Books Thrawn Alliances Book - Summer 2018

That's what I felt. I loved the Mist Encounter opening and first steps, but as soon as Arihnda set foot to Coruscant, I was all about her. That really surprised me because I am the biggest Thrawn fan and well, suddenly he was the background.
I hope she turns up in Alliances but I think she won't.

 

Hmm I thought Alliegence was worse simply due to its treatment of Darth Vader. He's consistently out thought and even out fought by Mara. He's basically Homer Simpson in a breathing mask. While Mara is shown to be awesome in comparison.

 

I have trouble getting worked up about Vader in Allegiance because it was just part of a whole pattern of post-ROTS "Vader is nothing but a lumbering brute" stories in Legends.

 

Yeah I think the only way Pryce will be in this next book will be if it takes place inbetween seasons 3 and 4. I have a feeling Pryce might die in season 4 (if they don't want to kill Thrawn killing her would be a good substitute).

 

Unfortnately, I agree.
But I have a head and it will be full of headcanons in which arihnda is alive and well.

 

...and she plotted & schemed happily ever after.

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Yeah, but that pattern was perpetuated by Zahn. In fact, I was under the impression it was subtly started by Zahn, but I admit I didn’t read everything from the old canon. And while I also forgot much of the details, I still remember the off-putting character shilling of Thrawn at the expense of Vader and the not-so-subtle implicit comparisons between Much Better Palps Apprentice Mara Jade and The Idiot Brute Vader.

Which is one of the reasons why I’m a little afraid of reading of this book. I’m certainly not looking forward to a story that ignores how intelligent and cunning Vader is just to glorify one’s pet character, nor do I look forward to subtle implications of how one character is better than the other. I hope that my fears are unfounded. If Zahn can write an equal Thrawn/Vader partnership that highlights their differences as complementary virtues, the way Luceno did with Tarkin/Vader, then I will enjoy the book immensely.

 

Agreed it was more Zahn than most. It wasn't just Alliegence. If you ever read a 2 parter story from Tales of the Empire he did with Stackpole. Vader shows up at the end of the story and is clearly schooled by Thrawn, who even does the same thing in Choices of One. There's even an OOC (a Governer) to compare the 2 and Vaders clearly show to be the inferior to Thrawn.

What got me in Alliegence though was the fact that Vader was shown to be inferior to a teenager and both in in character and OOC. The whole fight scene and the whole jealousy moment were just eww. I mean she even hacked his browsing history !!

 

I'd guess Pryce will be in the next book at least in someway. Dead or not. She was too big of the story in Thrawn to drop her influence from a sequel completely. Whether it's a flashback or Thrawn inner monologuing about her... something.

Should could even survive Rebels. I agree probably not. But who knows.

I pretty stoked in particular of the Thrawn-Anakin backstory.

Thrawnakin? Lol. God, I really hate shipping threads. What have I done!

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I remember always liking Zahn's books, except for when he would try to write Vader. He had no appreciation for the dark side, or the mystical, sorcerous aspects of a Sith Lord. Everything became very technical; it was very jarring. Especially compared to, say, Steve Perry's, or especially Matthew Stover's handling of the character.

I did enjoy Thrawn, though, and am very much looking forward to Alliances. I'm hoping for something along the lines of Tarkin. Just as long as Zahn treats Vader with respect, and doesn't try to play up Thrawn as the all-knowing holder of every answer to every problem the bumbling, incompetent Empire has.

 

I'd love if the cover was Thrawn and Vader back to back, Thrawn holding a holoprojector projecting a piece of art, and Vader with his lightsaber, all on a white background, similar to the first Thrawn #blackandblue

 

I thought Zahn did a pretty good job with Palpatine in the most recent novel compared the weird depiction we got in Choices, so I imagine he'll probably take the time and effort to actually give Vader a good showing here. The fact that he's being touted as the other big character in the story, coupled with how impressed Thrawn was with Anakin in the few times he spoke of him in the previous instalment makes me think that it won't be a case of the blue guy showing up Vader.

 

Maybe when this book comes out next summer 2018. Zahn will tease the third Thrawn novel to come out in 2019 in time for SW Episode IX. Please let Vader and Thrawn go to the Unknown Regions and fight a threat to the Empire and let it be the return of Nuso Esva and his eastern fleet of Whisperlike fighters and 20 Fieklin heavy class cruisers.

 

This made me think of something - aside from Thrawn being promoted to Grand Admiral earlier than in Legends, Zahn purposely wrote the Thrawn novel in a way that it did not explicitly contradict his Legends books. I wonder if Thrawn Alliance will be the same way and include some references to Choices of One.


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First, I am so excited! I am still trying to finish the first Thrawn, so will be more excited toward the end.
Second, I hope Eli is in it.
Lastly, do we know this will be post Rebels, or are we just assuming?

 

I'm calling it now. This will be the return of Mara Jade. And fandom will erupt in both thunderous applause and thunderous condemnation.

It will be interesting to see who NEU Mara is. Like Thrawn, she will have to be a different character in ways...while also keeping her core. Zahn did a pretty good job of this with Thrawn...so if anyone brings her back, I'd want it to be him.

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In June 2018, the boards will erupt in indignation at this not happening.

Posts will fly that Stymi promised this and that.

I'll be sitting there going: Yeah, and you believed him?

 

I am very excited for this book. Anything that offers more Thrawn and Zahn can only be good. If Thrawn is teamed up with Vader, I hope it's done well. I don't want to see Thrawn and Vader thrown into a high pressure situation together a la Lords of the Sith.

Instead, I want to see both characters depicted as formidable and playing to their respective strengths whilst working on a large scale problem. I would like to see them collaborate/compete strategically and on the battlefield. This would also be a good opportunity to show Vader as intelligent and cunning. Thrawn struggles with politics and it would be interesting to see Vader use this weakness to undermine Thrawn.

 

In all fairness, I can't picture Vader as more politically savvy than Thrawn. It's not necessarily that he doesn't understand how politics work, it's more that he ain't bovvered.

 

I don't know if it fits with canon, but I always assumed that Vader stopped bothering with politics after he and Tarkin's poorly disguised coup planning blew up at Yavin.

 

The people of the lit boards will ask me to save them. And I'll whisper...no.

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Probably not, at least since From a Certain Point of View:

Spoiler

Motti asks Tarkin point blank to use the Death Star to gain leverage over Palpatine and become his equal, with Motti as his right hand. Tarkin declines, and shows full loyalty.

 

Spoiler

Well, full loyalty would have required Tarkin to immediately denounce Motti to the Emperor.

 

You think you're talking to some super-villain?