Book 2: Star Wars Allegiance by Timothy Zahn
I enjoyed Allegiance, but that's not really any surprise since I'm a huge fan of both Star Wars and Zahn. However, I'd probably only give it four out of five stars. It just lacked the punch of all of Zahn's other books. I guess I found it a little predictable. Don't get me wrong, it was a fun read. Mara Jade is Palpatine's young Emperor's Hand and there's a run-away group of idealistic Imperial stormtroopers who don't like the way their Empire is heading. There are a lot of familiar characters, though most have a different outlook on life since they are all a lot younger. Throw them all together in typical Star Wars coincidental fashion, and you get a good adventure. :) The book takes place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.