Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising
August 2020
Dave
Dave
Our friends at DelRey UK have once again been immensely generous and provided us with pre-release copies of the latest Star Wars novel: Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising.
A bit of history of the character - who is Thrawn?
In 1989, an author called Timothy Zahn was approached by Bantam Spectra Books (A division of Penguin Random House) known for science fiction novels who had been given the licence by Lucasfilm to produce novels for Star Wars. Zahn was already an established author, but this was something new - the brief was to create a new story within an existing universe, using existing characters and making use of West End Games source material from their Star Wars based roleplaying game. In response, he created a lasting legacy with his 1991 Heir to the Empire Trilogy, and in particular introduced the fans to Grand Admiral Thrawn. These, and the novels that followed over the next 21 years moved the stories and characters forwards. In 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm and determined that all non-screen material was to be considered non-canon, to be 'Legends' to allow Disney to move the story forwards in their vision. This created ripples in the fandom, many considered the novels to be canon and many of the characters who had been created in the novels were much loved. With this re-write of the Star Wars timeline there was now no place for Thrawn, Thrawn to all intents and purposes never existed. Then, in 2016 Thrawn was resurrected for the TV show 'Rebels' and the character was back. |
Return of the Zahn
In 2017 Zahn himself returned to Star Wars and Thrawn, with the novel, Star Wars: Thrawn, where we see how he came to be in the service of the Empire. Followed up in 2018 with Thrawn: Alliances (which explored a previous encounter Thrawn had with the then Republic) and Thrawn: Treason (which brought Thrawn up to the the Rebels TV show).
Ascendancy
However, none of these stories really explored Thrawn's background. Now with Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising we are getting that background. And what a background! In the previous novels, Zahn had introduced Mitth'raw'nuruodo (Thrawn's full name) as a character with a unique ability to see the soul of his enemies and to understand their tactics completely. This skill allowed him to take on any number of antagonists by 'reading' them and anticipating their moves. What wasn't explained was whether this is a wider Chiss (Thrawn's species) ability or not. Now, in Ascendancy, we understand that even within his own people, Thrawn is unique. His tactical brilliance allows him to rise within the ranks of the Chiss Defense Fleet, however, his political naivety (as was also demonstrated in the previous novels) means he makes enemies within the political Aristocra (the ruling families of the Chiss Ascendancy).
This novel is simply wonderful, Zahn is empire building - the amount of depth he puts into the novel is outstanding, we learn about the ruling class, the organisation of the defense force and the relations of the Chiss with their close neighbours.
The story is set at a time when Thrawn is already the captain of a ship and just after a failed attack on the home planet of the Chiss (Csilla) by an unknown enemy. Thrawn, and the head of the Defense Fleet feel that the attack was a ruse, a deliberate ploy to distract the Chiss from a greater threat. Going against the Aristocra's orders, Thrawn is tasked with identifying the real threat and ultimately eliminating it. This allows the story to explore the Chiss and their neighbours as Thrawn travels between various alien planets looking for clues, whilst always fending off attacks which seek to prevent him. And, back at home, Thrawn's political enemies seek to undermine him from within.
Throughout the story there are times where the main characters make reference to points of time in Thrawn's past, and after each reference we get a flashback, titled as 'memories', where we are taken back to the time referenced with Thrawn's earlier career more widely explored and explained. This is a brilliant method of fleshing out Thrawn and his personal relationships with the various other main characters without impacting on the immediacy of the main story of the novel.
This is the best Star Wars novel this year so far - and for that I do apologise to all of the great authors now employed by Del Rey. Its not to say that those other novels were inferior or poor, just that this novel, with the depth and also storytelling, is just so much bigger in scope, that it takes Star Wars firmly forward. This novel reminds me of why Timothy Zahn was first approached to write a Star Wars novel in 1989, its because Zahn has an ability to build an story with great characters within the Star Wars universe that is uniquely Zahn, whilst also being inherently 'Star Wars'.
I have deliberately attempted to not give too much away in this review, you have to explore this story yourself, let it fill you with the hope it has given me for future Star Wars material - all I can say is that you NEED to get this book, you NEED to read it - end of!
Priced at RRP £20.99 (UK) for the hardback copy or £9.99 (UK) for the Kindle edition the novel is released on the 1st September 2020.
If you haven't already, you can pre-order your copy here
Classic Thrawn
Whilst I have you, Del Rey have also re-released the classic Thrawn Trilogy that was originally published in 1991, 1992 and 1993.
In 2017 Zahn himself returned to Star Wars and Thrawn, with the novel, Star Wars: Thrawn, where we see how he came to be in the service of the Empire. Followed up in 2018 with Thrawn: Alliances (which explored a previous encounter Thrawn had with the then Republic) and Thrawn: Treason (which brought Thrawn up to the the Rebels TV show).
Ascendancy
However, none of these stories really explored Thrawn's background. Now with Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising we are getting that background. And what a background! In the previous novels, Zahn had introduced Mitth'raw'nuruodo (Thrawn's full name) as a character with a unique ability to see the soul of his enemies and to understand their tactics completely. This skill allowed him to take on any number of antagonists by 'reading' them and anticipating their moves. What wasn't explained was whether this is a wider Chiss (Thrawn's species) ability or not. Now, in Ascendancy, we understand that even within his own people, Thrawn is unique. His tactical brilliance allows him to rise within the ranks of the Chiss Defense Fleet, however, his political naivety (as was also demonstrated in the previous novels) means he makes enemies within the political Aristocra (the ruling families of the Chiss Ascendancy).
This novel is simply wonderful, Zahn is empire building - the amount of depth he puts into the novel is outstanding, we learn about the ruling class, the organisation of the defense force and the relations of the Chiss with their close neighbours.
The story is set at a time when Thrawn is already the captain of a ship and just after a failed attack on the home planet of the Chiss (Csilla) by an unknown enemy. Thrawn, and the head of the Defense Fleet feel that the attack was a ruse, a deliberate ploy to distract the Chiss from a greater threat. Going against the Aristocra's orders, Thrawn is tasked with identifying the real threat and ultimately eliminating it. This allows the story to explore the Chiss and their neighbours as Thrawn travels between various alien planets looking for clues, whilst always fending off attacks which seek to prevent him. And, back at home, Thrawn's political enemies seek to undermine him from within.
Throughout the story there are times where the main characters make reference to points of time in Thrawn's past, and after each reference we get a flashback, titled as 'memories', where we are taken back to the time referenced with Thrawn's earlier career more widely explored and explained. This is a brilliant method of fleshing out Thrawn and his personal relationships with the various other main characters without impacting on the immediacy of the main story of the novel.
This is the best Star Wars novel this year so far - and for that I do apologise to all of the great authors now employed by Del Rey. Its not to say that those other novels were inferior or poor, just that this novel, with the depth and also storytelling, is just so much bigger in scope, that it takes Star Wars firmly forward. This novel reminds me of why Timothy Zahn was first approached to write a Star Wars novel in 1989, its because Zahn has an ability to build an story with great characters within the Star Wars universe that is uniquely Zahn, whilst also being inherently 'Star Wars'.
I have deliberately attempted to not give too much away in this review, you have to explore this story yourself, let it fill you with the hope it has given me for future Star Wars material - all I can say is that you NEED to get this book, you NEED to read it - end of!
Priced at RRP £20.99 (UK) for the hardback copy or £9.99 (UK) for the Kindle edition the novel is released on the 1st September 2020.
If you haven't already, you can pre-order your copy here
Classic Thrawn
Whilst I have you, Del Rey have also re-released the classic Thrawn Trilogy that was originally published in 1991, 1992 and 1993.
The three novels all carry the 'Legends' banner, however, don't let that stop you. Set 5 years after Return of the Jedi, a new threat looms for Luke Skywalker and his friends in the guise of a grand master tactician - Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Despite the change of story in the last 6 years with the Sequel Trilogy, if you are a fan of Star Wars, these novels are a must read. All three novels were released on the 27th August 2020. What, you don't have them? Well, get them NOW!
Heir to the Empire
Dark Force Rising
The Last Command
Despite the change of story in the last 6 years with the Sequel Trilogy, if you are a fan of Star Wars, these novels are a must read. All three novels were released on the 27th August 2020. What, you don't have them? Well, get them NOW!
Heir to the Empire
Dark Force Rising
The Last Command