Hi everyone, Hector here again! I apologize for the lack of posts lately, as I'm still having an issue with writer's block and trying to figure out what to say in my various posts. Thankfully though, I got something that I rarely do, which is a novel review! I have read a few books here and there, but I'm by no means an avid reader as I do struggle to read and keep my attention on the words and such. However recently, Star Wars has been on my mind lately! I haven't discussed Star Wars much lately, due to some of the shows and movies feeling by the numbers and the toxicity of the fans online. You'll never find a more wretched hide of scum and villainy, which is a shame as Star Wars is the first thing I found myself drawn towards, thanks to the Phantom Menace and the rest of the prequel trilogy (No joke, according to my parents, one of my first words as a kid was Star Wars. Just wanted to throw that in there). But that's not what I'm here to talk about, as I'm here to talk about the novel by Adam Christopher, Shadow of the Sith!
Shadow of the Sith is set 17 years after Return of the Jedi, but 13 years before the events of The Force Awakens, where we follow Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian on a quest to save a family that is targeted by a Sith Assassin named Ochi of Bestoon. However, Ochi isn't the only threat the heroes must contend with, as he is accompanied by a mysterious threat who is involved with the Sith, meaning that the possibility of something far darker is at play! I've read a few Star Wars novels here and there and I've enjoyed them to varying degrees, with Brotherhood being my favorite thus far (the story had Obi-Wan and Anakin deal with a business on Cato Neimodia, the one that Obi-Wan says Anakin's rescue doesn't count in Revenge of the Sith, even though it does). Going into Shadow of the Sith, I was really excited to read it as not only did the premise intrigued me, but it would also fill in the gaps that the Rise of Skywalker left as there were quite a few questions that were baffling to say the least. I finished reading it last night and I can confidently say I have a new favorite book in the Star Wars series!
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One of the many highlights of the book was seeing Luke and Lando together, as this is a duo we rarely see, if at all, in the Star Wars franchise. A surprise to be sure, but a welcomed one as the two are so different from one another, with Luke being a Jedi master and having a more nuance view on life and the Force, while Lando is more of this flamboyant and fun guy. They're also dealing with their own conflicts as Luke realizes that something horrible may be on the horizon that could threaten the entire galaxy once again, while Lando is still coming to terms with a personal loss he had in his life prior to the events of the novel. Despite them being so different in their upbringing and personalities, they genuinely care for one another and realize they need each other to overcome their problems and keep one another in check, leading to some genuinely heartwarming moments between the two. Both are likable as you want to see them overcome their struggles and they feel like the characters you saw in the original Star Wars trilogy, but more mature.
Another thing I love about the book was exploring the characters of Dathan and Miramir, Rey's parents, who were alluded to in The Force Awakens and properly appeared in Rise of Skywalker. We finally get to understand them and be actual characters rather than a glorified plot device and they were great! You get to know both Dathan and Miramir, as they were quite sympathetic. Both wanted to get away from this great evil that is unfortunately tied to Dathan, yet they want to have this simple, loving life in raising their daughter, Rey. Yet no matter what, they can't escape this malevolent presence that is as attached to them as the Force is to all of Star Wars.
Rise of Skywalker was messy, and I have no doubt the book was pitched as a way to "fix" the movie, but putting that aside, the book has a great story that had me captivated from start to finish, as more than one occasion, I thought "Let's read one more chapter," only to then read at least two or three more. Admittedly, some chapters I enjoyed more than others and there were some things in the story left me scratching my head with how certain things ended up happening in Rise of Skywalker, but ultimately, I found myself appreciating the movie more once I finished the book. It was enthralling to read, and spectacular to explore the time period not often seen in the Star Wars timeline and characters in said story. There's also a character in the book that is introduced, Komat, who I really enjoyed and love to see more of in future Star Wars books and stories.
What also made the book such a compelling read was the villains, Ochi of Bestoon and the mysterious Sith Eternal that tasks Ochi this horrific task of kidnapping Rey. Ochi is a creepy and selfish villain who cares for no one but himself and the goal he needs to accomplish. As the book goes on, he gets progressively worse with his actions, as you get a good idea of how he thinks and the way the book describes his physical appearance is gross. Not to mention the blade that the Sith Eternal gives Ochi, without going into detail, is far deadlier than anyone would have expected. As for the Sith Eternal, I won't go into much detail as it's a big spoiler, but I will say initially, I was intrigued but waited to see where it would go. Once things started to unravel, I was surprised, not because it's someone we know, but rather what was really going on. At one point during my reading, before going to bed, there's a chapter where we find out their backstory and afterwards, I thought to myself "Why did I read this before sleeping?" It became a horror story at one point, and it was terrifying, yet amazing!
The many planets and locations the book describes are wonderfully distinct and exciting to visit. Most of them are planets that aren't explored in the movies, save for a few here and there, but Adam Christopher manages to expand the Star Wars universe in the most imaginative and fun ways possible. There are also quite a few surprises in the story as a lot of familiar faces pop up and it felt rewarding to read as some of the characters, I loved seeing once again. There's one in particular that was so incredible that had it been in one of the sequel trilogy films, many fans would have been losing their minds in the best way possible as I got goosebumps and wanted to see what would happen next!
I listened to the audiobook of Shadow of the Sith while reading, and it strengthened my enjoyment of the book. The action, dialogue, and more were all written well and exciting, but with the use of the Star Wars sound effects, iconic music by John Williams (Duel of the Fates played at one point and it is epic beyond words) and the narration by William DeMereitt, the audiobook dialed up the excitement! This is more of a me thing, so this isn't a big deal, but I thought it was worth mentioning: Occasionally while reading, I would have a tough time visualizing exactly what's happening as I want what is in my head to reflect the author's description as accurately as possible, which is one of the reasons why I don't read many novels, but it's not a major problem. Just something I need to work on, I suppose.
The past few years have been an odd one for the Star Wars franchise as some of the shows and other stuff have been hit or miss and it's clear the fans are very divided on the current direction it's in. One of my biggest issues with the franchise nowadays is the overabundance of stories set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope or focusing on certain characters that get way too much attention. Shadow of the Sith thankfully changes up the pace as it's set in a time period we don't visit as frequently, we get a unique and welcomed dynamic duo between Luke and Lando, as well as a fair amount of creative and interesting planets and concepts we don't see in the movies. Not to mention it makes the movie, Rise of Skywalker, better in retrospect or at least uses what it has in a way that works as best as possible. I'm aware the sequel trilogy has been decisive, but there's a lot to explore around that time, prior, during, and after the films, and for the most part, it does a solid job on giving us an entertaining read that fills in some of the gaps left by the films.
If you love Star Wars, I cannot recommend Shadow of the Sith enough! It's fun, low-key scary, heartfelt, and has a lot to offer to fans of Star Wars in regard to its world-building and lore. For anyone that is uncertain due to the quality of Rise of Skywalker or annoyed they have to read something in order to get the bigger picture, I understand the frustration, but for me, it's all about the journey, not the destination, and the journey the book gives you is thrilling to say the least! There's an interview with Adam Christopher on the book, as he refers to Shadow of the Sith as Episode 6.5 and after finishing the book, I agree with that statement (I'll leave a link to the video below in case you want to hear the author discuss the book). Some books in certain franchises either feel like filler or bidding time for the actual story, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but here, it feels like something big is actually happening and had this been a movie, this would have been an incredible experience in theaters! Shadow of the Sith is everything I wanted a Star Wars story to be, and I cannot wait to read more books set within a galaxy far, far away.
Thank you so much for reading my new blog post. I'll make sure to post more in the near future as I do have a lot more to say on other topics and things I love. I got stuff on characters like King Triton, Bane and more, yet I struggle to say what exactly I want to discuss, you know? Hopefully I can get around to those soon and have the words I need to write. Stay tuned for more stuff and stay safe everyone! Take care!
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