The Center Network

    Shadows of the Empire takes place in between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Luke Skywalker is recovering from his emotional battle with Darth Vader. Han Solo is encased in carbonite and en route to Jabba the Hutt’s Palace via bounty hunter Boba Fett. Emperor Palpatine is secretly constructing the second Death Star while Darth Vader is intent on finding Luke and turning him to the Dark Side. Enter Prince Xizor, the ambitious ruler of the Black Sun criminal syndicate. Xizor plans on winning Palpatine’s favour while simultaneously humiliating Darth Vader. His method: murder Luke Skywalker.

      Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry is one of the most highly praised entries in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and for good reason. Right off the bat the concept had enormous hurdles to overcome. By placing itself chronologically as the bridge between the second and third Star Wars films, the options of what can be done with the established characters becomes dramatically reduced. Luke Skywalker is obviously not going to die. The rebels are not going to rescue Han Solo from Boba Fett. Darth Vader will not lose the Emperor’s favour. Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Lando and the rest will not suffer incapacitating damage. There are, of course, a few minor details from Return of the Jedi that can and do get filled in, such as where Leia acquired Boushh’s armour, but these details cannot carry the full story. Shadows gets around these barriers by introducing a third party, Black Sun, lead by the treacherous Prince Xizor. Xizor plays both sides throughout the book, looking out for his own interests and establishing himself as a major player in the Star Wars universe. The book is not just about nefarious plots, though. All the blaster-firing, lightsaber-swinging and space-battling action of Star Wars is still present. The existing characters are well represented with their familiar characteristics and unique sense of humour. The spirit of Star Wars is so prevalent that one could even go as far as to say that Shadows of the Empire should have been a Star Wars movie in its own right. If anyone wants to check out more of the Star Wars expanded universe but is not sure where to start, Shadows of the Empire provides the perfect jumping-off point to begin exploring in a Galaxy far, far away…