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Thrawn
(Star Wars: Thrawn #1)
by
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 characters in the Star Wars universe, from his introduction in bestselling author Timothy Zahn’s classic Heir to the Empire through his continuing adventures in Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, and beyond. But Thrawn’s origins an
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Hardcover, 427 pages
Published
April 6th 2017
by Random House
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Start your review of Thrawn (Star Wars: Thrawn, #1)

This is a great book. I had very high hopes for this book. All the ingredients seemed to be in place. I remember reading Heir to the Empire trilogy when it first came this ignited my love of reading and since I have devoured everything from the expanded universe. What could go wrong with the book they even had Timothy Zahn (Thrawn's original creater). What could go wrong? NOTHING!!! The book is AWSOME!!!!
As much as I loved Heir to the Empire we were never given too much background of Thrawn's ra ...more
As much as I loved Heir to the Empire we were never given too much background of Thrawn's ra ...more

The great tactician returns to the canon!
ONCE GREAT, ALWAYS GREAT
Grand Admiral Thrawn was created by Timothy Zahn in his original Thrawn trilogy that it was the cornerstone of the then Star Wars Expanded Universe in prose novels.
However due the buying of Disney of Lucasfilms, that trilogy became non-canon and part of what is know nowadays as “Legends”, and of course, since that trilogy was written so early in the franchise where the Clone Wars weren’t properly developed in the Prequel T ...more
ONCE GREAT, ALWAYS GREAT
Grand Admiral Thrawn was created by Timothy Zahn in his original Thrawn trilogy that it was the cornerstone of the then Star Wars Expanded Universe in prose novels.
However due the buying of Disney of Lucasfilms, that trilogy became non-canon and part of what is know nowadays as “Legends”, and of course, since that trilogy was written so early in the franchise where the Clone Wars weren’t properly developed in the Prequel T ...more

Jul 19, 2016
Crystal Starr Light
marked it as to-read
I don't care to read any "new" Star Wars canon, but anything Zahn writes, I will read.
...more

THIS GUY:

AND THIS GUY:


Nuff said. ...more

AND THIS GUY:


Nuff said. ...more

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/05/04/...
Unpopular opinion time: I never cared for the Thrawn trilogy. Though to be fair, I was late to the party and only started reading Heir to the Empire after college sometime in the mid-2000s, about 15 years after its original publication. In my eyes, the books did not age very well, and I think many tended to view them through nostalgia-tinted glasses.
Still, setting my personal critique of the books aside, as a character I d ...more
Unpopular opinion time: I never cared for the Thrawn trilogy. Though to be fair, I was late to the party and only started reading Heir to the Empire after college sometime in the mid-2000s, about 15 years after its original publication. In my eyes, the books did not age very well, and I think many tended to view them through nostalgia-tinted glasses.
Still, setting my personal critique of the books aside, as a character I d ...more

Boy, did I want to like this book more than I did.
A few quick background details: prior to his appearing on Star Wars: Rebels last fall, I had close to zero prior experience with the character of Grand Admiral Thrawn (I say “close to zero,” because after doing a little research, I was surprised to discover that he did make an appearance in one of the “Galaxy of Fear” books from the 90s, a series that I remember reading voraciously as a youngster. I have zero recollection of his appearance, howe ...more
A few quick background details: prior to his appearing on Star Wars: Rebels last fall, I had close to zero prior experience with the character of Grand Admiral Thrawn (I say “close to zero,” because after doing a little research, I was surprised to discover that he did make an appearance in one of the “Galaxy of Fear” books from the 90s, a series that I remember reading voraciously as a youngster. I have zero recollection of his appearance, howe ...more

A long time ago in a galaxy, far, far away, I was once absolutely amazed and thrilled when a certain Timothy Zahn revitalized the whole Star Wars franchise by picking up a few decades after the events in Episode Six, introducing the most charming and deadly enemy the New Republic had ever faced.
I was doubly amazed because there was no heavy reliance on BDOs, just strategical and tactical strength. Grand Admiral Thrawn came back from the outer rim and WIPED everything in his path.
My jaw dropped. ...more
I was doubly amazed because there was no heavy reliance on BDOs, just strategical and tactical strength. Grand Admiral Thrawn came back from the outer rim and WIPED everything in his path.
My jaw dropped. ...more

Executive Summary: After a slow start, I really enjoyed this book a lot. But I spent the whole book rooting for a member of the Empire, and I feel dirty for it.
Audiobook: Marc Thompson is so good, that I really don't want to listen to a Star Wars book he doesn't narrate. You get the usual Star Wars audiobook treatment here: Music, Sound effects and a narrator who can do all the voices, making this feel more like a radio drama than a novel at times. Generally I find music in audiobooks distractin ...more
Audiobook: Marc Thompson is so good, that I really don't want to listen to a Star Wars book he doesn't narrate. You get the usual Star Wars audiobook treatment here: Music, Sound effects and a narrator who can do all the voices, making this feel more like a radio drama than a novel at times. Generally I find music in audiobooks distractin ...more

Say goodbye to Sun Tzu's Art of War. Behold Thrawn's Art of War!
*Cue epic war drums*
Leadership and obedience are the two legs on which a warrior’s life is balanced. Without both, victory cannot be achieved.
Leadership depends on information and comprehension. Not so obedience. Sometimes a commander may choose to share details of his plan. Often he may not. In either case, obedience must be instant and complete.
Such automatic response relies on trust between commander and those commanded. And ...more
*Cue epic war drums*
Leadership and obedience are the two legs on which a warrior’s life is balanced. Without both, victory cannot be achieved.
Leadership depends on information and comprehension. Not so obedience. Sometimes a commander may choose to share details of his plan. Often he may not. In either case, obedience must be instant and complete.
Such automatic response relies on trust between commander and those commanded. And ...more

I have to say I was a little disappointed because the other Timothy Zahn penned Star Wars books are SOOO good. This isn't so much the secret origin of Admiral Thrawn as it is just little snippets of his rise to the top. There's very little characterization in the book. It's a series of looks into Thrawn's victories using his tactical superiority. Plus this is as much a book about Arihnda Pryce's rise through the Empire as it is anything else. Every other chapter is her story which actually has m
...more

This is what the Expanded Universe is supposed to be all about. Or Legends, or whatever.
Author Timothy Zahn pretty much invented the genre of the (good) Star Wars novel. Although the original Thrawn trilogy doesn't "count" anymore, in my own head-canon this origin story perfectly lines up with the Grand Admiral who will fight the New Republic in Heir to the Empire.
With the Rebels cartoon making it official, Thrawn was there. This novel explains how the brilliant Chiss--full name Mitth'raw'nuru ...more
Author Timothy Zahn pretty much invented the genre of the (good) Star Wars novel. Although the original Thrawn trilogy doesn't "count" anymore, in my own head-canon this origin story perfectly lines up with the Grand Admiral who will fight the New Republic in Heir to the Empire.
With the Rebels cartoon making it official, Thrawn was there. This novel explains how the brilliant Chiss--full name Mitth'raw'nuru ...more

Thrawn lives on.
As a large majority of the reviews from various sites have stated, this is the best version of Thrawn we have ever gotten, we get to spend more time and learn more about Thrawn in the first quarter of this book than we ever did in the Legends books, and yet he still remains mysterious. I'm now okay with saying goodbye to Legends Thrawn, and embracing Canon Thrawn as an equally incredible version of the brilliant strategist.
With the combination of his excellent portrayal in Star W ...more
As a large majority of the reviews from various sites have stated, this is the best version of Thrawn we have ever gotten, we get to spend more time and learn more about Thrawn in the first quarter of this book than we ever did in the Legends books, and yet he still remains mysterious. I'm now okay with saying goodbye to Legends Thrawn, and embracing Canon Thrawn as an equally incredible version of the brilliant strategist.
With the combination of his excellent portrayal in Star W ...more

I did not read the earlier “Thrawn Trilogy” written by Zahn over 25 years ago. This book is Zahn’s reinvestment in Mitth'raw'nuruodo, more commonly known as "Thrawn." The book takes us back to when The Empire discovers Thrawn as a “castaway” in a chance encounter in the outer regions.
What The Empire doesn’t initially know is that Thrawn, having risen through the ranks to become a well respected member of the Chiss Ascendancy, advocated breaking the code of the Chiss and, we are told, was exile ...more
What The Empire doesn’t initially know is that Thrawn, having risen through the ranks to become a well respected member of the Chiss Ascendancy, advocated breaking the code of the Chiss and, we are told, was exile ...more

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
After finishing Chuck Wendig’s AFTERMATH trilogy, I tried to settle in to several non-STAR WARS books, but after a few lackluster beginnings that were all unceremoniously set aside, I surrendered to my fate and indulged my recent obsession with THRAWN.
I didn’t know what to expect, having never heard of the character, but it was well received by readers, and if a character is so badass that his name is the only title needed . . . I was okay with lack of prior knowledge (wh ...more
After finishing Chuck Wendig’s AFTERMATH trilogy, I tried to settle in to several non-STAR WARS books, but after a few lackluster beginnings that were all unceremoniously set aside, I surrendered to my fate and indulged my recent obsession with THRAWN.
I didn’t know what to expect, having never heard of the character, but it was well received by readers, and if a character is so badass that his name is the only title needed . . . I was okay with lack of prior knowledge (wh ...more

Damn but it's good to have Thrawn back in official rotation! Arguably the single best villain of the extended Star Wars universe, Thrawn was a character like no other, a cool, calculated, and supremely effective Grand Admiral in the typically blustery and barely competent Imperial Navy. And when Disney bought out everything Lucas, and the extended universe were removed from canon and made into "legends", many of us were saddened by the loss of this fascinating Chiss tactician.
But with appearance ...more
But with appearance ...more

In a galaxy far, far away there was an epic story called Star Wars. Since that time we have seen the "new and improved" Disney Wars version and, most of us, felt varying degrees of disgust or ennui when faced with the "threat" of a vaguely metro-sexual Sith wanna-be and his "master" Snooky. So it was with great pleasure I saw this book by Timothy Zahn.
This is Star Wars as I remembered it- great characters, wonderful villains and a truly impressive Galactic Empire. This is the story of Mitth'raw' ...more
This is Star Wars as I remembered it- great characters, wonderful villains and a truly impressive Galactic Empire. This is the story of Mitth'raw' ...more

Jul 19, 2016
Michael Otway
marked it as to-read
While so far I'm not a fan of any new Canon novels, I'll eagerly look forward to this release.
This story will be set before Rebels Season Three and Timothy Zahn has said it will explore a part of Thrawns history that he has never had the opportunity to write about before. Therefore it may very well fit in nicely with his books from the old Universe for original EU fans, even though it is part of the new Star Wars Universe.
"You're going to get to see how Thrawn basically got to his position of p ...more
This story will be set before Rebels Season Three and Timothy Zahn has said it will explore a part of Thrawns history that he has never had the opportunity to write about before. Therefore it may very well fit in nicely with his books from the old Universe for original EU fans, even though it is part of the new Star Wars Universe.
"You're going to get to see how Thrawn basically got to his position of p ...more

It is quickly coming to the point once again, as it did for me in the early 2000s, where it is simply not feasible for me to read every new canon Star Wars book that comes out. For a while there I was keeping up, but I feel I must concede defeat earlier than my younger self might have: there are too many, and I am too old for all of this. I shall read the ones that my people say are must-reads and I will not let my OCD make me feel bad about it. DO YOU HEAR THAT, UNIVERSE? STOP KEEPING ME UP AT
...more

Thrawn is a reboot of sorts of the 90s Star Wars trilogy Heir to the Empire that introduced the main villain Thrawn. He is a super intelligent badass, that can not be out-thought in battle. (OR anywhere else for that matter)
This book follows him and other characters as he rises through the ranks and reaches further in the Empire than any alien ever. We deal with the struggles he faces and the racism that he has to over come. Besides bounty hunters, there are really not many aliens in the empire. ...more
This book follows him and other characters as he rises through the ranks and reaches further in the Empire than any alien ever. We deal with the struggles he faces and the racism that he has to over come. Besides bounty hunters, there are really not many aliens in the empire. ...more

An enjoyable read on one of Star Wars' most interesting characters, Grand Admiral Thrawn. In fact, in comparison with original book, "Heir to the Empire" (1991), introducing Thrawn to Star Wars fans, this is the better of the two in my opinion. It begins with Thrawn as an exile from his people, the Chiss, and proceeds from there with Thrawn in each situation, manifesting superior ability as a strategic thinker and tactician. For me as a Coast Guard veteran, I have to admit that I got a kick out
...more

This was honestly a lot of fun, if a bit repetitive in its formula (Eli & Thrawn get in a scrape, Thrawn outwits their enemy, Thrawn advances up the chain of command while the people around him suffer to varying degrees). I think this is a nice version of an EU property & I appreciated having an extended amount of time with the "bad guys" in this world
...more

I was disappointed by this book. The tension-filled plot and strong character development that were present in the original Thrawn trilogy are sorely lacking here. Instead of presenting a story, the first half of the book feels like clunky and rushed preamble, each chapter being a discrete anecdote to illustrate the infallibility of the titular protagonist as he climbs the The Empire's ranks. Examples of situations that are supposed to show his tactical brilliance seem murky and far-fetched.
The ...more
The ...more

4.5
"There are things in the universe that are simply and purely evil. A warrior does not seek to understand them, or to compromise with them. He seeks only to obliterate them."
...
Wow. This book was damn good. This was my first foray with Timothy Zhan, and it definitely won't be my last. I'm so glad Grand Admiral Thrawn is canon now.

This guy . Thrawn is one of the most fascinating villains I've ever read about. Even calling him a villain is hard for me; he's so complex and driven in his goals ...more
"There are things in the universe that are simply and purely evil. A warrior does not seek to understand them, or to compromise with them. He seeks only to obliterate them."
...
Wow. This book was damn good. This was my first foray with Timothy Zhan, and it definitely won't be my last. I'm so glad Grand Admiral Thrawn is canon now.

This guy . Thrawn is one of the most fascinating villains I've ever read about. Even calling him a villain is hard for me; he's so complex and driven in his goals ...more

Thrawn is a super interesting character and had this book solely been about him then I probably would've enjoyed it more. In reality the book was more about Eli and Arihnda, and while I thought Arihnda was an interesting character I found Eli to be just plain boring, and that made finishing the book kind of a chore. I'll most likely continue with this series at some point, but first I need to read something that's actually fun.
...more

May 17, 2020
MissBecka Gee
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio-books,
z2020-books-i-read
Very late to the Timothy Zahn party, but totally glad I showed up.
Loved this and can't wait to dip into more of his work!!!
Side note:
Marc Thompson was freaking impressive once again.
Dude never disappoints! ...more
Loved this and can't wait to dip into more of his work!!!
Side note:
Marc Thompson was freaking impressive once again.
Dude never disappoints! ...more

Thrawn, One of the most intriguing characters from the Star Wars Expanded Universe, is back! Anyone who wondered how he made it as far as he did in the xenophobic human-centered Empire will find an answer in this story of his rise to power. Thrawn is a brilliant tactician but hopeless at ceremony and protocol, so he takes a protégé and forges alliances with people who can balance this weakness. But alliances hold their own surprises and dangers…

The timeline for those not in the know.
There were Star Wars book published before Heir to the Empire but they were never allowed to continue the story that at the time ended with the rebels blowing up the second Death Star. So events between the movies and a few adventure stories with Han and Lando were out there, but fans finally had a new story to follow with Zahn's release. And most fans agreed that Zahn did it just right. The introduction of Grand Admiral Thrawn gave fans a new kind of villa ...more
There were Star Wars book published before Heir to the Empire but they were never allowed to continue the story that at the time ended with the rebels blowing up the second Death Star. So events between the movies and a few adventure stories with Han and Lando were out there, but fans finally had a new story to follow with Zahn's release. And most fans agreed that Zahn did it just right. The introduction of Grand Admiral Thrawn gave fans a new kind of villa ...more

AHHHHHHHHH....I need answers!
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You know those books that you finish reading and you want to talk about it to everyone, but what actually comes out of your mouth is basically incoherent screaming? Thrawn is one of those for me. This book had me geeking out from beginning to end.
Thrawn is one of the most popular characters from the original Star Wars Extended Universe, so much so that when the universe was reset there was some small rioting over his deletion from the canon. Thankfully he’s back in ...more
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You know those books that you finish reading and you want to talk about it to everyone, but what actually comes out of your mouth is basically incoherent screaming? Thrawn is one of those for me. This book had me geeking out from beginning to end.
Thrawn is one of the most popular characters from the original Star Wars Extended Universe, so much so that when the universe was reset there was some small rioting over his deletion from the canon. Thankfully he’s back in ...more
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Timothy Zahn attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1973. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and achieved an M.S. degree in physics in 1975. While he was pursuing a doctorate in physics, his adviser became ill and died. Zahn never completed the doctorate. In 1975 he had begun writing science fiction as a hobby, and he bec
...more
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