Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Del Rey (1993), 439 pages
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. Thriller. HTML:In this essential Star Wars Legends novel, the sequel to Heir to the Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawnâ??s sinister plan threatens to spell doom for the fledgling New Republic and its most iconic heroes. The dying Empireâ??s most cunning and ruthless warlord, Grand Admiral Thrawn, has taken command of the remnants of the Imperial Fleet and launched a massive campaign aimed at the New Republicâ??s destruction. Meanwhile, Han Solo and Lando Calrissian race against time to find proof of treason inside the highest Republic Councilâ??only to discover instead a ghostly fleet of warships that could bring doom to their friends and victory to their enemies. Yet most dangerous of all is a new Dark Jedi, risen from the ashes of a shrouded past, consumed by bitterness, and scheming to corrupt Luke Skywalker to th… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member irishkitsune
See my review on Heir to the Empire, the first book in this series.
LibraryThing member Nekosohana
Excellent series. These books are so well written that they should be a legal followup to the Star Wars Trilogy.
LibraryThing member Cecrow
Maintains the same pace and style as the first. I've no complaints this time about overpowered abilities, etc., but larger inconsistencies with the prequel trilogy have appeared (e.g. Leia's memories of her mother; Vader lost a natural hand as punishment by the Emperor). There's plenty of action
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and excitment going on with a convincing plot to back it up (despite a reliance on large coincidences, although the movies are no less at fault in this regard), but I've begun to realize this series is largely lacking for character development; I'm not sure how much I'd care about them based on this alone if I didn't already love the movies these books are based on. Guessing ahead, I suspect when I've completed this trilogy I'll feel that it was a fun ride but not especially memorable over the long-term. Show Less
LibraryThing member Isamoor
Pre09:
Same review for all 3 in the trilogy. The only 'Sanctioned Fan-Fic' worth reading.
Characters: Yes, they are all there. That's why it is good. The Jade chick makes a good compliment for Luke so he isn't snogging his sister. The bad guy is actually bad enough to make up for Vader's
Plot: It's very solid. Star Wars wasn't really about the plot.
Style: Yea, it feels like the movies. A romp through space with fighting and bad odds. It's jolly good.
Same review for all 3 in the trilogy. The only 'Sanctioned Fan-Fic' worth reading.
Characters: Yes, they are all there. That's why it is good. The Jade chick makes a good compliment for Luke so he isn't snogging his sister. The bad guy is actually bad enough to make up for Vader's
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absence.Plot: It's very solid. Star Wars wasn't really about the plot.
Style: Yea, it feels like the movies. A romp through space with fighting and bad odds. It's jolly good.
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LibraryThing member Anagarika-Sean
See my review for Book One of this series.
LibraryThing member caltstatt
Grand Admiral Thrawn has gathered the remaining piece of the Empire and began to set a plan to thwart the growing Republic. He knows of a powerful device on a remote planet he plans to obtain, which will help him. However, also on this planet is the clone of great Jedi who has long been dead. Leia
This book is action packed and even though not all students will enjoy this book, it has a good plot and will expand their imaginations.
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tries to bring peace and agreement to the council. Han and his friend, Lando, look for evidence of treason within the council and stumble upon the legendary fleet of ships. Luke is called to meet the crazed clone Jedi and must prevail. Each person is facing perilous times as before so they can save the Republic.This book is action packed and even though not all students will enjoy this book, it has a good plot and will expand their imaginations.
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LibraryThing member Karlstar
Good Star Wars fiction, some of my favorites in the Star Wars novels. I enjoyed the action, the plot, and the way the books stay true to the feel of the movies. Much better than a lot of the Star Wars fiction.
LibraryThing member nesum
when I read volume 1 of this trilogy, I confess I was a little confused as to why everyone was so excited about this story. It was fun, sure, but it didn't overly impress me. This one did. The story here is exciting, interesting, and really has been anxious to read further. Thrawn is a really great
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villain, and while it may be quite impossible to live up to the legacy of Darth Vader, Thrawn comes pretty darn close. Show Less
LibraryThing member regularguy5mb
This, the second book of the Thrawn trilogy, is just as strong as the first, if not stronger. We get to see Thrawn make his move against the New Republic and the Skywalker family. In the first book, there were already a series of kidnap attempts, leading Leia to go into hiding on the Wookiee
Thrawn continues to show his devastating tactical genius as he sets all the pieces in motion for his first major offensive against the New Republic in his bid to reclaim and rebuild the Empire, of course he might have trouble resting control from the mad Jedi C'baoth, now convinced that he and he alone can stand where Emperor Palpatine once did.
This is such a fantastic follow-up, and surpasses the first just like "Empire" surpassed "A New Hope." This series continues to be the best Star Wars stories after the original trilogy.
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homeworld of Kashyyyk. Zahn's descriptions of alien worlds is one of my favorite things about these books. Finding out more about the Noghri and their fanatical devotion to the Empire was absolutely fascinating, especially once you learn exactly what happened and is currently happening behind the scenes on their homeworld of Honoghr. Of course, the big story of this volume is the Dark Force, a series of ships lost back during the Clone Wars that have now been located due to a few lucky accidents. Both Thrawn and the New Republic forces want control of these Dreadnoughts and the race is on.Thrawn continues to show his devastating tactical genius as he sets all the pieces in motion for his first major offensive against the New Republic in his bid to reclaim and rebuild the Empire, of course he might have trouble resting control from the mad Jedi C'baoth, now convinced that he and he alone can stand where Emperor Palpatine once did.
This is such a fantastic follow-up, and surpasses the first just like "Empire" surpassed "A New Hope." This series continues to be the best Star Wars stories after the original trilogy.
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LibraryThing member DanielAlgara
Some of the first books I'd read as a kid. I wonder if they would be so great if I read them now???
LibraryThing member kell1732
This second installment of the Thrawn Trilogy is just as good, if not better, than the first one. Timothy Zahn stays faithful to the original characters while also allowing them to grow in believable ways. Never once did I feel that the characters were acting out of sync the personalities that we
Admiral Thrawn is still one of the coolest villains. He's a genius and is able to give the Republic a run for their money. While Thrawn could have become a rather boring villain by constantly out-smarting everyone and never misjudging the opposing forces, Zahn is sure to show that Thrawn is not an unstoppable force. There are various times in the book where Thrawn makes mistakes that are sometimes rather detrimental to his original plans, forcing him to regroup and restrategize. Interestingly enough, I actually kind of admire the guy despite that fact that he is evil and works for the Empire. It's hard not be awed by this guy's forethought and long term planning. I wish I could plan things as far in advance as he does!
Mara Jade is also one of those interesting characters where you aren't really sure where you stand with her. You really want to like her since she would be a huge asset to the Republic and you get really annoyed that she hates Luke with such a fiery passion but at the same time, you don't really blame for being angry. By the end, you just kind of hope that she gets over her anger and decides to side with the good guys.
I think that Zahn does a good job of balancing the action with politics. Both are highly important for the story, but going too much in the political direction could be really boring and going overboard with the action can be tiring. Overall, I think there is a good mix of both which makes the book engaging on multiple levels all the way through.
This book was really hard for me to put down. It was an exciting read that managed to develop highly interesting characters amidst all of the action taking place, which is a difficult thing to do. Very well-balanced and makes you want more by the end. And with that, on to the third one!
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know and love and Zahn's new additions to the pack are becoming even more developed and interesting.Admiral Thrawn is still one of the coolest villains. He's a genius and is able to give the Republic a run for their money. While Thrawn could have become a rather boring villain by constantly out-smarting everyone and never misjudging the opposing forces, Zahn is sure to show that Thrawn is not an unstoppable force. There are various times in the book where Thrawn makes mistakes that are sometimes rather detrimental to his original plans, forcing him to regroup and restrategize. Interestingly enough, I actually kind of admire the guy despite that fact that he is evil and works for the Empire. It's hard not be awed by this guy's forethought and long term planning. I wish I could plan things as far in advance as he does!
Mara Jade is also one of those interesting characters where you aren't really sure where you stand with her. You really want to like her since she would be a huge asset to the Republic and you get really annoyed that she hates Luke with such a fiery passion but at the same time, you don't really blame for being angry. By the end, you just kind of hope that she gets over her anger and decides to side with the good guys.
I think that Zahn does a good job of balancing the action with politics. Both are highly important for the story, but going too much in the political direction could be really boring and going overboard with the action can be tiring. Overall, I think there is a good mix of both which makes the book engaging on multiple levels all the way through.
This book was really hard for me to put down. It was an exciting read that managed to develop highly interesting characters amidst all of the action taking place, which is a difficult thing to do. Very well-balanced and makes you want more by the end. And with that, on to the third one!
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LibraryThing member JLMess
The pace and storytelling style of Dark Force Rising makes Heir to the Empire feel more like a really long prologue that is needed for all of the exposition preceding this book. Each new character that was introduced from the first novel is further developed here and the overall plot moves forward
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a bit more. I found myself caring much more about the smaller side-stories than I did for the imminent threat of Thrawn and his fleet, which spend a lot of time simply flying through space and having conversations. Han and Leia both have very interesting stories that could definitely exist as standalone stories and sometimes feel disconnected from the larger scope. The crazy cloned jedi story arc also continues, with very little happening that is relevant to the plot at all until the very end. Show Less
LibraryThing member Daniel.Estes
Much of what was introduced in Timothy Zahn's trilogy was easily adopted into the Star Wars expanded universe as a given. It'll be interesting to see how much of the forthcoming Star Wars movies, episodes 7 through 9, borrows from this material.
LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
Under Thrawn's command, the Empire gains power.
LibraryThing member ameliadefield
Second or third time around and I still love this series to pieces. It is just as good as I remember it. The characters are interesting enough that you don't want the bad guy to lose so you can find out his plot (and more witty banter between the admiral and captain)
LibraryThing member MacDad
The second volume of Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy picks up the story immediately after the events at the end of the first volume, Heir to the Empire, with the New Republic reeling from the blows inflicted on it by the Empire’s last remaining Grand Admiral. With the ships of the Sluis Van
In following up his first volume Zahn takes his story of the post-Original Trilogy movies in two key directions. The first is the introduction of the Dark Force fleet, a MacGuffin that serves as a logical goal for the novel’s main characters given some of the goals and motivations the author introduces in the first book. Yet the race for the Dark Force fleet is just one part of a novel that explores further the elements Zahn introduced in Heir to the Empire. Story lines such as Joruus C’baoth’s ongoing efforts to corrupt Luke and Mara Jade’s quest to kill the Jedi Knight play out over the course of the book, providing development without resolution. It makes for an effective middle entry in the trilogy, with enough developments and resolutions to satisfy the reader while propelling them towards the final volume of the series.
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shipyards heavily damaged from the Empire’s attempt to steal them and Admiral Ackbar stripped of his command in the face of accusations of corruption, Luke, Leia, and Han react to the growing threat facing them. As Han and Luke try to unravel the effort to frame Ackbar, Leia and Chewbacca travel to Endor to meet with one of her attempted kidnappers in the hope of shifting their allegiance. Meanwhile the smuggler Talon Karrde hopes to leverage his way out of the bounty Thrawn has placed on him by offering a valuable secret: the location of the legendary “Dark Force,” a fleet of derelict warships that could tip the balance in the war between the Empire and the New Republic.In following up his first volume Zahn takes his story of the post-Original Trilogy movies in two key directions. The first is the introduction of the Dark Force fleet, a MacGuffin that serves as a logical goal for the novel’s main characters given some of the goals and motivations the author introduces in the first book. Yet the race for the Dark Force fleet is just one part of a novel that explores further the elements Zahn introduced in Heir to the Empire. Story lines such as Joruus C’baoth’s ongoing efforts to corrupt Luke and Mara Jade’s quest to kill the Jedi Knight play out over the course of the book, providing development without resolution. It makes for an effective middle entry in the trilogy, with enough developments and resolutions to satisfy the reader while propelling them towards the final volume of the series.
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LibraryThing member TinoDidriksen
Dark Force Rising is ok, but just ok. The coincidence of everyone arriving at the same place/conclusion at the same time gets really annoying. And it makes everything else even more predictable than it already was. If this series is the high point of SW:EU, the rest must be utter dreck.
LibraryThing member Count_Zero
While I enjoyed this book immensely, the fact that Borsk Fey'lya managed to continue to be a major player in the New Republic after the events of this book is surprising. At the very least you'd think the Bothans would have sent someone else to represent them on the New Republic Council after he
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managed to mess up this badly. Show Less
LibraryThing member Othemts
Much like The Empire Strikes Back, this book draws upon its predecessor and takes the storytelling to new heights. Also like The Empire Strikes Back, this story sends our heroes off on separate missions to come together again at the finale.
Luke Skywalker seeks out Jedi Master Joruus C'baoth for
Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was a major point-of-view character in Heir to the Empire, plays a smaller role here, but his presence lurks behind all that is happening. Marc Thompson does a great job reading the book and the production includes music and sound effects for full immersion in the Star Wars galaxy.
Luke Skywalker seeks out Jedi Master Joruus C'baoth for
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training, not realizing he is mad. Leia Organa Solo travels with Chewbacca to the planet of the Noghri in hopes of using diplomacy to bring them to the side of the New Republic. Han Solo and Lando Calrissian try to solve the mystery of a spy within the New Republic's inner echelons and a possible coup by an ambitious Bothan. And Mara Jade, who has sworn to kill Luke, now seeks him out for help.Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was a major point-of-view character in Heir to the Empire, plays a smaller role here, but his presence lurks behind all that is happening. Marc Thompson does a great job reading the book and the production includes music and sound effects for full immersion in the Star Wars galaxy.
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LibraryThing member ragwaine
I really just feel like I'm watching the movies that I missed as a kid when I listen to these on audio. They feel really "Star War-sy" in every way. My only complaint is that there seems to be a pattern of Thrawn ALWAYS totally anticipating what the Rebels are going to do next and then putting them
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in a bad situation which they then slip out of through some creative problem solving. But still great stuff. Show Less
LibraryThing member jamestomasino
Not as strong as part 1. It gets itself a little bit tied up in coincidence beyond those that can be explained away by Jedi following the force. The ending could have been a bit darker too, which would have added pressure for the start of book 3. All this is nitpicking though. This is THE Star Wars
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continuation. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cataloger623
I enjoy reading Zahns version of the Star Wars universe. This is second volume in the Heir to the Empire series. In this story the alliance becomes aware that they failed to get all of Grand Admirals. Thrawn turns out to be particularly effective and begins to accumulate a surprising number of
Zahn has written another great story. He has provided the reader with a great mystery and thriller. This is good addition to this trilogy.
I listened to the audio book version of this book. It was good. The voice actor managed to do several characters giving each one a unique tone, vocal rhythm, and dialect.
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victories. Simultaneously Thrawn’s pet Jedi Master is giving the Empire a major headache.Zahn has written another great story. He has provided the reader with a great mystery and thriller. This is good addition to this trilogy.
I listened to the audio book version of this book. It was good. The voice actor managed to do several characters giving each one a unique tone, vocal rhythm, and dialect.
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LibraryThing member tsunaminoai
As good as the first. Still a little cheesy in places and has weird tangents with Han doing Han stuff. Don't like some of the space opera senarios that don't make a lot of sense if you think about it for more than five minutes, but overall it's a good adventure.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1992-05-01
Physical description
6.79 inches
ISBN
0553560719 / 9780553560718