benchurchus 's review for:

Thrawn by Timothy Zahn

4.0

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I’m on a huge Star Wars hype at the moment, and as someone on a bit of a reading mission, I decided to finally dive into the books. Almost ten years ago now, Star Wars reset its book continuity into two strands: Legends and Canon.

If there was a target market for that reset, it’s probably me. The old extended universe always felt a bit daunting, but I’ve picked up a few deals recently and now own more Star Wars books than I care to admit.

One of the characters to survive the reset is Thrawn, now formally part of canon. Timothy Zahn’s writing is genuinely engaging, and Thrawn makes for a really strong sci-fi read. In many ways, it feels like low sci-fi — the focus is on tactics, political manoeuvring, and the inner workings of the Empire. There’s a strong sense of how individuals and planets respond to growing authoritarianism, and what kind of person actually thrives in that system.

Thrawn himself is written like an anti-hero, almost a Sherlock Holmes figure placed within the Star Wars universe. It’s a fascinating take, and Zahn pulls it off well. The side characters add texture and give new perspectives that help ground the story. Without the usual high-sci-fi heroics and Jedi mysticism, the book feels more grounded, which I really enjoyed.

A great sci-fi book in its own right, and a perfect follow-up if, like me, you loved Andor and want to dig deeper into this side of the galaxy.