went behind his back (well not behind) and complete the mission with success. He was led to court martial where he met the Dark Lord Kopecz that saw in him great potential.

He was sent to Korriban to become a sith acolyte. He was then trained by Kas'im and Qordis and rapidly become more powerful than most students that learn since childbirth. The sith acolytes where encouraged to battle each others and in one of them he was going to be defeated by a student called Fohargh but with all his rage he kill him instead. At this time Bane became aware that he had killed his father has he had kill his opponent. Both masters become more impressed by Bane (the name he chosen to be called) but at the same time Sirak (the most gifted student) was aware of a threat. As he was losing is power (or at the time he think he was) he challegend Sirak and was savagely beaten. From this moment on the masters didn't gave him almost no attention... 

As he tried to learn for himself he become discontent with the masters teachings and so he become to tutor himself with old books long forgotten by this new order of the Sith as the Brotherhood of Darkness. He also learn why none, by orders of Lord Kaan, took the name Darth as the old ones did. Kaan believe that the old ways almost lead to the destruction of the sith.

Then Githany (a fallen jedi) arrived and she saw in him the tool to defeat Sirak. So Bane secretly learn with her and at the same learn secretly with Kas'im new battle techniques. Both Githany and Kas'im revel in teaching but become afraid of him because he learn fair to rapidly than any other student. He then thinking he was ready challegend Sirak and defeated him sending to the infirmay but not killing. Thus Githany become to doubt Bane. Kas'im gave him a curved-lightsaber belonging to his long departed master which had saved him and after Kas'im killed him.

Bane then went to the Valley of the Dark Lords where he hoped to learn more of the old ways but the place had been sacked by pillagers and jedi thousand years before. After returning empty handing he learn that every student had be levelled to the title of Dark Lord and gone to battle on Ruusan against an army of Light. At that time Githany, who had seceretly allied to Sirak, lured Bane to the archives where he was assaulted by Sirak and two allies of him. However Githany doublecrossed Sirak and as they defeated them Bane disarmed his rival. Sirak begged for mercy, claiming that if Bane spared him, the Zabrak would serve him. Ignoring his pleas, Bane decapitated Sirak, releasing all his fears and guilt in the process and fully opening himself to the dark side. His chains had been broken; he was free.

Bane then didn't follow them to Rusaan and he went to Lehon were he saw a holocron made by Darth Revan who almost ruled the galaxy several housand years before. He learn yet again that the Brotherhood of Darkness was to be destroyed because it had flaws. At that time Kaan sent Kas'im to kill Bane as he feared him. But Bane survived and killed him. Then Kaan sent Githany to kill him with poison. As they shared a passionated kiss Bane tasted the poised and he managed to keep his realization secret. Seeing that Githany understood the source of the strength in the dark side, Bane wondered if she could become his apprentice. He realized, though, that she believed too strongly in Kaan and the Brotherhood to accept his knowledge, and he sent her away, confident that her poison would have no effect on him. But it had. After threating to kill the healer Caleb daughter he was saved.

Afterwards he went to Rusaan and met Kaan but did not join him on his destruction of the Army of Light. As they left the camp he return and was confronted Qordis who tried to ally himself with Bane to destroy Kaan and lead the Brotherhood of darkness. But Bane said he had not to take control the army but destroy it. He then attacked Qordis, with the Force, crippling him. When Qordis begged Bane to let him die in lightsaber combat, claiming it was more honorable, Bane mocked him, and continue to choke him until he died. After belaying some orders that led to the fall of the army of sith Kaan return to the camp and rally their armies in the caves where he played his last card. A Thought Bomb. He thought that it was the only way to kill all jedi at the same time. But his plan was foiled and all siths were destroyed along with some of the jedi including Lord Hoth.

The end of the book Bane finds what he was searching all along... and apprentice... a girl named Zannah.

In my opinion one of the bests books i've read this year. I always loved the Sith and this book delivered that. I learn a lot about them and their rules. This book we learn of a character who is evil and we learn of his way up to becoming that. Strangely is not so different from anyone who wants to be someone and for that won't stop for nothing. Bane is becoming one of the most interesting characters I've ever read.

Quotes

"One Master and one apprentice; one to embody the power, the other to crave it." - Bane

"The Brotherhood must be purged. The Sith must be destroyed and rebuilt." - Bane 

"I am Darth Bane, Dark Lord of the Sith. I will survive. At any cost."  - Bane

"I think he might be the one we've been searching for. He could be the Sith'ari." - Kopecz

Peace is a lie. There is only passion.

Through passion, I gain strength.

Through strength, I gain power.

Through power, I gain victory.

Through victory, my chains are broken.

The Force shall free me.

—Darth Bane, Dark Lord of the Sith