Star Wars: Choices of One

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.