DB Reviews: Dark Disciple
Dark Disciple: A morally ambiguous Joyride into the intricacies of the Force
Review by Aabsdu Dupar
Dark Disciple, written by Christie Golden, now stands as my favorite Star Wars novel of the new canon. Golden takes eight (yes, eight) unseen episode teleplays of The Clone Wars featuring one of the EU’s best characters teaming up with one of TCW’s most developed characters and charts them on a head first dive into the dark side. The novel on its own is excellent, but the story is made more exciting when one imagines how awesome this series of episodes would have been…with sadness we will never see them.
Minor spoilers ahead… Unlike Lords of the Sith, where I found the premise of forcing Sidious and Vader to go on a mission for the sake of story, the partnership between Jedi jester Quinlan Vos and Sith-turnedbounty hunter Asajj Ventress fits naturally. The Jedi Council votes to assassinate Count Dooku, tasking the morally ambiguous Vos with the job, but reaching Dooku will require insider knowledge of which outcast Ventress is privy. Vos isn’t happy about it, Kenobi isn’t happy about it, Windu isn’t happy about it. This is the situation the Jedi find themselves in as the Clone Wars stretches on.
Ventress is equally reluctant to take on the random stranger (Vos) who shows up wanting to be her partner. The interplay between the two as they grow to know and trust each other reads exactly how these characters spoke on TCW. When Vos reveals his Jedi mission of assassinating Dooku, Ventress agrees, but stresses he will need to leave behind his Jedi teachings and dive into the dark side. Vos agrees, and their fates are set.
Leaving your true self behind while reaching for “the greater good” stands at the heart of Dark Disciple. The Clone Wars wages without an end in sight. The Republic wins here and loses there without any ground being made. We know this is because Sidious and Tyrannus are purposefully dragging the conflict out and the Jedi thin, but the Jedi are oblivious. They are pushed to the edge, and in this moment make the ultimate decision to forgo the light path and order an assassination. The move is thematically striking. Killing Dooku is the obvious need to end the war, yet the intentional murder of another being is absolutely not the Jedi way. Kenobi objects furiously with the militant Windu, the Jedi whose decision to assassinate rather than arrest Palpatine leads Anakin to revolt, arguing the plan’s strengths.
The moral decline of the Jedi Order as we near Revenge of the Sith manifests itself in Vos’ arc. He allows Ventress to tempt him with the power of the dark side, and as he falls deeper into the darkness he loses the ability to say it is “for the mission.” The power of the dark side is blinding - the Jedi, Ventress, even Vos do not realize how far they’ve fallen. Thus, the last third of the the novel is a suspenseful chase around Quinlan Vos’ fate. The Jedi think he remains true to the cause, Ventress thinks their partnership (a romantic one that fits the grayness of both characters) keeps him dedicated to their life together, Dooku, always the puppet playing the puppeteer, thinks he has turned Vos to his side, and Vos is so deep he no longer realizes the consequences of his actions. His decision has fatal consequences for one well known character.
The downfall of the Jedi is further shown when, realizing Vos has fallen to the dark side, Windu and company (again Kenobi strongly objects) immediately jump to “he’s turned against us and must be executed.” Oh, how blind the Jedi are, and we all know where it leads. This conflict of watching the Jedi destroy themselves is one of the more intriguing aspects of the prequel films that George Lucas’ inability to write leaves by the wayside. Luckily, Katie Lucas (who penned the episode teleplays) and Christie Golden are here to help.
Let’s talk canon, an ever important feature as we anxiously search for EU references. There are several: Taris is referenced as a planet (I don’t think KOTOR is canon, technically), and Quinlan Vos’ master, Tholme, is referenced as being killed on the battlefield by Ventress. Young Boba Fett and his bounty hunter gang, including Embo, make an appearance during a rescue sequence. Finally, Quinlan Vos has just enough of his EU “gray Jedi” personality and instinct to be satisfying.
Dark Disciple inspired me to rewatch The Clone Wars Season 3, Episode 9 “Hunt for Ziro” featuring Vos and available to stream on Netflix. It’s a good episode, one of the lighter tone ones (the line “From the bottom of my fluid sac” is spoken), and damn if Vos would’ve had a crazy experience in these episodes…and technically now has, canonically.
Speaking of Clone Wars episodes, it remains humorous or at least noticeable when anytime an author wants to reference some event in a character’s past they are forced, right now, to utilize an episode of Clone Wars. I noticed this in New Dawn and Tarkin as well. A minor note.
Dark Disciple would have made an excellent arc of The Clone Wars and holds up well as a novel. Disciple brings significant canon impact both in how we view the moral downfall of the Jedi Order during the final year-ish of the Clone Wars and in the fate of certain characters left hanging by the show’s cancellation. Disciple is a great read and a must for any fan of the animated series. It is both joyful and a burden that LucasFilm has been open to discussing stories never produced. We’ll never see them on the screen, but at least we now know the whole story.
Title: Dark Disciple
Author: Christie Golden
Release: 7 July 2015
Page Count: 336
Canon Timeline: Sometime late in the Clone Wars
Official Plot Synopsis
Based on unproduced episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, this new novel features Asajj Ventress, former Sith apprentice turned bounty hunter and one of the great antiheroes in the Star Wars galaxy. The only way to bring down the Sith’s most dangerous warrior may be to join forces with the dark side.
In the war for control of the galaxy between the armies of the dark side and the Republic, former Jedi Master turned ruthless Sith Lord Count Dooku has grown ever more brutal in his tactics. Despite the powers of the Jedi and the military prowess of their clone army, the sheer number of fatalities is taking a terrible toll. And when Dooku orders the massacre of a flotilla of helpless refugees, the Jedi Council feels it has no choice but to take drastic action: targeting the man responsible for so many war atrocities, Count Dooku himself.
But the ever-elusive Dooku is dangerous prey for even the most skilled hunter. So the Council makes the bold decision to bring both sides of the Force’s power to bear—pairing brash Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos with infamous one-time Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress. Though Jedi distrust for the cunning killer who once served at Dooku’s side still runs deep, Ventress’s hatred for her former master runs deeper. She’s more than willing to lend her copious talents as a bounty hunter—and assassin—to Vos’s quest.
Together, Ventress and Vos are the best hope for eliminating Dooku—as long as the emerging feelings between them don’t compromise their mission. But Ventress is determined to have her retribution and at last let go of her dark Sith past. Balancing the complicated emotions she feels for Vos with the fury of her warrior’s spirit, she resolves to claim victory on all fronts—a vow that will be mercilessly tested by her deadly enemy... and her own doubt.
If you're interested in writing a review for DarkJediBrotherhood.com, please email the Recruitment Tribune with your proposed review subject as well as a sample of what you'd be reviewing. Thanks to Aabs for this great review, and congratulations on your Dark Side Scroll!
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And now I want to read this book. Good review, thanks! I'll probably drop some cash on it from Google Books.
I think it'll be very interesting for the upcoming changes we're seeing in the Brotherhood along the lines of the gray path... I'm a bit stuck into another series of books atm, but definitely reading this as soon as I'm done there.