TYF Column: What Are We Reading?

Surrounding my work schedule, I’ve been a bit of a Star Wars fever between this novel, The Clone Wars animated series, and the home release of The Force Awakens. If I am to believe the fans of this novel from 1991, that I am reading for the first time, this series, dubbed “The Thrawn Trilogy” after its main villain, is often deemed the greatest trilogy of works in the entire Star Wars franchise, even including the films.

The debate over the canonical inclusion of the Star Wars expanded universe, now under the banner “Star Wars Legends” or “fan fiction” as the more angered fans call it, should have no affect on the enjoyment of this series of novels, as the titular villain, Grand Admiral Thrawn, has a devious, well thought plot to restore the Galactic Empire, five years after the death of the Emperor in Return of the Jedi. Thrawn, a character who treats war like a game of chess, is most intimidating through his power of knowledge, and in using that knowledge, makes Darth Vader look like an angsty jock in comparison.

All the main characters of the rebellion return here to build a new Republic, as Leia deals in diplomacy, pregnancy and 100% more action scenes than we see her in The Force Awakens. Han grapples with being a father and leaving the life of a Smuggler, and Luke, after the departure of Ben Kenobi’s ghost, grapples with the tension caused by the Dark Side looming in the wake of Emperor Palpatine’s death. I’m only a few chapters in so that’s all I can say without spoiling much of anything on purpose.