[BrightStar]

I'm not typically a sci-fi fan, but I promised my fiance I'd post this topic up and ask if anyone here can help. My fiance is looking for something new to read (he just finished Farseer, and fancies a change in genre) and has decided he would rather like to try something set in the Star Wars world.

We had a look on Amazon yesterday, but there's such a huge choice that we didn't know where to begin. So, does anyone have any recommendations for something set in the Star Wars universe which he might enjoy? The biggest things he looks for when reading are well developed characters, and a really good ending. He definitely doesn't like books where the ending is poor, even if the rest of the book is great.

[WhiteWolf]

Start where all the Star Wars novels started, with Timothy Zahn's HEIR TO THE EMPIRE. It's the first of three, also known as "The Thrawn Trilogy," but they are all worth it, and most of the Star Wars novels that followed have failed to match the quality of those three books.

I also recommend looking here, for a comprehensive (and chronological) listing that includes multiple reviews of every book:

http://www.theforce.net/books/reviews/novels_chrono.asp

[BEEFY]

Heir to the empire is defiantly a good place to start, but you could also start with the X wing series which I liked better. I started out with the legacy of the jedi Series and to tell the truth I liked starting out there. I had a lot of catching up to do but its a great series. Once I started reading them I was hooked now I've pretty much read all of them and some of the comic omni bus.

[DailyRich]

I'm trying to think of good standalone books so she's not committing to three or more books to get the whole story. And I'm kind of drawing a blank. Truce at Bakura takes place right after Return of the Jedi and might be an easier transition because of that. And I, Jedi isn't bad, it focuses on one character and has a lot of info about Jedi and the Force.

[Rob B]

Though a bit older, this thread might help:
Best Star Wars book?/Looking for good Star Wars novels... (http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5965)

Matthew Stover has written some of the best SW fiction:
These deal with the characters and films:
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (http://www.sffworld.com/brevoff/184.html)
Luke Skywalker and Shadows of Mindor (http://www.sffworld.com/brevoff/518.html)
Shatterpoint (http://www.sffworld.com/brevoff/143.html)

[BrightStar]

Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. I think my fiance is going to start with Timothy Zahn's "Thrawn Trilogy", and then go from there. I don't think he minds too much whether he reads a standalone or a series, just so long as he knows which one to to begin with if its a series.