Lit Finished "Heir" and started "Dark Force"...

...aaaaaand, I can't do it anymore.

Note to mods: I'm sure there's a "Thrawn Trilogy" thread that's a better place for this, and if I missed it on the first 5 pages or so, my apologies.

So. I'm sure I've nothing new to add analysis-wise for a series that's been out for 25 years; but it just didn't resonate with me. Mind you, I'm hardly worthy of a book "critique", so much of this is very much a "It's not you, it's me" sort of thing. Nonetheless, the thing of note (for me) is that I think I've discovered something about myself in terms of my SW fandom...

I see why people like Thrawn; calm, cool, collected; and nice to see the Empire in true "military" mode with an intellectual sort at the wheel. Did I grow weary of the "Watch and learn, you simpleton" vibe he gave off? Yeah. Did I grow really wear of "sardonically"? YEAH.

But it finally hit me that I think I've either grown weary of our beloved protagonists, or perhaps just in how they were presented. I do think it's a fair criticism that at times the characters were reduced to being a bit cliché with all of the homages to the movies (though in fairness, reading that sort of thing after no SW of any sort for 8 years was maybe pretty cool). But more than anything, I just got tired of them getting out of jams, or the serendipity that went their way, and all of it. It was a chore to read, because I really didn't care.

I did want to tune in to see Thrawn's next step, though. There's a lot to be said for what's fresh and unpredictable. And let's face it, even amongst the most recognizable tools of the Empire, it's not like they got that much screen time. We see Imperial Walkers on screen for maybe a minute? To read of their exploits is still incredibly cool.

And so, although I think I've always sort of known this, reading these book has reinforced the notion that what really draws me in to SW is the Empire - yes, the Sith to a lesser extent; watching the Jedi bone a lot of crap in the prequels makes you wonder about the moral ambiguity there as well - but the motivations of those within the Empire...do they believe they're in it for the common good, or is it really about power? Yes, we've seen it as fascist, but are there socialist undertones (the kind that likely drove Anakin as a young man) in there somewhere that just needs the right leader to tip the scales?

What I loved about Labyrinth of Evil was the gritty backstory of the Jedi totally boning the Kaleesh-Huk war and paying the price for it by essentially creating Grievous themselves. It was a fantastic irony that wasn't outrageous in how it was played out, and felt like "real life" with how good intentions/bad choices can work against you (on a few fronts, in that particular respect). Very Anakin-esque, I suppose.

I suspect I'll try reading "Death Star". I suspect that's angled a bit differently, and hopefully gives off a fresh vibe with lots of "new" material. I'm open to suggestions in regards to other books that aren't necessarily saga-centric.

I'm curious; anyone else feel this way with the books; maybe a "too much of a good(-guy) thing" sort of feel?

 

Well if you liked Labyrinth you could try Stovers Revenge of the Sith book (different to the movie) , which Labyrinth was a Prequel too and The Rise of Darth Vader which was a sequel to it. A sort of quasi trilogy

 

It also sounds like you would love Shatterpoint. That is an ace of a SW book.

Now on to Thrawn. I can totally understand what you are thinking. The Thrawn Trilogy is viewed with a reverence that none of the films even get on this website. People really build it up.

I'm not saying it isn't good, I actually love it, like most everyone, but when you have 150+ star wars books, there isn't one book or trilogy that everyone is gonna love. With the references to the movies though, keep in mind that this was really the first SW book ever. Naturally the only thing they had to go on was the movies. (Disregarding Splinter, Han Solo, and Lando books.)

I loved TTT, but I hadn't been exposed to the hype when I read it. They are definitely great, but in my opinion there are other star wars books that are better.

 

The positive and negative aspects of Admiral Thrawn are akin to those of Sherlock Holmes, I think. Some readers respect and are interested in smart characters doing smart things. Other readers I've spoken with find the condescension that comes with these characters off putting

Also, the OP does make a good point about some of the magic of Heir to the Empire is that it emerges from a wasteland of starvation and thirst from lack of Star Wars stories. Dark Force Rising is more of the same thing that Heir offered, and even back in the day when I read it when it first came out, there was a fair amount of stuff that didn't work. I liked Heir and Command, but DFR has always been, to my mind, a little bit of a weaker entry. These days I enjoy listening to the HTTE, which draw my attention to surprising aspects of the book. Thrawn's plotting remind of of Frank Herbert's Dune, to a certain extent. There's the surprising realization of how early into the book C'Boath departs and remains "off-screen".

What I got out of Labyrinth of Evil was how astonishingly connective it is of Star Wars. It made the Prequels feel connected to the OT. It felt like it bound the Prequels themselves together with each other. It took the comics and other novels and put them into a context of the overall flow of the Clone Wars (as they had been developed to that point). And it managed to be an entertaining sequence of action set pieces that give us a likeable glimpse of Obi-Wan and Anakin as a genuine buddy team. I will add as well that I actually like the infodump section that clears up (or tries to clear up?) the Sifo-Dyas thing.

 

I've ordered Heir to the Empire from Amazon and it's due to arrive early next week. I didn't think there were people who didn't like it! This will be my first time reading it and I haven't looked at the synopsis of the story so I'm going into it pretty much blind apart from the fact I know Thrawn is in it. (it'll also be my first experience with him)

I'm reading Darth Bane right now and it's been brilliant so far so it's got a lot to live up to since I'll likely finish Bane the same day as I start reading Heir.

 

I really enjoyed The Thrawn Trilogy but is it worthy of the massive hype built around it? I don't really think so. Thrawn, Mara Jade, and C'baoth were entertaining, but really all the other new characters were largely forgettable to me. Plus, the contradictions regarding the Jedi and the Clone Wars make the novels more dated than most other Star Wars novels. I enjoyed the Darth Bane novels and the Anakin/Darth Vader-centric novels (Labryinth of Evil, Revenge of the Sith, Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader) more than The Thrawn Trilogy.
I wouldn't give up on this trilogy of novels if I were you, but it's ultimately your choice.

 

We don't talk about those people.

 

The whole "constantly referencing things that happened in the movies and never anything else" isn't just limited to this Trilogy btw. It definitely gets grating after 100+ novels

 

I'll have to add that this is the one series in wich I find myself pulled towards supporting the Empire. Thrawn is a compelling character and well part or me always wants him to win.

I can't believe I'm admitting this.

 

The interesting thing about TTT is that it had to grow on me (I enjoyed different books at different time periods in my life). I tried reading it halfway through my teens and found it kind of a slog - I liked the EU, just not that book. Tried it again a few years later during college and liked it a lot better. Read it again a few years later in grad school when the university library had it, and was like "man, this is REALLY good."

 

That's weird; my experience is pretty much the opposite. I loved it when it first came out, but the last time I tried to reread it, it didn't hold up at all.

 

I'm on chapter 5 of Heir to the Empire now and I can't say I'm not enjoying it but I do think I've slightly over hyped it in my mind so it feels like there's something missing or something that's not quite clicking. I'm really interested to see how Mara Jade's character goes though because I know she's a big figure in the old EU.

One thing I don't know how I feel about is Luke Skywalker wearing slippers!

 

people who grew up per say with the clone wars I think often feel this way. But I read TTT when it came out, and it was awesome. Time is not always kind to materials as they age, while others are permanently encased in glory forever.