Ratings198
Average rating4.2
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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Series
9 primary books97 released booksStar Wars Canon
Star Wars Canon is a 97-book series with 94 released primary works first released in 1976 with contributions by Terry Brooks, R. A. Salvatore, and Karen Traviss.
Featured Series
6 primary books#4 in Star Wars: Thrawn
Star Wars: Thrawn is a 6-book series with 6 released primary works first released in 2017 with contributions by Timothy Zahn.
Featured Series
3 primary books#1 in Star Wars: The Imperial Trilogy
Star Wars: The Imperial Trilogy is a 3-book series with 3 released primary works first released in 2017 with contributions by Timothy Zahn.
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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, 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.
When Heir to the Empire came out, I was truly wondering who this Thrawn character was, and how dare they say that if he were the one guarding the Death Star, The Emperor would have ruled forever........what and My Lord Vader was just a footnote, so I started reading the first book, just so I can heap all my disgust on this, this Admiral Thrawn, if not for this emotion called love, My Lord Vader, would still be alive and the fates might have given him a different ending............hence the end of the Empire of Emperor Palpatine!!!!
I was honestly surprised that I am particularly starting to root for this blue colored non human, the things he accomplish thru sheer deduction and studying the movements of his opponents.......Masterful!!!! And so my hate for this Admiral, slowly turned to wonder then to hope that he can wrest back the control of the galaxy to the Empire, through the whole series, I was hoping and hoping but ultimately that hope burned.........again The Empire, My Lord Vader.....................defeated again!!!!!!
Years went by................when I learned of this book that will supposedly, tell us how Thrawn became one of the most distinguished Admiral of the Empire, I naturally got a copy, and after finishing it...........so this was how Thrawn began and he met My Lord Vader when he was that foolish jedi Anakin Skywalker!!!!! A truly worthy individual then and an eye opening read........
