The New Republic > Dark Force Rising

Page updated: 19th August 2020

Events that occur between 5 and 25 years after the Battle of Yavin.

Paperback Novel
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e-Book
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Audio Book
Read by Anthony Daniels
Published as abridged
audio cassette & digital download.

[Dark Force Rising]

Graphic Novel
Published as Dark Force Rising.
Check availability & pricing at:

Graphic Novel is included in:

[The Thrawn Trilogy]

The Thrawn Trilogy

and

[The New Republic: Volume 4]

The New Republic: Volume 4

Comic Book series
Adapted by Mike Baron et al. published May thru October 1997 as Dark Force Rising #1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 by Dark Horse Comics:

Issue #1Issue #2

[Dark Force Rising - issue 3] [Dark Force Rising - issue 4]

Issue #2Issue #3

[Dark Force Rising - issue 5] [Dark Force Rising - issue 6]

Issue #4Issue #5

e-Comic Book
Published 2012 by Dark Horse Digital.

Dark Force Rising

BOOK & COMIC STORY

Timothy Zahn (Novel)
Mike Baron et al. (Comic Book adaptation)

Bantam Spectra

Published as:
Hardback Novel (1992)
Paperback Novel (1993, 2014, 2016)
Comic Book Series (1997)
Graphic Novel (1998, 2009, 2018)
Audio Book (1992, 2007)
Hardback Graphic Novel (2010)
e-Book (2011)
e-Comic Book (2012)

Rating:
If you have read this story, please rate it:

Reviews:
1 review [Average review score: 5 / 5]

Synopsis:
Five years after Return of the Jedi, the fragile Republic that was born with the defeat of Darth Vader, the Emperor, and the infamous Death Star stands threatened from within and without. The dying Empire's most cunning and ruthless warlord - Grand Admiral Thrawn - has taken command of the remnants of the Imperial fleet and launched a massive campaign aimed at the Republic's destruction. With the aid of unimaginable weapons Thrawn plans to overwhelm the New Republic, and impose his iron rule throughout the Galaxy.
Meanwhile, dissension and personal ambition threaten to tear the Republic apart. As Princess Leia - pregnant with Jedi twins - risks her life to bring a proud and lethal alien race into alliance with the Republic, Han and Lando Calrissian race against time to find proof of treason inside the highest Republic Council.
But the most dangerous of all is a new Dark Jedi, risen from the ashes of a shrouded past, consumed by bitterness, and thoroughly, utterly insane...

Chronology:
This story occurs approximately 9 years after the Battle of Yavin.

Related Stories (in chronological order):

Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand by Timothy Zahn & Michael A. Stackpole
Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn
Dark Force Rising
The Last Command by Timothy Zahn
Specter of the Past by Timothy Zahn
Vision of the Future by Timothy Zahn
Union by Michael A. Stackpole
Fool's Bargain by Timothy Zahn
Survivor's Quest by Timothy Zahn

Reviews:

Review by David White, USA, 2009:

"I'd rate the relevance to the E.U. a 5.
"If you've never read a single book of the E.U., this is trilogy to start with. Zahn does a phenomenal job of creating a "Star Wars" feel, creates many memorable characters that dominate the E.U., and created the single best bad guy since Darth Vader: Grand Admiral Thrawn.
"The plots of the books can sometimes take a long time to develop, and Zahn sometimes plays his cards a little too close to the vest, so that when the important plot points are sprung, they might be bigger-than-normal leaps of faith, but the long set ups are worth the great action at the resolution.
"It's a little too hard to separate the reviews of three separate books of the trilogy, but Zahn does a good job of bringing the entire trilogy to a satisfying conclusion. Dark Force Rising is probably the weakest of the trilogy as many of the characters are scattered from each other throughout the books. Like The Empire Strikes Back, much of the action in this book is a setup for the conclusion of the trilogy.
"About my Reviews:
"I've read/own all the adult books except the recent hardcovers and several of the kids books. My reading philosophy is that the books should be read in the order they were published, as skipping around will only cause you to miss nuances and get frustrated at references to previous books. I tend to favour reading about Han over Luke, and like plenty of space battles and swordfights. I also appreciate philosophical discussions of the Force and government, a "Star Wars" feel to books that capture the magic of the original trilogy, and the ability to make new characters/places come alive as well as tying in other characters. I'm in the process of rating all the books, and have tried to generate a genuine bell chart. I have 8 1s, 12 2s, 33 3s, 28 4s, and 16 5s. I'd rate ERAs as: Classic - 2, Bantam - 4, New Jedi Order - 5, Clone Wars - 3, Legacy - 3, and Junior Jedi Knights a 3 despite it being a kids' series."

Rating: 5 / 5

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