Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Timothy Zahn. This is the final book in the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy. The Ascendancy trilogy as a whole, takes place after the events of Attack of the Clones.
SUMMARY: A threat to the Chiss Ascendancy is just on the horizon, but not all can see it coming. The enemy, Jixtus, has been formulating a plan to weaken the Chiss, turning the families against each other with lies and theatrics. Thrawn is fully aware of the deception and must act alone in order to keep the Ascendancy from collapsing in on itself, or from being conquered by outside forces, known as the Grysks.
CHARACTERS: A big cast of characters in this book, many military and political figures as well as a few alien races with very prominent roles, I’ll just briefly mention Thran and Jixtus.
Thrawn, as always knows what’s happening and is several steps ahead of everyone else. Sometimes its fun and believable, other times it’s silly and unbelievable. Thrawn seems to be in control of his own destiny, nothing comes as a surprise to him. I love that the Chiss families all have a grudge against him and want him ousted. Thrawn breaks the rules quite a bit, ignoring most of the orders given to him. Governing officials can’t stand him, but a handful of military leaders understand his motives but cringe at his risk taking.
I liked what Zahn was doing with the primary villain of the story. Jixtus is a pretty bad dude; he’s manipulative, controlling, and determined destroy the Chiss Ascendancy. While the character was handled well most of the time, I was actually somewhat underwhelmed with the overall arch of the character.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: For me, this novel has the same flaw as the previous instalments, the “Memories” chapters. These “memories” tend to foreshadow events or themes that are contained in the following chapters. I really don’t like reading unnecessary content that doesn’t mean much to the overall story… especially when it’s going make the following chapter(s) predictable There is one memory chapter in this book that actually was really good, it gave me the chills while reading it. That said, there is also one of these memory chapters, that left me outright confused as to what it was referencing, it seemed important, but there was no explanation of what was happening or why.
There is so much happening in this book, I’m surprised it was condensed down into a trilogy rather than a series of five or six books. I could be wrong but it feels like that’s something Zahn would’ve wanted to do, but it just didn’t happen. While the book is over 500 pages, which is pretty hefty in the Star Wars canon, it felt rushed in many places and left some aspects of the story wide open without conclusion.
I was hoping this book would tie up at the end with some sort of absolute closure with certain things, but it really didn’t. So many things can be brought back up in the future, which could be nice… but it also has me worried that we may never touch on these things ever again. For example, some awesome, wild tech is mentioned but not utilized in this story… we know it’s there now, we know what it’s capable of doing… I would hate it if we never get more use with it. There is more I can say on this, but I like to keep reviews spoiler free.
RATING: I enjoyed a lot of the book, but due to some of the issues that I really can’t seen get over, I give Thrawn: Lesser Evil a B.
Star Wars: Ronin was written by Emma Mieko Candon. Ronin is Emma’s debut novel. It was published by Del Rey (thanks for this copy) and ties in to the Disney Plus series, Visions.
SUMMARY: An old man is haunted by a voice in his head. He has lived a long, hard life. Events unfold in a manner he never expected, when he witnesses a slain warrior rise from the dead. It’s brought to light that a Sith witch has been resurrecting the dead to do her bidding. The Ronin and a band of unusual folks make it their mission to find the witch who’s creating her demonic army, and sever the strings of her dark puppetry.
This band of warriors will face many trials, some will be victorious, some will be overcome with grief. This quest may also bring to light answers as to what happened to the beautiful planet Rei’izu, which vanished after the great war between the Sith and Jedi.
In this tale, lore of the force and those that wield it altered in a way reader’s have never witnessed.
CHARACTER: Ekiya: She’s the pilot of the Poor Crow, the most down to earth of the characters. She’s not afraid to tell people how things are going to be on her ship. When tensions rise between bickering force users, she’ll tell them to shut it. In her youth she was forced to fight in a war she wanted nothing to do with. She lost so much that was dear to her. She holds pins her anger on the Sith and the Jedi.
The Ronin: He’s a seasoned warrior, of both light and the dark. In his youth he served the Jedi. Yet, he eventually abandoned the the Jedi and Empire, to serve his own desires. He and the woman he loved, sought out the Mirror of the Shinsui Temple, which was said to give visions that would fulfill their desires. This led to a great war on the planet Rei’izu. Now, in his old age, he is alone but not alone, a voice in his head guides him. It guides him into danger, to duel with Sith warriors. But… this voice isn’t singular to just the Ronin.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: This book, I have mixed feelings about it. Most of what’s in this story I absolutely enjoyed. We have a wonderful adventure full of obstacles, with pain and suffering, there is mystery, hope, betrayal, and mysticism.
The novel takes an alternate path from what we know as canon. Emma tells a unique story, that does have familiar tones that we’ve witnessed in Star Wars, but it’s also so very different. This story, this galaxy of Star Wars, is a version we have’t seen. The Empire rules the galaxy, but it’s not the Empire we know of in current canon or the Expanded Universe/Legends Empire. The Jedi are its warriors, they are divided into clans and ruled by Jedi lords that serve princes of the Empire.
Emma’s writing style is nice, it’s not a style I recognize in the other Star Wars books, so that’s great, it reads more like a fantasy than a science fiction book, which is the style I prefer. The plot was great and the twists were decent. As a tale that isn’t part of the canon timeline, it definitely works as a stand alone novel that brings in its own lore and could potentially spark a new line of canon in an alternate Star Wars universe.
The negative that I have… I hope you actually hear me out on this, I do not like the use of the pronoun they/them/their. I found it EXTREMELY difficult to follow some situations and got very confused when a group of characters were talking amongst each other. The shift of they or their between an individual and individuals was making my head spin. I also don’t understand how a character is known to be identified as this, when another character comes along and refers to that character as a they/them/their… I can’t find the logic in it. However, this character was very interesting and mysterious. I just wish so much about the character didn’t confuse me.
RATING: I will give Star Wars: Ronin a ( B – ). I loved the writing style and the plot, but the confusion that disrupted my brain while reading a particular character brought the rating down.
Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm was written by Cavan Scott. Scott has written several Star Wars stories such as the audio-drama script for Dooku: Jedi Lost, comics, and young reader books.
The Rising Storm seriously has one of the greatest openers in a Star Wars book to date!
SUMMARY: Marchion Ro, The Eye of the Nihil, demands that the raiders stay hidden in the shadows to ease the tension in the galaxy before making their next move. Since the events of the first High Republic novel, Light of the Jedi, the Republic and the Jedi have been on the lookout for the vile group. Although the galaxy is still recovering from the damage the Nihil have caused, the Chancellor has prepared a Republic Fair on the world of Valo, to celebrate the Republic and its cultures.
Tension stirs within the Nihil! The raiders are anxious to get back to work, to emerge from the shadows to pillage and kill. Marchion Ro eases the tension by ordering the Nihil to crash the Republic Fair. This is their time to strike, to spread the storm over Valo, to bring destruction and death!
This story is gripping from page one! Just… wow!
CHARACTERS: The High Republic characters continue to impress! Here’s a breakdown of a few before getting to my overall thoughts.
Bell Zettifar, the former Padawan of Loden Greatstorm, struggles to accept the loss of his old master. Loden had told Bell that he was ready for the Jedi trials, to rise up from Padawan to Knight. However, Bell feels he isn’t ready. He has remained a Padawan, under Master Indeera. Indeera also believes Bell is ready for the trials, but Bell feels so empty, a piece of him is missing. In this novel, Bell attempts to overcome his fears, to reconnect and trust the Force.
Tia Toon, the Sullustan Republic senator, is an annoyance to Chancellor Soh. He is dead set on the creation of a Republic Defense Force Program, and any time he has the opportunity to speak his mind to the chancellor and challenge her decisions and actions, he does. While the Chancellor and some of the Jedi find his tactics annoying and rude, Toon certainly proves valid points. While billions have died throughout the galaxy and planets work to rebuild their cities, Toon is furious that the Chancellor would rather fund a giant party with the Republic Fair, than establish a defense program that could potentially prevent the galaxy from suffering at the hand of the Nihil.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Cavan Scott, well done sir! This book knocked me off my feet! The Rising Storm is a sequel to Light of the Jedi and ties in with other High Republic material such as Young Adult novels, Junior Reader books, and comics. I highly recommend that you read that other material from the first wave of The High Republic before diving into this book.
I seriously did not want to put The Rising Storm down! Each chapter kept building up tension, mystery, or awesome revelations were spilled. A real page turner for sure! The Rising Storm seriously has one of the greatest openers to a Star Wars book to date!
Star Wars politics is a touchy subject for some… but really, what part of Star Wars do folks not complain about? The politics were handled wonderfully! I love how it was a recurring theme in the book. The Republic is under the leadership of Chancellor Soh, some like that, others don’t. The conflict taking place between members of the Republic Senate was just as tense as all the other action and drama taking place throughout the story.
Scott handles each character so well. It really feels like I’ve been reading about most of these characters for a long period of time now, knowing their traits and how they’ll react. In my opinion, that is excellent character development. The dialogue is fantastic as well! The relationships between characters are mostly great, I do have a few issues with a few, which felt a bit unnatural and awkward. However the friendship and banter between Elzar Mann and Stellan Gios is absolutely fantastic.
Honestly, I do have a few issues with the story. I mentioned some of the relationships felt odd, but the other issue I have, is that some teases at the end of a chapter really didn’t pay off in the next or following chapter(s).
The plot of the story is great, yet extremely dark. The book is loaded with destruction and death. Scott explores new areas of the Force and how the Jedi can manipulate it for the greater good, and also abuse it. The Nihil are disgusting, geocidal maniacs. Yet, Scott creates a unique power struggle within the group that somehow leaves you routing for one of the villains in a strange twisted way. I really enjoyed The Rising Storm. The plot was driven forward by familiar characters while many new characters are also introduced.
Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Timothy Zahn. The book was published by Del Rey (thank you for the advanced material). Greater Good is the second installment of the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy.
SUMMARY: Thrawn is tasked with finding out if the Vagaari Pirates are returning to Ascendancy space to cause havoc or if they have possibly allied with the Paataatus. During this investigation, Thrawn has a run-in with a group of refugees who believe their world and/or its inhabitants have been destroyed. The leader of these people has the authority to order the rest of her race, to end their life to join the “beyond,” to be one with their world once again, in a different form. Thrawn takes it upon himself to prevent these people from killing themselves and to find their world.
Elsewhere, a rare/expensive material is given to a member of the Xodlak family as a gift. The after affects of this gift brings the Xodlak family to call its members together, withdrawing warriors and officials within the Ascendency to report in to a family “emergency.” The Xodlak find the origins of this material and want to claim it for themselves, this could potentially bring them back into a ruling family status.
Will Thrawn save the alien race from committing mass suicide? Will the Xodlak family bring about civil war? Will Jixtus get the answers he’s seeking? You’ll have to read the novel to find the answers to those questions!
CHARACTERS: There are so many characters in this tale that push the plot forward. I’m going to mention just a few.
Thrawn, as always seems to have the upper hand. He’s a problem solver, a leader, and an artist. He still has an issue with authority. Ba’kif (the General of the Chiss Defense Force) lets Thrawn know that the Ascendency is hesitant in allowing Thrawn to venture too far out of known space. Thrawn’s confrontation with Yiv the Benevolent brought unwanted attention by the Syndicure. As a result, the Syndicure doesn’t want the Expansionary Defense Fleet to be spread out too thin across space. Thrawn… disagrees. Thrawn has to be reminded of the Ascendancy policy – no military action should be taken unless Ascendancy territory is attacked first!
Likinda, Commander of the Chiss warship, Grayshrike, has an interesting conflict that arises between her morality and the Xodlak family. With the events that she faces, it gives us deeper insight as to how the families operate.
Jixtus was mentioned briefly in The first book, Chaos Rising. In this tale, he is brought into the story a lot more, but still just a mysterious robed figure with a spy gathering intel on the Chiss. He’s very interested in how the Chiss navigate through space. He believes the Chiss have a navigational device from the people in lessor space, taken from the people long ago when the Chiss had taken part in their wars. Jixtus wants this device.
Quote of the book comes from one of the Chiss upon receiving a gift:
“If one wants the joy of giving, one must in turn except the humbleness of receiving, as to allow others their own joy.”
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I was pleased with book one, Chaos Rising. Was I pleased with part two, Greater Good? Yes! This book offers an excellent story. It’s widely known as the second book in a Thrawn trilogy, but it’s so much more than just a Thrawn story. There are many characters in this book that play a critical role in pushing the plot forward.
There is a lot of conflict in this story, and it’s handled so well. Zahn brings in a whole new level of drama in this book involving differences in alien species, Chiss families, and authoritative conflict within the Ascendancy itself. Thrawn is usually predictable in that, he’s perfect… he knows how to resolve everything – always. While that’s mostly true, the other characters ground the story, making the novel so interesting and unpredictable. I can’t wait to see how Timothy Zahn concludes the Thrawn Ascendency trilogy.
Timothy Zahn creates his own corner of the galaxy… so unique, fresh, yet familiar!
There are a few things I have to say about the Audiobook production. First, the positive – Marc Thompson does an excellent job narrating the story. He’s highly entertaining and puts in a lot of effort with each character of the book.
The negative, I feel that in some parts the music was misplaced and/or too loud. the narration was a little too slow for my taste, which made it a little difficult following along with the story.
Star Wars: Victory’s Price was written by New York Times Best Selling Author, Alexander Freed. It was published by Del Rey.
Victory’s Price concludes the Alphabet Squadron trilogy.
SUMMARY: After the events that took place in the Cerberon System, the New Republic has the 204th Imperial Unit Shadow Wing mostly on the run playing defense. Between each run in, the 204th strikes its judgment on select Imperial holdouts in the galaxy. Operation Cinder phase II, has begun. The New Republic, specifically the group lead by General Syndulla, is to put an end to the 204th. The mission gets tricky, as it appears there is a mole within Syndulla’s New Republic ship, as well as one within the 204th!
Victory’s Price is a fast paced nail-biting conclusion to the Alphabet Squadron trilogy.
Many twists and turns entangle the opposing sides, all the way up to the epic, final battle of the Republic and the Empire – over the sands of Jakku.
CHARACTERS: The cast of characters is great, I’m only picking two to discuss.
Wyl Lark: He’s been commanding the squadron, and he’s still homesick. He doesn’t have the fight in him anymore. He want’s the war to end and just go home already. His relationship with his unit is on the rocks, but they still have a bond that holds them together, even by the weakest thread. Whyl is the one character that actually made me feel anger and bitter. Alexander Freed’s writing is just too good.
Kairos: She’s always been the odd one, the mysterious female with something going on internally. She’s unique, the mystery continues with Kairos. She’s a hunter, which makes her an excellent tracker.
The desperation for victory or death drives the plot!
Yrica Quell: All I’ll say in this review, is that she surprised me.
Chass Na Chadic: She’s a wild one, after her wild adventure in the Cerberon system, she’s left scarred and emotionally on edge. She’s a bad A, with an attitude, and shows no fear of anyone or anything. She’s my favorite character in this trilogy.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I liked this book. It was mostly everything I was hoping it would be. The last time we saw these characters, they were all put in really tough and surprising situations. That element continues as many of the cast goes through extreme changes and adjustments. By the time the story concludes, I found some of the character arcs satisfying, while some were left open or just a tad too awkward.
Alexander Freed’s writing is outstanding. The novel feels more than just sci-fi/fantasy – it feels real. From the dialogue to the descriptions, every moment was fleshed out nicely. The way Freed creates characters and what he puts them through is just incredible. The war has changed people, there’s no easy walk in the park for anyone, the hero’s suffer. The desperation for victory or death drives the plot!
The book read quickly, not one moment did I feel I was wasting my precious time or drift off from boredom. I was glued to the pages all the way to end! The only negative I have to say, is there is one moment in the end that feels like a “check the box, gotta include that thing” in the story, it came across unnatural and as an afterthought. However, Overall – Victory’s Price is a fast paced nail-biting conclusion to the Alphabet Squadron trilogy. Freed’s brilliance and storytelling ability is just, next level.
Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, was written by Charles Soule. He’s written stories for the Star Wars Comics, and he’s written his first Star Wars Novel.
This novel kicks off a brand new era in Star Wars canon, going back 200 years before the events of the Skywalker Saga.
SUMMARY: The galaxy is peaceful, war is a thing of the past. The Republic is strong. The Chancellor, Lina Soh coined the phrase, “We are all the Republic.”
Peace is tested when an unforeseen event that stems from a hyperspace lane branching out to the outer rim brings destruction and death on a massive scale. Tensions rise throughout as hyperspace lanes are closed off throughout the galaxy. The chancellor calls upon the Republic Defense Coalition (RDC) and the Jedi to investigate what exactly happened in hyperspace, what has the ability to cause planet wide devastation. The Republic was to open up a new outpost station called Starlight Beacon. It will be a Republic embassy, to serve as a fortress, security, medical facility, and even host the largest Jedi outpost outside the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The Chancellor wants the RDC and the Jedi to resolve the mystery that caused such chaos before the grand opening of the Starlight Beacon.
A large group of killers, kidnapers, and raiders called the Nihil, have unintentionally put the spotlight on their regional shenanigans in the outer rim. The organization has a unique hierarchy, with three individuals that rule, and one that has the ability to provide secret pathways of hyperspace lanes, uncharted space-ways to sneak around throughout the outer rim. The Nihil wear masks to appear intimidating and remain anonymous. Their tactics are harsh and cruel, but the group must figure out a way to evolve into something more vile, more disturbing, to survive.
Wild events will test the Jedi, the Republic, and even the Nihil in the High Republic Era. Will the Jedi retain their peace and tranquility? Will the Republic stand strong? Will the Nihil overpower all that is good and conquer the galaxy? You should read the novel to find out.
CHARACTERS: There are so many wonderful characters I could pick from to talk about; Avar Kriss, Te-Ami, Bell, Lourna Dee, & even Chancellor Soh. But, I will only pick three characters I found most fascinating.
Elzar Mann is a Jedi Knight, who sees the force as a deep sea. Its depths are endless. Elzar doesn’t approach the force the same way twice. He experiments with the force, diving into the sea of its expansive presence differently each time. Many Jedi are content with the way the force works and the way they can manipulate it. Elzar constantly wants to test its limits, He believes so much can be tapped into that no one else had ever thought possible. He’s doesn’t intend to be difficult, but always open to new ideas with how to call on the force. He believes his views have held him back from achieving the title, Jedi Master.
Marchion Ro is the Eye of the Nihil. The Keeper of the paths in which the Nihil use to creep through the galaxy. He’s not quite the leader of the organization, but without him, the Nihil wouldn’t be anything special. They’d have to use the same hyperspace lanes as everyone else. Marchion has his secrets. Some that would most certainly bring about an untimely death had the high ranked Nihil called the Tempest Runners, had they found out his big secret. Marchion’s past is also shrouded in mystery. So much more could be said about this character, but after-all, this is a spoiler free review.
Porter Engle, (once known as the Blade of Bardotta) – He’s an Ikkrukki, who’s served in the Jedi Order over 300 years. He’s held many positions in the Order. Now, with old age, he likes to cook in the small outpost of the planet Ephrona. He’s wise, skilled, & cocky. He is ready and willing to give his spirit over to the force when his time is up.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I enjoyed this book I thought it was a good story to tell to kick of a new era in Star Wars. Charles Soule does an excellent job writing new characters, planets, and planting a few little easter eggs throughout the novel.
Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi expands the Force and the Universe in the most impressive way.
The villains are complex and very interesting to read about. There are many layers to some of the characters, both hero and villain. I love that there are established characters in the book that aren’t invincible. Many aspects of the story including character outcomes and plot points are unpredictable. But yes, there are a few things that are easily predicable. Still, the character development was extraordinary. I can’t wait to read more about some of the Jedi we were introduced to in this book as well as what comes of some of the villains.
Light of the Jedi reveals new layers of the Force and adds Character’s you’re not going to get enough of!
Some story elements came across a little cheesy, but overall, it was really good. While Charles Soule does a great job with descriptions, dialogue, and character development, there are a few minor things that took me out of the Star Wars universe. This is me just being petty, but the use of words like gun & drugs, shouldn’t be used. Let’s just stick to blaster & spice. However, Soule had many poetic ways of saying things that I found most impressive.
Do I recommend you pick up Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi? Yes. A great way to introduce a new era in Star Wars!
