Star Wars Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side [Vault Edition] Review

By Jamie Brett / March 1, 2012

rating: 5

Book: Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side Written By:Daniel WallaceIllustrations: Paul Allan Ballard, Jeff Carlisle, Chris Reiff, Chris Trevas, Russell Walks, Terryl Whitlatch, and the illustrators of Aristia/Hive Studios.Publisher:47NorthPrice: £47Pages:160 Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side is the latest book by Infamous Star Wars writer and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Wallace. This €˜chef-d'oeuvre€™ delves into those mysteries of dark side of the Force and comes as a 160-page book featuring a blood red faux-leather cover, with recessed tittle and heat stamping. Its inner content rummages through the Sith side of the Star Wars universe. It goes into incredible detail ranging from the origins of the Sith to dark side weaponry and fighting techniques, finally divulging the side of the force which has always been shrouded in darkness for Star Wars fans. Inside it showcases original illustrations by acclaimed Star Wars artists, including Paul Allan Ballard, Jeff Carlisle, Chris Reiff, Chris Trevas, Russell Walks, Terryl Whitlatch, and the illustrators of Aristia/Hive Studios. The sacred text comes incased in an interactive pyramid holocron encompassing several mechanized Sith mementos. When I first read about the release of this magnificent collectible, my pupils widened and heart skipped beats. Having read €œThe Path Of The Jedi€ and enjoyed it thoroughly, the opportunity to get the vault edition of this book was one I was not going to pass up. The time and effort put into giving as much authenticity to this product as possible, is outstanding. It has not been branded with a Star Wars logo on every other page in order to give it as much as a genuine feel as possible. You€™ll only find the Star Wars or Lucas Arts logo is on the Box that it arrives in and on the copywrite notice on the very last page. This isn€™t just another Star Wars book; it€™s an interactive Star Wars experience, which starts, with the Vault holocron. The red and black decorated pyramid appears innocuous. Although it isn€™t particularly weighted it is very well put together, the clear surface over the enflamed background gives it the glowing appearance of a futuristic technology. One verge has a golden triangle embedded in its center. When you press that, the real fun begins. The entity bursts into a lustrous light show as well as reverberations from the actual Star War sound library. Although they can be slightly drowned out by the sound of the motor that dramatically divulges the concealed material inside the holocron. As it slowly extends outwards the textured leather look hardback, €œBook Of Sith€ revels itself. The first section is in my opinion the most interesting chapter of the book. It€™s astonishing how in-depth and convincing it is. It almost reads as tangible history. It felt like it was blurring the lines between fiction and reality due to incredible writing as well as its lavishly illustrated content. The annotations in the margins are a brilliant addition as well as quite funny. Darth Sideous€™s desire to undermine lots of other comments, once again gave the sensation that I had taken the book out of his hands. Those whom contribute these notations are Darth Sidious, Darth Vader, Asajj Ventress, Yoda, Mace Windu, Quinlan Vos, and Luke Skywalker. It can take a second to get use to alternating writing styles at the beginning of each section but it added invaluable character to each subdivision. I would have to say the chapter with the €œNightsisters€™€ is slightly labored at points. It didn€™t seem to be as gripping as the other topics. The only other criticism I have about this product is that the artifacts are slightly tacky. I understand that it is to add to the sensation of the book being a scrap dossier but they don€™t really add to the enjoyment of the book. On the other hand they by no means take away any value either. Over all it extends the Star Wars universe with refinement and elegance. The material within reveals underlying the Sith practices and beliefs. It gives the reader a chance to see how the Dark Side warriors think and what motivates their actions. There is no question that this is a €˜must have€™ collectible for any die-hard Star Wars devotee. £50 may feel quite steep but I assure you it is worth the investment. Over all it is an excellent well-made product, which you will want to keep as it can only increase in value. Star Wars Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side Vault Edition is available now from Amazon.