Star Wars: Planet of Twilight » (Abridged, 2 Cassettes, 3 hrs.)

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Hambly returns to the Star Wars(r) universe to tell a breathtaking tale of a mysterious world where the battle between the New Republic and the Empire takes a shocking new twist....

Nam Chorios is a barren backwater world—once a dreaded prison colony, now home to a fanatic religious cult. It is here that Princess Leia has been taken captive by a ruthless and charismatic warlord bent on destroying the New Republic. Meanwhile, Luke lands on a mysterious planet in search of his lost love, Callista, only to discover the Force is his own worst enemy. But worst of all, as Han, Chewie, and Lando leave Coruscant on a desperate rescue mission, a strange life-form, unlike any the galaxy has ever seen, awakens...a life-form so malevolent it will destroy everything—both Empire and New Republic—on its path to domination.

Publishers Weekly

With the Star Wars films soaring in theaters, interest in Hambly's sequel to her Children of the Jedi (1995) should be highand, as usual, Hambly meets the challenge. In this latest episode in the never-ending saga, the New Republic, like any fledgling organization, is suffering growing pangs. As chief of state, Princess Leia Organa Solo has the thankless task of handling diplomatic relations with the distant Chorios system, represented by the charismatic Seti Ashgad. Leader of the progressive Rationalist Party, Ashgad seeks economic alliancean arrangement Chorios's fanatically conservative "Oldtimer" majority views with outright hostility. As Luke Skywalker sets off to find the reincarnated Jedi Callista on Ashgad's homeworld, Ashgad kidnaps Leia and sets off a sinister plot to remove the rest of his opposition one by one. See-Threepio and Artoo-Deetoo's luckless attempts to warn the Republican Council of Leia's kidnapping provide comic relief, while Han Solo leads the cavalry that rides to the rescue just in time. Hambly juggles it all with consummate skill, investing convincing characters and settings with plenty of vigor. As media tie-ins go, this one is on the upper end of the curve and is sure to be a hit with casual Star Wars fans as well as longtime admirers.