My brother and I recently took a 10 hour car trip and picked up the audio version of  Star Wars : Lords Of The Sith for the ride. The novel written by Paul S. Kemp takes place in the time frame between The Revenge of the Sith and A New hope.

Book Description 

The story begins approximately 8 years after the start of the Clone Wars, as Darth Vader and the Emperor expand their rule throughout the galaxy. As with all growing empires, there are resistances to be found. Lords of the Sith surrounds the Free Ryloth movement. 

Ryloth is the planet home of the Twi'lek species. The Empire seeks to take full control of the planet for their slave labor and narcotics. The planet is a crucial conquest for the Empire's growth. 

Much of the story line follows Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. Their journey starts with an attack on their Imperial Star Destroyer, the Perilous. Through a series of riveting events both Vader and Palpatine find themselves on a high paced adventure on the surface of Ryloth. 

The other storyline in the book follows the Twi'leks of the Free Ryloth movement. They plan and carry out several attacks on the empire.

What I Liked 

Lords Of The Sith reveals all sorts of information about Darth Vader and his journey to the dark side. His suit is described in vivid detail.

You also get to see his strength and power in several epic battles.

The Emperor is often acting behind the scenes, however in this novel he is front and center joining Darth Vader in battles and adventures. 

What I Didn't Like

A big chunk of the story line is dedicated to the Twi'lek freedom fighters of the Free Ryloth movement. It is necessary to understand some of their backstory, but in my opinion the book focuses too much on the Twi'lek characters. We get unnecessary details about insignificant and boring characters. 

There are several instances of blatant storyline plagiarism. An almost identical situation occurs where a lightsaber must be plunged through a series of doors, like Qui-gon does in Episode I. There is a space battle event that blatantly copies A New Hope. Lords Of The Sith had the chance to be 100% original but took the easy way out. This was disheartening. 

To Read Or Not To Read?

The book is definitely a good read for Star Wars fans. The adventures and details surrounding Vader and Palpatine are just too good to pass up. There is a battle underground on Ryloth that is especially fun to read.

Other Star Wars Book Reviews: 

•   Star Wars Maul: Lockdown.  

Gif Sources: giphy.com

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