Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars)
by Steve Perry
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Book Summary Information
Author: Steve PerryEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1997-03-03
ISBN: 0553574132
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Spectra
Book Reviews of Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars)
Book Review: A great job with a difficult time period
Summary: 3 Stars
Steve Perry does a wonderful job in this book of bringing interest and drama to a story that is carefully shoehorned into the gap between Empire and Jedi. To be honest I did not expect much from this book because I thought there wasn't much story to tell about this time period. Turns out I was wrong.
Luke, Leia, and Lando were quite busy while Han was being carted around the galaxy like so much cargo in Boba Fett's ship and being tacked up on the wall at Jabba's palace. There are some battles and some spying and intrigue and some buildings get blow up. Leia gets hit on by a crime lord. Luke builds a lightsaber. And Artoo and Threepio fly the Falcon at one point. Wonder if anyone ever got around to telling Han about what went on while he was frozen?
It was fascinating to me to see how Perry took the characters from where they are at the end of one movie to where they are at the beginning of the next. This had to have been a difficult task, to be hemmed in on both sides creatively - your beginning and your ending are set in stone. or, rather, locked on film.
I found myself engaged in the story all the way, even though I knew, of course, who had to emerge unscathed at the end. The interesting part was watching the characters from Empire grow and change through their adventures and end up as the people we see in Jedi.
Luke, in particular, is a very different person at the beginning of Jedi than he was at the end of Empire, and Perry's story helps us understand how this happened. Especially because we've gotten used to Luke the Jedi Master - Perry gives us some insight into how the gawky farm boy from Tatooine matured into the Jedi who destroyed the Emperor. It's cool to watch his confusion and uncertainty melting away and watch his confidence grow to the point where he's ready to take charge.
It is also interesting to watch Luke grappling with his feelings for Leia and balancing this with the fact that she's obviously chosen Han. As most of the EU books take place outside of the film's timeline, we tend to forget that there was a time when Luke didn't know the truth about his father, or that Leia was his sister. So it's nice to see a glimpse into that part of his life.
It was also fun for me to see a side of Princess Leia that we don't see often. Perry takes us inside her head and it's intersting to watch her work her way through all the complications that life has thrown her lately.
After spending considerable time in their future of late (I finally caved in and am slogging my way through the NJO) it was fun to go back and revist the characters I remember in the time period I remember them.
I really enjoyed this book and it's one of only a handful of the EU novels (besides Timothy Zahn's marvelous Thrawn trilogy) that I've actually bothered to purchase after reading from the library. These days that's the highest compliment I pay to a book - owning it. Meaning, I plan to read it again. For fun.
Summary of Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars)
Shadows of the Empire illuminates the shadowy outlines of a criminal conspiracy that exists in the background of the events in the movies, ruled by a character new to us. Prince Xizor is a mastermind of evil who dares to oppose one of the best-known fictional villains of all time: Darth Vader. The story involves all the featured Star Wars movie characters, plus Emperor Palpatine and, of course, Lord Vader himself.Perry, Steve Books
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