Another good one is 'Darth Bane: Path of Destruction'. It delves into the origin of the 'Rule of Two' in the Sith order, which is a crucial part of the Star Wars lore. It gives a lot of depth to the Sith side of things.
Some of the highly regarded ones are 'Heir to the Empire' by Timothy Zahn. It really expanded the post - original trilogy universe and introduced great new characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn. His strategic mind and the complex plots made it a classic.
Definitely 'Thrawn: Alliances'. It gives more depth to the character of Thrawn. It also has some great interactions between Thrawn and Darth Vader, which is really cool to read as it shows two very different but powerful characters from the Star Wars universe coming together.
Another notable one is 'Darth Bane: Path of Destruction'. It explores the origin of the Rule of Two in the Sith order, which is a very important aspect of the Star Wars lore. It gives a detailed look into the Sith ideology and how it evolved over time.
One of the highly regarded expanded universe Star Wars novels is 'Heir to the Empire' by Timothy Zahn. It introduced great new characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn and really expanded the post - 'Return of the Jedi' universe in an exciting way.
One of the worst could be 'The Crystal Star'. It had a convoluted plot that didn't seem to fit well with the overall Star Wars feel. The characters' actions and development were rather strange, and it was hard to get into the story.
One of the top stories is 'Thrawn Trilogy'. It introduced the brilliant Grand Admiral Thrawn, a very interesting villain. His strategic mind and unique leadership made the story engaging.
Canon Star Wars Fiction has greatly expanded the Star Wars universe in multiple ways. It has given more backstory to the Force, explaining different aspects of it that were not fully explored in the movies. It has also introduced new political and social structures within the galaxy. For example, the way different planets and species interact and form alliances or rivalries. This has made the Star Wars universe feel more alive and complex, with a much broader range of stories to tell.
The novels also developed many characters further. Characters like Mara Jade, who was introduced in the Expanded Universe, became fan favorites and added new dimensions to the story. They provided more backstories and story arcs that the movies couldn't fully explore due to time constraints.