Lit Books Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith Novel by Adam Christopher

Did we get enough of Dathan's origins? We get a short passage of him on Exegol in flashback, we get him marrying Miramir in another short flashback. I would have found those two passages more interesting but it just feels like there's either not enough confidence in the material, or what seems to usually be the case and authors aren't allowed to delve too deep into certain things.

Are they? Are they in one of the interludes? If so I retract my praise, as there seemed far too much reliance on 'off-screen' events with Luke that were a pay off unearned.

 

Yes they steal something from Corellia and someone gets questioned by police (with the cop saying that the emperor is totally dead).

 

Yeah I remember that, ok then that's pretty weird to write up a whole backstory including a confrontation with Luke that hasn't been previously detailed. It now means if they depict it we already know all the details, making it redundant, but by not having it depicted somewhere it just creates a whole lot of plot threads we're meant to feel something for. I just assumed it was a comic run I hadn't read.

 

I like the ST despite its problems. I am glad SW does operate in this multimedia fashion though because this line Lando said in TROS caught my attention and I thought well we need to know what this mission going after Ochi was all about. Without the multimedia way in which it works we wouldn't have gotten this book, which I think adds a lot to the ST as a whole.

 

I like the literary ST far more than the films, its very different in very smart ways.

 

I like the story og the ST better in books ans comics. But still enjoy The ST films. Hope for more ST related content.

 

Still waiting on the ST era animated show that isn’t Star Wars Wacky Races.

 

A Clone Wars/Bad batch/Rebels type of show for the ST era. Like both PT and OT has gotten. And now the nest time to do it on is, 6 years before TFA when all the Bad stuff happens. Some comics might have covered sure.

 

Yea, I like books that add to the lore, fill in important gaps, whatever you want to call it. I agree, even though the book is good it is bittersweet due to that we know how it'll end. Dathan and Miramir immediately capture your sympathy. It's heartbreaking though. Lando & Luke are captured well and it's interesting to see how the New Jedi Order started, Lor, his previous adventures mentioned. Lando is really portrayed well...the same yet different. It's a good bridge to TROS. I do agree though it gives me new insight into the ST. Seeing that Rey had to scavenge since 6, 6! It gives a whole new sympathy for her. Also it makes you view Exegol and the wayfinder better.

 

Honestly loved this book for the reasons you gave right there. To me, it did to Rise of Skywalker what Plageuis did for Phantom Menace.

So many plot threads that are loose or just show up out of nowhere were given origins and complexities that felt fantastic to read and really engaging to learn about. It also filled a really empty gap of post-Last Shot pre-Bloodline storytelling that is just ripe for the picking. So many more novels need to be written here, because there’s a lot of gold to be mined.

 

Out of interest which loose plot threads do you think were addressed here beyond how Ochi's ship ended up where it did?

 

I suppose I should elaborate that by “loose” I more mean plot threads that are loosely applied or are very weak in the story. The Wayfinder is a good example, where it comes out of nowhere and is given this grand importance in the movie. In the book, it’s established much better. Same with Exegol and Rey’s parents.

As far as dangling plot threads that needed resolution? Off the top of my head, Lando’s wife, who I believe the novel talks about. I would have to re-read to verify. Also why Dathan entrusted Rey to Unkar Plutt of all people when we’re shown that he is a villainous character in Force Awakens or whatever happened to Luke in relation to Anakin’s Force Ghost after Return.

 

Funnily enough I thought the novel went out of its way not to mention Lando's wife. I think she gets one oblique mention as "The mother of Lando's daughter" so as not to step on anyone's toes as to whether he married her, met her once, adopted his daughter, etc.

 

Late to the party, but just read this book. Really enjoyed it. It really is a page turner! It's great fun and, while it's an action-packed SW story, it also mixes in some Indiana Jones and horror tropes which I loved. It also did a reasonable job of patching up a few plot holes from TROS

However I didn't completely love it: Firstly, I personally would have preferred that Dathan's history was something the reader learned along the way. Telling us who he was and why he and the family were running from the Sith right at the top of the story seemed a shame. I think it would have been more interesting if his backstory was drip-fed throughout the novel. Not every SW fan has read the novelisation of TROS, so him being a strandcast who has escaped from Exegol is a big deal. So, making the family's reasons for being hunted by the Sith a mystery would have been more engaging.

Secondly, I don't really buy that Ochi or Lando never felt compelled to look for Rey on Jakku. It seems the most obvious place to look for her, so the book makes them look very foolish. Perhaps a later edition can have a scene with Lando confronting Unkar on Jakku and being fobbed off? Just a thought!

Thirdly, it would have been interesting having a scene with Luke at least entertaining the notion that Sidious' consciousness could still exist in some form if Sith Lords can haunt masks!

And a final nitpick...I lost count of the times characters 'pursed' their lips. English is a rich language...



7/10.

 

I would like to see this Novel being Adapted into an Animated Movie one of the Best New Canon Novels

 

Why? This belongs to books.

Film and TV? To borrow a Tomy Stark line: They can't have it.

 

I think there should be an animated series following Luke and Ben's training.

 

That could be good so long as they focus on Ben Solo, without heavily yelling "this dude is gonna be Kylo!". In effect doing for him what TCW did for Anakin.

I think they've a steeper hill to climb with the Ben / Kylo aspect though.

 

It is tough. TCW did a good job making Anakin a heroic figure, despite the PT having him doing monstrous things in 2of 3 films.

You can still do a similar thing with Ben, but it's also going to sporadically or eventually have to feature him hearing Snoke's voice in his head. If they gave him more time to be at the Temple, training with his classmates and bonding with some of them, friendly rivalries with others, and going on adventures with Luke and Lor San Tekka from time to time... It could be good.

It would be a little like writing Young Jedi Knights after Legacy of the Force though.

 

I think Ben would need to already be acting strange since that’s why his parents sent him to train with Luke.

 

What if "strange" does not have to mean evil or bad but rather parents pov is parents do not like it while actually it is just fine and typical teenager stuff?

It's not like he picked up some Neo-Imperial Truther pamphlets and likes to wear Imperial cosplay to school to spite his parents.
He is an expert pilot, mechanic, etc. like his parents. They should share hobbies but kinda do not cause Han is protective of the Falcon and Leia fears his pilot skills are too reckless etc.

 

“Luke, we went into Ben’s search history, and, uhhh... Can you look after him for a bit?”

 

"Ben, we've seen the things you've been posting online...'Palpatine was right?' I didn't teach you that!"

 

Well, there's this charismstic guy online called Casterfo....

 

So, how do we reconcile Shadow of the Sith!Unkar with TFA!Unkar? How are they the same person? Did the author forget what he was like in TFA?