This week we bring you another review of one of our favorite series:
STAR WARS. Unlike many things out there in mainstream culture, we
belive that Star Wars is an interesting and fun world and can be
similar to our world. So, check it out!

STAR WARS: THE LAST COMMAND - TIMOTHY ZAHN (1993)
by Josh Shepherd
A third of three climax, The Last Command brings to a close the many
combatant devices and temperamental ideas of the best-selling,
milestone Thrawn Trilogy. Achieving godlike status with Star Wars
fanatics and high praise from readers across the board, author
Timothy Zahn balances the grandiose and callow aspects of George
Lucas's saga as convincingly as the creator himself--arguably better,
as the writing medium can tell more by utilizing the reader's
imagination.

It begins as each novel has: in the command chair of the galaxy, the
Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera, with familiar characters Pellaeon
and Thrawn hashing out the latest Rebel advances and Imperial
strikes. Not vulgar, plain anaylsis but rather a discerning lookout
for patterns within patterns; where one often learns the point only
from "the barest hint of veiled threat in Thrawn's voice," or
his "glowing red eyes glimmering in the dim light." Whatever else
conspires between the book's first and last words, one knows that
Grand Admiral Thrawn remains collected, "his voice as calm as if he
were ordering dinner." Which makes the obligatory defeat a true
delight.

Instead of one straight-forward mission, The Last Command has
numerous sub-plots, all dependent on each other. In the crystal city
of Calius, Luke Skywalker looks for clues to the trafficking of
clones which are manning the stolen Katana fleet vessels by the
thousands. Leia and Han, meanwhile, stay close to Coruscant and their
newborn twins; also at the palace (her residence during the Clone
Wars), Mara Jade shuns those who doubt her allegiance, throwing in
her lot with an elite force of New Republic idealists (namely a pilot
named Solo, his hairy partner, two droids, and an impetuous Jedi).
The source of Mara's bitterness, a continual focus of the series,
comes to light only as she sheds it for a new willingness (without
ever losing her "edge").

A hefty allotment of The Last Command concerns smuggler double-
dealing and Wedge Antilles's Rogue Squadron, never tethered to the
limits of Luke/Han/Leia chemistry. Social settings are multi-leveled
and diverse, with nameless guards in corridors, four-armed jungle
simpletons on mysterious hunts, clawed competitors in the shipping
industry--never just serving their purpose in a story, but opening up
more of The Star Wars Expanded Universe with duties, intents, and
ploys all their own. Chapter 24 sets in motion the climax of the
climax, Luke and Mara's final contest against Joruus C'baoth that
revisits Mount Tantiss, the ghastly large storehouse inherited from
the Emperor.

Originally written as a mad clone of Obi-Wan Kenobi, C'boath elicits
shudders from even those accustomed to evil dominators. He surely
would have been the downfall of Jedi knights Leia, Luke, or both,
were it not for last-minute twists of fate. Clarifying what has gone
on in the Trilogy's 700+ preceding pages, The Last Command is not
merely a fitting end; it is a bold, earnest directive from an author
that Star Wars needs much more of.

Find out more about STAR WARS books at cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/books/starwars


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, MAY 29 (on cMusicWeb.com or at your local store)

IMAGERICAL - MATT BROUWER
Well, if he can make up a word for his album title, that's cool.
But, we find that he just sits there with all that creativity and
makes songs like "Water", on a CHR station near you.

If you're looking for a PICK OF THE WEEK, check out last week's
release, Untitled by The Benjamin Gate, for it's a lot more rockin'
than anything this week.


AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER (on cMusicWeb.com)

ROCK: http://cMusicWeb.com/rock
Live - Big Tent Revival [6/05]
Live - P.O.D. [6/26]

ALTERNATIVE: http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative
Leave Here A Stranger - Starflyer 59 [6/05]
Paige (self-titled) [6/19]

POP: http://cMusicWeb.com/pop
Rhythms of Rememberance - apt.core [6/19]

WORSHIP: http://cMusicWeb.com/worship
Open The Eyes of My Heart - Vertical Music (Various) [6/19]

Click on the album titles on the genre page to order them and recieve
them on the release date.


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• P.O.D. goes live on August 28th with Satellite
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• Supertones Sign with Alabaster Arts
• Gates are Open
• And much more!

View all the latest stories on cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/


cMUSICWEB UPDATES
• New Book Review - The Last Command - Timothy Zahn
http://cMusicWeb.com/books/starwars/thelastcommand.shtml
• New Review - Solo - dc Talk
http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative/dctalk


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love to hear from you!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
ICQ - 43224317 AOL IM - dMusicWeb