The Dark Lord Trilogy: Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil Revenge of the Sith Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader

Star Wars: The Dark Lord Trilogy (Star Wars Legends) #01-03

by James Luceno, Matthew Woodring Stover

For the first time in one thrilling volume, three novels–Labyrinth of Evil, Revenge of the Sith, and Dark The Rise of Darth Vader–that follow an epic chain of the last days of the Republic, the creation of the Empire, and the ultimate transformation of Jedi Anakin Skywalker into the notorious Darth Vader.On the planet Neimoidia, Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker seize an unexpected intelligence capable of leading the Republic forces to the ever-elusive Darth Sidious, who is ruthlessly orchestrating a campaign to divide and overwhelm the Jedi forces. As combat escalates across the galaxy, and Darth Sidious remains one step ahead of his pursuers, the stage is set for an explosive endgame. Tormented by unspeakable visions, Anakin edges closer to the brink of a galaxy-shaping decision, while Darth Sidious plots to strike the final staggering blow against the Republic–and to ordain a fearsome new Sith Darth Vader.Once the most powerful Knight ever known to the Jedi Order, Anakin becomes Darth Vader, a disciple of the dark side, a lord of the dreaded Sith, and the avenging right hand of the galaxy’s ruthless new Emperor. As a few surviving Jedi lead a charge on a Separatist stronghold, the deadliest threat still rests in the swift and lethal crimson lightsaber of Darth Vader–behind whose brooding mask lies a shattered heart, a poisoned soul, and a cunning, twisted mind hell-bent on vengeance. For the handful of scattered Jedi hunted across space, survival is imperative if the light side of the Force is to be protected and the galaxy reclaimed. LABYRINTH OF EVILby James LucenoREVENGE OF THE SITHby Matthew Stover, based on the story and screenplay by George LucasDARK LORDThe Rise of Darth Vaderby James LucenoFeatures a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Space Opera, Adventure, Audiobook

1104 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 2, 2006

About the author

James Luceno is a New York Times bestselling author, best known for his novels and reference books connected with the Star Wars franchise and the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and novelisations of the Robotech animated television series. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife and youngest child.

He has co-written many books with Brian Daley as Jack McKinney.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is three novels in one, chronicling the downfall of Anakin Skywalker and the rise of Darth Vader.

Book #1 Labyrinth of Evil by James Luceno. It's rare to find a Star Wars tie-in book that features mostly main characters from the movies. This is one of them. The focus of the book is mainly the hunt for Darth Sidious by Anakin and Obi-Wan, due to a slip up by Nute Gunray that allows the Republic to track Sidous down. I thought the novel was pretty good and the events of the final act (the invasion of Coruscant and the capture of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine by General Grievous) lead the reader directly into..

Book #2 Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover. This is a novelization of the screenplay written by Lucas and is, in some cases, more enjoyable than the film itself because it can provide a broader scope to the events and doesn't exactly match the events of the film. If anything, I'd say some of the descriptions of the opening space battle are too intricate and detailed and slow the story down. But the fight between Dooku and Anakin and Obi-Wan is well written, as are most of the battles in the book. The least interesting battle, in terms of how the narrative is laid out, is the final battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi. That should be the climax of the novel. Instead it seems rushed, as if a deadline prevented the writer from doing better work.

Book #3 Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader by James Luceno. This novel is mainly about scattered Jedi fleeing the wrath of Emperor Palpatine--said wrath being carried out by Darth Vader. This is a different Vader than we're used to seeing. He's conflicted and still getting used to his armor...though he has adapted the Villain 101 speech patterns he would use later on. Palpatine is shown as a evil taskmaster. The seeds of the Rebellion are shown growing with characters like Mon Mothma and Bail Organa maneuvering to avoid Vader and to discover his shocking true identity. Vader isn't exactly sympathetic, but the author doesn't spare the details about life in that ominous black suit of cybernetic armor. I'd say there's too much from characters we've never seen or heard about before and not enough Vader, but it turns out to be a good story eventually. There's even a nice bit with Obi-Wan on Tattooine at the end.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this trilogy overall. It was good to reread Revenge Of the Sith again and the other 2 books were enjoyable. It’s just weird for me coming to this after seeing/reading the canon version of what happened before and after Revenge of the Sith. I thought Rise of Darth Vader would be better than it was. Probably the weakest out of the 3

[Yolanda Carhell · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars overall, individually I'd probably say:
Labyrinth of Evil and Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Revenge of the Sith ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Well, here’s a review I never thought I’d write. This was pretty fucking epic.

Labyrinth of Evil and Dark Lord feel like a prologue and an epilogue, respectively, to Revenge of the Sith, and they both enrich the story. We get context into Palpatine's plans, the last days of the clone wars, the Separatist movement, Dooku, order 66 and the first days of the Empire. There were moments of "okay, get on with it", which knock off half a star for me, but overall I enjoyed this trilogy immensely, and it definitely makes sense to read it as one. But let me talk some more about Revenge of the Sith.

Revenge of the Sith is so much better than a Star Wars novelization has any right to be. Matthew Stover saw the potential greatness hidden within the clunky screenplays of the prequels and brought it to light. I have always maintained that the prequels tell a great story, and it’s unfortunate that the execution was… flawed. This is the hill I chose to die on a long time ago, and after reading this I feel oh so validated.

Stover fixes pretty much every issue I could have with the movie (Anakin’s fall to the dark side is more nuanced, progressive and at times even understandable, Padmé gets to do things, we get more context for pretty much every single character and their decisions and the relationships feel real - this is especially true for Anakin and Obi-Wan) and turns this into a well written, engaging and surprisingly deep story about the weaponization of fear, about love, loss, power and corruption. He makes the fall of Anakin and the Republic feel inevitable by showing us just how many small things could have avoided them, but didn’t. The action is engaging and fun to read but he understands that every reader will picture the movie, so those scenes are generally shorter than I expected. Instead, he gives us new, longer and more insightful conversations - between Palpatine and Anakin, between Anakin and Padmé, amongst the Senate - that add gravity and credibility to what happens.

Ultimately this is a tragic story of a government slowly sliding into fascism and a hero making every wrong decision for what he believes to be the right reasons.

I also enjoyed some references I was able to spot to other Star Wars books (Black Sun, anyone?), as well as some inspiration for newer, canon books (now I get the whole sun dragon thing in Brotherhood).

This was great. Consider my gobsmacked.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sith lore, there should be two, no more, no less. A master to embody the power, and an apprentice to crave it!

[xe:) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving each individual book a review and an overall. So, overall, 5 fucking stars.

Labyrinth of Evil
Soooo this one started out kind of slow for me which was a little hard for me to get into. The last like 150 pages were really good. I loved the invasion on Coruscant and getting to see a side we didn't get in the movies. My two favorite parts were Yoda saying the cause of the war was a "labyrinth of evil" and relating to the title, then Mon Mothma, Bail, and Padmè outside of the mall and fighting droids lol. Overall, this one got a 3.75/5

Revenge of the Sith
WOW! The novelization of this movie was insane. This shit was so good. Like, actually. I loved this. My one quip with this book was that the Mustafar duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan felt really rushed. Other than that, amazing all around. Giving it a 4.75/5

Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
I wasn't super into this at first. I didn't know the 3 Jedi and I'm not the biggest Vader fan, but I grew to enjoy this novel. I really loved Starstone and Shryne's dynamic after losing Chatak. I also loved the clones not turning on the 3 of them. Vader working through his issues was interesting to read to see how he is adapting to his new lift and "letting go" of Anakin. This book did jump around a lot between perspectives which was sometimes annoying, but it worked out. Shryne's sacrifice was heartbreaking but made his character arc complete. I also loved the epilogue seeing Bail and Mon Mothma talking and getting a glimpse of Obi-Wan. 4.25/5 overall for this one.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great trilogy. Just based on how much I enjoyed reading the novelization of Revenge of the Sith and Dark Lord: the rise of Darth Vader I'm going to give this 5 stars. Highly recommend this for Star Wars fans

[J.M. Giovine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collecting the acclaimed 2005 trilogy of novels: ‘Labyrinth of Evil’, ‘Revenge of the Sith’, and ‘Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader’, written by authors James Luceno, and Matthew Stover, the plot of this collection follows the moments prior to the events of ‘Episode III’, during, and afterwards, with a special focus on the characters of Anakin Skywalker, Obi Wan Kenobi, and the fallen Jedi of the infamous ‘Order 66’, utilizing brand new characters as protagonists of this particular post-Revenge storyline. ‘Labyrinth of Evil’ is written by Luceno, and takes place just days before ‘Revenge of the Sith’- at the expense of the (at the time) canon ‘Clone Wars’ animated series from Cartoon Network-, and it takes particular attention towards the awareness from the Jedi of the presence of ‘Darth Sidious’ as the main manufacturer of the war, suspecting that he might be controlling the Senate. Not only that, but we have a great insight into General Grievous’ place as an enemy force, as well as a goodly constructed point of view of ‘Count Dooku’ as the only one aware of Palpatine’s true identity. ‘Revenge of the Sith’ was written by Matthew Stover, and as its title suggests, is the official adaptation of the full-length feature released the same year. Stover’s take on the novel deviates considerably from Lucas’ final script, perhaps because of the usage of earlier drafts, but he adds an amazing depth to his narrative granting unique points of view, going from characters such as Anakin, Obi Wan, Mace Windu, Count Dooku, even Vader at the very end, creating a distinctive perspective for each one, and offering the reader a wider take on each one of their involvement in the story. ‘Rise of Darth Vader’ was, once again, written by Luceno, and it takes place just weeks after ‘Order 66’, and the subsequent rise of the ‘Empire’, switching perspectives between a group of ‘Jedi’ survivors, being the main ones former Master Roan Shryne, and the ‘Padawan’ Olee Starstone. Not only that, but there are plenty of scenes depicting Vader dealing with Sidious’ manipulation, the ‘Clone Troopers’ at his disposal, and his personal quest to unleash the full potential of the ‘Dark Side’ by hunting down remaining ‘Jedi’.
James Luceno has always been a pretty reliable author when it comes to the ‘Expanded Universe’ in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, perhaps his most successful work being the ‘Darth Plagueis’ novel released in 2012, but before that, he already made a name for himself with titles such as ‘Cloak of Deception’ from 2001, some titles for the ‘New Jedi Academy’ like ‘Agents of Chaos I & II’ in 2000, or ‘The Unifying Force’, in 2003, and the two titles collected in this edition. With both, ‘Labyrinth…’, and ‘Rise…’ he properly connects the dots in between the movie’s timeline by crafting a great sense of chemistry between the protagonists, and sharing an original point of view given to the character of Anakin, once he’s turned into the villain ‘Darth Vader’, added all the fascinating scenes where he shares conversations with his Master, Sidious, or even with his subordinates and important characters related to the power struggle inside the Imperial ruling, such as Bail Organa, for example. ‘Labyrinth…’ has the benefit of bringing back the beloved chemistry between Anakin and Obi Wan, not as ‘Master’ and ‘Apprentice’, but as brother figures, partners in war fighting for the ‘Republic’ they believe in, to which Luceno takes the opportunity to present to us how the inhabitants of the ‘Republic’ see Anakin, stablishing his status as the official hero of the ‘Clone Wars’, the ‘Hero Without Fear’ as he is popularly known, but the book deviates a little once the main objective of our heroes start; on the planet ‘Cato Neimoidia’, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker lead clone troopers to capture Nute Gunray, ‘Trade Federation’ viceroy and one of the leaders of the ‘Separatists’. Gunray narrowly escapes to rendezvous with ‘General Grievous’ and the rest of the ‘Separatist Council’, but he leaves behind his walking chair equipped with a specially constructed holotransceiver. Republic analysts find the afterimage of ‘Darth Sidious’, and the mission to investigate the whereabouts of ‘Sidious’ inside the ‘Republic’ becomes a priority for the ‘Jedi Counsel’.
‘Revenge…’ is where things are brought to a very different life, since as I mentioned, Stover takes the opportunity to improve over the already pleasing movie, with a take on the novelization that attempts to do both, a profound dive into the story’s structure, and an alternative exploration of certain characters and moments that’ll help the reader have a more complete experience of the movie, even if some events are considerably changed. For example, Stover limits the events depicted at the beginning of the film in a way that allows us to watch how different characters behave, think, and act at specific moments, involving certain important parts of the story. It comes to mind the rescue of ‘Chancellor Palpatine’ from the ‘Invisible Hand’, when Anakin and Obi Wan infiltrate the cruiser, reach the Chancellor, and fight Dooku. For starters, instead of the over-extended action sequence that occurs in the film, the book gives special attention to the character of Dooku prior his encounter with the Jedi, in which he and Palpatine do have a conversation that explicitly let us know how aware Dooku was of the entire plot against the Jedi, and the creation of the war, even to the point of being a tool that’ll put Anakin’s potential to the test in order for him to reach his full embrace of the ‘Dark Side’, which makes the aftermath between him and Anakin a little more shocking, being aware of Palpatine’s treason against Dooku.
The book itself feels as if Stover is utilizing scenes that weren’t shown in the final film, as well as ideas of his own creation, being the highlight, the entirety of the character’s description and thoughts being showcased for the reader to get a more complete context of their involvement in the overall story. It’ll be hard to categorize this one as a companion of the movie due to all the elements that are changed, but it helps get a lot of information across that the film might’ve left behind or perhaps kept it ambiguous for the audience to tell. Whichever it is, it’s a great installment in the collection of novels and books related to the saga, mostly due to how complete and distinctive it feels thanks to Stover’s style and talent to craft this story in such a different way, it truly becomes a brand-new experience compared to its movie counterpart, in the best way possible. Easily the best installment in this trilogy.
The last title is where things got slightly interesting, since now we’re in the shoes of ‘Darth Vader’ himself, or at least, in between chapters, since the story follows the Jedi survivors trying to escape from Imperial forces. While the Jedi characters aren’t that interesting to get behind, every single time in which Vader becomes the protagonist of the chapters the book is back to life; Luceno truly understands the character’s personality enough to maintain the same esencial traits he had in the original trilogy, although, Vader’s take in this book has to be constructed in order to remain consistent with the character of Anakin in the film, so Luceno needed to achieve the duality and the internal conflict he’s struggling with, since the purpose of his character in the book is to fully embrace the darkness in him, so he can start his training with Sidious. Suffice to say, he succeeds, and Vader’s chapters quickly became some of the best material ever conceived in a book with the villain in it.
For anyone who wishes to grab a little bit more insight and elements in relation to one of the darkest eras in the ‘Star Wars’ saga, this trilogy is the ideal installment to check. From the very introduction of Anakin as the absolute Hero of the ‘Republic’, to his fall to the ‘Dark Side’, and his conversion to ‘Vader’ and ‘Sidious’ apprentice in the ‘Sith’ arts, both authors, Luceno, and Stover, contribute with their respective vision and style to complement each other with these additions in book format. Despite having considerable retconning values to other entries in the franchise, and certain differences from the movie they’re adapting, each novel provides some of the most interesting, visceral, and tragic moments in the entire franchise. Decades later, and these books still hold pretty well, mostly due to how well-written they are, but mostly because of each author’s contributions. Fans of the saga will absolutely love this trilogy, and fans who haven’t checked out the books and novelizations would like to start with this compilation. Some of the best content depicting the character of Anakin/Vader, and a great trilogy on its own. Since it deviates slightly from the movies, I’d say this works better in addition to the rest of the novelizations, since I’ve never really seen the connection between them, the books, and the movies due to the differences, it’s better to leave the books aside and appreciate them not as complementary elements, but as alternative mediums to explore in a different format, since there’s plenty of inconsistency between ‘Legends’ itself. Whichever way, this trilogy deserves attention, and the appreciation from anyone calling himself a fan of this franchise.

[Brandon Daviet · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off this book is a mammoth undertaking, Made up of three separate Star Wars novel that cover the tragic "death" of Anakin Skywalk and the subsequent birth of Darth Vader.

That said the book is an essential read for any dedicated fan, especially since the second novel included is the official novelization of "Revenge of the Sith." This novel itself is still considered canon and is suitably dark in tone and adds many bits of information that make Episodes 1 thru 3 far more cohesive as a whole.

Let me rewind to the first novel in the collection "Labyrinth of Evil." This books main focus in the inner workings of Emperor Palpatine's mind as he makes is final moves to Take control of The Republic and bring Anakin to the Dark Side. Both here and in ROTS we also get a good look into the final days of the Jedi's the the galaxy's main protesters. All in all this book reminded me a lot, in tone, to the novels "Cloak of Deception" and "The Approaching Storm."

The last book "Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader" is sadly the weakest link in this trilogy of novels. Much of the book concentrates on Darth Vader's mental adjustment to his "new skin" and his new place in the Emperor's new regime. The book also shows that Vader is already thinking about betraying the Empire and take the galaxy for him self. The book just seems off course when compared to the Darth Vader we've seen in the movies an in other novels and such.

Still, this book is a great collection over all and if nothing else is worth it to have the excellent novelization of ROTS.

[Graig · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're expecting this to be a life-altering work of literature, don't. If you're expecting it to be an over-worked comic book, you may be pleasantly surprised; though not so much for the novel treatment of Episode III.

Luceno's vividly descriptive style lends a lot of life to chracters and their struggles. He also solidly elevates the reading level beyond the standard 6th grade treatment provided in many similar works.

If you're a Star Wars fan, like to root for the bad guy, and you suppress a PTSD relapse from Episode II's Anakin / Padme moments, I highly recommend the first segment, Labyrinth of Evil. Revenge of the Sith does not add much beyond the movie, though the written version is better - assuming you have the time. The trilogy's conclusion is worth it if you've already read through the other two.

Moral compromises and occupational hazards aside, this trilogy makes you wonder why guidance counselors don't steer more graduates towards a career in the Order of the Sith. It's surprisingly easy to do worse...

[Peter Walton-Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Stover's novelisation of Star Wars III "Revenge of the Sith" is bookended by two James Lucano novels which sit in the storyline between the part II and part IV film stories. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this sequence, and the development of the characters in the Star Wars universe (or should that be galaxy?). In "Sith" the 'tragedy' of Anakins demise is very well told. In truth this story was by far the best of the prequel trilogy of movies. It had to be given the high expectations all lovers of the Star Wars original. The novelisation adds colour and depth to the movie story and the characters, particularly to Anakin, Palpatine, Obi Wan and Padme. I would have liked to see the concluding novel in this omnibus develop Darth Vader just a little more. As the novel concludes he is still more insecure than I would have expected...more resigned to the dark side than consumed by it.

[Marchel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's about Darth Vader and the story behind that.

It's about the greatest jedi ever born who turn to be the greatest Sith.

It tells why the great jedi like Anakin Skywalker can be turn to be a Sith, not only a common Sith but Strongest Sith ever known.

[A Sadat · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest trilogy of Star Wars Universe - a must read one... ... as like as the followings -
01. The Thrawn Trilogy (1991-93)
02. Thrawn (2017-19)
03. Thrawn Ascendancy (2020-21)
and one duology -
04. Hand of Thrawn

[Maik Civeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Para celebrar los 40 años de mi saga cinematográfica favorita, decidí aventarme una de las obras literarias más aclamadas y populares del Universo Expandido. La Trilogía del Señor Oscuro está formada por las novelas "Labyrinth of Evil", "Revenge of the Sith" y "Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader". Juntas forman un volumen de más de 1000 páginas que relatan la transformación de Anakin Skywalker en Darth Vader, en el contexto de la caída de la República y los primeros días del Imperio.

En "Labyrinth" Obi-Wan y Anakin topan con una pieza de información importante que conduce al rastro del elusivo Darth Sidious, lo que los lleva a buscar pistas en diferentes lugares de la Galaxia. La novela culmina con el ataque separatista a la capital Coruscant. Es un libro de aventuras en el que cada episodio mete a nuestros héroes en nuevas peripecias. Lo más interesante son los perfiles del General Grievous y del Conde Dooku. Conocemos sus historias, sus pensamientos, sus verdaderas personalidades.

"Revenge" es obviamente la novelización de la película, aunque con algunas diferencias menores (más bien detalles) y muchas "escenas adicionales". Ya mientras leía estas dos primeras entregas me di cuenta del potencial de SW en los libros: la creación de mundos. En la novela un autor puede permitirse lo que al cineasta le es muy difícil. Cada vez que hay un personaje, la acción puede detenerse para que conozcamos sus antecedentes y sus pensamientos. Cada lugar, institución o artefacto tiene su historia y su descripción detallada. Los libros permiten conocer a profundidad el universo de SW.

"Dark Lord" resultó ser más interesante de lo que parecía al principio. En ella Roan Shryne y un puñado de Jedi sobrevivientes a la orden 66 se enfrentan con la nueva mano derecha del Emperador, Darth Vader. Me gustó sobre todo porque la mitad de los capítulos están narrados desde el punto de vista del nuevo Lord Sith. Cómo se siente Anakin en el traje de Darth Vader, el dolor en su cuerpo mutilado, la claustrofobia bajo el caso, la impotencia al comparar su nueva situación con lo que tenía ante sí unos días antes. Trata de cómo lidia con la muerte de Padme, con saber que fue un peón de Sidious todo el tiempo, pero que no hay marcha atrás y que ahora necesita a su nuevo amo.

La novela central es de la autoría de Stover, mientras que la pluma de Luceno se encargó de las otras dos. El estilo narrativo de Luceno es sencillo y directo, muy cinemático en las secuencias de acción. Stover tiene ciertas pretensiones poéticas que en ocasiones lo llevan a escribir prosa poderosa, pero en otras se siente ridículo. Prefiero la modestia de Luceno.

Si algo no me gustó de las primeras dos novelas es el manejo de Padmé como personaje. En la primera casi no aparece (y en todas tiene mayor participación Bail Organa) y en la segunda su caracterización es patética. Desde el primer momento la vemos suspirando por Anakin, que es todo su mundo. Si Stover usa sendos párrafos para presentarnos a cada personaje, de Padmé dice que lo más importante de ella no es haber sido reina, o senadora o una brillante diplomática, sino que es la esposa de Anakin Skywalker y la madre de su hijo nonato. Incluso cuando pasa a describir su vida interior, más bien habla sobre qué piensa de Anakin. En realidad, el personaje está construido en función a su relación con Anakin y todo el libro se la pasa llorando y suspirando por él como protagonista de novela rosa decimononica. Es terrible.

A manera de compensación, de lo mejor logrado es la amistad, o mejor dicho el bromance, entre Anakin y Obi-Wan. Cada momento en que están juntos es entrañable, divertido o conmovedor. Hablando de lo cual, debo hacer una confesión: mientras leía "Revenge" me encontré llorando a lágrima suelta en más de una ocasión.

Entonces, ¿recomiendo el libro? Sí, pero sólo a los fans de Star Wars. No creo que pueda ser del interés del público en general, y finalmente su calidad literaria no es mucha (son novelas comercialonas, regulares, no mal escritas). A los fans sí les gustará, porque nunca está de más visitar esa galaxia muy, muy lejana que tanto amamos.

[Hansel Haase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here it is: the big one. 1000+ pages of Star Wars goodness. I had an absolute blast reading this.

The Dark Lord Trilogy is basically super-deluxe-extended Episode III, starting with the old EU take on events leading up to the film in Labyrinth of Evil, expanding upon Lucas's vision in the Revenge of the Sith novelization, and wrapping up any remaining loose ends in Dark Lord. As individual novels, each stands on its own and shines in its own way. This time, however, I am reviewing the trilogy as a whole.

To be quite honest, I struggled to not list it at 5 stars. But I think 4 stars is adequate for this review. Labyrinth of Evil is the perfect prequel to Revenge of the Sith. In it, Luceno extends the tragedy, leaving the reader helplessly watching the Jedi and their clone investigation team very nearly uncover the identity of Darth Sideous, only to have the Sith lord slip out of their grasp. Anakin and Obi-Wan's own adventure establishes their unbreakable comradery and high-functioning teamwork in a way that perfectly leads into the epic space rescue at the opening of Revenge of the Sith.

Matthew Stover's writing doesn't quite match up with Luceno's style (which, while rather dry in comparison, reads incredibly easily), but Stover's flair for the dramatic and deep understanding of characters—especially their unique relationships with the Force—makes the novelization arguably a better experience than the film itself. Stover chooses to portray many of Lucas's later-deleted scenes and gives a nice picture of the additional scope and depth that an "extended cut" of the film might have had.

The only low point (and at that, only low from a relative perspective) is Dark Lord, the direct sequel to Revenge of the Sith. Luceno did a fine job with the story. In fact, I had actually read Dark Lord previously as a standalone, and really enjoyed it. In the context of a Dark Lord Trilogy, however, the heavy focus on the escapades of otherwise unknown Jedi Shryne and Starstone doesn't quite fit (even if I think they make excellent characters). I really liked the portrayal of the events of Order 66 and beyond happening to no-name Jedi on a far-flung world, but it feels out of place compared to the other books in the trilogy. Despite this, Luceno nails the chapters from Vader's perspective. He is clearly a shell of the man he once was (in more ways than one). Anakin is slowly suppressed until he is no more in Vader's mind.

TL;DR, Books 1-2 fit together exceptionally well (despite the varied writing style). Book 3 is an excellent standalone but only about half the story is relevant to the trilogy. The Revenge of the Sith novelization is the highlight of the trilogy, as it very well ought to be.

Clearly this was not intended as a trilogy, but as books within a larger universe, and in that context they work together perfectly. As a trilogy, they stand better than they have any right to, and I think that speaks to the exceptional planning that went into the old EU, especially around the prequel-era. Even if you read the books individually, this is a great way to get 3 must-read books for any Star Wars fan, and even non-fans who have a passing familiarity with the movie will get a real treat from the Revenge of the Sith novelization.

[Fernando Paiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This trilogy is definitely a must-read for hardcore Star Wars fans; especially those of you who have never experienced the "Legends" timeline that many of us still consider to be the "True" canon of the SW universe. (Not a fan of almost all the Disney era SW content) Nothing spoiler-related in this review but I'll give an overview of what the stories entail so you have a good idea if this is what you're looking for.

"Labyrinth of Evil" is a really fun read that gives so much context to the events leading up to the events of ROTS. Book 1 fills in story lore in between Episode II and Episode III in so many fun and even unexpected ways. It's worth a read, especially because of how much it adds to the novelization of Book #2 "Revenge of the Sith."

"Revenge of the Sith" is obviously the book version of Episode III but it is also so much more than that. In new and unique ways, reading this book felt like experiencing Revenge of the Sith for the first time all over again because of the added scenes(some of which were cut from the film), being able to get into the head space of our heroes and villains, and in many ways improving the film version of the story(while brilliant was not without its flaws). I especially love the tie-ins this book(and the whole trilogy) has to the other stories in the Legends series like "Revan," "The Darth Bane" trilogy, and especially "Plagueis." In a lot of ways this book is sort of the climax of the entire Sith line from the events of the Old Republic.

Book #3 "The Dark Lord: Rise of Darth Vader" was also such a fun follow-up to the previous books seeing that you get to follow Darth Vader in his early days being in the famous dark cyborg looking suit we've known and loved since the release of the original SW film. I love the insight we never really get to experience anywhere else that this story provides with the difficulties and adjustment period of Darth Vader acclimating and learning how to live in his new reality as a hybrid cyborg(and the inner turmoil of facing the consequences of his actions in ROTS). It's also cool that you get to see the initial impressions of former allies and the new rising Empire as we see from "their" POV the events where they experience seeing Darth Vader in action for the first time(and he leaves a hell of an impression).

If you want to see the complete transition of Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side, there's no better read than this trilogy and I love that all three are presented back to back in this book format.

[Graeme Kear · Rating 4 out of 5]

As this is essentially three books, it needs a three part review!

The first book is set just before Revenge of the Sith and does a really good job of setting up RotS. Zips along at a good pace and adds some well needed context and meat to the bones of how RotS came about. The characters are mostly from RotS and its easy to follow. Good story, well written.

4 out of 5.

Book two is the written adaptation of Revenge of the Sith. In short, its fantastic. True to the film but gives so much more to the story, particularly anakin's seduction and fall to the dark side. It fully explains the reasons why he switched to the dark and also, makes you understand. You feel for anakin. Its a great book and in my opinion, on of the best star wars books I've read. Perfect for film fans who want more than what the film gave us.

5 out of 5.

The third follows straight after the events of RotS. I was really excited to read this, desperate to know more about vader and how he deals with the events of RotS. But, this book mostly follows a group of Jedi, and others, who are trying to make sense of order 66. To be blunt, you just don't care about them. Their stories and conversations are boring, there's far too many new characters to actually understand who is who and what they are doing. In fact the only parts of the boom where they are interesting is when vader catches up to them and confronts them. But this doesn't happen nearly enough and I would say, at a guess, for every 'vader chapter' you get 4/5 'others' chapters. You really don't learn an awful lot about vader at all and the best part of the book is probably the epilogue. It should have been vaders story with a bit of filler, instead vaders story is the filler - and that's not what you want. Very disappointing and ultimately a great shame.

2 out of 5.

Overall, it's worth reading for the first two books. RotS is a great read that you will speed through with maximum enjoyment, the third you will read just to get through. In fact you could skip it entirely and not really miss a lot.

4 out of 5.

[William Sariego · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a remarkable set, far above the usual 'literature' derived from a TV or film series. James Luceno is easily the best writer in the Star Wars universe, and he is responsible for #1 and #3. Revenge of the Sith, by Matthew Stover, is the best novelization of a screen play that I have ever read. 'Labyrinth' sets up the Separatists attack on Coruscant and highlights the bond between Anakin and Obi-Was, that will be dramatically shattered in 'Revenge.' 'Rise' is both a rousing adventure tale and a look into the mind of Vader, as he transitions from what is left of Anakin to Dark Lord of the Sith.

[Franklin Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Memorable moment:
The sheer genius of Palpatine (read Darth Plagueisas a prequel)
The fight between Anakin and Dooku on the Invisible Hand
Sidious vs Mace Windu
The fight between Vader and Obi-Wan on Mustafar
Vaders perspective on his loss of Force abilities

I honestly had a hard time staying awake for much of this book, sorry but this had so few actual relevant moments. I'm past disappointed. Random I've never heard of, drawn out sections that are simply filler....this book is much shorter when you dismiss all the useless parts.

[Ryan Fairley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great trilogy!

Great read! Really enjoy the depth you get in the books that you don't get in the movie. At times it was annoying to reread portions of the movies but there was so much more that it is worth reading those sections

[Peter Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being demoted to Legends I still feel this is the essential Revenge of the Sith trilogy. The RotS novelization is a particular standout in storytelling. Not exactly War and Peace but just as long. Treat yourself to this trilogy!

[Fm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine Empfehlung für jeden dem die Prequel Trilogie zu flach blieb und der Konflikt zwischen Jedi und Sith zu wenig Aufmerksamkeit bekam. Spannend, tiefgründig, packend, düster. Alle Werke einzeln, und noch intensiver zusammen, sehr empfehlenswert.

[Alexandr Iscenco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an interesting "prelude" to the "Revenge of the Sith" episode of Star Wars. It adds some additional depth to the key characters, namely Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Count Dooku, and General Grievous.

[Mark Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

very Informative

I learned a lot more about darth Vader by reading this book. Also learned about the cruel irony that darth Vader is the reason for Padme to die. Even as his dark journey started as. an attempt to protect her.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over 1000 pages of pure awesome.

Ever wanted to know greater detail about the downfall of Anakin Skywalker and the rise of Lord Vader? This is your answer.

[Josh Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book!

A more in-depth look at the creation of Vader. The book Revenge of the Sith is probably better than the actual movie.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly excellent collection of three books that showcases the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker, followed by the rise of Darth Vader. A big win for readers!

[Anthony Iannitell · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much improved over the movies. Luceno makes Anakin's transformation believable and tragic rather than wooden and inevitable. Kudos.

[Denning · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good read

Enjoyed it, long but took my time. It would have been nice if Kenobi series went off of this book.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Already read book three of this series so it was just books one and two. Did not disappoint at all. Loved it all.

[Michael Medlen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Wars has always worked better in novelization form than it has in movie form. These versions are far superior to their film counterparts...