Specter of the Past

'Specter of the Past' by Timothy Zahn

Bantam Press 1997

Set 15 years after RotJ

Story -- the Empire has almost gone, but the New Republic is so big it has become unwieldy. Old animosities between races/planets are coming back to life now that there isn't a common enemy. In particular, the Bothan race is implicated in the destruction of the peaceful world of Caamas, but no-one except the Empire knows exactly which Bothans did the dirty deed. Can what's left of the Empire prise apart the cracks in the Alliance until it splits completely? Luke, Lando and Talon Karrde are off tracking more clones. (Oh, no - not another Clone War...) Then rumours start that Grand Admiral Thrawn didn't actually die 10 years previously, which is enough to rally the Empire-remnants against the 'Rebellion'. Quick - find a copy of the Caamas document! And has Luke finally realized that just because he has the power of the Force, this doesn't mean he has to use it.

Original characters from the movies -- great, especially Luke, who seems to be getting back to his 'old self' (Zahn has said he thought the Jedi had been portrayed as too powerful in some of the previous books, and now I feel he has rectified this). Han and Leia are portrayed well; and Chewie's back to being a good co-pilot and side-kick, not just a baby-sitter.

New characters -- the gang's all here! Karrde (and the other smugglers), Mara, Pellaeon, Wedge, Corran and the Rogues, Bel Iblis, Fey'lya, the Noghri (where the hell have they been in the previous novels? - I thought they swore to protect Leia and her family). And some new Empire baddies (as before, Zahn's bad-guys are intelligent and cunning, not just scary monsters). The Solo kids (now 10 and 8) are in this one a little bit, but not overwhelmingly so.

Cover art -- love it! Just pick your favorite character and drool... (If you picked the one that looks like a goat, I seriously recommend you see a therapist.)

Chicks -- Leia doing her diplomatic best to save the galaxy. Mara Jade is brilliant, as you would expect when written by her creator. Shame there's no chick baddie.

Any good? -- you bet your shirt it's good! Zahn is an even better writer now than when he wrote the Thrawn trilogy. Fabulous characterisations and a great plot (with no Death Star, 4000-year-old dead Sith Lords, gruesome aliens out to kill everyone, and nobody is kidnapped). There's lots of political back-stabbing and Empire agents stirring up trouble, the odd space battle, and Luke coming to terms with a lot of what has gone on during the past 10 years or so.

Read it? -- YES! YES! YES! You'll appreciate this duology more if you've read a few of the other Bantam books, although it's not absolutely necessary. And if you can read this and NOT want to rush out and get hold of a copy of 'Vision of the Future', then you must be several X-wings short of a full squadron...

Rating -- 10 out of 10

Return to Timeline