Vision of the Future (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, Book Two)
by Timothy Zahn
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Book Summary Information
Author: Timothy ZahnEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1999-09-01
ISBN: 0553578790
Number of pages: 720
Publisher: Spectra
Book Reviews of Vision of the Future (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, Book Two)
Book Review: Not Zahn's finest hour
Summary: 2 Stars
Zahn's initial Thrawn Trilogy is widely respected to be the best Star Wars series, and rightfully so.
So I couldn't wait for the "Hand Of Thrawn" books to have. Still, I was highly dissapointed.
While the first 3 books dealt with an military genius forcing the desperate Alliance back (I finished each book in 2 days max.), these here "merely" deal with imposters and a possible civil war (the reasons for the aggression of several species towards the Bothans here are not really believable) and the attempts to prevent it.
The main flaw of the Hand Of Thrawn is that the plot is simply - boring. I found myself forcing to read part 1 and 400 pages of "Visions of the future" before the story finally speeded up and got intersting. Without loving the first Trhawn-trilogy, I doubt anybody would do that too :-/
Another big minus is the number of side plots - Luke & Mara (the best part - both attacking a Chiss fortess), Leia (Leia breaking diplomatic rules that easily?), Han & Lando (two well known heroes of the Rebellion strutting around on the Imperial homeworld for days without being recognized???), Karrde & Shada (really boring, but you can tell Zahn loves the characters he created...), Corran & Wedge (who - over the course of several chapters do or achieve: nothing), "Thrawn" , Mistryl assassin Karoly (doesn't drive the plot forward at all), Imperial saboteurs (this part actually is quite good), Bel Iblis (doing the usual "totally outnumbered and outgunned but still pulling a trick for the Empire" Rebel stunt), Admiral Pellaeon (trying to sign a peace treaty between the Empire and the Alliance - the most interesting part of the book), and a new faction - The Empire Of The Hand (this part would be really interesting, but isn't explored enough).
Add some ever repeating phrases ( "he/she grimaced" seems to be the standart reaction to about every sentence), add some bad logic (why did Mara and Luke go into the Chiss fortress a second time - achieving basically nothing and then just leaving for 3+ years) to it, mix it with the lack of excitement over the first 1100 pages of this duology, and you get an idea why Zahn failed to recreate the epic feeling the initial Thrawn trilogy had.
For absolute die-hard fans only.
All others should check out the more than excellent newer Zahn novel "Survivor's Quest", which basically is a sequel to the Hand Of Thrawn.
Summary of Vision of the Future (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, Book Two)
Hugo Award-winning author Timothy Zahn brings his epic two-volume series The Hand of Thrawn to an explosive conclusion with a discovery that rocks the New Republic to its foundations--and threatens to resurrect the Empire.The Empire's master plan is under way. The New Republic is on the verge of civil war and the rumor that the legendary Admiral Thrawn has returned from the dead is rallying the Imperial forces. Now Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and their allies face the challenge of their lives. They must infiltrate a hidden fortress filled with Imperial fanatics, rendezvous with a double-dealing Imperial commander, and journey into enemy territory to learn the identity of those responsible for an act of unthinkable genocide. But most important of all is the truth about Thrawn. In his hands--alive or dead--rests the fate of the New Republic.
? 1998 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM
All rights reserved. Used under authorization.
Timothy Zahn finishes the two-part Hand of Thrawn series with Vision of the Future. In the first book, Specter of the Past, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo battled the minions of the evil Grand Admiral Thrawn, long presumed dead. In the sequel, our heroes must prevent civil war and ensure that Thrawn's plans for a triumphant Empire are thwarted. Intergalactic intrigue, space battles, and heart-pounding action will thrill Star Wars fans in this eagerly awaited novel. Zahn is one of the most popular interpreters of the Star Wars universe with good reason.
Grand Admiral Thrawn, long believed dead, has returned. Civil war is imminent in the New Republic. And what--or who--is the Hand of Thrawn? Vision of the Future is the conclusion of the two-part Hand of Thrawn series, written by Timothy Zahn, Hugo Award-winning author of the original trilogy based on the Star Wars films. The book is read by Tony Award-nominee Anthony Heald, who uses his theatrical talents to perform everything from love scenes to fight scenes as the story unfolds. His range of voices--from the "distinctive, somewhat prissy" voice of C-3PO to the gruff cynicism of Han Solo--is complemented by selections from John Williams's score and sound effects from the Star Wars films. (Running time: 3 hours, 2 cassettes) --C.B. Delaney
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