Darth Plagueis (novel)

Darth Plagueis is an upcoming novel by James Luceno. It will tell the backstory of Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Plagueis. It was originally scheduled for release in October of 2008, but its release was canceled. Sue Rostoni has since stated that the book has been reinstated, with a release date of January 10, 2012.

Publisher's summary
''Darth Plagueis: one of the most brilliant Sith Lords who ever lived. Possessing power is all he desires. Losing it is the only thing he fears. As an apprentice, he embraces the ruthless ways of the Sith. And when the time is right, he destroys his Master—but vows never to suffer the same fate. For like no other disciple of the dark side, Darth Plagueis learns to command the ultimate power. . . over life and death.'' ''Darth Sidious: Plagueis’s chosen apprentice. Under the guidance of his Master, he secretly studies the ways of the Sith, while publicly rising to power in the galactic government, first as Senator, then as Chancellor, and eventually as Emperor.'' ''Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious, Master and acolyte, target the galaxy for domination—and the Jedi Order for annihilation. But can they defy the merciless Sith tradition? Or will the desire of one to rule supreme, and the dream of the other to live forever, sow the seeds of their destruction?"''

Behind the scenes
A Darth Plagueis novel was scheduled to be written by James Luceno and released in October 2008 by Del Rey about Darth Plagueis and his backstory. In an interview with Star Wars Insider magazine, Luceno said that he would like to write a future novel dealing with the search for immortality that both Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Plagueis embarked upon in their own separate ways. However, in a talk show interview in February 5, 2007, he indicated that the novel was currently on hold due to issues surrounding the revelation of Palpatine's backstory and Expanded Universe continuity concerns.

Cancellation
On March 27, 2007, Sue Rostoni revealed in her blog that the novel had been canceled, in an entry revealing an updated publishing schedule. She stated the following:

"I'm sure you've noticed that the Plagueis novel is not listed. It's true. The novel has been cancelled. We decided that this was not the right time to delve into Palpatine's back story and Plagueis's beginnings. You'll still see Jim Luceno around, though, as he's an author we are not willing to lose."

- Sue Rostoni

The announcements for the novel stated that Plagueis was a Muun. Leland Chee has confirmed that, since Plagueis's species did not originate in the novel, it is still considered his canonical species by Lucas Licensing.

The novel was replaced with Darth Bane: Rule of Two; however, Luceno has said he still hopes he can convince the powers that be at LucasFilm to let him write the novel, and cited sales of Millennium Falcon could help influence that.

Rejuvenation
On July 27, 2010, Sue Rostoni stated that the book was indeed back on schedule, with a release date of February 28, 2012. This announcement came following a sales database leak, which the fan site New Jedi Order Encyclopedia published. Believing it to be a replacement for the canceled Imperial Commando 2, fans asked for clarification. Rostoni confirmed that the book was going to be published in 2012, but that it is not intended to replace Imperial Commando 2. The release date was later changed to December 27, 2011, and then again to January 10, 2012.

On August 22, 2011, it was announced on the Star Wars Books Facebook page that Matthew Stover will be writing a short story, entitled The Tenebrous Way, that ties into the book. It is scheduled to be published in Star Wars Insider 130 on December 13, 2011.