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A review by sparky_young_upstart
Dark Disciple by Christie Golden
3.0
I came into this book with very little prior knowledge about Ventress and no knowledge of Vos, so I knew this book would be a bit of an uphill climb for me. In the end I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped...but not for reasons I suspected.
Ventress and Vos are very well characterized in the first half of the book. I've never seen any episodes of Clone Wars or any of the Star Wars Legends books prior to this so this was my first real experience with these two characters. Yes, the book does start in what's essentially the middle of their stories. But we only need to read the bare minimum of their backstories before we're thrust into their worlds and it works quite well. Only after we've been with them for half of the book do we learn more about their histories, and because we already know how past events have shaped them it doesn't come off as exposition but rather the intended two-friends-talking-about-their-pasts conversation.
The issues with the book, however, come in the second half. The first book has a very straight-forward situation laid out for the characters to deal with and follows through at a good pace. But the back half suddenly rushes forward trying to have so many things at once, trying to be so many things at once: a tragic romance, a mystery, a political thriller. Characters are flung in and out of set pieces before we're given a chance to care about what's happening or what might be happening.
SPOILER PART
Vos' fall to the Dark Side occurs far too quickly and makes so little sense. Sure, Ventress pushed him really hard, but I can't imagine killing a big fish and then learning about Ventress' lie about Tholme's death was enough to drive him dark. Anakin started falling when he murdered Tuskans and even that took several years simmering under the surface for him to even consider that the Jedi weren't trustworthy. Vos isn't your standard Jedi, but he took such a leap off the slope it makes it hard for me to take it seriously.
As for the whole thing with him being brought back but hiding it, it takes so long for that plot point to end, and when it did the book was nearly done and I was so past caring because it was obvious that he had turned traitor against the Jedi and I did not need the Force to see that! And Ventress, girl, you know he's bad, why are you suddenly dating him in the last fifty pages? And I still can't believe they're suddenly together again right before the end.
And then Ventress dies, and Vos lives? I can't with that. Vos should've died, it would have been a way better end to his arc than him being redeemed by Ventress' sacrifice and being brought back to the Jedi Council. Vos should've been beside himself after what he did and trying to come back to the light. It would make more sense for him to sacrifice himself for Ventress.
HERE END SPOILERS
The book wasn't all bad. The first half, as I mentioned, was very well done. The actions scenes are impeccably written and I have to applaud that considering they were originally meant to be animated; these scenes are as dynamic and attention-holding as any cartoon could be. Vos and Ventress' relationship is born from a mutual respect and appreciation for each other. When Vos stares at Ventress in a beautiful dress it's just her looks that hit him, it's her strength. And when Ventress begins opening up to Vos she does so at the rate one would expect from someone with her history, and yet it also clearly comes from her trusting him more than anyone else in her recent history.
Could this have been better done as a TV show? Perhaps. I'm of the opinion that splitting everything up into eight episodes would've made things even more rushed, and a novel could have saved it. I can appreciate what this book was aiming for, but I think in the end it fumbled the execution.
Ventress and Vos are very well characterized in the first half of the book. I've never seen any episodes of Clone Wars or any of the Star Wars Legends books prior to this so this was my first real experience with these two characters. Yes, the book does start in what's essentially the middle of their stories. But we only need to read the bare minimum of their backstories before we're thrust into their worlds and it works quite well. Only after we've been with them for half of the book do we learn more about their histories, and because we already know how past events have shaped them it doesn't come off as exposition but rather the intended two-friends-talking-about-their-pasts conversation.
The issues with the book, however, come in the second half. The first book has a very straight-forward situation laid out for the characters to deal with and follows through at a good pace. But the back half suddenly rushes forward trying to have so many things at once, trying to be so many things at once: a tragic romance, a mystery, a political thriller. Characters are flung in and out of set pieces before we're given a chance to care about what's happening or what might be happening.
SPOILER PART
Vos' fall to the Dark Side occurs far too quickly and makes so little sense. Sure, Ventress pushed him really hard, but I can't imagine killing a big fish and then learning about Ventress' lie about Tholme's death was enough to drive him dark. Anakin started falling when he murdered Tuskans and even that took several years simmering under the surface for him to even consider that the Jedi weren't trustworthy. Vos isn't your standard Jedi, but he took such a leap off the slope it makes it hard for me to take it seriously.
As for the whole thing with him being brought back but hiding it, it takes so long for that plot point to end, and when it did the book was nearly done and I was so past caring because it was obvious that he had turned traitor against the Jedi and I did not need the Force to see that! And Ventress, girl, you know he's bad, why are you suddenly dating him in the last fifty pages? And I still can't believe they're suddenly together again right before the end.
And then Ventress dies, and Vos lives? I can't with that. Vos should've died, it would have been a way better end to his arc than him being redeemed by Ventress' sacrifice and being brought back to the Jedi Council. Vos should've been beside himself after what he did and trying to come back to the light. It would make more sense for him to sacrifice himself for Ventress.
HERE END SPOILERS
The book wasn't all bad. The first half, as I mentioned, was very well done. The actions scenes are impeccably written and I have to applaud that considering they were originally meant to be animated; these scenes are as dynamic and attention-holding as any cartoon could be. Vos and Ventress' relationship is born from a mutual respect and appreciation for each other. When Vos stares at Ventress in a beautiful dress it's just her looks that hit him, it's her strength. And when Ventress begins opening up to Vos she does so at the rate one would expect from someone with her history, and yet it also clearly comes from her trusting him more than anyone else in her recent history.
Could this have been better done as a TV show? Perhaps. I'm of the opinion that splitting everything up into eight episodes would've made things even more rushed, and a novel could have saved it. I can appreciate what this book was aiming for, but I think in the end it fumbled the execution.