Lords of the Sith

Star Wars Disney Canon Novel

by Paul S. Kemp

"It appears things are as you suspected, Lord Vader. We are indeed hunted." Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, is just a memory. Darth Vader, newly anointed Sith Lord, is ascendant. The Emperor's chosen apprentice has swiftly proven his loyalty to the dark side. Still, the history of the Sith Order is one of duplicity, betrayal, and acolytes violently usurping their Masters—and the truest measure of Vader's allegiance has yet to be taken. Until now. On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the growing Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as "spice," an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine means to control the embattled world and its precious resources—by political power or firepower—and he will be neither intimidated nor denied. Accompanied by his merciless disciple, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure that his will is done. For Syndulla and Isval, it's the opportunity to strike at the very heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. For the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than just a matter of putting down an insurrection: When an ambush sends them crashing to the planet's surface, where inhospitable terrain and an army of resistance fighters await them, they will find their relationship tested as never before. With only their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other to depend on, the two Sith must decide if the brutal bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Novels, Space Opera

285 pages, Hardcover

First published April 28, 2015

About the author

Bestselling speculative fiction author, creator of Egil and Nix, Erevis Cale, drinker of scotch, smoker of cigars, amiable dude. :-)

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dark Side of the Force is strong in this book!


This story is considered officially canon by Lucasfilms in the newly established canon


This story is set 5 years after the events of “Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith


APEX PREDATORS

We are all of us, always being tested, my friend. Tests make us stronger, and strength is power, and power is the point. We must pass all the tests we face… Or die in the effort.

This is not a story about heroes...

This is a story about VILLAINS...

..., and therefore, it could be pointless to expect that heroes would win in here. Maybe they will have some small victories, maybe some won’t be that small after all, but a definite victory? Oh, no, these are dark times, the Galactic Empire is at its prime, and any rebel scum will be crushed!

Once as a Jedi, he had meditated to find peace. Now he meditated to sharpen the edges of his anger.

The Empire is flourishing and it won’t stand any intent to form rebel groups.

On Ryloth, homeworld of the Twi’lek species (those aliens with headtails) is rising the Free Ryloth Movement under the leadership of Cham Syndulla (who appears in the CGI animated series of Clone Wars and he is the father of Hera Syndulla (one of the main characters in the current CGI animated series of Star Wars: Rebels). Ryloth is relevant to the Empire for two things: an ore which is key in several Imperial applications; and a “spice” which is useful for narcotic purposes.

The Emperor suspects that the rising Free Ryloth Movement has been that effective in its attacks due having access to confidential Imperial information thanks to a traitor, even more likely more than one traitor. So, the Emperor will set the mother of all traps to lure out the freedom fighters.

Lord Darth Vader AND The Emperor Palpatine will travel together in an Imperial Star Destroyer to Ryloth.

If Vader and the Emperor are killed, the Empire will have an irreparable blow.

The bait indeed is too tempting for the Free Ryloth Movement, and they will use all its available resources, troops and technology, to do the unthinkable...

...to attack an Imperial Star Destroyer AND killing Vader along with the Emperor!

However, the ragtag freedom fighters haven’t a clue of how powerful is Darth Vader and certainly nobody knows that the Emperor is in reality a Sith Lord too, and more powerful than Vader!

The freedom fighters pretend to hunt down Vader and the Emperor, as if they would be easy preys, but Vader and the Emperor aren’t preys at all, they are predators, and...

...between all apex predators in the galaxy...

...they are THE Apex Predators. They are the Sith Lords!


IMPERIALS VS IMPERIALS VS REBELS

Sometimes it’s possible for a decision to be right and wrong at the same time.

This novel, while being about evil, is REALLY GOOD!!!

And the best part is that obviously Darth Vader and the Emperor Palpatine are the main characters, Paul S. Kemp, the author, did an extraordinary work developing the other characters, making them as relevant and as interesting than Vader and Palpatine. Even when you think that you already figured out some of those characters, you are exposed to another facet of them, making them deeper and truly tridimensional characters.

Ryloth is a bonfire of a power struggle where the heat will reach everybody, Imperials, Rebels and even... innocent bystanders. Remember, this is a story about evil, about villains.

Moff Delian Mors, a female moff, with the jurisdiction of the Ryloth system, after the death of her wife, lost her way and has been careless in her duties.

Colonel Belkor Dray, second-in-command of Imperial forces in the Ryloth system, he is an ambitious officer who is playing a very dangerous double game between Imperials and Rebels with the clear objective of becoming the new moff there.

Major Steen Burkas, relegated to command a communications hub, in the middle of nowhere, in the Equatorial zone of Ryloth, will find his area too populated suddenly for multiple parties, some of them with fearsome ranking.

Cham Syndulla, he is the leader of the Free Ryloth Movement, however he doubts each day if he is doing the right thing, is he truly a freedom fighter or just a terrorist? Is the greater good enough to justify any action?

Isval, right hand of Cham Syndulla in the Free Ryloth Movement, she is a former slave, formidable hand-to-hand fighter, and now she is the best card in the dangerous hand that Cham is playing to see finally the freedom of his homeworld.

All these characters, with their own private agendas, many of those in conflict with the ones of the others, will be tested to the fullest when Lord Darth Vader and the Emperor Palpatine will enter deeply into their lives.

Master.

Lord Vader,

...Did you consider allowing me to die to realize your own ambition?

I did, but only a moment.

Good,... ...Very good.

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Vader completed his meditation and opened his eyes. His pale, flame savaged, face stared back at him form out of the reflective black transparisteel of his pressurised meditation chamber. Without the neural connection to his armour, he was conscious to the stumps of his legs, the ruins of his arms, the perpetual pain of his flesh. He welcomed it. Pain fed his hate, and hate fed his strength. Once, as a Jedi, he had meditated to find peace. Now he meditated to sharpen the edges of his anger."

Darth Vader has been characterised superbly by Kemp. He has evoked the dark villain’s anger, frustration and misguided sense of inner strength perfectly. Vader has been seduced by the dark side, and the power he believes it has granted him over the Jedi; he believes anger is the source of all real strength, and the only true way to master the force.

To counter the evil Vader, and his master, an early branch of the rebel alliance has set up a conniving ambush in an attempt to cut of the heads of the empire, so to speak. Their leader, Cham, is fighting to save his planet; he wishes to free his people from the shackles of slavery under the tyranny of the Empire. He also wants revenge on Vader for killing his friends. But, more importantly, he wants to see a return to the ways of the Republic where all planets had a voice. It’s a plausible story, but the characterisation was weak in these parts. I had little sympathy for Cham and his rebels.

And unfortunately, for them, Vader isn’t alone; he is with the Sith Lord himself: The Emperor. The Emperor seems to have foreseen the ambush, and the chaos it causes, but has done nothing to prevent it. He is using it as a test of strength, and loyalty, for his apprentice. One would think that after Vader marched on the Jedi temple that Palpatine would trust him whole heartedly, but that is not the way of the Sith. They have a long history of murder and betrayal; Palpatine himself murdered his master. So the ever cautious Emperor is using the situation to solidify Vader’s dependency on him, and at the same time maintain the balance of power between the two lords.



I have a minor criticism, not to do with the writing, but concerning the consistency of some of the events in relation to the Star Wars universe. Firstly Vader is described as “superhuman” and “god-like” by the rebels; he pushes the boundaries of what a “normal man could do.” Surely, the characters remember what the Jedi were also capable of, and surely the power would not have been forgotten. They've not been gone that long.

However, this is only a minor criticism and did not affect my overall enjoyment of the novel. It had a very exciting plot in which the reader was almost convinced that the rebels could actually kill Vader and the Emperor (at a couple of points). In the end though it could only go one way because the ending is, obviously, known. Vader and the Emperor do not get killed off before the events of episode IV. So because of this the author had to create a plot exciting enough that made the reader want to find out exactly how the events will play out. And he did. The plot was full of epic space battles, blaster rifle shoot outs, and lots of Vader murdering people . Overall, this is a worthy edition to the Star Wars franchise, but it could have been better if the rebals were more symphisable. Overall, this is a worthy edition to the Star Wars franchise, but it could have been better if the rebels were easier to sympathise with.

I've gone Star Wars mad lately. I literally have fifteen other Star Wars reviews to post, but I’m trying to space them out a little! I had to repost this one because, in retrospect, it simply is one of the better Star Wars novels.

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. This is an action packed insight into the minds of the most powerful and evil men in the Star Wars universe. The book is very action-packed, but all the action is tempered by tactics and strategies. I like the way Kemp showed not just Darth Sidious and Darth Vader's power but their intelligence as well. Also, I like the way the Emperor lets Vader do all the public fighting, but never lets Vader forget he is still the second most powerful and that he has much to learn. For Vader's part, Kemp allows Vader to show all of his not just an unstoppable force of destruction with a lightsaber, or using force blasts and chokes, but also as a pilot, a survivalist and most of all a military commander. I do also like the way Darth Vader not just accepts his past and uses it to fuel him. This is not Vader screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO". He sees the robotic enhancement as an, enhancement that made him better. There is also a hint of a link to another Star Wars Rebels character. If you look back at Anakin Skywalker's history, the Dark Side has always suited his personality more than the peace and philosophy of the Jedi.

The world Ryloth home of the Twi'leks. Has never really been free. It is the source of the Twi'leks for the sex slave trade, or the Spice trade (a powerful drug with hologynic properties). Cham is the leader of the Free Ryloth movement, which has been picking off Imperial targets with some success. That is till one of their strike teams runs into Darth Vader. However, they are still a minor annoyance. Now they have a chance to really make a statement and get some revenge by killing the emperor and Vader on their unexpected visit to Ryloth. With sizable resources, a great strategic mind, and the element of surprise Cham believes he can make it happen. The one thing is cannot plan for the Darkside. The powers at these two Sith Lords command is beyond anything he has experienced.

[Jberz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of the new books that have come out so far Lords of the Sith may have been my least favorite. That's not to say it's a terrible book by any means but many aspects of it simply fall flat.

7 things I didn't like:

1) The title and marketing of the book were quite misleading. Yes there are portions of the novel that deal with Vader and Palpatine but an enormous part if not the majority of the story focuses on the Free Ryloth movement. That would've been fine if the book had been marketed that way but I expected way more Vader/Emperor interaction.

2) The pacing is very bad. The novel has 18 chapters and over half of the story is centered on the Star Destroyer "Perilous" event. It is a fun read to see the Twi'lek strategy but the scene does drag on for what seems like forever. This portion would've done much better on TV. For a book marketed as "Vader and his Master stranded on an inhospitable planet" the readers don't even reach that point for a very long time.

3) I found the Emperor to be out of character. He rarely spoke. Basically each scene he was in had him cackling, have an odd smile, and/or call Vader his "friend". Over and over again. As if he had nothing else in his vocabulary. The Tarkin novel did a MUCH better job at characterizing the Emperor. In Tarkin, the emperor had ACTUAL conversations and more expressions.

4) Vader and Emperor Palpatine are NEVER in any real danger. This is in part due to the Emperor's reactions to everything. Again he's always just smiling in every situation. This takes the fun out of their "adventure" as the reader knows nothing will actually endanger or faze him.

5) Mors was never fleshed out. The author never explored her past deeply enough so I didn't care enough about her. Belkor was handled nicely though as we observe his steady descent into insanity throughout the novel.

6) Most of the supporting cast on the rebels side is forgettable. Aside from Isval and Cham the rest I can barely even remember their names. Goll arrives in the novel way too late.

7) The author has everyone constantly cursing and it just gets old after a while. You practically expect it of everyone. He also used the word "gore" so many times it just got annoying. Also not to be a grammar nazi but the editor of the book missed some glaring errors.

I did find Vader's parts interesting. He's only been Vader for 8 years and we see Anakin through his piloting and over-the-top lightsaber fighting styles. It is a noticeable difference from the much slower and refined style he adopts years later. It was nice to see that although he would try to bury his memories of the past he wasn't always successful. Also Isval was a fantastic character even though I would've like to know more about her rescues and her past.

All in all I did like the book but to me it seemed like a missed opportunity.

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/09/08/a...

Probably the best Star Wars novel I’ve read in a while, and certainly one of the better Star Wars novels I’ve ever read, Lords of the Sith is a story centered on Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. Defiant against the Imperial forces’ attempts to control their home planet of Ryloth, a group of Twi’leks led by Cham Syndulla the idealistic freedom fighter (and the father of Hera, of Star Wars Rebel fame) plot to bring the Empire to its knees by assassinating the two Sith Lords. What amazes me is that even though we all know the rebels’ efforts are doomed to fail, Paul S. Kemp valiantly manages to keep the suspense up throughout the entire story.

I’m also impressed at the moments we get inside Darth Vader’s head. If you’re a fan of the character, picking this novel up is a no-brainer. The story examines the Sith mentor and apprentice relationship, and does it very well. Vader, portrayed as utterly loyal to Palpatine, is nonetheless not immune to his momentary lapses and brief, emotional flashbacks to the past. Yes, he’s evil. Yes, he’s badass. And unfortunately, that’s the side of him the majority of Star Wars stories like to focus on. But everyone knows Vader is also a lot more complex than most writers give him credit for, and I feel like this might be the first Star Wars book I’ve read that actually does his character justice. Kemp strikes a fine balance, giving us plenty of full-on-Dark-Side force-choking Vader, but those glimpses we get of what little humanity he has left also made me sympathize with his inner conflict.

And finally, if you’ve ever listened to a Star Wars audiobook, you’d probably know that they are in another league all together, complete with sound effects and music (though it might take some getting used to if you’re easily distracted by that stuff). If you’re thinking of checking this book out, I highly recommend the audio format. I’ve heard narrator Jonathan Davis’ work on other audiobooks before, but I never knew he could do such an incredible Darth Vader voice. Short of actually getting James Earl Jones to narrate, I don’t think you can find anyone better than Davis. 5 stars to his performance.

[Matthew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, the fourth released "new" canon book is the first bad one. And, wow, is it bad.

Where do I begin? The characters talk no more than a sentence at a time, so none of them sound like real people. Any intriguing plot points are quickly forgotten (Iswal freeing slaves and Mors's past). Additionally, this is supposed to be a story about the start of the rebellion and the lords of the Sith. The Emperor acts completely out of character and wields his lightsaber like he's in the prequels. Vader and the Emperor fight a horde of creatures with lightsabers. Someone actually wrote this.

The characters randomly curse and there's gratuitous gore because the book is pathetically trying to be edgy. As for the start of the rebellion, I cannot sympathize with any of these empty vacuums they call characters. Two of them fall in love, apparently. Vader and a storm trooper hooking up would have had better chemistry.

The reception for this book seems to be overwhelmingly positive because there's lots of actions. I will admit that Vader's opening scene is awesome, but action needs to have purpose to the story. In the "Legends" books, they had much better stories with Vader hunting down rebels while dealing with his past.

The ending, or lack thereof, is a complete joke. This is supposed to be some dramatic event that makes Vader officially heartless. Because slaughtering all the Jedi wasn't enough before?

I guess I should end this on a positive note. I'm positive this book sucks. I'd rather read Crystal Star - at least I can laugh at that.

[Markus · Rating 2 out of 5]

The mediocrity is strong here.

Paul S. Kemp is a talented Star Wars writer. He's shown it before. He shows it here. Kemp is certainly no Zahn or Karpyshyn, but I have enjoyed his stories. This one was not bad either.

However, the story is completely uninteresting with nothing at stake. There are two sets of protagonists: on one hand, Darth Vader and the Emperor. Their characterisation is both interesting and well-done, but they obviously have plot armour. On the other hand, the local factions of the planet Ryloth, including the Free Ryloth Movement and the imperial planetary administration. I would mention the names of these people, but they were unfortunately boring enough that I forgot most details such as names. I couldn't care less what happened to them.

This is not a bad book at all. Actually, it is a well-constructed tie-in novel by an experienced author of Star Wars fiction. For me, however, it was a completely unnecessary detour without any interesting aspects.

[fatherofdragons113 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went back and forth a lot from 3 and 4 stars for Lords of the Sith. What I didn't really enjoy was that some actions scenes seemed very drawn out to me, but perhaps that's because I wasn't very invested in those moments. .

I loved the character development and how the characters were written, especially Belkor. The way Kemp captured the feeling of inescapable anxiety and stress was very well done in my opinion. My only complaint is that some of the dialogue didn't seem Vader-esque when he spoke, but that's such a minor problem, really.

I loved the darker tone of Lords of the Sith which seems would be obvious given the nature of the Sith. It was a fun look into Vader's mind, especially how Vader has his moments where he remembers his old life.

Decent read. Would recommend.

[El lector de l'antifaç · Rating 3 out of 5]

En realidad un 3,5. De las mejores entrecuelas de Star Wars que le leí a mi hijo antes de dormirse (¡cómo pasa el tiempo!). Está bien construido, tiene intriga, emoción y fantasía. Si te gusta la saga Star Wars, este es uno de los libros que no debes perderte.

[Sr3yas · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The past is a ghost that haunts us. Ghosts must be banished. Lingering on the past is weakness, Lord Vader"

Five years have passed since Order 66 and rise of the empire. Lord Vader's reputation is spreading across the galaxy. But emperor senses a disturbance in his young apprentice and decides to teach him a lesson.

They go for a hunt.

But contrary to usual dynamics, Vader and Emperor find themselves stranded and being hunted by brave freedom fighters of planet Ryloth with the help of a rogue imperial officer.

Will they succeed?
You'd really freak out if I said yes, Wouldn't you?!

Despite the name, the story is NOT just about the two ruthless Sith lords. They are only a part of it. But hey, I am not complaining. Because I found the characters that fill the rest of the story as interesting as Lord Vader and emperor themselves. Sometimes, even more than them!

"Not a terrorist, but a freedom fighter."

Half of the story belongs to the free Ryloth movement lead by a brilliant strategist & a compassionate leader, Cham Syndulla and his impulsive yet dependable lieutenant, Isval. They want to free their planet from exploitative hold of empire. The movement is being aided by an ambitious imperial officer, General Belkor Dray for his own selfish reasons.

Their plan is daring and elaborate filled with contingencies and various exits.
Their mission? To assassinate emperor and lord Vader.

Lambs hunting lions.

I really enjoyed the adrenaline and action filled scenes like freedom fighters VS Vader, freedom fighters Vs predators and the final convergence. What I didn't like is Emperor/Vader vs apex predators.

Why?
The force.

It's an ultimate cheat code. First of all, we know the siths are going to come out top in the story. Combining that with unlimited power of force puts them in no danger at all.

You need to get into a spaceship? Use the force.
You find hundreds of predators trying to kill you? Use the force.
You hungry? Use the damn force.

That is why I really loved the characterization of the other players and their situations and struggles. After all, they were only humans.

Well, not exactly humans, most of them are Twi’leki. But you got my point, right.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars, rounded down to 2 stars – I just wasn’t enamored with this one.

Lords of the Sith is the story of the Free Ryloth movement, led by The Clone Wars character Cham Syndulla (father to Hera from Rebels), and their assassination attempt against Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, Senator Orn Free Taa, and Moff Delian Mors. The first stage of the plan, trapping the Imperials on the planet, is successful, but becomes much more complicated as the story progresses: not only will the freedom-fighters have to face Darth Vader in combat, but Emperor Palpatine, who has determined to take action himself.

In spite of the title, the narrative is divided between the Imperials and the Free Ryloth Movement. This was a disappointment. I would have liked to see some discussion of the Sith background (like Darth Bane and Darth Plagueis) and how Sith teaching is passed down. Instead, the book focuses on yet another master/apprentice story.

The book works well bridging Anakin from The Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith to Darth Vader of the Original Trilogy. He remembers the person that he was, but decides to regard his past heroics with contempt; any sorrow is built into a hateful rage that embodies his new role as a Sith Lord.

The book’s action is hit-and-miss. The book opens up with a scene of Darth Vader leading a bombing run on a Twi’lek ship in orbit, destroying all of the ship’s guns, using his own TIE fighter as a guided missile to create an entrance, jumping out of his ship in the nick of time, and guiding himself with the Force to enter the ship and slaughter the crew within. The rest of the fight scenes aren’t quite as thrilling, knowing that the villains are destined to be victorious.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cham Syndylla from the Clone Wars TV show and the various rebels from the Free Ryloth movement are really the stars of the book. Maybe 20% of the book is actually about Darth Vader. This is the 3 or 4th new canon book I've read and I still haven't been impressed. Because of the potential new movies, no risks can be taken. None of the characters are ever in any real danger. It makes for some boring books with characters you don't really care about.

The gist of the book is that Vader and the Emperor head to Ryloth because spice production is down. The Emperor keeps hinting that more is going to happen. The Free Ryloth movement gets wind of their trip and plots to take out their star destroyer. I found this part to be the best part of the book as the rebels' plans unfold. Eventually the Emperor and Vader crash land on the planet and the rebels so after them. This is where the book starts to fall apart for me. The Sith lords are so powerful that they make the book boring. You know there's absolutely no way the rebels can take them out.

Also in the e-edition is a short story called Obedience from John Jackson Miller. It takes place during Vader's trip from Coruscant to Ryloth. It's OK.

[Terence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twi'lek Freedom Fighters Cham Syndulla, Isval, and the Free Ryloth movement find themselves with an opportunity too rare to pass up on...the chance to kill The Emperor and Darth Vader. The leaders of the Empire are traveling together to Ryloth, the home of the Free Ryloth movement. Cham will use every resource he has to strike the head from the Empire and watch the body die so Ryloth can be free once more. The resistances ambush leaves The Emperor and Darth Vader stranded in the forests of the planet while being hunted by the planets apex predators and the resistance. Despite all the loss of imperial life and being stranded on the planets surface, The Emperor's unconcerned gaze and half smile makes it appear as though all is going according to his plan.

Lords of the Sith was easily one of the best Star Wars books I've read. Paul S. Kemp delves deeply into the mind and abilities of Darth Vader letting us see his anger fueled into the force in different and deadly ways. Kemp writes some of the most awe inspiring moments I've read on Darth Vader's abilities.

The sound of a man on a respirator never feels quite as terrifying as when Darth Vader is chasing down protagonists as the grim reaper of the Empire. Darth Vader is the bogeyman, the scary story at the campfire, and the symbol of danger to every species in the galaxy. He is the physical manifestation of the force in a universe where the Jedi are practically extinct. The story constantly reinforces that few have seen a force practitioner by making statements such as he's not a man and he does things no one should be able to do.

Like every individual who's lived through a moment of terror those that have seen Vader fight have nightmares about it all throughout the novel. Who wouldn't though? If a man in all black choked me with an invisible hand that I can't fight against then I'd have nightmares too. One difference between me and the characters in the book is if I lived through that I'm running home sitting in the shower fully clothed hugging my knees with the water soaking me. I would NOT be chasing after the man with magical powers!

The scariest part of this is the reinforcement that regardless of how scary and deadly Vader is his master aka Emperor Palpatine aka Darth Sidious aka THE Lord of the Sith is even more dangerous. I've seen all the movies, Palpatine was not young when Luke and Leia finally became a bump in their mother's stomach. The people of the universe think he's a helpless old man, but this book, The Revenge of the Sith, and The Return of the Jedi clearly proved otherwise. It was interesting to see that The Emperor purposely makes people believe he's helpless likely so if anyone made it past Vader they'd be electrified with force lightning before they knew what was happening. Palpatine sits, smiles, cackles, and depresses the poor people and beasts that just want to kill him.

I feel for the Free Ryloth movement because knowing they're never mentioned in the movies means things can't go well for them. Cham is a wise leader and he makes the most of his opportunity. It would be interesting to see if any of the Free Ryloth movement members appear in any future expanded universe books.

I was surprised and slightly disappointed to learn that The Clone Wars cartoon show is canon. Darth Vader thinks of Ashoka and her nickname Snips. The cartoon show always seemed a bit too kiddy to be part of the canon, but it clearly must be.

My only actual complaint against the book is I wanted to see a lot more from Darth Vader's point of view and I wanted to see from Palpatine's point of view. Cham, Isval, Belkor, and Mors all were strong point of view characters in a memorable story, but I really just wanted to be in the heads of the Lords of the Sith.

Lords of the Sith was a fun Star Wars adventure in the new expanded universe.

4 out of 5 stars

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

All right! What could be better than a book devoted to Darth Vader? A book devoted to Darth Vader AND Darth Sidious! Now apparently this book in in the "new" timeline. That's fine. Whatever issues I have with the world of the "new" universe is not present in this book. It is the Rogue One to the usual Force Awakens pap. This is how Sith Lords are done.

This focuses on the Free Ryloth movement that was referenced in the Clone Wars comics/cartoons. On Ryloth there is a terrorist organization that has been operating with some brazen results. The Moff in charge is lazy and hedonistic, while the subordinate, Col Belkor, is a traitor. These various entities work together to not only remove a Moff but also destroy an Imperial Star Destroyer-the Perilous. They do so- the only problem is Darth Vader and Darth Sidious is on that ship.

What follows is a great romp through the Star Wars story. From a crash landing to a great deal of awesomeness from both Sidious and Vader-as they try to outwit and outlast Ryloth's natural dangers, rebel scum and rogue Imperials. There is a great deal of fascinating back and forth between Vader and Sidious. It well illustrates the various Sith methods of teaching. None are pleasant. It is also instructive to see how much Sidious relaizes that Vader wants him dead and seems to appreciate it-that is what a Sith Apprentice does. A good book to read to really get into the Sith way of things.

For once Vader can not claim to be the sole star of the show. The Emperor does some very cool things as well. In fact, it is obvious from the way he acts and how he does things that he is indeed the Master Sith. On an interesting note- I found out that only the Emperor's Royal Guard (outside of Vader) are ever allowed to see Sidious "in action"- for any other Imperial it is a death sentence. The Emperor likes the concept of the "frail old man".

Do you like Star Wars? Do you like Darth Vader? How about The Emperor? If you answered yes to any of these then you will like this great story. At the very least you will leave respecting Darth Sidious far more than when you started. He is one seriously crafty and dangerous Sith Lord.

[Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vader is the apex predator.

This wasn't terrible, but I think overall it felt kind of... boring.

I mean, the premise is about Cham and his freedom fighters trying to kill Vader and the Emperor. And when you have a plot like that, it seems pretty obvious where it's going to go.

The points of stars turned to lines, and the black of space surrendered to the blue of hyperspace.

Full RTC

[Alec Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

CA RA LHO, QUE LIVRO *FODA*

Na moral, caras, eu tô mt louco com o final desse livro!!! Ele deu uma arrastadinha ali mais pro meio da história, mas qnd engatou, fi, foi PAULEIRA PEW PEW PEW!

Amei como esse livro acrescenta DIVERSAS camadas aos personagens imperiais e, principalmente, ao Vader, de uma forma que só os universo expandido sabe fazer. Eu amei mt ver as dualidades dentro dos personagens, amei ver como nem todo mundo é 100% bom/mau e como ele se encaixa na cronologia dos filmes e das animações.

sem sombra de dúvidas uma leitura de Star Wars pra guardar no coração e fazer de novo!!!!

[Marcos GM · Rating 3 out of 5]

[ENG/ESP]

As a whole, I did not enjoy this book. The writing style is repetitive and sometimes very plain.
I did enjoy some things, among my favourites the portrayal of Darth Vader. This is the Vader I always wanted to see, and the author does a very good job at develop him in the way he does. Some of the action scenes would be amazing to see on screen.

Another thing I liked about this book is the focus on the "rebels", the way they do things and why. If it wasn't called Lords of the Sith, I think it would improve in people's opinions.

I look forward to read more SW novels, because this one left me wanting more.



---------------


En general no he disfrutado de esta lectura. La forma de narrar es repetitiva y en ocasiones bastante plana. Sí he disfrutado algunas cosas, entre mis favoritas la actuación de Darth Vader. Este es el Vader que siempre he querido ver en pantalla, y el autor hace un muy buen trabajo con su desarrollo. Algunas de las secuencias de acción serían increíbles para plasmar en pantalla.

Otra cosa que me ha gustado en la lectura es que se centran bastante en los "rebeldes", por qué hacen lo que hacen y cómo lo hacen. Si el libro se hubiera llamado de otra manera que no fuera Lores del Sith creo que la gente se haría menos expectativas y funcionaría mejor.

Me quedo con ganas de leer más novelas de Star wars, porque esta me ha dejado con ganas de más.

[Michael O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining read. Very interesting see how the force is used by the Sith -- as well as its limitations. While powerful, it's still possible to get the best even of a Sith Lord with a cunning strategy and overwhelming numbers cleverly deployed. It has some situations in it that I would not recommend younger children encountering, but, for adolescents and older, I think this book is ok.

[Učitaj se! | Martina Štivičić · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Diljem Imperija pobunjeničke skupine svako malo pokušavaju nanijeti neku ozbiljniju štetu Imperiju, ali većinom bez ikakvog uspjeha. No, kada Imperator i Darth Vader iznenada odluče nenajavljeno posjetiti planet Ryloth, koji Imperiju služi kao značajan izvor narkotika 'začina', skupina pobunjenika 'Slobodni Ryloth' odluči preuzeti stvar u svoje ruke i organiziranim napadom jednim udarcem riješiti se i Imperatora i Vadera. S obzirom na odabir meta, ovo će se pokazati kao iznimno ambiciozan pothvat: i za pobunjenike, koji su zagrizli u, ne samo prevelik, već i iznimno opasan zalogaj, ali i za Vadera i njegovog Gospodara, koji će se morati izvući iz (čak i za njih) posve nepredviđene situacije, oslanjajući se samo na vlastitu snagu i Silu, bez ikakve druge podrške.

Već je iz sažetog opisa radnje odmah jasno da ovaj roman vrvi akcijom, koja ne prestaje od prve do zadnje stranice: od užurbanog planiranja napada pobunjeničkih snaga na Imperijev zvjezdani razarač, svemirske bitke koja se ubrzo potom preseli na površinu planeta Rylotha, utrke s vremenom dolje na planetu i neprekidne borbe, ne samo s neprijateljem, već i s izrazito neprijateljski nastrojenim ekosustavom samog planeta, pa sve do političkih sukoba, intriga i izdaja koje prate onu 'pravu' bitku na svakom koraku.

Kako sam ooogromni fan Star Wars filmova, jedva sam dočekala baciti se i na knjige. Ova mi je bila prva, ali nakon ugodnog iskustva u njenom čitanju, svakako se mislim baciti i na sve ostale. :D

Vezano uz filmove, radnja ovog romana vremenski se odvija između Epizode III i IV, konkretno 14. godine prije Bitke kod Yavina (Star Wars geekovi, znate o čem pričam :)), a svi događaji vrte se oko Darth Vadera i Imperatora.

Moram odmah reći da je Vader sjajno opisan u ovom romanu. On je ovdje gotovo stopostotno Darth Vader, Anakina je u njemu ostalo tek u tragovima, i u sjećanjima (većinom neželjenim). On je Vader kojega se svi boje, čijim su sposobnostima zapanjeni i za kojega govore da 'nije čovjek'. Na Rylothu, u čijim divljinama vladaju golemi grabežljivci poput kukcolikih lyleka, Vader je taj kojeg smatraju najopasnijim grabežljivcem, čak čudovištem.

Postoji ona scena, iz najnovijeg filma iz Star Wars serijala - 'Rogue One', u kojoj se Vader ukrca na osvojeni brod - netom prije nego što će stupiti u hodnik broda, još se ne pojavljuje u kadru, vide se samo članovi posade koji mahnito bježe, prestravljeni, a njihov strah pred onim što dolazi gotovo je opipljiv - taj trenutak paničnog straha, u kojem se čuje samo Vaderovo disanje, samo sekundu ili dvije prije no što on upali svoj svjetlosni mač... takav je Vader u ovom romanu. Opasan, nepobjediv, jedinstven.

Ono što je također ovdje sjajno opisano je način na koji Vader crpi svoju snagu i način na koji se povezuje sa Silom, a gorivo te snage njegova je čista mržnja, gorući bijes. Taj se aspekt njega kao lika čak ni ne vidi toliko u filmovima, ali čini bitan dio njegovog karaktera. Paul S. Kemp taj je dio sjajno obuhvatio i vješto ga prenio na papir.

I drugi su likovi ovdje jako dobro okarakterizirani: Cham, vođa 'Slobodnog Rylotha', koji se vječno mora podsjećati na to da je 'borac za slobodu, a ne terorist'; zatim Isval, Chamova suradnica, vječno željna prolijevati krv Imperijalaca; moffica Mors, čelnica planeta Ryloth, vječno opijena 'začinom', i njen upravitelj Belkor Dray, žedan moći koju će steći zamršenim spletkama za svrgavanje moffice... Lik koji me, pak, najviše iznenadio je lik Imperatora, koji je u ovom romanu pokazao jednu svoju, hm, nazovimo ju 'zafrkantskom', stranu koju do sada nisam imala prilike vidjeti.

Baš kao što mi se svidio 'Rouge One', film koji je u biti priča iz Star Wars svemira, svidio mi se i ovaj roman. I jedno i drugo su priče koje proširuju vidike o likovima iz serijala i pričaju nam priče za koje nije bilo mjesta da se ispričaju unutar glavnih filmova.

Ovo je pravi SF roman izrazito nabijen akcijom, koji, bez obzira na to što je dio Star Wars serijala, djeluje kao samostalan roman i mislim da biste ga mogli bez problema pročitati čak i da nemate pojma o Star Wars serijalu. Govoreći iz perspektive fana serijala, roman mi se jako svidio i ne vidim nikakav razlog iz kojeg se on ne bi svidio i svim drugim Star Wars fanovima, ali i zaljubljenicima u SF općenito. :)

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She stared up at Vader, unafraid. 'I hate you and everything you stand for' she said. 'But when I murdered, I murdered out of love'

Vader raised his blade, his breathing loud and steady. When he spoke, his voice was as deep and hollow as a funeral gong.
'I know precisely what you mean' he said and slashed."

4.5

RTC

[John McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Star Wars entertainment ! Fast paced and full of action - Darth Vader and Darth Sidious are as badass as you hoped them to be! Highly recommended fan fiction.

[Milo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Review Can Also Be Found Here: http://thefictionalhangout.blogspot.c...

A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY...
"Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, is just a memory. Darth Vader, newly anointed Sith Lord, is ascendant. The Emperor’s chosen apprentice has swiftly proven his loyalty to the dark side. Still, the history of the Sith Order is one of duplicity, betrayal, and acolytes violently usurping their Masters―and the truest measure of Vader’s allegiance has yet to be taken. Until now.

On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the growing Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as “spice,” an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine means to control the embattled world and its precious resources―by political power or firepower―and he will be neither intimidated nor denied. Accompanied by his merciless disciple, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure his will is done.

For Syndulla and Isval, it’s the opportunity to strike at the very heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. And for the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than just a matter of putting down an insurrection: When an ambush sends them crashing to the planet’s surface, where inhospitable terrain and an army of resistance fighters await them, they will find their relationship tested as never before. With only their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other to depend on, the two Sith must decide if the brutal bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries."

Lords of the Sith has been one of my most anticipated novels in the Star Wars expanded universe so when I got the chance to read it whilst I was in France I leapt at the opportunity and quickly devoured it. The focus on the Empire, Darth Vader and the Emperor in particular, made it incredibly fascinating to read, and particularly with that awesome cover – the Emperor crackling with the force lightning and Vader clearing a path through the middle of a warzone with two Star Destroyers on either side, makes for a striking background for what turns out to be a very fun novel, written by one of my go-to authors for good entertainment, Paul S. Kemp. If you ever wondered what a buddy cop story set in the Star Wars universe might look like with Vader and the Emperor as the bad cop and the even badder cop, then Lords of the Sith might be your best bet. The book details an attempted coup of the Imperial regime, and whilst we ultimately know that the coup didn’t work, Kemp manages to create just the right amount of tension to keep the book interesting, exploring both sides of the conflict very well. I couldn’t help but want the Empire to emerge victorious even though they’re the villains of the Star Wars Universe, and that was because Kemp handled the book very well. Each line of dialogue I was reading in the voice of the actors from the movies, and it felt very much a part of the Star Wars Universe.

The action sequences are absolutely stunning and one of the strongest that I’ve ever seen in any Star Wars novel, not just the Expanded Universe ones. Witnessing Vader at full strength is a sight that almost makes you feel sympathetic towards the people trying to bring him down, you know they’re never going to stand a chance no matter what they do. Making use of a variety of action sequences, Kemp writes equally well the battles on land and space, weaving them together well for a masterstroke of action. With the book set on the planet Ryloth, fans of The Clone Wars will be pleased to hear that the series, which is also part of the Expanded Universe canon, does not go ignored, and there are some throwbacks that readers will appreciate as the book explores the relationship between Vader and the Emperor, and how it’s affecting the man once known as Anakin Skywalker. This allows a complex approach to the character when it would have been easy just to approach him as a one-dimensional killing machine, and serves as a good way to mark Anakin’s transition from The Clone Wars to the one that we see as Vader in Star Wars Rebels in A New Hope.

We also see the Emperor in action here and it’s great to witness. At this point in the story the Emperor is keeping hidden the fact that he’s a force user, and will kill anyone who witnesses the truth apart from his Royal Guard and of course Vader. There are some chilling moments that allow Darth Sidious to have as much impact as Vader, perhaps even more so, as when these moments are used, they’re used sparingly, so we’re left with a great impact on the reader.

The book itself splits around 50% of its narrative to focus Vader/The Emperor and the other half on lesser known figures. We see two Twi’lek rebels plotting to kill both of them, realising that’s the only way they can make a statement to show that not everyone is happy with the Emperor. It’s an ambitious plan, and one of the Ryloth rebels, Cham, does have some doubts about the task at hand, it’s too good an opportunity to strike a crippling blow to the Empire’s heart.

Whilst some may be disappointed at the fact that the entirety of the novel wasn’t devoted to Vader and the Emperor, this doesn’t really matter as when they’re in the spotlight they have more of an impact than they would were the whole novel devoted to their adventures. Plus, it’s great to witness the pre-Rebel Alliance tactics that dissenters, members of the Free Ryloth movement, would use to bring down key Imperial figures, and the dilemmas that they have to overcome. Kemp creates such a strong and powerful read that you won’t care whether you know the ending or not, as you’ll be swept up for a powerful ride that should keep those who are willing to give the novel a shot hooked from the word go.

VERDICT: 8/10

[Lady*M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of all the new canon Star Wars books, I've read three (A New Dawn, Tarkin and this one) and it seems that I have to change my rating after each one. Out of these three, I enjoyed Tarkin the most, A New Dawn was fun but had its problems. Lords of the Sith was two different books at the same time - one when it was dealing with the resistance of Ryloth and one when dealing with Vader and the Emperor.

Cham Syndulla was a nice connection to The Clone Wars and Rebels both - he appeared in the former as Ryloth freedom fighter and he is the father of Hera from the latter. I liked Cham in TCW, because he was a badass dedicated to his people. Here, he takes more of a role of the main planner. Isval, former slave of the Empire, is a contrast to Chem, more idealistic and level-headed leader, in her relentless hate and desire for revenge. My problem was that all other rebels, except Isval, were practically faceless and I couldn’t care for them as much as it would be expected. In fact, when the story was on them, I was impatient to return to the Sith. The same could be said for the part of the story regarding Moff Mors and her traitorous and ambitious underling Belkor.

The novel’s strength is part concerning the titular Lords of the Sith – Vader and the Emperor. Vader is in his prime – both as a pilot and as a Force user. The dynamic between him and Palpatine is extraordinary. He is constantly tested by the Emperor and, while they are hunted, you never feel that they are at significant disadvantage. Vader’s anger and hate burn the pages and Palpatine is shown as he should – as the most powerful person in the galaxy and not just because he has the might of the Empire behind him. When they are surrounded by hundreds deadly beasts of Ryloth, they are unbeatable force and you have to feel sorry for the rebels who plan to confront them. And, if you thought that Anakin/Vader had the darkest moment in the Revenge of the Sith while killing children in the Jedi temple, wait until the end of this novel. It will chill your blood and break your heart.

This part of the book I loved and if the entire book was more centered on these two, I would have given it six stars – that how good this part of the book was. But, unfortunately the rating should be for the entire book and I just couldn’t care for all of it. So, average rating, but still recommended for the fans of Star Wars and those who want to know more about the dark side. But, beware: “When you look at the dark side, careful you must be. For the dark side looks back.” - Yoda

[Kev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darth Vader? Scary awesome when he was younger.

I need more Star Wars fiction like this that features Vader in his prime: piloting the heck out his starfighter, using the Force to do crazy things without thought of failure, plowing through enemies with his lightsaber - you know, still doing the things Anakin Skywalker was doing during the Clone Wars, but blatantly evil.

I really enjoyed the introspection Vader had, the seeming omniscience Palpatine showed of Vader's thoughts, and Vader's responses to his master questioning and testing him. There need to be more Vader/Palpatine stories!

Also? Palpatine unleashed! He and Vader become stranded together on a planet and must make their way to civilization. Along the way they encounter wildlife and terrorists (freedom fighters) that are trying to kill them. Since they're pretty much alone, Sheev can use the Force without witnesses. I'm just glad it wasn't Jedi facing them when he and Vader both ignited their lightsabers. The lords of the Sith tore through the jungles and caves (and citizens) of Ryloth.

Darth Sidious expertly manipulated the fledgling rebellion on Ryloth to his own ends, as always, and the sad Imperial presence there suffered as well under an inattentive Moff and a traitorous second-in-command.

I really didn't care much about the Imperial characters beyond the Darths, though they served their parts well in the story. There are rumors Moff Mors may be a recurring character. If so, she had better stop being lazy and start serving her Emperor!

It would have been nice to get to meet a young Hera, the daughter of the leader of the rebels on Ryloth. She's mentioned briefly, but we know she becomes the leader of a rebel cell years later in the Star Wars cartoon Rebels.

Many characters die, and the Emperor achieves his goal. But an ember still remains for the rebellion.

Great space combat, awesome Vader scenes, and the Emperor being cunning. What's not to love?

[Faye Fite · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well. That was pretty bad. Despite what the synopsis (and the title) says, this book is really not about Sith. It was more about the Free Ryloth movement, so I felt kind of tricked. False advertising. The writing wasn't very good and the story dragged. But at least I learned some interesting new things about the galaxy far, far away.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first couple of chapters of Paul S. Kemp's Lords of the Sith reminded me of my childhood, playing in the yard with my Star Wars action figures. I could create a wide variety of scenarios and battles among the action figures, including making Darth Vader the baddest bad guy in all the universe.

The bookends of this one make Vader (and to a lesser extend Emperor Palpatine) just that. Set in between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, this story establishes Vader as a complete and total bad-ass. In the opening chapter, Vader uses his ship to kamikaze another after he's ejected to board the ship and then takes out an entire crew of 24 with just his lightsaber and the Force. At this point, I was fully hooked, wondering if and how this book couple top that. But I was ready to give it the chance to do so.

Unfortunately, the book peaks early and never quite gets back to that point of pure awesomeness that felt like it was straight out of my childhood back yard. Instead, we get a lot of characters who are part of the growing rebellion that we have little or no connection with in the movies. I understand from looking at other reviews that there is a connect to the animated universe, but I've not had the time to delve as deeply into that part of a galaxy far, far away as I'd like.

Vader and the Emperor travel to an outer world that is the source of the rebellion. The rebel leaders plan to try to take our Vader and the Emperor. Things do not go as planned.

It's not that this isn't interesting so much as I felt like for a book titled Lords of the Sith, we don't spend a lot of time with Vader and the Emperor.

I wanted to love this one, but ended up only really liking it. It has some great moments, but overall it's not my favorite Star Wars tie-in novel since the books rebooted.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Brett Wyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very first novel I picked up after high school. I had no idea what to expect. I just picked it up because I liked the cover and thought I was going to get a dark and gritty tale about two Lords of the Sith. In some regards, it absolutely delivered but I left this feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

The biggest issue is that the title is misleading. The story follows the Free Ryloth Movement (FRM) trying to assassinate the Imperial leaders: the Emperor and Lord Vader. The summary of the book says "For the Emperor and Darth Vader [...] an ambush sends them crashing to the planet's surface". A lot of the book is wasted on setting up and executing this ambush. The ambush is clever and well written, but I already knew the outcome so I didn't care, especially since it meant less page time for the Sith Lords. The FRM leader, Cham Syndulla, proves to be very resourceful and is a solid protagonist. But why waste over half the book on him when Vader and Palpatine are on the cover? Furthermore, there were a few Vader-Emperor interactions that were fantastic but they were not enough to carry the book to a 5 star rating for me.

Despite my complaints, Paul S. Kemp delivered a good plot with interesting characters and really managed to expand on the FRM. The Sith Lords did have some badass moments and their dynamic was somewhat explored. I think he is a very competent writer for Star Wars. I really liked his Old Republic novel Deceived as well. He seems to write good villains. My disappointments mainly comes from the cover and summary of the novel more so than the actual writing. It really felt like a bait and switch situation, so it was a 4 star experience for me.

[Geekritique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find this and many other reviews over at Geekritique!

The fourth novel in Star Wars' new canon timeline, as approved by the Lucasfilm Story Group, Lords of the Sith takes us to the planet Ryloth, home of the Twi'lek race. Taking place several years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, the Free Ryloth movement sees a group of freedom fighters take on the Galactic Empire. Led by Twi'lek Cham Syndulla, will this movement be enough to destroy Vader and the Emperor? Of course not, as we know from the films. It's a hard thing to tell a story that takes place before an event that we've already seen and familiarized ourselves with. You know as a reader that the Empire will continue for some time still, as they must in order for the original trilogy of Star Wars films to make any sense, but Paul S. Kemp does an excellent job of keeping you on the edge of your seat regardless.

The story bridges one of the most crucial elements of the Star Wars saga. When we think of the years between Episode III and IV, we tend to assume this must have been a very quiet time for the Galaxy. Not so. Lords of the Sith introduces the very first roots of a resistance that will eventually become the much greater Rebel Alliance we know and love from the films. The Free Ryloth movement seems a perfect staging area for such an event, and we get to see the first domino fall towards the crippling of the Galactic Empire.

But another thing this book excels at is its ability to sympathize with the Dark Side of the Force. We know it as a negative energy, but it's an energy nonetheless, and Kemp introduces it as merely another way of channelling the Force. This works especially well seeing that Vader is one of the primary POV characters. We get to see the anger and the hatred fuel him. We learn more about the almost symbiotic relationship of the Sith 'rule of two,' and how that's a constant struggle of testing, prodding, and empowering each other further into the Dark Side. It's sad to see how much of a lapdog Vader is in the Emperor's grasp. The book soon quenches all sympathy you may have for the two.

But we also got to see Anakin shine through at the best of moments. Cue the sad Star Wars music, as he thinks of past friends, allies, and so on. The deeper he meditates into this well of sadness, the more profound his memories are. Of Obi-Wan. Of Padmé. The humanizing elements here were so beautiful. 

We get to see a lot of action from both Vader and the Emperor, something quite rare; particularly from the latter. Where Palpatine is usually never seen using the Force, he openly embraces it when faced with a dangerous, treacherous planet. The two accomplish the impossible, and I hate to say it but I was totally rooting for them the entire time.

Another brilliant plot thread was the constant inner struggle with Cham Syndulla. How far was too far, in regards the Free Ryloth movement. At what point does a freedom fighter become an outright terrorist. The novel really makes you think, especially after the atrocities he sees accomplished by the end of the story. Well done.

But alas, not all the POV characters worked. Belkor Dray's entire arc was avoidable and just plain painful to experience. Isval, the frighteningly violent Twi'lek woman, was a bit better, but it was hard finding any common ground with her train of thought. Between the two, the story goes on a bit too long in some respects.

Lords of the Sith is still an excellent book, full of great new ideas, and the fact that we can finally say with surety that this is a canon story makes it feel all the more tangible, believable, and important. Although the only books in the Star Wars canon are one-off adventures, it's safe to say we can expect greater things from the universe after the arrival of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

Grab this in:
Hardcover | eBook | Audible

For more books in the Star Wars canon, visit my handy dandy timeline.

[Anja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good, up to star wars standards. I do prefer movies, but this was good too. Very action packed, interesting, educational in a way and fun. I really liked Cham and Isval, and of course my favorite villains - Darth Vader and Imperator. Would recommend!

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far, this series has yet to be a reboot, it is merely just a reset. Second verse, same as the first. There are many good reviews already, here is one with a positive take ... Terence ... I would add my immediate observations. The plot is straight forward. The Twi'lek's of Ryloth have formed a rebellion, The Free Ryloth Movement. Their goal: assassinate the Lords of the Sith when they visit Ryloth.

I might have edited Lords of the Sith in a different manner. Kemp has an interesting chapter about a rebel Twi'lek female named Isval. On Ryloth, she has a rather dark-side leaning manner of releasing her anger. Very predator, could have been borderline horror. Putting this event very early on (Prologue?) could have allowed the story to operate on another different level. Isval was the only new character introduced who I began to pull for in her own right, she could have been a more intense character with vivid light and dark side tendencies. Why is she important?

The stars, Darth Vader and the Emperor, only begin to become the primary subjects of the story-line at about page 200. Once they do, Twi'lek freedom fighters Cham Syndulla, Isval, and the Free Ryloth movement fade back to become mere plot devices and less the promising and lovely new characters we hope to find in any story. Character is king in every genre.

In general, resistance mastermind Cham Syndulla, father of Hera from The Rebels animated series, never comes across as the compelling leader everybody seemingly reveres in the Free Ryloth movement.


'Hera' of Rebels

BEWARE
Isval dies. This would have been better as Isval's story and she lived. Locked and loaded to either explode or transcend her anger in a further story. While she unselfishly helped Cham survive in the end, Cham is truly an unremarkable character. Cham's loss would have also fed Hera's motivation.

Star Wars has a propensity to kill off more complex emotionally divided females. An observation I develop in full in my review of Dark Disciple



Once again, the new Star Wars Extended Universe (Disney owned) used an author from the old Extended Universe (Lucas owned) to create new Star Wars canon. This limits franchises ability to have a new voice almost by definition. I would look for a new authors in the same way Disney looked for new movie directors. (Perhaps contract a horror or speculative fiction author.)

On the positive side, Mr. Paul S. Kemp does a fine job developing the relationship between Darth Vader and the Emperor. Their fighting skills are remarkable though sometimes their killing becomes too much Force and high head counts manga style and not enough unparalleled skill, superior form and a display of ruthless intelligence. Killing faceless enemies in ridicules numbers is a tiring way to describe combat, and like I mentioned, starts to transform Star Wars into samurai manga.

Darth Vader remembers the name, Ahsoka Tano, and thereby connects this story to Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Rate it 3.5 stars.