Thrawn Treason – Review

“I tire of this bickering,” the Emperor said. “You, Governor, were the one who arranged this meeting. What precisely was your intent?”

Excerpt From: Thawn: Treason, p17.

This review does contain very mild spoilers.

Thrawn is back, this time in the interlude of Star Wars Rebels season four when he was summoned away from Lothal. Thrawn: Treason illuminates what was so important, that it could pull him away from finally closing in the the rebels, once and for all. Project Stardust is in danger as it’s supply routes have been disrupted by grallocs, a cousin species of mynocks, causing important shipments to disappear and putting the titanic project behind schedule. With resources for his own TIE Defender project on the line, Thrawn faces his most Sherlockian mission yet; can he deduce the gralloc problem in a week?

Politics, Politics, Politics

Thrawn: Treason is full of Imperial politics. Palpatine is actively stoking the fires of political machinations in his minions, fostering discord, as men like Krennic, Tarkin and a new Grand Admiral, Savit all jockey for postion, power and their own self interest. What makes this so fascinating is how Zahn helps lay the foundations for the reasons the Empire will ultimately fail. By encouraging this, Palpatine is creating a system that will eventually crack under the weight of ambition and egocentric behavior. As those in the Empire realize the immense corruption, they will eventually turn away, looking out for themselves or seeking out an alternative ideal to believe in. Zahn offers the perfect juxtaposition with Thrawn, the alien, being the embodiment of everything the Empire says it stands for yet doesn’t when you get past the crisp uniformed shell.

More Chiss

One of the best things about this novel is Zahn getting the opportunity to follow up on his first Thrawn novel. He answers the question of why Vanto was sent to the Chiss Ascendancy and gives readers what they all want, more Vanto! He is also able to expand on our understanding of the Ascendancy, their navigators and their importance to the survival of the Chiss. Furthermore the Gysks are back and the threat they face looms larger than was previously believed for the Chiss and for the Empire.

The Book

Zahn is a master at what he does. The mystery surrounding the supply lines is the kind of thing you want Thrawn facing. He’s also thrown the challenge of navigating the politics of the upper echelons of the Imperial Navy, something he’s no skill in. The book feels like the end of this era for Thrawn as he heads back to Lothal and Rebels shows us how that plays out. If this is the last we see of the illustrious Grand Admiral, Treason is a fitting end, the book is rated 4 out of 5 stars.

This review was completed using a copy of Thrawn: Treason provided by Del Rey.

Author: Matt Rushing

Matthew Rushing is the host of Trek.fm‘s The 602 Club and co-host of TheNerdParty.com‘s AggressiveNegotiations: A Star Wars Podcast. He can be found on Twitter @mattrushing02.