Not enough Sith

Performance was incredible but the story wasn't quite what I was hoping for. It was heavily focused on the rebellion and only about a quarter of the story included the title characters.

26 of 28 people found this review helpful

Ryloth Freedom Movement

This novel should be titled “Ryloth Freedom Movement”. Vader and the Emperor are used as the supporting cast. The story revolves around Cham Syndulla and his band of freedom fighters. Not the lords of the Sith as the title suggests. Jonathan Davis is the best part, as he always delivers a 5 Star performance. As the last line in the novel (spoken by Palpatine) suggests, “It’s time to move on to more important matters.” Definitely not my favorite Star Wars novel.

14 of 15 people found this review helpful

Literally Vader being the Terminator

This audio book is expertly read, the sound assists used bring a real sense of the Star Wars universe to forefront of the listeners mind. Jonathan Davies shows his immense talent as a narrator by subtly changing the tone and pace of his voice to indicate different characters speaking, instead of trying to come up with distinct individual voices. All in all it was an expertly produced product, and I cannot recommend it enough.

16 of 18 people found this review helpful

The Power of the Dark Side

This is beyond doubt, and without hyperbole, the absolutely best-written characterizations of Vader and the Emperor put in a novel to date.

Taking place smack in the middle of the Dark Times (8 years after Revenge of the Sith, 11 years before A New Hope), the remnants of the Clone Wars come back to haunt the Sith in the form of Cham Syndulla and his freedom fighters.

Unlike many books focusing on the Dark Side characters, the heroes in this book matter. Syndulla is the William Wallace of Ryloth, having fought for his world's freedom since before the Clone Wars began. Time and experience has made him formidable enough to pull off a mission that could actually threaten the core of the Empire itself. The Imperial officers at the forefront likewise demonstrate how the Empire has bred corruption and treachery, which play right in to Syndulla's operations. The result is that the Sith are tested at virtually every level.

Being honest, we have a good idea before this even begins how it'll play out, but a book like this is about the journey, not the destination. And oh what a journey it is! Suffice it to say, the action is unleashed in chapter one, and there is very little downtime as this book's pacing is as relentless as Vader himself. Fans of the original trilogy will recognize our classic villain, while fans of the prequel era and especially of The Clone Wars will have no problem seeing Anakin Skywalker under the breath mask, purified by his anger as a living engine of destruction. The officers hate him, while the stormtrooper corps revere him. We see him behind the lightsaber and behind the controls of his starfighter. It's a seamless incorporation of all aspects of the character, pulling the various threads together and showing us exactly what kind of a monster Vader has become. It meets and exceeds every expectation on that front.

Sidious, on the other hand... what we saw from him in Revenge of the Sith is but a taste of what this book gives us. By the end of this, it's indisputable why Vader bends the knee. As fearless and intelligent as Vader is demonstrated to be, Sidious remains always one step ahead.

As narrator, Jonathan Davis is one of the best veterans of the Star Wars line, and it's always good to have him aboard. He doesn't do voice matching, but the spirit of the characters are there, aided where necessary by filters. Mix in the classic sound effects (except for some inferior substitute for Vader's breath mask) and the music of John Williams, and the adventure is ready to unfold.

44 of 55 people found this review helpful

80% Rebel story 20% Dark Lords :-(

the focus is mostly on the rebel story.
ok book but not close to Darth Bane!

30 of 38 people found this review helpful

Excellent!

Excellent story, perfect narrator. really loves some depth to the villians. Loved every chapter, would listen to it again.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Strong and Enjoyable

This book was performed expertly by one of my favorite voice talents. They story was fulfilling yet it left me with a sense of desire that could have been handled with a bit more emphasis on the Dark Duo.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Falls under the bar set by Bane, Plagueis & SWTOR

What did you like best about Lords of the Sith: Star Wars? What did you like least?

Chapter 10. I had to wait this far in to get what I was hoping for: Vader staring into a fire opening his inner monologue to the reader, reflecting on his personal losses by name (Ashoka Tano, Obi-Wan, Padmé, Shmi Skywalker).

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I can't decide if this was not up to the author's previous work, which I liked: "SWTOR Deceived", or if he did the best with what he was given. The dialogue is repetitive exposition. Vader even calls it out by the end, giving the reader a catharsis, "Why was the emperor stating so obvious a lesson?" - possibly to help along any 5th graders that can't grasp the narrative. The Darth Bane Trilogy demonstrated to me that Sith are only interesting when in conflict with other force users, including themselves. Any story that matches them against civilians, no matter how militarized, is unsatisfying. The author whips the metaphorical dead horse: Force-wielders are APEX PREDATORS. We get it. This story needed either a Jedi in hiding on Ryloth that escaped Order 66, or a potential new Sith Apprentice for either Vader or Sidious to present an opportunity for either one to test The Rule of Two.

What about Jonathan Davis’s performance did you like?

Great Palpatine. As close to the actor Ian McDiarmid, as you'd want. As good of a Vader as you'd want without it being James Earl Jones.

24 of 32 people found this review helpful

Great third act, misleading title

While there are great scenes in this book with Vader and the Emperor, they’re not the whole focus. The rebels of Ryloth take up much of the focus in this book as well as some imperials. The new characters are interesting, and the returning characters are written well, but the plot can only really go one way considering the larger Star Wars canon. I really enjoyed the third act once everyone started getting closer together. The narration by Jonathan Davis and the score improved the book immensely.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Still worth it not best SW book

Story was OK not the best but the performance was great. Would loved to have more Vader and emperor in the book.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful