Heir to the Empire (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, #1)

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Heir to the Empire (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy #1)

by Timothy Zahn (Goodreads Author)

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 26,674 ratings · 845 reviews

It's five years after Return of the Jedi: the Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and driven out the remnants of the old Imperial Starlfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting Jedi Twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi Knights. But tho...more

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Published October 28th 1994 by Bantam Books (first published January 1st 1991)

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Oct 22, 2011 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sf-star-trek-star-wars-and-tv, 1990-1999, audiobook, science-fiction

~~A long time~~ 20 years ago, in a ~~galaxy~~ publishing house ~~far, far away~~ looking to suck the monetary marrow out of a popular franchise and develop the next big income stream............
…………………
…………………..

~~Episode IV~~ Expanded Universe Novel I

A NEW ~~HOPE~~ CASH COW

It is a period of ~~civil war~~ declining profits and brand recognition. A revitalized Star Trek franchise ~~Rebel spaceships~~, striking from a
hidden base rival studio Paramount, have won their first victory against the ~~evil Galactic~~ LucasFilm Empir...more

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May 10, 2008 Werner rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Science fiction (esp. Star Wars) fans

Recommended to Werner by: My brother-in-law, Nelson

Shelves: science-fiction, books-i-own

Books that are spin-offs or sequels to movies or TV shows (or sometimes direct fictional adaptations, or "novelizations"), as the Thrawn trilogy is, often don't command much critical respect; it's taken for granted by critics that movies can be made by adapting books, and that the results can be great art, but any inspiration that's drawn in the other direction is automatically discounted and the results classified as hack garbage. Like most unthinking prejudices, this one simply shortchanges th...more

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Nov 28, 2008 Ron rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Ron by: Wendell Andrea

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction

Fan fiction as it should be.

Working within established genre, ensemble, history and--to some extent--outcome, Timothy Zahn creates a fresh new story with a cast known and loved by his readers.

Old Star Wars movie cliches sprinkle the tale, but the fans would howl if they weren't. What makes Heir to the Empire worth reading is Zahn's ability to grow the characters and provide a satisfying new experience for the reader.

Of course, like all of its ilk, Heir is less a stand alone novel and more an o...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Thom rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Heir to the Empire -

The last remaining Grand Admiral of the defeated Empire campaigning against the fragile New Republic? The premise is actually very intriguing, too bad Zahn was the first one to it.

I have to give this book a one-star rating with an "I hate it" stamp. Here's why:

The best of this book is in the plot which is complex (but not notably creative). The story winds through several characters, allowing for a fairly gripping read. There are some fun characters in the book that help to...more Heir to the Empire -

The last remaining Grand Admiral of the defeated Empire campaigning against the fragile New Republic? The premise is actually very intriguing, too bad Zahn was the first one to it.

I have to give this book a one-star rating with an "I hate it" stamp. Here's why:

The best of this book is in the plot which is complex (but not notably creative). The story winds through several characters, allowing for a fairly gripping read. There are some fun characters in the book that help to keep the reader interested. Beyond the mediocre plot and the characters you enjoy with a guilty literary concience, the book has some major issues.

One of the major problems with the book is that because it was written in 1991, it is dated and doesn't mesh with Star Wars "cannon". Explanations of cloning processes contradict the prequel trilogy, and "Dark Jedi" are used instead of "Sith". That aside, the writing itself is in need of some serious editing.

Star Wars novels aren't exactly famous for great character development or intelligent use of literary schema - but Heir to the Empire is especially embarrassing. Endless movie lines pepper the dialogue in what feels like a frantic attempt to convince the reader that this is, in fact, Star Wars. Zahn seems to think he's coined an especially profound and intelligent phrase in, "a handful heartbeats" and makes a point to use it as often as he can. Dialogue between characters is trite and arguments almost always end with one character surrendering to the other by saying, "Point." which I found incredibly annoying. Apparently, the author is only capable of giving his characters a very few ways to say something, namely "retorting", "countering", and "conceeding". For example:

"Who's scruffy lookin'?" retorted Han. (movie line)
"Your son and daughter probably will be. I'm pregnant with Jedi twins." retorted Leia.
"I'm scared to teach Jedi lessons." retorted Luke.
"Then we'll do it real quiet like." countered Han. (movie line)
"The Grand Admiral will probably steal your twins." retorted Luke.
"Hey everyone! Let's all remember that this is bonafide Star Wars material..ok...ok?" countered the author.
"Point." conceeded Han.

The plot is fun but the writing is just painful to read - even for a science fiction fan-boy novel.(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was a ton of fun to read. A Galaxy Far, Far Away owes a huge debt to Timothy Zahn for introducing some of its finest characters (ie Grand Admiral Thrawn and Mara Jade). Zahn's style is eminently readable and the pages seem to fly beneath your fingers. The characters here are well-defined, if somewhat static, but you can't really blame the author for this, as the movies had already cemented their personalities and George Lucas wouldn't permit them to change very much at all. Regardless,...more

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Jun 18, 2013 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Rachel by: multiple friends

I guess I shouldn't have expected anything different from the middle-school self-inserts you can read on the web. "Heir to the Empire" reads like juvenile fanfiction: the canon characters are thin constructs, mere shadows of the dynamic personalities of the movies. The original characters are laughable and self-indulgent. The only important female character other than Leia, Mara Jade, is straight from a fanboy's wet dream, complete with captivating eyes and a damaged heart.

Worst of all, the wri...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Devon Start rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

as much as i loved star wars and as much as i wanted there to be more, there never should have been....
this is a case in point, its stupid, it negates pretty much everything that happened in the movies either by making it pointless(cloning the emperor in one series) or using a million bad guys who are all just vader and boba fett clones(and heck now boba fett IS a clone, so there they just made it literal to save some trouble)

i remember there is a part in this I always brought up, luke and lando...more

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Mar 03, 2009 Edward Guillaume rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

This was my first Star Wars Expanded Universe book I read, and I don't regret it. When I picked up the space sim "TIE Fighter" back in the 90s I was impressed with the character Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Galactic Empire. Little did I know he was part of Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy books. So, I have to admit the only reason why I read this book, as well as the other two of the trilogy, was because of the character Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn comes across as a respected military commander, ca...more

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Jun 03, 2013 Nicholas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A lot of fun, and a fast read too.

A great story, and set apart from the original star wars trilogy in that the enemy isn't someone able to use the Force, but a genius tactitian. Pallaeon was a great character through which to view Thrawn, and the fact that you don't get Thrawn's own internal thoughts was a great idea, as Zahn doesn't have to take the reader through a "genius" view point, which probably would only detract from the believability in Thrawn's capabilities.

Karrde is a great charact...more

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May 12, 2013 Matt Simmons rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You surely have to be a fan to really enjoy these Star Wars novels, but even then, a lot of them read like well-done fanfic, and not good science fiction on their own. Heir to the Empire, however, is just flat-out solid, both as a sci-fi novel, and as a great continuation of the saga from "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away."

Here's the basic premise: the Empire's been destroyed for a few years now, but that doesn't mean that all of those folks who were once loyal to the Empire, nor all o...more

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May 10, 2013 Allen Reeves rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review applies to all 3 books in the series.

There are some stories that are best told as books, some that are best told as movies. When I think of a story best told as a book I think of Dune since despite two large scale attempts neither one (for me at least) captured the magic of the book. Star Wars is a story best told in a visual medium and that is the biggest limitation of these books. They cry out for a different presentation.

I don't want to read about X-Wing fighters, force lightening...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Dennis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What is the internet good for if not ranting about Star Wars. I came to this book rather late in the game. I grew up a Star Wars fan, though I was a little disappointed with Return of the Jedi (I was 12 when that came out) and I really didn't think much about what happened to our heroes after they and a group of teddy bears took down the second death star. But they're back, and it isn't half bad. I'm about halfway through the second book and if nothing else, Timothy Zahn has the right tone for t...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Maythavee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I had very high expectations for Heir to the Empire since most of the Star Wars fandom seemed to recognize this as the heir to the Original Star Wars Trilogy. I am glad to say that it met all my expectations and much more. I absolutely love it.

Timothy Zahn did a brilliant job with the characterization of the characters especially Luke, Han and Leia. The dialogues, their thoughts and interactions with other characters were just perfect to me. I miss these guys so much.

Zahn also introduced several...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Peter rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was at my library’s book sale of couple of weeks ago and happened upon Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars: Thrawn Trilogy. Heir to the Empire was the first Star Wars novel I had read, some twenty years ago, and having remembered little about it, I thought it was high time I read the trilogy again.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve read quite a few books in the Star Wars expanded universe, but most of my reading has been prior to Episode IV. I’ve read the Han Solo trilogy, a few books during the...more I was at my library’s book sale of couple of weeks ago and happened upon Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars: Thrawn Trilogy. Heir to the Empire was the first Star Wars novel I had read, some twenty years ago, and having remembered little about it, I thought it was high time I read the trilogy again.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve read quite a few books in the Star Wars expanded universe, but most of my reading has been prior to Episode IV. I’ve read the Han Solo trilogy, a few books during the era of Darth Vader’s rein, and a greater collection of books that take place before the rise of Emperor Palpatine. Heir to the Empire, on the other hand, takes place five years after the defeat of the Emperor in Return of the Jedi.

We learn early on in the novel that the Rebellion is still fighting what is left of the Empire. Leia and Han Solo have married and she has become pregnant with twins. Luke Skywalker, who remains one of the galaxy’s most eligible bachelors, is training Leia in the ways of the force. Admiral Ackbar leads the Rebel fleet and in the fringes of the galaxy lies Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Empire’s adroit and vicious leader who sets his eyes on squashing the Rebellion.

Zahn does a nice job of tying in the continued story to previous events, almost to a fault, as Luke almost incessantly reflects on past experiences. He recalls his confrontation with Vader, his near death experience at the pit of Carkoon, the Battle of Endor, nearly crashing his speeder bike, the mysterious cave in the Degobah system, … oh sorry, I got a little carried away there. Anyway, as I was saying, Zahn does tie the story well into the original trilogy, but it seems it was done much too carefully. I would have liked for the story to present something entirely new, but the novel is really just a set up for the rest of the trilogy. Grand Admiral Thrawn only begins to become aware of Skywalker’s presence and the dark Jedi that he recruits only plays a passing role in the story arc.

I certainly am eager to read the rest of the series (again), but the first novel by itself is incomplete. The Rebellion appears to be in greater power and Luke, Han, and Leia’s fates seem secure. I am hoping that their adversary grows to become a more formidable opponent and for new heroes to be born that will help keep a balance in the universe. Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy is often credited with birthing what is now known as the expanded universe, so in that regard it is to be held in high esteem. But for those who have read several other titles, the novel has a bit of a slow start as it tries to forge new ground while maintaining the connection to the previous stories.(less)

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Nov 02, 2012 Paul McCain rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I went into this book as a fan of the films. I also went into this book knowing they are widely revered by the fan community as the pinnacle of the expanded universe novels. Having attempted several times to trudge past the first pages, I opted to listen to the audiobook. Even in the impressively-produced recording, I was dissuaded by the utter lack of adventure and fun in the first 90 minutes of listening, not to mention the atrocious writing quirks of Timothy Zahn. I reached the end of chapter...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Seth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It seems appropriate to review this book given that it was just announced that we'll have a Star Wars Episode 7 by 2015, and this was the first offical "sequel" written to the original trilogy back in 1991. I hope they don't use it in any way.

I read it 20 years ago, and haven't wanted to read it again since. I was a huge Star Wars fan as a kid and remember being super-excited when this novel came out and even spent my hard-earned cash for the hardback. However, I found it to be pretty boring and...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Mitch Sullivan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't care what anyone else thinks, I'm not ashamed to say that this book - and the books that followed it - are what got me into reading in the first place.

For that reason alone, I can't possibly do this justice with a star rating and a quick review. All I'll say is that thanks to Timothy Zahn and his Thrawn Trilogy, I came to love books and experienced a spike in my literacy levels that put me at the top of my class for the rest of my school and university life. Ever since, I've wanted to be...more

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Sep 14, 2012 L. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the first book of the "Thrawn Trilogy", Grand Admiral Thrawn takes the reigns of the Empire. One of the most compelling aspects of the plots of the Star Wars series is the villains. Without Emperor Palpatine or Darth Vader, the movie plots may not have been as successful. As the main of the "Thrawn Trilogy", Thrawn is portrayed as a tactical genius. In comparison to other villains in the Star Wars galaxy, he does seem a tad dull.

Among the highlights of this book is the conflicts with the "gra...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Any SW fans should read Zahn's books.

I first read these when I was 13 or 14, back when they were the first licensed Star Wars books in 15 years or so. While I can't completely prevent nostalgia from coloring this review, I still believe Timothy Zahn is the best author to have penned a Star Wars story. In all honesty, Zahn's narratives are better than the movies. He has since wrote several other SW novels and short stories taking place before & after this, but while others are just as good, they can't top these three originals t...more I first read these when I was 13 or 14, back when they were the first licensed Star Wars books in 15 years or so. While I can't completely prevent nostalgia from coloring this review, I still believe Timothy Zahn is the best author to have penned a Star Wars story. In all honesty, Zahn's narratives are better than the movies. He has since wrote several other SW novels and short stories taking place before & after this, but while others are just as good, they can't top these three originals that make up the Thrawn trilogy.

Part of the trilogy's appeal is Zahn's introduction of three of the best characters to ever originate in the SWEU: Mara Jade, Talon Karrde and Mitth'raw'nuruodo, or as he's known here, Grand Admiral Thrawn. The only other EU characters anywhere near as engaging are Michael A. Stackpole's Corran Horn, and Aaron Allston's Wraith Squadron ensemble.

Mara Jade is a Force-sensitive with an Imperial background, a skill set worthy of Liam Neeson in Taken, and a bad attitude. She's currently under the employ of Talon Karrde and quickly establishes herself as a contender in the I-hate-Luke-Skywalker galactic finals. Talon Karrde is a smuggler chief/information broker with Han Solo's cunning and Lando's style, if lacking some of their ideals. He's profit-driven, but a good employer and honorable in a roguish kinda way.

And then there's Grand Admiral Thrawn: an alien whose tactical genius let him rise to the highest military rank in the Imperial armed forces, despite its distrust of non-humans. He's come back from the edge of the galaxy to overthrow the fledgling New Republic and re-establish the Empire. He's not a villain in the strictest sense; his motivation is not hatred, but ORDER; the galaxy must be brought to heel, for the good of all. Absent the Emperor's power-hungry madness, Thrawn believes the Empire to be the galaxy's best chance of survival, and his conviction & genius make him one of the greatest adversaries Han, Luke & Leia ever face.

I won't go into synopses of the three books more than I have. Suffice it to say, Zahn can craft a story that completely draws you in. I remember an excerpt from a review of one of these books: "You can almost hear the John Williams soundtrack." That's an apt description, no one but Timothy Zahn manages to make you feel as close as you do when you watch your favorite SW movie. I can't think of a higher recommendation.(less)

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Aug 22, 2012 Brendan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The natural followup to Return of the Jedi, Heir to the Empire kept Star Wars fans' appetites at bay in the long years between the Episode IV and Episode I films. The Thrawn Trilogy Part 1 follows everyone's favorite original Star Wars characters 5 years after the death of Darth Vader and the Emperor. Credited as putting the 'expand' in the Expanded Universe, Timothy Zahn offers a supremely engaging and canon-friendly story, even decades after its original 1991 publishing date. Leia, Luke, Han,...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Brian rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(Not a spoiler because I'm trying to talk you out of reading these.)

I only made this profile here to give this trilogy a lower review.
I found myself rolling my eyes...a lot. From the middle of the first book on it felt like Timothy Zahn was making up the story as he went. There was a lot of those moments when a character has to explain why they, "hadn't mentioned that sooner." That played well for the antagonist who's strength is in deception, but when the hero's are also doing it? By the end o...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Ben Dutton rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’d been reading children’s stories I should have read when I was eleven: Sherlock Holmes, Jules Verne’s adventures – when I came across, in storage, the books I was reading when I was eleven. In fact, Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy, appeared the year I turned eleven, and at that age I thought it excellent – so much so I kept buying Star Wars novel right through until 1996, hoping each time that they would be as good as Zahn’s original trilogy. They never were. They say you should never go back:...more I’d been reading children’s stories I should have read when I was eleven: Sherlock Holmes, Jules Verne’s adventures – when I came across, in storage, the books I was reading when I was eleven. In fact, Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy, appeared the year I turned eleven, and at that age I thought it excellent – so much so I kept buying Star Wars novel right through until 1996, hoping each time that they would be as good as Zahn’s original trilogy. They never were. They say you should never go back: and it is true. Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy is fun, and this, the first volume gets things off to a cracking start: it reintroduces us to the classic figures, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo et al, and some minor characters, and gives us a menacing new villain, yet the writing is never as strong as I recall, and all the nods to the classic films becomes a little tiring.

I did, however, plough through all three novels with such speed, and enjoyed them immensely while reading them, that I can see what eleven year old me enjoyed in them, and why fans of the Star Wars world still read them today. Interestingly it is not the main characters that shine in this series, but the new ones: smuggler Talon Karrde, and his secretive companion, Mara Jade, who has one subconscious command: Kill Luke Skywalker. The Grand Admiral Thrawn is an enigmatic and genius villain – he learns a species flaws by studying their art. Then there is the insane Dark Jedi, Joruus C’Boath, whose megalomania threatens to engulf the universe as a new Emperor. I kept wondering: would these adventures be better without the need to conform to George Lucas’s original vision? Perhaps Luke et al should have just been background.

Nevertheless, Timothy Zahn is a great writer for these sorts of things, and he sows seeds that he surprises us with later – the true nature of Delta Source, the secret behind Mara Jade’s desire, and he makes parents of Han Solo and Princess Leia – and that is the right ending for the love story that begun way back in 1977 with Star Wars.(less)

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Feb 03, 2012 Donovan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review represents the 3 novels in the Thrawn Trilogy:-
Heir to the Empire
Dark Force Rising
The Last Command
*Set 5 years after Return of the Jedi*

Plot ***Spoilers***
---
Gilad Pellaeon, captain of the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera, receives word that an information raid on the Obroa-skai system was successful. A retaliatory strike by an Obroa-skai task force is easily defeated by Pellaeon's superior, Grand Admiral Thrawn. On Coruscant, Obi-Wan Kenobi approaches Luke Skywalker in his sleep to...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, space-opera

I still remember my excitement when, as a *cough*-year-old, I ran across Heir to the Empire at the bookstore. At last, some continuation to the Star Wars story!

I wasn't old enough at the time to be particularly discriminating - it was probably ten years later that I finally swore off the Extended Universe, what with all the Kevin J. Anderson garbage - but I knew I loved Timothy Zahn's work. Heir to the Empire is the first installment in Zahn's celebrated Thrawn Trilogy. Its primary strength is c...more I still remember my excitement when, as a *cough*-year-old, I ran across Heir to the Empire at the bookstore. At last, some continuation to the Star Wars story!

I wasn't old enough at the time to be particularly discriminating - it was probably ten years later that I finally swore off the Extended Universe, what with all the Kevin J. Anderson garbage - but I knew I loved Timothy Zahn's work. Heir to the Empire is the first installment in Zahn's celebrated Thrawn Trilogy. Its primary strength is characterization; in addition to perfectly capturing the characters from the original trilogy, Zahn also created lovable new characters, including Mara Jade, Talon Karrde, and, most notably, Grand Admiral Thrawn, the anti-hero of the trilogy.

Zahn also captured the settings of Star Wars effectively; Heir to the Empire ranges from Coruscant to Dagobah to Nkllon, where Lando has set up shop, to Myrkr, where smuggler Talon Karrde's base is located, to Kashyyyk, home of the Wookiees. He portrays the curious blend of old and new technologies that Star Wars stories have always incorporated; for example, the Wookiee villages are held up by nothing but tree branches and vines, but they also have emergency repulsorlifts and other high technology.

Heir to the Empire is set five years after the Battle of Endor at the end of Return of the Jedi. It focuses on the former Rebels establishing their New Republic while being harried by the remnants of the Empire (obviously, not every single ship in the Empire was at the Battle of Endor). Unbeknownst to the New Republic, the remains of the Empire have been gathered together under the command of one man, Grand Admiral Thrawn, a tactical genius who is the only nonhuman to achieve the rank of Grand Admiral under the notably prejudiced Emperor. With the help of a crazed clone of an old Jedi Master and the sympathetic (as in the reader sympathizes with him. You can't help but like the guy, honestly) Captain Pellaeon, Thrawn intends to reconquer the galaxy and bring it back under Imperial control.

This first installment in the trilogy brings us through the very beginnings of Thrawn's plan; fortunately, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, with the help of Lando Calrissian, are available to frustrate the Empire's first major campaign in a huge battle at the Sluis Van shipyards.

Zahn really kickstarted the Extended Universe. The Thrawn trilogy was tremendously successful and reignited the public interest in Star Wars. The various people who have written for the Extended Universe (and butchered some of Zahn's characters, I might add...he had to do some retconning in his later duology) owe a great deal to the excellence of Heir to the Empire. I highly recommend the Thrawn trilogy to even non-Star Wars fans.(less)

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Oct 30, 2011 Mark Oppenlander rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, star-wars

Once again, I find myself wishing that Goodreads had a half star option. This books deserves 3.5 stars in my mind, but because it grew on me as I read it, I erred on the generous side.

I have put off reading newer Bantam Star Wars fiction for a while, and once I finally began this book (now 20 yeas old), I was underwhelmed. The first 100 pages of bored me. They read a bit like fan fiction, or perhaps a second rate comic book. But as the story progresses, Zahn deepens the characters and thereby ho...more

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Mar 11, 2011 Braxton rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm going to review what I read of the series here. I quit reading midway through the second book. I thought that the story was really drawn out. It almost seemed like it could have been told in two books, but Zahn decided to stretch it out into a trilogy. One of my biggest complaints is how overpowered Admiral Thrawn is as a character. While reading his scenes I couldn't help but wonder how the Empire managed to lose the galactic civil war with this guy on their side. There's no reason why this...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Jamie Lott rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire gave us the first fully realized entry into the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and as such, received a great deal of praise. In the fallout of its reception, there exists a lingering question. Does the book stand on its own merits, or is its status simply boosted by association to its parent franchise? Certainly, it's both. Zahn's characters are highly intriguing, from the advanced military mind of Thrawn, who can decipher a species' battle plan just by looking at...more

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Jan 06, 2011 Noah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

I've always been interested in reading Star Wars novels though I've never understood why. I like Luke and Obi Wan, and the whole Jedi idea is cool, but I've never been a fan of the other characters, particularly Leia. But I love epic and books keep on coming out and I thought, hey, why not. Two friends suggested the Thrawn trilogy first and I must say I'm not too impressed.

Written in '92, Heir to the Empire seems to still be riding the wave of Star Wars excitement from movies which were released...more

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Sep 24, 2010 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been a long fan of the Star Wars Universe. I've grown up watching the movies, playing the games, and, most of all, reading all of the books. All of them. It's been great, to a point, to watch the characters move forward and mature, all in the context of the Star Wars Universe. Leia and Han got married and had three children (Jacen, Jaina, Anakin), Luke marries introduced character Mara Jade, a onetime enemy who worked as a top aide to the Emperor. 3PO and R-2 still make plenty of appearance...more I've been a long fan of the Star Wars Universe. I've grown up watching the movies, playing the games, and, most of all, reading all of the books. All of them. It's been great, to a point, to watch the characters move forward and mature, all in the context of the Star Wars Universe. Leia and Han got married and had three children (Jacen, Jaina, Anakin), Luke marries introduced character Mara Jade, a onetime enemy who worked as a top aide to the Emperor. 3PO and R-2 still make plenty of appearances, and other characters who were minor in the movies, like Wedge Antilles, are occasionally brought up as central characters.

Despite my enthusiasm for the series, however, the most recent books have really started to go downhill. Almost as if they are running out of things to write about, the myriad of authors who collectively write the saga cannot seem to agree on single personalities for specific characters. Karen Traviss, for example, writes about Boba Fett carefully and methodically, with ample supporting details from the movies themselves and subsequent books. However, because most of the books are usually released as a series, a different author will build Boba in a totally new manner, which ruins the books "run" a little bit.

The latest books coming out are discussing matters that the original authors (and probably George Lucas) could never have seen coming 40 years ago - Luke Skywalker, the one and only, has been banished from the Republic Government he has worked tirelessly to create. His status as the head of the Jedi Order on Coruscant has been revoked, and he has fled with his son, Ben, to explore what made Jacen Solo (Han and Leia's son) turn to the dark side and attempt to become a new Emperor. Jacen, in that drive for power, also murdered his aunt, his cousin's mother, Luke's wife Mara Jade.

So I decided to go back to the basics. These three books, starting with the appropriately titled "Heir to the Empire," were the first ones written in the early 1990s after Lucas asked some authors to explore the idea of an "Expanded Universe." These books are fantastic, even for even the most casual Star Wars fan. Well written, logical, and hewing a very tight line off of the movies, they neither introduce fantastical new Force techniques nor add utterly irrelevant characters to muddy the plot. The movies are considered canonical; that is, because the Expanded Universe got so...Expanded, sometimes contradictory information is released. Between the dozens of videogames, 70+ books, and the movies, things could get a little confused. So the movies became the standard.

This tight trilogy follows the story of the New Republic in its early days; the Empire, defeated at the Battle of Endor as showcased in the movie "Return of the Jedi," have been pushed to the very limits of the galaxy, battered by the superior might of the New Republic forces led by the Mon Cal Admiral Ackbar and how Mon Cal Star Cruisers. While the military of the New Republic is strong, given the occasional help of heroes like Luke and Wedge, the government remains divided and chaotic, as representatives from hundreds of planets work to forge a new government.

Enter Grand Admiral Thrawn. There were only ever 12 Grand Admirals in the Empire, and the rank is the highest possible merit an officer in the Imperial Navy can earn. More surprisingly given the Emperor's dislike of non-humans, Thrawn is the first and only non-human to ever earn the title. Thrawn is a cunning mastermind, who uses a society's art as a way to learn their secrets.

Rallying the last remnants of the Empire, he takes command and fine tunes his military machine. His goal is nothing less than the utter destruction of the New Republic.

I won't give anything away. These are superb books which tell a great story, the same kind of story that made the Star Wars movies so infinitely successful: the classic story of good versus evil.

I would highly recommend these books to anyone looking for an engaging read.

4.5/5 (personal bias definitely reflected in the score awarded here)(less)

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Jun 04, 2010 Thomas Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

By far the best book that's come out of Star Wars novels- which have been notoriously abysmal in their cliche and the poor quality of story line. Timothy Zahn isn't like that. He creates a brand new character for the series in this book (Mara Jade), that, over the years, has been the largest fan base of all the characters not in the Star Wars movies by leaps and bounds- and for good reason. Her character is awash with a secret past, a lust for vengeance, is cool and calculating, abrasive, pragma...more By far the best book that's come out of Star Wars novels- which have been notoriously abysmal in their cliche and the poor quality of story line. Timothy Zahn isn't like that. He creates a brand new character for the series in this book (Mara Jade), that, over the years, has been the largest fan base of all the characters not in the Star Wars movies by leaps and bounds- and for good reason. Her character is awash with a secret past, a lust for vengeance, is cool and calculating, abrasive, pragmatic, and a whole series of mental contradictions that pull her motivations to move in different directions. This one is getting 5 stars for the sheer fact that it's the best Star Wars book to come out of Star Wars till it was published, and was amazing and gripping.

If you like Science Fiction, he is an amazing author- he has quite a bit of command of functional knowledge of physics which the reader can see he uses throughout the series, most notably in book 3.

This one is a must grab you those Sci-Fan fans, and if you were as gripped by the stories and plots of Grand Admiral Thrawn (another of Zahns Creations, more below), Mara Jade, Talon Karrde (another of Zahn's creations/addition to the series that has added much to other authors), and what Luke/Leia/Han/Chewie/Lando have been up to since the end of the last first Trilogly, otherwise known as Episode 6 (the one those of us call 'Star War's, the old fuddy-duddies that were around before the prequels, when Return of the Jedi was episode 3, not 6).

By far, break out favorite of Zahn's character creations is Grand Admiral Thrawn- imagine if Sherlock Holmes meets Alexander the Great and fuse them into a personality. Now make him a villain, and not a cheesy villain either, one you can relate to, understand and sometimes cheer for. The logical consistency Zahn's uses with Thrawn is amazing. He seems all but omniscient to his foes, always a set ahead and knowing what they are doing. It isn't purely a hack attempt of making a foil a foil- he walks you through how he knows these things and has placed the seemingly irrelevant information together to guess correctly more often then not, and sometimes the heroes move past him without him knowing if they are sufficently smart and lucky enough to evade detection of odd information. I can't stress how much this character is so well put together. READ IT!(less)

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The Expanded Univ...: * HEIR TO THE EMPIRE - June 2013 Holocronies Book Club	53	34	Jun 15, 2013 05:56pm
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About Timothy Zahn

Timothy Zahn attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1973. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and achieved an M.S. degree in physics in 1975. While he was pursuing a doctorate in physics, his adviser became ill and died. Zahn never completed the doctorate. In 1975 he had begun writing science fiction as a hobby, and he bec...more

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Books by Timothy Zahn

Dark Force Rising (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, #2)

The Last Command (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, #3)

Specter of the Past (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, #1)

Vision of the Future (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, #2)

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“You're not the last of the old Jedi, Luke, you're the first of the new” — 20 people liked it

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Heir to the Empire (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy #1)

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