Sometimes, I'm really grateful for gift cards at Christmas. People may know something about your interests, without knowing specifically what you own. This is especially true with Star Wars items; navigating the books, action figures and comics as a gift-giver can be confusing. So, I was really happy to use my Borders gift cards to purchasing a copy of Darth Bane: Path of Destruction. I was over-joyed at the prospect of learning about Bane and the establishment of the Sith order as I love it.

I was even happier as I managed to get an autographed copy. What a lucky day!

I finished reading another book (The Assassin's Gate: America in Iraq by George Packer). Then, with anticipatory glee, picked up Darth Bane.

The glee faded a bit as I started reading. Bane's origin was not quite what I hoped it to be. The origin of his name left me more than a little flat. I imagined the selection of the name "Bane" should have had a bit more weight to it, like the selection of Vader's name in Revenge of the Sith. I knew it was coming, but I got a bit of a giggle from the way it happened. Not so here.

Then, the book got a bit better. It was paced and written well enough for me to forgive the obligatory product tie-ins and mentions to KotOR. Hey, it's an industry, people seemed to love those games and what the Heck - they want to trace the history of things that way, then fine. So long as it's reasonably compelling.

The book promptly falls apart shortly after that. Why? Because the last third is no more than a novelization of the comic book series Jedi v. Sith. Blow-blow-blow in terms of the main plot, but I'll add that there are just enough inconsistencies to beg the same question I had with the whole Clone Wars Vol. 2 vs. Labyrinth of Evil debate: which is official? When two EU sources are in direct contradiction with each other, and both are regarded as part of the official timeline, who wins? Do they engage in a fight to the death, with George Lucas as referee?

But more than anything else, it infuriated me. Why the Hell should anyone blow hard-earned cash on what amounts to a re-telling of a comic book that's several years old? Further, if you are going to contradict it, why not flat-out re-do it? Why be bound by the comic book at all?

And finally, I may have forgiven this sin if it wasn't the damned conclusion to the book! Take the story out beyond that! Show us the training of Rain! Show us Bane further honing the teachings as he learns how his apprentice grows with his own learning!

Or is it just too tempting to put out another $27, 300-page book next year, instead of a solid, original 500-page effort that combines the product tie-ins for the EU fanboys along with the originality craved by the other fans?

I'm regretful I even wasted my gift card on this book. I would have come to the offices of Lucasfilm looking for blood, had I blown my own money. I consider this type of book an abuse of the fan base's good nature and a definite show that the head honchos over at the publishing department just regard us as a bunch of suckers who are a locked-in audience.

I will think long and hard about purchasing my next Star Wars book unless I see a reversal of the trend. I had high hopes with previous PT efforts that Lucasfilm had learned their mistakes from the "Bantam Days" (Shatterpoint and the RotS novelization stand out, Outbound Flight was good overall and Cestus Deception was a worthwhile read. There was one that was complete garbage, and I can't even remember the title).

In the end, I am sure that my sour review will not sit well with all. But be honest with yourselves. This book was just an effort to get into our wallets, nothing more. As a life-long Star Wars fan, I'd appreciate it if we got something more than a token effort.

Heck, after reading this, they'd be better off hiring me to write a new book to bring some respect back to the franchise. I'll work cheap - I just want to help rehab the books!