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Del Rey (2017), 448 pages
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. Thriller. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � In this definitive novel, readers will follow Thrawn�s rise to power�uncovering the events that created one of the most iconic villains in Star Wars history. One of the most cunning and ruthless warriors in the history of the Galactic Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn is also one of the most captivating characters in the Star Wars universe, from his introduction in bestselling author Timothy Zahn�s classic Heir to the Empire through his continuing adventures in Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, and beyond. But Thrawn�s origins and the story of his rise in the Imperial ranks have remained mysterious. Now, in Star Wars: Thrawn, Timothy Zahn chronicles the fateful events that launched the blue-skinned, red-eyed master of military strategy and lethal warfare into the highest realms of power�and infamy. Praise for Thrawn �The origin story of one of the greatest Star Wars villains . . . a book that fans have wanted for decades.��The Verge �A satisfying tale of political intrigue . . . Thrawn�s observations and tactical thinking are utterly captivating.��New York Daily News �Quite the page-turner.��Flickering Myth.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member bespen
Thrawn
by Timothy Zahn
Del Rey, 2017
$28.99; 427 pages
ISBN 9780425287071
This was everything I ever wanted out of a Star Wars novel. Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire Trilogy was my introduction to Star Wars novels. If this had to be the last one I ever read, I think I could be happy. Much like Rogue
This is so because Zahn managed to answer more questions than he posed. For example, the complete lack of aliens within the Imperial Navy gets a plausible explanation that fits in with all of the movies. Also, the process by which the Imperial Navy and Army came to staffed and led by incompetent lackwits, despite having the resources of an entire galaxy to call on, is laid bare. With an intentionally open-ended story, this is a remarkable feat. Not least because the available narrative space for Zahn is, if anything, more limited than it was when he initially created Grand Admiral Thrawn.
In 1991, references to the Clone Wars were just that. Zahn ended up making choices to move his story along [without any objections at the time] that were simply abrogated when George Lucas wrote the prequels. The gap thus created was a large part of what doomed the previous iteration of Thrawn's origin story, Outbound Flight. Trying to shoehorn in the continuity of the prequels made that book plod along without any sparkle. Thus, Disney's decision to sweep away all of the previous books, comics, and videogames seems to have given Zahn an opportunity to reimagine Thrawn without being bound by even his own works.
In my opinion, this Thrawn instantiates who he was meant to be better than before. He is the best version of himself. Zahn commented on his Facebook page that this is the same Thrawn we saw before, just in a new light. Maybe so. But he sure feels a bit different to me. It has been twenty-five years since Zahn introduced us to the Grand Admiral, and Disney's decision plus the weight of twenty-five years of additional writing experience created an opportunity to make something new.
The vehicle by which we are introduced to Thrawn's early Imperial career is a political thriller. [along with excepts from Thrawn's journal] I didn't expect that [I'm not sure what I expected] but I think it works. While we do get to see Thrawn's tactical and strategic virtuosity, the scope of his campaigns are limited by the scope of his responsibilities. What we do get to see are the political machinations that characterized the day-to-day business of the Empire.
We get to see Imperial politics mostly through the eyes of Arihnda Pryce [a tie-in to the on-going Star Wars Rebels series] and Eli Vanto, an Imperial ensign who speaks a common language with Thrawn and ends up trailing Thrawn throughout his career. Pryce is exactly the kind of person who prospered in the years following the end of the Clone Wars: amoral, ruthless, and calculating. Here we find the root cause of the Empire's rot. Pryce, while bright and capable, came to be Governor of Lothal because of who she knew, and whom she had betrayed. A functioning bureaucracy requires a bit more probity than this.
Thrawn himself does not seem much bothered by the venality and incompetence of Imperial officers and politicians. Which strikes me as odd, and also as perfectly appropriate. Zahn made me feel that Thrawn was very alien. He just didn't want what I want, at least in the same way. The dust jacket for the book features this quote, which also looms large in an incident Thrawn's Imperial career:
There are things in the universe that simply and purely evil. A warrior does not seek to understand them, or to compromise with them. He seeks only to obliterate them.
The things that Thrawn finds abominable, and the things he finds excusable, are very different things from almost everyone around him. He clearly disliked the chaos of the late Republic, and liked the orderliness of the new Empire, despite its tyranny. I appreciated this, Thrawn really is an outsider, an alien, from a culture with a completely different point of view.
Yet at the same time he felt very familiar. The analogue I find ready to hand are the classical Romans. The Thrawn we meet in the early Empire is good at the hard virtues. His courage and stoicism are undeniable. As is his lack of pity. He is honest to the point of bluntness. He lacks the soft virtues: kindness, gentleness, compassion. He never seeks wanton destruction, but suffering as such does not faze him. Disorder does.
The portrait of Rome I have in mind is the one Chesterton painted in the first part of The Everlasting Man. Rome represented the best of the ancient world, but it was still very different from the Christian civilization that eventually replaced it. Just, but harsh. Uncompromising and stern. And very, very good at war. Most of us modern Westerners would also be taken aback at something a 1st century Roman commander would find obvious and proper, if we ever met one.
Much like Scipio Africanus, Thrawn's political adversaries tend to find him a bit of a naïf at politics. It is left ambiguous whether Thrawn is really bad at politics. All the Imperials think he is, but Clausewitz said that war is a continuation of politics by other means. Insofar as Thrawn is quite adept at manipulating his opponents on the battlefield, the idea that he cannot do the same to politicians seems strange.
It is just possible that Thrawn isn't interested, or doesn't care, because that is way his alien mind works. He could just have a blind spot there. It is also possible that is is playing a really long game. The story I'm thinking of is about John von Neumann, that he could have a normal conversation with absolutely anyone, from a 5-year old to one of his peers in physics and mathematics. The idea is that he was so smart that he was just simulating what normal looked like to whomever he was talking to. This is like that, but if you had the added goal of manipulating and controlling the person you were talking to.
What that long game really is, we don't know. We know more than we started, however, which is good enough for me. I loved this book, and I suspect many Star Wars fans will too. You might even like it if you aren't a fan. I've read a lot of Star Wars books, and I haven't liked most of them. This one is good, a thought-provoking exercise in order and justice through the mind of an enemy commander.
by Timothy Zahn
Del Rey, 2017
$28.99; 427 pages
ISBN 9780425287071
This was everything I ever wanted out of a Star Wars novel. Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire Trilogy was my introduction to Star Wars novels. If this had to be the last one I ever read, I think I could be happy. Much like Rogue
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One, Timothy Zahn's Thrawn expertly painted in the gaps left by the original trilogy of movies, making an already great work of popular art even better.This is so because Zahn managed to answer more questions than he posed. For example, the complete lack of aliens within the Imperial Navy gets a plausible explanation that fits in with all of the movies. Also, the process by which the Imperial Navy and Army came to staffed and led by incompetent lackwits, despite having the resources of an entire galaxy to call on, is laid bare. With an intentionally open-ended story, this is a remarkable feat. Not least because the available narrative space for Zahn is, if anything, more limited than it was when he initially created Grand Admiral Thrawn.
In 1991, references to the Clone Wars were just that. Zahn ended up making choices to move his story along [without any objections at the time] that were simply abrogated when George Lucas wrote the prequels. The gap thus created was a large part of what doomed the previous iteration of Thrawn's origin story, Outbound Flight. Trying to shoehorn in the continuity of the prequels made that book plod along without any sparkle. Thus, Disney's decision to sweep away all of the previous books, comics, and videogames seems to have given Zahn an opportunity to reimagine Thrawn without being bound by even his own works.
In my opinion, this Thrawn instantiates who he was meant to be better than before. He is the best version of himself. Zahn commented on his Facebook page that this is the same Thrawn we saw before, just in a new light. Maybe so. But he sure feels a bit different to me. It has been twenty-five years since Zahn introduced us to the Grand Admiral, and Disney's decision plus the weight of twenty-five years of additional writing experience created an opportunity to make something new.
The vehicle by which we are introduced to Thrawn's early Imperial career is a political thriller. [along with excepts from Thrawn's journal] I didn't expect that [I'm not sure what I expected] but I think it works. While we do get to see Thrawn's tactical and strategic virtuosity, the scope of his campaigns are limited by the scope of his responsibilities. What we do get to see are the political machinations that characterized the day-to-day business of the Empire.
We get to see Imperial politics mostly through the eyes of Arihnda Pryce [a tie-in to the on-going Star Wars Rebels series] and Eli Vanto, an Imperial ensign who speaks a common language with Thrawn and ends up trailing Thrawn throughout his career. Pryce is exactly the kind of person who prospered in the years following the end of the Clone Wars: amoral, ruthless, and calculating. Here we find the root cause of the Empire's rot. Pryce, while bright and capable, came to be Governor of Lothal because of who she knew, and whom she had betrayed. A functioning bureaucracy requires a bit more probity than this.
Thrawn himself does not seem much bothered by the venality and incompetence of Imperial officers and politicians. Which strikes me as odd, and also as perfectly appropriate. Zahn made me feel that Thrawn was very alien. He just didn't want what I want, at least in the same way. The dust jacket for the book features this quote, which also looms large in an incident Thrawn's Imperial career:
There are things in the universe that simply and purely evil. A warrior does not seek to understand them, or to compromise with them. He seeks only to obliterate them.
The things that Thrawn finds abominable, and the things he finds excusable, are very different things from almost everyone around him. He clearly disliked the chaos of the late Republic, and liked the orderliness of the new Empire, despite its tyranny. I appreciated this, Thrawn really is an outsider, an alien, from a culture with a completely different point of view.
Yet at the same time he felt very familiar. The analogue I find ready to hand are the classical Romans. The Thrawn we meet in the early Empire is good at the hard virtues. His courage and stoicism are undeniable. As is his lack of pity. He is honest to the point of bluntness. He lacks the soft virtues: kindness, gentleness, compassion. He never seeks wanton destruction, but suffering as such does not faze him. Disorder does.
The portrait of Rome I have in mind is the one Chesterton painted in the first part of The Everlasting Man. Rome represented the best of the ancient world, but it was still very different from the Christian civilization that eventually replaced it. Just, but harsh. Uncompromising and stern. And very, very good at war. Most of us modern Westerners would also be taken aback at something a 1st century Roman commander would find obvious and proper, if we ever met one.
Much like Scipio Africanus, Thrawn's political adversaries tend to find him a bit of a naïf at politics. It is left ambiguous whether Thrawn is really bad at politics. All the Imperials think he is, but Clausewitz said that war is a continuation of politics by other means. Insofar as Thrawn is quite adept at manipulating his opponents on the battlefield, the idea that he cannot do the same to politicians seems strange.
It is just possible that Thrawn isn't interested, or doesn't care, because that is way his alien mind works. He could just have a blind spot there. It is also possible that is is playing a really long game. The story I'm thinking of is about John von Neumann, that he could have a normal conversation with absolutely anyone, from a 5-year old to one of his peers in physics and mathematics. The idea is that he was so smart that he was just simulating what normal looked like to whomever he was talking to. This is like that, but if you had the added goal of manipulating and controlling the person you were talking to.
What that long game really is, we don't know. We know more than we started, however, which is good enough for me. I loved this book, and I suspect many Star Wars fans will too. You might even like it if you aren't a fan. I've read a lot of Star Wars books, and I haven't liked most of them. This one is good, a thought-provoking exercise in order and justice through the mind of an enemy commander.
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LibraryThing member capiam1234
Mostly wanted a story detailing Thrawn's introduction into the new cannon. Sorta got that but it felt more like a YA glimpse. Definitely not like Heir to the Empire. Almost as if Zahn held back not to diminish the past books even more than they are within the new cannon.
LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
Timothy Zahn returns to the Star Wars universe with Thrawn, a novel exploring the origin of his character, Grand Admiral Thrawn, a Chiss working with the Empire. The story begins with Imperials finding Thrawn living on a planet in Wild Space. He demonstrates his tactical ability, which persuades
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them to return him to Coruscant where Thrawn earns the Emperor's endorsement to join the Imperial Navy. Thrawn's story proceeds from the Royal Academy on Coruscant to his advancement to the rank of Grand Admiral. A second story follows Arihnda Pryce from her time working for her family's mining company on Lothal to her appointment as governor of that planet. The two interact as they build toward the events of Star Wars Rebels, enriching the characters and helping to demonstrate why they pose such a threat to the crew of the Ghost. Zahn's writing continues to delight, with great character development and action scenes. Disney's announcement of Thrawn's return to canon was welcome news and this novel only sweetens that information. Fans of the character and Zahn will enjoy this novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member tapestry100
A great re-introduction of Zahn's character Thrawn in the current canonical Star Wars universe, who had been part of the old Expanded Universe Star Wars books before Disney did away with those as being canon.
LibraryThing member GeoffHabiger
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this latest tale about one of the best characters in the Star Wars universe. Timothy Zahn does an excellent job of showing us how Thrawn becomes a Grand Admiral in the Imperial Navy, and the story also touches on characters that help tie in with other sources, such as
If you loved Thrawn in the original Zahn trilogy then you will want to pick up this book. A great read that adds to the Star Wars canon.
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the television show Rebels. What I liked most about Zahn's portrayal of Thrawn was getting inside of Thrawn's head. We got to experience not only his actions, but the thoughts and reasons behind those actions. This made for a deeply compelling character study. While Thrawn is the central character for the novel Zahn does a good job of detailing the other characters, such as Ensign Eli Vanto and Arihnda Pryce. Ensign Vanto serves as a surrogate for the reader, allowing us to see Thrawn from a different perspective. My one quibble is that I wish that Vanto had grown more as a character by the end of the book. Despite his years of training under Thrawn, Eli still does not see the completeness of Thrawns plans during the climatic scene of the book, and even has doubts about Thrawn that should not be there after so many years of service. I felt that Vanto should have been more developed by that point in the story. However, that is a minor quibble by me and does not take away from an excellent story. If you loved Thrawn in the original Zahn trilogy then you will want to pick up this book. A great read that adds to the Star Wars canon.
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LibraryThing member TheMadTurtle
It's easy to see how Thrawn is such a popular character in Star Wars Canon. He really is someone that blurs the good vs. evil line. You're never really sure where his motivations or his loyalties lie. I enjoyed this book very much! I was also pleased with how it wove into the current canon of The
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Clone Wars and Rebels TV series. Tough book to put down! Show Less
LibraryThing member kinwolf
VERY fun read. You actually get to root for some people working for Empire, that's how good it is! The ending is *meh* since there isn't some mega galactic threat to stop, but the journey from page 1 to the last chapter is pure delight. Great Star Wars story, great writer!
LibraryThing member Codonnelly
Timothy Zahn’s beloved creation, Thrawn, has returned to the Star Wars canon in his new novel by the same name. Thrawn spans the period of time between the character’s first encounter with Imperial forces up to his appointment as Grand Admiral. His tactical rise up the ranks of the Empire is
Thrawn’s highly analytical narration sets him up as the Sherlock to Vanto’s Watson. Their interactions provide the most insightful moments in the narrative, particularly when Zahn highlights their similarities. While Arihnda Pryce narrates a third of the novel, her journey concentrates more on what occurs behind the scenes, so maintaining focus proves difficult at times. Nightswan, Thrawn’s main nemesis, adds a sense of mystery, but apart from a brilliant confrontation near the end, doesn’t provide much else.
The plot is highly episodic, jumping from mission to mission. Zahn navigates the timeline brilliantly, even while juggling multiple perspectives. Eli’s and Arihnda’s character growth, or decline, depending on one’s point of view, is the closest the reader gets to understanding how much time has passed. Thrawn’s determined personality and strong self of self remains static, but intrigues nonetheless as he reflects on his rapid promotion to Grand Admiral.
Where the beginning starts with a bang (quite literally), the middle sometimes feels like a slog, specifically when characters make detailed observations on mining procedures and trade. Zahn also waxes heavily on the Empire’s nepotism, which most readers are already well-versed in, so these sections tend to drag. The climactic and brutal last few chapters more than make up for the dull moments though.
Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn will satisfy new readers, as well as those who enjoyed his original trilogy. Zahn’s contributions to Star Wars have proven to be a force of nature, and will hopefully continue to impress as the new canon marches forward.
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witnessed by new character, Eli Vanto, Thrawn’s interpreter and aide, and Star Wars Rebels character, Arihnda Pryce, who embarks on her own ambitious path to power. While the plot occasionally suffers from an overabundance of villains, multiple points of view offer an intimate look into the lives of three fascinating characters.Thrawn’s highly analytical narration sets him up as the Sherlock to Vanto’s Watson. Their interactions provide the most insightful moments in the narrative, particularly when Zahn highlights their similarities. While Arihnda Pryce narrates a third of the novel, her journey concentrates more on what occurs behind the scenes, so maintaining focus proves difficult at times. Nightswan, Thrawn’s main nemesis, adds a sense of mystery, but apart from a brilliant confrontation near the end, doesn’t provide much else.
The plot is highly episodic, jumping from mission to mission. Zahn navigates the timeline brilliantly, even while juggling multiple perspectives. Eli’s and Arihnda’s character growth, or decline, depending on one’s point of view, is the closest the reader gets to understanding how much time has passed. Thrawn’s determined personality and strong self of self remains static, but intrigues nonetheless as he reflects on his rapid promotion to Grand Admiral.
Where the beginning starts with a bang (quite literally), the middle sometimes feels like a slog, specifically when characters make detailed observations on mining procedures and trade. Zahn also waxes heavily on the Empire’s nepotism, which most readers are already well-versed in, so these sections tend to drag. The climactic and brutal last few chapters more than make up for the dull moments though.
Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn will satisfy new readers, as well as those who enjoyed his original trilogy. Zahn’s contributions to Star Wars have proven to be a force of nature, and will hopefully continue to impress as the new canon marches forward.
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LibraryThing member BenKline
A very good entrypoint for Thrawn into the new EU. And fittingly a very good new EU book period. Not much to say other than - obviously - because its written by Zahn. Sadly, the new EU books have been particularly bad in my opinion. Phasma, Last Shot (shutters), the Aftermath trilogy, Canto Bight,
This was definitely in the very good category though. Zahn knows how to write Thrawn, and once again, obviously, because he created him, but also because he gets the character and why/how he works. He is extremely similar to that of the old EU Thrawn, but more or less with just a different past.
The Arhinda Pryce sections of this book were pretty boring and were more or less just set-up for the Rebels show and to interlock the two characters for said show. Most of her plot could have been removed from the book and it still would have worked.
Overall though, definitely a great new addition to the new EU and a good novel overall. Sadly the rest of the new EU isn't up to this level.
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all were horrible. Lords of the Sith, Tarkin, and Bloodline were pretty good, and everything else was just 'meh'. This was definitely in the very good category though. Zahn knows how to write Thrawn, and once again, obviously, because he created him, but also because he gets the character and why/how he works. He is extremely similar to that of the old EU Thrawn, but more or less with just a different past.
The Arhinda Pryce sections of this book were pretty boring and were more or less just set-up for the Rebels show and to interlock the two characters for said show. Most of her plot could have been removed from the book and it still would have worked.
Overall though, definitely a great new addition to the new EU and a good novel overall. Sadly the rest of the new EU isn't up to this level.
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LibraryThing member Cbogstad
Great book for any Star Wars fan, especially if you’d like to see things from the imperial point of view.
Only got 4 stars because it’s not necessarily for non Star Wars fans.
Only got 4 stars because it’s not necessarily for non Star Wars fans.
LibraryThing member ladyars
If this were a book about any other character, I might've been bothered with the Mary Sueness of the main character... but this is Thrawn, and he can be as awesome as he wants. An enjoyable read, made even more enjoyable by the fact that I watched Rebels Season 3 at the same time.
LibraryThing member Othemts
Grand Admiral Thrawn, the antagonist introduced into Star Wars literature in the now non-canonical Heir to the Empire, is reintroduced in this Disney canon novel. This story serves as something of an origin story, beginning with Thrawn being found by the Imperial Navy after apparently having been
The novel is also told from the perspective of Eli Vanto, a young cadet from Wild Space who inadvertently becomes Thrawn's translator and assistant. At first resentful of the interference in his own career path, Vanto grows to respect Thrawn and also rises in the hierarchy of the Imperial Navy. They have Holmes and Watson kind of relationship. In a parallel story, Arihnda Pryce rises to become governor of her homeworld Lothal through similar skills of cunning.
This novel is less war story or space opera and more a work of political intrigue. Zahn does a great job at taking these putative villains - Thrawn, Vanto, and Pryce - and making them captivating and even sympathetic characters. This is an excellent novel and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
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exiled his mysterious species of people, the Chiss Ascendancy. The novel depicts his rapid rise through the ranks in the years after the end of the Clone Wars. Thrawn is known for his brilliant observational and strategic skills, and throughout the novel the reader gets to see his internal monologue on how he unravels the words and mannerisms of others.The novel is also told from the perspective of Eli Vanto, a young cadet from Wild Space who inadvertently becomes Thrawn's translator and assistant. At first resentful of the interference in his own career path, Vanto grows to respect Thrawn and also rises in the hierarchy of the Imperial Navy. They have Holmes and Watson kind of relationship. In a parallel story, Arihnda Pryce rises to become governor of her homeworld Lothal through similar skills of cunning.
This novel is less war story or space opera and more a work of political intrigue. Zahn does a great job at taking these putative villains - Thrawn, Vanto, and Pryce - and making them captivating and even sympathetic characters. This is an excellent novel and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
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LibraryThing member wishanem
This book provides the new and perfectly understandable backstory for the revised version of the Empire's most charismatic Extended Universe character. I enjoyed parts of it a lot, but I would've liked more complicated space battles showcasing tactical brilliance and less chatting about philosophy.
LibraryThing member Cataloger623
I encountered Thrawn as a character in Star Wars Rebels. He was cryptic, mysterious, and dangerous. he might have been killed off in that series. His background was not explored in that series. This book explores his origin in the Star Wars Universe. The book is filled with rich detail. It explores
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aspects of the Star Wars Universe I had never encountered. Timothy Zahn shows off his skill as a writer , world builder in this book. He enables a reader not familiar with the Star Wars universe easy access to that universe. The work can be read as a stand alone novel or as part of the larger Star Wars universe . My only complaint about this novel is there wasn't more! Show Less
LibraryThing member Kavinay
My hands are warm, I hold my mouse tight, my eyes squint at the Goodreads form.
Argh. I wanted to love this book. I love Thrawn and Zahn and still think the original Thrawn series is the best Star Wars prose we've had to date. While there is nothing wrong with this book, Zahn remains an able writer,
This is not a bad book, but it's also not a particularly impressive one either. Thrawn is a novel that seems more like a necessary work to establish the credentials of the Grand Admiral in the new canon, rather than a truly engrossing take on the character. Why Zahn could not be unshackled to do both is what puzzles me.
Argh. I wanted to love this book. I love Thrawn and Zahn and still think the original Thrawn series is the best Star Wars prose we've had to date. While there is nothing wrong with this book, Zahn remains an able writer,
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there just isn't any real development of titular character. It's a weird sort of origin story in that Thrawn does not change over the course of the book. Sure, his human apprentice goes full circle, but I really couldn't care at all about that. We don't really get to know Thrawn as anything more or less than what we already got in the previous EU or Rebels. Ironically, the most well-developed character in the book is Governor Price!This is not a bad book, but it's also not a particularly impressive one either. Thrawn is a novel that seems more like a necessary work to establish the credentials of the Grand Admiral in the new canon, rather than a truly engrossing take on the character. Why Zahn could not be unshackled to do both is what puzzles me.
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LibraryThing member sgsmitty
Overall not a bad book. Thrawn is a character that was introduced back in the EU days of Star Wars. His character then was set in the time after Return of Jedi and was for all intents and purposes set up as the new bad guy. As any Star Wars fan knows, Disney scrubbed away most of the material in
It works for the most part. The author, Timothy Zahn, had been considered by many the best Star Wars author back in the day when the EU was started with his series of books. Since then, and particularly since Disney bought it all, there are other authors who now considered the best. But with Thrawn, Zahn is back and in fine fashion.
This book is the first of what I believe will be a trilogy and covers the beginning of Thrawn appearing in the Star Wars universe and his rise in power and the ranks of the empire. There are outright hints of a more deadly and evil danger out in the universe that make one wonder if it relates somehow to the Vong. The Vong, another EU creation, were the centerpiece of a bunch of EU novels which I never read but some people really enjoy. In the EU they exist decades after Return of the Jedi so who knows. Maybe the subsequent novels in this new trilogy will explain more.
Having said all that, I did enjoy the book and the new characters, especially Eli Vanto. I look forward to learning more about his story particularly after his new assignment at the end of this book.
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the EU when they bought it all and called those stories Legends and are no longer considered "canon". Of course now they can cherry pick characters and story elements from the EU as they wish which is certainly what they have done here. In this book, the first of a trilogy I believe, Thrawn is now set in the time before A New Hope. This of course is to prevent conflict with the new sequels that Disney has been making.It works for the most part. The author, Timothy Zahn, had been considered by many the best Star Wars author back in the day when the EU was started with his series of books. Since then, and particularly since Disney bought it all, there are other authors who now considered the best. But with Thrawn, Zahn is back and in fine fashion.
This book is the first of what I believe will be a trilogy and covers the beginning of Thrawn appearing in the Star Wars universe and his rise in power and the ranks of the empire. There are outright hints of a more deadly and evil danger out in the universe that make one wonder if it relates somehow to the Vong. The Vong, another EU creation, were the centerpiece of a bunch of EU novels which I never read but some people really enjoy. In the EU they exist decades after Return of the Jedi so who knows. Maybe the subsequent novels in this new trilogy will explain more.
Having said all that, I did enjoy the book and the new characters, especially Eli Vanto. I look forward to learning more about his story particularly after his new assignment at the end of this book.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2017-04-06
Physical description
448 p.; 6.32 inches
ISBN
0345511271 / 9780345511270