I finally cleared all of the unread Star Wars books in my on deck circle, having completed "Darth Bane, the Rule of Two." Author Drew Karpyshn (?) turned this book around in 6 months. I'm curious as to why this book was rushed to publication. I feel like I heard why it was rushed somewhere, but now I can't seem to remember.

Rule of Two picks up right where Path of Destruction leads off, lots of dead Sith and Jedi, and Bane continually testing his new apprentice, Zannah. Of course Bane and Zannah are back, as is the Jedi Master Farfalla. I can't help but envision him like Lord Flashheart of Black Adder fame.

This book was a welcome departure from the pages of character introspection that seems to be the norm in EU novels lately. The book balances action, character thoughts and Sith lore very well. Towards the end of the book, readers are treated to a battle sequence the likes of which I have not seen before: the battle unfolds several times over as the narrator describes the battle from the perspective of the various combatants.

Some things were unsettling:
One, Zannah's Sith name is Darth Zannah. I find that quite lame.
Two, at one point, Bane is said to have 1 million volts of current going through him. One million volts is a lot, but volts measures voltage, not current. Amps measure current. 1 million amps would leave a mark too. Better would be to say 1 million volts of electricity.
Three, the aforementioned battle takes place on a deep core world that, as legend would have it, is the birth place of both the Jedi and the Sith. This I have no problem with. Later, however, the legend is confirmed. All the sudden we know the birth place of the Jedi? This felt like an awfully easy revelation of a deeply shrouded mystery.
Four, evidently there was a first Chancellor Valorum. Also, there was a Jedi Master named Hoth (he showed up in POD). It's bugging me, is he the namesake of the ice planet we all know and love?

For shear readability and entertainment, the book rates a Half and Half on the milk scale. I've got my fingers crossed hoping for a 3rd.