Welcome to The Real World According To Sam for another Force Friday review! It's been a little while since I've done one of these posts. I'm back to working through some canon and legends novels in the Star Wars timeline - especially thanks to work (catching up on some lore, following some plot threads here and there). Let's talk about a sequel to a novel I read back in 2020.
Darth Bane #2: Rule of Two
Author: Drew Karpyshyn
Year: 2008
Genre: Science Fiction Fantasy
Synopsis:
As the last surviving Sith, Darth Bane promulgated a harsh new directive: the Rule of Two. Determined to put this policy into action, Darth Bane thinks he has found the perfect apprentice. Zannah, though young, possesses an instinctive link to the dark side that rivals his own. Under Darth Bane's tutelage, she will become essential in his quest to destroy the Jedi and dominate the galaxy.
But there is one who is determined to stop Darth Bane: Johun Othone, Padawan to Jedi Master Lord Hoth, who died at Bane's hands in the Sith War. Though the rest of the Jedi scoff at him, Johun's belief that there are surviving Sith is unshakeable. But not even Johun could foresee the astonishing new knowledge and power that Darth Bane discovers through Force-induced visions - power that will alter him in ways he could never have imagined.
Review:
This book took me a decent while to get through. It isn't because it's bad. It isn't. It's actually rather good. I just had a few other things I kept needing to read and continuously felt relatively comfortable setting this one aside. This was something I didn't do with its predecessor. That was a book I kept going back to as quick as I could. While this one definitely had my interest, I definitely feel like for me - the first one was far more engaging.Darth Bane: Rule of Two focuses on the titular Sith lord and his young apprentice, Zannah. It picks up where the previous novel left off, then jumps forward in time. It details Zannah's early lessons, her decisions regarding dedication to the Dark Side, and it continues Darth Bane's journey as a Sith growing in power. The rule of two is commonly known to Star Wars fans. It dictates that there should only be two Sith at any given time: a master and an apprentice. The apprentice is expected to eventually surpass and murder their master. The first novel detailed the fall of the Sith in terms of an academy/group organization with the Sith War, allowing Darth Bane to alter the ways of Sith existence and plotting.
As usual, Bane is a fascinating character whose methods are cunning and driven by typical Sith thinking as fans know it. Zannah is also really interesting and I enjoyed her journey - particularly since she has to make decisions that affect her trajectory as a person not yet committed to the Dark Side as staunchly as her master. She still teeters and has to figure out what her own aspirations are. That being said, the Jedi absolutely bored me in this novel. I wasn't very attached to them in any way. They seemed rather dull and...uninteresting this time around. I'm usually very much a cheer for the Jedi person...and this time, I just didn't much care what they did or were doing. It felt dry and uneventful until later in the book. Even then I didn't feel the threats were equally footed. I didn't have enough suspense between the two dynamics to feel like I was pulled one way over another. I didn't want Bane to succeed or anything, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about Johun or anything he was really doing.
I really liked the first novel and I like when this novel focuses on Darth Bane's progression. I liked the headbutting he had with his Sith teachers in the past book based on differences in how the Sith should operate. I wanted more Sith, less Jedi, and I think the lack of equal interest for me played a big role in how slow I was with this book - how okay with setting it down here and again with the promise of finishing it - as well as the frustration I felt at not already being done with it as time went on. It's a good novel...it's just not the best in this trilogy so far and it isn't one of my top favorite Star Wars novels in Legends or Canon. I'm hoping the third book is much stronger and enticing to me. Darth Bane is fascinating and hopefully his next set of Jedi - or other - foes will be more intriguing in this trilogy's concluding installment. I'm eager to read the next one, I just couldn't get as on board with this one as I would've liked. I give Darth Bane #2: Rule of Two a Lone Star rating of ✯✯✯ stars. Not bad, but not great either. It's just okay for me. It'd be higher if the Jedi had been a bit more interesting of a foe as a whole.
Star Wars Legends
Reading Order
✅ Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void
➖ Crosscurrent
✅ Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories
✅ The Old Republic #2: Deceived
✅ Red Harvest
✅The Old Republic #3: Fatal Alliance
✅ The Old Republic #4: Annihilation
✅ Darth Bane #1: Path of Destruction
✅ Darth Bane #2: Rule of Two
➖ Darth Bane #3: Dynasty of Evil
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