Today marks the release of Lords of the Sith, the fourth installment in the new line of Star Wars fiction, overseen by the Lucasfilm Story Group. Veteran Star Wars author, Paul S. Kemp, returns to the fray with a novel of epic proportions. Kemp has written Sith in the past, in such works as Crosscurrent, Riptide, and The Old Republic: Deceived. Lords of the Sith however, is Kemp’s first attempt of traversing the Original Trilogy era and bringing the Sith to life: Vader and Sidious.
Image via Random House
Announced just over a year ago, on April 25th 2014, Lords of the Sith is set between Revenge of the Sith and James Luceno’s recent release, Tarkin. The publishers summary promised a thrilling adventure that involves a rebel cell attempting to end the Empire’s tyranny by cutting off the head of the serpent himself: Palpatine.
Publisher’s Summary:
“When the Emperor and his notorious apprentice, Darth Vader, find themselves stranded in the middle of insurgent action on an inhospitable planet, they must rely on each other, the Force, and their own ruthlessness to prevail.
“It appears things are as you suspected, Lord Vader. We are indeed hunted.”
Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, is just a memory. Darth Vader, newly anointed Sith Lord, is ascendant. The Emperor’s chosen apprentice has swiftly proven his loyalty to the dark side. Still, the history of the Sith Order is one of duplicity, betrayal, and acolytes violently usurping their Masters—and the truest measure of Vader’s allegiance has yet to be taken. Until now.”
The first thing to note with the craftsmanship of how Kemp wrote Lords of the Sith is the many layers upon which this story was built. On first glance, the novel may appear to some to simply be a tale of an early Rebellion group and their attempts to liberate their planet from an imposing Empire. However this is simply the first layer. Kemp uses this simple narrative to build a foundation upon which his true story can flourish. Some might scoff at such a simple narrative, and admittedly a foundation isn’t necessarily going to look pretty. It’s there to support the building constructed upon it; not be appealing to the eye. And let me be clear, the building that Kemp constructs with both dexterity and proficiency is nothing short of astounding.
Kemp marvelously portrays Vader like we have yet to see him before. Too often, Vader is depicted as a one-dimensional villain who eats and sleeps evil. Kemp rises to the challenge and gives us a torn antihero who struggles at every turn to overcome his past. While this is an immense story, it really is about Vader and how he becomes the menace we all trembled at in A New Hope. Sidious, much like his name implies, is truly insidious as his web of deception and tests reaches a new high and we realize no, not even his right hand man, is safe from his twisted games and schemes.
One of the strongest points of the book is how we see Palpatine manipulate Vader like a master puppeteer. He takes Vaders doubts, regrets, and resentment and uses them to reinforce the young Sith’s resolve. He forces Vader to keep going and promotes the same treachery that he displays.
We also see a wide variety in this story from Rebel cells, to corrupt Imperials that really add depth to the story. There isn’t a whole lot of world-building in this book, and quite frankly that’s a good thing. The time period, events, and locations are all pretty much established. This allows Kemp to really focus on the characters growth and development throughout the story. There are few “background” characters present. Everyone gets their stories fleshed out and almost certainly not how you would expect. Kemp keeps pulling back the layers the deeper we dive into the hellish jungles of Ryloth. The book will certainly keep you on your toes throughout.
Any book covering a terrorist attack against the Empire that focuses on two powerful Sith Lords is bound to have some action, but Kemp truly keeps you on the edge of your seat. Right from the first chapter you will be drawn in as you try to keep up with exploding Star Destroyers, vicious Lyleks, and a daring team of Rebels. It was a nice tie-in to see Cham Sydulla (father of Hera Syndulla from Star Wars Rebels) have a central role. His involvement helped to flesh out some of Hera’s background and give reasoning for her passion of liberation.
One of the best aspects of this novel though, is Kemp’s ability to blur the lines between hero and villain. I found my opinions of certain characters, and their presumed roles, changing as I read through Lords of the Sith. Kemp artistically and systematically gives us characters who are not comprehendible upon a first pass. Lords of the Sith will demand much thought from its readers, but the payoff is more than worth it.
Overall, Paul S. Kemp has made a valuable addition to the new line of Star Wars stories and raised the bar for future installments. He provided and action-packed masterpiece that also balanced an amazing amount of character progression. Kemp has earned his place as a gifted storyteller and someone who has a deep understanding of the complexities of the Star Wars universe. Out of all the new books that have come out, Lords of the Sith is by far my favorite.
I give this book 9/10 stars. Special thanks to Alex Coumbis with Random House for providing a review copy of this book. Order this book right now at this link via Amazon.com
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