Comments

Based on the previous Thrawn Trilogy, my expectations for this novel were quite high. Unfortunately the novel had some ups and downs that really took me out of the story.

The first third or so of the book had me really excited, but unfortunately, the remaining two thirds did not hold the same interest level.

The book starts off very promising. The Hand of Thrawn discovery at the onset peaked my interest, but for those looking for a big payoff in this novel, I'm afraid you'll have to wait. That is basically the main issue I had with this book. I understand that it is the first of two parts, but there are really only a series of questions with no answers or really any interesting revelations. In the original Thrawn Trilogy, after reading "Heir to the Empire" I couldn't get into the second book fast enough. This one opened a lot of doors, but didn't really get me all that interested in what was behind them.

That's not to say that the book didn't have it's strong points. One particular bit that stands out was the introduction of Tierce and his history with the Royal Guard. The main problem with it was that Tierce doesn't really come up much the rest of the book.

Talon Karrde plays a major role. I actually enjoy his character more this time around than in the Thrawn Trilogy.

I also wasn't crazy about the Thrawn imposter notion, but once that plot developed I had a change of heart. Moff Disra is a interesting villain that doesn't receive enough time on the page. He has hatched an interesting plot to distract the New Republic, I would have like to get to know him more closely.

Once the book turned heavily towards the Bothan issues and those seeking revenge on them, I began to waver. I would take long breaks from reading because there wasn't really anything drawing me back in. Also, for those of you that aren't too good at keeping up with political entanglements, be sure to pay close attention as to who hates who and so forth. Towards the end, things can run together if you aren't careful.

Also, if you're looking for Jedi action, you can forget it. There is basically none to be seen here.

Overall, it is a good set up book, but when your looking at only a two book series, I just expected more out of the first half.

One final note, this was the first SW novel I read that I actually had a sense of connection with other novels not just the films. It was the first time I felt like I was actually connected to the Expanded Universe beyond the films themselves.

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