Star Wars fans can add a gorgeous collectible edition Revenge of the Sith’s superb novelization to their bookshelves this week. Released in celebration of Episode III’s 20th anniversary, Revenge of the Sith’s hardcover Deluxe Edition is available as of October 14 for $55.80 (was $60). Along with a collector-worthy appearance, the Deluxe Edition includes a plethora of new insights from author Matthew Stover.
Revenge of the Sith’s Deluxe Edition released just in time for a reread before the next Star Wars novel. Star Wars: Master of Evil, a direct sequel to Revenge of the Sith, releases November 11. You can preorder Master of Evil in hardcover for $27.90 (was $30).
$55.80 (was $60)
The Deluxe Edition hardcover has wrap-around cover art depicting the film’s iconic lightsaber battle. The artwork is protected by a transparent, acetate jacket featuring a foil-stamped silhouette of Darth Vader. The red stained page edges are foil-stamped with an iconic quote from the film: “This is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker, forever…” It also comes with a satin ribbon bookmark and fully illustrated endpapers.
The ISBN barcode and pricing details are printed on a removable belly band instead of the book jacket, so the illustration on the back cover isn’t obscured by any text.
Author Matthew Stover wrote a new introduction for the Deluxe Edition. You’ll also find over 170 annotated notes from the author with behind-the-scenes insights on how the novelization was written.
Widely considered to be one of the best Star Wars novelizations, the literary adaptation of Revenge of the Sith improves on the feature film’s story by diving into each character’s internal thoughts, providing more insight into their motivations and actions. The added context makes for a holistic version of the plot and adds a Shakespearian quality to the story, mixing tragedy with a painful lesson about always having the upper hand.
$27.90 (was $30) | Releases November 11
Master of Evil is a direct sequel to Revenge of the Sith that chronicles Anakin Skywalker’s early days as Darth Vader. When Vader performs a dark ritual to forge his lightsaber, he becomes obsessed with the power he can wield on the Dark Side. Under the direction of Emperor Palpatine, Vader travels the galaxy completing missions while reckoning with his move to the other side of the Force.
In Revenge of the Sith, we see how Anakin Skywalker adopts the identity of Darth Vader. In Master of Evil, fans will see how Anakin becomes the Darth Vader we know in the Original Trilogy: the “Master of Evil.”
Master of Evil’s hardcover edition is 384 pages. The sequel novel will also launch in ebook and audiobook formats. It was written by Adam Christopher, the author of Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith, a Stranger Things novel, and the Dishonored novelizations.
Star Wars Novelizations
If you’re curious about the other Star Wars novelizations, all eleven Star Wars feature films–Episodes 1-9, Rogue One, and Solo–have received official book adaptations. The Prequel Trilogy novels are widely viewed as the best of the bunch, but all of them are worth reading. The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith are getting new paperback editions next June. That’s a long way off, so thankfully each novel remains in print. For the best bang for your buck, check out Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy, a single-volume omnibus collecting all three novelizations in one massive paperback (1,008 pages). You can snag a copy of The Prequel Trilogy for only $18 (was $24) at Amazon. There’s also an omnibus edition of the Original Trilogy’s novelizations for only $10 (was $15).
The prequels were written by award-winning fantasy and sci-fi writers. As mentioned, Matt Stover, a very popular writer of Star Wars extended universe books, penned the novelization for Revenge of the Sith. The Phantom Menace’s novelization was handled by Terry Brooks, the fantasy author best known for The Sword of Shannara series. R.A. Salvatore, the author of the long-running Legend of Drizzt series, wrote the novelization for Attack of the Clones.
Novelizations of the Original Trilogy were reissued in trade paperback in July. It’s likely that the new editions of the Prequel Trilogy will have matching cover designs. Check out the full list of Star Wars novelizations below:
All 11 Star Wars Movie Novelizations
- Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy — $18 (
$24) - Star Wars: The Original Trilogy — $10 (
$15) - The Phantom Menace: Episode I
- Attack of the Clones: Episode II
- Revenge of the Sith: Episode III
- A New Hope: Episode IV
- The Empire Strikes Back: Episode V
- Return of the Jedi: Episode VI
- The Force Awakens: Episode VII
- The Last Jedi: Episode VIII: Expanded Edition
- The Rise of Skywalker: Episode IX: Expanded Edition
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition
Star Wars Movies on 4K Blu-ray
While the novelizations are great ways to experience the Star Wars film saga from a new point of view, you can also pick up the films on Blu-ray. This includes 4K Blu-ray standalone editions of all nine mainline entries in the Skywalker Saga as well as Solo and Rogue One. Each release is packed with special features, like mini-documentaries exploring the special and practical effects, extended and deleted scenes, cast and crew commentary tracks, and much more, so you’re really getting a lot of Star Wars for your buck here.
