Thrawn: Alliances
August 2018
Justin Ward
Justin Ward
Author:
Timothy Zahn
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Publisher:
Del Rey Books
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Originally published:
24 July 2018
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Page count:
368 (Hardcover)
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RRP:
£20.00 (Hardback)
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This review is written as spoiler free as possible.
A long time ago in a galaxy far far away… I love a good villain, don’t you? In the early 90’s I read a novel by Timothy Zahn titled ‘Heir to the Empire’ that left me completely mesmerised by Thrawn. He possesses the power and ruthlessness of Darth Vader as well as the mystery and duplicity of the Emperor. It’s amazing to see such a character, who didn’t exist in the original canon, become such an integral part of the main canon. If you haven’t read the standalone book ‘Star Wars: Thrawn’ by Timothy Zahn, I highly suggest doing so before reading ‘Thrawn: Alliances’. While there isn’t a lot of critical tie-ins, there are some. Knowing the background will bring a richness to the ‘Thrawn: Alliances’. The Emperor has felt a disturbance in the force in a far and remote region of the outer rim near the unknown wilds of space on the planet of Batuu. During the Clone Wars, young Mitth'raw'nuruodo and Anakin Skywalker met on Batuu. Now they return as Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Vader, the Emperor’s two most trusted agents, tasked with destroying whatever is causing the disturbance. As always, the Emperor is using this mission to his advantage. He wants to validate Thrawn’s declared allegiance to the Empire and to test Darth Vader’s absolute loyalty. The story takes place in two different time periods. THEN during the Clone Wars and NOW just after the Battle of Atollon from Star Wars: Rebels. Zahn’s use of the past and present was a very clever way to go about telling this story as it reveals the nature and details of how Thrawn and Anakin first met. Zahn paints a very real picture of the tension within this interpersonal relationship as they both seek favour from the Emperor. The experiences these two have offer massive revelations which will have some interesting effects on the Star Wars galaxy moving forward. |
Past readers of Thrawn books will be delighted to know that everyone’s favourite military strategist continues to delight in this book. Had the Empire been filled with commanders of his nature I very well would have been rooting for the Empire. Not that anyone needs more of a reason to love Darth Vader. I mean who hasn’t seen the end of Rogue One? This novel further delves into the deep and complex character of Vader. Up until this point, it was largely unknown what Vader thought of Thrawn. ‘Thrawn: Alliances’ brings the reader into Vader’s inner thoughts about his past, his place at the side of the Emperor, Thrawn’s declared allegiance to the Empire, and The Emperor’s trust and favour of Thrawn. Zahn has successfully humanised these incredibly complex, dark characters. I must admit, by the end I was rooting for their success.
‘Thrawn: Alliances’ is not just for fans of Thrawn or Vader. If you’re a fan of Star Wars, do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of this book whenever you can.
About the reviewer: Justin Ward
I have been a fan of Star Wars since I was about 5 years old (1990). My dad was watching Return of The Jedi on television one Sunday afternoon. From the moment I saw Luke Skywalker’s lightsabre illuminate I was hooked. I made my mother rent the other two movies for me and then once I had memorised them front to back I desperately started looking for anything and everything remotely related to Star Wars. That was when I found the Extended Universe and all of the amazing novels that had been written. The rest as they say is history. Happy reading and May the Force be with you!
‘Thrawn: Alliances’ is not just for fans of Thrawn or Vader. If you’re a fan of Star Wars, do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of this book whenever you can.
About the reviewer: Justin Ward
I have been a fan of Star Wars since I was about 5 years old (1990). My dad was watching Return of The Jedi on television one Sunday afternoon. From the moment I saw Luke Skywalker’s lightsabre illuminate I was hooked. I made my mother rent the other two movies for me and then once I had memorised them front to back I desperately started looking for anything and everything remotely related to Star Wars. That was when I found the Extended Universe and all of the amazing novels that had been written. The rest as they say is history. Happy reading and May the Force be with you!