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Steve Perry
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Star Wars - Shadows of the Empire: Shadow of the Empire Audio Cassette – November 18, 1996

by Steve Perry (Author)
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Here is the untold story of the events that took place between the movies The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi: a novel in which Darth Vader still lives--and battles a villain as powerful and evil as himself.

SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE

It is a time of crisis. Han Solo, frozen in carbonite, is being taken to the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt. As Princess Leia mounts a rescue mission including Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian, and a brilliant young pilot, Darth Vader pits himself against a cunning and ruthless rival. Xizor is the leader of a powerful crime syndicate who seeks to supplant Vader for the favor of their mutual master, the dreaded Emperor. Their target: Luke Skywalker. Suddenly Luke finds himself the potential prize of the two most evil entities in the galaxy--one who wants him alive...and one who wants him dead.
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Random House Audio
  3. Publication date
    November 18, 1996
  4. ISBN-10
    000105094X
  5. ISBN-13
    978-0001050945
  6. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Audio (November 18, 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 000105094X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0001050945
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.4 ounces
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Steve Perry

Steve Perry

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I'm widowed, got kids, grandkids, dog, cat, all like that. Ex-hippie, long-time martial artist, duffer on the ukulele.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,383 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the storyline thrilling and gripping. They also say the plot fills in some interesting gaps and fits well with the continuity of the movies. Readers describe the story as astonishingly well paced. Opinions are mixed on the characters, with some finding them interesting and others uninspiring. Reader feedback is mixed on writing style, with others finding it easy to read and entertaining, while others find it subpar and juvenile.

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StorylinePlotStory paceBest of the trilogyCharactersWriting style
48 customers mention "Storyline"36 positive12 negative

Customers find the storyline thrilling, entertaining, and a fun read with never a dull moment. They also say it fits wonderfully between two of the original SW movies and is a great addition to the Star Wars Saga.

"...by Disney, Shadows of the Empire still serves as a valuable example of a thrilling narrative that captivates its audience until the very last page...." Read more

"...The novel is an enjoyable adventure that serves as the definitive version of the Shadows of the Empire multimedia story..." Read more

"Good simple story. It's interesting to look back at the pre-Disney stories and compare them to the new content to see what they kept and what they..." Read more

"...After starting it, it really didn't hold my interest throughout and I had to force myself to keep picking it up...." Read more

10 customers mention "Plot"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the plot gripping and thrilling. They say it fills in some interesting gaps, fits well with the continuity of the movies, and ties in nicely with Star Wars: Episode VI - Return.

"...It fills in a lot of blanks between the episodes and has really added to my already galactic love for the original trilogy...." Read more

"Very good product, fills in the blanks to what happened between episodes 5 and 6 and was authorized by Lucas so it’s canon ...." Read more

"...It's a stand-alone story that fits well with the continuity of the movies...." Read more

"...I believe this book ties in very nicely with Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi." Read more

7 customers mention "Story pace"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the story paced astonishingly well. They also say the book has interest in every corner of the story.

"...What a ride, things move fast and furious. A great villain in Xizor and loved the maneuvering between the prince, Emperor and Vader...." Read more

"...Read this book pretty quickly!" Read more

"...It's paced astonishingly well. There is interest in every corner of the story...." Read more

"...But the story moves fast and there are lots of familiar characters and scenes from the classic trilogy referenced." Read more

5 customers mention "Best of the trilogy"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book the best Star Wars book they have read.

"...I would rate it as the best Star War book that I have read. Check it out." Read more

"...That said, this is easily one of the best Star Wars related books available...." Read more

"Classic star wars novel. Just read it. one of the best villains not mentioned in the movies. Too bad this will stay in legends" Read more

"...You will not be able to put this book down. This is a gem for any star wars fan." Read more

17 customers mention "Characters"11 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the characters in the book. Some find them interesting, while others find them uninspiring.

"...It is well written, dives deep into the personalities of the characters, and provides us with a solid glimpse of what occurred in the year between..." Read more

"...recommend it to even casual Star Wars fans, but between the uninspiring new characters, plot predictability, and ameturish writing style I couldn't..." Read more

"...The plot is highly engaging and all the classic characters feel right...." Read more

"...But the story moves fast and there are lots of familiar characters and scenes from the classic trilogy referenced." Read more

17 customers mention "Writing style"9 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style. Some find it easy to read and fast paced, while others find it bland, dull, and juvenile. They also mention that there is too much text for limited action and too much filler.

"...It is well written, dives deep into the personalities of the characters, and provides us with a solid glimpse of what occurred in the year between..." Read more

"...the uninspiring new characters, plot predictability, and ameturish writing style I couldn't give it a higher rating...." Read more

"...Steve Perry’s writing fasts paced, and he always knows when to stop with detail and to keep going...." Read more

"...The author, though captivating, often will overuse terms and dialogue throughout the story...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

Jeffrey R Gudzune, M.A.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2021
Verified Purchase
The Empire triumphant. The Rebellion in tatters.

Han Solo is in the slimy hands of Jabba the Hutt. Luke Skywalker surreptitiously works to complete his training on Tatooine. Darth Vader finds himself facing palace intrigue while the scowling and manipulative Emperor Palpatine stokes the fires of mistrust and discontent. All this and battles…many, many battles. This is Shadows of the Empire, perhaps one of the great non-cannon novels in the franchise.

As Star Wars novels go, Shadows of the Empire stands out as among the best. It is well written, dives deep into the personalities of the characters, and provides us with a solid glimpse of what occurred in the year between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. It is a totally original story, and one that fills the gaps between the two films quite nicely. It introduces a new villain in Prince Xizor—a scheming Falleen Crime Lord who seems to have no loyalties but to his own rising power base and exacting a bitter revenge against Darth Vader.

The author conveys the desperation inherent in Princess Leia as she works to mount a rescue mission with the help of old friends and new allies, only to be caught in the middle of a power struggle between Vader and Xizor. While not considered part of the "new cannon" as dictated by Disney, Shadows of the Empire still serves as a valuable example of a thrilling narrative that captivates its audience until the very last page. The author possesses a remarkable talent for narrative structure and does not seek to pander to tokenism and literary sleight of hand like the ignoble writer of the more-often-than-not lamentable Aftermath series.

I recommend including this novel in the pantheon of cannon storylines. It was plotlines like this that introduced a new generation of fans to the Star Wars universe.
9 people found this helpful
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scott johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Shadows
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
Showed up in a day! Wow...and in great condition 👌
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S.J. Saunders
4.0 out of 5 stars Eaden wouldn't have stood for these shenanigans, Dash.
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is a fun story between Empire and Jedi that admittedly only baaarely manages to fit into existing continuity. The novel is an enjoyable adventure that serves as the definitive version of the Shadows of the Empire multimedia story (the game taking multiple liberties for the sake of gameplay and the comic having a chatty Boba Fett), and it benefits from the hindsight of releasing after the original trilogy, dovetailing nicely into Jedi in a way the old comics couldn't.

Some of the pacing is a bit jarring, and the Xizor creep factor is a bit more than I like in my Star Wars, but this is still a near-essential read for fans.
2 people found this helpful
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jeremy f
5.0 out of 5 stars Product came in great condition
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024
Verified Purchase
It is hard for a paperback to come in perfect condition but this came in great condition.

Thank you Amazon

Thank you
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jeremy f
5.0 out of 5 stars Product came in great condition
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024
It is hard for a paperback to come in perfect condition but this came in great condition.

Thank you Amazon

Thank you
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Cam T.
5.0 out of 5 stars Shadows of the Empire - An Audio Adventure
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2007
Verified Purchase
If I could, I'd give this 4 1/2 stars, for as much I enjoyed this abridgement, there was one small thing that bothered me: it doesn't use much of the Shadows of the Empire soundtrack, by Joel McNeely, aside from Xizor's Theme. There is great music on that CD, and I was hoping a lot of it was used in this one.

Still, it was a wonderful performance by TV, movie actor Anthony Heald, (TV's Boston Public, "Silence of the Lambs") whom I've enjoyed as an actor for years. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of voices he uses in this for the different Star Wars characters, most notably Darth Vader, which was electronically modified and deepened, giving the listener a good mental image of the Sith Lord, though the voice is definitely not James Earl Jones, or even the late Brock Peters(voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars Radio Drama Trilogy), but it is sufficient.

Some of the other reviewers have noted that since this is an abridgement, a lot of material is removed from the performance. This is a fact, but in my humble opinion, it does not overly hurt the story. To my knowledge, there is not an unabridged version available.

But I'm glad to have this in my audio book collection. It's good listening while I'm in my car, working. Better that than most of the garbage on radio these days!
8 people found this helpful
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Steven L. Shapiro
5.0 out of 5 stars Connects Empire to Jedi Flawlessly
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2018
Verified Purchase
(No Spoilers) Shadows of the Empire begins after Empire ends. Boba Fett is bringing Han Solo to Jabba, Luke is dealing with the fact that Darth Vader May truly be his father, and Leia deals with the loss of Han.

As for the bad guys, Darth Vader wants his Son captured and a new villain wants him dead. It all connects great and leads straight into Jedi.

We have some new folks joining the crew. Of course we have Lando, but we also have Dash Rendar, who basically fills for Han Solo. Another Prince Xizor, the leader of an evil crime syndicate.

Steve Perry’s writing fasts paced, and he always knows when to stop with detail and to keep going.

Overall if you want to start reading Star Wars books, think this era is interesting, or are a casual fan looking for a good standalone book, it would be a crime not to read it.
16 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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edgar alberto tovar flores
5.0 out of 5 stars Escencial para los amantes de Star Wars
Reviewed in Mexico on July 28, 2020
Verified Purchase
Un muy buen proyecto de lucasfilm al lanzar la historia de shadows of the empire como un proyecto multimedia con novela, comic, videojuego pero sin pelicula. En esta ocasion es la novela la cual narra una trama escencial para los amantes de la trilogia original al tratarse de una historia situada entre el Imperio Contrataca y el Regreso del Jedi. Imperdible para los verdadreos fans de Star Wars
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João Soares
3.0 out of 5 stars Good lore. Okay story.
Reviewed in Brazil on July 21, 2018
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As a huge Star Wars fan, I simply had to read this book.

Like many fans here, my first experience with Shadows of the Empire was the Nintendo 64 videogame. That game was pretty interesting in terms of giving us a deeper look into the darker side of the Star Wars universe - hence the name “Shadows.”

Much like the game, this novel is interesting. It’s not one that wows the reader, like Heir to the Empire. Mostly this is because of mediocre writing. I’m not saying it’s a bad book, but the dialogues, motivations, and scenes feel a bit forced. Prince Xizor is generic as a villain, and definitely not as well-developed as Thrawn, for example. Also, the pacing is somewhat off.

However, there are cool moments, such as when Luke makes his green lightsaber. Guri is perhaps the more developed of the new characters - which is curious, since she is a robot.

In summary, it’s a good read for the sake of delving deeper into the series’ lore, but as an actual story it might disappoint.
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D epremesnil
5.0 out of 5 stars Darth Vader vs Xizor, un duel au sommet
Reviewed in France on September 19, 2019
Verified Purchase
Super livre, rien à dire! Avoir le point de vue de Darth Vader est juste génial!
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Joshua
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story
Reviewed in Australia on January 11, 2024
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Like the progression of Luke's abilities as a budding Jedi Master that we see in Return of the Jedi film. 👍 Finally off my to be read list.
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Shane Hughes
5.0 out of 5 stars Favourite Star Wars Story!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2016
Verified Purchase
I first encountered Shadows of the Empire on the n64. I loved that game so much and it was my first interaction to the world outside of the original trilogy, but for the sake of a game it was obviously light on the storyline so that led me to purchase this book, it's one of the only books I pick up again and again, I think this is my 5th time reading it. I hope they bring out an updated game version of Shadows of the Empire with a more developed story because it really deserves it.
One person found this helpful
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