Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side [Vault Edition] Hardcover – 10 Feb. 2012

This is an excellent product to be sure, an item that no self-respecting Star Wars fan would want to be without, but there are facts which I feel needed to be addressed before you part with your hard-earned cash. At the time of publishing the item cost an incredible £63.86 but was subsequently offered at Amazon for a little over sixteen pounds less than the recommended price (at the time of writing), but what exactly do you can you expect for your money? First and foremost, the item is a novelty item and is designed to resemble a large Jedi Holocron (or more properly the ones used by the Sith Lords). It makes a nice display item for a coffee table or personal shrine. The shell is composed of black and clear red plastic under which are located LED's which light it appropriately. At the touch of a concealed button the Holocron automatically disgorges a motorized tray and with considerable fanfare and suitable sound effects produces the products main selling point, a copy of The book of Sith ... containing knowledge that is all that remains of the once great ancient libraries which at one time were compiled by generations of Sith ... all of whom fell to other Sith for the strong prey upon the weak, whom are seen as unworthy of the Sith's gifts.Within the book are scraps related to the Sith, including a small A4 sized 'poster' promotion for the new Galactic Empire, Senator Palpatine's plans for the assault and subsequent taking of the Jedi Temple, a folded fragment of a Sith burial shroud, a battle map from the Great Galactic War and a note from Jedi Master Luke Skywalker commenting on the content of the book. Embedded within the holocron's tray and beneath the actual book is a (plastic) Sith lightsabre crystal and an opening Nightsister talisman, both of which can be removed for examination. In addition the box contains an instructions sheet for the use of the Holocron item. Please note, it arrives with suitable batteries installed. The book itself has 160 pages, simulated to resemble fragmentary documents form times past, heavily annotated with comments from past Jedi and Sith Masters. Close examination of the material within slowly reveals some of the clues underlying the Sith practices and beliefs and gives the reader a chance to see how the Dark Side warriors think and what motivates their actions. The Book of Sith was written by noted author Daniel Wallace, who previously authored The Jedi Path. It is a recognized part of the Star Wars universe, is considered canon and is fully authorized by Lucasfilm. If you are considering this as a toy for your child my advice is DON'T. It is definitely not a toy and is unlikely to survive being ''played with''. It is however a collectors item, much like it's counterpart was, but make no mistake, the book contained within is an excellent well-made product which you will want to keep as it can only increase in value as time goes by.J. Bluestone

NOTE FROM BEEDO SOOKCOOL: A battered crate arrived on my doorstep on the 19th of January, inside which was the following intriguing letter and . . . something else. As soon as I finished transcribing the letter from Aurebesh, the parchment burst into red flames, leaving no trace behind. Below is the transcription:"Locked inside this pyramidal holocron powered by three linked energy-storage units known as 'AA Batteries' can be found Darth Sidious' attempt at consolidating all knowledge of the Dark Side, his intended timeless masterwork, The Book of Sith. Taken from many sources, Sidious has collected writings throughout the ages, many of which were confiscated by the Jedi, annotated with their ignorant prattlings, and sealed away in their vaults. Upon the fall of the Jedi at the end of the Clone Wars, what remained of these writings was rescued and collected in a single volume along with Sidious' own treatises. Bound in leather the colour of blood and embossed with a darker crimson, this volume is full of important lessons -- both direct and unspoken -- for aspiring Sith.Once the small restraining tab on the underside of the holocron is pulled out, pressing the golden panel on the front of the pyramid will cause the vault to glow, emit threatening sounds, and release its treasures on a sliding platform. If you have not been driven mad by the release of Dark Side energy at this point, you will have been judged worthy to know its secrets. Underneath the main volume are concealed a Nightsister talisman, purported to have been in the possession of the warrior, Savage Oppress, and a red lightsaber crystal. The crystal may resist removal. If this is the case, do not force it, as the consequences might be unfortunate.Tucked between the pages of The Book of Sith are several artefacts: an insert note from Luke Skywalker, a rapidly-disintegrating fragment of burial shroud with early Sith runes apparently inked in blood, a tactical map with materiel requirements compiled by Darth Malgus, a folding Imperial hexagram which Darth Sidious used to plot his power structure, and a miniature propaganda poster from the Imperial Era. Should you need to conceal these items, simply replace everything where you found it, and press the golden panel again. The holocron will retract its platform and reseal itself, looking for all intents and purposes like a harmless and attractive ornament of the Mondeo Modernist decorative arts style.After an introduction by Darth Sidious, the historical texts in The Book of Sith begin with Sorzus Syn, an exiled Dark Jedi who chronicles the finding of the original Sith people, the eventual dominance thereof by the exiled Dark Jedi, the rise of the Sith Empire, and her alchemical experimentations in reshaping life and matter. Darth Malgus' field journals from the front lines show a keen tactical mind and excellent knowledge of warmastery, politics and intrigue. Darth Bane's Rule of Two is a dogmatic treatise which delineates how he reformed the Sith so that only two exist at any given time, a Master and an Apprentice, and the need for secrecy and concealment until the perfect moment to act. The mystical texts written by Mother Talzin of the Dathomir Nightsisters seem credulous and primitive upon the surface, but contain vital truths which hold the key to important abilities, once the layers of mumbo-jumbo have been swept away. Darth Plagueis had a more pragmatic approach to the Force, and his scientific notes, theories, experimentations and sketches shed a deeper, if somewhat narrow-scoped insight into the nature of the Force and what is possible to achieve with it. Finally, Darth Sidious adds his own thoughts in his unique, ego-driven, fascist style.All of these authors touch upon several forms of weaponry at your disposal, from the tangible (such as hand weapons and Dark-Side creatures) to the intangible (fear, secrecy, the control of information and misinformation, and the Force itself). Throughout the centuries, these volumes have been further enhanced or despoiled with notations from the likes of Yoda, Mace Windu, Quinlan Vos, Asajj Ventress, Darth Vader, Darth Sidious, and Luke Skywalker. And now, it is in your hands. Use it wisely, and learn.The lessons conveyed in these texts are all in their own way important, but all are in some way flawed. Most of the authors, in their foolish pride and arrogance, believed that they themselves were the prophesied Sith'ari, The Chosen One, of which none of them were. All of the authors thought that their writings were the ultimate in truth, while the philosophies of others were largely misguided. Even these great and worthy figures made mistakes, and we must learn from these mistakes if we are to bring and end to the insufferable Jedi once and for all.- Darth Bargepole"I gotta say, that sums it all up nicely. It's a pity Darth Bargepole wasn't familiar with the work of Leonardo da Vinci, because the similarities between Leonardo's notebooks and Darth Plagueis' scribblings are remarkable. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some lavishly-illustrated, anti-Jedi reading to do . . . .

For a start, it's far more visually impressive than the Jedi Path Vault Edition. The holocron box it comes in, the mechanical opening, even the sound effects and lights (although I do think the sound is a tad too loud for my own liking).The book itself is also beautiful, almost identical in size to the jedi path, this time the book is a collection of various writings and diaries for various sith lords throughout the galaxy, all collected by Darth Sidious (and eventually falling into Luke Skywalker's hands). And each section has a different feel to it, which is a nice detail, each appears to have been torn from different books (with different paper).The one thing I feel lets this product down are the removable items, the lightsaber crystal is a very nice touch, but the rest aren't as impressive as those that came with the Jedi Path, and there are fewer of them. However these aren't exactly an important feature to me, so any are a bonus.Overall, for anyone who managed to get a copy of the jedi path vault edition, it makes a lot of sense to get this one too to complete the set, you won't be disappointed :)It was a nice surprise when amazon decided to ship them out a few weeks back, although I'm unsure of the reason for the date being pulled back again.