First of all, I like short stories. I find that because they often focus on little known characters, they are more creative and interesting. This doesn't mean they are unimportant, as new characters that later become well known are introduced. (Mara Jade) As for the book as a whole, well, I won't spoil the stories for you, but I personally thought this book was really food for thought. The stories were not just about glory and adventure and let you see the little things, giving you time to concentrate on the fact that there was war going on, and things aren't always pretty. Do No Harm is a good example of this, and it manages to drive in a point despite that there are no well known characters and the story only focuses on one operation. Don't get me wrong, Corran Horn and Talon Karrde are in this book too, and with stories from both Stackpole and Zahn, this book is a prize for even an experience "EU" (expanded universe) reader. Another appealing aspect of this book as it does not concentrate just on the Empire. Many different points of view, from different sides, are brought into play, so you can really see the whole picture. That is, in war, everyone suffers. Without a doubt, Tales from the Empire is a good read, both for sci fi lovers and Star Wars fans.