Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn
Heir to the Empire is first in Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy. It’s set five years after Return of the Jedi where Han and Leia are married and expecting twins, while Luke is a Jedi Knight. The New Republic is struggling to fill the power vacuum that the Empire left behind and its forces are spread too thin to combat a rising threat: Grand Admiral Thrawn who decides to strike against the floundering government.
Thrawn proves to be the greatest threat that the Alliance has faced since Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, and he is not alone in causing this new Chaos. Mara Jade sees this as her chance to exact vengeance against Luke Skywalker for destroying her life and the Emperor. The war between the Republic and the Empire resumes with the odds ever against our intrepid heroes.
Zahn develops not just our protagonists but our antagonists, particularly Thrawn and Mara Jade, and adds much needed depth to the characters in the process. He also adds to the Jedi mythos and offers a glimpse into a forgotten part of the galaxy: The Unknown Regions. There are two main drawbacks to this novel. The first being it belongs to the Expanded Universe/Legends, which was the Star Wars canon until the Disney merger, and thus has no bearing in present Star Wars except for the character of Thrawn. In addition, Zahn introduces many new characters in Heir to the Empire, which makes it difficult to remember them at first. However, the next two novels progress smoothly and end in a quite satisfying manner.
If you’re a Star Wars fan, young or old, then this is the perfect novel to start exploring beyond the movies. If you’re a sci-fi fan, then this is for you since Zahn explores the universe that Star Wars has to offer. If you’re just looking for a solid trilogy with intriguing characters and settings, you will be satisfied. Heir to the Empire is a great entry point for those wanting to start an enjoyable journey.
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2 comments:
Great review, Ashley! I've only seen the movies, so this would be a great book for me to start with!
I am definitely a fan of your reviews, Ashley! Keep them coming!
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