Lords of the Sith
Ratings44
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings44
Average rating3.5
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
Reviews with the most likes.
A disappointment that continues a long tradition of Star Wars villains being under-represented in their own books. The writing is fine, but unlike the recent Tarkin or the excellent Darth Plagueis, the titular characters just have nothing interesting to do or say for most of the story. So much time is spent developing their antagonists that we learn nothing about the Sith besides the fact that Vader is prone to mopey Anakin moments and Palpatine enjoys mind-games with his staff.
In fact, the most interesting part of the whole novel is learning that an Imperial Moff had a same-sex marriage. That's really it. You get a glimpse at how the organization of the Rebellion started in Rhyloth, but that would make “Twi'lek Insurgency” a more fitting title than Lords of the Sith.
This book was good, but not as good as other Star Wars books I've read lately. Like the others on Audible, the sound effects, music and voices were fantastic, they really add to the story. This book was only incidentally about the Lords of the Sith, most of the story was about Cham Syndulla and the Free Ryloth movement. There were a few glimpses into Darth Vader's relationship with the Emperor which were, honestly, more insightful into the nature of Darth Vader than the prequels, but were just a tiny part of this book.
This is set about 10 years after Return of the Sith and it's really fascinating because you get to see the relationship between Darth Vader and the Emperor. Because the Emperor is constantly expecting Darth to kill him and Vader is basically “yeah I will, but not right now”. Apparently that sort of thing is expected among the Sith. Also you get to see a little bit of Vader being all sad about Padme which is interesting.
I really liked this one! This was my first new canon book set closer to the prequel trilogy than the original trilogy, and I loved that the Empire and its characters were at the center of it. It's set around 8 years after Revenge of the Sith, so both Darth Vader and the Emperor aren't all that known in all parts of the galaxy, so these people think they can take on Vader (and the Emperor) and have no idea they're doomed.
I also liked the other things that were going on. Mors and Belkor were both great characters, and at times I had no idea whom of them I wanted more to survive (though I definitely made up my mind by the end). The Twi'lek stuff was interesting as well, though I didn't particularly care about their characters. But their point of view was interesting.
I have yet to see the Star Wars: Rebels series, but knowing Cham's daughter is in it (and he might show up at one point), made me want to start it even more.
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9 primary books13 released booksStar Wars Disney Canon Novel is a 142-book series with 9 primary works first released in 1976 with contributions by John Jackson Miller, Chuck Wendig, and 59 others. The next book is scheduled for release on 5/6/2025.
