9.6 /10 1 Votes
Country United States Publication date April 11, 2017 Pages 448 Genre Science Fiction | 4.8/5 Goodreads Language English Media type Print
E-book
Audiobook Originally published 11 April 2017 Series Star Wars Publisher Del Rey Books | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ISBN 978-0345511270 (First edition) Similar Timothy Zahn books, Science Fiction books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Star Wars: Thrawn is an upcoming Star Wars novel by Timothy Zahn, scheduled to be published on April 11, 2017 by Del Rey Books. It will chronicle the origins of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a popular character originating from the Star Wars Legends line of works, which were declared non-canon to the franchise after Lucasfilm redefined Star Wars continuity in April 2014. The novel was announced in July 2016 alongside news that the character Thrawn would be reintroduced into the Star Wars franchise on the 3D CGI animated television series Star Wars Rebels.
Contents
Plot
Exiled Chiss warrior Thrawn is rescued by Imperial soldiers, and soon proves a valuable asset to the Empire. His cunning and expertise as a tactician soon attract the attention of Emperor Palpatine himself, though Thrawn's renegade tactics ignite the ire of his superiors. As he rises in the ranks, Thrawn trains his aide-de-camp Ensign Eli Vanto in the ways of war, and finds himself in a rivalry with ruthless administrator Arihnda Pryce.
Development
The character of Thrawn was originally introduced in Zahn's 1991 novel Heir to the Empire, and became a fan favorite. With the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company, most of the licensed Star Wars novels and comics produced since the originating 1977 film Star Wars were rebranded as Star Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise in April 2014.
In a prerecorded video, Zahn announced at the London Star Wars Celebration in July 2016 that he was writing a new novel for Del Rey Books titled Thrawn. The same day, Del Rey confirmed on Twitter the novel's spring 2017 release. In a subsequent interview with StarWars.com, Zahn noted that the novel would cover several years between Thrawn's "first encounter" with the Empire and the events of the third season of Star Wars Rebels, an animated television series in which the character will appear prior to the book's release. He said:
It's very exciting [to write Thrawn again]. A writer never knows which characters are going to click with the readers, and it was highly gratifying to me that Thrawn captured the imaginations of so many people over the past quarter century. Over the years I've written a lot of books and stories that featured him, but with this book I'll be visiting a part of his life that I never before had a chance to explore.
Asked if he would be incorporating any material from previous Thrawn novels, Zahn said, "I've thrown in a few bits and pieces. Nothing too blatant, just little Easter eggs for those who are familiar with my other books." Though in Legends works Thrawn was mostly used in post-Return of the Jedi storylines, both Rebels and Thrawn take place prior to the events of the original 1977 film and shows his rise to power. Zahn said, "I get to show how he's treated by his fellow officers and shipmates on his way up the military ladder, particularly when he's not in a command position over them."
A full synopsis of the novel was released in January 2017, followed by an excerpt in March 2017.
Publication
Thrawn is scheduled for publication on April 11, 2017. Del Rey produced three variant covers: the standard edition is white, featuring Thrawn's face split by the spine; the Barnes & Noble-exclusive edition has the same cover design in black, with a double-sided pull out poster that has a Thrawn portrait on one side and the Del Rey novel timeline on the other; and the Star Wars Celebration limited edition has a textless cover with Thrawn's full face, the portrait on the back cover, and special end papers.