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Our Point of View on Lords of the Sith: Star Wars BooksWTI | We Tried It!

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Lords of the Sith: Star Wars Paperback – January 26, 2016

by Paul S. Kemp (Author)

4.4 5,516 ratings

Part of: Star Wars (Standalone Novels) (22 books)

Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

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

When the Emperor and his notorious apprentice, Darth Vader, find themselves stranded in the middle of insurgent action on an inhospitable planet, they must rely on each other, the Force, and their own ruthlessness to prevail.

“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 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.

Praise for Lords of the Sith

“A compelling tale [that] gives us new insight into the relationship between Darth Vader and his master, Emperor Palpatine.”—New York Daily News

“Endlessly fascinating . . . a tale [that is] not just compelling but completely thrilling.”—Big Shiny Robot

“The best novel so far in this new era of official canon Star Wars stories.”—IGN

“Packed with action . . . hard to put down.”—Seattle Geekly

Part of series

Star Wars (Standalone Novels)
Print length

368 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Random House Worlds
Publication date

January 26, 2016
Dimensions

4.15 x 0.9 x 7.49 inches
ISBN-10

034551145X
ISBN-13

978-0345511454
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From the Publisher

star wars;star wars books;gifts for kids;gifts for star wars fans;gifts for teens;star wars gifts


	Phasma	Dooku: Jedi Lost	Thrawn	Dark Disciple

Customer Reviews	2,569	1,931	16,362	5,818
Price	$9.99	$16.47	$7.49	$9.92
	Discover Captain Phasma’s mysterious history in this “Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi” novel.	Delve into the history of the sinister Count Dooku in the original script to the thrilling Star Wars audio production.	Discover the events that created one of the most iconic villains in Star Wars history.	Based on unproduced episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, this new novel features Asajj Ventress, former Sith apprentice turned bounty hunter and one of the great antiheroes in the Star Wars galaxy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A compelling tale [that] gives us new insight into the relationship between Darth Vader and his master, Emperor Palpatine.”—New York Daily News

“Endlessly fascinating . . . a tale [that is] not just compelling but completely thrilling.”—Big Shiny Robot

“The best novel so far in this new era of official canon Star Wars stories.”—IGN

“Packed with action . . . hard to put down.”—Seattle Geekly

About the Author

Paul S. Kemp is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels Star Wars: Crosscurrent, Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived, and Star Wars: Riptide, as well as numerous short stories and fantasy novels, including The Hammer and the Blade and A Discourse in Steel. Paul S. Kemp lives and works in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, with his wife, children, and a couple of cats.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER ONE

Vader completed his meditation and opened his eyes. His pale, flame-savaged face stared back at him from out of the reflective black transparisteel of his pressurized meditation chamber. Without the neural connection to his armor, he was conscious of the stumps of his legs, the ruin of his arms, the perpetual pain in 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.

He stared at his reflection a long time. His injuries had deformed his body, left it broken, but they’d perfected his spirit, strengthening his connection to the Force. Suffering had birthed insight.

An automated metal arm held the armor’s helmet and faceplate over his head, a doom soon to descend. The eyes of the faceplate, which intimidated so many, were no peer to his unmasked eyes. From within a sea of scars, his gaze simmered with controlled, harnessed fury. The secondary respirator, still attached to him, always attached to him, masked the ruins of his mouth, and the sound of his breathing echoed off the walls.

Drawing on the Force, he activated the automated arm. It descended and the helmet and faceplate wrapped his head in metal and plasteel, the shell in which he existed. He welcomed the spikes of pain when the helmet’s neural needles stabbed into the flesh of his skull and the base of his spine, unifying his body, mind, and armor to form an interconnected unit.

When man and machine were one, he no longer felt the absence of his legs or arms, the pain of his flesh, but the hate remained, and the rage still burned. Those, he never relinquished, and he never felt more connected to the Force than when his fury burned.

With an effort of will, he commanded the onboard computer to link the primary respirator to the secondary, and to seal the helmet at the neck, encasing him fully. He was home.

Once, he’d found the armor hateful, foreign, but now he knew better. He realized that he’d always been fated to wear it, just as the Jedi had always been fated to betray their principles. He’d always been fated to face Obi-Wan and fail on Mustafar—and in failing, learn.

The armor separated him from the galaxy, from everyone, made him singular, freed him from the needs of the flesh, the concerns of the body that once had plagued him, and allowed him to focus solely on his relationship to the Force.

It terrified others, he knew, and that pleased him. Their terror was a tool he used to accomplish his ends. Yoda once had told him that fear led to hate and hate to suffering. But Yoda had been wrong. Fear was a tool used by the strong to cow the weak. Hate was the font of true strength. Suffering was not the result of the rule of the strong over the weak, order was. By its very existence, the Force mandated the rule of the strong over the weak; the Force mandated order. The Jedi had never seen that, and so they’d misunderstood the Force and been destroyed. But Vader’s Master saw it. Vader saw it. And so they were strong. And so they ruled.

He rose, his breathing loud in his ears, loud in the chamber, his image huge and dark on the reflective wall.

A wave of his gauntleted hand and a mental command rendered the walls of his ovate meditation chamber transparent instead of reflective. The chamber sat in the center of his private quarters aboard the Perilous. He looked out and up through the large viewport that opened out onto the galaxy and its numberless worlds and stars.

It was his duty to rule them all. He saw that now. It was the manifest will of the Force. Existence without proper rule was chaos, disorder, suboptimal. The Force—invisible but ubiquitous—bent toward order and was the tool through which order could and must be imposed, but not through harmony, not through peaceful coexistence. That had been the approach of the Jedi, a foolish, failed approach that only fomented more disorder. Vader and his Master imposed order the only way it could be imposed, the way the Force required that it be imposed, through conquest, by forcing the disorder to submit to the order, by bending the weak to the will of the strong.

The history of Jedi influence in the galaxy was a history of disorder and the sporadic wars disorder bred. The history of the Empire would be one of enforced peace, of imposed order.

A pending transmission caused the intercom to chime. He activated it and a hologram of the aquiline-faced, gray-haired commander of the Perilous, Captain Luitt, formed before him.

“Lord Vader, there’s been an incident at the Yaga Minor shipyards.”

“What kind of incident, Captain?”

The lights from the bridge computers blinked or didn’t as dictated by the pulse of the ship and the gestures of the ragtag skeleton crew of freedom fighters who staffed the stations. Cham stood behind the helm and looked alternately from the viewscreen to the scanner as he mentally recited the words he’d long ago etched on the stone of his mind so that he could, as needed, read them and be reminded:

Not a terrorist, but a freedom fighter. Not a terrorist, but a freedom fighter.

Cham had fought for his people and Ryloth for almost a standard decade. He’d fought for a free Ryloth when the Republic had tried to annex it, and he fought now for a free Ryloth against the Empire that was trying to strip it bare.

A free Ryloth.

The phrase, the concept, was the polestar around which his existence would forever turn.

Because Ryloth was not free.

As Cham had feared back during the Clone Wars, one well-intentioned occupier of Ryloth had given way to another, less well-intentioned occupier, and a Republic had, through the alchemy of ambition, been transformed into an Empire.

An Imperial protectorate, they called Ryloth. On Imperial star charts Cham’s homeworld was listed as “free and independent,” but the words could only be used that way with irony, else meaning was turned on its head.

Because Ryloth was not free.

Orn Free Taa, Ryloth’s obese representative to the lickspittle, ceremonial Imperial Senate, validated the otherwise absurd Imperial claims through his treasonous acquiescence to them. But then Ryloth had no shortage of Imperial collaborators, or those willing to lay supine before stormtroopers.

And so . . . Ryloth was not free.

But it would be one day. Cham would see to it. Over the years, he’d recruited and trained hundreds of like-minded people, most but not all of them Twi’leks. He’d cultivated friendly contacts and informants across Ryloth’s system, established hidden bases, hoarded matériel. Over the years, he’d planned and executed raid after raid against the Imperials, cautious and precise raids, true, but effective, nevertheless. Dozens of dead Imperials gave mute testimony to the growing effectiveness of the Free Ryloth movement.

Not a terrorist, but a freedom fighter.

He put a reassuring hand on the shoulder of the helm, felt the tension in the clenched muscles of her shoulder. Like most of the crew, like Cham, she was a Twi’lek, and Cham doubted she’d ever flown anything larger than a little gorge hopper, certainly nothing like the armed freighter she steered now.

“Just hold her steady, helm,” Cham said. “We won’t need anything fancy out of you.”

Standing behind Cham, Isval added, “We hope.”

The helm exhaled and nodded. Her lekku, the twin head-tails that extended down from the back of her head to her shoulders, relaxed slightly to signify relief. “Aye, sir. Nothing fancy.”

Isval stepped beside Cham, her eyes on the viewscreen.

“Where are they?” she grumbled, the darkening blue of her skin and the agitated squirm of her lekku a reflection of her irritation. “It’s been days and no word.”

Isval always grumbled. She was perpetually restless, a wanderer trapped in a cage only she could see, pacing the confines over and over, forever testing the strength of the bars. She reminded him of his daughter, Hera, whom he missed deeply when he allowed himself such moments. Cham valued Isval’s need for constant motion, for constant action. They were the perfect counterpoints to each other: her rash, him deliberate; her practical, him principled.

“Peace, Isval,” he said softly. He’d often said the same thing to Hera.

He held his hands, sweaty with stress despite his calm tone, clasped behind his back. He eyed the bridge data display. Almost time. “They’re not late, not yet. And if they’d failed, we’d have had word by now.”

Her retort came fast. “If they’d succeeded, we’d have had word by now, too. Wouldn’t we?”

Cham shook his head, his lekku swaying. “No, not necessarily. They’d run silent. Pok knows better than to risk comm chatter. He’d need to skim a gas giant to refuel, too. And he might have needed to shake pursuit. They had a lot of space to cover.”

“He would’ve sent word, though, something,” she insisted. “They could have blown up the ship during the hijack attempt. They could all be dead. Or worse.”

She said the words too loudly, and the heads of several of the crew came up from their work, looks of concern on their faces.

“They could, but they’re not.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “Peace, Isval. Peace.”

She grimaced and swallowed hard, as if trying to rid herself of a bad taste. She pulled away from him and started to pace anew. “Peace. There’s peace only for the dead.”

Cham smiled. “Then let’s stick with war for at least a bit longer, eh?”

His words stopped her in her pacing and elicited one of her half smiles, and a half smile was as close as Isval ever got to the real thing. He had only a vague idea of what had been done to her when she’d been enslaved, but he had a firm sense that it must have been awful. She’d come a long way.

“Back to it, people,” he ordered. “Stay sharp.”

Silence soon filled all the empty space on the bridge. Hope hung suspended in the quiet—fragile, brittle, ready to be shattered with the wrong word. The relentless gravity of waiting drew eyes constantly to the data display that showed the time. But still nothing.

Cham had stashed the freighter in the rings of one of the system’s gas giants. Metal ore in the rock chunks that made up the rings would hide the ship from any scans.

“Helm, take us above the plane of the rings,” Cham said.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Worlds (January 26, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 034551145X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345511454
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.15 x 0.9 x 7.49 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #50,501 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #267 in Galactic Empire Science Fiction
- #1,551 in Space Operas
- #2,443 in Science Fiction Adventures

Customer Reviews:
4.4 5,516 ratings

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Paul S. Kemp

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Paul Kemp enjoys good beer, good wine, good company, and a fine scotch every now and again. He writes sword and sorcery and space opera and works very hard to make them a fun ride.

While his mind is often in the fantastical fictional worlds, his body lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, with his wife Jennifer, his twin sons, his daughter, and their various and sundry pets.

He is a graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the University of Michigan law school. When he's not writing , he practices corporate law in Detroit. Yes, that does make him a tool of "the Man," for which he shall bear everlasting shame.

He hopes you enjoy his novels.

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

5,516 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers say the book is great for Star Wars fans and a good addition to the new canon. They also find the writing quality well-written and the content fascinating. Readers describe the characters as engaging and thoughtful. They describe the content as powerful, executed to near-perfection, and interesting. Customers also describe the book as incredible, gritty, and effectively narrated. Opinions are mixed on the plot, with some finding it plenty of good action and mentioning a great foreshadow of the early rebellion, while others say it's not the best.

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Readability Writing quality Insight Characterization Content Best of the series Plot Entertainment value

391 customers mention "Readability"366 positive25 negative

Customers find the book incredible, with a good main plot, and interesting. They also say it's written with surprising depth, and is masterfully paced and executed. Readers also mention that the book is gritty and effectively narrated.

"...The book is masterfully paced, wonderfully executed, and does a great job of giving depth to not just Vader, but to every perspective character and..." Read more

"...The new character, Isval, was an interesting read, and you do understand where she comes from, though her motivations do essentially boil down to “..." Read more

"...This book also includes a wonderful little short story called Orientation by another of my favorites, John Jackson Miller, featuring a young Rae..." Read more

"...So, in short, this was a good book and an entertaining read into one of the many seeds of a galaxy-wide rebellion, but it left me wanting more...." Read more

112 customers mention "Writing quality"84 positive28 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book well written, masterfully paced, and easy to read. They also say the Empire's Big Two is elaborate and well told. Readers also mention the introductory sequence is amazing and the story is not overly complex.

"...The book is masterfully paced, wonderfully executed, and does a great job of giving depth to not just Vader, but to every perspective character and..." Read more

"...Vader’s introductory sequence in amazing and one thing that is repeated throughout the book is that people are terrified of Vader, and everything in..." Read more

"...Paul S Kemp writes Sith brilliantly, showing their power, cruelty and inner demons...." Read more

"...The things Vader and especially Palpatine are capable of are overly exaggerated. Vader is the "black knight" in armor with magic at his hand...." Read more

62 customers mention "Insight"56 positive6 negative

Customers find the book fascinating and great to showcase the relationship between Palpatine and Vader. They also say the rebel characters and their motivations are well established and never feel contrived. Readers also say it holds their attention throughout and creates a sense of urgency.

"...most of us have seen the Original Trilogy, it's a thrill-packed, truly intriguing, and intense story, that made it hard for me to put down!" Read more

"...Kemp has written a story that is thrilling and interesting. My only gripe is that there are a few moments that take the reader out of the story...." Read more

"...They couldn’t be more different, but Mr. Kemp did a great job of building their relationship over the course of the book...." Read more

"...The rebel characters and their motivations are well established and never felt "contrived" to steer the plot in the desired direction...." Read more

58 customers mention "Characterization"43 positive15 negative

Customers find the characters engaging, and the relationship with Vader well represented. They also say the book is gripping and thoughtful.

"...The character of Belkor was alright. I didn’t exactly find him compelling or really sympathize too much with him...." Read more

"...As usual, he is spot on and his Vader and Emperor voices are incredible...." Read more

"...It gets bogged down with other characters that are uninteresting and slow the story way down. Waaaaaay false advertising. Reader beware." Read more

"...The action is rather constant and the characters are engaging. What I enjoyed most was the interaction between Sidious and Vader...." Read more

38 customers mention "Content"36 positive2 negative

Customers find the content powerful, excellent, and impressive. They also say the book is a good introduction to the idea of the rebellion against the Empire. Readers also say it helps with knowing things about the Disney XD TV show Star Wars Rebels. They say the author makes good use of the downtime in between to flesh out the characters.

"...The Emperor is handled with a master's care. The Rebels work well enough you truly want to root for them and hope they can pull of the world they..." Read more

"...and the Emperor were portrayed, and in that regard, it was executed to near-perfection...." Read more

"...Paul S Kemp writes Sith brilliantly, showing their power, cruelty and inner demons...." Read more

"...of the Dark Side of the Forces are portrayed in Lords of the Sith and powerful, dangerous, and very much in command, even when it appears outwardly..." Read more

30 customers mention "Best of the series"30 positive0 negative

Customers find the book a great addition to their collection and a nice addition to the sith lore. They also say the future of Star Wars looks bright and the book is a compliment to both trilogies.

"...This is by far the best Star Wars book released under the new Canon. I was starting to worry...." Read more

"...The way they're portrayed in the book is a great compliment to both trilogies without really relying on or the other too much...." Read more

"...Either way, this is an interesting book for its unique approach to Star Wars, especially for any Sith or Vader fans out there." Read more

"...All in all this is a great addition to the Star Wars timeline and a welcome return to the universe to Paul S. Kemp!" Read more

113 customers mention "Plot"53 positive60 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot. Some find the book has plenty of good action, character development, and story. They also say it moves along at a good clip. However, others say the overall plot isn't the best, it lets down the suspense, and it's predictable. They mention the book lacks in how predictable it is and the crude prose permeates the novel.

"...This doesn't take away from the book, but it does kill some of the tension." Read more

"...The story starts fast and continues steadily throughout the rest of the book; there was no part where I was bored, though there were some parts I..." Read more

"...a few interesting scenes toward the very end of the book, but it's way too brief and that's about it...." Read more

"...The action is rather constant and the characters are engaging. What I enjoyed most was the interaction between Sidious and Vader...." Read more

18 customers mention "Entertainment value"0 positive18 negative

Customers find the book boring and lacking in entertainment value. They also mention that the dynamic between Vader and the Twi'lek rebels is uninteresting and boring.

"...It gets bogged down with other characters that are uninteresting and slow the story way down. Waaaaaay false advertising. Reader beware." Read more

"...I think he was over used and actually completely unnecessary after he was used to confirm the arrival of our Lords of the Sith...." Read more

"...Only... Isval is both not very interesting and kind of unlikeable as a character...." Read more

"...dialog between Vader and the Emperor end up being the least interesting parts of the book...." Read more

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Anthony

In time, you will call him Master.

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2015

Verified Purchase

In an early chapter of the book Darth Vader jumps out of his fighter (while it is in space), uses the fighter to break into a commandeered Imperial ship, then solo boards and takes out every member of the rebel/pirate group inside the ship without taking a scratch. This is the most tame and least HAM Vader goes in the entire book.

Paul Kemp has written a masterful story from the perspective of Star Wars most iconic villain of all time. Vader is a force of nature and depicted rightfully so here. Against him and the Emperor is a group of Twi'lek rebels who are pulling out all the stops to strike the figurative head off the serpent and take both Vader and the Emperor down.

The book is masterfully paced, wonderfully executed, and does a great job of giving depth to not just Vader, but to every perspective character and numerous side/major characters in the book as well. You get the full scope of humanity across a half dozen characters, and every single one gives the impression that you are just catching them at the brief moment in their very interesting lives when all their fates are briefly intertwined.

Lords of the Sith is a compelling read and one that is hard to put down. It does true justice to the character of Darth Vader while serving as a wonderful bridge from Anakin Skywalker in Episode III to Darth Vader in Episode IV. The Emperor is handled with a master's care. The Rebels work well enough you truly want to root for them and hope they can pull of the world they are striving for.

The only down side? The placement of the book in the chronology of the universe means you know what has to happen by the end. This doesn't take away from the book, but it does kill some of the tension.

2 people found this helpful

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Xabiar

A solid novel displaying the power of the Sith

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2016

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Note that this will contain spoilers.

After Paul Kemp’s excellent Deceived I was pretty hopeful about Lords of the Sith, and for the most part, my expectations were met. I personally feel that it wasn’t as good as Deceived, but any book that I can read in one continuous sitting is one that I will always recommend, especially for Star Wars fans. For context before reading, I knew almost nothing going into this other than that it was about Vader and the Emperor. And that Cham Syndulla was included in some capacity. Details about the plot itself were unknown. I’ll be breaking this review down into several sections:

Plot:
I think that one thing Kemp excels in is the portrayal of one major event that takes place only in the course of a few days. He did it in Deceived and does it here for the majority of the book, barring some set-up in the beginning. The story starts fast and continues steadily throughout the rest of the book; there was no part where I was bored, though there were some parts I would have left out in favor of more Vader/Emperor scenes.

There are roughly three different perspectives that all converge into one massive event. The Resistance/Free Ryloth plotline, several Imperials in charge of Ryloth itself, and of course, Vader and the Emperor. Out of those, I’d easily say that the ones focusing on the Imperial characters are the weakest while anything with Vader and the Emperor is easily the best. The rebel plotline was alright, but I found it hard to really get invested since I in no way expected them to succeed. When writing a story with characters like Vader and Syndulla, as well as setting it between the movies, it’s really hard to write stakes that seem plausible for everyone outside the story. To his credit, Kemp does his best, but there were several predictions I made early in the book, namely which characters were going to die, and all but one came true. It’s predictable, but the journey is entertaining enough to forgive it for the most part.

Of course, the reason I really picked this up was to see how well Vader and the Emperor were portrayed, and in that regard, it was executed to near-perfection. Vader’s introductory sequence in amazing and one thing that is repeated throughout the book is that people are terrified of Vader, and everything in the book backs that up completely. It was awesome to witness just how powerful the two Sith are, and Vader isn’t the only one given a chance to shine. The Emperor has quite a few scenes where he demonstrates his power, and with the implication that what was displayed isn’t even his full power. So yeah, Sith stuff was easily the best part of book.

I was also wondering how Kemp would set up a plausible threat to both Vader and the Emperor, and the actual execution was pretty well done. It was plausible, though at no point did I feel that either of them were in any real danger, and I’m certain that was the intention. There are some questions I had with certain plot points though, one side-plot I was certain was going to show up either at the end or middle was dropped completely and one of the decisions a character makes at the end seemed more for shock value than an actual intelligent decision. A new character POV was also introduced roughly halfway into the book, which I wasn’t really interested in to begin with, and honestly seemed to just divert time away from more interesting stuff. It wasn’t bad per-se, but it was easily the weakest part of the book for me.

Characters:

To their credit, the two major characters in the Resistance are pretty good characters in their own way. You get a much better look into who Cham is and what he believes in, as he wages a war for the freedom of his planet. You empathize with him, especially later into the book, and at this point I would say he embodies the ideal “Freedom fighter.” The new character, Isval, was an interesting read, and you do understand where she comes from, though her motivations do essentially boil down to “kill Imperials.” She does have something of an arc, but it only shows up really close to the end, and doesn’t feel particularly earned; almost it was either to have some sort of redemption arc, or to make a final scene more impactful. I was somewhat disappointed by that; not every morally questionably character needs to turn “good” just because they’re on the “good” side.

The character of Belkor was alright. I didn’t exactly find him compelling or really sympathize too much with him. The only reason I was hoping things would turn out alright for him was because I liked his rival character less. But he wasn’t a wasted character, and did contribute a lot to the overall plot, which is an important point.

Vader and the Emperor are on point and completely in character. You get a much better look a Vader in this book, how he’s changed since donning the iconic suit. His relationship with the Emperor is done in nailed Sith style. If you’re familiar with how the Sith operate, then there’s very little new information here but it’s still neat to actually read through interactions between the two of them. The Emperor is the Emperor, most of his dialogue is exactly what you’d expect from him; enigmatic, manipulating and cliché. Honestly, that’s all I wanted and I definitely got that. I’m not sure if it was intended or not, but I always had the feeling that the Emperor knew quite a lot about what was going to happen, as he wasn’t rattled at all by anything that happened in the story.

Technical stuff: Not really much to say here. There were a few odd instances of stuff being capitalized when it shouldn’t have been or vice-versa. There was also a misspelled word (That I saw). Most people probably won’t spot them, but since I do a lot of writing and editing, stuff like that stands out more to me.

Conclusion: A solid novel, worth buying if you like Star Wars for sure. If you just want to see Vader and the Emperor wrecking some rebels, you’ll enjoy this immensely. If you want a well-written novel, you’ll also enjoy this as well. If you’re expecting any major twists or surprises, you’ll be disappointed. But the lack of surprise doesn’t negate that this was a book I enjoyed immensely.

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Admiralu

Key Turning Points for Vader & Cham Syndulla (Hera's dad)

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2018

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Wow. Just Wow. Lords of the Sith is the type of book you get from the mind of a master. Paul S Kemp writes Sith brilliantly, showing their power, cruelty and inner demons. This work encompasses the heart of Star Wars and shows why it is beloved to so many, whether you are a rebel or Imperial fan. Both sides are richly textured, you feel what motivates, stimulates and what regrets both Vader and Cham Syndulla, father of Hera Syndulla of Rebels have. This intricately crafted tale encompasses others in their web, fellow freedom fighters Isval, Goll and more for Cham- the Imperial turncoat Belkor and his boss Mof More, as well as the developing relationship between Vader and the Emperor. Treachery, greed and death abound and hard choices are made, as well as the outcome of decisions rendered make some question their involvement and commitment to the cause for both sides. Twists and turns abound that you don't see coming. For Sith fans, both Vader and the Emperor display their formidable Force skills and Cham proves to be a master chess player who doesn't realize exactly what he's dealing with. You see the same dedication in his daughter Hera on the Rebels show. I read this book using immersion reading, while listening to the wonderful Jonathan Davis narrating. As usual, he is spot on and his Vader and Emperor voices are incredible.
This book also includes a wonderful little short story called Orientation by another of my favorites, John Jackson Miller, featuring a young Rae Sloane.

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Cristian

The Lords of the sith!

Reviewed in Brazil on April 16, 2023

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Livro incrível, apesar de não saber ler tão bem inglês, consegui entender bastante a história. Além disso, esse livro tem um capítulo extra! Thanks GF Books!

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Breakfastfood CapNCrunch

Great!

Reviewed in Germany on June 20, 2020

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Great Book!!!

rodrigo diaz farias

outstanding

Reviewed in Mexico on April 13, 2018

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very good book, short chapters and a interesting story that keeps you reading for hours. every character has an important role in the history and each is intoduced properly.

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Pop Culture Bandit

Master and Apprentice against an entire Rebellion

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2018

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“Lords of the Sith” is one of the first novels published after Lucasfilm redefined its Star Wars continuity, categorising previous EU adventures as non-canon “Legends”. Taking place five years after the events of “Revenge of the Sith”, the book focuses on the uneasy relationship between Sith Master and Apprentice as the Emperor continually tests Vader’s commitment to the dark side. The story also acts as a bridge between the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars: Rebels” TV shows, focusing on the conflict in Ryloth and freedom fighter Cham Syndulla, who appears in both series. Even without the added context provided by the Disney XD shows, “Lords of the Sith” works well as a standalone novel, delving into the newly unexplored period of unrest between Episodes III & IV.

Even though the reader knows that Vader and Palpatine will survive this assassination attempt from the Free Ryloth movement to appear in the later movies, Paul S. Kemp manages to create a genuine sense of tension and excitement throughout the novel by focusing on the more ‘expendable’ supporting characters such as Isval, Moff Delian Mors and Belkor Dray; whose fates are not cast in stone. Kemp keeps the action moving throughout, introducing new complications and dangers for Cham, Isval and the Free Ryloth fighters to overcome. The sequence aboard the Star Destroyer is amazingly tense, as Vader personally hunts down our protagonists with the same unrelenting zeal witnessed in those closing moments of Rogue One.

The relationship between Vader and Palpatine is explored, primarily from Vader’s perspective, as the apprentice Sith Lord attempts to quash memories of his past on Ryloth, which can be seen in episodes from The Clone Wars TV series. Kemp does a fantastic job at capturing Palpatine’s enigmatic and Machiavellian behaviour as he manipulates events and tests Vader’s strength and loyalty. His dialogue throughout is extremely reminiscent of Ian McDiarmid’s portrayal of Palpatine, and evokes the sinister nature of the character. I also enjoyed how Kemp described the relationship between the two Sith Lords as symbiotic – kept in balance through a desire of power and dominance. While his Vader is portrayed as an unstoppable killing machine, there are some brief hints of humanity displayed during his private thoughts foreshadowing the eventual redemption arc to come.

The most striking thing about the novel is the pace and urgency of events after the Free Ryloth initiate their attack on Vader and Palpatine. The constant improvised plans and attempts to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat make for a compelling read and Kemp fills his narrative with plenty of twists and turns, most notably in the storyline of Belkor Dray and Delian Mors – two opposing forces within the Imperial Army. Tonally, the book felt similar to Rogue One - capturing the spirit of the heist movie genre and applying it to the Star Wars universe. The constant shifts in objective makes “Lords of the Sith” evocative of a Coen Brothers movie, as our heroes find themselves regularly adapting to events in order to survive. I just loved how tangled the plot became, particularly the sequences with Belkor Dray whose fate was dictated largely by the actions of others.

While the book’s cover implies a heavy focus on Vader and Palpatine, the novel actually spends the majority of its time with Cham Syndulla and his Free Ryloth movement, establishing them as the precursor to the Rebellion – plot threads that would later be picked up on in the Star Wars: Rebels series, featuring Syndulla’s daughter Hera. While I haven’t actually dipped my toe into the animated Star Wars universe yet; my introduction to these supporting characters have piqued my interest and made me reconsider my decision to bypass those shows. Kemp fills his novel with plenty of continuity references, fleshing out Ryloth and the various alien creatures that inhabit it. The Ryloth Insurgency, as described in this novel, is an important historical event in the new Star Wars continuity, and Kemp does a great job at laying the foundations for future stories set between Episodes III & IV.

On its own, “Lords of the Sith” is a tremendously fun read that showcases just how badass Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine are. Paul S. Kemp has fun unleashing the true nature of the Dark Side of the Force in one particular underground sequence during a battle with hundreds of Lyleks. Relentlessly fast-paced and with a grim inevitability to the plot, “Lords of the Sith” captures the same desperation against overwhelming odds that was seen in Rogue One, highlighting the brutal realities of the Rebellion and the high body count that precedes Luke Skywalker’s “one in a million” shot against the Death Star.

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Raghuvar Vasudev

An excellent entry in the new canon

Reviewed in India on April 17, 2017

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This is the first novel I purchased of the new canon. I wasn't expecting much when going in but I found myself immersed into the story and really liking it in the end. The story switches smoothly between that of various factions; Cham Syndulla's Free Ryloth Movement, Darth Vader and Darth Sidious, the Imperials caught up in Cham's little plot. It does a good job overall of getting into characters' heads and fleshing them out. It also did a good job of keeping me hooked and wanting more.

When I started, I actually expected the book to be rather toned down because of apprehensions I had about the whole Disney thing. But I was wrong. This book is quite dark and mature. In the end, I think this book is a good first read for any young adult or adult Star Wars fans who are just getting into to the new "Disney canon" expanded universe. It is also not a bad choice for new fans who want to go beyond the movies and animated series and really get into Star Wars.

I do have complaints about this book however. There seem to be quite a few grammar errors here and there and one plot hole regarding the Emperor's Royal Guards (which I won't get into because of spoilers). Another complaint is that the book kept me up late at night because I kept on reading and did not stop. Curse this book for messing with my sleep!

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