NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • 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 … 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.
Praise for Thrawn: Treason
“Another excellent addition to the new canon . . . Thrawn: Treason will reward you thoroughly for your time.”—GeekMom
“If you’ve ever enjoyed a Thrawn story—whether that was Heir to the Empire and its sequels or Zahn’s new novels—you’ll find more of what you enjoy in Treason.”—Dork Side of the Force
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Once again Timothy Zahn spins an exciting science fiction tale. Taking an antagonist from an earlier series and making him the protagonist in this three books. I would highly recommend this series to any Star Wars fan.
This book recovers from the previous stumbles in the second book and presents a riveting adventure. I like that Eli Vanto comes back in this book and at the same time we see more of Thrawn’s genius and the other characters in the series. This was a great story, and I look forward to reading more of the series.
Can’t get enough of Timothy Zahn these days! If you love the sound of lightsabers and X-wings, get the audiobook version, you won’t be disappointed.
The original “Thrawn” trilogy of the mid 1990s kickstarted the modern era of Star Wars literature. We’re now in the post-modern era, perhaps? TImothy Zahn, a prolific scifi writer, was given the opportunity to pen three novels occurring after Return of the Jedi. In doing so, he made potentially the most iconic off-screen character in the franchise: Grand Admiral Thrawn.
When Disney bought Star Wars, many readers became quite angry they’d never see Thrawn again.
Disney apparently heard that fear, and reintroduced Thrawn not only in novels, but their animated TV Series, Star Wars Rebels. And the novels they gave back to Zahn to write, giving him the opportunity to retell his most famous character’s story in the new continuity.
Thrawn: Treason is the culmination of a trilogy taking place between Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One, and it features Thrawn’s rise to power in the Imperial military complex. Thrawn’s enigma as a character stems from his origin: he’s a blue-skinned Chiss who convinces the Emperor himself that he is necessary to the Empire’s safety. While the Empire usually only has human officers, Thrawn becomes an exception—much to the chagrin of his human counterparts.
While in Star Wars Rebels, Thrawn is portrayed as a villain, in the novels, he’s the principle protagonist, with complicated motivations regarding his desire to protect his people—the Chiss—and be loyal to his new liege—the Emperor. And Thrawn: Treason caps off a brilliant trilogy with a narrative that leaves open plenty of strings for future stories (a new one is coming next year) while resolving pressing plotlines. The novel also nicely ties into Star Wars Rebels, a TV series I highly encourage Star Wars fans to watch. It’s much more significant than you might think.
What Timothy Zahn does so expertly is write a novel from the perspective of the Empire while making readers sympathetic to typically “evil” characters. In most Star Wars stories, we only see the motivations of the Imperials through the lens of the “good guys,” but novels like Thrawn: Treason complicate morality in incredibly fun ways.
Not to say Thrawn, as a character, is a good person. He’s not. But his arguments sway you to see how he thinks, and you root for him, even as he promotes a worldview fundamentally flawed in its treatment of people.
I give Thrawn: Treason five stars.
I loved Thrawn from the original books. So glad Disney asked Zahn to resurrect him with the new series.
This third Thrawn book continues the “Sherlock in Space” storyline of Thrawn, and might even continue past three??? I certainly hope so. This mystery in the Star Wars universe is the most satisfying Star Wars written series. (I’ve read some fantastic ones!)
Thrawn is one of my favorite characters in the star wars universe and Star Wars Thrawn Treason is no exception. This book did a great job of combining where they left off with Eli Vanto from the first book to this book, the third of the trilogy.