Reviews Books The JC Lit Reviews Special: DARK DISCIPLE (spoilers)

I have some added thoughts that I couldn't get to when I first wrote this, because I was seething over the way I perceived Ventress' character being warped.

The first half of the book is a lot more coherent than the second half. The first half is well-paced, and the events all follow logically from one another. The second half is very jerky; that's where it becomes clear that it's based on several episodes. I almost wonder if Golden ran out of time to stitch the plot together, because the first half has been massaged into a naturally progressing story, while the second half appears to lack any of that careful molding.

I agree with several posters who were annoyed with how easily Dooku got away at the end. It makes no sense. It makes no sense that Ventress didn't just kill him when she had the chance. Not just because pre-DD Ventress would have just killed him, but also because Ventress, as she had appeared in DD thus far, would have killed him. The only reason she doesn't is because he has plot armor, and whoever plotted that moment dun goofed. It's like the brain teaser with the grain, the chicken, and the wolf. YOU CANNOT LEAVE THE WOLF ALONE WITH THE CHICKEN. WOLF EATS CHICKEN. VENTRESS KILLS DOOKU. It's the natural order of things.

With those comments added, it's time to give it a number... I'm going with 4/10, and now I'm going to pretend I never read it, and maybe give my liver the AFS treatment.

 

Well in all fairness, everyone knew that Dooku would walk away by the end of the story and that the "mission" would be for naught. That is, unless for some reason you just so happened to read this novel before watching ROTS.

 

Oh that was really not the issue, it was just not well handled how he got away.

 

It's a solid 7/10 from me. It was a 6, but the last-minute removal of the silly bit with the candle that showed up in one of the early excerpts pleased me enough that it earned an extra point. Some of the plot problems Aphra noted above did hurt this one a bit, but it wasn't even close to the disaster the TCW haters expected (and, frankly, wanted).

 

What? You mean the narrator offhandedly saying "by the way Dooku escaped, again" as an afterthought in the last chapter wasn't handling it well?

Haha. I agree. That's my biggest gripe with the book.

 

Bit with the candle?

 

Yeah, I totally wanted 6 years of comics destroyed.

 

In the first chapter, Yoda rises from his chair and looks out over the skyline of Coruscant, saying a few impassioned words about the preciousness of life and so forth. In an excerpt of that chapter that was released early on, Yoda didn't look out at the skyline; instead he turned his attention to a little never-before-there table next to his seat, with a lit candle on it, conveniently placed there solely so that Yoda could build a metaphor around it. I felt the moment was a little silly, comparing it to how Fred Flintstone is only wearing a watch when he needs to look at his watch for some reason, and there was much rejoicing (from me) when the finished novel removed the table and candle and had Yoda look out over the skyline instead.

 

7/10

The romance was a bit forced, the Jedi Council's plan seemed widely out of character, even considering the shroud of the Dark Side descending on them, and I wasn't a fan of the way Asajj went out, but I did enjoy Ventress, Vos, and the exploration of the Dark Side from a non-Sith perspective. I'm also a fan of TCW and haven't read the Republic comics; that seems to be a major difference between people who, overall, enjoyed the novel versus those who despised it.

 

Finally got around to read Dark Disciple. The first word that comes to mind is "sweet". I think parts of the Ventress/Vos love story, overblown as it was, still was pretty sweet. One of the reasons could be that I finally could relate to Ventress in some capacity as she has been a hard character to relate to in TCW.

The writing was, at times, rather pedestrian, but since the novel was based on a script, I really don't know how much to fault Golden. It was also good to meet up with Boba and his team again. The story became somewhat predictable after Vos was "rescued" and I really didn't like that Anakin fought Dooku again.

All in all, a good read, but I would have liked to see this arc (including the other unfinished arcs as well those hinted at at Celebration Europe) completed.

8/10

 

My Incredibly Harsh Review of Dark Disciple

By. C.T. Phipps

Yeah, I don't know how to summarize my opinions on this book. I don't want to to insult Christie Golden as I absolutely adore her and still consider her novel, Arthas, one of my all-time favorite novels. Certainly, she can do romance since I found the Jaina Proudmoore/Arthas Menethil romance to be one of my favorite in the World of Warcraft universe. But this? Well, I just didn't like it.

Before we begin, I should also mention this book isn't like Star Wars: Bloodline or Lost Stars. It's not a book a causal Star Wars fan can just pop open and read. Instead, this book depends heavily on your knowledge of The Clone Wars television show. Much of the story focuses on popular villainess Ventress, Count Dooku's brief Sith apprentice, and is designed to wrap up her story arc that was cut short by the show being cancelled. I understand this book was supposed to be a few episodes on television and it's a shame they weren't filmed since I think they might have worked better on screen.

The premise of the book is Count Dooku orders the extermination of an entire planet of innocent aliens and the Jedi Knighthood decides this is the bridge too far. They must assassinate Count Dooku and rid the world of the Sith once and for all (oh, how little they know). Rather than send Anakin Skywalker, who is HILARIOUSLY just sitting in a corner waiting for them to call him, they decide to send Jedi Master Quinlan Vos to recruit Asajj Ventressin order to help him do this.

Okay, this stinks because I'm not even finished with the summary and there's already way too much wrong with this to properly parse. First of all, Count Dooku was intending to survive the Clone Wars. He was keeping his hands clean while General Grevious did all the dirty work and atrocities. You're telling me he ordered an Alderaan-scale massacre and pretty much no one noticed?

Next, the Jedi Knights sending Quinlan Vos after him is a hard enough pill to swallow. I'm not sure what the canon Quinlan brings to the table which would allow him to defeat the galaxy's greatest swordmsan after Mace, Yoda, Anakin, and Obi-Wan. What is Quinlan Vos' special ability that makes them think he can take Dooku? It's certainly isn't psychometry. That doesn't help fight a Form II Master.

After that, we go into the fact the Jedi Council wants Quinlan Vos to join up with Ventress, a failed SITH LORD. Shouldn't the Jedi Knights be trying to track her down and arrest her for all of the war crimes she committed? Yeah, I regret she's come to regret being a Sith but even if the Jedi are planning on offering her a pardon to help kill Dooku, this seems like an insanely risky plan for almost no reward.

The story proceeds to go on with Quinlan hooking up with Asajj as a bounty hunter before they start a flirtacious relationship which, eventually, blossoms into love. After Quinlan reveals he's a Jedi, which she already knew, Asajj starts teaching him the Dark Side of the Force so he can have the power to defeat Dooku. Quinlan, a supposed Jedi Master, thinks this is a good idea and things go pear-shaped from there. Not the least because it turns out that Asajj has done bad things to Jedi Quinlan knows.

My God, I really don't know how to judge this book because there's just so much nonsensical stuff going on here which never gets sold to me as the reader before something equally weird happens. The stuff I listed above is just the beginning, really. I mean, I don't even know where to begin analyzing the stuff which didn't work for me because I can't just say everything.

Let's go with the fact the majority of the book is a romance, or an attempt to do a romance. The portrayal of the book is Ventress is a skilled seductress and femme fatale who Vos finds captivating. Well, I guess some people would find Ventress appealing. She's certainly a dominant female and Dark Side ladies have their appeal but mostly I've always found her a really nasty character with a smoker's voice.

Even so, there's a history of her and Obi-Wan Kenobi flirting, which gets mentioned. I could maybe, kinda, buy them having an attraction since he's the opposite to her
in virtually every way. The Yin to the Yang and vice versa. Quinlan Vos generally acts like a complete pushover who tosses aside decades of training to go along with her statement the Dark Side is more powerful. What does Ventress see in him? Especially, you know, when he goes from following her around like a puppy to murderous rage?

There's also a bit where Count Dooku decides to team up with Quinlan Vos to try to take down Emperor Palpatine. This is actually the one part of the book I liked. Unfortunately, it occupies only a small section of it and goes in some bizarre directions. Not the least of which being that Count Dooku only wanted to kill the Emperor because Palpatine ordered him to kill Ventress in the first place, eventually resulting in the destruction of the Nightsisters. Getting some of that complicated relationship deconstructed would have been great but do we? No. Also, Quinlan Vos while Drunk on the Dark SideTM is able to kick Dooku's butt from here to Mustafar.

Which, no, I'm sorry, I don't buy that.

No spoilers since Revenge of the Sith happened but Quinlan Vos doesn't kill Count Dooku in the end. The thing is, the Jedi Knighthood learns a "lesson" about the evils of assassination and vow never to do it again. Except, in Revenge of the Sith, Anakin is feted for killing Count Dooku and they intend to do the same thing with Palpatine. They also send Obi-Wan to (successfully) kill General Grevious. So they learned exactly nothing from the events of this book.

As a finale for Asajj Ventress' story arc, I have to say I was rather disappointed in it as well. Ventress, for all of her flaws, was one of the most formidable female characters in the Star Wars Expanded Universe(s). I never quite bought her redemption stories, though, because all of her personality was focused on being a ruthless murdering psychopath.

Here, she never really rejects the Dark Side and when she does, it's for the somewhat prosaic reason of romantic love. I can't help but think I would have preferred her story to have something less traditional like wanting to take down Dooku for his crimes or facing Anakin Skywalker. Indeed, in the Republic comics, Ventress' best death (she had several) was when Anakin murdered her to protect the secret of his marriage. A pity that wasn't her canonical end.

I can't say I much cared for the book's interpretation of Quinlan Vos either. The character was popularized by John Ostrander in the Republic comics before being brought to mainstream canon by the The Clone Wars show. He had an extensive arc where he was corrupted by the Dark Side, tried to assassinate Count Dooku, and fell in love with a beautiful thief but this story lacks all of that story's oomph. We also don't have Aalya Secura as Quinlan Vos' padawan in this book, which seems just plain strange given her popularity.

In conclusion, I recommend reading the Wookieepedia summary of the book instead of actually reading it.

4/10

 

I'm the utter minority here. But I think that it was worth it to give Asajj Ventress some real happiness in her life. A lot people gloss over this, but Ventress actually loved Vos. Truly and deeply. And she died saving the man she loved. Ventress, who lost everyone she had ever cared about. Ventress who spent so long consumed by the Dark Side was able to give up the darkness, find happiness and redemption through love. Dark Disciple gets a lot of hate, but I love it for giving an angry and bitter character like Ventress some character development and for letting her move on at last.

A lot of people are asking why Ventress didn't just kill Dooku in the final chapters. The real reason is a lot deeper than they think. For many seasons of Clone Wars Ventress was obsessed with getting revenge on Dooku. But revenge is the way of the Dark Side. By letting those feelings go at the end, Ventress let's go of the Dark Side for good. She may not have been a Jedi at the end, but Asajj Ventress spent her last moments in the Light. And that makes all of the trouble worth it.

 

Obsession is the story that gave Ventress real happiness (or at the very least a real chance for real happiness). Why? After a life of misery, she managed to escape Dooku and go God...I mean the Force knows where, far away from the problems haunting the galaxy. Did she find happiness? We don't know for sure, but the possibilities are endless from there on for her.

Dark Disciple on the other hand provides a story for her that to me is cheating on happiness, and maybe even cruel. Yes, she does find happiness by falling (not in real love) for Vos, but at the end that "love" is cut short by Vos's betrayal and eventually her death. Not a happy ending, certainly not as happy as Obsession.

 

I felt Obsession was a terrible ending to Ventress because it ruined one of the best endings for her which really felt like an appropriate reward for Ventress' constant acts of murder and evil throughout the Republic comics. It also allowed Anakin to have some character growth.



Is there any way Ventress fleeing with Alpha (presumably murdering him when she's out of hyperspace) is the end of her story? Ventress showed no sign of remorse or repentence in Obsession. The Clone Wars, by contrast, followed her arc with her trying to gain revenge on Dooku. Which I felt was much more appropriate and true to her character. Basically, I'm confused by the constant attempts to "soften" Ventress.

She's not a soft character.

At least, IMHO.

Obsession isn't an ending, though since it doesn't show any form of redemption or growth for Ventress. It shows her being betrayed by Dooku and her being sad about it. If they were going for an ending for her story, it felt tacked on and incomplete.

After all, why would she stop being evil? Dooku didn't lead her to evil. He just took advantage of it.

 

She does warn them to "protect the centre" at least. In The Essential Guide To The Force, Obi-Wan sees Ventress as more of a victim than Anakin was.

 

I gotta say, Obi-Wan, that's kind of Sithish. Real nice way to treat your apprentice versus your causal murder-happy acquaintance. But yes, I do think this book was unsatisfying overall.

I think Ventress, if she was going to die, deserved a bigger ending unrelated to romantic love.

I also regret we'll never see Old Grumpy Ventress vs. Luke Skywalker

 

The quotes in question:

Over the course of the Clone Wars, Anakin and I faced off against Ventress on other worlds. But despite all her fury and murderous inclinations, I always sensed something within her that distinguished her from the other Sith Lords: an underlying fear. Mostly, it was the fear of being alone. And I sensed that there was some good in her, some part that had not been corrupted by Dooku. Where the Sith Lords were unquestionably evil, Ventress was simply a slave to the Dark Side.

Eventually, I learned some details of Ventress’s history. She was born on Rattatak, an Outer Rim world so remote that it was unknown to the Republic. She was still a child when her parents were killed by one of the many warlords. After a Jedi named Ky Narec became stranded on Rattatak, he found the orphaned Ventress and realized she was Force-sensitive. Narec trained Ventress as his apprentice, and apparently trained her relatively well, for together they defeated many criminals. Tragically, a group of warlords killed Narec, and rather than honoring the ways of the Jedi, Ventress sought vengeance. And once again, she was alone. Is it any wonder she developed such a supreme hatred for the Jedi Order than ‘abandoned’ her master?

...

In hindsight, Vader and Ventress had some similar characteristics. Both knew the loss of loved ones, and had reason to distrust the Republic and the Jedi Order. But when I finally caught up with Vader, I sensed nothing but pure evil about him. For unlike Ventress, Vader was not a victim of unfortunate circumstance. Yes, he had his struggles and his shortcomings, but he was not a weak being who feared abandonment. He was a powerful man who had been given opportunities to better himself, yet he only craved power, and chose his own path, betraying the Jedi and becoming Sith. He was my greatest failure.

 

The notion that nobody else turned her from the Dark Side - that she had herself worked her way away from it by the time the story begins, is an interesting one.

 

It actually makes perfect sense. Nobody turned Ventress to the Dark Side in the first place. She fell into darkness from her hatred and rage and anguish that stemmed from her Master's death, caused by Weequay pirates. Ventress fell into darkness all by herself, and Count Dooku used that to turn her into his Sith Apprentice. But after he discarded her, Ventress found her way back from the darkness one step at a time, and eventually she was able to stand in the light once more. Her true master, Ky Narec would be proud of the way she came back from the darkness. But she didn't do it alone. All of the friends and allies that Ventress made and met along the way helped her to leave the darkness of the Sith behind.

Her friendship and sisterhood with the Nightsisters gave her a sense of belonging, of trust and family that she hadn't had since Narec's death. That was the the first spark that reignited the goodness in Ventress. Her brief alliance with Ahsoka and her friendship with Latts was also another step to softening Ventress's heart. And then, Vos came into her life, with his charm and ebullience and general adorable lightheartedness. Ventress drew Vos into darkness, but at the same time, he drew her into the light.

At the end of the day, Dark Disciple isn't about Vos, or even Dooku. Asajj Ventress was the Dark Disciple, and this book was about her finding a path out of the darkness and into the light.