Shadow of the Sith - Book Review

“Luke and I were tailing an old Jedi hunter.” The mysterious adventure of Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian mentioned in The Rise of Skywalker is finally revealed at full length in Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher. Although the final chapter of the Skywalker saga might have answered many questions and brought storylines to a close, it still left the fans with unsolved mysteries about Rey’s parents and the Jedi hunter Ochi of Bestoon. The latter’s characterization has been thoroughly developed in Greg Pak’s Darth Vader (2020) comic book series, but Rey’s parents’ journey to save their child from the Sith has only been briefly explained through a few flashbacks in the sequel trilogy. The reason why Rey was “sold” to Unkar Plutt on Jakku and their untimely death by the hands of Ochi is at the center of Shadow of the Sith and brings closure to the most intriguing and unanswered part of the sequel trilogy.

It is not very often that Star Wars publishing gets the greenlight to tell such a crucial part of the canon timeline outside the movies (and now TV series). Shadow of the Sith leaves no stone unturned, with multiple timelines that eventually come together to reveal the fate of Rey’s parents and their relentless hunter, Ochi of Bestoon. In the middle of this chase are Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian, who play crucial roles in the fate of Rey in unexpected ways. On one hand, Luke is in search of Sith artifacts, accompanied by his archeological friend Lor San Tekka. This side of the Jedi Master was briefly covered in Charles Soule’s The Rise of Kylo Ren comic miniseries and is further developed by Christopher in Shadow of the Sith. The discovery of dark side tomes and crystals lead to surreal Force visions of the lost world of the Sith, Exegol, and to new, mysterious enemies. Kiza, the masked figure holding a Sith lightsaber in the stunning cover art of Shadow of the Sith (by artist Juan Esteban Rodriguez) plays a crucial role in the novel, and although the new villain might not necessarily impact Rey’s parents’ journey directly, it still elevates the dangers of Luke’s path. On the other hand, Shadow of the Sith finds Lando Calrissian still searching for his lost daughter, which was hinted at in The Rise of Skywalker. His obsession with finding her leads him to find determination in helping Rey’s family escape the Sith’s clutches. The two old friends are joined by another key character in the novel, which will help with both indirectly rescuing Rey and at the same time face the new villain.

Although Shadow of the Sith taps into the dark side of the Force in the best way possible, the author does some amazing weightlifting for the characterization of Rey’s parents. The readers will finally get to know Dathan and Miramir and understand their motivations for ultimately leaving Rey behind on Jakku. Their story is compelling and tragic but brings a sense of hope in an otherwise incredibly dark story. Experiencing their struggles and determination to keep Rey safe keeps the readers engaged, and even though the book is nearly 500 pages long, each page, each chapter is so captivating that you won’t stop reading.

Adam Christopher’s novel not only strongly connects with The Rise of Skywalker, but it also sprinkles some elements from other books—bringing legends to life from George Mann’s Dark Legends to incorporating some of the characterization of Ochi of Bestoon from the latest Darth Vader comic series. Besides these nods and references, the author included probably one of the most unexpected (but welcomed) cameos ever, which you will have to find out once you dive into the book.

The perilous journey of Rey’s parents is finally revealed in Shadow of the Sith. This novel is a must read, especially for those who were not satisfied with the many unanswered questions from The Rise of Skywalker and the sequel trilogy as a whole. After reading this book, you will want to revisit those movies, because Shadow of the Sith brings new light to them, not just to Rey’s parents’ story but also to Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian at this point in the canon timeline. Are you ready to discover more mysteries and secrets of the Sith? Then make sure to pick up Shadow of the Sith (the audiobook is narrated by William DeMeritt), and let us know your thoughts on our social media channels.