BBY/ABY is used to position items along the Star Wars Timeline. BBY refers to Before the Battle of Yavin. ABY refers to After the Battle of Yavin. The Battle of Yavin in Episode IV: A New Hope occured in 0 BBY/ABY.
The Youtini Expanded Universe Ranking system is a 1-5 scale that ranks EU book quality, difficulty, and importance. Books closer to Level 1 are easier to read and understand, more important, and of higher quality.
The newest edition to the Thrawn Saga, Thrawn: Treason reunites the Grand Admiral with some old allies as he attempts to shield the galaxy from its biggest threat yet.
Grand Admiral Thrawn faces the ultimate test of his loyalty to the Empire in this epic Star Wars novel from bestselling author Timothy Zahn.“If I were to serve the Empire, you would command my allegiance.” Such was the promise Grand Admiral Thrawn made to Emperor Palpatine at their first meeting. Since then, Thrawn has been one of the Empire’s most effective instruments, pursuing its enemies to the very edges of the known galaxy. But as keen a weapon as Thrawn has become, the Emperor dreams of something far more destructive.Now, as Thrawn’s TIE defender program is halted in favor of Director Krennic’s secret Death Star project, he realizes that the balance of power in the Empire is measured by more than just military acumen or tactical efficiency. Even the greatest intellect can hardly compete with the power to annihilate entire planets. As Thrawn works to secure his place in the Imperial hierarchy, his former protégé Eli Vanto returns with a dire warning about Thrawn’s homeworld. Thrawn’s mastery of strategy must guide him through an impossible choice: duty to the Chiss Ascendancy, or fealty to the Empire he has sworn to serve. Even if the right choice means committing treason.
If "Thrawn-iness" is a thing, then this is the Thrawniest thing to ever be created. It's Thrawn on steroids. That's either going to be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you feel about the character. Regardless, this book falls somewhere in between the first and second installments of the series. It's far better than Alliances, but not nearly as interesting as the original Thrawn novel.
At a certain point, the idea of an all knowing protagonist gets extremely tiresome, and that is exactly how I felt for the entirety of Thrawn: Treason. Couple this with a plot that barely nudges the needle of the status quo by book's end, and you get a story that is admittedly better than the second entry in the series, but ultimately skippable for all but major fans of the character.
Out of the three Canon novels that are currently out for Thrawn, I enjoyed this one slightly more than its predecessors only because I found major flaws in the other two books. Even then, Treason is just average in my opinion because there's nothing game-changing about this story that's somewhat deep into a series. And with a title and cover that's so ambitious, I almost felt cheated. There were some scenes that I admired, and it was nice seeing how Eli Vanto grew as a character, but you wouldn't be missing anything if you skipped this one.
While an enjoyable read, this book suffers from being in a restrictive point on the timeline and from a main character that, frankly, stagnates after the trilogy's first installment. The book takes place just before the end of "Rebels," which is a difficult time to introduce - and make compelling - a new "big bad." Though some sense of the Grysk's threat comes in dialogue toward the end of the book, ultimately they fall flat as an adversary; frankly, the inter-Imperial politics and piracy angle would have made better focal points of the plot. Meanwhile, Thrawn's growth and development as a character seem to have severely tapered off after the first novel in the series. Here, he is mostly the same four-steps-ahead-of-everyone-else character he was in the "Rebels timeline" portions of "Alliances." Sadly, it's starting to get stale. There are still bright spots - Zahn writes well and is generally a pleasure to read (aside from a couple instances where he lets arcane details slow down what would otherwise be fast-paced bits of narrative). Eli Vanto is back, and he has some GREAT moments in the book that, refreshingly, don't involve playing Watson to Thrawn's Holmes. Commodore Faro, who starts out as a mostly flat background character, comes more into her own. And we're introduced to more Chiss - Navigator Vah'nya offers a fascinating glimpse deeper into the Chiss, and Admiral Ar'alani - for me - almost steals the show. Ultimately though, given Thrawn's legendary status in the fandom, and Zahn's undeniable stature in Star Wars literature, the failure to have a sufficiently compelling adversary to drive the narrative combined with a stagnated title character make an otherwise enjoyable book less fulfilling than it should have been.
The end of a trilogy should leave you feeling satisfied. At the end of a trilogy, you should feel all the time you've invested in the past three books was all worth it. But the conclusion to this trilogy failed to impress, and I wish this story had ended with the first book. Zahn is a talented writer and knows all the ins and outs of Star Wars, but this time, it couldn't make up for the fact that this book was uninteresting and anything but fulfilling. I get that Thrawn is supposed to be the brilliant, unbeatable mastermind, but when you sacrifice satisfactory character development for tiresome invincibility, it's just not fun. I wanted this series to be fun. I am disappointed.
Entertaining if nothing else. The book becomes tedious in places as Zahn’s mastery of the science fiction genre comes through during major space battles and other physical explanations that one may find more familiar in Star Trek instead of the Wars. Thrawn is back unbeatable as ever, which is amazing if you love the character, but can be an annoying pattern. Overall, the book is worth the read, even if it drags at times and doesn’t add a lot to the saga at large. It was a positive experience for me, and a legend such as Zahn is always welcome to come and play in the Expanded Universe once again.
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 and the story of his rise in the Imperial ranks have remained mysterious. Now, in Star Wars: Thrawn, Timothy Zahn chronicles the fateful events that launched the blue-skinned, red-eyed master of military strategy and lethal warfare into the highest realms of power—and infamy.
"I have sensed a disturbance in the Force."
Ominous words under any circumstances, but all the more so when uttered by Emperor Palpatine. On Batuu, at the edges of the Unknown Regions, a threat to the Empire is taking root—its existence little more than a glimmer, its consequences as yet unknowable. But it is troubling enough to the Imperial leader to warrant investigation by his most powerful agents: ruthless enforcer Lord Darth Vader and brilliant strategist Grand Admiral Thrawn. Fierce rivals for the emperor's favor, and outspoken adversaries on Imperial affairs—including the Death Star project—the formidable pair seem unlikely partners for such a crucial mission. But the Emperor knows it's not the first time Vader and Thrawn have joined forces. And there's more behind his royal command than either man suspects.
In what seems like a lifetime ago, General Anakin Skywalker of the Galactic Republic, and Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo, officer of the Chiss Ascendancy, crossed paths for the first time. One on a desperate personal quest, the other with motives unknown…and undisclosed. But facing a gauntlet of dangers on a far-flung world, they forged an uneasy alliance—neither remotely aware of what their futures held in store.
Now, thrust together once more, they find themselves bound again for the planet where they once fought side by side. There they will be doubly challenged—by a test of their allegiance to the Empire…and an enemy that threatens even their combined might.
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 and the story of his rise in the Imperial ranks have remained mysterious. Now, in Star Wars: Thrawn, Timothy Zahn chronicles the fateful events that launched the blue-skinned, red-eyed master of military strategy and lethal warfare into the highest realms of power—and infamy.
"I have sensed a disturbance in the Force."
Ominous words under any circumstances, but all the more so when uttered by Emperor Palpatine. On Batuu, at the edges of the Unknown Regions, a threat to the Empire is taking root—its existence little more than a glimmer, its consequences as yet unknowable. But it is troubling enough to the Imperial leader to warrant investigation by his most powerful agents: ruthless enforcer Lord Darth Vader and brilliant strategist Grand Admiral Thrawn. Fierce rivals for the emperor's favor, and outspoken adversaries on Imperial affairs—including the Death Star project—the formidable pair seem unlikely partners for such a crucial mission. But the Emperor knows it's not the first time Vader and Thrawn have joined forces. And there's more behind his royal command than either man suspects.
In what seems like a lifetime ago, General Anakin Skywalker of the Galactic Republic, and Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo, officer of the Chiss Ascendancy, crossed paths for the first time. One on a desperate personal quest, the other with motives unknown…and undisclosed. But facing a gauntlet of dangers on a far-flung world, they forged an uneasy alliance—neither remotely aware of what their futures held in store.
Now, thrust together once more, they find themselves bound again for the planet where they once fought side by side. There they will be doubly challenged—by a test of their allegiance to the Empire…and an enemy that threatens even their combined might.
