Terrific and at times utterly captivating insight into the mind of a Darth Vader who is still new to the iconic black helmet at this point in his tenure as a dark lord of the Sith. Interesting to see what keeps him going, how he channels his hate.

Some things were unresolved But an amusing read

This was great overall! The detail of how things unfolding was like watching a movie. I recommend this book to any Star Wars fan, it is a fantastic stand book. I hope they come out with a part 2 of this series!

Amazing. I never want to put it down so I could see what happens next

If you are against the LGBT or whatever it's called today don't read this book one of the main characters is gay!😡😠😤

This is by far one of the best Star Wars books I have read so far. You get a great look on Darth Vader and the Emperor's relationship. You can also see some new aspects of the Emperor that weren't even in any of the movies. The only problem I had (trust me it's a small problem) was that they focused more on Cham Syndulla than you'd think (especially since this book is titled Lords of the Sith). But Cham Syndulla is an interesting character anyway and it's great to see more of him since his appearances in The Clone Wars and Rebels. Overall, if you are a Star Wars fan, DEFINITELY READ THIS AMAZING BOOK.

So boring and forgettable. Save your money. Wish I could have mine, and my time wasted reading this, back.

The author seems to think space is the same as the ocean. He makes frequent references to “the ship was listing” etc. as if all the battles are taking place in the ocean rather than outer space. He seems to have failed to realize there is little to no gravity in space and describes deep space ship maneuvers as if they were taking place in the atmosphere of a planet. Vader has zero personality and is an empty, one-dimensional cardboard character - the author made no effort on this book it seems. Don’t waste your time.

Regardless of how you felt about episodes 1 2 and 3, they deepened our understanding of Darth Vader and the emotional dynamics that led to his turn to the dark side of the force. This book explores the internal dialogue of Vader and his interactions with his Sith master, the Emperor. The story further reveals the struggles behind the suit and the unique dynamic between master and apprentice. It is so much fun to peak behind the curtain of the relationship between Vader and the Emperor, which was one of the most unique relationships in episodes 3, 4 and 5. We didn't get to see much of the dynamic through the movies. That makes this book worth the read. Oh and some other characters are there as well but don't really carry the story of the greater Star Wars universe much. Read it to enjoy the deeper nuances of the dark side power dynamics.

Unlike 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.

First Star Wars book I have read since I was 13. Great structure from start to finish. Ending could have a little to be desired. The book built up the suspense so well, overall great read.

This is a fantastic read and is by far the best of the new canon novels so far. You really get to see the true power of Palpatine and Vader in this book!

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.

Not a bad book but like others said, not much actually about Vader or The Emperor. It's too short to cost as much as it does so it's kind of a rip off

I get that there had to be some obstacle for Vader and the emperor's power to be showcased. There had to be something they had to overcome within the narrative. However, this book spends entirely too much time fleshing out a group of freedom fighters and the politics of an alien world. The small glimpses you get into Vader & the emperor's relationship are fascinating, but they're too few. This was a missed opportunity in my opinion.

Good ideas and concepts, though they do not easily flow. The repititous use of only a handful of adjectives continuously pulls the reader from the story. At several points I began to wonder if the author wrote this while in 8th grade language arts.

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.

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!

This book is a classic example of giving the reader a good read that nonetheless completely misses the mark on what he or she paid for. Simply put, where are the Lords of the Sith? The book starts and ends strong with a powerful focus on Vader and a genuinely new interpretation of the character for the new canon. This new Vader was not at all weakened by being dipped in lava and shoved into a metal suit. If anything, he's stronger than ever, which is fully showcased in this novel's excellent (if occasionally drawn out) action scenes. There just wasn't nearly enough of him. Instead, most of the book focuses on a band of twilek rebels. Though well developed in their own right, these characters are no substitute for Vader and it shows. Overall the book is definitely worth a read but feels nonetheless like a massive missed opportunity.