So I finished this story from the format of ... well I was gonna say a book. But what it translates to is script. A rather unsatisfying script to read. (Keep in mind that I did not watch this as part of an audiobook/play and am relying on my reading experience)
The first problem with this story comes down to the format. The format of this script is executed in such a way where I am forced to imagine scenes, settings, emotions and and visuals all in my head. And the story does a very poor job of communicating the wider context to key events. Without any visuals to link to these script beats of characters saying things, the entire thing comes across like a Clone Wars TV special without the actual animation. This isn't helped by the script acting like you should be able to recognize specific scenes and ideas entirely out of context. At one point there is something of a dream sequence for one of the characters, and we never really get any sense of atmosphere for it because all we get is this rather unimpressive dialogue. And when a similar scene happens to another character, a side character, we get nothing to show for it.
A significant problem is that this isn't just written like any standard book, with setting descriptions, fluid paragraphs and detailed prose. That wouldn't make this anything amazing but it certainly would have helped significantly. The Dark Disciple novel gets flak for having the same issues of "This feels like it is meant for a TV script" and isn't actually adapted for a novel, but it actually tries to do something of such. It tries to be more than a script. This blatantly doesn't. And it drags down the experience.
But surely the story is good enough to stand up for itself right?... Right?!?
Well, unfortunately this story isn't that great either. For one, the character Dooku fluctuates from being sympathetic to tragic to aggressive to evil so often it felt hard to know what was genuine character development and what was just a random series of scenes. Dooku himself is a character that has gotten good development in the past and the premise of his early years seemed promising. However, the decision to rush his entire life story just doesn't work at all. Because despite ageing, he still talks the same way as when he was a child as when he is an old man! I wouldn't have minded if they just kept Dooku focused on as a child/teen/adult. Instead of trying to rush everything at once. It isn't helped that Dooku gets reduced to being seem as villainous more because of his family drama than because of his own character development as an idealistic politician turned evil. Dooku comes across as somewhat too nice for a majority of the script. Which means that at a pivotal point where we are supposed to see a crossing into darkness, all I see is just an anti-hero emboldening himself to succeed, rightfully so. But the script attempts a 180 where now he is supposed to be evil. And it fails at making it feel compelling. Dooku feels less like a malevolent character making choices and more like a victim of bizarre circumstances.
Which brings me to my last complaint: Ventress' inclusion in this story. Ventress herself is fine as an addition, and as a framing device. HOWEVER, including her dead master as a sort of Force ghost is just needlessly pointless. It only exists for the dumb audience who can't fathom the concept of a character wrestling with thoughts internally. It removes all subtlety and flat out tells you "Yes, this is what you should feel Ventress. Don't you like having a Force ghost for a character who's most defining feature was being killed?"
Overall, as a read, this is very boring, tedious and yet simultaneously crammed and half baked. 5/10. There are better stories featuring Dooku than this script.
A Poor Man's Script for a Star Wars Story
So I finished this story from the format of ... well I was gonna say a book. But what it translates to is script. A rather unsatisfying script to read. (Keep in mind that I did not watch this as part of an audiobook/play and am relying on my reading experience)
The first problem with this story comes down to the format. The format of this script is executed in such a way where I am forced to imagine scenes, settings, emotions and and visuals all in my head. And the story does a very poor job of communicating the wider context to key events. Without any visuals to link to these script beats of characters saying things, the entire thing comes across like a Clone Wars TV special without the actual animation. This isn't helped by the script acting like you should be able to recognize specific scenes and ideas entirely out of context. At one point there is something of a dream sequence for one of the characters, and we never really get any sense of atmosphere for it because all we get is this rather unimpressive dialogue. And when a similar scene happens to another character, a side character, we get nothing to show for it.
A significant problem is that this isn't just written like any standard book, with setting descriptions, fluid paragraphs and detailed prose. That wouldn't make this anything amazing but it certainly would have helped significantly. The Dark Disciple novel gets flak for having the same issues of "This feels like it is meant for a TV script" and isn't actually adapted for a novel, but it actually tries to do something of such. It tries to be more than a script. This blatantly doesn't. And it drags down the experience.
But surely the story is good enough to stand up for itself right?... Right?!?
Well, unfortunately this story isn't that great either. For one, the character Dooku fluctuates from being sympathetic to tragic to aggressive to evil so often it felt hard to know what was genuine character development and what was just a random series of scenes. Dooku himself is a character that has gotten good development in the past and the premise of his early years seemed promising. However, the decision to rush his entire life story just doesn't work at all. Because despite ageing, he still talks the same way as when he was a child as when he is an old man! I wouldn't have minded if they just kept Dooku focused on as a child/teen/adult. Instead of trying to rush everything at once. It isn't helped that Dooku gets reduced to being seem as villainous more because of his family drama than because of his own character development as an idealistic politician turned evil. Dooku comes across as somewhat too nice for a majority of the script. Which means that at a pivotal point where we are supposed to see a crossing into darkness, all I see is just an anti-hero emboldening himself to succeed, rightfully so. But the script attempts a 180 where now he is supposed to be evil. And it fails at making it feel compelling. Dooku feels less like a malevolent character making choices and more like a victim of bizarre circumstances.
Which brings me to my last complaint: Ventress' inclusion in this story. Ventress herself is fine as an addition, and as a framing device. HOWEVER, including her dead master as a sort of Force ghost is just needlessly pointless. It only exists for the dumb audience who can't fathom the concept of a character wrestling with thoughts internally. It removes all subtlety and flat out tells you "Yes, this is what you should feel Ventress. Don't you like having a Force ghost for a character who's most defining feature was being killed?"
Overall, as a read, this is very boring, tedious and yet simultaneously crammed and half baked. 5/10. There are better stories featuring Dooku than this script.