Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, by Timothy Zahn

[Andy]

Heir to the Empire is the first book in a Star Wars trilogy that takes place several years after the sixth movie, Return of the Jedi. In the book, the new Republic is struggling to gain respect and control in the universe, which is much easier said than done. There is a great deal of politics involved, which is made even more complex by the different alien races and the conflict of whether to befriend or fight all the smugglers still in existence.

At the same time, the remains of the Empire, led by Grand Admiral Thrawn, are trying to wipe them out and regain control which the Empire lost. Thrawn has made two very interesting discoveries which he uses expertly to give the Republic as much trouble as possible. It is clear from the very beginning that he is a very thoughtful and clever leader, and the tension he causes never goes away. He’s like Iago from Shakespeare’s Othello all over again.

In addition to these two competing forces, there is Talon Karrde, who has taken Jabba’s place as the most prestigious smuggler in existence. Throughout the novel, he switches between giving assistance and grinding teeth with the Republic and the Empire, playing a tricky game where he tries to give himself the best chances of survival, and also to gain the fewest enemies. Working for him is Mara Jade, a woman with a bitter and sarcastic tongue who has a score to settle with Skywalker. She loathes him, but not even Talon learns the reason until late in the book.

Even with this book’s great plot, it is made more interesting by the number of references to the original trilogy it contains. Minor statements and events from the movies are taken by Zahn and given greater importance in this novel—and they aren’t tacky, either. After reading the book and watching the movies again, it was fun to catch certain lines and actions that would not have meant anything until this book was released.

The characterization is also good. Leia is having twins soon, and she and Han, after being married, are forced to balance their time spent on improving the Republic with the time they spend with each other—a challenge made even more difficult by the fact that an unknown alien race is trying to capture her for mysterious reasons. Skywalker and Lando Calrissian are back, too, and this book gives even more depth and understanding to their characters than the movies were able to capture.

All in all, I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes science fiction/fantasy and a good story. Zahn did a great job with it. It is one of the books which helped catapult the long line of Star Wars novels into existence, and it was a New York Times bestseller.

EDIT: Thank you, Carraka, for pointing out a typo. :rolleyes: