I have always loved the Star Wars universe and especially the novels that were written about it. Timothy Zahn definitely writes my favorite books about it. His stories fit quite well within the framework of the existing Star Wars world while adding something new and extra to it. I like his writing style and characterizations a great deal. ( )

I love everything about this set of novels. Political intrigue, moral dilemmas, romance...excellent work again, Zahn! Plus, the audiobook once again is FABULOUS. ( )

Of all the Star Wars authors, Timothy Zahn has given us the best stories and the most interesting plot lines. He also develops the characters and each acts as what you would expect them to do. And this is another example where he does all the right things. And to top it off, he brings back the best character / villain in a way that will make you wonder why no one else has done something similar. I only have one regret: that I finished it too fast and there's not more too read. Well, there is the second book which concludes the story so I guess I can also regret that there won't be a third. ( )

I struggled for a while deciding whether I "liked it" or "really liked it." If 3.5/5 was an option, I'd choose that. It took zero effort for the story to begin unfolding because it was written in a known universe full of famous characters. I found that experience almost relaxing.

Reading this book felt exactly like watching a Star Wars movie to me. That was fun. I burned through 80 pages one day, which is not something I normally do. There wasn't really any reading fatigue with this one.

I do have some criticism. Does everyone in the galaxy have a caffeine problem? Dehydrated? The author uses physical twitching an annoying amount. Everyone's twitching in every scene it feels like -- their lips, their cheeks, their knees. There are a handful of times where characters' thought patterns are shared across multiple characters and it feels unimaginative. Character perspective was probably the weakest aspect of the book. It wasn't unique enough from character to character.

Overall, reading the book was fun, I liked the story, but I wouldn't give the author a gold star for skillfulness in writing. Will I read the second book? Maybe. ( )

A decade after the death of the brilliant Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Empire is but a shadow of its former self. Concluding that defeat by the New Republic is inevitable, Thrawn's protégé and successor as the Empire's supreme military commander, deicides that the best option remaining is to seek peace with the New Republic. Yet a corrupt Grand Moff has other plans. Allying with a con man and a former royal guardsman, the trio foster the belief that Thrawn has returned and is fomenting civil war within the fragile New Republic by reopening old wounds that had been long neglected in the face of the Imperial threat. With politics riven by tensions and riots breaking out on dozens of worlds, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa Solo, and Han Solo work desperately to discover the perpetrators behind a decades-old crime. Soon a race is underway, one that will end in the truth — or the collapse of everything that they have worked for.

In this book, the first of Timothy Zahn's "Hand of Thrawn" duology, the author makes a welcome return to the Star Wars franchise. His book displays all of the strengths of his original Thrawn trilogy, with intricate plotting, exciting action, and memorable characters. The story zips along nicely, though it suffers somewhat from Zahn's decision to focus on setting up events for their resolution in the second book. Though it makes for a less satisfying reading experience than his previous series, it is nonetheless an entertaining work that will leave readers eager to pick up the concluding volume the moment they get to the last page. ( )