STAR WARS AFICIONADO WEBSITE: AFICIONADO REVIEW: 'THRAWN

Wednesday, 18 September 2019

AFICIONADO REVIEW: 'THRAWN - TREASON'

Loyalties tested and warfare emergent for Grand Admiral Thrawn in Thrawn - Treason, out now from Century.

The eagerly awaited finale to the presumed second trilogy of the world famous SW Expanded Universe Uber villain Grand Admiral Thrawn is here, and once again his creator Timothy Zahn delivers a page-turning adventure with Thrawn - Treason, UK published by Century, that fans will be delighted by.

We last encountered Thrawn aligned with the formidable powers of his true rival Darth Vader, the infamous Dark Lord of the Sith and right hand man to the Emperor himself, the results of which, whilst keeping at bay a determinedly growing alien force emergent from the Outlying Regions of the galaxy, the alien leader would ultimately piece together Vader's true past identity as the once greatest Jedi, Anakin Skywalker. Now, in the aftermath of that stand firm conflict against the Grysk Hegemony, armed with the knowledge that the militaristic manipulators will undoubtedly cross into the Empire's territory sooner rather than later, the Grand Admiral returns back to Imperial Centre only to find himself mired in all-new conflicts with rivals old and new, at a critical time in the development of the Emperor's vision and stranglehold of the galaxy via the birth of a unique and powerful construction project nearing completion: code-named 'Stardust'. A development that, if successfully realized, may threaten Thrawn's own unique plans to aid the Empire, to whom he has allied his past and future ambitions so intrinsically in ways beyond anything from his past history and dedication as an esteemed warrior for his own species- the warriors of the Chiss Ascendancy.

The Grand Moff Tarkin will stop at nothing to achieve his own goals for power.

And Thrawn couldn't be more caught in a nest of viper's like the one established in Treason, primarily the pawn of a much larger game orchestrated by the infamous Grand Moff Tarkin, carving his own powerplay strategy against the ambitious, lower down the Imperial elite chain (but nonetheless rising up) determination of Director Orson Krennic, whose caretaker/orchestration of Stardust and its powerful and prestigious potential, though dogged by years of delays and production problems, has nonetheless gained him considerable grace and favour with the Emperor- a project he personally wishes complete whatever it takes. Tarkin, wanting Stardust and its power all to himself, is determined to unseat Krennic, even if means sacrificing Thrawn as part of that scheme. Krennic is already aware of Tarkin's underhand scheming, but Thrawn himself has no choice but to follow the undercurrents of battle between the two rivals- a mysterious scenario now affecting Stardust potentially threatening the go-ahead by the Emperor to the successful creation/production pipeline of his unique TIE Defender fighter program, rendering it forfeit and extinct through lack of funding.

Eli Vanto returns, alongside the efficient Chiss officer Admiral Ar'alani. Art by Darren Tan.

Entering into the Stardust problem, a certainly unique mystery is revealed- a seemingly natural and unusual situation nicely linked to The Empire Strikes Back, though its ultimate solving leads to even greater danger with the return of the Grysk threat, acting in ways more cunning, bigger in ambition than we discovered in book two, and whose powers in control of other races remain cruelly effective. As Treason carefully unspools the threat, plot strands and characters from book one return to provide an effective closing symmetry to this trilogy finale. We discover just what happened to Thrawn's friend Eli Vanto, the Imperial officer with whom he developed a strong early rapport with, and who disappeared under a cloud a year earlier, seemingly never to return to the Star Destroyer Chimera. Under mysterious orders and a shroud of secrecy, Vanto now acts as the ultimate race relations liaison of sorts with the Chiss, of which his reemergence during a critical point sees him uncomfortably caught between worlds just like Thrawn has been over the decade since his 'discovery'. Cleverly, Vanto is our window into the world of Thrawn and his unique gifts, though he too now understands what it's like to be a stranger in a strange but fascinating land.

Zahn adds further intriguing facets to the alien Chiss, notably introducing a female warrior the equivalent to Thrawn, Admiral Ar'alani, unhappy with his seeming defection to the enemy side with the Empire and always probing where his true loyalties lie. The Chiss have a sense of honour and clan power basing not unlike the Klingons of the modern Star Trek series, it seems- a unique race with more secrets about their personal nature and technology to be revealed in future media-related tales, for sure.

With Death Troopers at his side, Director Orson Krennic remains steadfast to the 'Stardust' project.

Despite lots of advance publicity, the only real disappointment to the book is the true lack of Director Orson Krennic within the story. He was such an interesting baddie, not an elitist but an angry man with a grudge who had had to work hard to join the ranks, within the core of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. I'd hoped he would properly lock horns with the Grand Admiral throughout the entire story. Sadly, despite one Imperial meeting chapter early on, they share little time together, the potential character clashing of the story instead relayed via one of Krennic's less interesting yet key lackeys. A genuine wasted opportunity - perhaps the author was restricted in using the character for some reason on the Lucasfilm creative side?

But Zahn, whose writing style is never less than subtly depthful and efficient, instinctively knows how to give the Expanded Universe lovers more of what they want, and what that 'more' is is Thrawn. With his strategic and tactical genius, he continues to shine under his creator's storytelling, always able to out-think, out-anticipate and jump three steps ahead of all his rivals, leading his taskforce to an ending that pulls out all the stops via a forty-page finale space battle split in two, as opponents lock horns and laser cannons in conflicts that will surely blow the minds of Imperial Navy fans and those SW readers who appreciate battle tactics in both history and the franchise's history. The battles not just showcasing Thrawn but the book's other core characters most effectively too, including his efficient and capable female second-in-command, Faro.

Will Thrawn's post Star Wars Rebels fate be revealed in a later trilogy?

So, a satisfying end to this already acclaimed new trilogy featuring the complex and enigmatic alien warrior who serves the Empire with thoughtful distinction. But will there will be more of Thrawn? I'm more than certain there will be- some interesting little plot strands are resolved, but most can be reopened and expanded. Just as Harrison Ford is Han Solo, I'm sure there's a lot of Thrawn (in a good way, of course) is buried within Timothy Zahn's DNA. And where there's intrigue and warfare to come, from whichever side of the galaxy he may end up, the Grand Admiral will be centred at the bridge of the Chimera, ready and waiting to serve in the Emperor's name and legacy...

AFICIONADO RATING: It's Thrawn. It's Zahn. It's a must-have! 4 out of 5