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Binding: Audio Cassette
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780553479218
Format: Abridged
ISBN: 0553479210
Label: Random House Audio
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
Number Of Items: 2
Publication Date: 1998-09-01
Publisher: Random House Audio
Studio: Random House Audio

For a beleaguered Empire, desperate times call for desperate measures. Sowing discord among the fragile coalition of the New Republic, remnants of the once powerful Empire make one last play for victory. Having implicated the Bothans in the genocide of the Caamas, they now plan an attack on Han and Leia that is also to be blamed on the Bothans. If they are successful, the New Republic will be torn asunder. To prevent inevitable disaster, Luke, Leia, Han, and their friends must prove the Bothans innocent and reveal the Empire's treachery. But time is running out.

The cunning major Tierce has joined with the ambitious Moff Disra in the Empire's master plan. At its heart lies the most elaborate con of all: the rumor that the legendary Grand Admiral Thrawn, long believed dead, has returned to lead the Empire to a prophesied triumph. The news of Thrawn's return is already rallying Imperial forces against the New Republic.

As Leia travels to a secret rendezvous with an Imperial commander who claims to want peace, Han and Lando Calrissian journey into enemy territory to learn the truth of Caamas destruction. Meanwhile, Luke and Mara Jade infiltrate a hidden fortress where Thrawn's most fanatical followers await his call to arms. And Talon Karrde returns to his underworld past and a brutal crime lord whose knowledge may save the Republic. But it is the truth about Thrawn that is most important. In his hands--alive or dead--rests the fate of the New Republic.

Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Not Zahn's finest hour
Review: 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.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Second book in Hand of Thrawn series
Review: Very good book; a nice footnote to the Thrawn series and addition to the Star Wars universe.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Fantastic!
Review: If you've read other Star Wars novels by Timothy Zahn, you know he's the best author of the novels. Do yourself a favor and read the Thrawn trilogy. I'm still hoping Lucas will come to his senses and make a movie from those books.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Romance...the Star Wars way
Review: I really like this book. Personally I am a fan of Luke and Mara and I have to had this book, I wanted to know how they end up together and even if some fans think they were more rational than passional, I think it is the Star Wars way for romance. They are two strong characters, they couldn't have a typical romance! I think it was very "in character" for them. The story is fast and entertaining, I like it, a lot.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: I couldnt wait for it to end
Review: I'm amazed at some of the positive reviews. This book was so boring. Probably one of Zahn's worst books, although i havent read all of them yet. To many things going on at once, no real connection to the main story. Which seemed to be the return of Thrawn. And how did it end? With a DUD. Simply horrible.

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