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3.57 AVERAGE

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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imakandiway's review

3.5
adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Maybe it would’ve been neat at the time, but filling in blanks isn’t as appealing as it used to be.
adventurous tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

An early Expanded Universe (EU) novel, Shadows of the Empire is really all but Star Wars episode 5.5 in all but name, taking place as it does between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Starting with a familiar scene from The Empire Strikes back (at least, it was familiar until Lucas changed it!) but viewed from a different angle, the novel is also unusual in that Vader is actually one of the main protagonists, with he and Prince Xivor (the head of the criminal organization Black Sun) struggling for The Emperor's approval.

With Han Solo frozen in carbonite - indeed, the first attempts to rescue him form one of the main plot strands of the novel - this also introduces Dash Rendar: a character who, if I'm honest, is really all but Han Solo in name.

The novel also provides a little more background into some of the events mentioned in Return of the Jedi, in particular how come "Many Bothans dies to bring us this information ..."
henrikv's profile picture

henrikv's review

3.0
adventurous mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

jtashoff's review

3.25
adventurous tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Better than I remember. I've read this book about four times now, but this was my first time as an adult. Good, fun book. Glad to galavant around the galaxy with Luke, Lando, Leis, and Chewie one more time.