Star Wars: Thrawn Treason was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Timothy Zahn. This is the third and final installment of the canon Trawn trilogy! This tale takes place before the Rebels television series.
SUMMARY: Politics among the Empire’s ranks is ever present in this tale of war and greed. Director Krennic’s Stardust project is hit with delays as an infestation of Grallocs (a cousin of the Mynock), feed on the power of the cargo freighters hauling parts and weapons. These creatures latch onto ships as they fly through space, leading the empire to believe a glitch in the freighters hyperdrive blasts the ships into space, dropping out in the middle nowhere.
Thrawn strikes a deal with Emperor Palpatine, Tarkin and Director Krennic, that if he can solve the Gralloc problem in a certain timeframe, his TIE defender program will receive more funding. Assistant Director Ronan is to accompany Thrawn on the Chimaera (Thrawn’s Star Destroyer) as the mission proceeds. It is on this mission when Grand Admiral Thrawn discovers the Grysks (a terror from the unknown regions), has made their way into imperial space! Also in this discovery, an unexpected reunion takes place, Eli Vanto returns with the Chiss Ascendancy!
Thrawn meets with Vanto and Admiral Ar’alani of the Chiss Ascendancy, making Assistant Director Ronan skeptical of Thrawn. Does Thrawn’s loyalty lie with the Empire or the Chiss Ascendancy? Are Thrawn’s actions treasonous? As the plot thickens, relationships are made and severed as the truth pertaining to the missing Stardust cargo is exposed.
CHARACTERS: This book has several great characters. I will mention only two!
Thrawn: The blue Chiss is calm, cool, and collected. He has a brilliant mind with a knack for outwitting his foes. Thrawn is a problem solver and genuine leader, with no hesitation to promote or reprimand his subordinates. His loyalty to the Empire and to the Chiss Ascendancy is nearly equal, and his hatred for the Grysks is great. His actions appear outright crazy and foolish, yet nothing he does is without forethought based on wisdom he’s acquired.
Ar’alani: Admiral Ar’alani is a of the Chiss Ascendancy. She’s admiral of the ship named Steadfast. She’s understanding of Thrawn’s roll to the Empire, but also can’t help but question where his heart is. She’s a hard leader that follows procedure but also willing to follow Thrawn’s instruction. Ar’alani is dead set on wiping out the Grysks.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I’ll start off by saying Star Wars: Thrawn Treason is very clever, highly amusing, and extremely exciting! You need to read this! Timothy Zahn is a great writer and handles character development and story elements equally as good. He tends to lean heavy on a more “hard sci-fi” style of writing, compared to a more fantasy based sci-fi. This novel truly was fun to read and I found it hard to put down.
This story has several elements that link to the Catalyst novel, and I think that is brilliant. Not only do we have Director Krennic and Stardust sprinkled in this tale, but Death Troopers! The Death Troopers aren’t just mentioned, we actually follow a few of them on a mission, and it’s awesome! This book really ties into canon that’s already established, making it a great addition to the overall story.
The twists and turns were fashioned in a few different ways. Some felt organic, while others were a little too dramatic. Thrawn’s brilliance can come off too convenient at times, which can take away some of the tension, making certain outcomes predictable. However, the book is full of surprises and wonderful moments. There are indeed some of the most tense situations in recent Star Wars story telling that grab you by the collar and pull you to the edge of your seat.
Well, do I recommend that you read Thrawn Treason by Timothy Zahn? Yes, I’d say this is the best in the Trawn trilogy.
RATING: I will give this novel an A+
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