Book Review: ‘Star Wars: Master of Evil’ by Adam Christopher
Darth Vader is arguably one of Star Wars’s greatest villains ever. His sheer power and force make him a formidable foe, and his tragic backstory as Anakin Skywalker lends him more depth as a character who has lost everything he loved. We know his story inside and out, for the most part, with appearances in shows, video games, and films since Disney took over Lucasfilm. Even the comics cater to a lot of his time throughout the original trilogy. Despite this, his time in books is quite limited; outside of one or two canon ones, readers haven’t been able to experience Vader much in book form, let alone his inner thoughts. Now that Adam Christopher has written a new Darth Vader book titled Master of Evil. I was certainly very interested and excited to read this one!
[Note: While I am reviewing this book independently and honestly, a copy has been provided to me by Penguin Random House for the purpose of this review.]
The early days of Vader are shown in a new light in Master of Evil
Master of Evil brings audiences to the very early days of Darth Vader, set just after Revenge of the Sith. We find Vader in his quest to become the feared Dark Lord alongside his master, Darth Sidious. His journey in the book follows his time gaining his lightsaber, along the same vein as the comics in the 2017 Vader run Dark Lord of the Sith.
From there things take a different path from the comics as Vader becomes interested in what his Master told him about the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise as he ventures on his own journey to master the dark side of the Force for himself and potentially bring his wife, Padme, back from death. We take a deep emotional dive into his journey as he leaves Anakin Skywalker behind and becomes Vader, both physically and emotionally.
With it being set shortly after Revenge of the Sith, readers can expect plenty of post-Clone Wars content, including some very intriguing things to do with the Separatists and hyperspace that bring a new addition to its lore as well as, yes, some clone trooper action. While you may find this book treading some old ground in its first few chapters, what we read of Vader in Master of Evil is all part of his journey.
It is great to see such an established writer as Adam Christopher bring his own flair to the moments from the comics. Master of Evil provides a very interesting take on Vader, as we see him as this unknown force in the newly established Empire; little is known about him within it other than he has the Emperor’s full backing.
Vader also proves interesting and different in this novel, as we see a different side to him. Christopher’s Vader almost seems to carry some Anakin still in him. We see him care for some of his squadron or stop to help fix something that is broken during critical missions. This was fascinating to me, as we haven’t really gotten to experience just how Vader leaves Anakin behind in his past to become the emotionless monster we see by the time of the original trilogy.
Darth Vader does still stay as a man with few words who somehow always says a lot, but I definitely enjoy seeing just how Vader became such a force within this Empire and the galaxy. And I enjoy how Christopher writes him as a character, bringing out this new side of him, almost to really flesh him out in his early days of being a Sith Lord.
Side characters help provide a different lens for viewing this iconic Star Wars villain
As with all good Star Wars books, we are presented with not just one point of view within Master of Evil; the other main character, as well as the side characters, are some of the best in Star Wars books as a whole this year, providing new points of view into not only the Empire but the Force as a whole.
Halland Goth is the other main point-of-view character in Master of Evil. A colonel and commander within the Emperor’s royal guard, the red faceless adversaries we often see with the Emperor. Within the book, he is tasked with keeping an eye on Vader by orders of the Emperor and the newly formed ISB (and yes, there is an Andor connection) to see what Vader is up to with his newfound power as a Sith Lord.
Goth quickly becomes such a great and engrossing character as we find out he has a debilitating condition that doesn’t give him long to live. Christopher shines here with the writing as we instantly feel for Goth as a character and want him to keep living, even as he gets closer and more engaged with what Vader is up to.
Through watching Vader, both as commander of the royal guard and as Goth out of work, he learns much about the man in black, as well as how his power in the Force may be the key to keeping Goth alive, just as Vader is kept alive by his suit and his Force powers. This brings in a great angle to the book and some deep emotional conflict between Goth as a human and his duty to the Empire. The mysticism of the Force and how it is seen and affects non-Force users like Colonel Goth also comes into play through a whole host of amazing chapters.
As well as Colonel Goth, we find out that he has his own droid, one who may end up becoming your newest favorite droid this year. (He’s definitely mine!) TC-99 is an older model droid, the precursor to the 3PO line. What makes him so different and rather compelling is that he is a completely free droid, not in service to Goth but more his friend. We also find out that he has an ability to take on the minds of other droids, useful for downloading their data and keeping interesting aspects without letting the other droid take over.
TC-99 and Goth become a superb duo together; not only is their wit and back-and-forth compelling, but there is a very cool and wacky aspect to their friendship, which you will find in the book. It may seem out of place, but the more you learn about it, the better and funnier it becomes.
Final thoughts on Master of Evil by Adam Christopher
There are, of course, plenty of other characters, but it is rather spoiler territory to go into, involving the separatists and more aspects of the mysticism of the Force. Master of Evil also gets quite spooky towards the end, showing just how bewitching the dark side of the Force is and how it can corrupt. I enjoyed seeing how the Dark Side can manifest, and the eeriness of when it does is felt throughout the book.
Christopher makes all the side characters so compelling and well thought out that you almost feel like he could have done more with Vader. I felt throughout the book that we almost lose Vader to these other characters, and something just feels like it is a misstep to make Vader the more compelling character within the book while trying to make him seem mysterious.
Despite this, it is clear that Adam Christopher knows his Star Wars. This has been clear since Shadow of the Sith, but there is a strong attention to detail that is present within Master of Evil in terms of ships, lore, characters, and even bringing in a species from Legends to make their first canon appearance. Christopher provides Star Wars fans with plenty to enjoy, even if sometimes you may need to look up where you have heard of this ship or character before; that is the beauty of being a Star Wars fan and getting to enjoy this level of lore and detail.
My rating for this book: 8/10
If you are a longtime fan of Star Wars, you may find it treading on some older ground, but Master of Evil is a definitive take on the very early days of Darth Vader in his rise to become the ultimate Sith lord. Adam Christopher takes us on a journey of Force exploration, the end of the Clone Wars, and how it transitions into the Empire, as well as fun and interesting new characters, all in one. Colonel Goth is a great point of view to have for this book, helping us as readers understand the mysticism and intrigue behind Vader and just how you can believe that the Force can prolong and even stop death.
The book gets deep into Vader as a character as we see him through many other characters’ points of view, but they all lead into this new, rather fascinating take on the character, taking Vader from Anakin into the infamous and ruthless Sith Lord. Master of Evil isn’t your typical Vader adventure, but this look at him through the eyes of other characters makes for an incredible journey.
Also check out: Darth Vader Companion Guide
