Heir To The Empire (Thrawn #1) by Timothy Zahn

"Not the heart-pounding, adrenaline rush I remember from teenagehood but still entertaining and groundbreaking with the introduction of Grand Admiral Thrawn and Mara Jade."

3 Stars

Pros: Talon Karrde and especially Mara Jade are two great additions to the Star Wars Pantheon, as well, of course as the cultured and sophisticated evil mastermind, Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Cons: A lot of space travel/vector lingo that I couldn't follow.

Full Review:

It's been five years since the Battle of Endor and the death of the Emperor.

The New Republic, formed by the Rebel Alliance, is still suffering growing pains as they try to establish peace and order in the galaxy. It's no easy task, especially with the emergence of a mysterious Grand Admiral leading the Imperial fleet and bringing order back to the ranks.

It's all our heroic group can do to stay out of enemy hands. New friends and foes are introduced and no one's quite sure whom to trust. Zahn manages to bring Lucas' "Star Wars" characters to life though there are times where the story is bogged down in detailed flight plans and sensor data, all which felt unnecessary and confusing.

Having first read this when I was a teenager, reading it now as an adult, I'm disappointed to say that it wasn't the heart pounding, non-stop adrenaline rush that I remember it being. I'm cautiously optimistic that the rest of the series will be better.

Comments

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

A Swiftly Tilting Planet (Time Quintet #3) by Madeleine L’Engle

“The apocalypse is looming when a random South American Dictator threatens Nuclear War. Of course, Charles Wallace is the only one who can stop it! It's all tied into the descendants of Meg's mother in law, Mrs. O'Keefe, Calvin's mother. With the help of a Unicorn named Gudior, Charles Wallace is off to save the day. This was another head scratcher and I'm not holding out much hope that the series will start making sense." 2 Stars Pros Time travel, to me, is far less surreal than whatever was going on in #2. So this was an easier read. Cons: Megs constant questioning starts right on page 1, at least she’s consistent/I do love how Mr. Murry is on speed dial with the President/The various timelines got very confusing and all the Brans/Maddocs/Maddox/Gwens/Gwyns and the multiple Zillah and Zillies were extremely frustrating. I had no idea who I was reading about at the end. Full Review: Years have passed and all the Murry children have grown. Dennys and San...

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