Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • Star Wars: Heir to the Empire

  • (20th Anniversary Edition), The Thrawn Trilogy, Book 1
  • By: Timothy Zahn
  • Narrated by: Marc Thompson
  • Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (427 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Star Wars: Heir to the Empire

By: Timothy Zahn
Narrated by: Marc Thompson
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

Here is a special edition 20th anniversary release of the number-one New York Times best-selling novel that reignited the entire Star Wars publishing phenomenon - unabridged for the first time. The biggest event in the history of Star Wars books, Heir to the Empire follows the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia after they led the Rebel Alliance to victory in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.

Five years after the Death Star was destroyed and Darth Vader and the Emperor were defeated, the galaxy is struggling to heal the wounds of war, Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting twins, and Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of new Jedi Knights.

But thousands of light-years away, the last of the Emperor’s warlords - the brilliant and deadly Grand Admiral Thrawn - has taken command of the shattered Imperial fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the New Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to create.

The explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale - in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars.

More in the Thrawn Trilogy we have. And listen to all of our Star Wars titles you can!
©1991 Timothy Zahn (P)2011 Random House Audio
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

Into the Void cover art
Rogue Squadron: Star Wars Legends (Rogue Squadron) cover art
Star Wars: Outbound Flight cover art
Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan cover art
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire cover art
Star Wars: The Jedi Academy Trilogy, Volume 1: Jedi Search cover art
Star Wars: The X-Wing Series, Volume 1: Rogue Squadron cover art
Path of Destruction cover art
The Courtship of Princess Leia cover art
Star Wars: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader cover art
Star Wars: The High Republic: Beware the Nameless cover art
Shadow Hunter cover art
Star Wars: The Truce at Bakura cover art
Star Wars: Ahsoka cover art
Outcast cover art

What listeners say about Star Wars: Heir to the Empire

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    329
  • 4 Stars
    75
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    313
  • 4 Stars
    44
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    277
  • 4 Stars
    68
  • 3 Stars
    19
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful!!!

Thrawn trilogy was my entry to Star Wars Expanded Universe. One of the masterpieces of Star Wars universe.

Everything Zahn writes and Marc reads turns to gold. Marc's stellar performances make this more of a radio play than audiobook. And that's a good thing.

Highly recommended trilogy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome! 99% of it...

Story and performance were both just perfect. The real Star Wars canon story, how it should have been.

There is just 1 but... same one 3 times. In the performance there was X-Wing engine sound 3 times for an extended time. It was WAAAY too loud, drilling right into one's brain. Hated those moments, especially because they lasted so long (~10 minutes the first time). If you can last through it, you will enjoy every minute of the rest of the book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A well deserved reputation.

Gilad Pellaeon's introspection in chapter sets the tone, and it some of the best writing within the whole franchise. And he is a seriously underappreciated character in his own right, even if he is Dr Watson.

Thrawn is Sherlock Holmes crossed with Erwin Rommel, and is a brilliant synthesis for a villain. He is not maniacally evil, he has no Force powers, no planet-killing super weapon, and he is in a position of weakness compared to the New Republic.

He has to rely on his own experience, his intellect, his skills and his calculations to stand a chance, let alone be victorious.

This book starts the Quintology that rivals the original despecialized trilogy and knights of the old republic as the heart of Star Wars.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great read! cant wait for the next one

was enjoyable and interesting! definitely a great fit into canon. next one please... a long time ago....

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My favourite Star Wars book to date

What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? This book is excellent, it takes place 5 years after the destruction of the second Death Star and the New Republic has risen from the ashes, but with a shaky control of the galaxy. The Empire is in complete disarray with almost no hope in sight for them... until Thrawn. Thrawn is by far one of the best EU characters ever introduced, he's smart, competent and a master strategist who rose through the Empire's ranks before being sent to the Unknown Regions.
Thrawn isn't the only fan favourite character to have been introduced in this book, not in the slightest. But to list them all would take way too long and you need to spend that time listening to this book. Not to mention all of the returning characters that are given a new life in this book; Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca... all make triumphant returns and they're all just perfectly done, you'll feel as if no time has passed since you watched RotJ and be taken on a wonderful ride back into the Galaxy.
If you didn't quite find the new Star Wars trilogy satisfying enough or you're just looking for a great Star Wars book this is the best place to start.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Recommended

Create voice acting, well written and engaging story. I would wholeheartedly recommend to any star wars fan. See also Bane trilogy ;)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great storyline and great storytelling

I have three very different versions of this trilogy but this is my favourite . it's unabridged and a good listen from start to finish.
sad though that audiobook only have 2 out of the 3 "20th anniversary" edition available . The third part they have is an abridged earlier version so not part of this set.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Nice to be back

It was great to have a follow up on the original trilogy. Having the books on my bookshelf for decades and never managed to read them, I feel the guilt of losing so much time not knowing what happened after the battle of Endor. I'm happy to catch up now with a wonderful performance.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Again another good story

I have listened to a few of the Star Wars legends books now and this one was okay I’m sure the following books will be better but this was a good introduction to what’s to come if I am guessing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A classic

I am more of a fan of canon star wars due to the more cleaner lore presented and even this book from legends seemed to struggle to match the prequals lore but if you ignore all that and see this as the 90s continuation of the orginal films it works very well.

with the audiobook the modern sounds and up to date reading from mark Thomas breathes new life and makes the book timeless.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful