Lords of the Sith: Star Wars

This give us the first look at the "new canon" relationship between Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. Set about halfway between Saga Episodes III and IV the Empire is in a pacification phase. In trying to quell a spark that may lead to wider rebellion Palpatine and Vader spring a trap left for them by a former Republic ally from the Clone Wars. Their ensuing fight for survival is colored by the inherent friction and doubt between Sith Master and Apprentice. This book is another piece in the bridge between the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Rebel Alliance and as a result cannot offer much in the way of major plot development. There are, however, some tie ins from the Clone Wars TV series as well the Rebels TV show.

I want to play Darth Vader in the movie from this book. This is the Darth Vader we expect and want to see- except the ending.

If you like Darth Vader, this is the best book so far. But it right this minute! You will thank me.

I read almost all the non graphic star wars books, so you know I am a big fan. I enjoyed the interactions of master and apprentice but the story did not evoke any strong reactions in me.
Overall I am glad to have bought and read this book but would only recommend to switch fans

It's a very good story that will give you great insight on the Palpatine-Vader relationship. My only dislike is that there is very little of them compared to all the Twileeks storyline. That was very disappointing for myself... the rest, it has great action and set pieces... very recommendable. The best canon book so far!

I enjoyed Vader's trials through fire with the Emperor beside him. Just like any other Star Wars books I love how events switch between one characters point of view to the next. Cham was also a good hero.

Well...Its not bad a lot of dialog between Vader and Sidious but, its really hard to believe that the Emperor would allow himself to be put in these situations. Then you have Vader and the emperor whooping butt like Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan really quite odd...

I have read almost all of the EU novels and this one is on par with many of the better books. This was a good addition to the new cannon. Slow at first then the action picks up. Ties into Rebels in some very minor ways and some of the other new cannon books.On par with Darth Plageuis in my opinion.

I love how Star Wars isn't as repetitive as people want it to be... love how they stayed on Ryloth.... and how you get a sense of Vaders training during situations and ofcourse his past... it isn't as great as Dark Disciple but a great addition to the saga... recommend the Audio book as well

Well written, insightful regarding the master-disciple relationship for the Sith. The book explored the sheer underestimation of the Emperor and Vader by different characters which was informative but mostly delightful when the Sith proved their worth. Most importantly, the author gives us a view into Anakin's struggle in his betrayal to Padme and the Jedi as he takes on the mantle of Vader...but this is more teasing - I would've really appreciated a little more insight into his transition. Overall, a fun read and an excellent addition to the expanded universe canon.

Lords of the Sith is book that sees Vader and The Emperor journey to Ryloth to lure out a traitor. Their Star Destroyer falls into a trap and they end up in a fight against rebels, traitorous imperials and native creatures on Ryloth.

The book is a steady-paced book that gives a small amount of Vader/Emperor and a lot with the supporting characters. The betrayals, the imperials trying to one-up each other and the rebels trying to cover every angle to take down the two Sith make the book a very solid read.

The positives:

1) Great supporting characters, specifically Moff Mors, Cham and Isval. They are unique personalities and have depth not usually found in Star Wars novels for characters that reside outside of the movies.

2) Small snippets of awesomeness between Vader and Palpatine. Palpatine calls out Vader for thinking about his past. Needles him about killing children, about fixing things as a child and being born without father. Vader reflects on his past life several times: Padme, Kenobi, Windu, Ahsoka, Rex(!) and plenty of others. This kind of insight is seldom seen in any medium from Vader or Palpatine.

3) Action. The book spends several chapters on the attack and take-down of the Star Destroyer, but then a dog fight ensues with a race to the planet where survival hangs in the balance. The action has a few cool surprises that keep you on the edge of your seat.

4) Logical. The premise sounds so far fetched that the Emperor would leave Coruscant to help to flush out a traitor. However, Kemp finds a way to make these odd ideas come across as plausible. Some of the stuff in here if I had been verbally told about I would have scoffed at, but in the novel they come across as explainable and logical.

5) Canon. This book brings back previous established canon, such as how light speed works. Tarkin tried to re-invent it and this book backs away and goes back to the way it had been. There are plenty of other items in here that are now part of canon that Tarkin and A New Dawn tried to avoid, redo or ignore. The seasoned fan will pick up on this.

The negatives:

1) Same old technology - buzz droids, vulture droids, etc. I'd like to have seen some imagination.

2) Too many planet creatures. The novel would have been a better read if Vader and the Emperor were only fighting the rebels and imperials. By adding the creatures the book felt like it was adding extra danger just for the sake of it. There was enough danger without it.

I put this book on par with Darth Maul Lockdown and Riptide. Something slightly less than Death Star or I, Jedi, but a full notch below Kenobi, Plaguies or Outbound Flight when it comes to novels that are free from books series of three or more. This book is definitely better than Tarkin or A New Dawn.

I enjoyed this read and I hope the novels upcoming follow this kind of storytelling and success.

The tale does a good job giving fans further insights into the relationship between Darth Vader and his Master. Without spoiling much beyond saying that, it also gets fans ready for further content that dates after this tale.

This novel is not about hope, it's about introducing new characters that will live on in new canon material. Be prepared to be hurt by the Lords of the Sith.

I got this book hoping for a deep inside to Darth Vader's feelings during his earlier years, and maybe some Sith training/history with his master, but instead it's just a boring look at Cham Syndulla and the freedom fighters of Ryloth. I mean, any parts where the Sith Lords actually show up are great, there's just not all that much of them in a book where they're on the cover. I love Star Wars, but I was very disappointed in Lords of the Sith.

Riveting read on the inner workings of the relationship between Vader and Sidious.
Also shows how Vader continues to sink farther in to the dark side, leaving almost no trace of the "hero with no fear"he one was.
A must read for anyone who wants to see Vader and Sidious in action.

A solid book that portrays Vader as the galactic boogeyman he was meant to be. I still maintain, however, Vader would be more threatening if there was little to nothing known about his past. This was one the the OT's many strengths, making "the Force" and the man behind the mask a mystery. Any mention of younglings, Padme', midiochlorians, Padawans, ...... essentially anything prequel takes away from the movie magic I experienced growing up in the 80s (a time when most kids thought Vader and the stormtroopers were robots!). Kemp discusses at great length Vader's inner conflict but does so, thank goodness, with minimal prequel references. The rebel assault on the star destroyer was vintage (even with Buzz and Vulture droids). Wasn't a fan of the homosexual Moff and the cartoon-like battle between the emperor, Vader, and the legion of rancor sized insects. All in all though this was a solid read I devoured in one sitting. Bravo Mr. Kemp! -Write on.

This provided nothing towards learning more about the Sith. His over use of the word "score" bothered me but it seemed like a recurring theme that a thesaurus would have been helpful. Vader and the Emperor are not invincible and it seemed as nothing could harm them throughout the book.

This book was good, a little bit rushed, but you were able to quickly pick which characters you wanted to do well and which you wanted to perish.
Could have been longer, and wouldn't be a good read unless you have some background history on the series already.
Best to wait until the price comes down a bit due to the shortness of the book.

The book was stunning! I never expected to love this book so much! With great imagery, new insight into characters both old and new, and a new understanding of Darth Vader and the Twi'leks, Kemp perfectly captured the nature of Star Wars!

One of the better Star Wars novels I've read. The writing is at times eloquent and artful, and the characterizations are memorable and precise. The most obvious flaw in this book is the rushed conclusion, which abandons the subtlety and ambiguity of meaning that defined the rest of the book.

While a good addition to Star Wars lore, the book starts slow, and through most of the book the title felt misleading. The tale seems to follow every character more than the pair of Sith Lords. That said it is well constructed, emotional, and dramatic.

This was a good read, not great. I'm sure if you're one of those angry internet nerds that hates the prequels and only watch the original cuts of 4,5 and 6, then this book might be up your alley. I read it whilst pooping, so you can take my opinion for what it's worth.

This was a very good prequel book. I enjoyed the way it portrayed Vader and the Emperor. The books that are now in the "legends" series to me seemed to treat Vader as a robot and feared through opinion. This book really explains how he got his reputation and why is is so feared throughout the Galaxy.

Lots of action and explosions. I wanted more Vader inner dialog, way more. If half of this book had been Vader talking to himself i wold have enjoyed it a lot more. Ending is a given. The most interesting storyline is not the "Lord's of the Sith" but rather the resistant fighters.

Lots of action. Decent read action was very descriptive but I felt the general story was a bit lacking. The whole thing was very straightforward no really any plot twists best part arises with the star destroyer battle and never reached that peak again for the rest of the book.

This was a good read, not great. I'm sure if you're one of those angry internet nerds that hates the prequels and only watch the original cuts of 4,5 and 6, then this book might be up your alley. I read it whilst pooping, so you can take my opinion for what it's worth.

This was a very good prequel book. I enjoyed the way it portrayed Vader and the Emperor. The books that are now in the "legends" series to me seemed to treat Vader as a robot and feared through opinion. This book really explains how he got his reputation and why is is so feared throughout the Galaxy.

Lots of action and explosions. I wanted more Vader inner dialog, way more. If half of this book had been Vader talking to himself i wold have enjoyed it a lot more. Ending is a given. The most interesting storyline is not the "Lord's of the Sith" but rather the resistant fighters.

Lots of action. Decent read action was very descriptive but I felt the general story was a bit lacking. The whole thing was very straightforward no really any plot twists best part arises with the star destroyer battle and never reached that peak again for the rest of the book.

Ever want to picture the Emperor, and Vader fighting together! This book does it! "Lord of the Sith" Back to back action, as Red Light Saber ignite. Their combined disturbing distruction of innocence is the fuel that feed a Rebellion. As many read may have questioned Disney's ability to depict a raw story line, as both "Del Rey" and " Bantom " have this book delivered red saber slash to convince this reader Disney can be gritty. Mr. Kemp you kept this reader on edge literally!

I was looking more for a novel that would be 85 percent focused on the Vader/Sidious relationship. But I would still say I enjoyed it. Only real criticism would be that the action scenes were very chaotic, and probably could've been written more smoothly.

I have read every new book in the new canon and I am most disappointed in this book. The Jedi and Sith are powerful enough as they are portrayed on film, or in The Clone Wars. But this is over the top. The level of power Vader and Palpatine have in this book is more like that of Superman. Whether it was using force ligntning to shoot down fighters, or carving up wave after wave of beasts. It became beyond ridiculous.

I am not saying Star Wars novels are great literature, but I have read dozens of them over the years, and the best always present something new. In this one there is no suspense. You know everyone who crosses Vader is going to die from the moment you meet them. And that lack of suspense drags down the story.

I am an avid Star Wars reader and I really enjoyed Kemp's work with his Deceived novel, however, I do have to give this book 4 stars instead of 5. The only reason for this is that it does not focus on Vader and the Emperor as much as the advertising made it out to and in turn I was disappointed by that. Don't let this deter you from reading it, though. It's an amazing book and I really enjoyed it. The only problem being the one I mentioned before. Definitely a book to put at the top of a reading list.

If you are hoping for an insight into vader and the emporer look elsewhere. If you are hoping for a read at about fan-fiction level look here.

Repetitive phrases, characters with no depth, and sith lords without menace. Meh...

Lord of the Sith is another of the "new canon" books coming in the wake of the Expanded Universe (EU) purge Disney instituted after their buy-out of George Lucas. The book reads akin to a novelization of a Clone Wars (TV series) story arch. Picking-up four years after the events of the book "Tarkin," the story continues to build on the character development we have seen in Tarkin and in ongoing comic books series from Marvel (both of all of which are considered to be connected and part of the same larger story.) Vader's internal struggles with his past and the Emperors efforts to manipulate him into becoming the tool he wants are the main purpose of the book. The story of an uprising on Ryloth is almost secondary as it amounts to simply one of a presumed wide number of efforts the Emperor undertakes in tightening control over the Empire.

The writing is entirely fine, however the book suffers from an unsatisfying and incomplete ending as characters and plots are ended in matter of sentences or in one case seemingly dropped without any conclusion. It leaves the reader with a sense that the story and key plot points are being dictated by Disney from a larger outline rather than being developed and explored by the author. Indeed, while entertaining the book never deeply engages the reader and seems almost as though it is filler intended to close-off EU stories and leverage anticipation of the forthcoming Star Wars movies than making a memberable addition to the Lore of Star Wars.

If you are a Star Wars fan of the likes who enjoy most of the existing books, this is worth your time but not the best you will read. If you are a casual star wars fan, skip it, there isn't anything deep or essential to read.

I enjoyed reading Lords of the sith but was annoyed by a lack of focus on Vader and the Emperor. I was hoping for much more development of them as characters and more development in regards to their relationship. Paul S. Kemp's descriptions can get tiresome with their repetitiveness to the point where he turns descriptions into clichès. His descriptions of Vader were shallow and dwelled on him being fueled by anger, angry or drawing on his pool of anger. We get it, Vader is angry but there is more to him than that. Nevertheless this appears to be a brick in the new Star Wars canon and I would recommend it to fans of Star Wars.

I waited months and months for this book. I love novels with Vader in them. I couldn't wait to see how Vader and the Emperor interacted out of sight of prying eyes and interacted as Master and Apprentice.
The sections of the book that featured the protagonists were boring and I skimmed past them. But the sections that featured just Vader, Sidious, and the Royal Guards were the really good parts. If you are interested in these two Sith. Then this book is for you.
It's a departure from the early Sith Lords such as Darth Bane, these two are the culmination of his vision.

Decent prose. Quickly paced story with interesting dynamics between the major characters. Excellent characterization of Palpatine. Worth the read but easily inferior to the best Star Wars writing. IE: Traitor, Shadows of Mindor, Star by Star, Labyrinth of Evil, Darth Plaegueis

The story plot is not interesting. The dialogue between the emperor and Vader is horrible. I wanted to like this book but just to many negatives to get behind. It's like the author didn't research the well established attitude and personas of any of the key characters. Book is over priced. Should be 2.99

I almost gave this a 2 star, but I just can't bring myself to do it. This didn't meet any of my expectations.

Why'd I buy this? To get some insight into the mind of Vader. Darth Vader and the Emperor make up maybe 20% of this book, but they are effectively the title characters. Of the 20% where they are featured I'd say a quarter of that is something other than an action scene. There is barely enough character development in this to fill a short story, let alone a novel.

Aside from that, the story itself was a chore to get through. The main plot points felt forced or maybe more like a sub-par video game story-line. The dialogue was rough. I"m fairly certain that something like 70% of all dialogue was one to two sentences at at time.

I was hoping for something to get me excited about the new Star Wars movie. This wasn't it.

I’ll preface this by saying I’m a HUGE fan of Star Wars, I own every single star wars novel ever written either as a physical book or kindle edition. Some of them have been amazing books, and others have been poorly written, but at the end of the day I’ve loved them all.

I personally cringed at some of the outlandish stuff they had characters do in here. In the movies, Vader was always an intimidating character but part of what made him so threatening was that he was slow and deliberate. He didn’t run around like a Jedi/ninja, he was an unstopable menace. Yet in this book they MULTIPLE times have him doing insane runs and hundred foot jumps and leaps that even yoda would laugh at. Then in a few fight scenes vs giant bugs, Vader and Palpatine are doing epic force wave attacks and smashing through things like they’re playing “the force unleashed” video game, it was completely ridiculous and completely out of character.

There is a LOT of action in this book and it does a great job at it. But overall it’s just not compelling. It’s like Disney sat down Paul Kemp and said “make a story about vader and the emperor, have a star destroyer blow up, and throw in some intrigue, but don't write anything too original because we don't want to have to stick by it later now that this is all canon” and then Paul just had to fill in some random stuff in between. It’s a very A-Z linear plot and it feels like it should have been part of a bigger story, like they took one chapter of a book and streeeeeetched it out to fill 300 pages. The best novels (in the star wars universe or otherwise) stand out from the rest by having multiple good stories threaded together to make one compelling novel. This is not in the top half by any means.

The “Tarkin” novel has a similar fault, it’s like they took three chapters of a books plot and stretched it out to an entire book and filled it in with random filler. I am praying this is just a fluke and not a sign of things to come, I’d rate this as one of the worst Star Wars books I’ve ever read, it was bad enough that I actually took time to write up a review here. Rent this one from the library folks, or wait a few months and get it for cheaper. Is one star a bit harsh? Perhaps. Had I paid 6 dollars for it I'd shrug it off and let it be but for 20 bucks, this was a huge disappointment.

Paul S. Kemp has shown that he has a talent for writing Sith in his previous Star Wars novels, and Lords of the Sith is no different. Here he gets to write the two greatest Sith of all: Darth Vader and the Emperor. For Vader, he serves his role as the Emperor’s weapon. He is a thing of fear and legend. His prowess on the battlefield stirs people to disbelief. In short, he is the villain we grew up with, the masked man in black with the crimson blade. Yet the Emperor, as always, has other plans. For him, Vader is not yet ready, and there is another test he must pass on his journey as a Sith.

“Are you testing me, Master?”

“Testing you? Is that how you perceive things?”

“Am I wrong?”

His Master smiled and reached up to put a hand–a hand that could emit Force lightning–on Vader’s shoulder, the gesture both a sign of affection and assertion of power.

“We are, all of us, always being tested, my friend. Tests make us stronger, and strength is power, and power is the point. We must pass all the tests we face.” A long pause, then, “Or die in the effort.”

The relationship between Vader and the Emperor is spot on in this novel. Kemp does a superb job of capturing both characters, nailing their dialog, and dipping into both of their heads. In Lords of the Sith, we see the Emperor testing Vader, and in turn, we see Vader being challenged by those tests. Furthermore, we see some of the ghosts of Vader’s past still lingering in his head. One of the key plot points in this story is Vader dealing with the vestiges of his past and proving that they no longer hold any sway over him. In highlighting that story, Kemp gives us some great dialog and tense action scenes as the Emperor pushes Vader into extreme situations. Each lesson leads to some delicious moments for fans.

Beyond Vader and the Emperor, the story follows Cham Syndulla and Isval, two Twi’lek freedom fighters. Cham is a character of significance because he appeared in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series and is also the father of Hera Syndulla, one of the main characters in the Star Wars Rebels television series. Isval, on the other hand, is a brand new character. Initially she is one of Cham’s lieutenants in his Free Ryloth movement. However, as the story progresses, readers will get to learn more about her, including her rather emotionally charged backstory. Together, they provide a contrast for the villains of the story and give readers someone to root for. Kemp does a great job of developing the characters and making them empathetic. You can’t help but like Cham who is the ideal good guy leading his people and making the right choices. But Isval is a more gray character, and in a way, far more interesting. She walks a fine line between being good and bad. Without Cham to guide her, she could be as evil as Vader, but with him, she has a chance at being something better.

So, what does this Vader/Emperor team up book provide readers? In short: an awesome story. As expected, we get to see Vader and the Emperor teaming up in battle and showing off their lightsaber skills and Force powers. We get to see Cham Syndulla’s character expounded upon and some glimpses of what traits he might have passed on to Hera. There are space battles, dogfights, ground battles, the Emperor’s Royal Guards in combat, Imperial traitors who go nuts, and a whole lot of Twi’leks. There’s heaps of action, lots of character development, and some fun dialog. It’s a bridge between the Clone Wars era and the Dark Times, a prelude to Star Wars Rebels, and a test of mettle for those who dare challenge the Empire.

In the end, I give Lords of the Sith a five out of five. I had a lot of fun with all the Vader and Emperor scenes and I really enjoyed the way Kemp captured their relationship. I was also surprised at just how interesting Cham and Isval turned out to be. On top of all that, there were a lot of memorable moments in the book. Vader not only brings up Padmé in the story, but Ahsoka as well. While they’re both fleeting moments, those names remind readers of just who is beneath the mask and it gives credence to the Emperor’s purging of Vader’s past. Some ghosts are hard to kill.

"The carcasses piled up around them, a mountain of the dead, and still they came on. Soon both of them were covered in gore, lost in the Force, in their unbridled ability to kill." -Lords of the Sith

I bought this thinking it would be along the lines of the Darth Plagious book with lots of in-depth looks at the characters and was really looking for a better look at 5ye relationship between Vader and Sidious. I was severely disappointed. Instead it spends most of the tIme with the Twilek freedom fighters which, quite frankly, had me bored by the third chapter. Not worth the money.

I don't blame Mr. Kemp for the story because since Disney has had the helm the books have gone drastically down hill when compared to the now "Legends" books. The writing is easy to read and follow, BUT the plot does only one thing successfully, blow up a Star Destroyer.

If this book were not Star Wars I would never have finished. The only new things in this book were some of the side characters and showing just how idiotic Vader is. I lost track of the number of times Vader said he had no idea how Sideous did "blank" or knew "blank". If the goal of every apprentice is to surpass and kill the master, then why wasn't he trying to figure it out?

For the fans that know the old extended universe, this book is a waste.

I debated about giving the book 2 stars, but I realized the second star would only be because of the franchise and it might give someone the idea that I might be recommending this book.

Disney I realize you basically have a license to print money. So, please invest some of that into some genuinely good adult books.

Absolutely terrible book. At the one-third mark of the book, I decided to finish reading it out of pure spite. Quite frankly, the story line is weak and is just an "adventure" of the Emperor and Darth Vader. Nothing more, nothing less. The basic synopsis of the book is that there is a planet is that Empire controls and there is a small faction of rebels that wants to attack the Empire. There are no new dynamic characters and several parts of the story are absolutely meaningless to the outcome of the story. As an example, the author attempted to connect Vader to young Anakin by detailing how Vader fixed a piece of technology, but it felt forced and unrealistic for the character. In addition, I could not help but think of the movie "Aliens" when the Emperor and Vader had a battle with the queen insect-like creature. That creature and it's spawn were almost identical in concept to the monsters in Aliens and left me wondering if creativity is officially dead. I will not recommend this book to anyone and am now hesitant to trust any new Star Wars books based on the initial reviews that this book received. The best part about the book is that I did not have to throw it away since I bought it on my Kindle and simply deleted it.

this is a very poorly written book at times it seems as if it was thrown together at the last minute. The one thing you think you will be reading about, The Lords of the Sith, are almost non existent. I would not recommend this book to any of my Star Wars loving friends.

Title/description is incredibly misleading. The author spends a great deal more time developing B characters that mean nothing in the grand scale of the Star Wars universe. Very disappointed. This book was garbage. Blatant miss direction by the author and publisher to push sales.

This was quite a good novel. Not the novel I thought I was going to be reading, but very engaging nonetheless.

Lords of the Sith was billed a Vader/Emperor team up novel, but the star of the story was actually Cham Syndulla. Syndulla was in several episodes of The Clone Wars as a Twi'lek freedom fighter. He has also been revealed as Rebels character Hera Syndulla's father. This novel is Cham's attempt at taking down Vader and the Emperor in one fell swoop. Mixed with that tale is a few chapters of introspective and awesome Vader/Emperor team-up. As good as the Cham portions of Lords of the Sith was, I much would have rather read a full book focusing more on Vader and Emperor's relationship and adventure.

The first half of the book was almost solely about Twi'lek freedom fighters launching an attack on a Star Destoryer and their attempt to kill the Emporer and Darth Vader. Really my favorite part of the book was the very beginning, in which we got to look deep into Vader thoughts and see the man left over after the "death" of Anakin Skywalker. I also enjoyed the additions to the first chapter that were apparently made since it was released as a teaser for the book. Several mentions were made of Cham being Hera's father, a fact which was only very recently revealed. Cham's sidekick/ love interest Isval is a great real-world extrapolation of the cliche Twi'lek slave girl. She is traumatized by her former life of sexual slavery and out for revenge on the Empire.

There were some really interesting tidbits in the second half of the book, which focused on Vader and Palpatine surviving the Twi'lek attack and playing a subtle game of one-ups-man ship along the way. Along with that amazing plot are tidbits of Vader remembering Ahsoka, Rex, Cody, Echo, and a clone named "Sixes." I'm not sure if this was an error and was supposed to be a mention of Fives, or if Fives was for some reason not mentioned on purpose.

Another question I was left with was when this book takes place. It claims to occur eight years after the Clone Wars, which would be in the same year as Star Wars: A New Dawn. But the recently released Star Wars novel timeline places it before Star Wars: Tarkin, which is set five years after the Clone Wars. Hopefully this will be clarified at some point.

In the end this tale serves as another portion of the birth of the Rebellion storyline that we've seen several different aspects of in the past, and presently in Star Wars Rebels. After the events of the end of the book, I was left wondering how Cham will eventually feel about his daughter joining the Rebellion. Does he support her life fighting the Empire, or has she kept her small role in the Alliance secret from him?

Though it didn't really end up being the story it was teased as, I give Lords of the Sith a 8 out of 10.

This item was NOT as described. The book fell out of its binding the second I lifted it from the box and there were scuffs and dings on the cover. What upsets me most is that this was part of a Christmas present and now I can't even replace it in a timely enough manner.

At the front of this book one we get the first look at The Story of Star Wars, a visual timeline of the movies and where the books fit in to canon. This book takes place after Revenge of the Sith, before James Luceno’s, Tarkin novel. Lords of the Sith is written by New York Times bestselling author, Paul S. Kemp.

Boy oh boy this book starts of with a bang, from page one I was sucked in with left hanging on to the edge of my seat. Kemp does an outstanding job voicing our lords of the sith, Vader and the Emperor. Kemp provides great character development and gets us in the mindset of the Free Ryloth movement led by the Twi’lek, Cham Syndulla.

One of my favorite scenes from Revenge of the Sith is that conversation between Anakin and Palpatine at the opera. It was dark, mysterious, and tense. Kemp delivers that same intensity in the dialogue between Vader and the Emperor in this book.

This book displays the true birth of the rebellion and their first blow against the Empire. Each character is written and handled with respect. All these characters were believable, well developed and original.
I have to say, this book contains the best 5 pages I’ve read in any form of Star Wars literature, be it Legends and new canon. Buy this book. If you’re not interested, go to the book store grab this book and turn to page 193 in the hardback edition.

The last chapter is intense! We see Vader in a way we’ve never seen him.
I give this book 5 out of 5

I’ve been reading Star Wars novels since Heir to the Empire came out when I was in High School. Admittedly some of them have been of dubious quality. When I’d heard that Disney had spent a billion dollars to purchase Star Wars, and were re-booting the EU I was cautiously optimistic. I hoped that since they had made such a huge investment, they would want to protect it, and improve the writing talent for the novels. Alas, they’ve gone another way. Apparently Disney thinks they can get away with hiring 4th rate writers, and the books will still sell, as long as they slap Star Wars on the cover. After slogging through this book, I’m unlikely to pick up another Star Wars book for awhile.

This book is amazing. It should be adapted by Marvel into a comic book series. It has action from the beginning till the end, and for those of you that thought that the Leia flying in space scene in The Last Jedi was weird then you should read this novel because at the beginning of the book. Vader forces his Tie Fighter to crash on a section of the enemy's ship causing a hole. While that is happening, Vader ejects from his fighter in space, uses the force to hold himself in place and then flies to the opening that his fighter caused. Vader focuses on that section of the ship with the force and flies there. Truly amazing, along with seeing the Emperor in action.

Lords of the Sith wasn't a terrible book, as there were some aspects that I liked. One imperial character's decent into desperation and madness was amusing to watch. Cham Syndulla was given considerably better characterization than either of the cartoons could muster. There was some interesting action. A sequence featuring an attack on a Star Destroyer was pretty cool.

A better title would have been "Rebels of Ryloth", because the majority of the novel is spent with Twi-Lek resistance leader Cham Syndulla and his freedom fighters. If you're a fan of Dave Filoni's Star Wars cartoons, you might appreciate that. If you never cared about Cham (like me), you'll wish the author had spent more time on the titular characters instead.

When he does spend time with our favorite Sith Lords, however, Kemp fails to provide new insight into the relationship between Vader and Palpatine. The book doesn't give you anything new about Vader's emotional or psychological state. Vader does not change or develop in any way. There's nothing new or interesting to see here.

And Palpatine - where to begin! Growing up, I played numerous Star Wars games which featured dark and sadistically creative force powers - powers that allowed you to twist enemies' minds, induce unbearable terror, injure their internal organs, leach their life force, and so on. This makes it inexcusable that Palpatine, once a terrifying dark wizard with seemingly limitless powers, has been reduced to a one-trick pony who repeatedly unloads static shocks upon his enemies between useless bits of pompously-written dialogue. I can do that just by shuffling across the carpet, touching someone, and quoting this book.

The Royal Guards have also been totally emasculated. They're completely useless and unintimidating throughout book - Palpatine would have been better off with Jawas at his side, given the way they were characterized here. The guards looked badass and intimidating in RotJ, so I hope this lame characterization of them doesn't last too long in my memory.

Overall, the book is relatively serviceable, but greatly missed its potential. If you're looking for a decent new-canon Star Wars read, check out these instead:

1. Bloodline, by Claudia Gray
2. Thrawn, by Timothy Zahn
3. Lost Stars, by Claudia Gray
4. Leia, Princess of Alderaan, by Claudia Gray
5. Phasma, by Delilah S. Dawson
6. Battlefront II: Inferno Squad, by Christie Golden

This book could've been quite interesting, and it did have its moments, but was ultimately a disappointment that was filled to the brim with all sorts of filler.

PROS:
1. Takes place in an interesting time between episode III and episode IV.
2. The first half of the story works well enough and is fast-paced.

CONS:
1. Most of the characters are either boring or unlikable, save for one.
2. Entire scenes have no bearing on the greater plot, but are basically filler, especially the action scenes.
3. The entire second half feels disjointed and mostly pointless, especially in comparison to the first half.
4. The ending felt completely inevitable.

As noted, the first half of the book actually works well enough as basically a sort of a heist story, but then mostly falls apart when it moves into its latter half, with various action scenes occurring that had no bearing on the greater story, including a massive videogame-like battle between Palpatine and Vader against some very Aliens-esque aliens--something, something sound and fury...
Vader and Palpatine were competently written, but you really don't get much insight into them, save for some dream sequences and hallucinations where Vader fantasizes about his past--this last part did add some depth to Vader, but considering how it seems to severely effect him at times when he would otherwise need to focus, such as when landing a ship, I doubt that someone as discerning as Palpatine would've kept Vader around, let alone made him his second in command. Also--and this really cuts a lot of the interest in the story, especially toward the end--you never see either of them in any real danger; they glided through any problem too easily, which made the story feel boring toward the end.

The other characters, literally save for one, either had potential but were ultimately left underdeveloped, or were written with almost no redeemable qualities. This included both of the main rebellion leaders, respectively; the one seemed like he had meaningful enough motivations, yet was underwritten and under-utilized, while the other got more page-time but was just a walking incarnation of revenge, with nothing to make you feel for the character, nor anything else about them that was even remotely interesting or worth remembering. These characters were so uninterestingly written that when one of them was about to die by Vader's hand at the end, I didn't feel sympathy, nor vindication, nor anger, nor any real emotion; I felt nothing at all, just indifference.
As noted, just one of the characters was nicely written, and a enjoyable surprise toward the end, but that character was unfortunately left to the periphery--it would've been great if they had been the main character of this story, but Kemp's priorities were on the two poorly-written rebellion leaders instead. Honestly, this book felt like propaganda for the Empire, since the only characters I gave a damn for were on their side, Vader and Palpatine included.

One of the biggest problems with the story is that the final outcome at the end, with Vader and Palpatine victorious, felt completely inevitable, which really hurt the drama of the climax of the story--yes, this was set before Episode IV, and so obviously the two Sith lords would obviously come out victorious, but the writer could've actually played with that expectation; he could've stacked the deck so far in the rebellion's favor, even to a comical extent, that you would be left wondering just how Vader and Palpatine would come out on top, which would only to add to the curiosity and anticipation of the final outcome. Instead, as I already briefly noted, I was seriously considering stopping before the conclusion, as I felt like there really wasn't any more purpose in continuing. Sadly, the final outcome didn't cause me to change that assumption, as it just ended with one character I didn't care about being killed and another character I didn't care about getting away from the clutches of the Empire. Hooray.

Ultimately, Lords of the Sith falls under the same conclusion of almost every work of Star Wars-related fiction, both on page and on screen, since The Empire Strikes Back; a collection of missed opportunities left un-redeemed.

This isn't really my sort of book. Don't get me wrong, I love Vader and the Emperor, but at the same time they're so beyond the pale that I've never found myself wishing they were the protagonists. To be honest, I don't see a lot of depth in pure evil. Some people go in for that, I don't. Different tastes I suppose. That's why I was so surprised to find that this really is a very well written and enjoyable book. It focuses on the villains sure, but it gives each of them their own distinct character (including Moff Mors, Star Wars' semi-famous first gay character) and doesn't make the mistake of trying to make their enemies out atrocity them to increase our sympathies.

I've never read any of his books before but Kemp is a very skilled writer. He knows the level of badass we expect from Vader, and delivers in spades right from the first chapter, but he also manages to flesh the characters out beyond just living embodiments of evil. The galaxy feels real and it feels gritty and lived in (something the Clone Wars series sometimes had trouble with) and more than a little dangerous. The story is important for setting up future events and resolving old issues. It feels a lot like a transition book between the prequels and the original trilogy and it handles the potential conflict well.

The core of this book is the powerful relationship between the two leads. The relationship between Vader and Palpatine is really fleshed out from what we saw in Revenge of the Sith and feels as if it's well on the way to where we meet them in Return of the Jedi. Sidious seems somewhat doubtful of his apprentice and Vader is loyal but has occasional trouble overcoming bad memories. But now they need to work together if they're going to survive Ryloth's fierce wilderness and enemies hunting them. Yeah, like that's gonna really be a problem. But it's nice to see Sheev really crank his power out some. He never really got the chance to do that in the prequels except for that fight where he threw the Senate at Yoda.

The two of them have an interestingly symbiotic relationship. Vader is all about pure rage and takes the protection and security of his Empire to heart. The Emperor is a shady and cruel man who doesn't seem to care one way or the other about his Empire except in that it allows him the chance to devote himself to his dark side studies. He seems to be working hard on that prescience thing he has going in Return of the Jedi and he doesn't really care how many of his own people die to improve his connection to the Force. I can't say that's how I saw Palpatine (I always envisioned him taking great joy in having people dance about on his strings) but it works well for the novel.

There are other characters here as well. The rebels of Ryloth are the main antagonists, and basically those lousy ingrates want the Empire to stop enslaving them and occupying their planet. Jerks. They're led by Cham Syndulla, a resistance leader from the Clone Wars and Hera's father. He's the guy that would be the lead protagonist of any other book, and he gets plenty of time to shine here, but the focus is always centered on Vader and the Emperor. This is the first major rebellion in the new Empire and one of the delights here is seeing a proto-Rebellion forming. Obviously we don't get to see the whole thing spring up here fully formed but this seems like a logical precursor to an organized galactic resistance movement.

The only real problem I have with the book is that the scale is limited almost entirely to the Ryloth system and a single Star Destroyer. With a book showing off the Sith Lords' might you kinda want an epic backdrop for them to fight in. Instead they spend most of their time fighting with forest critters away from the main group. It feels like an opportunity for something bigger was wasted here. The ending was also very sudden and anticlimactic. But none of that changes the fact that the book is a really good read despite being focused on a topic I wasn't expecting to like.

(Spoiler Free - Review) Lords of the Sith is probably the most deceptive title this book could have when one takes in account that these "lords" appear in no more than 10% of the Book, seriously.
It is however not a bad book in itself, and if it had put my expectations in the right place - that is, not leading me to believe I was going read a story about Vader and Palpatine as protagonists - I would have given 4, or even, 5 stars. However, the frustration of finding myself reading pratically solely about a group of twileks and - definitely - unimportant imperials,has really taken its toll on me. (Not that I wasn't warn about it, but still).
This book should have been named: "Rebels: Rising", "Ryloth: Uprising" or "Syndulla Chronicles", or whatever. bearing that in mind, forgetting about the original title, it is a solid star wars novel.
I would like to just point it out that, in the end, I don't think the issues I brought are the author's fault as much as they are disney's fault. Having read almost all of the books released since they bought SW, it seems to be a trend to not deliver that which readers wanted to read or know about. But that is, perhaps, subject for another review.

This is one of the best Star Wars books I have read in a long time. It's got political intrigue and maneuvering in it, it's got an awesome space battle in it, some cool hand to hand combat scenes, and also some good dialogue as well.

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS***

What the book is about is that the Twi'leks on Ryloth have made an underground freedom fighter movement, and they are blackmailing an Imperial official, Belkor, into giving them info about the Empire so they can cause trouble. When they learn that Vader and the Emperor are going to be coming to the planet on a Star Destroyer, the freedom movement springs into action, and launches a plan that brings down the Star Destroyer that the 2 Sith Lords are arriving on. Vader and the Emperor are now on the planet's surface in the wild and are being hunted by the freedom fighters. All while Moff Mors and the other imperials are racing to find Vader and the Emperor and the two Sith Lords are trying to get back to civilization.

***END SPOILERS*** ***END SPOILERS*** ***END SPOILERS***

The big misleading part of this book is the cover. There are no AT-ATs in this book like you see on the cover, there aren't really many Storm Troopers in it either, and the title is a little misleading. Sure, Vader and Sidious are in the book, but they aren't really the main characters. The main characters are really the Twi'lek freedom fighters, Moff Mors and Belkor. If anything I think a better title would be, "The Battle for Ryloth," because that's what this book is really about.

The only other thing I don't like about this book is that the planet of Ryloth itself is vastly different than it used to be. That's mainly due to the reboot that happened after Disney bought out Star Wars. The planet of Ryloth used to be a barren desert world that didn't spin on it's axis and life was only found in the small spots between the light and dark sides where it was like an eternal twilight. And the Twi'leks lived there in underground cities to escape the extreme temperatures. Now the planet rotates, has night and day, has lush plant and animal life and has settlements on the surface. It's not a bad change, but it is noticeable to die-hard fans of the genre like myself. But this difference is quickly forgotten when you start reading and realize what a great story it is!

It's a great book and I think any fan of Star Wars will enjoy it. Check it out!

This book is a microcosm of everything wrong with Star Wars today. Bankrupt in creativity, bankrupt in ideas, and an author bankrupt of any decency in human interaction (see Twitter if you think I am exaggerating).

My son and I are into Star Wars and I have been reading this book to him. It has been many years since I have read a Star Wars book and I am surprised how very disappointed I have been in this book.

First, there are spoilers below ...

My biggest complaint is how this book does not match the expectations set in by the movies. Simply, I really think that Darth Vader and the Emperor have been written as ridiculously powerful. The Jedi and the Sith were at war way back and looking at Darth Vader in this book, I can't imagine anything could compare to him. Take the battles at the end of the second movie. A few hundred droids surrounded thirty or forty Jedi. Jedi are falling left and right until you have a dozen or so left in the fight. Compare this to the Emperor and Vader are forced into a closed cavern with the Alpha predator, Lyleks, of the planet. The Lylek's are insect like creatures that with stand blaster fire unless struck in the head. The story makes a huge deal about how nothing could survive a swarm of them. However, Vader and the Emperor (and two guards) are driven into the den of these guys. Thousands come at them and they all are destroyed. Vader moves blindingly fast (unlike the slow movements we see in the movies). It was just over the top to the point of being ridiculous. The Luke from Return of the Jedi would not have lasted thirty seconds against this Vader.

Next, the book is not so much about the Lords of the Sith but the Twi'leks. I did not really feel very connected to the "rebel fighters." I thought there starting strategy to kill the Emperor and Vader was good, just don't delay 45 minutes if you are going to do it. Seriously, if you are saying Vader is not a man because he is sooooo powerful then as Daffy Duck would say, "Shoot him now!! Shoot him now!!!" Of course, we know that Vader and the Emperor lives, but at no point do they really seem in danger. The Emperor seems to know everything. They move like a wave or destruction and without any tension is the book ... well, it is really a boring read. I would pass on this one. Thankfully, I borrowed it from the library. :-)

I originally gave this book two stars. However, I was only mostly done at that point. Upon finishing, I really felt I was being to generous and have dropped it to one star.

Lords of the Sith is the latest novel in the new Star Wars canon and the first novel from veteran author Paul S. Kemp as part of this new canon. Kemp, the author of Crosscurrent, The Old Republic: Deceived, and Riptide, gets his first chance to delve into the dark waters of the most important Lords of the Sith in Star Wars history, Darth Sidious and Darth Vader.

The plot to Lords of the Sith is fairly simple: a rebel group on Ryloth (Free Ryloth movement, led by Cham Syndulla) sets a trap intended to take out the Emperor and Vader. When the trap is sprung Vader and the Emperor find themselves behind enemy lines with few resources besides themselves upon which they can rely. Skilled in telling stories set in the shadowy depths of the less savory parts of life, Kemp excels in his treatment of these villains but beyond that populates a world with some returning and some original characters that are distinct and interesting individuals. Kemp crafts characters like a master baker, folding in layers of pain and joy, loss and triumph to create a deliciously damaged cast. No character in the novel exemplifies Kemp’s skill in character building than Isval. This former Twi’lek slave is not only a fearsome warrior and brave soldier, but she is also a complicated woman; while she is damaged by her experiences, she reclaims her agency and helps others in similar circumstances reclaim theirs.

In addition to Isval, Kemp spends a majority of the novel developing Cham and two new Imperials, Colonel Belkor Dray and Moff Delian Mors. Even if you don’t know a lot about the book you may have heard about Moff Mors, a character that made news at the beginning of March when Bryan Young reported that Mors would be the first LGBT character introduced into the new Star Wars canon. As I was reading this novel I got more and more nervous regarding Kemp’s handling of Mors. There is a lethargy, gluttony, and weakness in Mors that reflects very poorly on the character throughout a good portion of this novel. I was nervous that what I was enjoying as a very well-told story would be lost in the inevitable firestorm of controversy over Kemp’s handling of this character. Of course, given my experience reading Kemp’s work I probably should have had more faith in his level of attention to character, because when he turns his attention to developing Mors later in the novel it all clicks into place and what was earlier an unflattering portrayal of a person becomes one that is very human, understandable, and relatable.

Vader also gets some nice character moments in this novel, particularly through his thoughts and flashbacks. We get to see a character trying to navigate his relationship with the Force, his current predicament, and his relationship with his master.

In a relatively small role I also love what Kemp did with the character of Twi’lek Senator Orn Free Taa. He is the very epitome of the sycophantic tool that Sidious uses until he is ready to discard it.

Despite all of the intrigue, fighting, and tension in the story perhaps the darkest and creepiest passage takes place when the Emperor is being nice. When Sidious turns on the charm you know things are not going to end well.

This novel, like the others in the new canon, does a nice job of weaving elements from the films in with elements from The Clone Wars series and Star Wars Rebels. Careful viewers of The Clone Wars will notice some very cool connections.

Kemp does a wonderful job in this novel taking a story focused largely on two characters in Vader and the Emperor that you know have to survive, but he also populates the story with enough characters with unresolved fates that he creates a sense of peril and drama throughout the story.

It is with good reason that Kemp is my favorite author currently working in the franchise–he takes a back seat to no one in his world building and character development. Lords of the Sith is a truly enthralling experience of kick-butt storytelling in the desperate and dark world of Palpatine’s New Order.

Lords of the Sith is on sale April 28th on the store.com in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook download.

Author’s note: A review copy was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review.

This was my first foray into the new expanded universe of Star Wars and I chose Lords of the Sith as my first based off of the recommendation of Kristian Harloff on Collider's Jedi Council (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MuxJjYKhcI&index=3&list=WL) and I really enjoyed it. My favorite part of the book were the chapters told through Darth Vader's prospective and his thoughts not only on The Emperor and their relationship but how he used his emotions to gain power through the force. It tied really well into experiences from the prequels and helped me better understand Vader as a character which is what I wanted from the book. It was difficult deciding who I wanted to root for as the chapters bounced between the Twi'lek resistance fighters and Darth Vader knowing that the freedom fighters were the "good guys" but also loving Darth Vader and wanting him to be his awesome self. My only gripes about the book have to do with the ending which seemed a little anti-climactic to me. Darth Vader and the Emperor really show off their power about midway through the book while being attacked by wildlife so I was looking forward to the eventual confrontation between them and the freedom fighters but it didn't really pan out that way.

All-in-all a great read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the new canon.

This part of the continuing saga, as usual, leaves you wanting more. You want to know more about the individual characters and where they're headed. I was in my first year of college when the middle trilogy appeared and changed the movie industry as well as the Sci-fi world. Forty years later I'm still a fan but only now finding time to read the stories I've missed about one of my favorite space fairing story lines. Always a good read no matter where in the SW universe you start. This segment gives a perspective other than the ones initially focused on Luke, Leia and Haan. This gives an idea of how others suffered and fought against the Empires seemingly unshakeable power.

Should be called "Free Ryloth"

Very little time spent with Vader and the Emperor, their biggest threat are giant insects. And even then the two greatest force users in the Galaxy barely defeat insects....insects. Instead of showing awesome Force powers they use their light sabers...Oh Boy, we've never seen that before.....

Palpatine shows very little power of the the Dark Side, a giant let down. They seem no stronger then a normal Jedi, not Sith Masters.

The relationship between Vader and the Emperor is interesting but left underdeveloped.

Odd that the book cover shows AT-AT walkers when they are not present in the story at all.

A very very very average book.

One of the better new canon novels to date (for reference BATTLEFRONT: TWILIGHT COMPANY just came out), taking place before Episode IV. If this book cut most of the Twi'lek freedom fighter scenes and focused mostly on Vader and Palpatine, the score could be higher. As it turns out, half the story stars the Twi'lek leader Cham who is fighting to save his planet. He's also Hera's dad from the current REBELS tv series, and we were first introduced to him in the CLONE WARS tv show. While that continuity nod is cool, it's tough to care much about the Twi'leks in this book. That said, the Vader/Emperor scenes are very strong. At its core I would say this book is mainly about Vader purging the last remnants of Anakin Skywalker that still exist within himself, as he fully becomes the Sith Lord we know and love from Episode IV on. Kemp did a great job with those moments and because of them this book is worth a go. It's also a quick read, which helps move things along.

I was pleasantly surprised by the book. It was a comfortable read and I finished it in no time. You have a nice look into the mind of Vader and with the events of the prequels fresh in his mind, he continues to grow in the character we know later on. Even though the characters are unkillable, I still felt the danger was real and they both had to fight to escape. Once again, i find myself praising a cannon book and enjoying it for what it added to the Star Wars Universe that no other book added. The armor of Darth Vader not only keeps him alive, but it acts as a barrier from outside humanity. This really makes him more machine than man.

The old adage proves true once more - on the cover of "Lords of the Sith", Vader and Palpatine are depicted as dominant, roaring into action, brimming with fury. In this novel, however, the titular Darths play second fiddle to an assortment of minor characters - if anything, these villains are barely characters themselves, but rather plot points that other characters revolve around. Vader is intimidating, hateful, and haunted by his past. Sidious is manipulative and inscrutable. I'm bored - this is all rote for them. Nothing new is revealed about them, nor any larger secrets about the Sith. All the Sith philosophy is everything about the Sith you've heard before.

The other characters include resistance fighter Cham Syndulla, who repeats the phrase "Freedom fighters, not terrorists" so many times that one begins to suspect he has some sort of neurosis. The character of Moff Mors is the very first gay character in Star Wars canon, supposedly. Apparently video game Star Wars homosexuals like Juhani and Lord Cytharat don't count. If this is the first one, though, she feels less historic and more like a bit of trivia - she's indolent and acts only when forced to, and does little more than engage in a petty power struggle that dominates the novel, with a struggle between her, another Imperial, and Cham - whose brutal actions, cold calculation, and fixation on an Imperial death count rather than any tangible "freedom fighting" make him far less sympathetic than he should be.

The prose offers no great thrill. Oftentimes, one can feel very divorced from events, like you're reading a far too extended synopsis. The author tends to repeat the same phrases constantly, but rather than providing emphasis it feels like the deja vu characteristic of a glitch in the Matrix. This whole thing feels as overstuffed as the indolent Moff Mors. If you're seeking an exciting tale of the Sith rather than minor Imperial political squabbling, find greener pastures.

The only positives of this book is that it's well written, and therefore, easy to read and follow. The author is good at setting up tension.

The negatives of this book are how it serves the Star Wars story. I think Vader and the Emperor are written out of character. There are some intriguing moments between the two Sith lords, but the context is just plain goofy. I can't imagine the scenes I was reading ever happening without that Prequel-esque goofiness. Why would the Emperor put himself in the situation he went into? They were also written as over powered which made more some boring scenes of swarms of enemies being mowed down, and the reader never believes they are in any real danger. Most of all, the story makes no impact on the over arching story line or canon.

Set after the events in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader and the Emperor are secure in their place as the feared head of the Republic. But pockets of rebellions have begun to spring up.

Star Wars: Lords of the Sith is a solid installment in the much anticipated franchise. Kemp excels at character development, and these characters are extremely fun to read. Cham and Isval are the protagonists and lead the attack against Vader and the Emperor, hoping to assassinate them. Instead, the Emperor and Vader are marooned on a harsh planet where events come to a head. The intense action and adventure as well as the vivid characters made for a highly enjoyable story. Fans should definitely check out this latest Star Wars novel.

*Review previously posted at SciFiChick.com

Twilek Crap (featuring Darth Vader) is the actual title of this book. If you've never read a story of the Rebellion, you might even enjoy the Twilek Crap, but nothing about the core of this story stands apart from any of the tales of Rebels that have come before it. Scenes of Vader and the Emperor are woefully few and too often far between. Dozens of pages turned dozens of times between short scenes of the title characters. Nothing was worse than ending a chapter where they were only mentioned, expecting the next chapter to open with the pair, only to read another chapter where they were only mentioned. Then when we do get back to the Sith Lords their scene is shorter than any of the other characters with their own scenes centered on them. The book is likely better than the credit I'm giving it, but it was so often disappointing verses the expectations the title set-up.

Paul S. Kemp dips his toes into the new STAR WARS canon in a great way.

His writing style is intelligent without trying to make the reader feel dumbed-down with his vocabulary. The book is readable for all age types, from the Junior High kids newly introduced to the STAR WARS Galaxy through the Prequels, THE CLONE WARS & REBELS, to older fans like myself who enjoyed the decades of fun in that galaxy far, far away...

Starting with the positives: GREAT original characters, all the while mixing in the familiar faces we've seen. The interactions feel seamless between the movie and TV series characters and Kemp's new additions. Among the new list of books, this one seemed to BE a STAR WARS novel, not attempt by editorial dictates to spin everything together into a new unified canon. Cham Syndulla is a smart, cunning, but troubled warrior who is exhausted by his efforts without seeing results. His struggle to justify his violent actions is well-thought out, written with great respect and flows effortlessly into the plot.

The Imperials, who are usually the victims of lazy writers and stereotypical mustache-twirling evil doers, are three-dimensional and intelligently brought into the cluster of blackmail, hedonism and ambition that makes them not EVIL for the sake of it, but just beings in a galaxy looking to make their place in the Empire. Moff Mors is a degenerate leader, who just lost her wife (making her the first LGBT character in the new canon) and is reeling in the downward spiral anyone might be loosing a spouce. Belkor Dray is a greatly disturbing little toad of an officer who you can enjoy seeing squirm under the pressure of his duties and betrayals. The dark humor is not lost on the reader that his fate is not going to be pleasant. Overall, Kemp has a wonderful way of keeping the reader interested in the plot, while he lets slip into the story bits and pieces of lore, backstory and humor that makes us feel not only nostalgic, but comfortable that we are in another place, time and setting.

My ONLY problem with this book, I'm sorry to say, was the fact that the LORDS OF THE SITH seemed like side characters within the plot. Since the announcement of the book, I was STOKED!!! that we were getting a new canon source that lets us into the relationship between Vader and Sidious. From a mere mentor and friend to his Lord and Master, a young Darth Vader---eager, angry and FILLED with hatred and resentment for fate's design for him---finds himself in his prime, looking to bring the full fury of the Dark Side to enemies of the Empire.

We got GREAT bits about Vader facing his demons and being forced to confront and battle his attachment to his past, but I wish they'd have gone even DEEPER into his broken psyche and explore the corroded heart of such a beautifully fallen hero.

I'm not going to lie: I was most excited for Lords of the Sith, and for the most part it delivered exactly what I wanted: silly action packed with violence and Darth Vader. If you're looking for an action packed book, you've got one with Lords of the Sith. Quite honestly, it was one of the best one-off Star Wars novels. (That is to say, a book that's not a part of a larger series or story line) Lords of the Sith delivers Vader in spades, and even has a great space battle showing off some great writing and some realistic danger.

The biggest problem was my inability to forget everyone I knew survives until Rebels at least. The book moved at a solid pace but the danger never felt very real to me. The best part was, as always, the Imperial characters who are now thriving in the galaxy at large. I'm very glad to see a lot of Imperial women being introduced and expanded upon. I won't say a lot because there isn't much more to say than it's a solid book (with a sort of rushed ending, the only reason it's not great) with solid action scenes. Go ahead and grab it.

Nice intense reading/ action book
Middle chapters were really good. Action jumps to different narratives...which kind let's the wrap up chapters slower going. Wraps up nicely with an Easter egg.
Also interesting to read some prespectives of Vadars thinking.
Oh also I think they miscounted the guards with them at one point which throws off the experience it a bit. (Yeah, keeping vague for no spoilers.)

Amazing book, i never write revies for anything but i had to do an expection for this. This is a really great story i suggest the audiobook versin extremely imersive. Here you can see the sith lords in their true violent nature. This made into a graphic noel would be amazing.

The book is filled worth extreme violence more than you can see in most star wars works. We see the spark of the rebelling who made it happen and at what cost did it came. The protagonist are portrait amazingly, you feel for them, their pain, love, and suffering is quite apparent. Seeing the true nature of Vader, how full of hate, pain and violence he is is amazing. How the emperor makes him, his puppet and shows his power.

This is well worth the reed or listen is your are looking for a trilling ride filled with pain, misery, violence and despair. Amazing will recommend for any Star Wars fan.

I truly wish this to be made into a graphic novel it would be amazing.

I really enjoyed this book but personally I don't understand why it's everybodies favorite canon book. I will say you should read this if A you want to step in to the mind of Vader B if you enjoyed Cham Syndulla from Clone Wars or C if you want to read about Palpatine and Vader working together to Survive against insurgent attacks and or giant bugs.

The cons
Honestly I have no real problems with this book it was a good read I just can't put it on my number one spot of canon books and the reason being is because I like the books that delve into new and lesser know character like Tarkin and Lost Stars which are in my 3 and 2 spot for best canon book the exception being Ahsoka which for me is number 1 but I will say this is probably number 5 and if you are curious Life Debt is my number 4.

PAUL S. KEMP has rapidly become one of my favourite Star Wars novelists. The recently read (by me) CROSSCURRENT and RIPTIDE gifted the world with a much too rare insight into the complexity and relatively introductory philosophy of what it means to be on the fabled and much feared Dark Side of the force. And so it comes as no surprise (to me, anyway) that he would write a book focusing on two of the most prominent and legendary figures ever created in Dark Side History.

After a hectic, exciting, at times confusing, and yet at times, breathtakingly beautiful opening handful of chapters, where it seems the book opens in the middle of a horrific civil war, the reader is given little information about the characters in the story who dare to take on the Empire.

This ain't no classic Luke / Leia / Han fairytale here, folks. This is hard core Star Wars action in all of its dark side dominating, give-me-freedom-or-give-me-death-against-the-odds-empire-is-filth-stir-your-blood-until-your-heart-bursts kind of joy ride that makes Star Wars the truly great Space Opera the world loves like no other.

The heroes of the story are a little known set of rebels who are fighting to either destroy the Empire (good luck with that...), or bring freedom to their own little world of Ryloth, whichever comes first. Needless to say, the Empire has its own reasons for wanting to gain control of the planet (SPOILERS), so they won’t be giving it up without a fight, either.

It must be said, however, that it takes five full chapters before the reader has a handle on what is being presented in the book. But patience is a must, as Yoda would say, and it pays off in a multitude of ways that repay your investment over and over and over again.

The book is not entitled LORDS OF THE SITH for no reason, and a series of events (SPOILERS) leaves Vader and the Master of all Masters abandoned on a planet, surrounded by enemies that want nothing more than to witness their destruction. And so the book suddenly focuses, in great detail, on the much fabled relationship between a Sith Apprentice and His Master. Alert readers may well immediately come up with their own sets of conspiracy theories about this book at this point, and you may well be justified in doing so. But option B is always available, and its one I tend to favour. And that is just to sit back and enjoy the ride on a more superficial level. At least, for the first read through, anyway.

As I said at the top of this review, Paul S Kemp demonstrates amazing mastery of many facets of the SW Universe here, and the book is consequently an absolute joy to read. Some of the actions and abilities of the force users on display (SPOILERS) are truly incredible, and it is interesting to consider the theory that no other writer in the franchise’s history has achieved this in a literary sense.

So do I like this book? No. I *LOVE* it! Lords of the Sith is easily one of the most action packed, perfectly driven and downright thrilling Star Wars books I have ever come across. The representation of Vader and The Master is so good that you will get goosebumps on your arms every time they bless your kindle screen or present themselves on the paper the words are printed on. The space battle scenes are brilliantly written, too, and they tend to leave the reader in a state of emotional shock time after time, after time.

The only thing left for me to discuss here is the ending.

Like *that’s* gonna happen!!!

A mandatory full marks for a book that deserves so much more.

Paul S Kemp, you are rapidly becoming a Star Wars God.

Yo to that.

I received a pre-release e-copy of this book through NetGalley with the expectation that I will post an honest review on their site and others.

This was one of my favorite stories that followed a Sith Lord that I have read, second to the now Legends marked Darth Bane series, which I believe is the gold standard for all things Sith. Star Wars Lords of the Sith is a very solid entry into the new canon series and is an insightful tie in between Episodes III and IV, as well as the Cone Wars and Rebels cartoons. The whole cast was fun to read, and none of the characters were bland or slow to read. Overall this book lived up to the title of Canon, and was a wonderful read. I would highly recommend this to any Star Wars fan.

The book gave extra insight into Darth Vader that we haven't had yet in Canon since he donned his armored costume. We also saw a power displayed from him that wasn't directly shown in the original trilogy. While he's always been shown as a leader to be feared, the most we've really seen prior to this was a force choke. This is the first time we've seen in this deep in true action, and with good reason for the people around him, as well as the would be rebels, to fear his abilities. He is capable of much more than the short lightsaber battle we see in Episode IV, and is more in line with his advanced fighting skills in Episode III.

Kemp did a terrific job sowing the seeds for the Spark of Rebellion that we later see in Rebels, and later into A New Hope. Cham, father to Hera, serves as the leader of the Freedom Movement. We can see the mindset into someone fighting against an entire empire and hoping to make a difference. He knows that he has an impossible task before him if he does this alone, but he fights anyway hoping that more people will join in the cause and begin to fight on their own and show them that the Empire is not invulnerable.

But of course in this novel as the Emperor and Vader face danger, their fate is known going in. You can't kill a character when they're alive in the future of this universe. But Kemp gives you plenty of action to keep you entertained, and the fate of other of the novel's supporting cast is always in question. And you can watch the thoughts of Vader as he is further herded into his place as the Sith the Emperor expects him to be.

The book never felt bogged down, as it did a couple time in Tarkin (I didn't really need to see him spend that much time deciding on his outfit, etc.) and the action was constantly at a blazing pace. It should be easy to read and follow for everyone, including young readers. I did notice that the author's favorite word seemed to be exoskeleton when discussing some of Ryloth's local creatures, but there wasn't anything that detracted from the story.

Finally one last thing to mention is that when this book was announced, they mentioned that it would include a Lesbian character. I am glad to have some diversity in the new novel, and to have that included seemed fluid and was just part of that character, rather than something that appeared to be forced just so they could say that they're done it, or for the attention it would receive. I praise them for the way that it was handled.

Set eight years after Revenge of the Sith, this one starts out hot and hits the ground running. After an intro of Vader in his meditation chambers to demonstrate his current state of mind- he’s practically a shark in the waters always smelling blood- we get treated to a space battle against Twi’lek rebels that sets the tone for the rest of the book. Sort of reminded me of Heir to the Empire and our introduction to Grand Admiral Thrawn.

As always, it’s the characters that make the story, and the reason we’re reading this one. At the core of the story is the dynamic between Vader and Palpatine. Palpatine constantly tests his prize student, or seems to, and Vader is never entirely certain where he stands. The only constants, the only sureties he has are his anger and the Force, which help him maintain his focus and find his balance. A small but important moment comes near the end of the book where a simple comment by his master turns out to be another test, but the outcome was never in doubt.

The Twi’lek rebel leader, Cham Syndulla, has some good moments and is very complex and clever. His care and concern for his fellow rebels comes through and I’d like to see more of him. Isval, his right hand woman- and possibly more- is broken from her time as a slave and often needs an outlet to release her violent impulses. Yet she even manages to turn this into something positive. Delion Mors- the Moff overseeing the Twi’lek home planet Ryloth- goes through an interesting character arc as the story progresses, as does Belkor Dray, her treacherous second in command. They’re the kinds of characters you always want to see more of.

Only thing I found kinda odd was the story’s incorporation into established canon instead of just being more Expanded Universe stuff. Not only that, the author has Vader invoking characters from the Clone Wars cartoon series- Ahsoka and some of the Clone Troopers- meaning that they’re also part of the official narrative now.

Ok, there was one other thing that felt off: Palpatine being so blasé and casual with his underlings. I get that he’s playing his underlings against Vader so they’ll never realize he’s the true threat but his interactions always felt weird to me.

Not that there aren’t a couple of stumbling blocks. Vader’s respirators are still functioning while exposed to deep space- wouldn’t have noticed if the author hadn’t called special attention to it. The rebels all seem a bit dense as well. Vader’s fearsome reputation precedes him, and he’s known for being able to do things no normal man ever could. Do they not notice the lightsaber in his hand? The impossible physical feats he performs? The supernatural abilities he possesses? The Jedi haven’t been gone that long- do they need a slide rule to figure this out?

Also all the depictions of Palpatine always presenting him as seemingly omniscient are getting annoying. It comes across as a cheap plot device to lean on; that Palpatine always knows what’s going on and nothing’s beyond his grasp. Granted he’s learned a great deal over the years with his experiences and insights through the Force, but he’s clearly not as prescient as we’re being led on. This is pretty clear in a scene towards the end of the book where Vader stops Palpatine from killing a Twi’lek villager because they’d probably need her help. The scene deliberately calls back the iconic moment in RotJ where Vader crosses blades with Luke to prevent him killing the Emperor, but here Palpatine turns to his apprentice in a rage for being thwarted only to return to his familiar sanguine, placid self mere moments later and already making more predictions. Sorry, not buying it.

And do we have to be told every single time Vader/Palpatine pull off a maneuver that they’re ‘deep into the Force’? That they’re ‘drawing on the Force’, ‘stepping into the Force’, ‘channeling the Force’- enough already. Trust me- we know how these guys operate.

Politics, intrigue, noble sacrifices, double & triple crosses, redemption, mayhem, mass destruction, betrayal, philosophy and the Force- this was the most fun I’ve had reading a book so far this year. Great stuff. 4.5/5 stars.

Should be called "Free Ryloth"

Very little time spent with Vader and the Emperor, their biggest threat are giant insects. And even then the two greatest force users in the Galaxy barely defeat insects....insects. Instead of showing awesome Force powers they use their light sabers...Oh Boy, we've never seen that before.....

Palpatine shows very little power of the the Dark Side, a giant let down. They seem no stronger then a normal Jedi, not Sith Masters.

The relationship between Vader and the Emperor is interesting but left underdeveloped.

Odd that the book cover shows AT-AT walkers when they are not present in the story at all.

A very very very average book.

One of the better new canon novels to date (for reference BATTLEFRONT: TWILIGHT COMPANY just came out), taking place before Episode IV. If this book cut most of the Twi'lek freedom fighter scenes and focused mostly on Vader and Palpatine, the score could be higher. As it turns out, half the story stars the Twi'lek leader Cham who is fighting to save his planet. He's also Hera's dad from the current REBELS tv series, and we were first introduced to him in the CLONE WARS tv show. While that continuity nod is cool, it's tough to care much about the Twi'leks in this book. That said, the Vader/Emperor scenes are very strong. At its core I would say this book is mainly about Vader purging the last remnants of Anakin Skywalker that still exist within himself, as he fully becomes the Sith Lord we know and love from Episode IV on. Kemp did a great job with those moments and because of them this book is worth a go. It's also a quick read, which helps move things along.

I was pleasantly surprised by the book. It was a comfortable read and I finished it in no time. You have a nice look into the mind of Vader and with the events of the prequels fresh in his mind, he continues to grow in the character we know later on. Even though the characters are unkillable, I still felt the danger was real and they both had to fight to escape. Once again, i find myself praising a cannon book and enjoying it for what it added to the Star Wars Universe that no other book added. The armor of Darth Vader not only keeps him alive, but it acts as a barrier from outside humanity. This really makes him more machine than man.

The old adage proves true once more - on the cover of "Lords of the Sith", Vader and Palpatine are depicted as dominant, roaring into action, brimming with fury. In this novel, however, the titular Darths play second fiddle to an assortment of minor characters - if anything, these villains are barely characters themselves, but rather plot points that other characters revolve around. Vader is intimidating, hateful, and haunted by his past. Sidious is manipulative and inscrutable. I'm bored - this is all rote for them. Nothing new is revealed about them, nor any larger secrets about the Sith. All the Sith philosophy is everything about the Sith you've heard before.

The other characters include resistance fighter Cham Syndulla, who repeats the phrase "Freedom fighters, not terrorists" so many times that one begins to suspect he has some sort of neurosis. The character of Moff Mors is the very first gay character in Star Wars canon, supposedly. Apparently video game Star Wars homosexuals like Juhani and Lord Cytharat don't count. If this is the first one, though, she feels less historic and more like a bit of trivia - she's indolent and acts only when forced to, and does little more than engage in a petty power struggle that dominates the novel, with a struggle between her, another Imperial, and Cham - whose brutal actions, cold calculation, and fixation on an Imperial death count rather than any tangible "freedom fighting" make him far less sympathetic than he should be.

The prose offers no great thrill. Oftentimes, one can feel very divorced from events, like you're reading a far too extended synopsis. The author tends to repeat the same phrases constantly, but rather than providing emphasis it feels like the deja vu characteristic of a glitch in the Matrix. This whole thing feels as overstuffed as the indolent Moff Mors. If you're seeking an exciting tale of the Sith rather than minor Imperial political squabbling, find greener pastures.

The only positives of this book is that it's well written, and therefore, easy to read and follow. The author is good at setting up tension.

The negatives of this book are how it serves the Star Wars story. I think Vader and the Emperor are written out of character. There are some intriguing moments between the two Sith lords, but the context is just plain goofy. I can't imagine the scenes I was reading ever happening without that Prequel-esque goofiness. Why would the Emperor put himself in the situation he went into? They were also written as over powered which made more some boring scenes of swarms of enemies being mowed down, and the reader never believes they are in any real danger. Most of all, the story makes no impact on the over arching story line or canon.

Set after the events in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader and the Emperor are secure in their place as the feared head of the Republic. But pockets of rebellions have begun to spring up.

Star Wars: Lords of the Sith is a solid installment in the much anticipated franchise. Kemp excels at character development, and these characters are extremely fun to read. Cham and Isval are the protagonists and lead the attack against Vader and the Emperor, hoping to assassinate them. Instead, the Emperor and Vader are marooned on a harsh planet where events come to a head. The intense action and adventure as well as the vivid characters made for a highly enjoyable story. Fans should definitely check out this latest Star Wars novel.

*Review previously posted at SciFiChick.com

Twilek Crap (featuring Darth Vader) is the actual title of this book. If you've never read a story of the Rebellion, you might even enjoy the Twilek Crap, but nothing about the core of this story stands apart from any of the tales of Rebels that have come before it. Scenes of Vader and the Emperor are woefully few and too often far between. Dozens of pages turned dozens of times between short scenes of the title characters. Nothing was worse than ending a chapter where they were only mentioned, expecting the next chapter to open with the pair, only to read another chapter where they were only mentioned. Then when we do get back to the Sith Lords their scene is shorter than any of the other characters with their own scenes centered on them. The book is likely better than the credit I'm giving it, but it was so often disappointing verses the expectations the title set-up.

Paul S. Kemp dips his toes into the new STAR WARS canon in a great way.

His writing style is intelligent without trying to make the reader feel dumbed-down with his vocabulary. The book is readable for all age types, from the Junior High kids newly introduced to the STAR WARS Galaxy through the Prequels, THE CLONE WARS & REBELS, to older fans like myself who enjoyed the decades of fun in that galaxy far, far away...

Starting with the positives: GREAT original characters, all the while mixing in the familiar faces we've seen. The interactions feel seamless between the movie and TV series characters and Kemp's new additions. Among the new list of books, this one seemed to BE a STAR WARS novel, not attempt by editorial dictates to spin everything together into a new unified canon. Cham Syndulla is a smart, cunning, but troubled warrior who is exhausted by his efforts without seeing results. His struggle to justify his violent actions is well-thought out, written with great respect and flows effortlessly into the plot.

The Imperials, who are usually the victims of lazy writers and stereotypical mustache-twirling evil doers, are three-dimensional and intelligently brought into the cluster of blackmail, hedonism and ambition that makes them not EVIL for the sake of it, but just beings in a galaxy looking to make their place in the Empire. Moff Mors is a degenerate leader, who just lost her wife (making her the first LGBT character in the new canon) and is reeling in the downward spiral anyone might be loosing a spouce. Belkor Dray is a greatly disturbing little toad of an officer who you can enjoy seeing squirm under the pressure of his duties and betrayals. The dark humor is not lost on the reader that his fate is not going to be pleasant. Overall, Kemp has a wonderful way of keeping the reader interested in the plot, while he lets slip into the story bits and pieces of lore, backstory and humor that makes us feel not only nostalgic, but comfortable that we are in another place, time and setting.

My ONLY problem with this book, I'm sorry to say, was the fact that the LORDS OF THE SITH seemed like side characters within the plot. Since the announcement of the book, I was STOKED!!! that we were getting a new canon source that lets us into the relationship between Vader and Sidious. From a mere mentor and friend to his Lord and Master, a young Darth Vader---eager, angry and FILLED with hatred and resentment for fate's design for him---finds himself in his prime, looking to bring the full fury of the Dark Side to enemies of the Empire.

We got GREAT bits about Vader facing his demons and being forced to confront and battle his attachment to his past, but I wish they'd have gone even DEEPER into his broken psyche and explore the corroded heart of such a beautifully fallen hero.

I'm not going to lie: I was most excited for Lords of the Sith, and for the most part it delivered exactly what I wanted: silly action packed with violence and Darth Vader. If you're looking for an action packed book, you've got one with Lords of the Sith. Quite honestly, it was one of the best one-off Star Wars novels. (That is to say, a book that's not a part of a larger series or story line) Lords of the Sith delivers Vader in spades, and even has a great space battle showing off some great writing and some realistic danger.

The biggest problem was my inability to forget everyone I knew survives until Rebels at least. The book moved at a solid pace but the danger never felt very real to me. The best part was, as always, the Imperial characters who are now thriving in the galaxy at large. I'm very glad to see a lot of Imperial women being introduced and expanded upon. I won't say a lot because there isn't much more to say than it's a solid book (with a sort of rushed ending, the only reason it's not great) with solid action scenes. Go ahead and grab it.

Nice intense reading/ action book
Middle chapters were really good. Action jumps to different narratives...which kind let's the wrap up chapters slower going. Wraps up nicely with an Easter egg.
Also interesting to read some prespectives of Vadars thinking.
Oh also I think they miscounted the guards with them at one point which throws off the experience it a bit. (Yeah, keeping vague for no spoilers.)

Amazing book, i never write revies for anything but i had to do an expection for this. This is a really great story i suggest the audiobook versin extremely imersive. Here you can see the sith lords in their true violent nature. This made into a graphic noel would be amazing.

The book is filled worth extreme violence more than you can see in most star wars works. We see the spark of the rebelling who made it happen and at what cost did it came. The protagonist are portrait amazingly, you feel for them, their pain, love, and suffering is quite apparent. Seeing the true nature of Vader, how full of hate, pain and violence he is is amazing. How the emperor makes him, his puppet and shows his power.

This is well worth the reed or listen is your are looking for a trilling ride filled with pain, misery, violence and despair. Amazing will recommend for any Star Wars fan.

I truly wish this to be made into a graphic novel it would be amazing.

I really enjoyed this book but personally I don't understand why it's everybodies favorite canon book. I will say you should read this if A you want to step in to the mind of Vader B if you enjoyed Cham Syndulla from Clone Wars or C if you want to read about Palpatine and Vader working together to Survive against insurgent attacks and or giant bugs.

The cons
Honestly I have no real problems with this book it was a good read I just can't put it on my number one spot of canon books and the reason being is because I like the books that delve into new and lesser know character like Tarkin and Lost Stars which are in my 3 and 2 spot for best canon book the exception being Ahsoka which for me is number 1 but I will say this is probably number 5 and if you are curious Life Debt is my number 4.

PAUL S. KEMP has rapidly become one of my favourite Star Wars novelists. The recently read (by me) CROSSCURRENT and RIPTIDE gifted the world with a much too rare insight into the complexity and relatively introductory philosophy of what it means to be on the fabled and much feared Dark Side of the force. And so it comes as no surprise (to me, anyway) that he would write a book focusing on two of the most prominent and legendary figures ever created in Dark Side History.

After a hectic, exciting, at times confusing, and yet at times, breathtakingly beautiful opening handful of chapters, where it seems the book opens in the middle of a horrific civil war, the reader is given little information about the characters in the story who dare to take on the Empire.

This ain't no classic Luke / Leia / Han fairytale here, folks. This is hard core Star Wars action in all of its dark side dominating, give-me-freedom-or-give-me-death-against-the-odds-empire-is-filth-stir-your-blood-until-your-heart-bursts kind of joy ride that makes Star Wars the truly great Space Opera the world loves like no other.

The heroes of the story are a little known set of rebels who are fighting to either destroy the Empire (good luck with that...), or bring freedom to their own little world of Ryloth, whichever comes first. Needless to say, the Empire has its own reasons for wanting to gain control of the planet (SPOILERS), so they won’t be giving it up without a fight, either.

It must be said, however, that it takes five full chapters before the reader has a handle on what is being presented in the book. But patience is a must, as Yoda would say, and it pays off in a multitude of ways that repay your investment over and over and over again.

The book is not entitled LORDS OF THE SITH for no reason, and a series of events (SPOILERS) leaves Vader and the Master of all Masters abandoned on a planet, surrounded by enemies that want nothing more than to witness their destruction. And so the book suddenly focuses, in great detail, on the much fabled relationship between a Sith Apprentice and His Master. Alert readers may well immediately come up with their own sets of conspiracy theories about this book at this point, and you may well be justified in doing so. But option B is always available, and its one I tend to favour. And that is just to sit back and enjoy the ride on a more superficial level. At least, for the first read through, anyway.

As I said at the top of this review, Paul S Kemp demonstrates amazing mastery of many facets of the SW Universe here, and the book is consequently an absolute joy to read. Some of the actions and abilities of the force users on display (SPOILERS) are truly incredible, and it is interesting to consider the theory that no other writer in the franchise’s history has achieved this in a literary sense.

So do I like this book? No. I *LOVE* it! Lords of the Sith is easily one of the most action packed, perfectly driven and downright thrilling Star Wars books I have ever come across. The representation of Vader and The Master is so good that you will get goosebumps on your arms every time they bless your kindle screen or present themselves on the paper the words are printed on. The space battle scenes are brilliantly written, too, and they tend to leave the reader in a state of emotional shock time after time, after time.

The only thing left for me to discuss here is the ending.

Like *that’s* gonna happen!!!

A mandatory full marks for a book that deserves so much more.

Paul S Kemp, you are rapidly becoming a Star Wars God.

Yo to that.

I received a pre-release e-copy of this book through NetGalley with the expectation that I will post an honest review on their site and others.

This was one of my favorite stories that followed a Sith Lord that I have read, second to the now Legends marked Darth Bane series, which I believe is the gold standard for all things Sith. Star Wars Lords of the Sith is a very solid entry into the new canon series and is an insightful tie in between Episodes III and IV, as well as the Cone Wars and Rebels cartoons. The whole cast was fun to read, and none of the characters were bland or slow to read. Overall this book lived up to the title of Canon, and was a wonderful read. I would highly recommend this to any Star Wars fan.

The book gave extra insight into Darth Vader that we haven't had yet in Canon since he donned his armored costume. We also saw a power displayed from him that wasn't directly shown in the original trilogy. While he's always been shown as a leader to be feared, the most we've really seen prior to this was a force choke. This is the first time we've seen in this deep in true action, and with good reason for the people around him, as well as the would be rebels, to fear his abilities. He is capable of much more than the short lightsaber battle we see in Episode IV, and is more in line with his advanced fighting skills in Episode III.

Kemp did a terrific job sowing the seeds for the Spark of Rebellion that we later see in Rebels, and later into A New Hope. Cham, father to Hera, serves as the leader of the Freedom Movement. We can see the mindset into someone fighting against an entire empire and hoping to make a difference. He knows that he has an impossible task before him if he does this alone, but he fights anyway hoping that more people will join in the cause and begin to fight on their own and show them that the Empire is not invulnerable.

But of course in this novel as the Emperor and Vader face danger, their fate is known going in. You can't kill a character when they're alive in the future of this universe. But Kemp gives you plenty of action to keep you entertained, and the fate of other of the novel's supporting cast is always in question. And you can watch the thoughts of Vader as he is further herded into his place as the Sith the Emperor expects him to be.

The book never felt bogged down, as it did a couple time in Tarkin (I didn't really need to see him spend that much time deciding on his outfit, etc.) and the action was constantly at a blazing pace. It should be easy to read and follow for everyone, including young readers. I did notice that the author's favorite word seemed to be exoskeleton when discussing some of Ryloth's local creatures, but there wasn't anything that detracted from the story.

Finally one last thing to mention is that when this book was announced, they mentioned that it would include a Lesbian character. I am glad to have some diversity in the new novel, and to have that included seemed fluid and was just part of that character, rather than something that appeared to be forced just so they could say that they're done it, or for the attention it would receive. I praise them for the way that it was handled.

Set eight years after Revenge of the Sith, this one starts out hot and hits the ground running. After an intro of Vader in his meditation chambers to demonstrate his current state of mind- he’s practically a shark in the waters always smelling blood- we get treated to a space battle against Twi’lek rebels that sets the tone for the rest of the book. Sort of reminded me of Heir to the Empire and our introduction to Grand Admiral Thrawn.

As always, it’s the characters that make the story, and the reason we’re reading this one. At the core of the story is the dynamic between Vader and Palpatine. Palpatine constantly tests his prize student, or seems to, and Vader is never entirely certain where he stands. The only constants, the only sureties he has are his anger and the Force, which help him maintain his focus and find his balance. A small but important moment comes near the end of the book where a simple comment by his master turns out to be another test, but the outcome was never in doubt.

The Twi’lek rebel leader, Cham Syndulla, has some good moments and is very complex and clever. His care and concern for his fellow rebels comes through and I’d like to see more of him. Isval, his right hand woman- and possibly more- is broken from her time as a slave and often needs an outlet to release her violent impulses. Yet she even manages to turn this into something positive. Delion Mors- the Moff overseeing the Twi’lek home planet Ryloth- goes through an interesting character arc as the story progresses, as does Belkor Dray, her treacherous second in command. They’re the kinds of characters you always want to see more of.

Only thing I found kinda odd was the story’s incorporation into established canon instead of just being more Expanded Universe stuff. Not only that, the author has Vader invoking characters from the Clone Wars cartoon series- Ahsoka and some of the Clone Troopers- meaning that they’re also part of the official narrative now.

Ok, there was one other thing that felt off: Palpatine being so blasé and casual with his underlings. I get that he’s playing his underlings against Vader so they’ll never realize he’s the true threat but his interactions always felt weird to me.

Not that there aren’t a couple of stumbling blocks. Vader’s respirators are still functioning while exposed to deep space- wouldn’t have noticed if the author hadn’t called special attention to it. The rebels all seem a bit dense as well. Vader’s fearsome reputation precedes him, and he’s known for being able to do things no normal man ever could. Do they not notice the lightsaber in his hand? The impossible physical feats he performs? The supernatural abilities he possesses? The Jedi haven’t been gone that long- do they need a slide rule to figure this out?

Also all the depictions of Palpatine always presenting him as seemingly omniscient are getting annoying. It comes across as a cheap plot device to lean on; that Palpatine always knows what’s going on and nothing’s beyond his grasp. Granted he’s learned a great deal over the years with his experiences and insights through the Force, but he’s clearly not as prescient as we’re being led on. This is pretty clear in a scene towards the end of the book where Vader stops Palpatine from killing a Twi’lek villager because they’d probably need her help. The scene deliberately calls back the iconic moment in RotJ where Vader crosses blades with Luke to prevent him killing the Emperor, but here Palpatine turns to his apprentice in a rage for being thwarted only to return to his familiar sanguine, placid self mere moments later and already making more predictions. Sorry, not buying it.

And do we have to be told every single time Vader/Palpatine pull off a maneuver that they’re ‘deep into the Force’? That they’re ‘drawing on the Force’, ‘stepping into the Force’, ‘channeling the Force’- enough already. Trust me- we know how these guys operate.

Politics, intrigue, noble sacrifices, double & triple crosses, redemption, mayhem, mass destruction, betrayal, philosophy and the Force- this was the most fun I’ve had reading a book so far this year. Great stuff. 4.5/5 stars.

I give this canon novel a 7 out of 10 (i.e. 3.5 'stars')

This is, basically, a connect-the-dots story which takes place over a very short time period (the majority of it during one standard day).

It, unfortunately, focuses less on the two Sith Lords and more on a band of mostly alien 'freedom fighters' and a couple of Imperials - a lazy, inept Moff, the other her corrupt power-hungry underling - charged with governing their alien world.

The alien 'heroes' seem near-suicidal and far too short-sited with little ability to learn and adapt. Their short-sited stupidity - to me, the reader - seems quite annoying, especially when the reader notes that they THEMSELVES have come to the realization (a number of times, too) that they're up against unstoppable, uber-ordinary beings who can do unimaginable and unnatural things.

When these alien heroes realize that these beings have on their own - and on foot - slaughtered entire hordes of their planet's large, fearsome, monstrous 'Apex Predator', one would assume the story would have them re-think and pull back to fight another day. Instead they put their team and an entire innocent community of their own species into danger and continue their suicidal path without any real thought.

Bantha Fodder!

At this point, you - readers - are wishing that the Sith should just wipe out this insignificant silly little band of aliens and get on with the real business of ruling the galaxy.

The novel is a lost opportunity because the heroes offers the Sith little *real* challenge. The primary hero's scheme is flawed from the very beginning with nothing learned from it as the story progresses. The flaw (SPOILER ALERT) is that the Emperor and Vader are given far too much time - 47 minutes - to escape from their star destroyer once they confirm they're being attacked from inside. (SPOILER END)

When the reader figures out the Sith aren't in any danger, then where's the tension?

Freedom fighters are sacrificed without proper thought and to no end. Repeatedly.They're easy meat for the Sith Lords.

Further, there is no scope, per se' and the novel lacks the epic quality of "Darth Plagueis" (the novel), for instance.

The novel would have been better served choosing a far more capable team of heroes who could provide a much stiffer challenge to Vader and Palpatine ... OR ... heroes who could adapt after their first big set back, regroup with the bulk of their forces and resources intact and then come back a year or two later having learned some lessons.

This does not happen and you rarely feel Vader and Palpatine are in real danger. "Darth Plagueis" takes place over decades and decades. This book could have used a plot taking place over an additional three or four or five years.

Having said that, the novel does have some good little tid-bits about Vader's and Palpatine's thinking - about Vader having thoughts of, effectively, killing his master to rule the galaxy himself - and the last page which confirms (if confirmation is even necessary) what an evil monster Darth Sidious truly is.

In addition, one of the two primary heroes is quite well fleshed-out and then there's the manipulated, bent Imperial whose rapid descent into insanity over one day is portrayed extremely well.

Sadly, there's not enough of the two Lords Of The Sith. Hence only 7 out of 10. Bordering on a 7.5 out of 10.

If people disagree with what I have written, feel free to comment.

Here's a random SW book that made it onto my list. It was pretty good and moved along fairly quickly. This one was a side story of sorts that took place after Episode III. A bunch of Twi'leks tried to incite a rebellion by taking down Vader and Palatine. The two Sith Lords became marooned on a planet and had to mow down lots of local wildlife. The book added more personality to the two main characters of the series and that's about it. That's the things with side stories...they add just a little but it doesn't do anything to the main series.

Paul S. Kemp’s Lords of the Sith marks the fourth novel in Del Rey’s new line of Star Wars canon. It gives us a glimpse into Darth Vader’s black heart as he fights inner demons alongside his Sith master, Emperor Palpatine. Kemp utilizes a broad cast featuring Imperials with rich backstories and Twi’lecks driven by their hope for a brighter future without the Empire’s tyranny. While not the best Star Wars book I’ve ever read, Lords of the Sith will have you hearing Vader’s labored breathing even when you’ve put the book down.

The real brilliance of the book involves the dynamics of Vader and Palpatine. I think this is a really good book to pick up after you’ve watched the prequel trilogy or have finished watching the Clone Wars. Sometimes Star Wars books don’t acknowledge that Anakin is under the helmet at all, and with the prequels existing for better or for worse, Kemp actually uses Anakin’s backstory to his advantage in telling a character-driven story. But the book isn’t all about characters, either. The action is well-written – particularly the portions involving lightsabers, Force-lightning, and Ryloth’s native monster population.

Not every page of Lords of the Sith is a blast, however. At times I found myself wishing for more Vader and less of the other Imperial leads and Twi’lecks. That being said, Kemp is able to pick up Cham Syndulla’s character from Clone Wars and elevate him to the status of someone who I desperately hope will be a greater part of early-Rebellion stories going forward.

When it was all said and done, the book really thrives in its last third. Will Lords of the Sith be on my top-10 list of books to give a Star Wars fan who has never read one of the novels? No. But I’m glad I read it and would recommend it to anyone hoping for a better bridge between prequel-era Anakin and Original Trilogy Vader. And here’s to hoping for more Cham.

This book is amazing! It gives great insight into the Empire. One thing I didn't like about the movies was that it never really explained why the Empire was so bad in the OT movies, besides blowing up planets, and this book gives great evidence in just how bad they were. Also tells a great story of the first rebellion movements. The conversations between Vader and Palpatine are great! Highly recommend this book. I had a hard time putting it down. I will reread this book.

Received an advance copy of this from Del Ray.

I really enjoyed this one. From my experience, Star Wars books can be hit or miss. It can be hard to balance the different aspects of the world. How much fighting do you add? Space battles? Politics?

Kemp did a great job balancing all of that. The space battles especially felt like they came right out of the original trilogy. There was a lot of emphasis put on the fear that Vader inspired in those around him, and I think that this is the first time in the books that I was really able to see why people feared him. Kemp makes him a shark in the water.

Honestly not a lot that I didn't like about this story. I am looking forward to reading more of the new timeline stuff as it comes out!

This may be my favorite of the new canon books. While you know what the overall outcome of the story will be (it takes place between III and IV), the action and characters are enough to keep you in suspense. Unlike many other SW books, I found the descriptions of the action scenes to be very well written and easy to visualize. Overall, this book may be one of the most fun stand alone stories in the EU

The logic conveyed through the Emperor's strategy and understanding of future events made me interested in the storyline throughout the book. I continuously wanted to try and figure out what he was trying to teach Darth Vader. I found it hard to put the book down.

I love seeing Sith go on power displays just as much as the next guy, so there was definitely a lot of fun and action in this book. However, it seemed poorly edited. Vader ignited his lightsaber... and then a few sentences later, he ignited his lightsaber. Things like that, repeating phrases with no literary meaning. The story itself was pretty straightforward. Fun, but not exactly top quality

I wasn't impressed. Just another Star Wars novel. I found myself struggling to read through the freedom fighter chapters. The story of Vader and Palpatine was ok. Overall it was underwhelming and forgettable.

It wasn't what I expected, but it was a still a good Star Wars tale.

The Good: The story was entertaining and introduced some new characters that I think we will see again in the Star Wars EU. It was fun seeing Vader and Palpatine using their full power, even if it seemed as though Palpatine was holding back.

The Bad: The editing definitely could have been better; there were several cases were the wrong word was used, one similar to what the author actually wanted. I honestly expected more. For the two baddest of the bad in the galaxy, it lacked that excitement, that ruthlessness that you see in other Star Wars novels (the Darth Bane trilogy, for example).

Overall, it was a decent read. I would recommend it to Star Wars fans (although, not over some of the other works out there).

I love Star Wars and a trying to get into the new canon, which this book is one of. It wasn't a bad book, but I just couldn't get into it. With a name like Lords of the Sith, I expected some big epic dark side tale but didn't feel I got that. I did like the tie in to the Rebels show though.

Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine flex their Force muscles in Paul Kemp's Lords of the Sith, but the real stars of this book are Cham Syndulla and his rebellion on Ryloth. In his previous Star Wars books, Paul Kemp impressed me with his memorable characterizations and willingness to slow down the action to focus on the little details. Deceived took a generic Sith from The Old Republic MMO trailer, Darth Malgus, and gave him some real depth and emotions. In Crosscurrent and Riptide, Kemp added small character quirks for Jaden Korr and the crew of the Junker that made them stand out. I still remember the fact that Khedryn Faal had a lazy eye and Marr Idi-Shael had a chipped tooth.

Kemp brings that same type of character development to Lords of the Sith, especially with the Twi'lek rebels. Cham Syndulla first appeared in The Clone Wars episode "Liberty on Ryloth," but came across as simply a lofty idealist. Lords of the Sith shows his strategic acumen, as well as his internal doubts. He's not above using blackmail and sending people to their deaths. His colleague Isval has her own inner demons from the time she was kept as an Imperial slave. If anything, I was a bit surprised and disappointed that Kemp didn't take this character to darker places as it seemed like she was being set up for a "Heart of Darkness" style arc.

Kemp's new Imperial characters also get some unique quirks. Moff Mors is the Imperial leader on Ryloth. The media made a big deal of the fact that she is officially the first lesbian character in Star Wars, but what's more interesting is that she starts the book depressed, having given up on her career. It's rare to see a Star Wars character who suffers from genuine depression and it made her character arc more meaningful. She cedes most of her authority to her assistant, Colonel Belkor. Belkor finds himself enmeshed in a conspiracy partly of his own making. The character is forced to make difficult choices and seeing him slowly slip into insanity was a treat.

It was good to see Kemp give these characters their due because - through no fault of his own - the plot of this book contains little suspense or surprise. Anybody who has seen the Original Trilogy knows that Vader and the Emperor survive. Their fate is never in doubt. Moreover, the official publisher's summary spoils the plot of about 50-60% of the book (I took the liberty of removing the last paragraph of the summary so as to not spoil readers). If you've read the publisher's summary and seen the movies, you know what's going to happen here.

All too often in Star Wars, the heroes are more lucky than skilled. This is particularly egregious in the Rebels TV series, where the main characters regularly barge onto Imperial ships or bases with no plan, relying on Imperial incompetence to save the day. In my review of Tarkin, I noted that the ragtag rebels in that book never seemed like worthy adversaries. Not so in Lords of the Sith. Cham's Twi'lek rebels come across as competent and careful. Cham has carefully cultivated resources and personnel. His team has to think carefully about where and when to use them. Nobody would ever accuse them of just being "lucky." I dare say it's probably the most realistic depiction of an insurgency we've ever gotten in Star Wars.

The rebels use their resources to attack the Star Destroyer Perilous, which is carrying Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, and Senator Orn Free Taa. I appreciated that Kemp makes this into a Big Deal. Ever since Return of the Jedi, it's become something of a trope in Star Wars that starfighters can destroy Star Destroyers by taking out the two shield towers and then hitting the bridge. In The Clone Wars and Rebels TV shows, one gets the sense that capital ships are pretty expendable. By contrast, Cham and his rebels have to commit a lot of resources to an attack with multiple phases. Kemp also doesn't shy away from the death toll; both the Twi'leks and Imperials recognize that hundreds, likely thousands, of officers died. By the time the rebels actually destroy the ship, you feel like they've earned it.

Despite its title, I was less interested in Vader and the Emperor in Lords of the Sith. The publisher's summary states that their relationship will be "tested as never before," but I didn't find that to be the case. Both characters are so overpowered that they could easily destroy any obstacle that stood in their way. Obviously, I knew neither character would die, I never felt like they were seriously threatened or even stressed. Vader had a few nice character moments, particularly when he's haunted by his past, but it never seemed to me like anything they faced truly tested their relationship. Perhaps it's because in the old Expanded Universe/Legends we had so many stories in which the Emperor "tests" Vader and I've become inured to the concept.

I've noticed that the newer Star Wars novels seem to struggle to deliver a fitting denouement. Unfortunately, this is the case with Lords of the Sith as well. The events in this book should have important consequences for both Ryloth and the galaxy at large. The Twi'leks hope that their actions will ignite a spark of rebellion throughout the galaxy. Does the Empire cover up the destruction of the Star Destroyer, as they fear, or does news of their victory spread? We simply never find out, which ironically means we don't know if the protagonists were successful in their ultimate mission. We also never get a closing scene for Moff Mors explaining her fate, which is a shame because her character underwent considerable growth and this is probably the last we'll see of her (although there are rumors that she will appear in the Rogue One spinoff film). We don't even find out what happened to Senator Orn Free Taa. Admittedly, he doesn't play a large role in this book, but he had been a prominent character in The Clone Wars.

Kemp's Lords of the Sith is easily the best of the four canon novels out there. The characters are memorable and defy predictable stereotypes. The destruction of the Star Destroyer is probably the most epic moment in the new canon thus far. And I enjoyed seeing the way this band of rebels operated. I just wish there had been a bit more payoff at the end.

A few years have passed since the end of the Clone Wars and the Galactic Empire is ruling the galaxy with an iron fist. However, resistance in the form of the Free Ryloth movement led by the battle-hardened Cham Syndulla has emerged to oppose the tyranny of Empire by staging guerrilla attacks across the planet Ryloth. Unwilling to tolerate such blatant opposition to his rule, the Emperor and his personal executor, Darth Vader, have come to Ryloth to quell the insurgence once and for all. Little do they know, Cham’s cell of freedom fighters have plans of their own and conspire to assassinate the two lords of the Sith.

To start off I must say that despite what the title of this book would imply, Vader and Sidious are NOT the main characters of the book. Many of the other characters are much better developed than they are, but more on that later. Suffice to say, those expecting an intimate understanding of the Sith master/apprentice relationship will be very disappointed and should look elsewhere (Might I recommend Darth Plagueis by James Luceno?) I personally felt that the main characters of the book were rebel cell leader Cham Syndulla and Isval, a fellow freedom fighter. Since the Clone Wars Cham has been at the head of a Rylothian resistance movement that opposes any and all foreign occupation of the planet. Separatist or Empire, it makes no difference to him. Anyone who endeavors to exploit the planet will at some point be in the crosshairs of one of his insurgents. At the same time, Cham struggles to reconcile his morals with his actions frequently telling himself “Not a terrorist, but a freedom fighter.” Despite this, he is still unafraid to be ruthless when necessary even resorting to death threats and blackmail to get the job done. All these traits made him a very well-rounded and interesting character to read about. I particularly liked his moment of catharsis later in the book but I’m going to avoid spoilers. Cham is balance by Isval, a former slave who due to her past becomes a blunt instrument that only looks to murder Ryloth’s Imperial occupiers. At first her devotion to this single cause made her come off as extremely one-dimensional with her only redeeming feature being the relationship between her and Cham. While Cham was the level-headed conspirator, she was the murderous lunatic which helped to round out the scenes they were in. By the end of the book, however, she shows major development when comes to the realization that there’s more to life than just killing Imperials and I liked her a lot more because of that.

Then there’s Vader, the merciless war machine. Every action scene with him in it is brutal with him frequently using his lightsaber to disembowel and mutilate. Kemp does a pretty good job portraying him in this light. On the other hand every so often the reader is given glimpses of Anakin Skywalker behind the mask with memories of his past comrades haunting his thoughts. Nonetheless they become just that: glimpses. These recollections almost never affect his actions and I can honestly say that Vader is pretty much the same character at the start as he is in the end. Worse off is the Emperor who seemed to have gotten the short end of the characterization stick. Throughout the book he hardly ever talks and never shares his thoughts to the reader except at the very beginning and end becoming nothing more than a plot device. Really he only served two purposes: a McGuffin for the rebels to chase and someone for Vader to share his thoughts to. Two more important characters are the Imperials Colonel Belkor and Moff Mors, but to avoid spoilers I won’t say much about them. Just know that where they end up in the book was vastly different from where they started which was excellent. I’ve always felt that character development is paramount to good storytelling and these two really drive the point home.

Finally, I’d like to talk about the writing style. Kemp writes mostly action and moves at a very brisk pace leaving little time for the novel to take a breather and let the reader soak in what has just happened. As a result, I don’t think the characters were as fleshed out as they could have been. To put things in perspective, in the first 30ish pages of the book Vader has foiled a rebel plot to steal Imperial supplies, the Emperor has made plans to go to Ryloth, and the Free Ryloth movement has already planned his assassination. We are also introduced to three major characters to get attached to. That’s a pretty fast pace! Admittedly, the pacing does get more consistent later in the book with a few moments of reflection. Additionally, what really bothered me was where Kemp ended the book: right after the climax. We aren’t given any resolution and almost no reflection on how the events of this book affected the setting or characters as a whole which is a major detriment because that’s the last impression we get from the book. At the end of the day I just wish the book were longer to fix all these issues.

Ultimately there was plenty to like but plenty of issues with Lords of the Sith. Some of the characters were fairly well-developed while some of the others were left on the chopping block. The brisk pace may be enjoyable for those looking for action, but for others (like me) who want a well-rounded cast to complement the action, perhaps not. Still overall, I thought it was a solid book and you could do far worse in the Star Wars universe.

ALTERNATE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: I recommend the aforementioned Darth Plagueis by James Luceno and Kenobi by John Jackson Miller. For those wanting a much deeper look on what it means to be a Sith master and Sith apprentice, look no further than Darth Plagueis. I recommend Kenobi because the story is similar in that we get to see what’s going on in the head of a character but on the opposite side of the spectrum as Darth Vader. Reading Kenobi after this book should make for a very interesting experience.

Wow. Great book. Lots of action. Many star wars books are kind of boring with too much drama. However this book is the exception. I couldn't put it down. Please read it if you get the chance. Thanks Paul Kemp!

Well written, but the title and cover are misleading. Despite being called "Lords of the Sith" and depicting Sidious and Vader on the cover unleashing their wrath, the book is more focused on Ryloth's rebel group. It seemed that every character worth reading about (Vader, Sidious, Belkor, even the Imperial Guards) were ignored. You find out nothing new about Vader, Sidious, or the dark side. It focuses on two Twi'leks who are pretty dry.

I want to enjoy the new canon so bad, but with Disney releasing content like Lords of the Sith and Aftermath it becomes more of a chore than enjoyment.

My favorite novel this far in the new canon.

I do have issues with the title and that the book (at least to me) would mainly focus on Vader and the emperor when in actuality it focuses more on a leader of freedom fighters and imperial characters. Even with that said, the Vader moments are great & expand his dark side with what he carries out & plans. The emperor/sidious feels just as he does in the movies/cone clone wars.

The last minor complaint is the overuse of the word "damn." It's not that I'm against profanity in star wars, as it's sprinkled sparsely throughout the saga, but it seemed that Mr. Kemp really liked having characters think or say that word at least once every chapter.

I believe that heir to the Jedi was the previous book released which left me disappointed. So perhaps this novel had the benefit of having the bar significantly lowered from my POV. However, i feel this was an all in all a solid novel in regards to the new canon & could hold its own in the legends EU.

I liked the story. Sometimes I felt a little bored. I love how the story showed how powerful Darth Sidious and Darth Vader really are. Some of the scenes in this book would be great as part of a movie. Do you think they could do a Star Wars 3.5?

Although a very good novel, I was told this book would focus on the nature of the relationship between Vader and Palpatine--I was still left wanting. I feel the book was 50% "Lords of the With" and the other just filler from characters surrounding the plot.

By no means bad book, however. I just wanted more of what made the book great.

It ended with everyone dying. What story does that. U want it to end with love and compassion and victory. Not slaughter. Darth Vader killed all the main characters. Sorry if this is a spoiler. Darth Vader is the only main character that lives. Charm lives but with a lot of grief. Why would anyone write a book with this ending? At least make a happy good sequel. Would it kill u to add some comedy into a book? Seriously. I never laughed. The only successful and good thing about this book is when the rebels blow up the star destroyer. Yet it still killed rebels. And Vader + the Emperor escaped.

I received this book from Random House and Netgally for an honest review.

I have only read a few novels from the Star Wars expanded universe, but this one ranks up there with the best of them. There’s tons of great action, a strong story of rebellion and the quest for freedom of the Ryloth people that are heavily oppressed by the rising Empire, and of course, Darth Vader and the Emperor. How can you not enjoy a Star Wars book with more stories to hear about Vader and the Emperor?

Well written, captivating, with edge-of-your thrills, Paul Kemp has crafted a new journey into a place from “A long time ago” and in a “galaxy far away” that takes place between episode III and IV. Vader and The Emperor are the only familiar characters from the Star Wars universe, but every new character feels like part of what going on and like they have always been there. The unbreakable twi-lek Cham, who leads the rebellion, another twi-lek by the name of Isval; Cham’s closest companion in the rebellion, are both worthy additions to the franchise and carry the story well. Moff Mors, Belkor, Steen Borkas, Faylin, among others, are also great new characters that are introduced in this book.

With knowing Darth Vader and The Emperor’s fate from seeing the Star Wars movies, you can kind of guess how this book will end, but Paul Kemp keeps the tension high in this book and even leads you to believe –if falsely- that the good guys might actually pull this thing off! To see The Emperor and Vader on the run from perusing Ryloth freedom fighters who are out to kill them on site…it’s thrilling stuff, even if you know they aren’t going to die in the end. Trust me, for fans of this franchise, it won’t take away from your enjoyment; this book is a great read! I give it 4.5/5

I love seeing Sith go on power displays just as much as the next guy, so there was definitely a lot of fun and action in this book. However, it seemed poorly edited. Vader ignited his lightsaber... and then a few sentences later, he ignited his lightsaber. Things like that, repeating phrases with no literary meaning. The story itself was pretty straightforward. Fun, but not exactly top quality

I wasn't impressed. Just another Star Wars novel. I found myself struggling to read through the freedom fighter chapters. The story of Vader and Palpatine was ok. Overall it was underwhelming and forgettable.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It takes place on the planet, Ryloth, where some Twi'leks live enslaved. There is a rebellion afoot and Vader and the Emperor are not just targets, but have plans of their own, of course.

[...]

It wasn't what I expected, but it was a still a good Star Wars tale.

The Good: The story was entertaining and introduced some new characters that I think we will see again in the Star Wars EU. It was fun seeing Vader and Palpatine using their full power, even if it seemed as though Palpatine was holding back.

The Bad: The editing definitely could have been better; there were several cases were the wrong word was used, one similar to what the author actually wanted. I honestly expected more. For the two baddest of the bad in the galaxy, it lacked that excitement, that ruthlessness that you see in other Star Wars novels (the Darth Bane trilogy, for example).

Overall, it was a decent read. I would recommend it to Star Wars fans (although, not over some of the other works out there).

I love Star Wars and a trying to get into the new canon, which this book is one of. It wasn't a bad book, but I just couldn't get into it. With a name like Lords of the Sith, I expected some big epic dark side tale but didn't feel I got that. I did like the tie in to the Rebels show though.

Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine flex their Force muscles in Paul Kemp's Lords of the Sith, but the real stars of this book are Cham Syndulla and his rebellion on Ryloth. In his previous Star Wars books, Paul Kemp impressed me with his memorable characterizations and willingness to slow down the action to focus on the little details. Deceived took a generic Sith from The Old Republic MMO trailer, Darth Malgus, and gave him some real depth and emotions. In Crosscurrent and Riptide, Kemp added small character quirks for Jaden Korr and the crew of the Junker that made them stand out. I still remember the fact that Khedryn Faal had a lazy eye and Marr Idi-Shael had a chipped tooth.

Kemp brings that same type of character development to Lords of the Sith, especially with the Twi'lek rebels. Cham Syndulla first appeared in The Clone Wars episode "Liberty on Ryloth," but came across as simply a lofty idealist. Lords of the Sith shows his strategic acumen, as well as his internal doubts. He's not above using blackmail and sending people to their deaths. His colleague Isval has her own inner demons from the time she was kept as an Imperial slave. If anything, I was a bit surprised and disappointed that Kemp didn't take this character to darker places as it seemed like she was being set up for a "Heart of Darkness" style arc.

Kemp's new Imperial characters also get some unique quirks. Moff Mors is the Imperial leader on Ryloth. The media made a big deal of the fact that she is officially the first lesbian character in Star Wars, but what's more interesting is that she starts the book depressed, having given up on her career. It's rare to see a Star Wars character who suffers from genuine depression and it made her character arc more meaningful. She cedes most of her authority to her assistant, Colonel Belkor. Belkor finds himself enmeshed in a conspiracy partly of his own making. The character is forced to make difficult choices and seeing him slowly slip into insanity was a treat.

It was good to see Kemp give these characters their due because - through no fault of his own - the plot of this book contains little suspense or surprise. Anybody who has seen the Original Trilogy knows that Vader and the Emperor survive. Their fate is never in doubt. Moreover, the official publisher's summary spoils the plot of about 50-60% of the book (I took the liberty of removing the last paragraph of the summary so as to not spoil readers). If you've read the publisher's summary and seen the movies, you know what's going to happen here.

All too often in Star Wars, the heroes are more lucky than skilled. This is particularly egregious in the Rebels TV series, where the main characters regularly barge onto Imperial ships or bases with no plan, relying on Imperial incompetence to save the day. In my review of Tarkin, I noted that the ragtag rebels in that book never seemed like worthy adversaries. Not so in Lords of the Sith. Cham's Twi'lek rebels come across as competent and careful. Cham has carefully cultivated resources and personnel. His team has to think carefully about where and when to use them. Nobody would ever accuse them of just being "lucky." I dare say it's probably the most realistic depiction of an insurgency we've ever gotten in Star Wars.

The rebels use their resources to attack the Star Destroyer Perilous, which is carrying Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, and Senator Orn Free Taa. I appreciated that Kemp makes this into a Big Deal. Ever since Return of the Jedi, it's become something of a trope in Star Wars that starfighters can destroy Star Destroyers by taking out the two shield towers and then hitting the bridge. In The Clone Wars and Rebels TV shows, one gets the sense that capital ships are pretty expendable. By contrast, Cham and his rebels have to commit a lot of resources to an attack with multiple phases. Kemp also doesn't shy away from the death toll; both the Twi'leks and Imperials recognize that hundreds, likely thousands, of officers died. By the time the rebels actually destroy the ship, you feel like they've earned it.

Despite its title, I was less interested in Vader and the Emperor in Lords of the Sith. The publisher's summary states that their relationship will be "tested as never before," but I didn't find that to be the case. Both characters are so overpowered that they could easily destroy any obstacle that stood in their way. Obviously, I knew neither character would die, I never felt like they were seriously threatened or even stressed. Vader had a few nice character moments, particularly when he's haunted by his past, but it never seemed to me like anything they faced truly tested their relationship. Perhaps it's because in the old Expanded Universe/Legends we had so many stories in which the Emperor "tests" Vader and I've become inured to the concept.

I've noticed that the newer Star Wars novels seem to struggle to deliver a fitting denouement. Unfortunately, this is the case with Lords of the Sith as well. The events in this book should have important consequences for both Ryloth and the galaxy at large. The Twi'leks hope that their actions will ignite a spark of rebellion throughout the galaxy. Does the Empire cover up the destruction of the Star Destroyer, as they fear, or does news of their victory spread? We simply never find out, which ironically means we don't know if the protagonists were successful in their ultimate mission. We also never get a closing scene for Moff Mors explaining her fate, which is a shame because her character underwent considerable growth and this is probably the last we'll see of her (although there are rumors that she will appear in the Rogue One spinoff film). We don't even find out what happened to Senator Orn Free Taa. Admittedly, he doesn't play a large role in this book, but he had been a prominent character in The Clone Wars.

Kemp's Lords of the Sith is easily the best of the four canon novels out there. The characters are memorable and defy predictable stereotypes. The destruction of the Star Destroyer is probably the most epic moment in the new canon thus far. And I enjoyed seeing the way this band of rebels operated. I just wish there had been a bit more payoff at the end.

A few years have passed since the end of the Clone Wars and the Galactic Empire is ruling the galaxy with an iron fist. However, resistance in the form of the Free Ryloth movement led by the battle-hardened Cham Syndulla has emerged to oppose the tyranny of Empire by staging guerrilla attacks across the planet Ryloth. Unwilling to tolerate such blatant opposition to his rule, the Emperor and his personal executor, Darth Vader, have come to Ryloth to quell the insurgence once and for all. Little do they know, Cham’s cell of freedom fighters have plans of their own and conspire to assassinate the two lords of the Sith.

To start off I must say that despite what the title of this book would imply, Vader and Sidious are NOT the main characters of the book. Many of the other characters are much better developed than they are, but more on that later. Suffice to say, those expecting an intimate understanding of the Sith master/apprentice relationship will be very disappointed and should look elsewhere (Might I recommend Darth Plagueis by James Luceno?) I personally felt that the main characters of the book were rebel cell leader Cham Syndulla and Isval, a fellow freedom fighter. Since the Clone Wars Cham has been at the head of a Rylothian resistance movement that opposes any and all foreign occupation of the planet. Separatist or Empire, it makes no difference to him. Anyone who endeavors to exploit the planet will at some point be in the crosshairs of one of his insurgents. At the same time, Cham struggles to reconcile his morals with his actions frequently telling himself “Not a terrorist, but a freedom fighter.” Despite this, he is still unafraid to be ruthless when necessary even resorting to death threats and blackmail to get the job done. All these traits made him a very well-rounded and interesting character to read about. I particularly liked his moment of catharsis later in the book but I’m going to avoid spoilers. Cham is balance by Isval, a former slave who due to her past becomes a blunt instrument that only looks to murder Ryloth’s Imperial occupiers. At first her devotion to this single cause made her come off as extremely one-dimensional with her only redeeming feature being the relationship between her and Cham. While Cham was the level-headed conspirator, she was the murderous lunatic which helped to round out the scenes they were in. By the end of the book, however, she shows major development when comes to the realization that there’s more to life than just killing Imperials and I liked her a lot more because of that.

Then there’s Vader, the merciless war machine. Every action scene with him in it is brutal with him frequently using his lightsaber to disembowel and mutilate. Kemp does a pretty good job portraying him in this light. On the other hand every so often the reader is given glimpses of Anakin Skywalker behind the mask with memories of his past comrades haunting his thoughts. Nonetheless they become just that: glimpses. These recollections almost never affect his actions and I can honestly say that Vader is pretty much the same character at the start as he is in the end. Worse off is the Emperor who seemed to have gotten the short end of the characterization stick. Throughout the book he hardly ever talks and never shares his thoughts to the reader except at the very beginning and end becoming nothing more than a plot device. Really he only served two purposes: a McGuffin for the rebels to chase and someone for Vader to share his thoughts to. Two more important characters are the Imperials Colonel Belkor and Moff Mors, but to avoid spoilers I won’t say much about them. Just know that where they end up in the book was vastly different from where they started which was excellent. I’ve always felt that character development is paramount to good storytelling and these two really drive the point home.

Finally, I’d like to talk about the writing style. Kemp writes mostly action and moves at a very brisk pace leaving little time for the novel to take a breather and let the reader soak in what has just happened. As a result, I don’t think the characters were as fleshed out as they could have been. To put things in perspective, in the first 30ish pages of the book Vader has foiled a rebel plot to steal Imperial supplies, the Emperor has made plans to go to Ryloth, and the Free Ryloth movement has already planned his assassination. We are also introduced to three major characters to get attached to. That’s a pretty fast pace! Admittedly, the pacing does get more consistent later in the book with a few moments of reflection. Additionally, what really bothered me was where Kemp ended the book: right after the climax. We aren’t given any resolution and almost no reflection on how the events of this book affected the setting or characters as a whole which is a major detriment because that’s the last impression we get from the book. At the end of the day I just wish the book were longer to fix all these issues.

Ultimately there was plenty to like but plenty of issues with Lords of the Sith. Some of the characters were fairly well-developed while some of the others were left on the chopping block. The brisk pace may be enjoyable for those looking for action, but for others (like me) who want a well-rounded cast to complement the action, perhaps not. Still overall, I thought it was a solid book and you could do far worse in the Star Wars universe.

ALTERNATE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: I recommend the aforementioned Darth Plagueis by James Luceno and Kenobi by John Jackson Miller. For those wanting a much deeper look on what it means to be a Sith master and Sith apprentice, look no further than Darth Plagueis. I recommend Kenobi because the story is similar in that we get to see what’s going on in the head of a character but on the opposite side of the spectrum as Darth Vader. Reading Kenobi after this book should make for a very interesting experience.

Wow. Great book. Lots of action. Many star wars books are kind of boring with too much drama. However this book is the exception. I couldn't put it down. Please read it if you get the chance. Thanks Paul Kemp!

Well written, but the title and cover are misleading. Despite being called "Lords of the Sith" and depicting Sidious and Vader on the cover unleashing their wrath, the book is more focused on Ryloth's rebel group. It seemed that every character worth reading about (Vader, Sidious, Belkor, even the Imperial Guards) were ignored. You find out nothing new about Vader, Sidious, or the dark side. It focuses on two Twi'leks who are pretty dry.

I want to enjoy the new canon so bad, but with Disney releasing content like Lords of the Sith and Aftermath it becomes more of a chore than enjoyment.

My favorite novel this far in the new canon.

I do have issues with the title and that the book (at least to me) would mainly focus on Vader and the emperor when in actuality it focuses more on a leader of freedom fighters and imperial characters. Even with that said, the Vader moments are great & expand his dark side with what he carries out & plans. The emperor/sidious feels just as he does in the movies/cone clone wars.

The last minor complaint is the overuse of the word "damn." It's not that I'm against profanity in star wars, as it's sprinkled sparsely throughout the saga, but it seemed that Mr. Kemp really liked having characters think or say that word at least once every chapter.

I believe that heir to the Jedi was the previous book released which left me disappointed. So perhaps this novel had the benefit of having the bar significantly lowered from my POV. However, i feel this was an all in all a solid novel in regards to the new canon & could hold its own in the legends EU.

I liked the story. Sometimes I felt a little bored. I love how the story showed how powerful Darth Sidious and Darth Vader really are. Some of the scenes in this book would be great as part of a movie. Do you think they could do a Star Wars 3.5?

Although a very good novel, I was told this book would focus on the nature of the relationship between Vader and Palpatine--I was still left wanting. I feel the book was 50% "Lords of the With" and the other just filler from characters surrounding the plot.

By no means bad book, however. I just wanted more of what made the book great.

It ended with everyone dying. What story does that. U want it to end with love and compassion and victory. Not slaughter. Darth Vader killed all the main characters. Sorry if this is a spoiler. Darth Vader is the only main character that lives. Charm lives but with a lot of grief. Why would anyone write a book with this ending? At least make a happy good sequel. Would it kill u to add some comedy into a book? Seriously. I never laughed. The only successful and good thing about this book is when the rebels blow up the star destroyer. Yet it still killed rebels. And Vader + the Emperor escaped.

I received this book from Random House and Netgally for an honest review.

I have only read a few novels from the Star Wars expanded universe, but this one ranks up there with the best of them. There’s tons of great action, a strong story of rebellion and the quest for freedom of the Ryloth people that are heavily oppressed by the rising Empire, and of course, Darth Vader and the Emperor. How can you not enjoy a Star Wars book with more stories to hear about Vader and the Emperor?

Well written, captivating, with edge-of-your thrills, Paul Kemp has crafted a new journey into a place from “A long time ago” and in a “galaxy far away” that takes place between episode III and IV. Vader and The Emperor are the only familiar characters from the Star Wars universe, but every new character feels like part of what going on and like they have always been there. The unbreakable twi-lek Cham, who leads the rebellion, another twi-lek by the name of Isval; Cham’s closest companion in the rebellion, are both worthy additions to the franchise and carry the story well. Moff Mors, Belkor, Steen Borkas, Faylin, among others, are also great new characters that are introduced in this book.

With knowing Darth Vader and The Emperor’s fate from seeing the Star Wars movies, you can kind of guess how this book will end, but Paul Kemp keeps the tension high in this book and even leads you to believe –if falsely- that the good guys might actually pull this thing off! To see The Emperor and Vader on the run from perusing Ryloth freedom fighters who are out to kill them on site…it’s thrilling stuff, even if you know they aren’t going to die in the end. Trust me, for fans of this franchise, it won’t take away from your enjoyment; this book is a great read! I give it 4.5/5

A good addition to the Star Wars family. I enjoy any time where the relationship between the Emperor and Darth Vader is explored and expanded. After reading Darth Plagueis and the trials the soon-to-be Emperor needed to endure- it is interesting to see Darth Sidious begin to test Darth Vader in the same vein. A great read for post Revenge of the Sith story line.

My review today is for Lords of the Sith: Star Wars by Paul S. Kemp. This book is one of My 2015 most anticipated releases . This is the latest Star Wars "canon" books. I was very excited for this book. I have always been an Empire man myself so this book about the Emperor and Lord Vader seemed perfect for me. I was not disappointed. The book started out strong and stayed strong throughout. This was the action packed thrill ride I have been waiting for from all of these new Star Wars books. This was by far the best of the "canon" Star Wars books to come out recently. Mr. Kemp's writing is superb. I felt his writing on these two well known characters and the dynamics of there relationship was very well done. If I had to complain about something it would only be I wish the book was longer and went into even more depth on the master and apprentice relationship. Overall I have to say I am very happy with this book and I hope the future Star Wars books continue to be this good!

4/5 Stars - mightythorjrs

This was a great read. The author did a good job of keeping me interested throughout the story. It was so much better than most of the Star Wars Legacy books. Plenty of action, as well as some great insight on Vader, the Emperor, and the resistance. Definitely looking forward to more Star Wars books like this one.

Great insight into the smith culture and philosophy, it's so fascinating to read from Vador's perspective and to hear from the inside of Vador and Palpatine's relationship. The middle of the book gets lost in a fairly boring story about sub-characters that are never really developed into interesting people. But if you can wade through the middle chapters the beginning and the end are well worth the read!

Just finished Paul S. Kemp's LORDS OF THE SITH... Wow! The best Star Wars novel I've read in quite some time! Right up there with the Thrawn Trilogy and KENOBI. Impressive... Most impressive. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Be prepared to wear a bib for this one folks! This book has a spectacular story line that if you really pay attention, you’ll see just how well it’s going to connect to other avenues (books, TV, and movies). I couldn’t put this book down, I kept it with me when I went to work and read it when I got home every day. It will truly grab you by the shirt, slap you in the face once for good measure to make sure you’re paying attention, then pull you right in for a loving embrace.

Continued review here at this site.....
[...]

Not a "dark side" book at all. This book called "Lords of the Sith" places its two stars in the back seat of this story. This is a generic Rebel story with no payoff. The most memorable Sith fighting is against forest beasts with no personality. The interactions between the Emperor and Vader are laughable at best. I don't feel like they are dark at all. They spend the whole book will they won't they about killing each other. That sounds evil till you realize it's all passive aggressive statements. "Vader fell deeper in the force" is the only line this author knows to describe the force. It's a line that is used every single time he uses the force with no variation or attempt of using different descriptions. Recommend Darth Bane Trilogy for a Sith book. As a Rebel story I would give it a 4/5. As a Sith book a 2/5.

Excellent book!!! No one should give this one a negative review. Much better than the Thrawn books. The book was very efficient and there was no waste in the story as some Star Wars books get off on a boring tangent. I loved the dialogue between Sidious and Vader it provides more insight into their relationship and into sith (rule of 2).

The idea behind this book was a nice touch, but it may have been a tad bit long and winded. There were times I was getting bored and only had one good action piece which provided nice tension. If you are craving Star Wars and need something, this will fill the void, but will not be remembered much after,

I really liked this book on audiobook.
Spoiler Alerts......
The relationship between Sidius and Vader is truly complicated and disturbing. I never bought the quick change into murderous Vader in Ep3. Here we see how they work together.
But can you tell me why the Emperor decided to slaghter the village at the end?

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Star Wars fans will appreciate a story told directly, without trying to be complicated. The characters were authentic and the overall vibe was, well, fun (in a gritty, serious way).

My review today is for Lords of the Sith: Star Wars by Paul S. Kemp. This book is one of My 2015 most anticipated releases . This is the latest Star Wars "canon" books. I was very excited for this book. I have always been an Empire man myself so this book about the Emperor and Lord Vader seemed perfect for me. I was not disappointed. The book started out strong and stayed strong throughout. This was the action packed thrill ride I have been waiting for from all of these new Star Wars books. This was by far the best of the "canon" Star Wars books to come out recently. Mr. Kemp's writing is superb. I felt his writing on these two well known characters and the dynamics of there relationship was very well done. If I had to complain about something it would only be I wish the book was longer and went into even more depth on the master and apprentice relationship. Overall I have to say I am very happy with this book and I hope the future Star Wars books continue to be this good!

4/5 Stars - mightythorjrs

This was a great read. The author did a good job of keeping me interested throughout the story. It was so much better than most of the Star Wars Legacy books. Plenty of action, as well as some great insight on Vader, the Emperor, and the resistance. Definitely looking forward to more Star Wars books like this one.

Great insight into the smith culture and philosophy, it's so fascinating to read from Vador's perspective and to hear from the inside of Vador and Palpatine's relationship. The middle of the book gets lost in a fairly boring story about sub-characters that are never really developed into interesting people. But if you can wade through the middle chapters the beginning and the end are well worth the read!

Just finished Paul S. Kemp's LORDS OF THE SITH... Wow! The best Star Wars novel I've read in quite some time! Right up there with the Thrawn Trilogy and KENOBI. Impressive... Most impressive. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Be prepared to wear a bib for this one folks! This book has a spectacular story line that if you really pay attention, you’ll see just how well it’s going to connect to other avenues (books, TV, and movies). I couldn’t put this book down, I kept it with me when I went to work and read it when I got home every day. It will truly grab you by the shirt, slap you in the face once for good measure to make sure you’re paying attention, then pull you right in for a loving embrace.

Continued review here at this site.....
[...]

Not a "dark side" book at all. This book called "Lords of the Sith" places its two stars in the back seat of this story. This is a generic Rebel story with no payoff. The most memorable Sith fighting is against forest beasts with no personality. The interactions between the Emperor and Vader are laughable at best. I don't feel like they are dark at all. They spend the whole book will they won't they about killing each other. That sounds evil till you realize it's all passive aggressive statements. "Vader fell deeper in the force" is the only line this author knows to describe the force. It's a line that is used every single time he uses the force with no variation or attempt of using different descriptions. Recommend Darth Bane Trilogy for a Sith book. As a Rebel story I would give it a 4/5. As a Sith book a 2/5.

Excellent book!!! No one should give this one a negative review. Much better than the Thrawn books. The book was very efficient and there was no waste in the story as some Star Wars books get off on a boring tangent. I loved the dialogue between Sidious and Vader it provides more insight into their relationship and into sith (rule of 2).

The idea behind this book was a nice touch, but it may have been a tad bit long and winded. There were times I was getting bored and only had one good action piece which provided nice tension. If you are craving Star Wars and need something, this will fill the void, but will not be remembered much after,

I really liked this book on audiobook.
Spoiler Alerts......
The relationship between Sidius and Vader is truly complicated and disturbing. I never bought the quick change into murderous Vader in Ep3. Here we see how they work together.
But can you tell me why the Emperor decided to slaghter the village at the end?

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Star Wars fans will appreciate a story told directly, without trying to be complicated. The characters were authentic and the overall vibe was, well, fun (in a gritty, serious way).

*I received this book as an eARC from Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey Spectra via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I have really enjoyed these new canon Star Wars books. All of them have made effort to connect the two trilogies and the tv series, Lords of the Sith especially. There was a reference to a former padawan that made me squeal.

When it comes to Darth Vader, he needs to be an ominous force. There has to be that mystery remaining, even though we know so much about his past. This book did an excellent job at not getting too much inside of Vader's head. There were many parts of the book when I was hearing Anakin's voice in my head instead of Vader's deep voice. Although the focus of this book may be on Vader and the Emperor, they don't get as much "screen time" as other characters.

Cham Syndulla is the real core of this story. Not only that, but he is the connection to the Star Wars tv shows. He was featured on The Clone Wars and has a direct connection to a character on Rebels.

This book can be seen as a sequel to Revenge of the Sith and The Clone Wars, but also a prequel to Rebels and A New Hope. All of the connections are there.

Pretty much every character in this book has a grayness to them. The "freedom fighters" are very close to terrorists, but they're attacking the "bad guys" so it's okay, right? The uber bad guys are on the run, but they have all the power and will to destroy anyone in their way. The government and military leaders either do a horrible job at their job or are attempting to play the system to get more power.

Moff Delian Mors is introduced in this book and she has received a lot of hype, being the first LGBT character in the new Star Wars canon. I am very excited to see the positive outpour over an LGBT character and hope to see more in everything Star Wars, but Mors's sexual orientation is just a small aspect of her character. Overall, she is a lazy Imperial officer. She had some redeeming qualities, but she is only a side character. I'd love to see her in more things Star Wars, but even more I'd love to see more characters to represent other aspects of the LGBT community.

Like all of the new canon Star Wars books, reading little details gets me even more excited knowing they are legit. When one of the royal guards took off his helmet, my mouth dropped. Vader's meditation chamber has been featured a lot in these books recently. It makes me wonder if there is something more to it than we know.

I really enjoyed this book. The whole first half is pretty much just set-up, but it's enjoyable getting to know these new characters and Ryloth as a planet. I actually found the set-up more interesting than the running, chasing, and hunting of the second half. I give this book a 4/5. I believe that makes this my second favorite of the new Star Wars canon books so far, just behind Heir to the Jedi. Although once Dark Disciple and Aftermath come out, I'm almost positive that will change.

The book didn't quite live up to the billing on its cover. One thinks the novel will focus primarily on the Sith Lords of the title, but most of the book was given to the Free Ryloth movement and its members. Moff Mos and her underling Belkor were also given huge chunks of the novel. Where are the Sith Lords, one wonders?

Also, Paul Kemp had quite a task to accomplish in this novel. He had to create suspense and even hints of danger to Lords Sidious and Vader, when readers already know going into it that neither will find their demise just yet. To that end, he didn't succeed. With the Force at their disposal Vader & Sidious were able to easily dispatch of all foes - sentient beings or not.

The book took a while to really get going.The author took a long time to set up the plot and characters. Although the title is "Lords of the Sith", most of the first quarter of the novel was about the Free Ryloth movement - their aims and members.

Speaking of Free Ryloth, it's just pathetic how Cham Syndulla, the leader of the movement continually chanted to himself that they were freedom fighters - not terrorists. I don't know why the Twi'lek felt it was important to make the distinction since those not in the movement will think whatever they want to think, and disregard Cham's "freedom fighter" moniker if need be. Another thing about Cham: near the end of the novel, he is urged to save himself from certain death at Vader's hand so he can live for his daughter, and to continue the rebellion. Mere paragraphs later, Cham muses that "the Empire could do nothing more to him." Um, what about his daughter? Does he really think she can't be used as leverage against him by his enemies? Or what if she too joins the movement, and dies as a result? This was just nonsensical and illogical thinking on his part.

Speaking of pathetic, even given her tragic backstory, there's still no excuse for Izval's continued bitchy attitude. I constantly wanted to slap her - and she's one of the main characters in the story! In fact, I just couldn't muster much sympathy for any of the members of Free Ryloth. It may be so wrong of me, but I was cheering for Vader/Sidious to prevail over these whiny, naive, even delusional folks.

My main nitpick about this book was the repeated use of Vader drawing/channeling/focusing on his anger in order to access the Force. OK, we get it - he's still full of anger/hatred about the events at the time of the rise of the Empire, but it just got tiring to see the same manner in which Vader needed to "psych" himself up in order to access the Force.

Overall, this novel was alright. But, it could be easily skipped, and I don't think anything would have been missed. It really doesn't seem integral to the overall SW mythos. In fact, this is the third book I've read since LucasBooks/Disney decided to "reset" the official canon. And based on what I've read (the other two books were Heir to the Force and Razor's Edge) I have to say I am underwhelmed. These novels [post-Disney purchase of SW] don't bode well for the (lack of) quality of books to come.

I started reading "Lords of the Sith" because I heard how great it was. Finally, an adventure with Palps and Vader, stuck on a remote, hostile planet. However, the pacing is poor, and the action is dull and forgettable.

2/3 of the book isn't even about these Lords, but about a band of freedom fighters. They accomplish their mission, and end up stranding Vader and Sidious. It turns into a glorious hunting experience, and largely, a disappointing story.

I'll keep this spoiler free, but for a book that's supposedly showing a true test of these two Lords of the Sith, the bulk of the action doesn't involve them. Imagine you're going to write a book about your experience at the mall, only you write about DRIVING there, getting a flat tire, fixing it, getting gas, and finally reaching the mall. 80% of the story is over, and the last 20% is actually about being there.

Overall, a waste of time. Skip this one.

Paul S. Kemp is one of my favorite authors, so when I saw he had another Star Wars book in the works, I couldn’t wait to read it. LORDS OF THE SITH is the best Star Wars book I’ve read in at least a year. If you like Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine being the badasses they are, you’ve got to check this out.

Eight years after the Clone Wars, most of the galaxy is used to Imperial rule. But on Ryloth, Cham Syndulla leads the Free Ryloth movement. He’s a freedom fighter, determined to free his planet from Imperial tyranny. When he gets word that Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine are coming to Ryloth to punish the planet’s Moff, he sees it as the chance of a lifetime. It’s the best opportunity they’ll ever have to free Ryloth and its citizens. But will Vader and Palpatine fall to Free Ryloth’s well-laid plans? Or are they playing an even deeper game?

Paul S. Kemp is such a skillful writer at creating tension and plot twists, that, for a while, I thought the Twi’leks would succeed. Do they? Maybe. There’s a good level of action in LORDS OF THE SITH. Events keep building and building until you think there’s nothing else that can happen, but then WHAM! There’s more. There are also some great action scenes, lots of lightsaber fun and Force-assisted fighting.

I also liked that the author brought up Vader’s past. I can’t recall seeing this very often, if at all, in other books. It was nice to see Vader remember life as Anakin. To see what he feels about his past, and to see how it now influences him. There’s also some … I’ll call it dark side bonding, between Vader and Palpatine, a look into their roles as Master and Apprentice, and how the roles impact their behavior and actions.

The Free Ryloth movement was interesting, as well. While I generally prefer Imperials and Sith, I do like seeing the other side. Imperial control of the planet has pushed Cham to better Ryloth and its people. But for Isval, it’s a quest for vengeance, with the side benefit of helping her people. It was fun reading to watch the Twi’leks maneuver and confuse the Imperials.

Lastly, LORDS OF THE SITH made news when it was announced the book would have a lesbian character. I’m a big fan of diversity and am always looking for it, so that only made me more excited. I think it was a long time coming — in a universe as big as Star Wars, it stands to reason that not all characters are heterosexual. But I’m mentioning this in my review to say that it’s not like the Moff is having sex on every page, or making a big deal out of her sexuality. It’s just part of who she is, which is how it should be. End soapbox.

Overall, LORDS OF THE SITH is a fantastic Star Wars book. It’s restored my faith in the series after a couple of subpar volumes.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really good story. It portrayed a Vader that I'd been hoping for. Much of the older expanded universe stuff often showed him as being too emotionally conflicted. The end result being a mopey, almost whiny Vader. In this story he's determined, and while his past does haunt him, he has no qualms about the choices he made. Vader is THE bad guy, and he loves it.
The one thing that bothered me the most was that for a story called Lords of the Sith, The Lords of the Sith weren't in it as often as I'd hoped. It might as well have been called "Cham Syndulla and Friends, feat. The Lords of the Sith". I had the same beef with his other Sith-centered book, Deceived. I want to see the bad guys. Not some B-list characters fighting the bad guys. Other Star Wars writers, particularly Drew Karpyshyn, have shown you can write a compelling story about the dark side without focusing on some random good guys.
All in all, a good book, worth the read.

It was good on the first part, but towards the end you know that the villains will win anyway, so all the running around was for nothing. I was expecting more information about the sith, and the only cool info that I got were two ancient Sith words for death and fate.

I am a gianormous fan of Darth Vader, so much in fact that I try to get as much of him as possible. Film, Lore, the mythos: Anything to learn more about the character, and what is better than reading about him in a book? I looked over the store for a book that expressed the Dark Lord in a... correct, so to speak, way. That was when I stumbled upon this book. The cover looked amazing: Darth with his lightsaber, the Emperor casting his Force Lightning; the thing I was looking for. But, sadly, it just turned out to be far less exciting. I may sound stupid, and trust me, I am, but for a book to focus less on the characters on the front and implied in the title, seems really cheaty.

THIS IS MY OPINION, I AM NOT INSULTING THE AUTHOR OR ANY READER WHO LIKED THE BOOK. THERE IS NO REASON NOT TO LIKE THE BOOK BECAUSE I SAID IT WAS TERRIBLE. THANK YOU. PLEASE BE OPEN TO OPINIONS WHN READING ON.

To be frank, I did really like the first chapters. It showed all the characters ambitions, the fear of Vader, Vader's tactics, Cham's thoughts, and the overall brutality of the Empire. I loved it. But, being this is on the store, it might have only been there to trick the reader into buying the book, after reading a sample.

Overall, to really enjoy this book you have to like the Rebellion, and not suspect much out of the Sith.

First off the title is a misnomer; the book has very little to do with the emperor or Vader and honestly they could have been left out of the story with very little difference made.
Also, I e notice that Mr. Kemp seems to have very little knowledge about the Star Wars universe. Don't waste your money or time