Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil - Book Review

Lucasfilm and Del Rey publishing aptly named their new paperback editions of Star Wars Legends books, as Drew Karpyshyn’s Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil is a well written and hyper engaging story which, to this reviewer at least, is essential Star Wars reading. Bane fans likely perked up at the mention of his name in Marvel Comics’ Star Wars (2020) #20 published in January 2022, so hopefully this Dark Lord of the Sith makes his way into canon in the near future. Regardless of Bane’s future, the fact remains that Karpyshyn’s work deserves all the love that fans have bestowed upon Dynasty of Evil’s initial publication in 2009.

Set 10 years after the events of book two, Rule of Two, Darth Bane and Zannah are living undercover on the Outer Rim planet Ciutric IV. Bane’s body has been rid of the helpful yet damaging orbalisks, however, age and constant dark side use has slowly but surely started to wear on Bane. His apprentice Zannah, while incredibly gifted in the dark side, might not be the one to ultimately take the mantle of Sith Lord, so Bane decides he needs to find a way to live as long as possible in case he needs to train another apprentice. Lo and behold he discovers an ancient Sith Lord, Darth Andeddu, whose holocron holds the secret to eternal life and Bane sets his will on discovering how to accomplish this.

Meanwhile, on the mining world of Doan, Princess Serra continues to mourn the loss of her husband who died accidentally upon capture by a group of rebels who were seeking Sith artifacts. As it turns out, Serra isn’t altogether an unknown character in the Bane universe. Her family has drastically been affected by Bane’s actions and this has spurred her to revenge as she’s matured into adulthood (recurring dreams of Bane also don’t help much). Serra’s best friend and bodyguard Lucia, who has been by her side since childhood, notices how Serra’s past has triggered a new kind of hatred in the princess. Lucia also has a history with Bane (though she knows him by another name), and their combined histories play out in a narratively captivating way throughout the book. Two other main players in the novel are Set Harth, a Dark Jedi, and The Huntress, an Iktochi bounty hunter, both of whom have major parts to play in the overall story.

What unfolds throughout the events of Dynasty of Evil are struggles of power and of will. Each character is ultimately looking out only for themselves, which naturally only allows for some to be successful. Darth Zannah sets out to become the Master, snatching up Set as her apprentice-to-be should she succeed. Serra also has her sights on Bane, seeking revenge for her father’s death, and The Huntress finds her life’s purpose in the ways of the Sith. The book is structured in a way that the separate storylines eventually come together with drastic and dark consequences. Zannah and Bane have their long awaited showdown but who comes out victorious is up for interpretation (no spoilers even though this book’s been out for over ten years!).

Something that caught my attention in Dynasty of Evil, which didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book, was how little dialogue there was. The majority of the book is written as exposition, often diving deeply into the motivations, histories, and emotions of each character. While this was all well and good, I couldn’t help but notice how numerous pages and chapters were written in this manner. This is merely my own observation and Karpyshyn’s writing is clear and effective, but I still wonder how much might have been achieved by actual character conversations and interactions versus exposition.

Dynasty of Evil wraps up the Bane trilogy in epic fashion. Karpyshyn’s work with this Dark Lord of the Sith will definitely continue to delight readers for years to come. The Essential Legends Collection edition of Dynasty of Evil with Simon Goinard’s gorgeous art once gracing the cover, is out on April 4, 2022 by Del Rey, be sure to pick up a copy!