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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.  

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