In 2012, Disney bought LucasFilm. When I heard, I was as giddy as a school boy with a new lunch box. I knew that Disney would take the Star Wars franchise to new and higher levels. They didn’t disappoint as they quickly announced the pre-production of Episodes 7, 8 and 9. Others, however, were not so faithful. Worries about muddling the story, cutesy characters and large cash grabs seemed to motivate doubt. I guess that there are those who could still make that argument, but after The Force Awakens and Rogue One, we should all be able to sit back and enjoy the ride.
I was hopeful that Disney would consider, in part, the Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn as a starting point for the new trilogies, that hope fizzling when it was announced that all Expanded Universe books, comics and correlating stories would be wiped clean. So how excited was I when Thrawn started popping up in Rebels and it was made known that Zahn would be commissioned to revitalize the very popular blue-skinned admiral? Released on April 11, 2017, Zahn has done a wonderful job bringing the conniving conqueror back into the mainstream of the Star Wars timeline.
Before I dig in, I want to make this point very clear — even though the week of April 11 was driven by Star Wars Celebration in Orlando, I feel like the best part of that week was this book’s release. Yeah, I know…big claim. The con brought lots of swag, panels, and of course, the big teaser for The Last Jedi, and this book was still the bigger deal.
The book begins with Thrawn being cast out by his fellow warriors for dissent. Exiled to a distant planet, he is forgotten and as such, under-estimated. He is brought back into relevance as an Imperial outpost is attacked, the perpetrator finally allowing himself to be revealed as Thrawn. I say allowing himself, because despite the best efforts of the Galaxy’s Finest, they are not able to catch him, or even spot him as he sneaks onto Captain Voss Parck’s craft.
Now onboard, his value as a prisoner is trumped by the fact that he is a member of the mysterious Chiss race. Captain Parck sees value in that and agrees to give Thrawn audience with Emperor Palpatine. Thrawn has info, you see, that is very important for the Emperor to have, and only Thrawn can deliver that info… and Parck falls right into Thrawn’s trap. Is Thrawn looking to take over the Emperor’s seat of Galactic power, or is he simply acting in his own best interest, using the Emperor’s constant fear of losing power to his advantage?
One thing that Zahn has always done very well in his Star Wars novels is introduce new characters. This isn’t automatic with some of the SW novels. I’ve become so accustomed to Luke, Han and Leia being the main characters of the SW universe that I really don’t like the new sci-fi names that some authors introduce in SW, or the way they try to wedge new characters into the timeline. From the first pages of Thrawn, Zahn is dropping new names, but it doesn’t feel forced. They are a natural part of how the story unfolds, and easy to digest.
For a first time reader, the book is a great introduction to the military master which is Thrawn. His genius is best illustrated during the scenes where Zahn takes the reader into Thrawn’s mind as he dissects his opponent’s weaknesses, “tells” and motivations. Nothing passes Thrawn’s attention. He is always plotting and planning. The long-time fan will also appreciate these interludes as a throwback to the Trilogy novels. I couldn’t stop myself from then analyzing Thrawn as he was analyzing his opponents—and everyone is an opponent.
Without spoiling anything, pay attention to how Thrawn brings popular Star Wars superstars into the story. These “mentions” caught me off guard. I have not been following Rebels, and so when Thrawn reveals some important information, I had to do a quick internet search to make sure I wasn’t behind on my SW universe happenings. Turns out I hadn’t missed anything—his revelation was truly new in the story. But you can see, with all the storylines happening across the world of Star Wars cannon, I probably am not the only one suffering from FoMO—the fear of missing out.
Which all confirms my original point—Disney is doing a fantastic job with the Star Wars. There is content enough after only five years at the helm of the franchise that I am already behind…and it is all good.
Check out Thrawn by Timothy Zahn, now available online and in bookstores everywhere. Let us know in the comment section what you thought. Is this the same Thrawn, or has something changed?