Every great story has a great villain; or, in the case of Star Wars, a great band of villains. Darth Bane: Path of Destruction focuses on one of the most indispensable Sith Lords in history and chronicles his rise to power as well as its reverberating effects on the future of the galaxy that culminate in the Emperor and Darth Vader.

Karpyshyn manages to flesh out a story that fans didn’t know they needed. It provides a better understanding of what it truly means to be a Sith. Even the most fervent fans of the Light Side will find themselves cheering for one of the most power-hungry villains in all of Star Wars as he claws his way from humble beginnings into a position of ultimate power. By the end of the first book, you’ll be scrambling to pick up the sequel.