Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith
It is a time of peace. As the the ashes of the Galactic Empire cool, the New Republic works to establish a new era of freedom and cooperation, while Jedi Master LUKE SKYWALKER trains the next generation of younglings at his temple.
But there is a dark shadow growing in the Force. As former Rebel Alliance general LANDO CALRISSIAN continues his search for his kidnapped daughter, cultists from the hidden world of EXEGOL work to enact plans a generation in the making.
Meanwhile, in the depths of Wild Space, a terrified young family makes a desperate journey, fleeing agents of an evil presence the galaxy has long thought dead….
Author: Adam Christopher
Cover artist: Juan Esteban Rodriguez
Publisher: Del Rey
Release date: June 28, 2022
Pages: 465
ISBN: 9781529150056
Being hunted across the galaxy Dathan, Miramir and their daughter Rey are running for their lives as an old darkness begins to rise once again casting a shadow on the force. Meanwhile the aging charmer Lando Calrissian is adrift having lost his daughter six years earlier. When he learns of the families plight he enlists the help of his old friend Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to help protect the family from the same tragedy that befell him years earlier.
Whether you’re a fan of the Sequels or not this is exactly the story people have been crying out for since the start of the new canon. It’s a Luke and Lando story set firmly in the gap between the two trilogies, 17 years after the Battle of Endor to be exact, giving us a sizable snapshot of the life of our heroes during this time and how the galaxy is still reeling from the end of the Empire. We see Luke be the Jedi Master we knew he’d become, albeit a little more isolated than his Legends counterpart which lends to his self-exile further down the timeline, and we see his Jedi Academy now with added Padawan Ben Solo. It’s bold and it’s crazy to actually be reading about these things after eight years of wishing for it. This still isn’t THAT story though. This is very much Lando’s book and all the better for it, with Luke being merely the foil for the necessary and genuinely compelling Sith menace.
This is a book for the book fans. It’s a celebration of Star Wars literature in the way that Rebecca Roanhorse’s Resistance Reborn was before it. Granted it’s single biggest influence is The Rise of Skywalker but it pulls from works like Aftermath, Dark Legends, Battlefront 2 and both Soule and Pak’s Darth Vader comic runs to build a foundation that feels legitimate and firmly rooted in established lore. Don’t get me wrong though, if this is your first Star Wars book then it works incredibly well as a prequel to The Rise of Skywalker and it deftly handles retroactively planting the seeds for that movie’s events whilst telling it’s own dark tale of love and loss.
The story itself, however, is a rather simple and straightforward one that teases rather than delivers. We get glimpses and moments of greatness in a plot that’s bold and exciting in concept and not so much in delivery. The villains tale is one that could have potentially grown into an awesome saga in itself that’s separate and different enough to not contradict the known stories further along the timeline. It never really lives up to it’s promise though, ultimately feeling a little like a “monster of the week” episode. Hopefully Christopher has more up his sleeve because it’s a fascinating concept that so much more could be done with. Luke’s characterisation also feels empty with what little inner-monologue there is feeling flat. I understand that this is a new Luke for us but his reserved stoicism feels incredibly out of character, for the Luke of the Originals and the Sequels.
As mentioned previously though this is Lando’s story and the emotional journey he goes on is affecting. This is a broken Lando trying to piece himself back together whilst being haunted by his younger arrogant self. These chapters are brilliant and worth the cover price alone. Similarly I felt the fear and desperation of the family and found myself rooting for them even though I knew it wasn’t going to end as I was hoping. Miramir in particular is a wonderful character that I loved reading and I hope we can get some more stories of her one day, although I am struggling to think of what they could possibly be.
The families hunter, the terrifying Ochi of Bestoon, is also well represented here. This is an Ochi far away from the arrogant joker during the reign of the Empire and the Dawn. This is an Ochi that’s been surviving since he picked the wrong side during the Galactic Civil War. Aged and bitter Ochi is obsessed with finding his way back to Exegol to beg the Sith Eternal to fix him and relieve the pain he’s suffered since his last visit there with Vader nearly twenty years previous. With the exception of his abuse of the adorable droid D-O I massively enjoyed these chapters following Ochi and his violent band of miscreants. They reminded me of how The High Republic books followed the Nihil and while it never quite reached those heights it was definitely captivating. The brother henchmen put me in mind of the Moomo brothers from the Old Republic comics and I loved it.
This is a good book and the content is dream-level stuff. Whilst it wasn’t my favourite story I can tell it’s going to be loved by many and I imagine this will be a catalyst for future stories set post-Endor. Christopher has cast his first stone in the Star Wars novel universe and we’re going to be seeing the ripples for years to come. Bravo, sir.
- Hardcover Book
- Christopher, Adam (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 496 Pages - 06/28/2022 (Publication Date) - Random House Worlds (Publisher)