e_flah's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I'm still baffled how a book with as much potential as Shadow of the Sith could fall so completely flat for me. As a huge Star Wars fan, generally any content can satisfy me to some extent because it's just great to learn more about the galaxy far, far away. Somehow, meaningful or captivating lore was missing from this story. There are Sith cults but everything about them is spoken about as though the reader is already familiar with them. There isn't any significant fleshing out of
My other significant gripe is the absence of character development. Luke and Lando are one-dimensional action figures propelled by the story rather than complex characters with agency of their own. It was disappointing to see these two characters boiled down to a couple core traits when so many other Star Wars stories have expanded our understanding of who Luke and Lando are. Rey's parents, Dathan and Miramir, are also flat characters. Without well-rounded characters -- even legacy characters I'm already attached to -- it was impossible to care about the stakes of this story.
The one upside is narrator William DeMeritt does an excellent job. He really brings a sense of vibrancy to the story. I switched from the physical book to the audiobook about 30% of the way through and am so glad I did. DeMeritt's narration made this a more interesting read than it would've been otherwise.
Spoiler
how Palpatine had children or what was going on on Exegol between the original and sequel trilogies.My other significant gripe is the absence of character development. Luke and Lando are one-dimensional action figures propelled by the story rather than complex characters with agency of their own. It was disappointing to see these two characters boiled down to a couple core traits when so many other Star Wars stories have expanded our understanding of who Luke and Lando are. Rey's parents, Dathan and Miramir, are also flat characters. Without well-rounded characters -- even legacy characters I'm already attached to -- it was impossible to care about the stakes of this story.
The one upside is narrator William DeMeritt does an excellent job. He really brings a sense of vibrancy to the story. I switched from the physical book to the audiobook about 30% of the way through and am so glad I did. DeMeritt's narration made this a more interesting read than it would've been otherwise.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Violence
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