Star Wars: Choice Of One by Timothy Zahn (book review).

This reviewer has a confession to make: it has probably been at least thirty years since I read a `genre’ novel. Leaving aside the fact that science fiction, fantasy, and horror are all technically genres, I use the term ‘genre’ to indicate a novel set within an existing created world, such as ‘Star Trek’, ‘Warhammer’, or, in this case, ‘Star Wars’.

However, having not lived under a rock for those thirty years, the name Timothy Zahn is not unknown to me. Alas, the well-regarded ‘Thrawn Trilogy’, ‘Heir To The Empire’, ‘Dark Force Rising’, and ‘The Last Command’ continue to languish in my ‘to be read’ pile. So here I am breaking my metaphorical fast with ‘Choices of One,’ which is a more recent 2012 ‘Star Wars’ novel by Zahn.

This book takes place approximately six months after the events of the original ‘Star Wars’ movie, retroactively known as ‘Episode IV: A New Hope’. The story revolves around the Rebel Alliance’s efforts to find a new base following the Empire’s discovery of Yavin IV. At the beginning of the story, Princess Leia embarks on a mission to accompany Vestin Axlon, a former governor of Alderran, to a meeting with Bidor Ferrouz, the Imperial governor of Poln. Bidor Ferrouz appears to harbor rebellious intentions against the Empire and invites the rebellion to establish a new base on the moon Poln minor.

Throw into this mix a competent star-destroyer command named Pellaeon, Han Solo feeling like an outsider with the rebellion, a mysterious alien warlord named Nuso Esva, and a young Hand of the Emperor named Mara Jade, and clearly things are going to get a lot messier. Mara Jade is a popular character I have heard about before, and I believe we see her here at the start of her career. While firmly believing in the Empire’s righteousness, she is also determined to see proper justice done in the name of said Empire. Despite her high level of competence as an imperial agent, she maintains her composure and is prepared to conduct thorough investigations to ensure the right application of justice.

Zahn is masterful at utilizing the characters. Luke is uncertain of himself and knows that he has not had any true Jedi training, even if he is force sensitive and does own a lightsabre. Leia serves as a dynamic and effective agent for the Rebellion, while Han remains a free-spirited, unrestrained individual. Naturally, Chewbacca makes an appearance, albeit in a supporting role. Droid fans will be disappointed as neither R2D2 nor C3PO feature at all, but it is difficult to imagine how they would have fitted into the story. Mara Jade, who, one assumes, is going to have quite the character arc, works sometimes in opposition and sometimes in alliance with the main heroes, but never actually meets them. The closest they get is Mara observing Luke wield his lightsaber, and she seems impressed that either he is very lucky or he knows how to use it. Given that Mara is not fond of Darth Vader, she decides not to report Luke’s location. Hovering in the background are Grand Captain Thrawn (not yet admiral) and the aforementioned Lord Vader, but neither character features throughout most of the story.

Instead, a complex narrative unfolds, with the virtuous Governor Ferrouz grappling with various challenges. Indeed, most of the factions seem to be more than they appear, and they are often all trying to manipulate each other. Not long after they arrive on Poln Minor, Leia and Han realize that someone, possibly the mysterious Nuso Esva, is stockpiling equipment under the Empire’s nose. The plot thickens as they discover equipment that the Rebellion could greatly benefit from.

As a seasoned ‘Star Wars’ enthusiast, my father took me to see a double bill of ‘Star Wars’ and ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ at our local cinema when I was seven years old, fitting me into the stereotypical role of a ‘Star Wars’ fan. I am pleased to affirm that a reader of ‘Choices of One’ would not question whether Luke would say something or whether Han would do something. Zahn seems to have a clear understanding of the characters and their developmental stages at the time of the book’s setting. They don’t have the easy relationship observed in ‘Empire’, but they show the youthful energy they had at the end of ‘New Hope’. Leia stoically ignores any attraction she might have to Han, and he is convinced she is smitten with him. Everything is correct, and I suspect that readers familiar with Mara Jade’s later exploits might find this an interesting insight into her earlier career.

I don’t think I can stress enough how important getting these characters is. Just ask Disney. You cannot force their roles onto them, and Zahn deftly weaves a genuinely fascinating story around them.

Naturally, everything culminates in a gratifying finale. All the pieces fall into place, and you might find yourself kicking yourself for not figuring things out with all the foreshadowing, but Zahn, as I might have said, knows what he is doing. I am particularly impressed with Zahn’s characterization of the Imperials. Naturally, the reader might think of them as “bad guys,” but they tend to come across as decent people trying to do a good job. Governor Ferrouz certainly turns out to be a lot more than first seen, and the star-destroyer officers working with Commander Pellaeon turn out to be genuinely trying to be good and decent imperial officers. In all honesty, you can empathize a lot with Zahn’s imperial characters, which surprised me very pleasantly. The book also features the five renegade stormtroopers known as the Hand of Judgement, who are working with Mara Jade and with whom regular Zahn readers might be familiar. These are further fun creations from Zahn, but I must admit there seemed to be parallels here with Disney’s ‘The Bad Batch’. However, I believe this is convergent evolution more than anything else.

So, in conclusion, I can confidently say that if you want to dip your toe into the body of the ‘Star Wars Expanded Universe’, then a fantastic place to start is with Timothy Zahn. ‘Choices of One’ is a terrific starting point, even if it is clear that it is not the first book to feature Mara Jad and ‘The Hand of Judgement’. Read without fear, as the story would probably hold up as an independent tale outside of ‘Star Wars’. Then, in many ways, the presence of well-loved and familiar characters and settings is just the icing on this thickly layered cake. Highly recommended.

Dave Corby

August 2024

(pub: Del Rey/Ballantine Books/Lucas Books, 2011. 365 page hardback. Price: $27.00 (US), $31.00 (CAN). ISBN: 978-0-345-51125-6

pub: Century 2011/Lucas Films/Random House. 355 page hardback. Price; £18.99 (UK) ISBN: 978-1-846-05677-2)

check out websites: www.delreybooks.com, www.randomhouse.co.uk and www.starwars.com