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.) Continue reading →