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    Star Wars: Lords of the Sith
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    Star Wars: Lords of the Sith
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    Star Wars: Lords of the Sith
    Audiobook10 hours

    Star Wars: Lords of the Sith

    Written by Paul S. Kemp

    Narrated by Jonathan Davis

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . .

    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.

    On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the growing Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as "spice," an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine means to control the embattled world and its precious resources-by political power or firepower-and he will be neither intimidated nor denied. Accompanied by his merciless disciple, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure his will is done.

    For Syndulla and Isval, it's the opportunity to strike at the very heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. And for the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than just a matter of putting down an insurrection: When an ambush sends them crashing to the planet's surface, where inhospitable terrain and an army of resistance fighters await them, they will find their relationship tested as never before. With only their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other to depend on, the two Sith must decide if the brutal bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 28, 2015
    ISBN9780147523334
    Unavailable
    Star Wars: Lords of the Sith
    Author

    Paul S. Kemp

    Paul S. Kemp is a lawyer. That is bad. He is also the million-selling author of the Erevis Cale sword and sorcery series, and several Star Wars novels. That is good. Very good. He has appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list three times (twice on the hardcover list, and once in the mass market list). It’s a little known fact that Paul has maimed eight men and three llamas using only an unsharpened pencil and a stick of Wrigley’s gun. Now you know too. He does not hum show tunes. Ever. Paul lives in Michigan with his wife and twin sons.

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    Reviews for Star Wars

    4/5

    204 ratings25 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Or details of the twi`lek freedom fight against the Empire. Well written, entertaining book, maybe one of the best SW book I`ve read in the last few years. It`s biggest problem is the common issue of the prequel stories, namely that one will now in advance that some of the major characters cannot die simply they are in the later timeline.
    • 4/5
      A fast-paced and action-filled story surrounding an assassination attempt on the Emperor and Vader. The narrative is done partially through the eyes of two members of a Twi'lek rebellion organisation (one of whom is the father of a "Star Wars: Rebels" protagonist), partially through the eyes of two ambitious and compromised local Imperial officers, and partially through the eyes of Darth Vader.
    • 4/5
      I listened to the audiobook read by Jonathan Davis and it was great. I liked the insight into Cham Syndulla's past. If you enjoyed The Clone Wars or Rebels, you'll appreciate this story as it sort of bridges some of the gap between the films and those television shows.
    • 4/5
      This is a great book is great for those who love the Star Wars expanded universe, and the Darkside.
    • 5/5
      Awesome story telling by the reader. Sound effects made the listener feel as if it was the movies.
    • 2/5
      I guess there’s some connections to the TV shows, but, not having seen them, I didn’t really get the story. People trying to kill Vader and Palpatine, not as much Vader and Palpatine themselves. The characters aren’t terribly fleshed out and there’s little sense of drama or action, probably because I couldn’t connect with the characters. Perhaps it’s better if you’re familiar with the Clone Wars and Rebels TV show? Christie Golden’s Star Wars books and the recent Bloodlines novel are vastly superior.
    • 2/5
      The 3 ... 2 stars, since it wasnt ok, are all for the narrator - terrific job. The same cannot be said about the quality of the writing. Predictable, cheap ploys for narrative tension. Very sloppy overall...
    • 4/5
      Pretty good overall. Top notch voicing and readership by the narrator. Much of the story felt like an evil bromance between Vader and the Emperor that repetively tapped into their emo feelings to fuel dark side powers, perhaps a bit too much (hence minus 1 star). The other character arcs, especially for the rebels and imperial officers was fantastic.
    • 5/5
      Amazing book that just reinforces how awesome Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine are together by putting them in a situation where its them versus an army. I love the new canon Star Wars books because they will put in little nods to other Star Wars characters and show how the Rebellion and the Empire started. I definitely reccomend this to anyone wanting to see the true power of the Darkside.
    • 5/5
      The tragedy of Darth Vader was explained and interesting tie up with Star Wars rebels. Hera and her history to my liking. Most enjoyable. The nastiness of the sith explored.
    • 5/5
      love this book goes deeper into the relationship between Darth Vader and the emperor. information on the resistance in ryloth was fantastic I wish we could see and hear more about the people of ryloth. all around great book love the way they added more depth two Darth Vader and showing how brutally efficient he is.
    • 2/5
      A disappointment that continues a long tradition of Star Wars villains being under-represented in their own books. The writing is fine, but unlike the recent Tarkin or the excellent Darth Plagueis, the titular characters just have nothing interesting to do or say for most of the story. So much time is spent developing their antagonists that we learn nothing about the Sith besides the fact that Vader is prone to mopey Anakin moments and Palpatine enjoys mind-games with his staff.

      In fact, the most interesting part of the whole novel is learning that an Imperial Moff had a same-sex marriage. That's really it. You get a glimpse at how the organization of the Rebellion started in Rhyloth, but that would make "Twi'lek Insurgency" a more fitting title than Lords of the Sith.
    • 4/5
      A fast-paced and action-filled story surrounding an assassination attempt on the Emperor and Vader. The narrative is done partially through the eyes of two members of a Twi'lek rebellion organisation (one of whom is the father of a "Star Wars: Rebels" protagonist), partially through the eyes of two ambitious and compromised local Imperial officers, and partially through the eyes of Darth Vader.
    • 5/5
      this book was a great!
    • 5/5
      absolutely amazing. really opened up the star wars universe. this is an amazing novel. it showed me more than i ever knew about the emperor, his power and the relationship to vadar.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed the parts of the book that followed Vader's enemies, more so than Vader's story even. I was disappointed by how "god like" the emperor and Vader were portrayed throughout the book. It makes their roles in the movies unbelievable. Their overpoweredness felt almost forced. I kept thinking over and over to myself, "If Vader was this powerful, why didn't he just kill everyone in the movies easily?" The answer is - no, Vader was not that powerful, he was a powerful man, but no god like he's made out to be here. Darth Vader and the emperor's portrayal in "Tarkin" was much more realistic and closer to their characters in the original Star Wars trilogy. I will say that the writing was great in this book and kept me wanting to read on. My advice? Read this book for an excellent story of the Empire's enemies.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      As far as star wars books go, its certainly not the worst. The characters feel forced for most of the book, like angsty teenagers, but its still an interesting read if not especially groundbreaking or revelatory for star wars lore.
    • 4/5
      The Title is MisleadingA 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.On a slightly related note, not many people have mentioned this so I figured I would bring this up: this book has the first canonical appearance of an LGBT character in the Star Wars universe.
    • 4/5
      A much needed addition to the new canon. This novel helps link the Clone Wars TV series to the Rebels series and to the films. I enjoyed the Ryloth story arcs from Clone Wars and found Hera to be an intriguing character in Rebels. Lords of the Sith brings the two together and adds depth to each. The plot is simple: a band of freedom-fighters carry out an assassination attempt on Vader and the Emperor. The writing is actually quite simple as well, but maintains a tense, engaging tone throughout. Character development isn’t exactly drastic, but you feel an understanding of character motivation in relation to the bigger picture of the franchise. Looking forward to future additions to the canon!
    • 3/5
      Star Wars is on the brain...of everyone. After the supreme disappointment of the prequels (okay, they weren't that bad, and we probably all had our hopes set too high, anyway), the hype and the excitement and the energy and the shear cultural force of Star Wars + JJ Abrams + the biggest fandom in the Universe is leading to anticipation unmatched in this generation.

      So, naturally, I picked up a random piece of Star Wars universe fiction--Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Kemp--and blew through it on a weekend.

      And I do mean that I "blew through it." By way of comparison, I started reading Lords of the Sith directly after finishing David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. One does not read Dickens without a serious commitment of time (and that thousand page tomb took me a good month to consume). The dip into Star Wars was a slightly, shall we say, quicker read.

      Lords of the Sith is focused on the two Sith we know best: Darth Vader and the Emperor (aka Lord Sidious, but I think we know him better as the Emperor) as seen during an uprising on Ryloth, home of the Twi'leck. Led by Cham Syndulah, the Twi'leck Resistence and the Free Ryloth movement are looking for a way to up the ante against the Empire, to break its hold on Ryloth, and finally be free. When information reaches them that Darth Vader and the Emperor will both be visiting, it's an opportunity too big to pass up.

      I didn't expect much going in to the story, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Kemp manages to take a story about two villains and insert other more naturally sympathetic characters, as well as to add depth, competence, and sympathy to the villains, as well. Although dubious at first, it didn't take long to draw me in.

      To be clear, Lords of the Sith fits better in the context of the entire Star Wars saga, especially as it relates to the Skywalkers and the Rebels versus the Empire piece. While there are some novels and stories that could stand alone, Lords is entirely dependent on the greater context to make sense.

      If you're a Star Wars fan and looking for a fun piece of the history between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, pick up Lords of the Sith for an interesting and well paced diversion into the relationship between Vader and Sidious.
    • 4/5
      Part of the new, official Lucasfilm Star Wars Canon; takes place 5 years after Episode III: Revenge of the SithI've been a huge Star Wars fan since I was a kid (I can remember going to see the very first Star Wars film in the theater), but I have never read one of the novels before. By the time that I realized there were SW novels out there, there were already so many published that I didn't know where to start to get caught up on them, so I just let them slide, and continued on enjoying the movies. With the establishment of the new Lucasfilm official canon, I decided to try giving some of the new books a try, as it seemed much more manageable this way, and Lords of the Sith had recently been released, so it seemed as good a place to start as any.The planet of Ryloth is integral to the Empire as both a source of slave labor and the substance known as "spice" (this does bug me a little bit - come up with something that a little more original that doesn't sound like you lifted it directly from Dune), but the inhabitants of Ryloth want to be free. The "Free Ryloth" movement is created for that purpose; led by Cham and Isval, the movement has simply been trying to be a thorn in the Empire's side, but when they learn that both the Emperor and Darth Vader are personally coming to the planet, they see an opportunity to assassinate them both and watch the Empire dissolve as a result.Of course, without even reading the book, you know that the Emperor and Vader are going to survive this story since they appear in Episodes IV-VI, so it's no surprise that they do survive the attack. What makes this book interesting is seeing their relationship and how they deal with being thrust into a situation that neither were anticipating. It's also interesting seeing a book written more from the point of view of the villains that the heroes. Kemp does a great job in fleshing out all of the characters, tho; Cham, Isval, and the other freedom fighters are just as realized as the Emperor and Vader, even tho they are not the main focus of the story. However, it's the relationship between the Emperor and Vader that is the real highlight of the book; seeing their interactions throughout the book and how that relationship is tested, it the real essence of the story, and Kemp does a great job making that relationship feel real.The only true drawback that I would have to the book is actually getting to the main action of the book. We know that the Emperor and Vader are going to be trying to survive on Ryloth (this isn't spoilers, it's the whole point of the book), but actually getting them to the planet seems to take way too long. Practically half of the book is taken up with explaining aspects of the resistance unit, getting the Emperor and Vader to the planet, and finally the battle that forces them to crash land on the planet. I just kept wanting to jump ahead to when they finally arrive on the planet, as I knew that's when the story would really start moving. Once the action finally got going, however, the book was fantastic. It was interesting to see the Emperor and Vader's relationship in Vader's early days as a Sith.I know a lot of people are discouraged by the decision to basically do away with the previously established Extended Universe books, but if this is what the future of the Star Wars fictional universe is going to look like, I'm OK with it.Recommended, especially for Star Wars fans!
    • 3/5
      "Star Wars: Lords of the Sith" - Behind the MaskUnlike many Star Wars tales, "Lords of the Sith" tells a very narrowly-scoped story. Other than the very beginning, there are no plot devices on a galactic scale - no hopping from planet to planet which is so commonly seen. Nearly the entire story takes place in the Ryloth system - predominantly on the planet Ryloth itself. I can't rave about this book as nothing about it particularly knocked my socks off, but I can say that it was a good, fast read. The action is rather constant and the characters are engaging. What I enjoyed most was the interaction between Sidious and Vader. Having read the Darth Bane novels and more recently Darth Plagueis, I was quite familiar with the contradictory and bizarre nature of the Sith master/apprentice relationship. I had seen its complexities play out in several other forms, but never through Sidious and Vader. I was looking forward to it when I first cracked the pages of this novel and I found those portions to be my favorite as I read it. I've often wondered how Vader felt about Sidious during the years following "Revenge of the Sith." Did he ever feel resentment? Did he feel like he'd been lied to and tricked onto this dark path? Was he ambitious and eager to overthrow his master as is the duty of the Sith apprentice? What this novel tells me is that, in fact, after so many years by his side, Sidious remains as much an enigma to Vader as he was during the fall of the Republic. The man's mind is a mystery and this novel does nothing to clear that up for the reader or for Vader himself - except to make us all (Vader included) a bit more terrified of Sidious. He appears nearly omniscient which leads one to wonder how the events of Episode VI could ever have actually played out. While I enjoyed the insights into Vader's mind that this novel offered, I was a bit disappointed that similar attention wasn't given to Sidious. The novel is purposefully called "LORDS of the Sith" and yet the reader really only gets to see events through the eyes of one lord - Vader. After having read Darth Plagueis as well as Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, I enjoyed the glimpse into the mind of Sidious as a protagonist and was disappointed to seeing that door so firmly shut in this novel. He is little more than a supporting character. So, in short, this was a good book and an entertaining read into one of the many seeds of a galaxy-wide rebellion, but it left me wanting more. It didn't wow me but it was good enough for me to say I liked it. Though I don't think the end result was what the reader was promised by the marketing for the book.
    • 4/5
      Lords of the Sith moves along at a very fast, almost preternatural pace. ; ) Paul S. Kemp manages to get the reader, at least this one, to root for the protagonist and his movement, even though we know from the films they will not be completely successful. It is easy to find yourself hoping for them to cause as much damage as they possibly can.Spoilers Below...Obviously Cham and his group are unsuccessful, and unfortunately they accomplish very little. As you near the end of the book you begin to realize there is no hope. After taking down a star destroyer in the first half of the book, they are unable to do much more. Apparently this was the Emperor's plan all along, and he allowed these events to transpire in order to end the movement, and test Vader. The problem with this is that the reader invests so much into Cham's cause, and finds no reward. The focus, as the title suggests, should be on the Lords of the Sith, but it is not. The passages and dialog between Vader and the Emperor end up being the least interesting parts of the book. The two antagonists dominate and are portrayed as being an unstoppable force. With this approach it might be more interesting to hint at the Emperor's foresight, or show more of the relationship between Vader and him. Instead we see most of the book through Cham's eyes, in which he and his team are fighting a losing battle. The only other compliant would be the use of the word, preternatural.
    • 2/5
      I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

      2.5 stars, rounded down to 2 stars – I just wasn’t enamored with this one.

      Lords of the Sith is the story of the Free Ryloth movement, led by The Clone Wars character Cham Syndulla (father to Hera from Rebels), and their assassination attempt against Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, Senator Orn Free Taa, and Moff Delian Mors. The first stage of the plan, trapping the Imperials on the planet, is successful, but becomes much more complicated as the story progresses: not only will the freedom-fighters have to face Darth Vader in combat, but Emperor Palpatine, who has determined to take action himself.

      In spite of the title, the narrative is divided between the Imperials and the Free Ryloth Movement. This was a disappointment. I would have liked to see some discussion of the Sith background (like Darth Bane and Darth Plagueis) and how Sith teaching is passed down. Instead, the book focuses on yet another master/apprentice story.

      The book works well bridging Anakin from The Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith to Darth Vader of the Original Trilogy. He remembers the person that he was, but decides to regard his past heroics with contempt; any sorrow is built into a hateful rage that embodies his new role as a Sith Lord.

      The book’s action is hit-and-miss. The book opens up with a scene of Darth Vader leading a bombing run on a Twi’lek ship in orbit, destroying all of the ship’s guns, using his own TIE fighter as a guided missile to create an entrance, jumping out of his ship in the nick of time, and guiding himself with the Force to enter the ship and slaughter the crew within. The rest of the fight scenes aren’t quite as thrilling, knowing that the villains are destined to be victorious.
    • 4/5
      Probably the best Star Wars novel I’ve read in a while, and certainly one of the better Star Wars novels I’ve ever read, Lords of the Sith is a story centered on Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. Defiant against the Imperial forces’ attempts to control their home planet of Ryloth, a group of Twi’leks led by Cham Syndulla the idealistic freedom fighter (and the father of Hera, of Star Wars Rebel fame) plot to bring the Empire to its knees by assassinating the two Sith Lords. What amazes me is that even though we all know the rebels’ efforts are doomed to fail, Paul S. Kemp valiantly manages to keep the suspense up throughout the entire story.I’m also impressed at the moments we get inside Darth Vader’s head. If you’re a fan of the character, picking this novel up is a no-brainer. The story examines the Sith mentor and apprentice relationship, and does it very well. Vader, portrayed as utterly loyal to Palpatine, is nonetheless not immune to his momentary lapses and brief, emotional flashbacks to the past. Yes, he’s evil. Yes, he’s badass. And unfortunately, that’s the side of him the majority of Star Wars stories like to focus on. But everyone knows Vader is also a lot more complex than most writers give him credit for, and I feel like this might be the first Star Wars book I’ve read that actually does his character justice. Kemp strikes a fine balance, giving us plenty of full-on-Dark-Side force-choking Vader, but those glimpses we get of what little humanity he has left also made me sympathize with his inner conflict.And finally, if you’ve ever listened to a Star Wars audiobook, you’d probably know that they are in another league all together, complete with sound effects and music (though it might take some getting used to if you’re easily distracted by that stuff). If you’re thinking of checking this book out, I highly recommend the audio format. I’ve heard narrator Jonathan Davis’ work on other audiobooks before, but I never knew he could do such an incredible Darth Vader voice. Short of actually getting James Earl Jones to narrate, I don’t think you can find anyone better than Davis. 5 stars to his performance.