Star Wars: Heir to the Empire
If you’re thinking about picking up a Star Wars book, forget all those new ones on the shelf, and pick up this classic masterpiece.
The Thrawn Trilogy of books (of which this is the first) are far and away the best Star Wars novels; perhaps because it was penned by a science fiction author with experience writing about galactic warfare.
Timothy Zahn bravely pushes the saga in interesting new directions that sets the bar for all the novels that have followed. He introduces some of the most memorable and enduring Extended Universe characters, like Talon Karde, Mara Jade, and the inestimable Grand Admiral Thrawn — the delightfully Holmesian Star Wars villain.
These books are among the few that I have read multiple times in my life.
