AMAZING - Thrawn is back! When I first picked up this book I could hardley put it down. Zahn writes in a style matched by no one. The story is that it turns out the Bothans were the ones responsible for helping Palpatine destroying a long lost world. The news comes out and everyone wants to either kill the Bothans or save them. Then Thrawn comes back from the dead ready to lead the Imperials to victory while the Republic destroys itself. Zahn includes all the classic charactars whom other authors have seem to forgotten - Mara Jade, the Noghri, Pallaeon. On top of this he mixes Stakpoles Rougue Squadron and Booster Terrik. All in all this action packed novel has you eating out of it's hand. Buy it at all costs. Oh yeah, Just try working out who or what the Hand of Thrawn actually is - when you do read the next book you'll be in for quite a suprise.