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It’s the beginning of the end for this epic series in the thrilling final eBook installment, Star Lost Tribe of the Sith #8: Secrets. Two thousand years ago, Commander Yaru Korsin braved mutiny and desperation—and inspired his shipwrecked Sith tribe to rise up, seize, and dominate the planet Kesh. Now a shocking revelation about those legendary ancestors has thrown the Sith into turmoil, pitting one against the other in ever-growing clashes that could bring about their downfall. With his city descending into chaos around him, unassuming archivist Varner Hilts sets off for the forbidden temple, home to the wreckage of Korsin’s ship, Omen. Outnumbered by ruthless Sith warriors with nothing to lose, Hilts knows it may be a suicide mission. But he has a hunch that Korsin left something behind, something hidden until such an essential time as now—one final piece of knowledge that could save the rulers of Kesh from themselves and set them once again on the path toward a glorious destiny.
66 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2012
39 people are currently reading
1153 people want to read
About the author
John Jackson Miller
346 books995 followersNew York Times bestselling author John Jackson Miller has spent a lifetime immersed in science fiction. His Star Trek novels include the Discovery – Die Standing, the acclaimed novel Discovery — The Enterprise War, the Prey trilogy, and Takedown. His Star Wars novels include A New Dawn, Kenobi, Knight Errant, Lost Tribe of the Sith, and the Knights of the Old Republic comics, available from Marvel as Legends: The Old Republic.
He’s written comics and prose for Halo, Iron Man, Simpsons, Conan, Planet of the Apes, and Mass Effect, with recent graphic novels for Battlestar Galactica, Dumbo, and The Lion King. Production notes on all his works can be found at his fiction site.
He is also a comics industry historian, specializing in studying comic-book circulation as presented on his website, Comichron.. He also coauthored the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.
He’s written comics and prose for Halo, Iron Man, Simpsons, Conan, Planet of the Apes, and Mass Effect, with recent graphic novels for Battlestar Galactica, Dumbo, and The Lion King. Production notes on all his works can be found at his fiction site.
He is also a comics industry historian, specializing in studying comic-book circulation as presented on his website, Comichron.. He also coauthored the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
November 13, 2021
Good characters and story. Looking forward to the conclusion.
February 28, 2022
If you need Sith to act in unison—give them an enemy.”
May 20, 2015
Plot:
Secrets takes place right after Pantheon. The Sith are even in more turmoil. After realizing that they were a lost tribe, they lost all hope. Except for Hilts, who went in search of something at Omen. He believed that Korsin left something there specifically for a time like this. When he got to the temple, he found Illiana there already. They search for the secret, but people come in search of him and Illiana. They are running out of time because their pursuers are trying to destroy the temple, but then everything changes when Hilts finds what Korsin has been hiding all these years. It is something that will save the Sith.
Characterization:
Hilts is starting to get excited. He has always been fascinated by information and history. Now when he has the chance to make it, he jumps to the occasion. He used to be a nobody. Just a caretaker. Now he is getting more and more power that he never knew he could have, and he likes it..
Audience:
I would recommend this book to teenagers and older as some of the material is hard to grasp. I would recommend this book to Star Wars fans as well as fans of science fiction because there are a lot of fictional aspects in this book such as space travel and futuristic technology. Both genders will be able to enjoy this book equally. However, if you are not a fan of science fiction do not read this book. You will be bored out of your mind because of all of the science involved. Likewise if you are not of a high reading level the content will go right over your head.
Personal Response:
I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. My pulse was racing when I read this book. I could not wait to find out what Korsin hid all those years ago. When I did find out, I was surprised and ecstatic. It couldn’t have ended in a better way. I would recommend it to all Star Wars fans.
Secrets takes place right after Pantheon. The Sith are even in more turmoil. After realizing that they were a lost tribe, they lost all hope. Except for Hilts, who went in search of something at Omen. He believed that Korsin left something there specifically for a time like this. When he got to the temple, he found Illiana there already. They search for the secret, but people come in search of him and Illiana. They are running out of time because their pursuers are trying to destroy the temple, but then everything changes when Hilts finds what Korsin has been hiding all these years. It is something that will save the Sith.
Characterization:
Hilts is starting to get excited. He has always been fascinated by information and history. Now when he has the chance to make it, he jumps to the occasion. He used to be a nobody. Just a caretaker. Now he is getting more and more power that he never knew he could have, and he likes it..
Audience:
I would recommend this book to teenagers and older as some of the material is hard to grasp. I would recommend this book to Star Wars fans as well as fans of science fiction because there are a lot of fictional aspects in this book such as space travel and futuristic technology. Both genders will be able to enjoy this book equally. However, if you are not a fan of science fiction do not read this book. You will be bored out of your mind because of all of the science involved. Likewise if you are not of a high reading level the content will go right over your head.
Personal Response:
I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. My pulse was racing when I read this book. I could not wait to find out what Korsin hid all those years ago. When I did find out, I was surprised and ecstatic. It couldn’t have ended in a better way. I would recommend it to all Star Wars fans.
October 30, 2013
What I don’t like about these books is their form – as short stories – what I mean is, that reading them as one book wouldn’t work for me because I want to take it sequentially and therefore I’d have to stop at one point and star another book because the last two stories are after some other books, at least according the time-line. And reading them as separate books is also not the same because they’re too short to build up some atmosphere and suspense, not a very good one, though I admit that the stories got slowly better. But it was odd how there’s been many years between them – 25 years between 1-4 and a thousand between 4 and 5, just then it again was following on each other directly – I mean why? Why not take it a little bit slower?
Oh, and the thing with the Keshiri people – when they’ve been able to steel all their Uvak I certainly wouldn’t just flee and try to find a new home and risk that many would die during the journey, I’d rather have my own city back, so I don’t understand why wouldn’t they rather fight.
Well, anyway, I doubt I’ll read them again, they’re nothing that special.
Oh, and the thing with the Keshiri people – when they’ve been able to steel all their Uvak I certainly wouldn’t just flee and try to find a new home and risk that many would die during the journey, I’d rather have my own city back, so I don’t understand why wouldn’t they rather fight.
Well, anyway, I doubt I’ll read them again, they’re nothing that special.
March 9, 2012
Better than some of the series. It did keep my interest better while reading it. I really can't tell if this is going to be the ending of the series or not...it could really go either way. I'm fine with it ending the way it did, the ending was one of the best parts, but it also opens a whole other topic that could be pursued. We shall see, I suppose. :P
March 17, 2016
This one was even better then the last one, continuing story about Hilts and Lost Tribe of Sith, loved it!
June 27, 2020
I think Hilts is my favorite character so far in these stories. In this tale, amid the chaos of the last story's secret revelation and the resulting chaotic disintegration of the Sith culture, He turns to the last hope, the Temple, to seek an answer to save the Sith. What he finds changes the entire understanding of the planet and returns a purpose to his people.
Hilts is the kind of character for whom cleverness is the key to success. I would love to see how the following years find him in his new role. I suspect the last story, Pandemonium, might not include him directly, but I hope it reveals how he changes the world around him.
Hilts is the kind of character for whom cleverness is the key to success. I would love to see how the following years find him in his new role. I suspect the last story, Pandemonium, might not include him directly, but I hope it reveals how he changes the world around him.
December 28, 2025
Per aspera ad astra - or at least to new shores. This is a fairly focused short story without many bells or whistles, but the setting and atmosphere still comes through. A rich setting featuring so much more storytelling potential than what these short stories can give, nice and thoughtful callbacks to the series' roots, a solid structure, and the fascinating character of Varner Hilts - what more could you want?
I evidently don't have much to say here compared to the prior stories, but that's okay. It speaks to John Jackson Miller's skill as a SW author, I think.
I evidently don't have much to say here compared to the prior stories, but that's okay. It speaks to John Jackson Miller's skill as a SW author, I think.
September 10, 2022
This may very well be the best story out of all the others in Lost Tribe of the Sith collection. Well, I'm torn between this one and the Sentinel one. This one has a moment inside where it's just amazing to read. The realization of the tribe, when they find out about certain.. stuff.
Solid story!
Solid story!
May 7, 2025
Oh boy. This is a good one. Some crazy revelations here! Hoping #9 concludes the story strongly, but honestly even if it doesn’t this is a pretty great conclusion to this series of novellas on its own.
November 18, 2020
Average short story
Plot had interesting development but has series went on had less interest in it. Might have read better as a binge read.
Plot had interesting development but has series went on had less interest in it. Might have read better as a binge read.
January 17, 2025
It's actually quite interesting to see how a culture and belief system can develop over eons with information distorted or hidden. A commentary on modern times, for sure.
June 2, 2025
The Sith need an enemy or a mission or else they will turn on each other. Now they have a new one and the stage is set for the finale!
June 13, 2016
This installment follows directly from the events in Pantheon. Varner Hilts and his trusted Keshiri apprentice, Jaye have made it to the site where Omen crashed more than two-thousand years earlier. Yaru Korsin's testament told his daughter Nida that the real power is behind the throne and Varner believes this to be the Captain's chair from Oman which was returned to the crash site.
When they arrive they find Iliana, the leader of the Seelah faction crouched and holding the skull of her long dead hero. Varner explains his plan and the three of them descend into the temple looking for the throne which they find.
As they explore, the other factions show up looking for Iliana to kill before destroying the temple and killing themselves. They figure out they are inside and follow only to start fighting and when they do, the realize what Yaru Korsin meant. There are other continents out there but they are too far away to fly by uvak. And they are populated and this gives the Sith something to do.
This is another fine installment and a look into the psychology of Sith. They believe they are descended from slaves so they decide to destroy their entire civilization, yet when they have a common goal and the potential for ruling over others, they come together.
When they arrive they find Iliana, the leader of the Seelah faction crouched and holding the skull of her long dead hero. Varner explains his plan and the three of them descend into the temple looking for the throne which they find.
As they explore, the other factions show up looking for Iliana to kill before destroying the temple and killing themselves. They figure out they are inside and follow only to start fighting and when they do, the realize what Yaru Korsin meant. There are other continents out there but they are too far away to fly by uvak. And they are populated and this gives the Sith something to do.
This is another fine installment and a look into the psychology of Sith. They believe they are descended from slaves so they decide to destroy their entire civilization, yet when they have a common goal and the potential for ruling over others, they come together.
March 15, 2012
In this volume of the Lost Tribe of the Sith the tribe is distraught after finding out their ancestors were slaves and not the conquerors they believed them to be. The ripple efect of this revelation caused the Sith factions to turn on themselves and begin a race to extinction. Enter a researcher whose family has been disgraced enough that he becomes a researcher studying the ancient ruins of the Omen spaceship and its first settlers. While the Sith are destroying themselves from within he sets out to follow a last clue left by the original ruler. His discovery leads to a unification of sorts, it gives something for the Sith to focus on, a purpose other than just the normal bitter feuds and backbiting. Now is this the end of the story or will we find out if the new discovery and goal leads to a resurgence in power.....
January 17, 2016
This is a nice end piece to the collection of short stories. It continues from the end of the last story with the Tribe in complete disarray.
This story does a nice job encapsulating most elements from previous stories and setting the Tribe up for a unified future. There is, again, more humor in this story than in previous, and the voice that's relating the story is engaging and compelling.
In general, most casual fans can skip this entire series, but dedicated fans, along with fans of the "Fate of the Jedi" series in particular will enjoy this insight into the Tribe and the history of this small sith sect.
This story does a nice job encapsulating most elements from previous stories and setting the Tribe up for a unified future. There is, again, more humor in this story than in previous, and the voice that's relating the story is engaging and compelling.
In general, most casual fans can skip this entire series, but dedicated fans, along with fans of the "Fate of the Jedi" series in particular will enjoy this insight into the Tribe and the history of this small sith sect.
March 17, 2012
A somewhat satisfying ending to the series and had enough action to keep me interested.
I'm still not too sure how I feel about the discovery at the end of the book. It reminds me of what they are currently doing on the manga Hunter x Hunter. It's good that it leaves room for further exploration but at the same time it would be nice to have a better closing.
I'm still not too sure how I feel about the discovery at the end of the book. It reminds me of what they are currently doing on the manga Hunter x Hunter. It's good that it leaves room for further exploration but at the same time it would be nice to have a better closing.
July 18, 2012
This final book was pretty good, and leaves the door open for another possible return to Kesh. That being said, there was enough closure that i feel there is no real need for another series.
Edit: I just discovered that this is NOT the final book. The 9th and final book will be released laster this month... wondering where they go with this.
March 27, 2012
Great book and great ending to the series. I have thoroughly enjoyed the entire season. This book is extremely short even when compared to the other books. The story has very little action but manages to bring the series to a great conclusion.
June 22, 2012
Sith are killing each other after learning the truth of how their ancestors came to Kesh. Varner Hilts manages to return to the spaceship, Omen, and finds information to unite them all and save themselves. A very dark series of Star Wars short stories.
July 8, 2012
Realizing that Star Wars is a blend of SciFi and Fantasy. This series is an interesting back story and I like that each book draws on the previous but isn't a direct sequel. More of a jump through history.
January 17, 2017
Miller keeps the momentum going in my opinion. I find myself wanting to jump into the final book in the series. He has done a fantastic job of creating a continuous, yet sparsely separate centuries/millennia, story with characters that are believable and relatable.
May 20, 2012
Had high hopes for the series, conclusion didn't really do anything for me.
March 17, 2012
Kept me interested, got #1-#8 free on amazon, decent story for free.
March 15, 2012
Good for what it was.
March 16, 2012
Was a good ending too the series. Although, I want more.
July 26, 2016
I love these Lost Tribe of the Sith novellas. My only complaint about these is that I wish they were all released together as a full length novel rather than several shorter books.
April 24, 2012
A very complete, enjoyable and fitting ending.
May 18, 2012
About as good as the others in this series--I always enjoy a Star Wars story not focused on the movie characters or lore.
May 30, 2012
A disappointing end to a godd series
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews