Thrawn Novels
Lacy Tortelli
Found on an unnamed Outer Rim planet, the exiled Chiss warrior Thrawn pledges himself to Emperor Palpatine and joins the Imperial navy. Thrawn's cunning and expertise as a tactician help him to rise through the ranks with unprecedented speed, though his renegade tactics ignite the ire of his superiors. At Thrawn's side is his translator-turned-aide-de-camp, Ensign Eli Vanto, whom he trains in the ways of war. Meanwhile, ruthless administrator Arihnda Pryce plots her own rise to power.
The character of Thrawn was originally introduced in Zahn's 1991 novel Heir to the Empire, and became a fan favorite.[1][2] He went on to appear in several other novels, short stories, comics, and video games.[3] Following the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company, most of the licensed Star Wars fiction produced since the originating 1977 film Star Wars were rebranded as Star Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise in April 2014.[4][5][6]
In a prerecorded video, Zahn announced at the London Star Wars Celebration in July 2016 that he was writing a new novel for Del Rey Books titled Thrawn.[1][7][8] The same day, Del Rey confirmed on Twitter the novel's spring 2017 release.[1][9] In a subsequent interview with StarWars.com, Zahn noted that the novel would cover several years between Thrawn's "first encounter" with the Empire and the events of the third season of Star Wars Rebels, an animated television series in which the character will appear prior to the book's release.[10] He said:
It's very exciting [to write Thrawn again]. A writer never knows which characters are going to click with the readers, and it was highly gratifying to me that Thrawn captured the imaginations of so many people over the past quarter century. Over the years I've written a lot of books and stories that featured him, but with this book I'll be visiting a part of his life that I never before had a chance to explore.[10]
Asked if he would be incorporating any material from previous Thrawn novels, Zahn said, "I've thrown in a few bits and pieces. Nothing too blatant, just little Easter eggs for those who are familiar with my other books."[10] Though in Legends works Thrawn was mostly used in post-Return of the Jedi storylines, both Rebels and Thrawn take place prior to the events of the original 1977 film and show his rise to power.[1][11] Zahn said, "I get to show how he's treated by his fellow officers and shipmates on his way up the military ladder, particularly when he's not in a command position over them."[11]
Thrawn was published on April 11, 2017.[12][13] Del Rey Books produced three variant covers: the standard edition is white, featuring Thrawn's face split by the spine; the Barnes & Noble-exclusive edition has the same cover design in black, with a double-sided pull out poster that has a Thrawn portrait on one side and the Del Rey novel timeline on the other; and the Star Wars Celebration limited edition has a textless cover with Thrawn's full face, the portrait on the back cover, and special end papers.[14]
Adrian Liang of Omnivoracious called the novel "a solid addition to the new official Star Wars novels", noting that "the Thrawn POV chapters are the weakest" while the Vanto sections "provide the most insight and entertainment."[15]
In July 2017, Marvel Comics announced that a comic book miniseries adaptation of Thrawn is scheduled for release in early 2018.[16][17] The first issue was released on February 14, 2018, with five more to follow on a monthly basis.
A sequel to Thrawn, titled Thrawn: Alliances, was announced during New York Comic Con in October 2017.[18][19] The novel was scheduled to be released on June 26, 2018,[20] but was later delayed to July 24, 2018.[21] The cover artwork was revealed in November 2017,[22] and an excerpt was released on the official Star Wars website on March 23, 2018.[23] The excerpt was the first canon appearance of the planet Batuu, which was featured in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the new theme park expansion at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios, in 2019.[24][25] Thrawn: Alliances was released by Del Rey Books on July 24, 2018, and debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list.[26]
Thrawn: Alliances focuses on Thrawn's partnership with Darth Vader,[18][19] whom he meets at the conclusion of Thrawn. In the novel, Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Vader are sent on a mission to the unknown regions to explore a disturbance in the Force felt by Emperor Palpatine. The mission is more than that, however, as Thrawn's split loyalties between the Empire and his native people the Chiss and Vader's past as a Jedi require a test of loyalty for both. The book also features flashbacks to a Clone Wars conflict featuring Thrawn and Anakin Skywalker.
The good thing is that there is no definitive reading order for Thrawn. Depending on how you were introduced to the character or what part of the Star Wars timeline you want to start in, you can start with almost any of the Timothy Zahn-penned Thrawn books.
I do not, however, recommend starting with the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy. These books are some of the most heavy political sci-fi in all of Star Wars and are best read after the new Thrawn trilogy (Thrawn, Alliances, Treason).
Legends/EU: Set 5 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, the New Republic begins hearing whispers about Imperial remnants in the far reaches of the galaxy. These remnants are being led by one of the last Imperial warlords, who has discovered vital secrets that could be used to destroy the fragile New Republic.
The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight #1 (Oct. 4): While the upcoming Phase 3 books time jump to a year after the fall of Starlight Beacon, the miniseries Shadows of Starlight showcases what all happened in that year. The series, whose first issue drops on Oct. 4, focuses on the Jedi Council and the institution of emergency measures in response to the devastating Nihil attack.
I'm ashamed to admit I haven't touched the Legends Thrawn books, though they are on my shelf, to be read sometime soon... I do like that Grand Inquisitor cover! And I though I'd share that I've started up my own newsletter. If you'd like to see my SW shelves have a look at my first post
With three trilogies, a duology, and several other books and stories featuring the legendary Chiss character, there are always questions about how to read Thrawn books \u2014 where to start, in what order, etc.
New canon: Set during the height of the Empire\u2019s power, the Thrawn trilogy reintroduced the character into the new canon and explained his rise from exiled Chiss to grand admiral status. The second book follows Thrawn in the present day and in flashbacks alongside Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker, respectively, on similar missions to Batuu. The final book sees Thrawn at odds with various Imperial leaders, including Death Star director Orson Krennic. There\u2019s also a major threat to Thrawn\u2019s homeworld of the Chiss Ascendancy, and he\u2019s forced to choose between his people and the Empire.
Before Thrawn became an Imperial grand admiral, he was a Mitth'raw'nuruodo, a merit adoptive of the high-ranking Mitth family in the Chiss Ascendancy. The blue-skinned, red-eyed Chiss operate in an oligarchic autocracy and for the most part are isolationists in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy. Thrawn\u2019s origin story and strategical prowess are explored through the three sci-fi political novels, which take place roughly around the same time as the prequels and the Clone Wars. The final novel charts how Thrawn\u2019s actions led him to be exiled from his people.
Hand of Thrawn duology: Spectre of the Past and Vision of the Future: While Thrawn isn\u2019t the main focus of these books, they are excellent sequels to the original Legends trilogy. These two novels explore some of the Imperial remnants after Thrawn\u2019s death as well as show Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade\u2019s discovery of a mysterious fortress and the truth about Thrawn.
Outbound Flight and Survivor\u2019s Quest: In the first novel, we see Master C\u2019baoth during the prequel era, when his dream Outbound Flight project comes to fruition. The massive long-term space travel vessel eventually comes in contact with the Chiss and their mastermind Thrawn. Decades in the future in Survivor\u2019s Quest, Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade investigate the remains of the Outbound Flight project, which was destroyed by Thrawn and saw thousands of people killed.
\u201CIt was such an honor to be involved in the 10th anniversary for Rebels. Having recently revisited the adventures of the Spectres in preparation for Ahsoka, this opportunity was perfect timing,\u201D cover artist Caspar Wijngaard told StarWars.com. \u201CWe\u2019ve been absolutely spoiled with Rebels content these last few weeks and I\u2019m glad I could be a part of it in some way.\u201D
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