James Luceno's Darth Plagueis is a run-up to the events before the time of Episode I. It sheds light on the background of Palpatine as a young student with an insidious mind and his apprenticeship under the muun Sith Lord Darth Plagueis. It is very well written with a rich description; writing style is not typical of the older SW books which were predominantly aimed at teens and adolescents. This book carries a darker and more gloomy plot and character descriptions. The pacing of the novel is...