Specter of the Past – Timothy Zahn (Star Wars; Hand of Thrawn, Book 1)

Title: Specter of the Past

Series: Star Wars; Hand of Thrawn, Book 1

Author: Timothy Zahn

Genre: Science Fiction

I am a huge fan of Star Wars, and I also loved Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy. So when I found another Star Wars book by Zahn, and then found out it was one of two books in a duology which serve as a kind of sequel to the Thrawn Trilogy, I was kind of excited. So I got my hands on the second book of the series and (eventually) started through ‘em. Specter of the Past is the first book (followed by Vision of the Future), and, while it starts off a little slow, is another gem by Timothy Zahn.

Unfortunately, in the end, this book did nothing more than set up all the conflict that will have to be resolved in the sequel (Vision of the Future). That being said, it is most definitely a good read. I enjoyed it a good amount, and found myself really drawn into the story by the end. Zahn doesn’t necessarily take too long setting up his characters, but in Star Wars there are a plethora of characters to draw from and to do the conflict justice he has to take a decent amount of time introducing the characters and revealing the layers of conflict.

As should be noted, there are a ton of Star Wars books out there, and I have have barely scratched the surface of them in my reading. So what is needed to enjoy this book? I would suggest having seen Episodes IV, V and VI of the movie, as well as probably reading Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command) before picking up this one. I’m sure reading any of the other books in the Star Wars series which fall before this one chronologically would also contribute to your understanding of what is going on in the galaxy at the time this story takes place, but they are not essential.

I would suggest getting your hands on Vision of the Future before reading this one, primarily because there really is no conclusion at the end. It just kind of stops – almost like a dramatic pause before an intermission and things kick it into high gear. You’re gonna want to have the sequel right there to pick up and continue reading.

If you’re a fan of Star Wars I highly recommend this novel. If you enjoy good science fiction, this would probably be up your alley as well. Zahn is an excellent writer and he does an excellent job here as well. The story would probably be appropriate for middle schoolers (Stars Wars books are generally clean when it comes to language and sexual stuff). The violence is not overwhelming, and the subject matter is slightly mature, but not too much so for that age.

Worldview: Secular

Recommended Age: Middle school age children should be fine with this book.