This is the second book in the Thrawn trilogy novels, all of which continue the story of Star Wars after the end of the original movie trilogy, but take the plot in a completely different direction to what Disney would later do with the sequel trilogy. Having read two of the three of these now, I can say that they are typically much more slower paced than the more action packed movies, but that they offer a little more depth and character development, which I appreciate quite a lot.
This novel is really all about an old fleet of ships that was lost after an accident years ago, but which were all extremely powerful. Talon Karrde, the smuggler who got caught up in the events of the first book (along with Mara Jade) knows where to find this abandoned armada, and of course both the New Republic and the Imperial remnants are keen to get their hands on these ships, because they could help tip the balance of power.
While the hunt for that fleet lies as the central point of tension at the heart of the novel, there were two other aspects that I found to be more interesting. The first of these dealt with Princess Leia agreeing to meet with a person named Khabarakh of the Noghri species (who are loyal to the emperor). This species is portrayed very sympathetically and this sub-plot does a brilliant job of showing why ordinary people would have followed the Empire, which of course helps the whole Star Wars universe to feel more nuanced.
Another thing I really liked about this one was that Luke Skywalker got a chance to meet Joruus C’baoth – the dark Jedi clone ally of Thrawn. Though he’s older and more mature than he is in the movies, Luke is still a young man, and seemingly the last Jedi in existence, so it only makes sense that he’d be drawn to C’baoth and want to see him as a mentor figure. Luke’s naiveté contrasted against C’baoth’s cynical attempts to manipulate him into turning to the Dark Side makes for pretty interesting reading, as Luke spends several chapters on his planet with him.
Of course – one of the biggest appeals of this book (just as with its sequel) is Thrawn himself. It’s no wonder people refer to it as the Thrawn trilogy, because he’s such a fantastically written villain. He really comes across as a man just trying to do his duty, and doing it incredibly well. His conflict with C’baoth ends up making them both feel more believable (and again, gives more nuance to the world) and the fact that he’s almost only ever seen through the eyes of Pellaeon (a member of his crew) helps to give the character a sort of mysterious, unknowable quality.
Meanwhile, although I didn’t think much of her in the previous book, Mara Jade was used more interestingly here. This novel brings her into direct contact with Thrawn, who of course is familiar with her thanks to her previous association with the Empire, but who is also untrusting of her because of their encounter in Heir to the Empire. The two have an interesting, vaguely antagonistic dynamic, and I absolutely loved it.
I think I preferred this one just a smidgen more than the first book and I don’t think anyone who read Heir to the Empire would be disappointed with this book. If you’re hungry for a deeper look at Star Wars’ alternative Legends timeline, then I recommend reading this. Timothy Zahn is a talented writer.
Score: 8.4/10
