So far I've been really pretty damn impressed with the rebooted Expanded Universe which The Powers That Be have constructed for Star Wars. I have been following and consuming it since it was launched and plan to post a feature of my thoughts for each entry up until this point in the near future, but having just today finished the latest entry, namely Star Wars: Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Kemp, I thought I'd post a quasi-review about what I thought of it and it's place within the larger Star Wars canon.
DISCLAIMER: This is a review of the novel in general, however I experienced it via the unabridged audio-book version as I try to do with all of the Star Wars novels. The audio-books are just wonderfully produced. Complete with sound-effects, score and incidental background noise, it really sucks you into the narrative and is presented almost as more of an audio-play than simply a recording of the novel. The iconic music of John Williams definitely helps get you in that Star Wars mood, and although it's used sparingly, it is hugely effective. I would highly recommend giving them a go, they're definitely worth it.
The story takes place approximately five years after the end of The Clone Wars, in the period of time between Episodes III and IV, and concurrently follows Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine as they journey to Ryloth (a predominantly Twi'lek planet being exploited by the Empire), and a group of rebels called the Free Ryloth Movement as they attempt to execute a plan to assassinate the Sith Lords.
The book's main draw (initially at least) is the opportunity to check in with Vader and the Emperor in the years prior to A New Hope, whilst their relationship is still in the relatively early stages. This is where a lot of the book's most interesting moments come from, as we get an insight into Vader's mindset and how he views his master. As much as he is committed to his life as a Sith, his will is tested on occasion and his past life still haunts him. Alongside this, the Emperor himself seems to take joy in testing his apprentice's loyalty, at times seemingly tempting Vader to betray him and taunting him with comments about his past. It is this early interplay between master and apprentice which really adds a new layer to the relationship we are already familiar with, considering we know what ultimately transpires between the pair.
Despite the novel being promoted as a 'Vader and Emperor' story, the other characters in the novel however, are equally strong and compelling. We are introduced to the rebel movement through Twi'lek leader Cham Syndulla and his right-hand woman Isval. Cham (as many may remember) was featured in one of the better arcs in The Clone Wars series, again as the leader of a resistance on Ryloth, and it is interesting to see how far he has come in his plight since then, weathered and beaten by the continued fight. Cham is also the father of rebel pilot Hera from the awesome Rebels animated series. It is ex-slave Isval however who is by far the most interesting character. Her reasons for fighting are deeply personal, and the methods by which she deals with her hatred for the Empire (posing as a prostitute to seduce and then murder Imperial officers) are decidedly grim for a Star Wars tale, something which I appreciated and definitely want to see more of in these Expanded Universe stories, if not perhaps the films themselves. It is this more adult tone which many of the EU stories can benefit from going forward, the opportunity to tell tales from darker corners of the galaxy. In terms of character, it is also worth noting that this book has the distinction of introducing the very first LGBT character into the Star Wars canon, in the form of Moff Delian Mors, the lazy, self-indulgent governor of Ryloth. The fact that her sexual orientation is incidental to her character is also something to be applauded.
The plot speeds along at a rapid clip, consisting of essentially one giant mission told almost non-stop throughout. This gives the novel a real cinematic feel, and really keeps a sense of urgency at the forefront, with the tension constantly building and the stakes continually rising. Which is a real achievement considering that we already know that two of the main players in the story will make it out alive. It is a real testament to Kemp's character work that despite knowing that the rebel characters are doomed to fail in their plight to exterminate their targets, I still found myself willing them to succeed and hanging onto a small irrational thread of hope that somehow they would pull through and beat the two villains. This also worked conversely however, with much of the fun coming from finding out how Vader and his master would get out of the latest seemingly impossible situation they found themselves in, what with the knowledge of their eventual fates guaranteeing that somehow they definitely would.
One of the aspects of the novel which I found most effective was in Vader's characterisation as more than just the hulking, imposing, merciless killing machine that he is so often portrayed as. By getting inside his head, you really get a sense of the man that he is and his constant struggle to quell the memories of the man that he was. Throughout the story, I really felt for the first time in perhaps any Star Wars story, the relationship between Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. For two characters who are literally one and the same, I've always felt a sort of disconnect between the two, and failed to really feel that one became the other. By getting this insight into Vader's mindset during this period in his life, it really became apparent that his transition to the dark side and his abandonment of all that he loved before, was not as simple as just putting on the famous suit. This was most effectively illustrated in one of the novel's most touching moments, when Vader meditates on his past and remembers those he loved, giving name-drops to Padme, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Rex and Cody. Having Vader acknowledge his loved ones in this way, seems to me a pretty significant moment, as we've never really gotten to hear his thoughts regarding his time pre-visor and respirator. The mention of The Clone Wars characters was especially touching for me personally, as I'm such a fan of that series, but it also felt like a moment of validation for the characters and was interesting to hear that Vader still thinks of them and the hints that he feels guilt over betraying them.
All of these little references to prior stories and characters really enrich the story, and they don't feel at all forced or gimmicky. This is one of the reasons why I think the rebooted continuity was a fantastic idea, and something which the Lucasfilm Story Group have done an excellent job of so far. Making everything feel like an integrated, cohesive universe whilst still enabling writers to tell individual stories far enough removed from the movies and the television series. Whilst it's unlikely that any of the characters from these EU stories will ever appear on-screen, it feels like they could and that's what makes the experience as a whole all the more exciting.
Whilst Lords of the Sith definitely isn't essential reading in the larger scale of Star Wars canon, being a stand-alone story without much bearing on the bigger picture, the connections to current main-players in the Star Wars universe and the insight into Vader's mind at this formative phase in his career, makes it one of the better novels in the New EU and, for me personally, makes me relate to Vader in a way I never had before. Kemp has created some really compelling characters here, many of which I'd be eager to check in with again, and I really hope he's called on again to write another entry into this rapidly expanding Expanded Universe.
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