Although Allegiance isn’t an awful book, Timothy Zahn has certainly done better. The plot is interesting, but had trouble keeping my attention.

I like how the main stormtrooper characters struggle with loyalty and principle, two of the main themes, but Karen Traviss has a better notion of dynamics within a squad, including each trooper’s inner conflicts. The troopers here aren’t nearly as fleshed out.

I could be wrong, but I believe this is the first novel in which Mara Jade is introduced at the beginning of her career. At the age of eighteen, her Force abilities are impressive, especially if she’d been training since childhood. More background on her would have been welcome. What makes her interesting is the combination of her abilities and her naivete.

Meh. That’s about it.