"Vision of the Future" is the final second novel in The Hand of Thrawn series approximately ten years following The Thrawn Trilogy. It concludes the story in the tradition of creativity and intrigue from the prior novels.

Although the preceding novel has more political developments dominating the storyline, this book returns to creative battles and stunning revelations. The Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker duo along with Major Tierce and Admiral Pellaeon sections of the storyline are interesting. In addition, the use of High Councilor Leia Organa Solo's Jedi skill is exciting.

I was aggravated when I calculated New Republic characters heading in four different directions searching for the same thing without consulting each other. Considering the closeness of the group such behavior is peculiar. A couple loose ends are available for future stories whereas one piece of information regarding Grand Admiral Thrawn could have been left alone to leave a greater mystery.

I recommend this series to any fan of the Star Wars universe.

Thank you.

"Specter of the Past" is the first novel in The Hand of Thrawn series approximately ten years following The Thrawn Trilogy. It continues the tradition of creativity and intrigue from the prior novels.

Timothy Zahn resumes with a struggling New Republic in the aftermath of the battle against Grand Admiral Thrawn. However, strong political developments dominate the storyline, detracting from the strengths of amazing battles that were the groundwork in the first series.

While not as rich in cultural developments, character favorites continue to risk their lives in the conflicts of New Republic versus Empire. In addition, a select few in the Empire pull a fascinating con on the galaxy regarding the fate of Grand Admiral Thrawn.

I recommend this series to any fan of the Star Wars universe.

Thank you

"The Last Command" is the third and final novel in The Thrawn Trilogy approximately five years following "Return of the Jedi". The originality and creativity in the series is deep, filled with strange creatures and compelling heroes and villains.

Grand Admiral Thrawn is an ingenious, calculating and efficient villain, someone the New Republic should fear. The creative ways he uses items at his disposal are amazing. Although he is with the Empire, his charisma and composure has me cheering to succeed whenever engaged in combat. Conversely, the spontaneous ravings of insane Jedi Master Joruus C'baoth form a scary image compared with the serene Emperor. Smuggler Talon Karrde reminds me of a pre-Rebellion Han Solo but with a Jabba the Hutt sphere of influence. While Star Wars hasn't been overly political, politics play a minor part in the developments and brings more depth to an otherwise action oriented plot.

Action fills the concluding novel, with surprises and well-timed heroics. I highly recommend this series above all others to any fan of the Star Wars universe.

Thank you.

"Dark Force Rising" is the second novel in The Thrawn Trilogy approximately five years following "Return of the Jedi". The originality and creativity in the series is deep, filled with strange creatures and compelling heroes and villains.

Grand Admiral Thrawn is an ingenious, calculating and efficient villain, someone the New Republic should fear. The patient approach Grand Admiral Thrawn employs by building a formidable force with the Empire to challenge the New Republic is clever. While Star Wars hasn't been overly political, politics play a part in the developments and brings more depth to an otherwise action oriented plot. The author wisely invested sufficient time developing character and cultural histories to tie nicely with the existing history thereby enriching an already compelling genre.

I highly recommend this series above all others to any fan of the Star Wars universe.

Thank you.

"Heir to the Empire" is the first novel in The Thrawn Trilogy approximately five years following "Return of the Jedi". When the book was originally published in 1991, I remember telling a friend it would start a literary genre similar to Star Trek with hundreds of books. Even though I find an overwhelming number of books diluting to a storyline, Zahn's work resurrected with a passion a universe in written format for other authors to continue exploring.

Timothy Zahn introduces a destroyed Empire and fragile New Republic, strange creatures, and compelling heroes and villains. The originality and creativity in the series is deep, far better than the sorry episode 1 and 2 movies.

Grand Admiral Thrawn is an ingenious, calculating and efficient villain, someone the New Republic should fear. The typical assortment of characters ranging from Luke Skywalker to Wedge Antilles fills the book with essential components to the tale. While Star Wars hasn't been overly political, politics play a part in the developments and brings more depth to an otherwise action oriented plot.

I highly recommend this series above all others to any fan of the Star Wars universe.

Thank you.

"The Grand Crusade" is the third and final novel in The DragonCrown War Cycle series approximately one generation following "The Dark Glory War" prelude novel. It is an amazing book filled with creative battles, detailed descriptions, and interesting characters.

I am pleased with the outcome of the series. The unique powers exhibited by the sullanciri are clever. General Androgans and Kerrigan have impressive displays on the battlefield and in magic respectively. Some important revelations resolve unanswered incidents from earlier volumes but most loose ends are tied up at the conclusion with a slim possibility of a next generation story.

The timing of Qwc, an odd character throughout the series, to be at a particular place with a certain individual damages the free will versus fate discussion. The Alexia and Crow romance is nice but I feel some of the bedroom details could be neglected. The Norrington, whom will challenge Chytrine according to the prophecy, is unusual yet anticlimax compared to other fantasy novel heroes.

Characters and countries overwhelmed me by the end of the novel and a glossary would have been worthwhile along with a more detailed map of the significant terrains.

I highly recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre.

Thank you.

"When Dragons Rage" is the second novel in The DragonCrown War Cycle series approximately one generation following "The Dark Glory War" prelude novel. It is an impressive book filled with creative battles, detailed descriptions, and interesting characters.

The progressions of Kerrigan and Wilburforce throughout the book are remarkable, especially the combat improvements by the two youngsters. The camaraderie between Resolute and Kedyn's Crow isn't as dominate as in the prior volume but is complimented with a romantic relationship delivering less fighting, which I find slightly disappointing. Given the audacious origin of General Androgans, he is one of my favorite characters, implementing impressive strategies and tactics.

Characters and countries overwhelmed me by the end of the novel and a glossary would have been worthwhile along with a more detailed map of the significant terrains.

I highly recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre and look forward to reading the final novel.

Thank you.

"Fortress Draconis" is the first novel in The DragonCrown War Cycle series approximately one generation following "The Dark Glory War" prelude novel. It is a spectacular book filled with creative battles, detailed descriptions, and interesting characters.

One could understand the novel without having read the prelude, but the continuing characters have a history and the small details will be lost on those who don't invest the time. There is mystery on other individual fates from the prelude novel, hopefully to be resolved in the future novels. It is curious to note how countries and people change and/or remain the same over the 25-year difference.

I found the novel better than the predecessor in all things. It has imaginative magic and great encounters. Two youngsters, Kerrigan and Wilburforce, are interesting to follow as they mature with the events unfolding, likewise Alyx with her unusual background. General Androgans and Dranae are intriguing enigmas while Resolute and Kedyn's Crow form an awesome fighting duo with personal limitations.

I highly recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre and look forward to reading the future novels.

Thank you.

"The Dark Glory War" is the prelude novel in The DragonCrown War Cycle series approximately one generation before the series officially starts. It is an entertaining book filled with creative battles and interesting people and will provide a strong groundwork for new characters further in the series.

Although the mask that certain cultures wear is an unusual concept, I am not fond of it since a good smack could dislodge the mask to blind the person during combat. Various monsters seem to be hybrid or typical fantasy creatures with different classifications. Also, there are some moments where a physical description is challenging to envision.

Aside from the above aggravations, overall the book was good and I would recommend it. The ending was a shock. I look forward to continuing the series.

Thank you.

Alp, a great warrior of the Steppe, is unwillingly snatched at an opportune moment to the future of 2332 where history is reenacted in an intergalactic game to educate and entertain enthusiasts about the great nomadic tribes of the Asian empire. Alp must participate and hopes his knowledge of the accounts, people, and strategies of the era might help him score high enough to survive afterwards.

From what I gather, the book is based on factual events of Asian history. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the education of the time period. The transition of past to future geography and technology is well thought out. The story moves extremely fast and can be mildly tricky to follow when the history lessons happen. Good action story combined with romance and suspense make "Steppe" an enjoyable read.

Thank you.