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Star Wars Disney Canon Novel
Master of Evil
After Revenge of the Sith, a newly forged Darth Vader hunts for the secrets of life and death under the watchful eye of Emperor Palpatine.
In the wake of Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power, the true nature of his most sinister enforcer remains a mystery. Darth Vader is a dominant yet illusive figure: the shadow cast by a malignant Imperial regime, unknowable to even its top officials. But even as his humanity gives way to myth, Vader remains haunted by the promises of the dark side, seeking the ultimate power that his master has hinted at but withheld—the power to conquer death itself.
On the volcanic world of Mustafar, Vader undertakes a dark ritual, bleeding a kyber crystal to forge his lightsaber. This act unleashes a power far greater than he anticipated, giving him a glimpse into the limitless potential of the Force.
Vader is determined to follow this vision, even if it means defying his master’s orders. Yet he finds the Emperor is suspiciously supportive of his mission, even sending Vader to the Diso system to investigate rumors of a Force-wielding shaman able to raise the dead. At his side are a cadre of the Emperor’s scarlet-robed Royal Guard, led by Colonel Halland Goth—a decorated soldier with a very personal interest in Vader’s mission.
Even as the Emperor’s true motivations reveals themselves, Vader falls deeper into obsession. His journey takes him far across the galaxy, chasing rumors and phantoms. But no matter how far he travels, he cannot escape the shadows within his own soul. Haunted by the echoes of his past, Vader circles the true resolution to his quest: only once all weakness is purged can he become a master of evil.
In the wake of Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power, the true nature of his most sinister enforcer remains a mystery. Darth Vader is a dominant yet illusive figure: the shadow cast by a malignant Imperial regime, unknowable to even its top officials. But even as his humanity gives way to myth, Vader remains haunted by the promises of the dark side, seeking the ultimate power that his master has hinted at but withheld—the power to conquer death itself.
On the volcanic world of Mustafar, Vader undertakes a dark ritual, bleeding a kyber crystal to forge his lightsaber. This act unleashes a power far greater than he anticipated, giving him a glimpse into the limitless potential of the Force.
Vader is determined to follow this vision, even if it means defying his master’s orders. Yet he finds the Emperor is suspiciously supportive of his mission, even sending Vader to the Diso system to investigate rumors of a Force-wielding shaman able to raise the dead. At his side are a cadre of the Emperor’s scarlet-robed Royal Guard, led by Colonel Halland Goth—a decorated soldier with a very personal interest in Vader’s mission.
Even as the Emperor’s true motivations reveals themselves, Vader falls deeper into obsession. His journey takes him far across the galaxy, chasing rumors and phantoms. But no matter how far he travels, he cannot escape the shadows within his own soul. Haunted by the echoes of his past, Vader circles the true resolution to his quest: only once all weakness is purged can he become a master of evil.
16 pages, Audiobook
First published November 11, 2025
416 people are currently reading
1655 people want to read
About the author
Adam Christopher
48 books705 followersAdam Christopher is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith and Master of Evil, Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town. He has also written official tie-in novels for the hit CBS television show Elementary and the award-winning Dishonored video game franchise.
Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic.
Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.
Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic.
Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
November 10, 2025
This is not a Darth Vader novel. I am a big fan of Christopher’s previous canon Star Wars novel, Shadow of the Sith, so I was eagerly awaiting this one when they announced “the first Vader novel in ten years.”
However, the main character of the book is a Royal Guard named Halland Goth, who is assigned to spy on Vader. None of the book is told from Vader’s perspective. This is a story of other characters watching Vader do things.
It is not the introspective character study I was hoping for, where we’d get a deep look into Vader’s psyche and personal feelings from his POV. I still read the entire thing, and even just as a novel, I felt it was not very good. The multiple subplots did not grab me, and the main plot with Vader is very derivative of things we have already seen before in the Vader comics.
All in all, this novel offers nothing new, while relegating Darth Vader to a secondary character and focusing on other original characters that I did not find myself particularly attached to.
However, the main character of the book is a Royal Guard named Halland Goth, who is assigned to spy on Vader. None of the book is told from Vader’s perspective. This is a story of other characters watching Vader do things.
It is not the introspective character study I was hoping for, where we’d get a deep look into Vader’s psyche and personal feelings from his POV. I still read the entire thing, and even just as a novel, I felt it was not very good. The multiple subplots did not grab me, and the main plot with Vader is very derivative of things we have already seen before in the Vader comics.
All in all, this novel offers nothing new, while relegating Darth Vader to a secondary character and focusing on other original characters that I did not find myself particularly attached to.
November 16, 2025
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but I didn't care for the second half at all. This was mainly due to the type of story that Adam Christopher wanted to tell in the second half, which was bound to be unappealing to me.
I'll start with a comment about the framing of this book. The book is ostensibly about Darth Vader, and indeed he takes up a lot of the plot and purpose behind the book. However, there are only a handful of chapters (out of like 50) where Vader is the POV character, and those examples were almost entirely vision sequences, rather than actual POV scenes. The vast majority of the book (95%ish) is told from the perspective of other characters, particularly ISB Colonel Halland Goth. This is not anywhere close to the first time we've gotten a book marketed as being about one singular character and then that character barely gets any POV (Kenobi, Yoda Dark Rendezvous, Maul Lockdown, Dark Lord: Rise of Darth Vader, etc), but its starting to get annoying.
Now I actually really did like Halland Goth's story in the first half of the book. His perspective of the ISB and his sickness and his desire to fulfill his duty to the empire was great. I loved reading his interactions with his droid and his moral quandry with Vader.
However, the second half of the book almost entirely takes place on this mysterious ship (won't spoil what else is on the ship) and its a whole lot of force visions and odd sequences that just didn't work for me. I wanted much more of the Empire building in its early years and seeing Vader do his work, but instead so much of the book is about the Dark Side of the force (which to be honest, the title of the book at least gives that part away).
There are a plenty of references to the comics/novels/shows that I think eagle eyed readers will enjoy, particularly again in the first half of the book. A certain clone shows up that I also liked seeing here.
Overall, its an ok book. Strong first half, weak second half. Needed better marketing I think. 5 out of 10.
I'll start with a comment about the framing of this book. The book is ostensibly about Darth Vader, and indeed he takes up a lot of the plot and purpose behind the book. However, there are only a handful of chapters (out of like 50) where Vader is the POV character, and those examples were almost entirely vision sequences, rather than actual POV scenes. The vast majority of the book (95%ish) is told from the perspective of other characters, particularly ISB Colonel Halland Goth. This is not anywhere close to the first time we've gotten a book marketed as being about one singular character and then that character barely gets any POV (Kenobi, Yoda Dark Rendezvous, Maul Lockdown, Dark Lord: Rise of Darth Vader, etc), but its starting to get annoying.
Now I actually really did like Halland Goth's story in the first half of the book. His perspective of the ISB and his sickness and his desire to fulfill his duty to the empire was great. I loved reading his interactions with his droid and his moral quandry with Vader.
However, the second half of the book almost entirely takes place on this mysterious ship (won't spoil what else is on the ship) and its a whole lot of force visions and odd sequences that just didn't work for me. I wanted much more of the Empire building in its early years and seeing Vader do his work, but instead so much of the book is about the Dark Side of the force (which to be honest, the title of the book at least gives that part away).
There are a plenty of references to the comics/novels/shows that I think eagle eyed readers will enjoy, particularly again in the first half of the book. A certain clone shows up that I also liked seeing here.
Overall, its an ok book. Strong first half, weak second half. Needed better marketing I think. 5 out of 10.
November 13, 2025
Master of Evil — more like Master of Misleading Titles.
I ordered this back in June, thinking I’d finally get the deep, ruthless descent of Vader right after Revenge of the Sith. What I got instead was a story about some dink named Goth—yes, really—whose main job is “watching” Vader for the Emperor. Congratulations, we’ve gone from the most iconic villain in sci-fi to a nosy bureaucrat trying to decipher who Vader is, what he’s up to, whilst also not pissing him off in an effort to complete his mission.
You get five POV chapters—five!—that actually center on Vader and his further descent into the dark side. The rest reads like someone trying to make a side character matter by constantly name-dropping the one we actually care about. Every time I thought, “Okay, now it’ll be about Vader,” the book said, “Nah, here’s more Goth, his droid TC-99 and him trying to figure out what his boss Vader is up to in hyperspace, all the while trying to find a cure for his illness.” Then let’s throw in Sidious, a character named Desler, and some other minor characters wanting revenge on Vader, all while looking for this “special” temple that Dooku hid.
I ain’t hating on the writing, Christopher KNOWS how to write and writes very well, I’ve read many of his other Star Wars books, which is why this is getting three stars. This is just a super misleading book based on the description and cover; it is NOT A VADER POV (he’s a secondary character). It’s a fine story, but don’t make the main description a Vader story when it’s really not; it’s about Goth.
I nearly DNF’d it twice (went to audio) but stubbornly held on, thinking maybe we’d get payoff or insight into Vader’s early Sith years. Spoiler: we didn’t. If you actually want the story this book pretends to tell, go grab the Dark Lord of the Sith graphic novels 1 thru 4, they deliver the power, rage, and tragedy this novel completely forgot to include. It tells you the full story of how he obtained the Kyber crystal (ps it’s freakin cool), how his suit causes him constant pain, his connection with Mustafar and the toxic relationship with Darth Sidious.
Should’ve been titled Guy Who Is Dying Near Vader: The Novel.
I ordered this back in June, thinking I’d finally get the deep, ruthless descent of Vader right after Revenge of the Sith. What I got instead was a story about some dink named Goth—yes, really—whose main job is “watching” Vader for the Emperor. Congratulations, we’ve gone from the most iconic villain in sci-fi to a nosy bureaucrat trying to decipher who Vader is, what he’s up to, whilst also not pissing him off in an effort to complete his mission.
You get five POV chapters—five!—that actually center on Vader and his further descent into the dark side. The rest reads like someone trying to make a side character matter by constantly name-dropping the one we actually care about. Every time I thought, “Okay, now it’ll be about Vader,” the book said, “Nah, here’s more Goth, his droid TC-99 and him trying to figure out what his boss Vader is up to in hyperspace, all the while trying to find a cure for his illness.” Then let’s throw in Sidious, a character named Desler, and some other minor characters wanting revenge on Vader, all while looking for this “special” temple that Dooku hid.
I ain’t hating on the writing, Christopher KNOWS how to write and writes very well, I’ve read many of his other Star Wars books, which is why this is getting three stars. This is just a super misleading book based on the description and cover; it is NOT A VADER POV (he’s a secondary character). It’s a fine story, but don’t make the main description a Vader story when it’s really not; it’s about Goth.
I nearly DNF’d it twice (went to audio) but stubbornly held on, thinking maybe we’d get payoff or insight into Vader’s early Sith years. Spoiler: we didn’t. If you actually want the story this book pretends to tell, go grab the Dark Lord of the Sith graphic novels 1 thru 4, they deliver the power, rage, and tragedy this novel completely forgot to include. It tells you the full story of how he obtained the Kyber crystal (ps it’s freakin cool), how his suit causes him constant pain, his connection with Mustafar and the toxic relationship with Darth Sidious.
Should’ve been titled Guy Who Is Dying Near Vader: The Novel.
gave-up-on
November 18, 2025Holy shit, the reviews on this book are hilarious.
Not touching a book about Vader not told from the perspective of Vader.
How did this guy get a book deal? His track record on GR is mid to poor. He may be a NYT bestseller but I look at the reviews first. And this just proves that people didn't gaf.
Edit: To the dude who was like we already have Vader stories. We do, in Legends, not in their new canon. There is always room for more. I'm also not reading a comic book.
Not touching a book about Vader not told from the perspective of Vader.
How did this guy get a book deal? His track record on GR is mid to poor. He may be a NYT bestseller but I look at the reviews first. And this just proves that people didn't gaf.
Edit: To the dude who was like we already have Vader stories. We do, in Legends, not in their new canon. There is always room for more. I'm also not reading a comic book.
Want to read
May 23, 2025A new Vader book about his back story? Yes please! Love the cover too :)
November 19, 2025
The Empire has risen and Colonel Halland Goth of the Imperial Royal Guards has welcomed it. But he is dying and may not enjoy galactic peace for long. When he is sent to spy on Darth Vader during the Dark Lord's search for a vergence in the Force, he realises there may be a way to survive - because Darth Vader survive and he used to be someone else. Time is running out. For more than one man.
Oh. Oh no. This was not good. I was so excited for this book based on the cover and title alone, but I was duped. So few authors get Darth Vader right and Christopher is not one of them (and I am so sad to write this review after his excellent book Shadow of the Sith). Various new characters are introduced to fill out the pages but they hardly seemed relevant to me, even Goth - and it's tiresome when yet another character discovers the Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader link. I've had my fill of this, from both canons. Please stop!
The novel owes a lot to the Charles Soule Darth Vader comics. It even rehashes a scene from that run - and fails to make it any better (actually makes it worse...). The plot is also clearly inspired by events in the comics and...why would you bother to read this book when said comics exist? They are excellent! Christopher seems to have gone for a comic book feel but it just didn't work here, in a novel.
I am disappointed and annoyed.
EDIT: Since the author is clearly trawling the reviews, hi. I'm not sure why I need to remind a bestseller not to find the social media accounts of reviewers and comment on their posts (a post which didn't mention the title or author, by the way). Although, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it was the algorithm... this time. *heavy respirator noises*
Oh. Oh no. This was not good. I was so excited for this book based on the cover and title alone, but I was duped. So few authors get Darth Vader right and Christopher is not one of them (and I am so sad to write this review after his excellent book Shadow of the Sith). Various new characters are introduced to fill out the pages but they hardly seemed relevant to me, even Goth - and it's tiresome when yet another character discovers the Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader link. I've had my fill of this, from both canons. Please stop!
The novel owes a lot to the Charles Soule Darth Vader comics. It even rehashes a scene from that run - and fails to make it any better (actually makes it worse...). The plot is also clearly inspired by events in the comics and...why would you bother to read this book when said comics exist? They are excellent! Christopher seems to have gone for a comic book feel but it just didn't work here, in a novel.
I am disappointed and annoyed.
EDIT: Since the author is clearly trawling the reviews, hi. I'm not sure why I need to remind a bestseller not to find the social media accounts of reviewers and comment on their posts (a post which didn't mention the title or author, by the way). Although, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it was the algorithm... this time. *heavy respirator noises*
November 14, 2025
When I first read about this book I read that it was a Star Wars horror novel, an exciting prospect as the only other real Star Wars horror story is Death Troopers (and its sequel Red Harvest which I have not read) and that was a fantastic read. Sadly that is not what this book was. With a cover worthy of a horror and an initial premise that screamed with horror potential, Master of Evil was really just a generic Star Wars adventure with only a few mildly spooky scenes that the narrative did nothing to make stronger.
That is not to say this is a bad novel. Its not, it has a decent enough story and some good characters like Halland Goth, TC-99 and Commander Appo, and Darth Vader is always delightful to read/watch/anything really. But this could have been a fantastic novel, it could have been one of the best Star Wars books we've had for years. But that potential was squandered and instead we get an okay at best novel that is worth reading once maybe, but not again. If the author had just taken some chances and written something a bit more mature, in the same vein as Death Troopers, then Master of Evil would have been something truly special.
That is not to say this is a bad novel. Its not, it has a decent enough story and some good characters like Halland Goth, TC-99 and Commander Appo, and Darth Vader is always delightful to read/watch/anything really. But this could have been a fantastic novel, it could have been one of the best Star Wars books we've had for years. But that potential was squandered and instead we get an okay at best novel that is worth reading once maybe, but not again. If the author had just taken some chances and written something a bit more mature, in the same vein as Death Troopers, then Master of Evil would have been something truly special.
November 20, 2025
I really enjoyed this one! I would say it’s the best Star Wars book of the year! Goth was such an interesting character and I loved his point of view and getting to see this view of Vader! And nines was the best- he wasn’t annoying and made for a great sidekick
December 9, 2025
I certainly expected there to be more than four (4) of fifty eight (58) chapters from Darth Vaders POV in the Darth Vader book and that is the reason for this rating. I know Vader does not have much to say but that should not be a limitation in book form as he still has a lot going on in his head. Still got some badass Vader fight scenes and the story was still interesting enough even if I didn’t care for any of the other characters except one
December 14, 2025
This was a very misleading book, and the character of Goth wasn't terribly interesting either. I don't know why they hyped this book up so much as as Vader one. This is two Sith books in a row that haven't been about Sith
November 19, 2025
Adam Christopher’s “Shadow of the Sith” is one of my personal favorite novels in the Star Wars Canon. It was a creepy look at the Dark Side of the Force and the Sith (plus it was a solid Luke and Lando team-up story). I was thus excited when Christopher’s next book was announced, “Master of Evil”, which follows Darth Vader in the early days of the Empire.
Yet to make something clear, this isn’t so much a book about Vader’s own story (as the book was marketed) but more to do with others’ interpretation of Vader following his debut on the galactic stage as the Empire is in its infancy. In my view, this is the Vader and Canon equivalent of Joshua Jackson Miller’s “Kenobi”, with new original characters’ giving their interpretation of a classic Star Wars character in a time of great transition for said character. Looking at the other reviews, it seems as though this is everyone’s biggest complaint about the book, along with how Master of Evil doesn’t break any new ground that Charles Soule’s Darth Vader comics hadn’t already covered (one crucial scene in Soule’s scene is recreated in its entirety here). There’s not too much new insight into Vader here as well, the POV chapters from his view are consistent with content Soule and others have already touched on.
That being said, I did appreciate the new perspectives on Vader from new and existing characters. Our main character is Imperial Royal Guardsman Hallad Goth, and his protocol medical droid companion. They made for a surprisingly heartwarming duo despite one being an Imperial loyalist and I appreciated the lengths both would go for the others. Goth’s arc, while perhaps predictable, was easy to get engrossed in. There’s a nice section where Goth talks with his companion about a fantastical universe being a nice distraction for him in his life’s low points that feels comparable to a Star Wars fan’s love of the franchise. It felt like a nice humanizing moment to help the readers bond with a new couple.
Besides them, my favorite character in the book was Clone Commander Appo (you’ll know him as the clone that pulled a gun on Bail Organa in Episode III). The book gave me a newfound appreciation for Appo as a character as we see him both terrified out of his wits by what he’s seeing in a Sith Temple but redoubling his loyalty to Vader regardless. It was fun seeing him step into the role Rex filled at Anakin’s side and brings to mind Vader’s stated fondness for Appo in “The Rise of Darth Vader” in the Legends continuity. So it was fun using Appo as a way to show that not everything about Anakin is dead, he still has appreciation for his old troops from the 501st (and they unknowingly continue their devotion to their old commanding officer).
I would say the best thing about Master of Evil was the creepy tone. The book’s best scenes were whenever Vader (or Dooku in the prologue) really cut loose in their scary and villainous ways. The book really excelled in these horror-esque sections, the book finally grabbed me in the 3rd act as the various parties (Vader, Goth, a mother-daughter out for revenge on Vader and corporate scientists who were the weakest of the new additions) converge on a long lost ship and it turns into an appropriately creepy ghost story. Christopher is great at writing horror in the Star Wars universe and showing how “UN-NATURAL” the Dark Side is. Should we ever get a live action or animated Star Wars horror project, Adam should be on the writing team.
In general, I will say “Master of Evil” is a bit disappointing as it's not too much of an in depth look at Darth Vader from inside his head, it as I mentioned is equivalent to “Kenobi”. But as a scary look at how much Dark Lords of the Sith and the Dark Side come off to outsiders, Master of Evil really excels. Its appropriately atmospheric tale and is a solid enough supplement to other Canon works about Vader.
Yet to make something clear, this isn’t so much a book about Vader’s own story (as the book was marketed) but more to do with others’ interpretation of Vader following his debut on the galactic stage as the Empire is in its infancy. In my view, this is the Vader and Canon equivalent of Joshua Jackson Miller’s “Kenobi”, with new original characters’ giving their interpretation of a classic Star Wars character in a time of great transition for said character. Looking at the other reviews, it seems as though this is everyone’s biggest complaint about the book, along with how Master of Evil doesn’t break any new ground that Charles Soule’s Darth Vader comics hadn’t already covered (one crucial scene in Soule’s scene is recreated in its entirety here). There’s not too much new insight into Vader here as well, the POV chapters from his view are consistent with content Soule and others have already touched on.
That being said, I did appreciate the new perspectives on Vader from new and existing characters. Our main character is Imperial Royal Guardsman Hallad Goth, and his protocol medical droid companion. They made for a surprisingly heartwarming duo despite one being an Imperial loyalist and I appreciated the lengths both would go for the others. Goth’s arc, while perhaps predictable, was easy to get engrossed in. There’s a nice section where Goth talks with his companion about a fantastical universe being a nice distraction for him in his life’s low points that feels comparable to a Star Wars fan’s love of the franchise. It felt like a nice humanizing moment to help the readers bond with a new couple.
Besides them, my favorite character in the book was Clone Commander Appo (you’ll know him as the clone that pulled a gun on Bail Organa in Episode III). The book gave me a newfound appreciation for Appo as a character as we see him both terrified out of his wits by what he’s seeing in a Sith Temple but redoubling his loyalty to Vader regardless. It was fun seeing him step into the role Rex filled at Anakin’s side and brings to mind Vader’s stated fondness for Appo in “The Rise of Darth Vader” in the Legends continuity. So it was fun using Appo as a way to show that not everything about Anakin is dead, he still has appreciation for his old troops from the 501st (and they unknowingly continue their devotion to their old commanding officer).
I would say the best thing about Master of Evil was the creepy tone. The book’s best scenes were whenever Vader (or Dooku in the prologue) really cut loose in their scary and villainous ways. The book really excelled in these horror-esque sections, the book finally grabbed me in the 3rd act as the various parties (Vader, Goth, a mother-daughter out for revenge on Vader and corporate scientists who were the weakest of the new additions) converge on a long lost ship and it turns into an appropriately creepy ghost story. Christopher is great at writing horror in the Star Wars universe and showing how “UN-NATURAL” the Dark Side is. Should we ever get a live action or animated Star Wars horror project, Adam should be on the writing team.
In general, I will say “Master of Evil” is a bit disappointing as it's not too much of an in depth look at Darth Vader from inside his head, it as I mentioned is equivalent to “Kenobi”. But as a scary look at how much Dark Lords of the Sith and the Dark Side come off to outsiders, Master of Evil really excels. Its appropriately atmospheric tale and is a solid enough supplement to other Canon works about Vader.
November 18, 2025
Guys. We've already had stories from Vader's perspective. Chill.
A couple of the early chapters do retell and novelize the moment Vader constructs his lightsaber in the Charles Soule Darth Vader comics. Maybe this is especially true because I listened to the audiobook instead of reading at my own pace, but this felt like wasted real estate as it's already covered territory (minus some of the context of what led to it) and halts the mometum.
Once the book gets into newer stuff (and to be fair it does include a prologue involving Dooku), it gets more interesting. I actually liked following Goth in this story. And Appo even gets a role here. I will say though that it gets goofy once the story gets to a moment where lines you're used to hearing from certain characters are said by different characters.
A couple of the early chapters do retell and novelize the moment Vader constructs his lightsaber in the Charles Soule Darth Vader comics. Maybe this is especially true because I listened to the audiobook instead of reading at my own pace, but this felt like wasted real estate as it's already covered territory (minus some of the context of what led to it) and halts the mometum.
Once the book gets into newer stuff (and to be fair it does include a prologue involving Dooku), it gets more interesting. I actually liked following Goth in this story. And Appo even gets a role here. I will say though that it gets goofy once the story gets to a moment where lines you're used to hearing from certain characters are said by different characters.
November 20, 2025
One of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to all year!
When I heard that Marc Thompson (the narrator) was excited about this project, it skyrocketed to the top of my list. Honestly, I wasn’t excited about a new Darth Vader novel, but boy was I wrong. I loved this so much. The callbacks to the Revenge of the Sith novelization (one of my all time favorite film novelization) were spot on. The audio production was top notch, even for Star Wars (which, if you aren’t familiar, includes amazing voices, music and sound effects). Plus I really loved that you only needed to have watched the prequels to be able to appreciate this book. It is a complete stand alone novel.
The new characters introduced were so compelling and their reason for being in Vadar’s vicinity was so unique and drove the plot for me. I didn’t want to stop listening. As a total Star Wars nerd there were elements that I noticed that gave nods to Rebels and Clone Wars, but you absolutely do not need that background to understand this story.
Really loved it and immediately makes me want to relisten to Revenge of the Sith!
When I heard that Marc Thompson (the narrator) was excited about this project, it skyrocketed to the top of my list. Honestly, I wasn’t excited about a new Darth Vader novel, but boy was I wrong. I loved this so much. The callbacks to the Revenge of the Sith novelization (one of my all time favorite film novelization) were spot on. The audio production was top notch, even for Star Wars (which, if you aren’t familiar, includes amazing voices, music and sound effects). Plus I really loved that you only needed to have watched the prequels to be able to appreciate this book. It is a complete stand alone novel.
The new characters introduced were so compelling and their reason for being in Vadar’s vicinity was so unique and drove the plot for me. I didn’t want to stop listening. As a total Star Wars nerd there were elements that I noticed that gave nods to Rebels and Clone Wars, but you absolutely do not need that background to understand this story.
Really loved it and immediately makes me want to relisten to Revenge of the Sith!
November 25, 2025
This is a book that leaves me thinking a lot after, but not necessarily in a good way. It ultimately had so much promise that was never quite delivered.
I wanted to touch on the marketing and the fact that this is supposedly a novel about Vader. I'm not as angry as others seem to be about the apparent bait and switch or false advertising because I understand that Vader is not a character you can simply write a whole pov book on without spoiling the mystery that is Vader. He is absolutely a 'less is more character'.
I also watched Star Wars Explained's interview with Adam Christopher about his intentions behind the story, and I respect what he was trying to do by letting us see other characters learn about Vader because as readers, we already know who this mysterious figure is. It's simply what needs to occur for a Vader story.
But in saying that, as readers we are now left with very little mystery and intrigue in the story, something else needs to be pulling our interest along. I believe that is supposed to be the Temple of Diso. However, it's clear that it's largely a Macguffin to get the characters through the story and that there isn't a ton to learn about it. The actual discovery of it and why it was hidden would have been the far more interesting piece of storytelling. My friend made a good point that if that prologue was interspliced throughout the novel, it would really help drive that reader intrigue as we slowly learn what Vader is searching for and I wholeheartedly agree.
As for Goth as the main character, I don't have a ton to say. He started out quite interesting and as the story went on, I started to care less and less about him. He felt quite one note and there wasn't much evolution in him until the very end. The majority of the side characters also fail to compel me in any significant way. They're just there to service the plot but you don't care about them.
I really enjoyed seeing the Cybot Galactica planet and headquarters. That was really interesting but once it became an actual plot point, it felt like it was purely there to pad out the novel length.
The scenes with the ISB at the start absolutely gave me some false hope. I was getting major Andor and Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear vibes and then ultimately, it wasn't part of the story.
I do want to highlight that I always appreciate stories that show the early days of the Empire. Seeing the Empire era cross over with the Clone Wars shows how interconnected the events were and allows us to better visualise the transition between the eras.
I have complained a lot and that is because there was so much promise and not much of it lived up to the hype. This book isn't terrible however, as evident by my 3 star review, you can still very much enjoy it, it's just a fairly mid novel at the end of the day. I do appreciate what was attempted even if the execution was off.
I wanted to touch on the marketing and the fact that this is supposedly a novel about Vader. I'm not as angry as others seem to be about the apparent bait and switch or false advertising because I understand that Vader is not a character you can simply write a whole pov book on without spoiling the mystery that is Vader. He is absolutely a 'less is more character'.
I also watched Star Wars Explained's interview with Adam Christopher about his intentions behind the story, and I respect what he was trying to do by letting us see other characters learn about Vader because as readers, we already know who this mysterious figure is. It's simply what needs to occur for a Vader story.
But in saying that, as readers we are now left with very little mystery and intrigue in the story, something else needs to be pulling our interest along. I believe that is supposed to be the Temple of Diso. However, it's clear that it's largely a Macguffin to get the characters through the story and that there isn't a ton to learn about it. The actual discovery of it and why it was hidden would have been the far more interesting piece of storytelling. My friend made a good point that if that prologue was interspliced throughout the novel, it would really help drive that reader intrigue as we slowly learn what Vader is searching for and I wholeheartedly agree.
As for Goth as the main character, I don't have a ton to say. He started out quite interesting and as the story went on, I started to care less and less about him. He felt quite one note and there wasn't much evolution in him until the very end. The majority of the side characters also fail to compel me in any significant way. They're just there to service the plot but you don't care about them.
I really enjoyed seeing the Cybot Galactica planet and headquarters. That was really interesting but once it became an actual plot point, it felt like it was purely there to pad out the novel length.
The scenes with the ISB at the start absolutely gave me some false hope. I was getting major Andor and Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear vibes and then ultimately, it wasn't part of the story.
I do want to highlight that I always appreciate stories that show the early days of the Empire. Seeing the Empire era cross over with the Clone Wars shows how interconnected the events were and allows us to better visualise the transition between the eras.
I have complained a lot and that is because there was so much promise and not much of it lived up to the hype. This book isn't terrible however, as evident by my 3 star review, you can still very much enjoy it, it's just a fairly mid novel at the end of the day. I do appreciate what was attempted even if the execution was off.
November 16, 2025
Billed as a Darth Vader novel, it’s ironic that Vader is really a secondary character in the story, which is even more unfortunate because the few POVs we get from Vader are really excellent.
The main character’s motivation wasn’t enough for me to be invested in his story. He needed to be fleshed out more. The condition he was suffering ping with was certainly interesting, but after his first big attack of it, it felt too under control the rest of the book. It didn’t feel as much of a harder as it was talked up to be. His alleged fear of Vader did not come across to me as a reader. I wanted to feel terror every time he was around Vader, but that didn’t really happen.
We rarely see mother-daughter relationships in Star Wars, and those characters were handled well. I almost wish they had been the leads in the story far more thrn what we got.
If you go into this novel hoping for Vader to be fleshed out in the early days of the Empire, you will be disappointed. Charles Soule’s Darth Vader comic run is excellent and is probably a better bet to read. If you go in just expecting a Star Wars story, this fares slightly better. Perhaps a 2.5.
The main character’s motivation wasn’t enough for me to be invested in his story. He needed to be fleshed out more. The condition he was suffering ping with was certainly interesting, but after his first big attack of it, it felt too under control the rest of the book. It didn’t feel as much of a harder as it was talked up to be. His alleged fear of Vader did not come across to me as a reader. I wanted to feel terror every time he was around Vader, but that didn’t really happen.
We rarely see mother-daughter relationships in Star Wars, and those characters were handled well. I almost wish they had been the leads in the story far more thrn what we got.
If you go into this novel hoping for Vader to be fleshed out in the early days of the Empire, you will be disappointed. Charles Soule’s Darth Vader comic run is excellent and is probably a better bet to read. If you go in just expecting a Star Wars story, this fares slightly better. Perhaps a 2.5.
November 14, 2025
This was good, but I do have to admit I am somewhat disappointed by it. I was hoping it would be more of an examination of Vader. In reality, this is a book about Halland Goth, a colonel in the Emperor's Royal Guard who is tasked with spying on Vader. Vader is present throughout this book, but he's never the character we follow in the narrative, we never get his perspective or thoughts on his situation, his post-suit life etc.
I feel let down in this book like I did a previous Vader novel Star Wars: Dark Lord - The Rise of Darth Vader. Again, not a terrible book, but for a book ostensibly about Darth Vader he was barely in it. However, Luceno at least takes us into Vader's mind whereas Christopher avoids this point of view and I believe Master of Evil is worse for it.
Good, but not great. I was entertained enough. The cover art is maybe the best part of the whole thing. It's fantastic.
I feel let down in this book like I did a previous Vader novel Star Wars: Dark Lord - The Rise of Darth Vader. Again, not a terrible book, but for a book ostensibly about Darth Vader he was barely in it. However, Luceno at least takes us into Vader's mind whereas Christopher avoids this point of view and I believe Master of Evil is worse for it.
Good, but not great. I was entertained enough. The cover art is maybe the best part of the whole thing. It's fantastic.
December 10, 2025
A novel less about Vader than the people around him trying to figure out WHO Vader actually is, to say nothing of his role in the new Imperial hierarchy. This novel is both everything I was hoping for and very unexpected...although the incredibly crowded conclusion threatens to bring it all down on top of itself. Luckily it manages to escape this fate and retain its intensity. I was particularly fascinated by the status of manumitted droids and the comparison to Roman-era slaves and freedman. Another superb sociological layer added to the Lucasverse by a very talented author.
December 4, 2025
This book started out promising but I didn’t end up loving it. Goth and Nines were an interesting pair of new characters (though I feel some type of way about a captain of the Emperor’s imperial guard being the most sympathetic character in the whole book). I also liked hearing Marc Thompson perform the opening scene between Anakin and Palpatine, because he did it better than the prequel movies did. You also get to see Dooku doing things behind Palpatine’s back and get a sense of perhaps why Palpatine decided to replace him with a new apprentice.
I felt like a few too many people figured out Vader’s identity in this story, considering how super secret it was supposed to be. I also realized how weird it was for the Emperor’s right-hand man to be using a lightsaber so soon after the Jedi purge. Using his Force powers was actually a dead giveaway and makes the secrecy around who he’d been before seem a bit weird.
The first half of the book was better than the second half (last third?)—whenever it was that everyone ends up on the same ship. It got SO confusing at that point, because Vader was looking for something on the ship, and another party of people was looking for Vader (for two different reasons), and a THIRD party of people were looking for the droid that ran the ship, and all of those groups split into smaller groups—and then on top of all that, both a droid and a human got overtaken by two droid personalities so their voices and even names changed. It honestly was just confusing as heck and I kinda lost interest. Then there was a time where clones and battle droids were shooting at each other and I started getting prequels flashbacks and lost interest even further. There also wasn’t really anyone I was rooting for at that point, which is really the death knell of interest for a story. So after an interesting start, it ended with a “meh.” Which is disappointing, because I was looking forward to a Vader story and really, really wanted to like this book.
(Marc Thompson’s voice work was an excellent as ever, though! The only part I didn’t like was when they garbled a droid voice so much that I legit couldn’t understand it.)
I felt like a few too many people figured out Vader’s identity in this story, considering how super secret it was supposed to be. I also realized how weird it was for the Emperor’s right-hand man to be using a lightsaber so soon after the Jedi purge. Using his Force powers was actually a dead giveaway and makes the secrecy around who he’d been before seem a bit weird.
The first half of the book was better than the second half (last third?)—whenever it was that everyone ends up on the same ship. It got SO confusing at that point, because Vader was looking for something on the ship, and another party of people was looking for Vader (for two different reasons), and a THIRD party of people were looking for the droid that ran the ship, and all of those groups split into smaller groups—and then on top of all that, both a droid and a human got overtaken by two droid personalities so their voices and even names changed. It honestly was just confusing as heck and I kinda lost interest. Then there was a time where clones and battle droids were shooting at each other and I started getting prequels flashbacks and lost interest even further. There also wasn’t really anyone I was rooting for at that point, which is really the death knell of interest for a story. So after an interesting start, it ended with a “meh.” Which is disappointing, because I was looking forward to a Vader story and really, really wanted to like this book.
(Marc Thompson’s voice work was an excellent as ever, though! The only part I didn’t like was when they garbled a droid voice so much that I legit couldn’t understand it.)
November 17, 2025
Star Wars: Master of Evil Review- I’ve been excited for this book since it was announced. First of all, hands down one of the best Star Wars covers. I mean just look at it. Secondly, Adam Christopher wrote Shadow of the Sith which is one of my favorite canon novels so I was excited to see him given another book in the universe.
I don’t think I like this book as much as that one, but I still found it really entertaining. I think some people have a problem with the deceptive marketing of this book (something that has happened to several Star Wars books this year so don’t know what that’s about). Vader actually has very little POV chapters in this book. Instead it’s actually Halland Goth, a member of the Emperor’s Royal Guard, who is tasked with spying on Vader and serves as the book’s main character. This takes place immediately after Episode 3 so Vader’s identity is not known and he’s a mysterious figure that folks like the ISB don’t necessarily trust. As for Vader, he spends to book following up on the seed planted by Palpatine in Episode 3 regarding the power to create life. He goes on a journey to a planet where he hopes to discover this power but all is not as it seems. There’s A LOT of interesting moments on this journey. Some of them have an almost gothic horror vibe that I appreciated.
I also liked Goth and his droid Teesee as POVs. I enjoyed their relationship and liked them being third party normie observers of Vader. Now, there’s a couple other character POVs I was not that interested in. I wish this was just a story about Vader and Goth, not sure why we needed to include some of these other characters and it made the ending get a little muddy with so many threads to tie together.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I still had a good time. I think it had potential to do something even greater though.
My Rating: 4/5
I don’t think I like this book as much as that one, but I still found it really entertaining. I think some people have a problem with the deceptive marketing of this book (something that has happened to several Star Wars books this year so don’t know what that’s about). Vader actually has very little POV chapters in this book. Instead it’s actually Halland Goth, a member of the Emperor’s Royal Guard, who is tasked with spying on Vader and serves as the book’s main character. This takes place immediately after Episode 3 so Vader’s identity is not known and he’s a mysterious figure that folks like the ISB don’t necessarily trust. As for Vader, he spends to book following up on the seed planted by Palpatine in Episode 3 regarding the power to create life. He goes on a journey to a planet where he hopes to discover this power but all is not as it seems. There’s A LOT of interesting moments on this journey. Some of them have an almost gothic horror vibe that I appreciated.
I also liked Goth and his droid Teesee as POVs. I enjoyed their relationship and liked them being third party normie observers of Vader. Now, there’s a couple other character POVs I was not that interested in. I wish this was just a story about Vader and Goth, not sure why we needed to include some of these other characters and it made the ending get a little muddy with so many threads to tie together.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I still had a good time. I think it had potential to do something even greater though.
My Rating: 4/5
November 24, 2025
As a huge fan of Adam Christopher previous Star Wars book Shadow of the Sith, I really enjoyed this book for the most part but do feel like it being a Darth Vader focused story makes it difficult to give a compelling conclusion at the end of this book.
I really enjoyed getting this story through the lens of Imperial Royal guardsman Goth and how he is experiencing interacting with Darth Vader while at the same time trying to hunt for a cure for his terminal illness, favourite new character from this book would have to be Goth's droid nines and he having the ability to put other droid Matrix's inside himself to learn from their experiences and skills.
With the main plot of this book being around a search for a vergence in the force and Vader still searching for a way to bring back Padme from death, I found it quite compelling to finally get some moments of Darth Vader questioning if Sidious was ever going to teach him how to save or bring back Padme. Some moments really gave me an almost gothic horror vibe which was cool and the fact that timeline was this is only 2 years after revenge of the Sith it links so well with clone wars content but also the Original trilogy.
I really enjoyed getting some specific Clones make an appearance and get their Order 66 story, All in all I enjoyed the story we got but feel Lucasfilm publishing have not done Adam Christopher any favours with the marketing of this book.
I really enjoyed getting this story through the lens of Imperial Royal guardsman Goth and how he is experiencing interacting with Darth Vader while at the same time trying to hunt for a cure for his terminal illness, favourite new character from this book would have to be Goth's droid nines and he having the ability to put other droid Matrix's inside himself to learn from their experiences and skills.
With the main plot of this book being around a search for a vergence in the force and Vader still searching for a way to bring back Padme from death, I found it quite compelling to finally get some moments of Darth Vader questioning if Sidious was ever going to teach him how to save or bring back Padme. Some moments really gave me an almost gothic horror vibe which was cool and the fact that timeline was this is only 2 years after revenge of the Sith it links so well with clone wars content but also the Original trilogy.
I really enjoyed getting some specific Clones make an appearance and get their Order 66 story, All in all I enjoyed the story we got but feel Lucasfilm publishing have not done Adam Christopher any favours with the marketing of this book.
November 17, 2025
Overall I was left disappointed by this novel, and unfortunately Adam Christopher is now 0-2 for me when he pens Star Wars novels. Much like his first outing [Shadow of the Sith], this book left me frustrated.
Though a little derivative if you've read other canon Vader stories, the overall plot is actually fine and more than serviceable. It's just that Christopher's prose lacks any sort of energy and personality that it made finishing this novel feel like a slog. This is a story about dark side force shenanigans and Imperial subterfuge, WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE I'M READING A TEXTBOOK?!?! ugh.
Also I have to mention this one last tidbit because once I noticed it I couldn't stop seeing it. Every 5-10 pages a character in this novel will "purse their lips". This is barely an exaggeration. Adam, please consult a thesaurus or otherwise privately deal with this lip pursing fetish you seem to have.
Though a little derivative if you've read other canon Vader stories, the overall plot is actually fine and more than serviceable. It's just that Christopher's prose lacks any sort of energy and personality that it made finishing this novel feel like a slog. This is a story about dark side force shenanigans and Imperial subterfuge, WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE I'M READING A TEXTBOOK?!?! ugh.
Also I have to mention this one last tidbit because once I noticed it I couldn't stop seeing it. Every 5-10 pages a character in this novel will "purse their lips". This is barely an exaggeration. Adam, please consult a thesaurus or otherwise privately deal with this lip pursing fetish you seem to have.
November 19, 2025
4.25
“Anakin Skywalker is dead. Darth Vader lives.”
Part cosmic horror, part intergalactic macguffin hunt, Master of Evil tells an important tale about Darth Vader and his quest for the true power of the Dark Side. This is a story that’s been done before in the comic books, but this interpretation was wholly its own and was equally compelling. Canon as it appears on the page is clearly second fiddle to the on screen content at this point so I’m not making an issue of repetitive stories when they are both great. I personally enjoyed that Adam Christopher got to write a story that wasn’t there just to retcon films like Shadow of the Sith did. He got to be fairly free with his creative choices and not nearly as tied to on screen events. Vader isn’t the primary focus of the novel however as it’s told primarily from the prospective of a terminally ill royal guard. He and his droid companion turned out to be surprisingly effective in the plot with a satisfying story arc between them. Overall this makes for a great character study of the Dark Lord in his early days.
“Anakin Skywalker is dead. Darth Vader lives.”
Part cosmic horror, part intergalactic macguffin hunt, Master of Evil tells an important tale about Darth Vader and his quest for the true power of the Dark Side. This is a story that’s been done before in the comic books, but this interpretation was wholly its own and was equally compelling. Canon as it appears on the page is clearly second fiddle to the on screen content at this point so I’m not making an issue of repetitive stories when they are both great. I personally enjoyed that Adam Christopher got to write a story that wasn’t there just to retcon films like Shadow of the Sith did. He got to be fairly free with his creative choices and not nearly as tied to on screen events. Vader isn’t the primary focus of the novel however as it’s told primarily from the prospective of a terminally ill royal guard. He and his droid companion turned out to be surprisingly effective in the plot with a satisfying story arc between them. Overall this makes for a great character study of the Dark Lord in his early days.
December 1, 2025
(3.5/5) I read a lot of the comments giving this book hate about not being a Darth Vader book which I understand as he is pictured in the cover but overall I thought this book was okay. I liked the point of view of having a republic spy with Darth Vader but I think there was a lot left on the table with what could’ve been done for this book. If you can get it in audible with an extra credit definitely give it a listen, however, I wouldn’t recommend buying.
November 18, 2025
I listened to this book via Audible.
Master of Evil is an Empire-focused Star Wars book, exploring the intricacies of an organization that is run by a Sith Lord but where not everyone is corrupt and horrible.
If you're a fan of Darth Vader, you'll enjoy this book, as he is the main focus. There are several other important characters, some new, some returning, but in the end it's all about the fallen Jedi. Since this takes place shortly after the end of the Clone Wars, we see Vader in a transitional state, where the wounds left by Padme's death are still fresh and he can occasionally show compassion.
I found the story to be interesting and engaging, with equal measures of action and introspection. The pacing was solid and I was always eager to pick the book back up and continue reading.
If you like Star Wars and enjoy seeing all aspects of it examined and analyzed, you should pick up Master of Evil!
Master of Evil is an Empire-focused Star Wars book, exploring the intricacies of an organization that is run by a Sith Lord but where not everyone is corrupt and horrible.
If you're a fan of Darth Vader, you'll enjoy this book, as he is the main focus. There are several other important characters, some new, some returning, but in the end it's all about the fallen Jedi. Since this takes place shortly after the end of the Clone Wars, we see Vader in a transitional state, where the wounds left by Padme's death are still fresh and he can occasionally show compassion.
I found the story to be interesting and engaging, with equal measures of action and introspection. The pacing was solid and I was always eager to pick the book back up and continue reading.
If you like Star Wars and enjoy seeing all aspects of it examined and analyzed, you should pick up Master of Evil!
November 22, 2025
A fantastic storytelling of the struggles of early Darth Vader from an intriguing perspective. Not just a rehash of all the Vader/Anakin stories from the past decade about his weakness of Padme that have been told over and over. This story goes deeper into Anakin's obsession with Palpatine and what ultimately turned Anakin into a Sith lord to help save the ones he love.
November 17, 2025
Star wars master of evil🤣
This book should should have been titled
"Goth and his only friend the Droid" . It was maybe 25% Vader and 75% Goth and others. If you think this is about Darth Vader you'll be buying the wrong book. I regret spending 15 dollars on this , I know it's probably my fault thinking this was about Darth Vader but I feel i was mislead the cover definitely was misleading and the about book was also. Vader is an after thought in this book , any other books that I might purchase from this author will wait for steep discount or free .
This book should should have been titled
"Goth and his only friend the Droid" . It was maybe 25% Vader and 75% Goth and others. If you think this is about Darth Vader you'll be buying the wrong book. I regret spending 15 dollars on this , I know it's probably my fault thinking this was about Darth Vader but I feel i was mislead the cover definitely was misleading and the about book was also. Vader is an after thought in this book , any other books that I might purchase from this author will wait for steep discount or free .
November 26, 2025
Adam Christopher crafts a compelling character story. Even though there is a disappointing lack of Vader POV, Christopher's superb prose and rich new characters make Master of Evil a worthwhile read.
Check out our full video review here: https://youtu.be/7Wej7HvVmoA?si=TkXzn...
Check out our full video review here: https://youtu.be/7Wej7HvVmoA?si=TkXzn...
December 22, 2025
too many mean things were said about my sweet sweet vader. sweet, handsome, sensitive vader. kind, caring, beautiful, adorable vader.
anyway… appo not only mentioned but vader tending to his wounds? i ship them
anyway… appo not only mentioned but vader tending to his wounds? i ship them
November 17, 2025
Biggest diappointment of the year. Something's gotta change in the SW publishing space, because the misses are starting to exceed the hits.
December 6, 2025
For a book promising to be about Darth Vader, there really should’ve been more Vader. No shade on Colonel Goth, a dying member of the Imperial Royal Guard, but I feel like he could have been better used in his own novel vs. this one.
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