#i hope zahn does an eli vanto trilogy

[izfaish]

i should be asleep but i just spent like an hour trying to find a tumblr post i mde about my top 10 fav characters and making sure eli vanto was on there bc i forgot. anyway. he was on there 👍 i will draw him one day

[jiabeewrites]

Who's your favorite star wars character, and why?

(mine's obi-wan)

-🐻

Hi 🐻! (same, i love obi-wan!) I hope you know what you're getting into...

Okay, I know that I've talked a LOT about Echo, but he's actually not my favorite!

GASP WHOA SHOCKER.

He's tied in second with Ahsoka. So my favorite Star Wars character is...

THIS GENIUS BASTARD RIGHT HERE ⬇️

MITTH'RAW'NURUODO AKA:

THRAWN

If you've come all this way, excellent! Here's the actual essay on why I love Thrawn and why he's such a compelling character.​

This is gonna be pretty long, and if you haven't read any of the Timothy Zahn Thrawn books, you're gonna be spoilt. ​

To put it simply? Thrawn is good at what he does. He's not an incompetent dumbass like we see with many of the Imperial Officers (mainly in Star Wars Rebels and The Empire Strikes Back). He's not a magical space wizard. He's one of the only non-human people we see running the Empire at all. ​

But here's the really long version.

Thrawn starts out as this really weird guy. And this is Chiss standards. He doesn't use standard military tactics, he's both loved and hated (mostly hated), and people don't really understand him. All they understand is that he wins. He is very, very good at what he does, all because he studies people's art.

Yeah. That's a big one. He understands art like no one else.

We'll get back to that later.

But throughout his pre-Empire life, we keep seeing people who are conspiring to bring him down. All throughout the trilogy, Thrawn: Ascendancy, his own family doesn't want anything to do with him. They plot against him.

And he fucking knows.

Eventually, he gets "exiled."

Now, there's a huge timeskip between the Ascendancy trilogy and the Thrawn trilogy. But we see the Empire discovering this weird blue dude, he speaks a foreign language, but guy understands Sy Bisti.

And so does Eli Vanto.

Long story short, they throw both Thrawn and Eli into the Imperial Military Academy or some shit and then Thrawn slowly becomes Grand Admiral, blah blah blah, I won't spoil the rest of it because its really interesting and go read the fucking books.

But we see, throughout the all the books and even the Rebels series: Thrawn is very, very good at being smart. He outsmarts the Rebels more than once, he lies to the Emperor's fucking face, he sends more than one person to his people in order to protect them from the Empire's wrath.

He's not like the other Imperials, who immediately fire/kill people who fail them. He teaches his subordinates to learn from the mistake. (People probably died but most of the time they didn't)

He uses art to determine people's weaknesses. This...this both confuses and fascinates me, mostly because I can't see what's right in front of me until he points it out. This is the ONE thing that Canon Thrawn keeps from the books Thrawn. If he can't find art, he lets them attack first so that he knows what defense/offense to use against them.

Yes. He has weaknesses. Just like any other character, but his I find particularly funny. Politics. He sucks at dealing with anything political, something that his family used against him. Pretty sure that's what got him "exiled."

TLDR, Thrawn is an amazing character. He's got major flaws, yes, but...god, I can't even decide if he's a good guy or not! He's the hero and the villain. He's a GENIUS. He understands art like no one else, he's a brilliant tactician, ruthless to his enemies and confusing to his allies. (Unless, of course, those allies are Eli, Ar'alani, or Samakro)

And I swear, if I don't see Eli Vanto, the Chiss, or the Rebels being thoroughly confused/concerned about Thrawn in the Ahsoka series I will throw hands and Disney better catch them.

[space-girl-and-droids-art]

Thrawn- Book Review

(Nobody asked for this review, but here it is. This is spoiler free for the book itself but it does contain minor spoilers for Star Wars: Rebels. I’m not a book expert and I don’t even know how to speak in English to begin with, so excuse my poor grammar.)

“Thrawn” is canon novel written by Timothy Zahn that tells the story of how Thrawn made his way up on the empire after being exiled by the Chiss Ascendancy, as well as showing us more of his military tactics in contrast of his politic ingenuity.

The story starts on 11 BBY with an imperial cadet named Eli Vanto exploring an uncharted world in Wild Space with an Imperial scouting party to try and find a mysterious warrior that has been attacking them. And from there, the story unfolds.

I’ve always found Thrawn to be an extremely interesting villain while watching Star Wars: Rebels (I have not read the Legends trilogy, but I’m planning to read it in the future) so getting to know more about his character and how he started working for the empire was a great journey and a very interesting read. It also makes me understand Thrawn as a villain even more without having to justify his actions. He working for the empire will always be a bad thing, because he is aware of what the empire is really about, but after reading this book you learn about what moves him, what motivates him and what are his reasons to do what he is doing in the first place.

The book is specially interesting because it has a certain element of mystery behind it all, it felt like I was reading a space military Sherlock Holmes novel, with Thrawn being the famous detective. The role of John Watson would be filled by Eli Vanto, which is another character I really liked. Even when the book is about Thrawn and narrated in third person, I got the feeling during the entire book that we, as readers, are perceiving Thrawn as Eli perceives him. He is extremely connected to Thrawn willingly or not, and this carries good and bad stuff for Eli. Through Eli we can see that what Thrawn says or does has consequences for the people that support him.

I love how Thrawn is always one step ahead of everyone else, and seeing how his brain operates. But he is far from a perfect person. All of what makes him a good warrior makes him a terrible politician. This book does contain politics, but those are from the point of view of another Star Wars: Rebels Villain: Arihnda Pryce.

I loved reading about her in this book and it made me appreciate her more as a villain (don’t get me wrong, I still don’t like her as a person. She is terrible.). We see how she moves up as well as Thrawn during this story and we get to understand the weird dynamic and tension present when these two characters have to work together in the series. We also get to see more of how the Senate and politics worked during the imperial era, which is a subject I’m always excited to see.

I also liked the way she was written in the book because she does get her time to shine and we see how complex of a character she is. I really don’t like her and I was still rooting for her at specific times. I don’t think her character was portrayed in a misogynistic way, which is what usually happens with female villains in literature, specially when written by men. She felt like a real person, with real motives, while also acknowledging her as the evil person she is.

The plot is very entertaining and it keeps you glued to the book the entire time. I don’t think there’s a single chapter or scene that fell flat for me, even when it’s not a fast book in terms of narration. It takes it’s time to tell the story, and it does it so well. I enjoyed this book far more than what I thought I would, and I’m excited to read the next two books in this series.

I will not read the Thrawn: Ascendancy books yet. I will wait until the last book of that trilogy releases to purchase those. But I also really want to read them now.

I would recommend this book to everyone that loves Star Wars. Specially if you like the original trilogy and Star Wars: Rebels. It is truly an amazing book, and it adds a lot of depth to his actions in future actions of this character.

If you would prefer more young adult, romance books, or more light reads: check out the reviews I have done for the other Star Wars book that I’ve read! I think there’s a Star Wars book for every type of Star Wars fan, so if this one in particular doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry! You’ll find your book soon enough.

I hope you liked this review and give the book a read if you are interested!

[gffa]

Hey! Long time reader, first time asker but I read your post yesterday about supplementary material enriching experience. I’ve seen all the movies, I’m loving The Clone Wars and I enjoy playing Swtor but that’s all I have experienced. Do you have any recommendations as to where to start with supplementary material? Are the graphic novels you reference on that marvel comic subscription do you know? Thank you for your posts, they are always so interesting!

Hi!  Thank you for the kind words, I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog!  And I love doing “where to start” posts!  Keep in mind that a lot depends on what you happen to like (if you’re more of an OT fan or a PT fan or an ST fan, if you like certain characters more than others, etc.) but I think the basic places to start when moving on from the movies are:- The Clone Wars TV show.  As you’ve said, you’re already watching this one but it’s still my #1 recommendation, because it sets up so much of the galaxy and the way things operate in the Republic and is just really good.  Finish this one first, as it introduces you to so much you’ll need down the road–a lot of the Jedi characters that will then break your heart when you watch Order 66 happening in Revenge of the Sith, getting invested in Ahsoka Tano and her role in Anakin’s life, getting more time spent with characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala, some trippy arcs like the Mortis arc that are fascinating for Force Woo, and a lot of stuff will come up in other shows, comics, and books!- Star Wars Rebels TV show.  While it’s about an entirely new group of characters, it has a lot of recurring familiar characters–like James Earl Jones reprises his role in voicing Darth Vader, you learn the fate of Ahsoka Tano here, you get to see some of the clones again, you get a look at what it’s like for Jedi under the thumb of the Empire, you’re introduced to the Inquisitors, you get to see the politics of the Rebellion as the show goes along, you get a better look at Mandalore, etc.  This is another show that will help form the foundations of other stuff.- Star Wars Battlefront II game.  You can play it or just watch a movie version of it on YouTube.  Yeah, the game got a lot of crap for the shit EA tried to pull with it, but it’s turned into a really great piece of media and the story itself is absolutely fantastic and will only take about 2 hours to get through, but a) it’s a great story with great characters (I LOVE IDEN VERSIO SO MUCH) and b) it does a great job at showing a lot of what happened after Return of the Jedi but before the Empire truly gave up.  This establishes a lot of the final fight stuff, like the Battle of Jakku and its importance (aka, that’s all those ships that Rey is scavenging at the beginning of The Force Awakens) and what Operation Cinder is and the epilogue helps lead into what the First Order is.- The Star Wars titular comic + Darth Vader volume 1 (by Kieron Gillen) comics.  These two are meant to be read concurrently, so I recommend them together, and they do an absolutely incredible job of filling out the space between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.  They’re telling fantastic stories (including some really powerful stuff about Vader finding out the name of the Death Star pilot is Skywalker) while also giving some really great insights into the characters, adding depth to the story of the movies, and made me fall in love with the characters all over again.  This Vader tends to be a little more mysterious, Gillen liked keeping the mystique to him (which appeals more to some, so if that’s your jam, read these first!), the feeling is very much in tune with the original trilogy in that sense.  Same for the heroes, they feel very OT!- Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith by Charles Soule comics.  You can read the Vader comics in either order, but I generally like suggesting this one to go second (release order is always good, imo) despite that this is my favorite of the comics.  Set not long after Revenge of the Sith, this is a comic about Darth Vader adjusting to his new life and about the bigger, overarching story of the psychological look at a character who cannot admit what he’s done wrong.  On the surface, it’s about him hunting down Jedi and trying to raise his wife from the dead, but in the macro sense, it’s about this guy who cannot admit that he had other choices, even when the Force is literally throwing those other paths in his face.  Great Vader content for him being powerful and terrifying, while also being an absolute human disaster garbage bag.- Age of the Republic comics by Jodie Houser.  If you like the prequels at all, these comics are stellar.  There are eight of them, four for the main heroes, four for the main villains, and they’re a single issue each, where there’s a short look into their lives at various points, all which illustrate really thoughtful things about the characters, whether through their actions or even sometimes comparisons with other issues in the series.  (ie, reading the Obi-Wan one and Jango Fett one really highlighted how each of them dealt with this young person they were taking care of.)  They were just REALLY GOOD STORIES, too.- Star Wars Adventures by IDW Comics.  These are cuter stories and set all across various eras, from the PT to the OT to the ST to occasionally other areas, but they’re always just absolutely CHARMING.  They’re pure delight to read, they tend to focus on moments that are just really fun, so it’s easy to think of it as a kids’ comic, but instead I think they work best at showing some of the more hopeful moments of Star Wars without being too fluffy.- Poe Dameron by Charles Soule comics.  These are SO GOOD, they really add so much to Poe’s character and they also do a great job of fleshing out that time between the New Republic still working to stabilize itself and when we know the First Order is coming.  But mostly it just really makes you like Poe as a character, it captures his sense of charm and swagger while giving him an actual character arc, as he learns to be a leader.- Kanan: The Last Padawan comics.  You need to see Rebels first (or at least the first two seasons, enough to make you care about Kanan as a character) but then this is a gorgeous, beautifully told story.  It’s half about the current days with his new found family the Ghost crew (the cast of Rebels) and half about his history as a Padawan in the Jedi Order, how he was apprenticed to Depa Billaba, how he watched her die, how he had to live in the galaxy that wanted him dead just for being born the way he was, how he was being hunted for it, and how he survived.  It’s really, really good!- Forces of Destiny animated shorts.  You can find them all on Disney’s YouTube channel, they’re these 2-3 minute long stories about the women of the galaxy far, far away (with occasional appearances by others) and they’re pretty light-hearted fare, they’re meant to impart messages to kids or just be bite-sized content, but they’re pretty wonderful and it’s nice to see the women of SW get some attention.- From a Certain Point of View book.  For the 40th Anniversary of A New Hope they put out an anthology of short stories, telling the various points of view of different side characters and adding depth to everything that was going on.  Not all of them are super great, you can feel free to skip ones if you’re getting bored, but there are some MUST READ ones, especially the Qui-Gon, Yoda, and Obi-Wan ones.  And the Admiral Motti story had me in absolute tears from cry-laughing while reading it.- Bloodline by Claudia Gray book.  It’s a really good Leia story, but it’s also a book that does a lot to cover what’s going on with the New Republic still struggling to establish itself, why Leia isn’t part of it by TFA, and more on how the First Order came to be and why people stuck their heads in the sand about it.- Thrawn by Timothy Zahn book.  While there’s some dissonance between Zahn’s version of the character and the character from Rebels, I think you can make them fit together, and this book really is one of the best of canon material.  It’s fun and zips right along and introduces some new characters and sets up some really interesting backstories and just fleshes out the Imperial stuff and gives us Eli Vanto.  ALL THINGS I LOVED.FINALLY:  The above is aimed at a general list of things that I thin pretty much anyone would enjoy, it’s meant to cover most of the bases as best I can, but if you have a favorite era or a favorite character, feel free to run straight to anything that involves them.  There’s a lot of good Legends stuff (as always it’s hard not to recommend the Revenge of the Sith novelization or Wild Space, but that’d just muddle the line between canon and Legends), but I’m sticking with canon right now because it’s easier and there’s so much good stuff and it’s less confusing that way.All the comics are available on Comixology (and there’s never been a comic I hated by any means, though, admittedly some of the mini series can be kind of bland, anything that ran for at least 20 issues is a good bet, and most of the comics are THE BEST of the supplementary material), and if you don’t mind waiting a couple of months for Disney+ (or Googling for streaming sites) the animated properties are all really worth watching.  Sometimes they take a bit to get going, but I’ve fallen in love with every single one.These might not end up being your favorites (some of my favorites–like the Aftermath books or the Join the Resistance books–are ones that I wouldn’t put on a list for new-to-supplementary-material fans, because they’re a little too distanced from established characters) but they’re great places to start getting a feel for whether or not you like this kind of thing!  :D

[aion-rsa]

Star Wars Thrawn: Treason Review

https://ift.tt/2XW8AXs

Timothy Zahn's latest Star Wars novel is more of the same for Thrawn, but with a Rogue One flavor. Our review...

facebook

twitter

tumblr

By now, you probably know whether you like Grand Admiral Thrawn or not. I’m one of those fans who could take or leave the almost presciently intelligent villain. Meanwhile, Thrawn has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence since he was brought in from the Legends timeline for Star Wars Rebels.

Thrawn: Treason, the latest Thrawn novel from his original creator Timothy Zahn, is not a standalone novel, and it hopes readers already know Rogue One, Rebels, and especially Eli Vanto, the translator-turned-strategic protege Thrawn took on in the earlier novels in this canon series. Overall, Treason is a solidly constructed story that includes a lot of almost-explored threads worthy of their own novels. 

After Thrawn: Alliances connected the Original Trilogy and the Prequels, Treason returns to the early days of the Galactic Civil War. The rebellion is hardly a presence in the galaxy. The Death Star project is underway, so Rogue One’s Orson Krennic is concentrating on both his super-weapon project and his velvet-gloved rivalry with Grand Moff Tarkin. Tarkin challenges Thrawn to get rid of the pests challenging Krennic’s supply chain. Krennic gives him one week to do it and wagers Thrawn’s pet project, the TIE Defender squad.

The real stakes are clear: either Thrawn fails and Tarkin is discredited, or he succeeds and the Death Star project scoops up his R&D funding. Of course, the story soon becomes bigger than that: the Chiss have appeared in the known galaxy, fighting their old nuisance, the Grysks. 

Those threads separated from the main story are both strengths and weaknesses. As usual, the legendary Star Wars author's ability to create an intricate mystery is impressive. Thrawn masterfully predicts what an enemy is going to do next (and oh boy, does it go from masterful to “basically psychic” sometimes). Therefore, Zahn has to make his novel work on at least two levels: moving the plot forward and doing so in a way that other characters find out about it only gradually compared to Thrawn. It’s impressive, if not exactly a stretch of the author’s creative muscles.

The book starts slow. Although it’s clear from the beginning that removing pests from the supply lines isn’t Thrawn’s only challenge, that’s still the hook the book opens with. Of course, the Death Star project is looming over all of it, but it’s still an animal control job. I found myself wishing that Thrawn would be less subtle about investigating what the Empire is actually building, or for some bonkers reveal about Thrawn having helped build the superweapon. There are some wink-nudge conversations, but they are understated—a tone which I usually enjoy but which here feel cold. 

One exception to that coldness is Director Krennic, whose dialogue is so pitch-perfect I could almost hear Ben Mendelsohn. His malicious amusement adds energy to every scene he’s in. It’s therefore especially disappointing when he’s replaced with Ronan, an assistant director on the Death Star project. Ronan is canonically a Krennic mimic; he idolizes the man and has the same fondness for capes. His voice is watered down in comparison to Krennic’s, though, and his characterization is buried beneath a too-long action subplot in the middle of the book. 

Another new character, Grand Admiral Ar’alani, gives tantalizing glimpses into Chiss capabilities also hinted at in Thrawn: Alliances. Especially in regards to the Chiss navigators Ar’alani oversees, Treason offers up plenty of questions that could add up to a twist on Force users as we know them. Many answers can be implied, but it’s also frustrating that more attention isn’t paid to the navigators. Ar’alani is compelling: a buttoned-up admiral when she needs to be, she also shows moments of compassion. New Chiss characters could have an entire book to themselves if Star Wars was willing to use Thrawn as a springboard to explore more of the galaxy instead of returning to the scene of his deductions. 

Eli Vanto’s time among the Chiss provides some of this. The Imperial analyst is being groomed for something among the aliens, but he isn’t sure what. The best of the Chiss scenes have a C.J. Cherryh quality; Eli is the lone human among severe and dignified aliens. (The fact that they’ve transformed his name into a Chiss-style three-part name is very endearing.) But it’s never quite clear what the Chiss Ascendancy’s political structure or moral framework is, which is especially odd when it’s supposed to be very alien. It’s also not presented as better or worse than the Galactic Empire, leaving us with a bad cop-bad cop interrogation of both the Grysks and the nascent Rebellion. The Grysks are aggressively trying to grab territory and the Rebellion is just a whisper, so the Ascendancy hasn’t really had to make any sweeping moral choices. The titular treachery is further defanged because we don’t really know what Thrawn’s loyalty to his own people stems from. He remains a mystery himself. 

Fans of technobabble will find plenty here, with characters having lengthy conversations about the physics of their plans. It’s more Star Trek than Star Wars at points, but Star Wars has also always had its love for minutiae and definitions. Krennic’s Death Troopers are fleshed out a bit, and the relatively thorough look behind the masks is refreshing after the novel plays coy with the Chiss. As in the other Thrawn novels, I disagree with the fundamental idea that keeping things a mystery makes for a stronger story. Sometimes, it just reveals a lack of detail. 

Thrawn has a clear loyalty and motive without being upfront about it, and that’s an impressive balance to strike. As usual, Zahn’s craft is so solid. The pacing is admirable, the mysteries well doled-out. His ability to write movie characters that feel cinematic is one of the reasons he has been a beloved Star Wars author for so long. But Treason seems to mute those strengths, while at the same time being a perfectly competent novel about Thrawn out-thinking his enemies. With lots of quiet informational fencing and muted stakes, it leans almost entirely on Rogue One for tension.

Megan Crouse writes about Star Wars and pop culture for StarWars.com, Star Wars Insider, and Den of Geek. Read more of her work here. Find her on Twitter @blogfullofwords.

Books

3/5

Star Wars

facebook

twitter

tumblr

Del Rey

News Megan Crouse

Jul 23, 2019

from Books https://ift.tt/2K2MIzF

[fic-dreamin]

Only been waiting years for this book The down side of the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm was that books like Timothy Zahn's the Thrawn Trilogy were relegated to a status dubbed "Legends." And while some of the new material has been enjoyable (notably James Luceno' s "Catalyst") mostly the books have been middling-quality afterthought to the new films and cartoons. Go to Amazon

And I was not disappointed in his storytelling as an adult It has been well over 10 years since I have cracked a book written by Zahn. I was in my teens when I read some of his earlier works. And I was not disappointed in his storytelling as an adult. Here Zahn weaves the back story for one of his most beloved characters "Grand Admiral Thrawn", in all the gritty, calculating, detail and intrigue that comes with the character himself. Zahn's work was every bit the caliber, I remembered it to be. This point can be further emphasized as you find yourself cheering for a "not so alien, not so evil, Starwars villain. Go to Amazon

Thrawn is perhaps Timothy Zahn at his best How does Zahn do it? I have been hoping for years, that an origin story about Grand Admiral Thrawn would be written. It was worth the wait! I could not stop reading nor put the book down. Timothy Zahn is at his best! It was a pleasure to learn what happens to the Chiss military genius after the events of Outbound Flight. If you are a Star Wars fan you will love this book. And if you aren't a Sci Fi fan, upon finishing this book you will become a fan of the genre. Go to Amazon

Thrawn returns I have always liked the Thrawn character, since his introduction in the original Zahn Star Wars trilogy back in the early 90s. This reintroduction has merely made him a larger facet of an amazing universe. Thrawn’s tactical abilities and coolheadedness are part of what makes him an excellent character. Although, at times, the Thrawn/Eli Vanto relationship borders on the Sherlock/Watson vibe, this does not diminish the story. And to have even more gaps filled in prior to ‘A New Hope’ is always a welcome entry to the Star Wars universe. Looking forward to more from the Chiss strategist! Go to Amazon

... and I can't remember how Thrown was other than pretty badass. In this book Thrown shows the elite ... Its been a while since I read the Heir to the Empire novels and I can't remember how Thrown was other than pretty badass. In this book Thrown shows the elite of the Empire why he is a Grand Admiral. Story starts with him being introduced to the Emperor and his rise to power and if you watch the Rebels TV show then you will know some of the other supporting characters. Again I cannot compare it to Heir but it was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend Go to Amazon

The Rise of Grand Admiral Thrawn! Amazing book! A must read for any Star Wars fan. This is the story of how Thrawn entered into the Imperial Navy and went from academy cadet to Grand Admiral. This story is so good, it really shows how smart Thrawn is and his relationship with the Emperor makes him pretty much untouchable. His ise to power is full of sabotage, political backstabbing & much more. Many tried to see to it that Thrawn would fail or die and he was always one step ahead. Go to Amazon

Zahn does it again. Fans of Thrawn will love this story! Even though Zahn had some of his best work tossed out by Disney, he really shines in this work. Returning once again to a character he originated, the story shines as the reader finds themselves returning to an artful tactician at the height of the Inperial military might. Too bad the new story group didn't get Zahn to write a story before this one. His skill, so prominently on display, could have been used to properly reset the new expanded universe in a much better manner than what Chuck Wendig dialed in. Go to Amazon

Great book I enjoyed several things about this book. Go to Amazon

Great Book A new series for Thrawn fans Another wonderful book by Zahn Five Stars Five Stars Another Amazing Zahn Novel A Good Read Thrawn is infallible, and subsequently boring. The Savior of the Extended Universe Solid book

[space-girl-and-droids-art]

Thrawn:Alliances -Book review

(Nobody asked for this review, but here it is. This is spoiler free for the book itself but it does contain minor spoilers for Star Wars: Rebels and the first book of Thrawn. I’m not a book expert and I don’t even know how to speak in English to begin with, so excuse my poor grammar.)

“Thrawn: Alliances” is canon novel written by Timothy Zahn that tells two stories about thrawn. One of the stories is about how Anakin and Thrawn met and worked together during a specific event on the Clone Wars, and the second one is post Season 3 of Rebels, when Thrawn has to work together with Darth Vader on the same planet where they had meet before. The book is mostly about the tense relationship between the two, plus a discourse of loyalty that I really enjoyed.

I’m going to make this review quick because my head hurts, but I’ll probably add more later on.

I really enjoyed the first book of this trilogy, since I really like Thrawn both as a character and as a villain, and I was excited to see the tension between him and Darth Vader in this second book. And I was not disappointed.

Since we get to see the duality of Anakin Skywalker-Darth Vader through the eyes of Thrawn, we can really see what aspects of Anakin are dead when he is Vader, and which aspects are still present in both of them.

The story between Anakin and Vader was the most engaging out of the two, since it felt like a clone wars arc. I didn’t find the story in the present day (Thrawn- Vader) interesting until the very end, something I really didn’t see coming and that changed my perspective on the book itself. But what I liked the most about this book is how the stories are interconnected in more than one way, and often parallels each other.

This book felt more like a character study for both characters, which isn’t a bad thing. I have not read that much about Vader yet, so I was glad to see a little more inside his mind. I also liked the discourse of where do their loyalties lie that it’s present in the entire book until the very end.

The last point really makes me see Thrawn with a different set of eyes. I know he is a villain, and I’ll never justify his actions, but you can kind of tell why he is doing what he is doing, and it’s not as selfish as other’s villains’ decisions. He is not evil just because, he thinks he is doing what must be done, which adds a lot more complexity to his evilness, while still being evil.

I missed Eli Vanto in this one, I hope he is safe in the Chiss ascendancy. I was glad to have a lot more Karyn Faro content. She is amazing, and I like how Thrawn doesn’t treat her or the crew badly. The mutual respect for one another is near wholesome. The Chimaera seems to be the ship with the healthiest work environment tbh. Karyn is definitely one of my favorite Star Wars characters after these books, she really won me over.

This book helped me understand on a whole other level the minds and reasoning behind the actions of every character involved, and it was a good read.

I still think the first book is better than this one, but this is still a good book, so if you loved the first one: you are going to like this, give it a try.