The recently released Lords of the Sith puts the spotlight on Darth Vader and the Emperor and in the process delivers the best novel so far in this new era of official canon Star Wars stories.

Taking place in-between Revenge of the Sith and the novel Tarkin , the story is mainly set on or near Ryloth, the home of the Twi'leks. Trouble has sprung up on this planet, as a group of revolutionaries, led by Cham Syndulla, are causing havoc with the Imperials in the sector. With a shaky power structure in place, on a planet with resources they need, the Emperor decides that he and Vader will make a rare expedition together to sort things out. When Cham’s spy network lets him know this is occurring, he realizes this is his chance to kill the leaders of the Empire and strike a crushing blow that could help his people.

Read a Complete Synopsis of Star Wars: Lords of the Sith

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As the situation escalates – and Cham proves to be a worthy foe who has managed to pull off some big moves – Vader and the Emperor find themselves separated from most of their forces and unable to call for help, with Cham and his people hunting them… But suffice to say, these two won’t be very easy prey.There’s something undeniably cool and exciting about an actual Star Wars team-up story between the Emperor and Vader, as we see Palpatine outside his throne room and in the thick of action in a way that’s only occurred a couple of times before (in canon, that is). And yes, there is time spent explaining why the Emperor decides to go on this trip at all, given its unusual nature.Written by Paul S. Kemp, Lords of the Sith takes place only a few years after Anakin Skywalker's fall, which leads to some very notable, insightful moments as we go inside Vader’s head and see the anger and hate that fuels him. But just how removed is he from the man he once was? That question leads to some of the book's most memorable moments.While Vader and Palpatine are the selling point here and the two marquee names, they’re surrounded by a very strong group of characters. One very nice touch is the inclusion of Cham in such a central role, given the character’s introduction as a freedom fighter on a handful of Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes. While that show may be over, it’s clear its legacy lives on in a big way, as Cham provides some major connective tissue to both that series and to Star Wars Rebels – given he is the father of Hera Syndulla from that series.While Cham is a noble guy trying to do the right thing against insurmountable odds, he has an especially interesting right hand woman. A former slave, Isval is far less morally upstanding than Cham, but with good reason – as Lords of the Sith delves into what it means to be a Twi'lek slave, after we saw women of this sort casually appear in a couple different Star Wars films. Kemp doesn’t shy away from just how dark this subject matter can be and just how damaging it has been on Isval.The Imperial side also has a couple of other important characters that are a part of this story. The slimy Belkor Dray is amusing in just how laser-focused he is in his ambition, to the detriment of everything else. Belkor is, by his nature, the most one-note -- though fun -- character in the story, but the woman he wishes to usurp, Moff Mors, is a commendable new Star Wars character in her own right. Yes, she’s already a notable figure in Star Wars as the first gay character in the entire series (in official canon that is), but there’s much more to her than that. Mors is first introduced in a manner that portrays her as less than flattering, but Kemp has more to tell us about her as the book continues, giving us a fairly nuanced portrayal of the traditional Star Wars Imperial "bad guy."There are a lot of strong set pieces in Lords of the Sith, which tells a taut story that gets increasingly intense as it continues – especially as there’s a ticking clock element in the second half, as pretty much every character who’s not a Sith Lord begins to realize they have very little time to set things right and get their respective jobs done. In the midst of this, we get some very cool action, as Vader and Sidious really unleash the Dark Side of the Force in incredibly impressive ways – and working together in a manner we’ve never seen before.The most important aspect of Lords of the Sith though is its look at Darth Vader and the divide between the man he was and the nightmare he's become, and his own analysis of the Master/Apprentice dynamic he has with Paplatine. There are some really intriguing moments evoking Vader's past, and I loved the multiple moments where he gets to show off his prowess as a pilot in a manner overlooked by many Star Wars stories after the original A New Hope -- something his inclusion in the next season of Star Wars Rebels is also thankfully doing -- which directly reminds us of who he once was. Plus, on a more visceral level, Vader fans will especially love seeing one of the most iconic villains ever get to truly unleash his fury here, in terrifying yet amazing ways.