From the Bookshelf of The Expanded Universe…

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

Timothy Zahn

Start date: June 1, 2013

Finish date: June 30, 2013

Why we're reading this: Since its release in 1991, this has been an EU classic for almost every one of us. Zahn started lifting t…more
[close] Since its release in 1991, this has been an EU classic for almost every one of us. Zahn started lifting the curtain on the Galaxy far, far away, and we've been loving the stories ever since.

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Jun 01, 2013 Jeff Messerman rated it really liked it

Let's get this out of the way right now. This is it, this is the one, without Heir to the Empire (and perhaps, to a lesser extent, the work of Dark Horse Comics), Star Wars as we know it today would not be...well, in existence. (Whether that's a good or bad thing is not for me to say.) When Timothy Zahn and the folks at Bantam and Lucasfilms decided to dip their collective toes in publishing, giving us our first peek through a window BEYOND Endor, it exploded like a Death Star that just swallowe ...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, star-wars, 100-in-2014

I really liked this book. I recently got finished with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo from here on out) so I wanted something light to read. I decided to go back into my stash of Star Wars books that I had never read before. I had heard that this book, and the whole trilogy, was one of the best. I found out that people were right!

This was published in a time when the entire concept of an "Expanded Universe" wasn't even a thing. Back when this was being published, a new book or comic was I really liked this book. I recently got finished with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo from here on out) so I wanted something light to read. I decided to go back into my stash of Star Wars books that I had never read before. I had heard that this book, and the whole trilogy, was one of the best. I found out that people were right!

This was published in a time when the entire concept of an "Expanded Universe" wasn't even a thing. Back when this was being published, a new book or comic was something exciting and new. New stories about Han, and Leia, And Luke! The Empire being evil! Chewbacca and other wookies! At the time this was published it was basically a sequel to Return of the Jedi and it was super exciting. I think Timothy Zahn treats the characters well and they all have the voices you remember from the movies. It is also the book that (i think) introduces Mara Jade who is , i'm told, pretty polarizing in the Star Wars Fandom.

This book takes place five years after the events of Return of the Jedi. The Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, and driven out the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting twins. Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited new line of Jedi Knights.

Thousands of light years away, Grand Admiral Thrawn, the last of the Emperor's Warlords, has taken command of the shattered Imperial Fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the New Republic. Thrawn is searching for a Dark Jedi and is succeeding in restoring the Empire.

Thrawn is a very cool addition to the Star Wars galaxy. Like almost literally. He is calm, cool, and unruffled throughout this entire book. Even when things go wrong he basically just shrugs and says "all according to plan". General Pellaeon is his second in command and is written pretty well. He is always making asides about how different Thrawn is than his last boss *coughPalpatinecough*, and how amazing his plan is, which could have very quickly gotten annoying. Mara Jade is OK. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to think she is this ultimate bad ass right now, mostly i find her moody and whiny. This is actually the first book I have read with her in it, she either gets more sympathetic or less sympathetic. I have heard both. I guess I'll have to continue reading to find out for sure.

The trio is handled pretty well. Han is still sarcastic and cynical and Leia still strives for peace and understanding. Their relationship is handled well. They seem like a couple who are equals and fight but ultimately love and respect each other. Luke is written like he always is, at least in the books I've read. Calm, composed, and in control of himself and the force on the outside but unsure and worrying on the inside. I think that this characterization might have started here but who knows. It can get old. I like the characters i read to have some emotions other then "stoic", but the chapters and section where you get a glimpse of the thoughts and feelings inside his head help alleviate that somewhat.

Zahn’s invention of the ysalamiri—creepy little slugs who negate the Force is a cool invention. I like the idea of a life-form that can repel the force and negate its effects. Maybe the new continuity will bring them back?

The battles are well written and each is pretty interesting and the Noghri who chase after our heroes are cool and a bit scary. I almost forgot Joruus C’Baoth, an insane Dark Jedi clone of a Jedi named Jorus (one “u”) C’Baoth. He is crazy, and he wants Luke, Leia, and Leia's unborn twins. He wants to lead them and mold them in his image. CRAZY. Luke gets a Force Message from him and wants to head out and find this random new Jedi. (Luke is not the most cautious person. and he is way too trusting of strangers calling to him through the force). I'm pretty interested in where this story is headed.

This was a great book and I am looking forward to reading the next books in this series! ...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Raquel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: star-wars, scifi

This was the third (or fourth?) time I read this novel. The last time was probably seven years ago and, partly due to having forgotten some details about what happens, this was a great re-read.

A detail that made this 20th Anniversary Edition worthwhile to me was the annotation by the author. When I was reading the regular version, I did't realize how much thought was put into decisions on how the story and characters evolved. This edition clarified that, and while doing so made the book seem eve ...more

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Aug 10, 2010 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Listen on audible was good. The accents the reader used for some of the characters was interesting. Lando had a southern accent and Talon Kardde sounded like Antonio Banderas.

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Feb 04, 2013 Scott Nelson rated it it was ok

Shelves: 00-own-already

Well, that's saved me reading the remainder of the trilogy. Let's hope Disney comes up with something a little more fun and a lot less boring for episodes 7-10. ...more

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