STAR WARS: LORDS OF THE SITH
Star Wars books are enjoying a revival of sorts. Disney’s takeover of the franchise has led to a fresh start for the series. This also means that decades worth of continuity can now be safely ignored, making this an ideal time to jump aboard.
Those expecting a bold new direction will be disappointed, however. Lords of the Sith plays it pretty safe, adding nothing terribly new to the world of Star Wars. The tale is set between Revenge of The Sith and A New Hope. Vader and the Emperor are the true power in the galaxy and the Empire is on the rise. For the people of the planet Ryloth, this is very bad news. The native Twi’leks have been made into slaves by the Emperor, forced to serve in the spice mines or elsewhere. The seeds of rebellion have begun on this world; a well organised and clever team of freedom fighters have slowly been making headway.
All this goes awry when the good guys learn that both Vader and his Master are coming to Ryloth. Refusing to pass up a chance to end the Empire with a single stroke, the team throw all their engines against the bad guys. The result is a series of hunting stories, with the Rebels becoming more and more desperate to end the reign of the Sith.
They are some nice moments throughout this. Kemp is an old hand when it comes to all things Star Wars and he gets the master and apprentice relationship very well indeed. There is a nice mix between action and drama, and though Vader is hardly the most complicated of villains, he is handled with respect. The book also features The Emperor gleefully kicking ass, which is a rare pleasure. We know the Sith aren’t going to die, but that doesn’t matter. It’s still fun.
Despite being nothing particular new or unique, Lords of the Sith is fun addition to the new range of Star Wars stories. It will do for now whilst we wait for The Force Awakens come to our screens, though it is nothing more than just another Star Wars story.
INFO: AUTHOR: PAUL S. KEMP / PUBLISHER: CENTURY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
