Dark Force Rising (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, Book 2) by Timothy Zahn
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Book Reviews of Dark Force Rising (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, Book 2)
Book Review: ok
Summary: 3 Stars
the thrawn trilogy is ok at best and really overrated. the writing style really hurts the books and takes away from the good story and interesting characters. we don't really need to be informed every time someone has to 'connect to the force', or runs through jedi meditation techniques, etc. it has to be implied at some point really.Book Review: Solid Second Installment
Summary: 4 Stars
41/2 really,The second book of this excellent trilogy is once again full of great characters, exotic locations, and white knuckle sequences. The book gives us more about the "Lady Vader," and the mystery of the Dark Force fleet. While I do find Thrawn's "artistic analysis" of races to be a bit annoying, I like the villain as a whole. All in all this is a wonderful series worthy of the Star Wars name. Book Review: Lightyears better than the first
Summary: 4 Stars
I really disliked the first in this trilogy. But Zahn really picked up the pace and the writing quality in this book. Oh, sure, he still over-uses dumb phrases and is still stuck on getting people's lip twisted. But the plot is very well thought out, not at all predictable like the first one was, and the ending actually surprised me, whcih I was happy for. It's certainly made me pick up the third novel to find out how it all turns out.
The characters actually seem believable in this book. It's like Zahn woke up after the stupor he was in writing Heir to the Empire.
Book Review: Well worth reading
Summary: 4 Stars
"Dark Force Rising," the sequel to "Heir to the Empire," was actually, in my opinion, a tad more enjoyable than the latter. Both made excellent science fiction and even though neither were flawless they read like Dostoyevsky or Shakespeare next to Kevin J. Anderson and Steve Perry.
In "Dark Force Rising" Skywalker finally meets C'baoth after a number of clashes with the Imperials, although the time spent with him is short and only covers less than two chapters throughout the book. C'baoth is pretty much what is expected, attempting to lure Skywalker over to the darkside of the Force. Leia makes what I considered a very foolish trip to the Noghri planet in an attempt to gain their allegiance in the New Republic, while Han and Lando are involved in adventures of their own in the dank underground of smugglers and renegade politicians in an effort to absolve the illustrious Admiral Ackbar from the accusations of treason leveled against him by Fey'lya. Grand Admiral Thrawn and Pellaeon? Well, they don't do much more than what they did in the first book. Thrawn continues to be absorbed in studying other culture's art as if he was Reich Marshal Goering while continually being thwarted by our favorite heroes and Pellaeon continues to question Thrawn's seemingly rash decisions and then acting surprised at Thrawn's unmatched brilliance when Thrawn's hunches or inductions prove to be correct. Thrawn and Pellaeon, I admit, have easily become two of my favorite Imperial characters, however, although the book abounds with allusions to Grand Admiral Thrawn's tactical brilliancy and cleverness, I have yet to actually experience it. Time after time Luke, Leia, Han and Lando continually escape his carefully planned attacks, even once while Luke and Jade happened to sneak inside of his vessel to emancipate an imprisoned Karrde. Also, all actual direct attacks launched by him on the New Republic seem to be more hit and run than actual battles meant to create actual mass destruction. His putative "tactical brillancy" resembles more that of a small dog annoyingly yapping at the heels of a large man.
In any case, I hope to see Thrawn in all of his power in the last book of the trilogy.
All in all, the "Thrawn" trilogy certainly deserves 4 stars, however, even with Zahn's excellent ability to give the characters in depth personalities that are identical to how they were presented in the movies it is still far outdone by the movies and I feel that that has more to do with the plot and some of the (what I thought were) farfetched events therein.
Book Review: the series that revived the Star Wars empire [no spoilers]
Summary: 5 Stars
"Dark Force Rising" is the second novel in "The Thrawn Trilogy" approximately five years following "Return of the Jedi". The originality and creativity in the series is deep, filled with strange creatures and compelling heroes and villains.
Grand Admiral Thrawn is an ingenious, calculating and efficient villain, someone the New Republic should fear. The patient approach Grand Admiral Thrawn employs by building a formidable force with the Empire to challenge the New Republic is clever. While Star Wars hasn't been overly political, politics play a part in the developments and brings more depth to an otherwise action oriented plot. The author wisely invested sufficient time developing character and cultural histories to tie nicely with the existing history thereby enriching an already compelling genre.
I highly recommend this series above all others to any fan of the Star Wars universe.
Thank you.