The heart of the Rebel Alliance was never in doubt. There are heroes and villains galore, but the beating heart of the rebellion was always Princess Leia. And this book takes a good look at that heart in the days leading up to the movie A New Hope through to the time right before The Empire Strikes Back.

The first story takes place only a few weeks before the events of the first Star Wars movie. And, while Leia was already a tough cookie by that time, this story shows her as a well-meaning but less-experienced rebel supporter. Before her arrest by Lord Vader, Leia moved relatively freely among Imperial territories while secretly doing her bit and moving supplies for the Alliance.

But her ruse can't last forever, and in this case Leia's respectable facade begins to crumble. And Leia, still largely innocent, is suddenly forced to confront the death of friends and allies and the danger of armed combat.

The story next jumps to a point just after the events of A New Hope, as Leia embarks on a solo mission to find a new hidden base for the Rebels to use. The mission brings her into surprise contact with a small surviving piece of her destroyed homeworld -- and again, she is faced with choices and consequences that shatter another part of her world.

The third tale provides an outsider's view of the growing relationship between Han and Leia -- a fact neither of them has yet noticed. And the fourth, set on the snowy world of Hoth, gives the pair their first glimpse of -- well, if not of romance, than of the potential for growth.

Those of us who were around for the early years of the Star Wars phenomenon can't get enough of Luke, Han and Leia. Leia often gets the short end of the stick when those two charismatic heroes are around, but The Heart of the Rebellion gives the princess the spotlight she deserves. I really enjoyed this book.