Welcome to Geek Vibes Nation’s book round-up for November 2025! This month’s round-up looks at a pair of new Star Wars books. The first, a deluxe anniversary edition of Matthew Stover’s beloved novelization of Revenge of the Sith; the second, a brand-new dive into the mind of Darth Vader in the earliest days of the Empire from Adam Christopher. So, without further ado, let’s jump into some books!
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (Deluxe Edition) by Matthew Stover
Twenty years after its original publication, Matthew Stover’s transcendent novelization of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith returns with a glorious, deluxe anniversary edition. Retelling the events of the final part of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith follows Anakin Skywalker’s journey from heroic Jedi Knight to fearsome Sith Lord responsible for the downfall of both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic itself. Through his novelization, Stover turns Revenge of the Sith into more of an archetypal Greek tragedy than a bombastic sci-fi blockbuster in the best way possible. Stover’s novelization takes everything about the film that works and improves upon it immensely, incorporating deleted scenes that further the film’s themes and beefing up some of its side plots while retelling the main narrative through absolutely gorgeous prose. Ask any Star Wars fan, and they’ll tell you that Stover’s novelization of Revenge of the Sith is the gold standard for Star Wars novels.
And, appropriately so, Random House Worlds has given Stover’s novelization the deluxe treatment for its twentieth anniversary. Repackaged here with new cover art, gorgeous sprayed edges, and a host of footnotes and annotations from Stover himself, this deluxe edition of the Revenge of the Sith novelization is a lovely ode to a beloved book and a celebration of the work itself. The physical book itself feels quite premium; the binding’s nice, it’s got a beautifully sewn-in ribbon bookmark, and it just oozes those nostalgic Revenge of the Sith vibes. But the real selling point here is Stover’s annotations. Scattered throughout the novel, Stover’s annotations illuminate both the choices he made while writing the book and also elements of the story itself. They’re this lovely mixture of self-effacing and deeply informative, and they’re sure to delight any Star Wars fan new or old alike.
And that’s really true for the entire package here. Whether you’ve read Stover’s novelization of Revenge of the Sith dozens of times or whether you’ve only seen the movie once, this is the perfect way to experience the fall of Anakin Skywalker. And, perhaps, it might even be better than the film itself. (10/10, Reviewed by Michael Cook)
Available October 14th from Random House Worlds in hardcover.
Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher
Adam Christopher takes readers on a dizzying descent through the darkest parts of the galaxy in Star Wars: Master of Evil. In the days and months after Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader embarks on a quest in search of an ancient Sith secret—a secret he hopes may finally spell the answer to bringing his beloved wife, Padme, back to life. But in his quest, Vader finds himself at odds with his master. Meanwhile, a secretive organization hidden away in the depths of the Empire tasks the head of the Royal Guard, Halland Goth, with keeping tabs on Vader and reporting any unusual activity directly to the Emperor. But when Vader’s quest leads the pair directly towards the very thing Goth most wants, Goth’s loyalties are tested as Vader’s journey devolves into obsession—an obsession that might bestow an early death upon them both. With Master of Evil, Adam Christopher offers up a mishmash of space opera-style adventure and deeply disturbing psychological horror. It’s a combination that seems odd on paper but works exceedingly well in execution.
Despite its synopsis and marketing materials portraying Master of Evil as an all-new Darth Vader story in the vein of old Legends novels like James Luceno’s Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, this isn’t really a story about Darth Vader. Sure, his actions form the novel’s inciting incident, and it’s Vader’s quest that drives the narrative forward. But really, Master of Evil is a story about Holland Goth. It’s a tale of a man caught between two loyalties—loyalty to the Empire he’s sworn his life to serve and a loyalty to himself and to his life. Goth is a man who feels he’s doing the right thing; he’s bought into the Empire’s propaganda hook, line, and sinker, and he’s happy to serve at the right hand of the Emperor. But at the same time, he can see some of the cracks in the system. After all, as a man with a debilitating terminal illness, he risks falling right into those cracks if he’s not careful. And that’s the real thrust of the story, here. It’s Goth’s quest to honorably serve his Emperor by keeping tabs on Vader while simultaneously trying to use Vader as a means of survival. And the drama rests in the intersection of those seemingly warring needs.
Though Master of Evil may not really be a Darth Vader story, that’s not to say that the novel doesn’t entirely revolve around Vader and his odyssey into the depths of an ancient Sith Temple. And, as you might expect, that journey brings along a myriad of mind-bending. horrific imagery. The further into the novel you get and the deeper into these ancient Sith secrets Vader explores, the stranger the book gets. In fact, the latter half of the novel reads more like an introspective psychological thriller than a planet-hopping adventure, complete with ghosts from the past, horrific hallucinations, and all manner of spine-tingling moments. And that’s really where Master of Evil shines. It’s Star Wars seen through the lens of a horror novel. And it works exceedingly well, with Christopher’s strong character work with Goth and Vader making those turns into the horrific land all the better.
While Master of Evil may not quite be the horrific Darth Vader story it promises to be, it nevertheless offers a spine-tingling journey into the depths of the dark side of the Force. A tense, fast-paced tale of a man caught between warring loyalties and a man overcome by obsession, it’s a Star Wars novel unlike many others and one well worth a read. (8/10, Reviewed by Michael Cook)
Available November 11th from Random House Worlds in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Note: A review copy of Star Wars: Master of Evil was provided by the publisher.
Part-time writer, part-time theatre nerd, full-time dork.
