Thrawn (Star Wars)
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Thrawn (Star Wars)
Narrated by:
Marc Thompson
Buy Now for £16.82
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Narrated by:
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Marc Thompson
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By:
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Timothy Zahn
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 villains in the Star Wars universe. Since his introduction in bestselling author Timothy Zahn’s classic Heir to the Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn has earned an iconic status equal only to the most notorious of Sith lords, Darth Vader. But Thrawn’s origins and the story of his rise in the Imperial ranks have remained mysterious. Now, in Star Wars: Thrawn, 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.
After Thrawn is rescued from exile by Imperial soldiers, his deadly ingenuity and keen tactical abilities swiftly capture the attention of Emperor Palpatine. And just as quickly, Thrawn proves to be as indispensable to the Empire as he is ambitious; as devoted as its most loyal servant, Darth Vader; and a brilliant warrior never to be underestimated. On missions to rout smugglers, snare spies, and defeat pirates, he triumphs time and again—even as his renegade methods infuriate superiors while inspiring ever greater admiration from the Empire. As one promotion follows another in his rapid ascension to greater power, he schools his trusted aide, Ensign Eli Vanto, in the arts of combat and leadership, and the secrets of claiming victory. But even though Thrawn dominates the battlefield, he has much to learn in the arena of politics where ruthless administrator Arihnda Pryce holds the power to be a potent ally or a brutal enemy.
All these lessons will be put to the ultimate test when Thrawn rises to admiral and must pit all the knowledge, instincts, and battle forces at his command against an insurgent uprising that threatens not only innocent lives but also the Empire’s grip on the galaxy—and his own carefully laid plans for future ascendancy.
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Critic reviews
“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
“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
Great story with lots of twists
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A great story
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Nice music
Good sound effects
Exelent performance
And most of all I liked it
Vary good
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This really is a prequel to Zahn's earlier Thrawn novels, and deservedly brings this excellent, contradictory character back into canon (not that I think the older works are in any way demeaned by no longer being canon - and I think they can still clearly be seen in the same "canon" as this work, some lore technicalities aside). It chronicles Thrawn joining the Empire and his rise to Grand Admiral.
What was most striking was the novel being largely told from Thrawn's point of view, which I don't remember ever being the case in the original Thrawn trilogy. It allows further insight into the workings of his mind, with the musing epigraphs that begin each chapter, and his astute thoughts on others' facial expressions and mannerisms, and what they mean (the facial analysis did become a little trying by the end, since it is necessarily more frequent than the typical access granted to a character's thoughts - but the nevertheless I thought it was an innovative literary device).
Thrawn is very much a foreign duck out of water for much of the novel, having to work to understand certain words and phrases, and what people mean. Indeed, even by the end he remains politically naive, if still the master on the battlefield that we always knew. This makes him incredibly interesting, not to mention his willingness to do the right thing and minimise civilian casualties. In many ways he would make an excellent Rebel admiral, rather than an Imperial one.
But it's definitely not all about Thrawn - a whole plethora of other characters are met along the way. But there are really two other leads in this narrative: Eli Vanto and Arihnda Pryce.
Eli is the young Imperial ensign who first encounters Thrawn, and they strike up an endearing friendship - so endearing that I was sad to see them part ways at the end (though I liked where Eli ended up - and there is hope for a reunion I think). He is young and headstrong, but intelligent in the ways of language and logistics, which makes him a perfect buddy for Thrawn. Thrawn takes him under his wing as his personal aide, and though this seems to derail Eli's career, he does ultimately get his rewards, which was pleasing to see.
Through Eli and Thrawn together, the text passes comment on class and the treatment of outsiders and foreigners, since Eli is from so-called "wild space", which is also where the chiss (Thrawn's speces) hail from. They both receive racist and classist abuse from others, especially at the Imperial Academy. Speaking of which, I thoroughly enjoyed their time there. It's basically "Thrawn goes to college", and that's as hilarious as it sounds, watching him navigate the fraternity politics and social customs.
Arihnda goes on an interesting arc too. You begin with real sympathy for her, as she and her parents are politically manoeuvred out of the family's mining business. But she soon becomes a sly and cynical manipulator of her own, working her way up the political ladder on Coruscant. This also gives a really detailed glimpse into life on Coruscant, political and otherwise, which I enjoyed.
I also found her dialogue with her parents amusing, especially towards the end when she's become an Imperial governor - as powerful as she is, she is reduced to a petulant teenager in front of her parents. And by the end, her journey to the dark side (for want of a better phrase) really is complete, when she commits what is surely one of the worst atrocities in Star Wars history.
The plot is complex and full of mystery and intrigue, and with many threads to follow. It did lose me on occasion (I tend to prefer simpler plot deltas in general), but I generally understood what was happening and why. And I can only marvel at Zahn's ability to bring all these seemingly disparate threads together - and tie them into the backstory of a certain Imperial superweapon. Getting Thrawn's military appraisal of such a weapon is also interesting, as you'd expect.
One thing I also like is how Zahn approaches Star Wars more like Star Trek. The plots have their epic crescendos, but they are more measured and slow-burning. The galaxy is also realised with a more hard sci-fi approach to technology and how things work; and not to mention the focus on life in the navy, and the fascination with alien cultures (albeit from a military perspective). It turns Star Wars into something much more real and tangible, and less fantasy, which I find refreshing.
Just like the Revan novel I read previously, the production values here, and Marc Thompson's range as an actor, brings the whole thing to cinematic life.
I've also just begun Season 3 of Star Wars Rebels, where both Thrawn and Arihnda feature - so I praise Lucasfilm in their transmedia approach. I'm definitely eager to learn more, either from Rebels, or from Zahn's next book in the series.
A complex and patient realisation of Star Wars
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Just Brilliant
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