Dark Force Rising (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hugo Award winner Zahn follows up Heir to the Empire with still more adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Hansp ok Solo and their merry band, adroitly juggling an abundance of plot lines to produce skillfully paced entertainment. The citizens of the capital planet of the New Republic believe their battles against the remnants of the Empire are going well. But Grand Admiral Thrawn, the most brilliant of the Emperor's minions, is preparing to crush the New Republic with nefarious schemes involving smugglers, political rivals, a well-placed mole and even a Jedi Master. Can evil genius outflank the Force? Distracted by threats to Leia's unborn twins, domestic infighting and other upheavals orchestrated by Thrawn, the heroes of the New Republic summon up all their resources to fend off galactic disaster. Fans can expect Zahn's lively tale to spill over to the next and final installment of his series. 250,000 first printing.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Political infighting threatens the fragile, victorious Rebel Alliance in its ongoing struggle against the empire in this sequel to Heirs of the Empire (Bantam, 1991). Luke, Leia, and Han face separate challenges from a mad Jedi, an Imperial Grand Admiral, and a smuggler with a dangerous secret, and the fate of the alliance hangs on the outcome of their missions. Zahn's snappy prose and cinematic style capture the feel of the popular Star Wars films as he weaves together a lightweight but exciting tale of high adventure. Expect demand.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: Spectra; 2nd printing edition (February 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553560719
• ISBN-13: 978-0553560718
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,864 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 2 in The Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Trilogy just gets better and better, October 17, 2003

By	J. K. Moser "JKM" (Flemington, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dark Force Rising is the second book in Tim Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy. OUr heroes, on the run from assasins after Leia's unborn twins, as well as Luke and Leia themselves, run through the book at a frantic pace. Leia decides that the best place to hide is amongst the enemy, so along with Chewbacca she embarks on a quest to the world of Honogar, the homeworld of the Empire's best assasins. Luke after spending time with the insane Dark Jedi C'Boath is off on a mission to rescue smuggler chief Talon Karrde from Grand Admiral Thrawn's personal Star Destroyer with the help of Mara Jade, who wants to kill him once the rescue is complete. Han Solo finds himself swept off to a secret meeting with a soldier who may or may not help the fragile New Republic against the victorious Empire and Thrawn. Added to this is a frantic race to discover the location of the Katana Fleet or Dark Force. A mysterious fleet of warships designed after the Clone Wars that could tip the victory in the laps of those who find it first. Add in political intrigue, an Alliance commander accused of treason and clones and you have one heck of a good novel.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone, but a real treasure, October 15, 1999

By	Salana (Ithaca, NY USA) - See all my reviews

A lot of people just can't find any excitement in character development. They want action, action, action. Dark Force Rising isn't for them.

However, for someone seeking an intellectual Star Wars story (which, yes, IS possible) this is great. The Noghri are vastly interesting, and Leia's interaction with them is wonderful. (This is how the bit with the Ewoks should have gone in Return of the Jedi.)

And of course, we get to see more of Mara Jade, my second favorite Star Wars character in the universe. And she's absolutely true to character (big surprise! This is one of the defining books for her character, after all.)

The best part is a complete lack of Death Stars and Death-Star-like superweapons.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Force is with you!, July 12, 2006

By	Patrick A. Kellner "PAK" (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

"Dark Force Rising" Volume 2 of the Thrawn Trilogy. Grand Admiral Thrawn continues his attempt to finish off the struggling New Republic. Talon Karrde, the smuggler who took Jabba's place is slowly being pulled over to the New Republic's side even though his right hand Mara Jade (The Emperors' Hand before he died) wants nothing to do with the new republic and who's only goal has been to kill Luke Skywalker. The two opposing sides race for a lost fleet of about 200 ships. The winner will have the upper hand in the continuing battle. Meanwhile the newly surfaced Jedi master plots to capture Leia, her twins and Luke.

The Good: The whole book (along with the other 2 were all very good). It's good to read the old favorites including Han, Leia, Luke, Chewy and Lando. The plot stays strong throughout and this kept the book enjoyable.

The Bad: Nothing memorable

Overall: The book and series are both very good and I recommend them highly