So, this book is a series of short stories that are all connected; it follows the establishment, development and expansion of a group of Sith who find themselves stranded on an isolated, unknown planet. It takes place over a period of a couple of thousand years and it’s really quite fascinating. Miller is one of my favorite Star Wars authors; he knows how to create characters that are indelible, unique and sympathetic in a short time, which is necessary here, since none of these characters, given the time-hopping nature of the stories, stay around very long. He’s also one of the few Star Wars authors (the late great Aaron Allston being the main other one) to really understand the role of humor in the Star Wars galaxy and this book boasts quite a few laugh out loud moments. I really enjoyed this book and it’s an EU book that I recommend whole-heartedly. You don’t need a lot of knowledge of the rest of the EU; given that it’s about people stranded on an isolated planet with no contact with the outside galaxy, these stories pretty well stand on their own. Even non-Star Wars fans, I think, will find a lot of charm and interest in these well-written, smart, character based stories. Highly recommended. 4 stars.
tl;dr – Miller continues to write Star Wars stories even non-fans can love with this millennia spanning collection of short stories following survivors on a desolate and isolated planet. 4 stars.