Goodreads Synopsis

A mysterious former Sith wanders the galaxy in this stunning Star Wars tale, an original novel inspired by the world of The Duel from the Star Wars Visions animated anthology.

The Jedi are the most loyal servants of the Empire.

Two decades ago, Jedi clans clashed in service to feuding lords. Sickened by this endless cycle, a sect of Jedi rebelled, seeking to control their own destiny and claim power in service of no master. They called themselves Sith.

The Sith rebellion failed, succumbing to infighting and betrayal, and the once rival lords unified to create an Empire . . . but even an Empire at peace is not free from violence.

Far on the edge of the Outer Rim, one former Sith wanders, accompanied only by a faithful droid and the ghost of a less civilized age. He carries a lightsaber, but claims lineage to no Jedi clan, and pledges allegiance to no lord. Little is known about him, including his name, for he never speaks of his past, nor his regrets. His history is as guarded as the red blade of destruction he carries sheathed at his side.

As the galaxy’s perpetual cycle of violence continues to interrupt his self-imposed exile, and he is forced to duel an enigmatic bandit claiming the title of Sith, it becomes clear that no amount of wandering will ever let him outpace the specters of his former life.

My Mini Review

This book was an interesting read. It was based on the first episode of Star Wars Visions and started off with retelling the events of that episode. As can be seen in the TV show, this was not your typical Star Wars galaxy but was instead a story inspired by it. It has many of the same elements, including Jedi, Sith, droids, hyperspace, lightsabers, the Force, and a Galactic Empire, but none of them were used in expected ways. The author crafted an incredibly intriguing, complex society that I found fascinating, but I found much of the information about it confusing and hard to follow at times. The Force in this novel felt much more nebulous than usual, but I enjoyed its take on the regular use of both dark and light by the Sith and Jedi. The plot was filled with mystery and kept me guessing up until the end, but I think that was a major weakness of this story, as well. There was so much mystery that the middle of the story felt incredibly bogged down by it all. The ending was very weird and seemingly came out of no where, which I didn’t really enjoy that much. I also didn’t feel very attached to any of the characters. The writing made them all sound the same, which made the shifting POVs difficult to track. Overall, I loved the idea behind this novel and would love to get more information about the society and Force abilities present in this version of the galaxy far far away. However, the dull middle, weird ending, and confusion I felt while reading made this a less enjoyable reading experience than it could have been. Therefore, I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.