Timothy Zahn's much-anticipated return to "Star Wars" is so artistically done.
"Thrawn" tells the story of how its titular character came to join the
Empire, charting his rise to the rank of grand admiral ahead of his appearance in Season 3 of "Rebels."
We first meet Thrawn on a remote world at the edge of known space, but
his tactical brilliance and status as a member of the Chiss — a rarely
seen race from the Unknown Regions of the galaxy — intrigue the Emperor.
The early part of the story, which is set in the years following
"Revenge of the Sith," is told from the perspective of Imperial Cadet
Eli Vanto, a young recruit whose basic knowledge of Thrawn's people
results in his becoming the alien's translator and aide.
Vanto is essentially the story's everyman, pulled from his career path
to serve a brilliant mentor — the John Watson to Thrawn's Sherlock
Holmes. The pair could also be seen as master
and apprentice, a
relationship often seen in the "Star Wars" universe, and their
partnership develops nicely through the novel.
As the Imperials learn more about Thrawn, we also get sections from his
point of view. These offer a look into his brilliant mind, with
fascinating observations on body language and warfare, in addition to
hinting at a bigger plan.
However, Thrawn is less astute in the realm of politics and this makes room for the novel's third character, Arihnda Pryce.
The future governor of Lothal — one of the novel's many neat ties to
"Rebels" — escapes a dull existence on that Outer Rim world to
ruthlessly ascend the ladder of government on Coruscant. Like all tales of "Star Wars" politics, Pryce's story is a full of fun backstabbing and deception.
While Zahn weaves a satisfying tale of political intrigue, his detailed
writing style really shines in the novel's military sections.
Thrawn's observations and tactical thinking are utterly captivating, to
the point where it's almost disappointing when the perspective shifts
away from him in the novel's early stages. However, more of the tale is
told from his point of view as the narrative progresses.
Zahn also introduces a nemesis for the Thrawn in the form of the
criminal mastermind known as Nightswan. This mysterious individual lurks
in the background for much of the story and hints at a Moriarty to
Thrawn's Holmes, but ultimately falls a little flat compared to the arcs
of the novel's central characters.
Fortunately, Thrawn, Vanto and Pryce are a charismatic trio, creating a
nice mixture of political skullduggery and military action that gives
the novel a tone similar to "Tarkin" and "Catalyst."
Of course, longtime fans of "Star Wars" novels will be comparing this
to Zahn's much-loved "Heir to the Empire," which brought Thrawn into a
galaxy far, far away as it revived the franchise in 1991.
This story is quite different in structure (since none of the Original
Trilogy's heroes are present), but offers a more focused tale and gels
nicely with recent books. It's hard not to miss Capt. Gilad Pellaeon as
Thrawn's protégé in the beginning, but Zahn does a nice job of
establishing Vanto as his replacement.
Ultimately, "Thrawn" proves to be a glorious return for one of the Legends of "Star Wars" literature.
"Star Wars: Thrawn" by Timothy Zahn, published by Random House, hits shelves April 11.
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