Books Thrawn - New canon Star Wars book by Timothy Zahn (Spring 2017)

I imagine that in the remnant speciesism is similar to how it's shown in Thrawn. While not institutionalized any more, it's still definitely there.

 

Indeed, just a plot device for the show. I take the Rebels plot details in general with a generous pinch of salt.

In this case (slightly tongue in cheek):

Story designer 1: Ooh, I want to set up the Bentu predicting Thrawn's defeat to him in person. This would really unsettle him.

Story designer 2: Yeah, but how do we get him on the planet?

Story designer 1: Easy, we just make him lead the ground assault, then he can see the Bendu's power first hand, too. Pryce can take over the ship, then we have a good excuse for letting the Ghost crew destroy the 2nd interdictor.

Story designer 2: Awesome, let's do it.



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I'm definitely curious as to what Zahn will do with the Chiss Ascendency in future books.

 

Best Sellers Lists

https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/hardcover-fiction/

http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/celebrities/article145814059.html

https://www.usatoday.com/life/books/best-selling/

 

It's probably asking too much from Rebels given it's limited budget and scope, but I would like it if we actually got more of the Chimaera's crew from this novel in the next season. Even a few from the older Legends stories wouldn't hurt.

 

Eh, Thrawn would never rise to Grand Admiral if he didn't display incredible cruelty and ruthlessness.

This is just to pad his resume.

 

I sometimes get the feeling that the actual Sherlock would make a more believable Imperial than the post-TTT version of Thrawn. Who is barely anything more than just a glorified list of qualities.
That being said, I’m still in the middle of the book, so it's still too soon for me to talk.

 

Does the book tell us anything about the Chiss species/ascendancy beyond Thrawn?

 

Just rewatched Thrawn's introduction scene in Steps into Shadow.

Spoiler

When I first saw it, Kallus's remark about the civilian casualties seemed like a too-obvious telegraphing of his eventual treachery. now with the context of the book, it seems more like a common opinion held by the average decent Imperial. Pryce's defense, however, makes her seem more suspicious in this context. Thrawn is already suspicious that she was responsible for setting off the charges. Zahn's characterization of her is someone that carefully chooses her words for their manipulative political impact. I wonder why she was so quick to justify the casualties.

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Hey has anyone mentioned this yet? I don't want to search

Spoiler

Has anyone thought that perhaps DelToro's character could be 'Ely'? Eli is in his mid 20's to late 20's by Ep4-->55-60 now -Del Toro's age currently. unless Ely comes back during the next Rebels season that ending felt like it was building upon something. By the time I figured out what Thrawn was doing I was trying to remember if a 'Commander Vantoe' was ever mentioned anywhere.. clearly we know why..but his military expertise would make a nice balance to the Crazy Ginger of the First Order

 

So this book debuted at #2 on the NYT bestsellers list, for any who might doubt the power of the Thrawn/Zahn combo.

I can also mention that every single appearance of Tim Zahn at Celebration, official panels and signings alike, were packed like sardine cans. He did four or five signings at the Del Ray and Barnes & Noble booths over the four days, and each one got mobbed hard. Even the ones after they ran out of actual books for him to sign and he was just signing posters and people's badges. People love him and they love that he's back.

 

I'm not, that's separate from the Starwars verse and story that it's just separate fiction with a Starwars label on it

 

Under the newcanon system - anything that's published in the present-day (not counting Infinities stuff like Lego Star Wars), is now "part of the Star Wars-verse". Even Zahn novels.

 

I don't think he's being 100% literal

Like technically it's "canon" that Dooku fought Obi-Wan and/or Anakin a dozen times during the TCW, but do you think most people really consider it "canon", when clearly the intention in ROTS was that it they haven't seen each other since AOTC?

 

The Chiss Ascendancy are a perfect fine addition to the Star Wars mythology.

 

The same could be said of how "clearly it was intention in ANH that Anakin was murdered by Darth Vader". Things change - even live-action media is subject to retcons, and "intention" can be ignored.

 

To a point, yes, it can be ignored. But not always. Authorial intent does count for something in my eyes, so I ignore it only under certain circumstances. In this case, yes, the original clearly stated intent of the author was that they hadn't seen each other since AOTC. But then that same author had them fight several times in TCW. The author changed his own authorial intent.

I HATE it when that happens...

 

Still waiting for the official NY Times book review.

 

I listened to the begenning of the "Thrawn" audiobook. Ah, what a dissapointment, it's what I feared: Marc Thompson tried to imitate Lars Mikkelsen's voice of Rebels, so now I really dislike it. Too soft, too monotonous...A whole audiobook with that kind of voice, I wouldn't be able to listen to it

I really prefered his voice in the Heir to the Empire audiobook. Deeper and less boring.

And he gave Parck exactly the same voice as Pellaeon in the HTTE audiobook so it's disturbing.

 

I quite like it but Thrawn definitely sounds more sinister and scheming than I had pictured it in my head when reading the book.

And Parck's gruff voice is far older than I had in mind, too (but then canon Parck has a different role to play tgan Legends Parck).

I do like Eli's voice, though. I read a couple of reviews who disliked it as being too much of a "dumb southern" accent which I found was a hilariously prejudiced opinion given that both Eli & Thrawn have to persevere against bias throughout the book...

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Yeah not really what I was trying to say. It's not so much the original intent itself but more so that new "canon" (ie. that the fought a dozen times during TCW) makes no sense and directly conflicts with the characters/story-telling of the entire film, and is (in this case) really, really stupid.

Basically what I'm saying is that just because something is technically "canon", doesn't mean that you have to acknowledge it's existence. And a lot of things that are "canon" are actually really stupid and make no sense.

edit: and no, I'm not saying or implying that anyone who disagrees that that particular piece of canon is stupid is "wrong" or that people shouldn't have different opinions. I was just using it as an example.

 

In the HTTE audiobook, Thrawn's voice is still cultivated, but deeper, and has more "authority" in it, while I just CAN'T imagine a soft voice like the one he has in Rebels/new Thrawn audiobook having such a weight of authority in it. It sounds too soft and even a bit creepy and it's not what I have in mind when I read any book about Thrawn.

So if I try to make a headcanon about these voices, I try to convince myself that when he uses his soft voice, it's because he tries to be more polite/accepted in the hierarchy, but in HTTE he can use his "real" manlier/intimidating voice because he is the leader and can show his true self without trying to be polite and soft with everyone.

And if you listen to Pellaeon's voice in the audiobook of HHTE, you'll see it's exactly the same voice as his Parck from Thrawn. It suits better to Pellaeon who is older.