Lords of the Sith: Star Wars (Star Wars: Jedi Academy Trilogy)

by Paul S Kemp

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.

• ISBN10: 0345549856
• ISBN13: 9780345549853
• Publish Date: 1 January 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 17 June 2015
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Random House Inc
• Format: eBook
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Lords of the Sith is part of the new Star Wars Disney Canon series, it is set between episode three and episode four (as well as before the TV series Rebels). The Emperor and Lord Vader go up against the Ryloth resistance, a group led by Cham Syndulla (you may recognize the name Syndulla – as he is Hera’s father). Added to this volatile mixture is a healthy dose of betrayal and subterfuge, resulting in infighting and chaos. Paul S. Kemp has managed to deliver us an interesting look into the minds of Vader and Cham (as well as other resistance members) simultaneously, comparing and contrasting the characters and bringing everything out into the light.



There are many things I found intriguing about this novel, such as the introspective view into Vader’s thoughts. I’m not saying I’m a huge fan of antagonists, but I do love being able to see what they’re thinking. I have always firmly believe that a series can be made or destroyed by the strength (or lack thereof) in their antagonists. Vader is no exception to this rule – many fans are drawn to his story, and there’s a reason for that. Getting to see his thought process was a nice change, especially considering we’re simultaneously seeing the events leading up to episodes four through six (knowing how things end doesn’t take away from the story).
There were many levels of deception in Lords of the Sith. The Emperor and Vader were quietly aboard a Star Destroyer to test the loyalty of certain members of their staff; including Moff Mors and Belkor. Unsurprisingly Cham hears news of this, and tests Belkor’s information/knowledge of the events. From there a plan is formed; the rebellion will take out the Star Fighter, using the information Belkor provides to them. With any luck this will kill the Emperor and Vader as well (a fact that Belkor is unaware of). Meanwhile Belkor is hoping to use the Resistance to either take out or remove Moff Mor so he may take her place. So needless to say, motives and priorities get very muddy very quickly.
I absolutely loved the resistance’s method of attacking the Star Destroyer – it was clever and resourceful. Especially when you consider the limited assets they had access to. I would have loved to see more of it, but all battles must end, I suppose. I’ll admit there were times when I cringed at the decisions being made by the resistance (who in their right mind would go after Vader on foot, with only a small number of people? Armed with only guns? No thank you!).
Throughout the novel it becomes clear that the Emperor is once again testing Vader. Why you ask? It would appear he is concerned that reminders of Vader’s past will make him weak, and he’d rather weed that out sooner than later. This holds true to Sith mentality, but it was interesting nonetheless to have it shown in such a subtle and gradual manner.
I loved the juxtaposition between Vader and Cham. Cham, being part of the resistance (IE, early Rebellion) has to be careful with his choices. Any decision that results in loss of life could very well backfire on them, destroying the image and goals of the resistance (who would want to join an organization that fights bad guys by doing the same thing the bad guys do?). Therefore Cham’s moral compass is very firmly set – any loss is a tragedy to him, even if it is decided that the loss is worth it. In comparison to Cham is Isval, a former Twilek slave who escaped and became a freedom fighter. She is unafraid to get her hands dirty, and is more than willing to kill any member of the Empire, regardless of their crimes. Cham helps to make Isval more compassionate, but only to the extent of dulling her anger/hatred slightly. Throughout the battles Isval’s opinions differ greatly from Cham’s, sometimes to the point of even surprising herself. It’s shocking how much more accepting she is to the loss of life than Cham. This shows the line any rebellion would be teetering over – it’s so easy and tempting just to cross that line and join the monsters in order to take down the perceived bigger monster. The rebellion has and always will be a fragile thing, completely dependent on the humanity of those that take up the cause, and Lords of the Sith proves that point eloquently.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[inlibrisveritas]

First off…that book summary entirely too long…but they are forgiven because Lords of the Sith turned out to be an extremely addition to the new Star Wars canon.

This takes place after Revenge of the Sith (Episode 3) and centers around Darth Vader and Cham Syndulla. We know Vader…no need for that introduction. However Cham might be unfamiliar to those not familiar with the Clone Wars animated show. Cham is a Twi’lek who has lead a resistance against those who oppress his home planet of Ryloth. He’s fought against the Separatists and now the Empire. He’s a man of honor and hope, and I quite like him. He’s intelligent, determined, and level headed in spite of the constant twists and turns the rebellion takes. He’s also the father to Hera Syndulla, the main character of A New Dawn and featured heavily in the show Rebels. It’s kind of cool to learn more about the man who raised her, and what sort of life she had as a child that made her go on to follow in his footsteps.

The actual plot however focuses on Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine’s unexpected visit to Ryloth, and Cham’s plan to put an end to both of them. Of course it’s never that simple when it comes to the two Sith Lords, especially the Emperor because most people just assume he’s just some old guy in a robe. There is plenty of action, and ton of depth when it comes to the main characters and their relationships. One thing I liked was the continuity between the movies, books, and tv shows…which is something that we regrettably didn’t get with the early Darth Vader focused novels in the old EU simply because that material hadn’t been released yet. Now we get to see and understand the dynamic between master and apprentice and see how Vader’s past as Anakin plays a part in that. All I can see is that Vader is a complete badass, but the Emperor is a fucking asshole…excuse my french. He is one of those ‘let you make mistakes so I can laugh in your face when you have to fix them’ kind of guy, and everything he does is a test. But it was nice to see the constant searching and probing for weakness on the part of both Vader and Palpatine, because even with undying loyalty to their partnership the moment one shows too much of a weakness it’s over and one ends up dead so it really adds to the already tense atmosphere.

Overall Lords of the Sith was a fantastic read full of action, tension, and yell worthy moments. I found myself rooting for both sides, which was a bit confusing but really made the novel even better. I’m loving these new stories and I really hope they continue in this quality.