Creating the first authorized spinoffs from the Star Wars movies presented unique challenges to Zahn. The novels had to stay true to the spirit and the facts of the film series, build a new galaxy-wide conflict out of the ashes of the Old Empire, and appeal to a mass audience which probably loved the movies for diverse reasons. The Star Wars novels were also to be integrally linked, with events in one book or trilogy having consequences in others.

Thus the new characters and features Zahn introduced in the initial trilogy needed to have potential for further development by other authors.

In general Zahn carried out this tricky assignment extremely well. The stunning large-scale battle which concludes Heir to the Empire is drawn as visually and as suspensefully as the space battles which occur on screen.

Characters like Mara Jade and new discoveries like the Black Fleet, found...