Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn

(hb; 2017: direct prequel to Star Wars: Thrawn─Alliance)

From the inside flap

“. . . [Grand Admiral] 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 realm 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 even 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 ahs much to learn in the arena of politics, where the ruthless administrator Arhinda 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.”

Review

Thrawn is a good, fun and often-thrilling novel with interesting characters and their strangely heartwarming or edgy interactions. Zahn shows Thrawn’s steady and unusual rise through Imperial ranks─he gains power by helping those around him, even his enemies (who later may be of use to him) as he, with his Sherlock Holmesian eye for detail and hard-edged charm, moves upward.

Of course, this being Star Wars, there are familiar characters─Palpatine, etc.─as well as starship and blaster battles, Jedi awareness and other franchise elements. This is a good read, one worth checking out. What makes Thrawn stand out from other series novels is how different and interesting its titular character is. Followed by a direct sequel, Star Wars: Thrawn─Alliance.)

Side-note: According to Wikipedia, Thrawn “covers several years between Thrawn’s ‘first encounter’ with the Empire and the events of the third season of the 2014─? animated Disney show Star Wars: Rebels.”