Lords of the Sith Book Review

May the Fourth be with you! Growing up, Star Wars intrigued me. I’ve seen a handful of the films in the franchise, and I knew people, including my husband, who were aware of its lore. There’s even a great YouTube channel called The Art of Storytelling that often dives deep into that aspect in shows like Star Wars. In addition, I was aware of the books in the “Star Wars Disney Canon” series, which expanded its universe, so I wanted to look at one to see what it’s all about. I asked some people on social media which titles to read, and one of them recommended Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Kemp. It’s a good book that further explores the relationship between Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine with plenty of great action scenes and memorable characters.

Lords of the Sith is about Vader and Palpatine fighting off a Twi’lek revolution between Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. Anakin Skywalker, Jedi knight, is no more. In his place is Darth Vader, a newly appointed Sith Lord. The Emperor’s chosen apprentice has proved his loyalty to the dark side. However, the Sith Order’s history is riddled with duplicity, betrayal, and usurping Masters, and the truest measure of Vader’s allegiance has yet to be taken. Until now, the planet of Ryloth served as a source of slave labor and a narcotic known as “spice” for the Empire, but an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. However, Emperor Palpatine will not be intimidated nor denied his resources. Accompanied by Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure that his will is done. For Syndulla and Isval, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime to strike at the heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping through the galaxy. For the Emperor and Darth Vader, it’s more than putting down an insurrection on Ryloth. When an ambush sends them crashing onto that planet, where inhospitable terrain and an army of freedom fighters awaits, they will find their relationship tested as never before. With their lightsabers, the Dark Force, and each other, the two Sith must decide if the bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries.

I enjoyed how cinematic the novel was. At first, it moved slowly because of the exposition. But, once the Ryloth freedom fighters got on the spaceship that contained Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, I was hooked. I could even hear John Williams’s score as I read the action scenes. I was even invested in when Vader and Palpatine fought the lyleks when they were on Ryloth proper.

At first, I wasn’t sure how much I would be able to root for Syndulla, Isval, and the other freedom fighters. Not because they weren’t likeable, but since I never heard of these characters before (yes, I’m aware that Syndulla was in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, yet I’ve only seen bits and pieces). I didn’t want it to be a Rogue One situation, where the main cast only appears in that film, and they die at the end. It doesn’t help that the most memorable part of that movie comes in the last 5-10 minutes with cameos from Darth Vader and Princess Leia. 

Luckily, this was not the case. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I was still invested in the cause because of its engaging characters. Cham is an idealistic person who wants freedom for his people, but he often wonders what will happen after they capture and kill Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. He butts heads with Isval, a female Twi’lek who wants to catch and murder them immediately, while he is more methodical. Isval is my favorite character in the novel, for she’s strong and confident who refuses to rest on her laurels. She even frees an enslaved Twi’lek from an Empire officer. 

The strongest part of this book is the relationship between Vader and Palpatine. They are a student and mentor, and it’s similar to the kind that Vader had with Obi-Wan before turning to the dark side. In fact, a good chunk of the novel spends time on Vader reflecting on past events. Palpatine reminds him that remembering what occurred before makes him weak, so Vader finds ways to channel that into the Force. The best scene was when Vader has some sort of panic attack while flashing back to the scenes from the prequels after escaping the soon to be decimated spaceship. It’s moments like this that make me understand why Darth Vader is such a compelling character to begin with.

Lords of the Sith is a good Star Wars book. It expands on the universe and its characters in meaningful ways. It also helped that it had some great action scenes. Even though I had a sense of how it was going to end, I was engaged throughout with its cast. I would recommend it to both Star Wars fans and readers who are curious about the lore outside of the films. May the Fourth be with you all!

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