Rating: 
Summary: I'e gotta hand it to Zahn for this one!!!
Review: This is one of the best Star Wars books yet!! I just bought specter yesterday, and I've already finished it! The only problem for me is: living in Iceland is the worst thing ever for an all-time starwars fan. The only store that sells StarWars novels around here had 1 copy of Specter (that's mine now) and 0 COPIES OF VISION!!! Can you believe my luck? But, back to the book. My book rating system on amazon works like this: 2 stars for having Star Wars on the cover, one for plot, one for characters and one for writing style. I LOVED specter!!! For the ones of you who haven't read it yet, I wo't give any secrets away, but here is (probably) my favorite couple of lines:And abruptly his comlink twittered. He thumbed it on-"Artoo?" "Not quite" a familiar voice answered dryly. "Are you in trouble again, Skywalker?" Luke blinked with surprise, then smiled with the first genuine pleasure he'd felt since arriving at this place. "Of course I an," he told Mara Jade. "Have you ever known me when I wasn't?" This book includes all of my fav. characters, brings back the best villain ever and has a xtremely interesting plot. My only problem is that it says on the back cover...Meanwhile, Luke teams up with Mara Jade...But he doesn't actually team up with her in this book, just goes looking for her. Scuttle out to the bookstore, my faithful Star Wars bookworm fan, and May The Force be with You, alway....
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been one book
Review: This story contains Zahn's perpetual mastery, which is why it gets 4 stars, but it's very incomplete. The feel of The Hand of Thrawn Duology (Specter, and Vision of the Future) is that Zahn wrote the entire story, and then just found a good place to split it up so it could be two separate books. The ending isn't an ending at all, just the end of another chapter that happens to be the last in the book. However, this does not detract from the fact that it is still Timothy Zahn, and it's still great.
Rating:
Summary: A lot of buildup.
Review: Timothy Zahn gave it his best when he wrote the first three books in the Thrawn trilogy. Specter of the past only gets four stars this time, because its mildly slow pace. Unlike the trilogy, his first book in the Hand of Thrawn series, Specter of the Past, is not as quick paced. The action sequences are few and far between, but the narrative and dynamic characters keep the reader intrigued. What this novel has that the first three books did not was a lot of political struggle. Zahn shows the reader that the Empire is not the enemy anymore. Politics is the enemy. He shows how the little issues can be the cause for a government's possible downfall. With a sharp mind and cunning plan, that downfall can be executed to ensure that it happens. Several old characters from the expanded universe are reintroduced and brought to show a slight turn in their beliefs. General Pellaeon, for example, is the most dynamic character when he says in the first chapter that he wants to surrender the Empire to the New Republic. This and several other surprises await the reader in this wonderful novel. I recommend this to any Star Wars fan. I just hope the buildup is paid off in the next book Vision of the Future.
Rating:
Summary: A lot of buildup.
Review: Timothy Zahn gave it his best when he wrote the first three books in the Thrawn trilogy. Specter of the past only gets four stars this time, because its mildly slow pace. Unlike the trilogy, his first book in the Hand of Thrawn series, Specter of the Past, is not as quick paced. The action sequences are few and far between, but the narrative and dynamic characters keep the reader intrigued. What this novel has that the first three books did not was a lot of political struggle. Zahn shows the reader that the Empire is not the enemy anymore. Politics is the enemy. He shows how the little issues can be the cause for a government's possible downfall. With a sharp mind and cunning plan, that downfall can be executed to ensure that it happens. Several old characters from the expanded universe are reintroduced and brought to show a slight turn in their beliefs. General Pellaeon, for example, is the most dynamic character when he says in the first chapter that he wants to surrender the Empire to the New Republic. This and several other surprises await the reader in this wonderful novel. I recommend this to any Star Wars fan. I just hope the buildup is paid off in the next book Vision of the Future.
Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Timothy Zahn
Review: Timothy Zahn has done it again. As ussual he has fed our hunger and wet our apitet for more information on what will happen next, to the New Repubic. The return of the clones, tell me it isn't so, and you will never believe how Timothy brings Grand Admiral Thrawn back to life. The twists and turns of politcal intrigue and galatic manuvering never ceases to amaze this reader. The author has also introduced us to a new caracter near the end of this book as she shows up to offer her services to the New Repubic. A mysterious individual that will no doubt be developed further in future books and reminds this reader of the Jade caracter that has become a staple of Star Wars novels. This being even got past the loyal body gaurds that now surround the Solo family. I believe you will find this book lacking in only one way. It leaves to many unanswered questions at the end. This is of cource just what you would expect of a Zahn book. Always leave them craving for answers. I certainly will be waiting impatiently to see what pops out of the authors head next.
Rating:
Summary: Another Zahn winner
Review: Timothy Zahn is by far one of the best authors to have graced the literary Star Wars world. With the Hand of Thrawn series, he once again shows why he should be considered one of the best. He brings to life each of the characters with such a detail that the reader can completely lose his or herself in the tale. While this series is not quite on the same line as Heir to the Empire, it is still an excellent read!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent...but I have to read the second one!
Review: Timothy Zahn is definitely one of the best Star Wars sequel writers, if not the best. I got into the genre via his Heir to the Empire a few years ago and The Last Command remains my favourite, but I was put off by some of the later books by other authors. However, reading about Specter of the Past and its sequel Vision of the Future on the Net made me pick it up in the hopes of seeing my favourite bad guy, Grand Admiral Thrawn, again, and I was pretty impressed, not to mention glad to see the Republic vs Empire core plot of the entire SW universe being moved along. There are an awful lot of plot threads, very few of which get resolved. This book basically sets up the second, which I haven't got hold of yet. However, it was good to see all the old favourites again, acting in a sane manner for the situations they are now in (particularly Han and Leia, who for important New Republic leaders do an awful lot of just zooming off into space without backup in some other novels. In this, they don't.). Talon Karrde is back, as is the original Mara Jade. On the Imperial side, we once again meet the now-Admiral Pellaeon, currently boss of what's left of the Imperial Fleet. I always liked Pellaeon, who previously was in Thrawn's shadow but now (as seen in the final scene of this book) has taken his role as the commander who issues seemingly crazy orders to the consternation of his subordinates! Introduced is the scheming Moff Disra and his two co-conspirators (who I won't mention so as not to spoil any surprises). As well as the good characterisation, I enjoyed the action in this book, which was well written and exciting. Zahn is definitely the master of this. In addition, he makes a few sly allusions to certain things in past SW novels set between his previous trilogy and this one, like excessive use of the Force and the seemingly endless parade of superweapons. Good piece of dialogue here: "Maybe he's found a new superweapon the Emperor had stashed away somewhere," Lando suggested ominously. "Another Death Star - a completed one this time - or maybe another Sun Crusher. Or something even more dangerous." Karrde shook his head. "Farfetched. If there was something like that out there, we surely would have heard of it by now." I think Karrde speaks for many fans there! Many mysteries are left at the end. Is Thrawn really back? What's going on with the place Mara visited? What is the 'Hand of Thrawn'? Guess I'll have to read the second book! I would recommend this to any Star Wars fan who's read at least some of the post-Return of the Jedi novels, it is definitely in the front rank of them.
Rating:
Summary: read it
Review: What makes Timothy Zahn the best is that he keeps Star Wars what it should be: a conflict between good and evil portrayed by the alliance and the empire. The other authors just go off on science fiction tangents that are fun, but Zahn keeps true to Star Wars. He develops Pellaeon's character extremely well. It's fun, intelligent, and involving.
Rating:
Summary: A much needed shot in the arm
Review: While many Star Wars diehards would never say it aloud, the sad fact is that the majority of the Star Wars novels have been pretty poor in terms of plot and character development. Many of the sci-fi writers employed are talented in their own right, but they have failed to balance the seriousness and grandness of the SW universe with the saturday-morning-serial feeling that George Lucas wanted. Now, finally, Timmothy Zahn has returned to write the final two books in bantam/spectra's line of novels. Almost immediately there is a sense of reuniting with old friends, be they friend or foe. In Chapter One we meet up again with Admiral Pealleon, now the supreme fleet commander of the remanants of the Imperial navy. Most authors have trouble keeping readers interest with their own new characters, simply because the characters are either undeveloped or have complex names that tend to be turn-offs. By the end of the chapter, not only have we been treated to a major and startling plot point (the Empire is going to surrender) but we respect Pealleon's decision and reasons for doing so, not because we are simply rooting for the good guys. In fact, much of the plot of this book resolves around the fact that the good guys are not so clear-cut anymore. Evidence is discovered that links the Bothan people to a case of mass genocide decades earlier, and alien races start turning against each other. Zahn captures the scale of the situation rather well, with riots and senate hearings. The latter is particularly intriguing, now that we have seen the original senate from Episode One. Also mixed into the story is the supposed reappearance of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Zahn explains early on that all of it is a deception, but I'm sure he is holding a few plot twists for the next book. In writing Specter of the Past, Zahn had nearly ten years worth of Star Wars history to draw on, but he wisely chooses to stick with his characters (and a cameo of Stackpole's Booster, Mirax, and Corran Horn). With the exception of a few references to The New Rebellion and other novels, most references are of Zahn's original trilogy. This feels odd at times, because the characters refer to the events as if they had happened a year ago, when it has been ten years and a lot of stuff has happened since then. My only real complaint is that when all is said and done, this book is really pure exposition that is necessary for readers to follow the second book. The book lacks an ending of any sort, in fact everything feels deliberately left as a cliffhanger. However, this does not mean Specter of the Past is a boring book. Far from it, the story is a page-turner to the end, and will set you up with the tension and mood for Vision of the Future.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not Zahn's best...
Review: Zahn cooked up a great story and made it believable, something some authers of the Star Wars Universe have had trouble doing. And yet, having read several of Zahn's other works, I can't say it's one of his best. Despite its great plot, the cast were just hard to get in to. Worst off however was how the end, it just sort of, well, ended. Up to the end the plot has ammounted to very little. Had it not been for Zahn's amazing writing style my rating would have dropped below three. However, I encourage you to read the book because its sequal poses a definete match for his original series, the Heir to the Empire trilogy, but without the information presented in this book the reader can't enjoy it. Remember, the Force is with you!
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