Loosely the second book in a series. Two story lines taking place in the same location at different times. Was it better than the first book? It falls quite a ways short.

Thrawn as Sherlock continues, with Anakin and Vader unsatisfying as bumbling Watson. Thrawn is too perfect here, never making a mistake and able to deduce perfect information beyond what the reader is shown.

Novels and television have not yet answered the question of how chatty Anakin became quiet Vader. While the author does show how Vader feels about Anakin, the other question remains unanswered. Here Zahn has Vader more chatty, and it is disconcerting at best, annoying at worst. Related topic - have other authors attempted to define how the Force works in combat? Zahn does, and I found it Double Annoying.

I liked Padme at the beginning, though the excuse to gallavant across the galaxy was tissue paper thin. Her reactions and responses were good, and then... she became a minor character once the Boyz arrived. The other side characters were flat and uninteresting. This novel is all about the pair of main characters - the blue one definitely primary.

This book may tie in nicely with television Rebels - I haven't watched it. The storyline may bridge well with the third book - haven't read that yet. This novel may be better than other recent Star Wars books - but I doubt it. I want to reread the earlier Zahn Thrawn trilogy, which I remember as being pretty good. And yes, I'll read the third book here, with friends. If not for them, I'd probably drop this like a cold blue potato.