"Shadows of the Empire," by DHC, LucasArts, Bantam, Et. al. [Various, 1996]

For Admin Use

 

10--This is one of the best EU books I have read to date. It does a wonderful job of connecting ESB and ROTJ. We see why some of the stuff in ROTJ happend and where Luke and Leia got their outfits. It is a great book with a lot of action and the best part, for me anyway, was I got to see Luke really start to become one with the force. Great book!

 

The best word I can think of to describe Shadows of the Empire for me is... average. I'd not rank it up there with Starfighters of Adumar, but it never approaches the ridiculousness of KJA's super-weapons and the writing doesn't approach the train wreck that is the Crystal Star. Just... average. Blah.

 

I gave it a 6. That's being generous. This book really didn't add anything to the character of the Emperor. In fact I was rather disapointed with how he was potrayed when it came to Prince Xizor.

It seemed like Xizor was playing the Emperor for a fool during the whole book. The Emperor was falling into his scheme in every scene. Then at the end of the book when Xizor is dead, we get a crappy little paragraph from the Emperor explaining how he knew of Xizors plan the whole time and blah blah blah blah blah. It was a terrible portrayel of the Dark Lord.

But I must admit, the character of the Emperor has been through numerous ups and downs over the years. When Lucas created him in ANH, he was but a pawn to the Imperial Moffs. Then Lucas rehauled his character and by ROTJ, he was the all powerful arse kicking master of vader we all know. But then over the years in the EU, his character began to falter. They always would bring in a new villain who would play him for a fool in some way. Or flaunt the mistakes he made or showed how weak he was. Then when TPM came out, Lucas put it all in place and Palpatine's genius was exploited to it's fullest.

So looking back at Shadows of the Empire, I just don't see how Xizor could have even gotten away with some of things he did.

But the Han and Leia situation was well done. It explored how lonely Leia had become without Han. It also explored Lukes trials as a Jedi in training. It helped bridge the gap of TESB and ROTJ. So for that I give it credit.

 

HookLIne...
"They always would bring in a new villain who would play him for a fool in some way. Or flaunt the mistakes he made or showed how weak he was...."

Otherwise known as "The Zahn Factor." Tear down the established characters in an attempt to elevate one's own.

Would/Could anyone stand up to the Emperor? Nope. Not hardly. But, lo and behold, Thrawn stood up to the Emperor four times.

It's definitely a fair criticism of the EU. The Thrawn Trilogy brought in this standard by which the other Bantam novels would follow. And that's not a good thing with respect to this issue.

 

Would/Could anyone stand up to the Emperor? Nope. Not hardly. But, lo and behold, Thrawn stood up to the Emperor four times
and yet, has anyone here noticed how nauseatingly unrealistic the characters are in SOTE? Its just plain stupid. Vader is represented as a not-so-bad bad guy, which just totally spits in the face of his Ot image. SOTE is a mediocre book that could have been vastly better, ahd it not been Perry's incompetence in the world of SW

 

I gave it a 5.

It is a good book. It has a really good title and because of it, I expected more from it!!

 

It's a great filler between ESB and ROTJ, but it was too predictable.

 

9.

Wonderful book that connects TESB and ROTJ perfectly! I loved Xizor; he made an excellent villain. Perry also wrote Vader and the Emperor very well. Dash Rendar I could do without, though (just another carbon-copy version of Han). But everything else--the drama, the action, the humor (loved Threepio flying the Falcon, and accidentally destroying everything in his path!)--was perfect.

Best scene: Leia kicking Xizor where it...ahem, hurts.

Oh, and the soundtrack is superb. Very well done, Joel McNeely!

 

Hmm as a book I would give 8.
The faults I had with were
1)Dash Rendar. A carbon copy off Han Solo and a waste of a good oppertunity to explore the gangs re-actions to his loss. But to be fair to Perry I think he did not like the charachter either but was told by LA/Bantam to put him in.

2)The way Xizor died. Vader should have finished him off in a face to Helmet confrontation.

Otherwise a good book. Besides it had Darth Vader. There is a reason he is always voted best villian in movie polls. They way he just stomps about kicking ass is great. P.S That rebel pilot he was about to blast but let go and wonder if they could ret-con that to someone like Wedge or Tycho to prove that he is The best pilot in the galaxy.I disagree with the above about his goodness it ties in nicely with ESB/RTJ where he does soften. In one he is strangling and kicking ass anyone who gets in his way.By RTJ he is letting that commander live on the death star and becoming Anakin again. This is a nice tie.

 

I gave it a 9. It was generally pretty good, in my opinion, but a few small things stuck out in my mind. The Leia and Xizor inuendo grossed me out. SOTE was also kind predictable, given the fact that ROTJ had been around for 15 or so years when SOTE was made.

Then again, I have only read the book and played the SOTE demo, so I can't comment on the comic and most of the game.

 

I personally liked the book. I thought it was a pretty decent filler in between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.

 

Shadows of the Empire was my first EU experience and one of my favorites.

This novel does everything it promises and bridges ESB and RotJ very effectively. Its nice to see Luke grow from the mere Padawan in ANH and ESB to the Jedi Knight in RotJ. It is very easy to see Leia's anguish at losing Han after just forging a relationship, and Chewbacca's extension of his life debt to Leia is very nice. I also thoroughly enjoyed the groundwork of Vader turning back into Anakin being set.

It does have faults though. I've never really enjoyed Xizor. He doesn't seem as anything more than a villain who was placed there for the story. He appears out of nowhere for this nowhere and then is gone as soon as he came. The same for Dash Rendar. Characters placed in the story because they were needed there, not because they would have been there.

Besides that, the book is very good. Not the best, but far from the worst. If someone asked me to give them a list of EU novels that were essential to read, this is one I would give.

 

8

Great book that gives us fans some information about what was happening between ESB and ROTJ. Thought the introduction of Xizor was well done and he was used well.

 

Here I disagree with you. The Dash Rendar charachter was not needed apart from being the Han Solo copy it wasted a perfectly good oppertunity to see how the gang reacted to Han's disaperance.
Though Like I said I kind of feel that Perry was TOLD to put him in more than anything else.

 

10
This was the first SW EU book I read, and I simply loved it. The plot was good, I liked all the new characters, and I really wish they had turned it into a movie!(Although a cartoon version wouldn't be so bad)

 

9/10- I thought it was a really good book. The Dash/Han clone thing bugged me at first but I got use to it. This book did a good job of explaining how the characters went from the end of ESB to the beginning of ROTJ.

 

i agree i with you Thrawn. SotE is deffinetally on eof the best EU i've ever read. A cartoon version would be awesome. Or live action.

Its really good to be able to find out what happens in between the movies. And beacuse there are already really bad guys in place. Theres no need to get into the whole, {evil force user/crazy imperieal officer trying to rebuild the empire/kill the jedi } that seems to be a theme in some of even the best EU. Great book, good dialouge, good char devolopment, intresting story.

I thought the Han clone problem was solved by the fact that he may have died in the end anyway. (i know if you beat the game with so much completion then you find out he escapes. its up to you wether thats right or not)

 

9 very good book.

 

8

I liked Dash, I admit too much of the likeness to Han, but I don't like it when you just warm up to the guy, and then he's dead. And besides I can never get enough of the Solo attitude, it zings me. Anyway back to the book, the Emperor was a little to trusting of Xizor. Darth Vader was second to him, and he should of trusted his dark servent. Plus, WHAT WAS WRONG WITH LEIA? She is stronger than any pheramones. Her betrayal of Han was unnessacary. I did enjoy Luke in that book, he usally bores me in the books. Personally I did think it was a good strong story. But I loved Guri, she is the coolest droid by far in the Star Wars Universe. I t's a shame she and Dash are gone.

May the Force Be With You!

 

I liked:

* The portrayal of the Emperor and Vader. Perry absolutely nailed them. I never got the feeling that Xizor was outsmarting the Emperor - Palpatine was just sitting there, watching Xizor's attempts with mild amusement, just as in RotJ.

* Luke's development. Perry made quite clear how the impatient kid from ESB became the cool Jedi in RotJ.

* Guri. She was really, really cool, and portrayed very nicely.

I disliked:

* I have to agree that Dash Rendar was something of a Solo-copy.

* That Rodian, Greedo's uncle - I think his name was Avaro something. Something that often annoys me is how almost every character in GFFA is somehow related to each other. There are millions, if not billions of Rodians in the galaxy. That they just should happen to bump into Greedo's uncle is corny.

And, on a sidenote, did anyone else get the references in the name "Benedict Vidkun"? For me, that was just too obvious, and it kinda told what kind of character this guy was.

 

Shadows of the Empire is probably the most hyped book in the whole EU. And I think it is the best. Yeah it is so good. I read it after playing through the video game. It is pretty damn good. Read it

 

this was a pretty good book.
it helped me understand more of the conversation between han and leia in EMPIRE STRIKES BACK at Echo base, in the hallway.

 

It was the first EU book I read, and I would have to say that it was amazing. It wasn't very deep or anything like some may complain, but it definitely had a pacing similar to the films. I never really laugh from books, but the entire scene with 3PO and R2 flying the Falcon was pure genius.

I thought Xizor was a very well thought out villain, and an interesting obstacle to put before Leia and her relationship with Han.

I would also like to agree with whoever said that a final confrontation between Xizor and Vader would have worked better. I was also expecting this, because I had purchased all the SOTE toys, and I owned that duel package. Big disapointment when that wasn't in the novel.

Also, Dash Rendar isn't necessarily a bad character, but he had no purpose in this novel really. I didn't like the way he was put in just to replace Han for awhile. (Although I did like his nice return in Evolution. . .)