Star Wars: Choices of One (Star Wars - Legends)

With Choices of One, Timothy Zahn delivers yet another outstanding Star Wars novel and offers some of his most intricate plotting and characterization to date. There are many twists to this tale of an Imperial Governor making overtures towards the Rebel Alliance. The setting (eight months after the Battle of Yavin) permits Mr. Zahn to make full use of the primary original trilogy film characters alongside his creations such as Mara Jade, Thrawn (here a Senior Captain), and the Hand of Judgment stormtroopers introduced in Allegiance. Mr. Zahn has a remarkable ability to capture the vibe of a Star Wars movie with the written word, using quick scene cuts, snappy dialogue, and relying as much on characters interacting via conversation as via combat.Imperial Governor Ferrouz has begun making overtures to the Rebel Alliance. Since the uncovering of their secret base on Yavin IV, the Rebels have been in desperate need of a new center of operations. The dual system of Poln Major and Poln Minor appears to be an excellent candidate, especially with the clandestine support of the local Imperial leader. The Rebels send several representatives to investigate the offer further, including Luke, Han, Leia, Chewbacca, the droids, and various other staff. One new character along for the journey is Axlon, who will take point on negotiations with Ferrouz. I wasn't that intrigued by Axlon initially but his presence really ramps as the story progresses. There are twists to his actions that make the reader question what he's really on Poln Major to accomplish and Mr. Zahn does a superb job of not making him into another cookie-cutter Rebel leader.Mara Jade is brought into play as well: the Emperor has gotten wind of Ferrouz's traitorous actions and wants him dealt with. With both storylines, Mr. Zahn also brings in alien warlord Nuso Esva. He's treated as if he's been part of the universe and these stories all along, which is very much in the spirit of how the films introduce characters. What's also impressive is the exact nature of the relationship between Esva, Ferrouz, and the Rebellion is presented differently to the different characters sent to investigate. It sets up a nice little mystery which maintains its momentum throughout the story.In a welcome reappearance, Mara brings along the rogue stormtrooper unit the Hand of Judgment, introduced in Mr. Zahn's Allegiance. The Star Wars Expanded Universe has made remarkable strides in diversifying the personalities of the prequel-era clone troopers and it's pleasing to see the same sort of differentiation of morals and outlook applied to the classic stormtroopers of the Empire. I find it a bit difficult to differentiate the five troopers in this unit but they make solid enough characters and certainly an interesting group. Speaking of Imperials, this era has Mara at the height of her powers working for the Emperor, but the book manages to portray her as a somewhat nuanced individual despite her service to evil.Governor Ferrouz's motivations are kept quite murky for much of Choices of One. Even when it seems we as readers learn the truth, there is still plenty of doubt in the picture to keep things interesting. The multiple players involved and the difficulty for the Rebels to sift out the truth paints a stark portrait of how hard it would be for all these soldiers with their equipment and materials to find a new base in the galaxy. It would be no small matter for the Rebellion to finance and secretly carve out an entire base of operations, especially when the Empire might find it and shut it down at any moment, and Choices of One very much underscores what a gigantic task the Rebellion was posed after losing their Yavin base.Han and Leia have great bickering, Thrawn makes some bold moves as always, Luke continues to struggle with his fledgling Jedi powers, and Darth Vader puts in an appearance at the climax. We even get a choice bit of information underlining exactly why Vader is so sure they've found the Rebels based on a fragmentary report in The Empire Strikes Back. Choices of One is a wonderful Star Wars story and showcases Mr. Zahn's firm grasp on the setting, the rapid-fire editing of sequences, and the necessity for proper characterization to accompany the expected battles. It is very highly recommended indeed.

Timothy Zahn returns to Star Wars literature with Choices of One, which stars all the usual characters, and then some. Zahn's books usually have revolved somehow around Thrawn, and his military genius, and Choices of One continues that tradition.Set just eight months after the events in Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, Han, Chewbacca, Leia, and Luke are all reunited on a mission to evaluate an offer of alliance from an Imperial Governor in an outlying region of the Empire, near the Unknown Regions. The plot thickens as each character somehow gets drawn toward the same location, for seemingly different reasons.What's refreshing about this novel is the leap backward in time-relative to the more recently-released Fate of the Jedi series, in which Luke is an exile, and his son, Ben, is a Jedi Knight growing into his own. Readers are provided with a look at Luke, before he had any confidence in his skills with the Force; before Leia blurted that infamous "I love you," to Han, and of course before Han could retort, "I know." Chewbacca is still alive, though really doesn't appear nearly as much as he should have. Mara Jade is still the Emperor's Hand (though now being referred to as the Emperor's Justice), and both Darth Vader and the Emperor make brief appearances. The Hand of Judgment, the group of AWOL Stormtroopers also return, and play a pivotal role in the book; in fact, it could be said this book is mostly theirs.There are some really good scenes with Luke, struggling with his lack of training in the Force, and overcoming-or failing to overcome-those challenges with which he's faced. Leia and Han are still struggling to not only come to terms with how they feel about each other, but also with their places in the Rebel Alliance. It's yet another unique look inside events that readers have never truly had the veil pulled back on before. Unfortunately, that promise isn't fully fulfilled, as we see little from Han's point of view, and even less from Leia's.Mara Jade certainly remains impressive, especially with her improvisational capabilities, though she seems awfully powerful in the Force for someone who's not a true Jedi or Sith. In contrast to Luke's aptitude in the Force at this point in time, it's a good thing they never had to square off, as Luke wouldn't stand a chance.Thrawn makes his appearance once again, though at a much lower level in the hierarchy as only a Senior Captain. His military prowess is displayed, though it's clear that he's not as ruthless as he will be later in the saga. In fact, he's portrayed very nearly as a good guy. Overall, it's an interesting plot thread, but falls a little flat.Unfortunately, the novel is nearly ruined by a confusing story arc involving a character named Lord Odo. At one point, it seems quite clear that Lord Odo is in fact Thrawn, but is later revealed to be otherwise. (This won't spoil the book, and might actually help make things more clear, in the end). When the revelation came, it unbalanced a lot of the story, and confuses the ultimate outcome.Near the end of the novel, the story starts coalescing nicely into what would appear to be an epic battle, but ends much less interestingly. After the Thrawn Trilogy, where the space battles are huge and interesting, the finale doesn't achieve the same levels of intrigue.Still, the unique timeframe, and character development in this book still make Choices of One a worthwhile read.

2nd Legends book I've read. Timothy Zahn is a great author. So far I've loved everything I've read of his and this was no exception. I definitely understand why so many fans prefer the EU. Mara Jade is great and so were the rest of the characters we know and love.

Mal eine etwas andere Sichtweise des Star Wars-Universums, die Fortsetzung.War bei mir eine nette Urlaubslektüre.

I enjoyed this story, give's insight to Luke growing in the Force & like Mara Jade as a character. It has great action scenes, explores tactics & strategy used by both Empire as well as the Rebellion.Also like it was from multiple characters during the same conflict.Must read for any Star Wars fan. 👍

Good storyline, engaging characters, fast-paced action. Enjoyed reading same.

Again Timothy Zhan has written a great book that captures the essence of the Star Wars universe and it's characters. This book introduced Mara Jade to me, and I think that is a great character.