Specter of the Past (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, Book One)

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Summary: Post-Imperial Chaos...as only Zahn can describe!!!
Review: After reading Specter, I was reminded of the conflicts in the "new" Soviet Union. All these newly independent nations bringing up old conflicts, no longer fearing the hard-fisted rule of Communism. Now the New Republic faces similar challenges. Zahn brings up the challenging thought; "was the Emperor necessary to keep order in an otherwise chaotic universe?" As we see the Communist return to power, so too many races long for the stability that Imperial forces brought.Zahn addresses current issues with a blend of sci-fi color.

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Summary: Another example of a Zhan-caliber performence!
Review: This is just another fantastic Zhan masterpiece. Words hardly do it justice. It was funny at times, exciting at times, and it was a real thinker at times(how Luke got out of that Jedi trap, I'll still never understand). Tierce was written well, and aside from Disra, it's tough to find anyone in the book who had a less-than-perfect performance. I especially like the fact that Zhan went into detail about the "potentially damaging items" to the Bothans in the Mount Tantiss storehouse, and the biggest disappointment I can remember in reading the book was that I won't know what happened to Mara until I read "Vision of the Future"! All in all, one of Zhan's best!

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Summary: The best sci-fi book since The Last Command!
Review: Specter of the Past is a great book for all Star Wars readers. It is even better for readers of Timothy Zahn books and Micheal Stackpole books. This book allows you continue the adventures with the characters of The Last Command and a few new ones too. The plot centers around the discovery of a document that shows that the Bothans were reponsible for the destruction of a long cherished world. Unfornutaley the document does not tell which Bothans were reponsible. The members of the New Repbulic have diferent view on the punishment the Bothans will receive. The conflict of ideas creates many small wars between some of the systems in the New Repbulic that threaten to tear the New Repbulic apart. Meanwhile in the Empire a new threat is preparing to strike and a long lost ghost can spell doom for the New Repbulic.

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Summary: THE BEST EVER STAR WARS NOVEL
Review: AMAZING - Thrawn is back! When I first picked up this book I could hardley put it down. Zahn writes in a style matched by no one. The story is that it turns out the Bothans were the ones responsible for helping Palpatine destroying a long lost world. The news comes out and everyone wants to either kill the Bothans or save them. Then Thrawn comes back from the dead ready to lead the Imperials to victory while the Republic destroys itself. Zahn includes all the classic charactars whom other authors have seem to forgotten - Mara Jade, the Noghri, Pallaeon. On top of this he mixes Stakpoles Rougue Squadron and Booster Terrik. All in all this action packed novel has you eating out of it's hand. Buy it at all costs. Oh yeah, Just try working out who or what the Hand of Thrawn actually is - when you do read the next book you'll be in for quite a suprise.

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Summary: ONCE AGAIN
Review: ZAHN CONTINUES HIS MASTERY OF THE STAR WARS WORLD... I HOPE HE GETS TO HAVE HIS NOVELS PUT ON THE BIG SCREEN

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Summary: WOW!
Review: Timothy Zahn is Great! This is the best book written for the Star Wars universe since The Last Command. I couldn't put this book down, and would read it late at night, even though I had to get up early in the morning. This book is a winner, and a must for all Star Wars Fans.

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Summary: The best Star Wars story since The Last Command!
Review: This book was _the_ best Star Wars book I've ever read, except for the Heir to the Empire trilogy, of course. Zahn is the only author who has managed to capture the spirit of Star Wars. All the others were just missing something, except for one or two. My copies of his first Star Wars trilogy are the most worn books on my shelf. I love those, and I love his new ones too. He is the best. And he also has a good grasp of the Force as a plot element, better than most. And Thrawn being back is just great! He was the only real opposition the New Republic ever had. And I also think that it was great that Zahn put Rogue Squadron back in action. Wedge just wasn't the general type. Zahn just knows how to write the characters of the Star Wars universe. Talon Karrde, Fey'lya, Mara, Luke, Wedge, they all just seem more true to the movies and their spirit with him. I totally reccommend this book for everyone. It is the best! The absolute best! Before, when anyone asked me who my favorite author was, I'd name two or three people. Now I've realized that Timothy Zahn is the absolute best author I've ever read. He is the king of Star Wars! Vision of the Future, here I come!

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Summary: Not his best work
Review: This book was very slow and boring at times. However, it still had it's good points. Zahn really leaves you hanging by not resolving quite a few issues throughout the book. Vision of the Future should be much better reading.

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Summary: Timothy, this is not a big winner!!!!
Review: When I read Spector of the Past I thought it was going to be an exciting book, but I found out it was a little bit of a bummer. I read the customer reviews and thought it was going to be a true winner. It was two chatty and wasn't that exciting. There were some very good parts that I truly enjoyed and other parts not to exciting. I am hoping Vision to the Future willbe better and more exciting.

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Summary: Zahns done it again!!!
Review: A great book. I was expecting a cheezy story where the E mpire cloned Thrawn. But instead he made it to be a great story. I love how Zahn made Karrde not leading a New Republic smuggling force. But having him still be a smuggler. He should of left the Corran stuff to Mike Stackpole.All in all a great book.