Heir to the Empire - Part 2

[colls]

This month's book was Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn

1. How has the dynamic between Luke, Leia, and Han changed since the original trilogy?

2. How does Thrawn compare to the other antagonists in Star Wars?

3. What impact do other new characters like Talon Karrde & Mara Jade make on the story? How is their internal conflict similar or dissimilar from characters we already know?


Next month will be a themed month - Non-Jedi protagonist

Comments

[brokenmnemonic]

1. I like that the characters felt like those from the original trilogy, although Leia definitely felt... tired. I don't get the feeling any of them are enjoying their victory all that much, with the exception of Lando, who's evidently still got a nose for business. One of the things that struck me is how small the core cast felt, compared to the way some of the other novels we've read have sprawled with characters. I think that helped give me the feeling while I was ready that the story was tightly-woven, which I liked a lot.

2. I think Thrawn makes an excellent villain, because he's much less of a moustache-twirling evil for evil's sake protagonist. He's a much scarier kind of villain, because he's focussed, and clever, and keeps his eye on the strategic game. I think that unlike a lot of the senior Imperial figures we've seen, he doesn't allow personal grudges to distract him, and that makes him very dangerous. I'm wondering how short a leash the Emperor kept him on before ROTJ...

3. I found Karrde to be a really interesting character. I've not read much involving Mara Jade post-this novel, although I'm aware of what happens to her in the longer term, but I liked her relationship with Karrde, and the way Karrde was in some ways a mirror to Thrawn. Karrde is also working towards longer-term goals, and is motivated by the survival of his group and their business. I like that he was clear that he didn't hold any particular animus towards either the Republic or the Empire - or towards Han, for that matter - and that he was clearly trying to negotiate/navigate a path that was in the best interests of his group. I also liked that he didn't hesitate to make decisions like shutting the facility down and pull everyone out when he knew that Thrawn had worked out what was going on, and that staying there would be untenable. Again, it's nice to have a character who's competent and nuanced. I think his curiosity about Mara Jade makes a lot of sense, but I also like that he's not devoting a lot of effort to trying to dig secrets out of her, and I think that's one of the reasons she's stayed with him for as long as she has.

[colls]

That's a great point about how Thrawn doesn't allow personal grudges to distract him - so many villains seem to do this.

This could be me being cynical, but Karrde giving Mara Jade space to be herself and keep her secrets feels like a side effect of the author trying to make her mysterious, but I'll take it.