When a character like Thrawn has been around for almost thirty year and been a well-loved part of both the Legends and new canon universes, you’d think you might know just about everything there is to know about him. Timothy Zahn hears your speculation, smiles, and then kindly tells you that you are wrong in the form of a novel. The first in a brand new Thrawn-centric trilogy, Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising reminds us that while we know Thrawn fairly well in his capacity as an officer in the Galactic Empire, we really know nothing about the person he was back in the Chiss Ascendancy. And oh boy are we going to learn.
While the Clone Wars are raging in another part the galaxy, the Chaos has its own problems or, more specifically, the Chiss Ascendancy has its own problems. After an unknown enemy attacks them, Supreme General Ba’kif assigns Senior Captain Thrawn to investigate the matter as captain of the Springhawk. It’s an assignment that can easily go poorly… and bring forth more trouble than any of them could have anticipated for both Thrawn personally and the Ascendancy as a whole. (Unless someone studies their art. Obviously.)
It’s a bit strange to write a review for a Thrawn book by Zahn because more likely than not, the vast majority of readers have already decided whether or not they’re going to pick this book up. To a certain extent, Chaos Rising certainly expects that its readers have read the previous new Thrawn trilogy and wastes little time in reintroducing characters like Ar’alani or concepts like sky-walkers. It’s rewarding for continuing readers but could potentially be confusing for those who didn’t read Thrawn: Treason, which is a bit unfortunate for the first book in a new trilogy. Thankfully, this is the book that finally brings back the glorious Dramatis Personae which includes not only characters but also useful information about the Chiss Ascendancy itself including the nine ruling families, family ranks, and the political hierarchy. Expect to reference it frequently.
One new thing the book does is introduce the use of “Memories” throughout the novel. Think of them as fancily named interstitials. They’re visually distinct with a broad border throughout the entire section as an extra reminder that you’re reading something not set in the current timeline. Each one offers a glimpse at a much younger Thrawn even back when he wasn’t even yet a part of the Mitth family and how he came to be where he is at the novel’s start. In a way, they’re a bit of a tease because it would have been nice to get an entire book worth of Thrawn during his Academy years.
Just like in Thrawn: Treason, the female Chiss are some of the best characters in the entire novel. Admiral Ar’alani thankfully makes her return and is as glorious as ever. We’re also introduced to Che’ri, a young sky-walker, and Thalias, a former sky-walker who’s now a part of the Mitth family. Thalias gets to take the protégé role this time around but it has a distinctly different feel to it than with either Pellaeon or Eli. Perhaps it’s because this is still a younger version of Thrawn who doesn’t have the full weight of his experiences and victories under his belt yet. In other words, what could have felt like an annoying retread feels surprisingly fresher than expected. Hopefully, all three women return in the next book of the trilogy. If anything, the rest of the trilogy could use more Ar’alani.
Another strength of the book is how it lets Zahn finally full on dive into Chiss culture. This is absolutely to the book’s benefit as it stops it from feeling like yet another Thrawn book (because really, how many Thrawn-running-circles-around-Rebels stories do we really need?) and be something more. At times, how everything in Chiss society works can be confusing feels no more so than any other book set in a new world might. If anything, readers have a leg up because they already know who Thrawn is. Hopefully, this exploration into the Chiss will continue and go even deeper in the next two books of the trilogy.
Ultimately, Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising is a book that will please a lot of Star Wars fans who want both more of the Grand Admiral and more books from Zahn. Is it going to convert any fans that aren’t on the Thrawn train? Probably not but it’s worth reading for an unexplored corner of the galaxy far, far away and for Admiral Ar’alani.
Thank you to Del Rey for providing a copy of the book for review purposes.
