Dark Force Rising

With Luke trapped by the Dark Jedi, Han pursuing a missing battle fleet, and Princess Leia occupied with influencing an alien race heretofore loyal to Thrawn, the fate of the Republic is threatened. 250,000 first printing.

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.

Sequel to Heir to the Empire in this continuation of the Star Wars movie saga. Here, Leia Organa Solo, carrying twins, goes off (accompanied by Chewbacca and C-3PO) on a diplomatic mission to convince the Noghri to give up their indenture to the Empire and join the New Republic. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker pays a visit to the Jedi Master C'baoth to continue his training, ingenuously not realizing that C'baoth is insane and headed toward the Dark Side. Meanwhile, Han Solo and Lando Calrissian are searching for evidence that Admiral Ackbar is not a traitor after all. Meanwhile, Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Empire is stamping out rebel enclaves and searching for the legendary Dark Force, 200 state-of-the-art battle cruisers that vanished years before. Meanwhile, smuggler Talon Karde and his second-in-command, Mara Jade, potential Jedi, may know where it is.... Despite stereotyped characters, supervillain posturing, last- instant escapes, and overall predictability, this is thundering melodrama, with a satisfyingly complicated plot. Still, it adds nothing of its own to the tradition of media-driven fiction. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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.