Even better than the last….

Each of Zahn’s books seems to out do the one before it and Greater Good is no exception. Timothy Zahn is a brilliant author in his own right, but something magical happens when he picks up his pen to write about his most well-known creation – Thrawn. Like a master composer, all the pieces seem to come together into one beautiful symphony for the eyes and mind. It’s a book of intrigue and mystery. It’s a thriller with twists and turns. And it is an exploration into loyalty, dedication, and self-sacrifice. But most of all, it’s about Thrawn.

Or is it?

While the master tactician plays a central role in everything that happens, Greater Good focuses equally on the supporting characters in this trilogy, building them up and positioning them for what is sure to be an exciting conclusion to this story. The perspective of his first officer Samakro and Caretaker Thalias are intriguing looks into Thrawn’s life and how those around him see him. Senior Captain Lakinda who always seems to be in Thrawn’s shadow comes into her own in this novel with some real depth of character. And the navigator Qilori makes an appearance once again, playing a more secondary role this time around but hinting at somehow being a key player in how all of this will play out as we discover Qilori is working for the mysterious Jixtus. Who is Jixtus? What plans does he have and why? And can Thrawn’s tactical brilliance prevent a civil war from erupting in the Chiss Ascendancy? Or does Jixtus have something even worse planned for Thrawn and his people?

What makes Zahn brilliant is his ability to world build while telling an amazing story. That isn’t easy to do. He is able to flesh out this entire unknown sector of the Star Wars universe with such richness and depth that it seems created by Lucas himself. Maybe even more rich in story goodness than the man who created Star Wars. It’s why Thrawn is such a popular character while having never appeared in a single film. People who read Zahn’s work are just drawn in by Zahn’s storytelling talent and the way he is able to balance painting a rich picture of the world Thrawn lives in while still crafting an intricate story. There are times when authors spend too little time building up the supporting characters (including the culture and environment those characters live in) and there are authors who spend way too much time building up all those things while the story suffers. Zahn is able to balance both and this story in particular is a big, juicy ribeye steak of a story!

Adding to the richness and depth of this story is the audio version read by Marc Thompson. Just as Timothy Zahn has mastered writing stories about Thrawn, Marc Thompson is the epitome of capturing the tone and tenor of Zahn’s work. But more importantly, Thompson knows this character inside and out. His reading of Thrawn’s character is so good it will transport you to the Chiss Ascendancy and make you feel like you’re there. And of course, the master technicians who put together all the Star Wars audio recordings blend in the sounds that define a Star Wars story. From laser blasts to hyperspace engines to thrilling music playing in the background, you KNOW you’re in a Star Wars story. My ONLY gripe about Marc’s interpretation is Admiral Ar’alani’s voice. In my own head, I imagine someone much more smooth and classy with an air of grace while still having the grit and determination needed to lead her people – like Laura Dern’s portrayal of Vice Admiral Holdo from The Last Jedi. Marc’s vocal intonations make me think of a bird turned into a human more along the lines of a British nanny. But with that one quibble aside, the audio version is beautiful. Short of actually making these books into movies, these audiobooks are the next best thing and make for great traveling companions.

A really fun read for fans of Thrawn, that slice of the Star Trek universe that nested and the borders of a Galaxy Far, Far Away.
I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of so many female points of view, as well as those more down-to-earth aliens, worried about their crops instead of living in a constant state of political intrigue. Thrawn was, as always, brilliant. Zahn could have leaned even harder into his "almost dates" scenarios.

The book was fine, but the plot was slow. My main complaint is that Thrawn seemed more like a side character.

Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good by Timothy Zahn is out today. This is the second book in a series that began last year. I liked the first book quite a bit, so how does Greater Good hold up? Here are my spoiler free thoughts.

I thought it was fine. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. It was just kinda there. Something I said I liked a lot about the first book, Chaos Rising, was that I sometimes had to remind myself I was reading a Star Wars book. It was different and weird and free to do its own thing. So now I feel a little hypocritical or fickle when I say I think Greater Good went a little too far in that direction. The Unknown Regions, or Chaos as the Chiss call it, are very strange, as they should be. But it feels overly complicated. Chiss naming conventions make it difficult to distinguish between characters of the same family, because all their names start the same way. I found it hard to keep up with the non Chiss cultures. I take notes as I read through these books, so that helped a lot, but I could see this being a rough book to just enjoy casually. I said in my review for Chaos Rising that it all felt like just the tip of the iceberg, and I was right. But I think less could have been more in this case.

I guess the fact that Zahn has more free reign to do whatever he wants in the Ascendancy is a double edged sword. It’s great that he can do anything he wants without having to worry about the rest of galactic history. I didn’t like seeing Thrawn’s stories being so closely tied to what was going on in Star Wars Rebels with Thrawn Alliances and Treason. But on the other hand I found myself struggling to care about all the Chiss family drama. All the higher ups are completely insufferable, and I think that is one hundred percent the point, but I felt like I had to search a bit to find characters to root for. They do exist, but some of them aren’t introduced until a good way into the book, and one of them isn’t likeable until the end. Which was a good character arc, don’t get me wrong, there just aren’t many relatable characters on the front end of the story.

Characters I really enjoyed in Chaos Rising are still around, but not as much. Even Thrawn feels like he takes a back seat. I can see why, if things are going to get worse for the Ascendancy, he needs to be taken out of the fight a bit, or else we’d expect him to quickly fix things. And I do think the overall story and plot surrounding what’s happening in the Ascendancy is cool and creative. We know in Thrawn Alliances and Treason that there could be civil war brewing back in Thrawn’s home. We’re seeing some of those seeds planted in Greater Good, and that was a lot of fun. The more focused the story got the more I enjoyed it. The more expansive it was, the more I found it confusing. Come to think of it, there is a pretty large plot point that is left largely unresolved at the end. It could certainly come into play in Lesser Evil, which comes out in only eleven months, and I hope that’s the case. But it seems odd to not have at least a little closure for this one thing at the end of this book.

I’ve been pretty critical of Greater Good so far, but I do want to set aside my own preconceptions for this story for a second and focus on what I think Timothy Zahn was actually trying to say. Because I think he does effectively communicate a good and worthwhile theme. I see it as a condemnation against individual greed and glory. We see the negative effects of selfishness on a personal level and on a larger scale. The Ascendancy is built around these ruling families who all compete with each other. They all loudly declare that we’re all Chiss and we should all work to make life better for all Chiss...but then behind closed doors what they really want is to make sure their family is in control. And then within those families we have the same thing going on. The leaders of each family are vying for control and back stabbing each other. It’s the people who have no lust for power and control that are able to actually affect change for...the Greater Good. Thrawn has always been well known to be on the outside of politics, so he is able to see what really needs to be done. But there is also a humble rancher character, probably my favorite of this story, who becomes instrumental to the plot because he’s able to view the world without any ulterior motives.

So I wanted to point out that I like what Zahn has to say and I think he clearly gets his point across. Still no spoilers, but the ending was very creative and different, and I appreciated that as well. But as a Star Wars story I think I was missing some things, like the Force. It’s present, but it’s treated so much more clinically than I prefer. Which, in my head, I’m like yeah that does make sense for someone like Thrawn, who doesn’t really get it, and the Chiss, who have always seen its users as assets and not people. The whole thing just reads more like a science fiction book rather than a space fantasy, and I do prefer my Star Wars to lean more into the fantasy side.

And that’s fine, it’s what I think is great about Star Wars at the end of the day. There is plenty of room for different interpretations. I have friends in mind that I think are really going to dig Greater Good specifically because they prefer their Star Wars to be more science fiction. And that’s great. So if you’re one of those people, you’ll probably really enjoy Greater Good. If you’re really into Thrawn and the Chiss, I think this is a no brainer. But if you’re all about the Jedi and the Sith and that side of Star Wars, you’re not gonna find that here.

All that said, I’m still excited for Lesser Evil, which comes out this November. I’m seeing ways that it could tie into the known galaxy more, connect with the other three canon Thrawn books, and who knows? Maybe it’ll even give us some clues for what appears to be Thrawn’s inevitable appearance in live action. That’s exciting to me. The Thrawn books have been fifty-fifty to me, so hopefully Lesser Evil will connect with me more.

A middle novel has a lot to accomplish. It builds on the foundations of the first book of the series. In Greater Good Thrawn is moving forward having delivered a victory and glory to his house. However the danger to the Ascendancy is far from over. Small attacks are happening on the edges of the Ascendancy seeking to disrupt the foundation of the ruling families by sowing mistrust.

This book moves smoothly through action scenes and character development. The revelations in this book will reverberate through out the Chiss and into the final volume of the trilogy. A really solid read.

"Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good" continues the story of the Chiss Ascendancy, which is gradually approaching a state of civil disarray. From within the Chaos stirs a new enemy, completely unbeknownst to Thrawn and his allies, that seeks to destroy this society from within. While I think this book does a great job at giving us a glimpse inside the inner-workings of the various socio-political structures of the Chiss, it takes a lot of focus off some of the characters that made its predecessor so enticing, such as Thrawn and Ar'alani. Despite that, we are introduced to some awesome new characters, one of which is Lakinda, who is part of the Xodlak tribe and proves to be a perfect foil to Thrawn and the Mitth. A bit of the mystery surrounding Jixtus also starts to unravel, and Timothy Zahn uses him just enough to set up what I imagine could be an explosive finale in the third and final act, "Lesser Evil," this November. After being one of the brightest spots in "Chaos Rising," Thalias continues to be a focal point and opens up a bit as we better understand her moral compass. I'm excited to see how this all concludes in just a few months!

Timothy Zahn does it again. Weaving political intrigue, epic space battles, and of course, the galaxy's favorite blue Grand Admiral (now Senior Captain) finds himself caught in web of another's design as forces outside of the Chiss Ascendancy set their sights on Thrawn's home.

The book itself was heavy with new names, faces, and social structures which at times did make for slow reading as I found myself going back and forth in the (very helpful) Dramatis Personae to keep the names straight, but it overall did not take away from the plot moving forward. Meeting our villains and getting inside their heads made for a thrilling bit of background information that gave one the sense of being (for once) slightly ahead of Thrawn, who was dealing with his own issues outside of the Ascendancy. With a returning cast of characters (the ever fearsome Admiral Ar'alani, Caregiver Thalias, and Sky-walker Che'ri to name a few), we are also introduced to new players on the board for the Ascendancy, with twists and turns that are sure to give anyone who has followed Zahn and Thrawn for the past thirty years a delightful treat.

If Chaos Rising was the uphill of a rollercoaster, Greater Good was the pause before the downhill drop, and with Lesser Evil releasing this November, it's sure to be the final chapter to the thrilling and mysterious origins of Thrawn and the Chiss Ascendancy.

This wasn't a book I loved. I really enjoyed Chaos Rising, and count it as the first book that really turned me on to Thrawn and made me see his appeal to fans. What I loved most about the first book was seeing how others saw Thrawn. They saw him as a mentor, a trusted ally, a traitor/threat. A true highlight for me was Ar’Alani and Thrawn’s interactions with one another, where they played on their strengths. In book 2, all our characters are apart from one another and we don't get that great character drama. We add a new hero perspective, and a new villain perspective, on top of both the major and minor threads that carry over from the first book and the once that start with the new characters. This book feels needlessly complicated and felt like it could have been accomplished in a shorter, more compact volume, or have this trilogy just be a duology.

As for the audiobook: I'd highly recommend reading this book in the audiobook format if you choose to pick it up! Marc Thompson delivers an excellent performance, portraying a cast of characters with a wide variety of accents and inflections. The music and effects on this audiobook are also top notch, creating a world distinct from the world in Lesser Space but one that is still recognizable as Star Wars.

Timothy Zahn’s second Thrawn trilogy of the new canon continues today with the publication of Greater Good, book two of the Ascendency Trilogy. Those familiar with the Thrawn novels will know what to expect here, but Zahn has pulled off a brilliant story that has instantly become my favorite Thrawn novel so far.

Please note: This post contains affiliate links. Spoilers from the previous Thrawn books are ahead.

As with every Thrawn novel, there’s a lot going on in Greater Good right from page one with dozens of characters and multiple interwoven plots happening over different points in time. The book picks up shortly after Chaos Rising with the Chiss looking to mop up the final remnants of the Nikardum after their defeat of General Yiv the Benevolent. Meanwhile, a situation arises involving a group of refugees from an unknown world torn apart by a civil war that, we quickly learn, was manufactured by external forces.

Closer to home—or the Chiss homeworld at the very least—inter-family politics remain at the heart of everything. Thrawn’s continuing reputation has endeared him to many but also won him plenty of enemies who would like nothing better than to see the skilled tactician brought down. When an unbelievable new opportunity presents itself to some low-ranking officials, they can’t believe their luck, but who exactly is being led astray, and to what ends? Given Thrawn’s difficulties navigating the world of politics, could this be the blind spot his enemies need to take advantage of?

Before the end, all the many threads throughout this story will be pulled together into a conclusion that will test Thrawn’s military genius to its limits, but with the future of the Chiss Ascendency itself on the line, it’s more vital than ever that he finds a solution.

If I’m being entirely honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of the Thrawn novels. They’re dense, heavy tomes filled with what can feel like an excessive number of characters, plots, and other factors that I find hard to keep track of. Unlike many of the other Star Wars novels, these ones feel like work to get through, and I never found the payoffs worth that amount of effort. Greater Good started out that way too—any book that opens with a “Dramatis personae” list along with a reference guide to political and military ranks is never going to be an easy read—but somewhere along the way, something changed. By the time I reached the end, I was racing to find out what was going to happen next and actually finding myself excited for the next book in the series, something that had never happened with a Thrawn book before. Greater Good has even made me want to go back and read the previous books!

I think this might have something to do with the book’s tighter focus. While there is still a whole lot going on here, the narrative also felt neater and easier to follow. The flashback sections are cleaner and work well to build tension by revealing small fragments of the larger story piece by piece, and even with multiple plots happening at the same time, it somehow felt as if they worked together better than ever before—I could see where things were going and was both eager and nervous to see how they played out.

There were still a few negatives, of course. Some of the political string-pulling early on still felt confused and difficult to follow, perhaps multiple read-throughs are required to fully appreciate exactly what is going on but not everyone has the time for that? I expect these threads to reach their conclusion in the third and final book given what we know of Thrawn’s situation in the later trilogy so there’s also little in the way of a satisfying payoff to be found here. The Chiss naming conventions continued to make following the story more difficult than it needed to be—but at least they allowed me to check off the “book with a character whose name I can’t pronounce” prompt on one of the reading challenges I’m participating in this year! Finally, I still find it difficult during the times when I find myself rooting for Thrawn and even liking him a lot. It’s hard to reconcile this rather genial, at times naive, figure with the vicious and even cruel Thrawn I first came to know through Star Wars Rebels.

Greater Good took me by surprise. I was expecting to have to power my way through this one as with all the previous Thrawn books in the name of keeping up-to-date with the ongoing canon, but instead, I found myself genuinely enjoying it and looking forward to the concluding part of this story arc. I hope that the final book of the trilogy—Lesser Evil coming out in November—will keep this up.

GeekMom received a copy of this book for review purposes.

Admittedly, I have never been the biggest Thrawn fan. It's not that I don't like him or his books. I just haven't always had luck falling in love with Zahn's novels. The man himself (of the Zahn variety) may have just broken that cycle ... with his own book. About Thrawn. You already knew that. You saw the photo first. This trilogy so far is one of the most intense Star Wars ongoing stories we've gotten recently. It combines familiar and new characters with exceptional worldbuilding ... there's also familial drama, because everyone knows fighting families are "IT." I couldn't put this book down. I had to read it twice. I might even read it a third time. I highly recommend that even if you don't think Thrawn stories are for you, give these books a go. Thrawn's origin story and seeing him among his own people is just ... it's good. It's really good.

Excerpts from my review for Dork Side of the Force:
https://dorksideoftheforce.com/2021/04/27/review-thrawn-ascendancy-greater-good/

"Heading back into the mysterious, not-quite-lawless area of the Unknown Regions of the galaxy, legendary Star Wars author Timothy Zahn once again presents a slow-burn political thriller featuring the beloved blue-skinned Chiss commander, Thrawn. Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good is the second book in Zahn’s newest Thrawn trilogy, taking us farther back into the future grand admiral’s origins as he navigated his own homeworlds, culture and familial bureaucracy.

Picking up where the first book, Chaos Rising, left off, Greater Good sows the seeds of civil strife planted in the former novel as the militaristic Chiss try to sweep up the remnants of one enemy only to find a larger one trying to infiltrate their home. Besides Thrawn, returning favorite characters include Thalias and Sky-walker Che’ri and Thrawn’s closest ally Admiral Ar’alani. However, Thrawn and his compatriots take a back seat for much of the novel in favor of spotlighting a new character Senior Captain Lakinda, her family the Xodlak and a mysterious alien race who seem a bit too friendly to be good."

"Being a Thrawn novel, Greater Good is also a classic Zahn story and can be a bit overwhelming and heavy in the first half. Zahn is a master at laying out the game board and slowly moving the pieces into place while the reader is understandably distracted by the intricate and epic space battles and intriguing details of Chiss family culture. Just as the complexities of Chiss virtues like ambition, power and respect come into greater focus, the long con of a mysterious larger enemy is revealed, pushing the blue-skinned aliens to the brink of civil war.

Like all Thrawn novels, Greater Good doesn’t focus on if Thrawn can solve the mystery in time, but how he gets there. Fans know that Thrawn is a brilliant strategist who leaves little room for doubt of his intellectual skills. But it is just as intriguing seeing Thrawn’s mental methods at work through the eyes of other Chiss — some of whom respect and admire or despite Thrawn. With Zahn’s detailed, stream-of-consciousness style writing, Greater Good brings you right into the middle of the mystery, prompting you to pick each character’s brain to try to solve it before the cerebral Thrawn does."

Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy (Book II: Greater Good) suffers from “middle book fatigue” but offers up compelling political intrigue, expansive world-building, and a healthy dose of battle strategy. 

With the triumph of Thrawn’s latest victory for the Chiss resting on his shoulders, he and his allies find themselves in a race to save the Chiss Ascendancy from an unseen enemy that has yet to be extinguished. But the enemy is almost as clever as the Sherlockian-like Thrawn, opting to further the rifts between the ruling families, rather than attack them among the stars in battle. 

These enemies bring some of the most interesting elements within the novel, revealing their infiltration through rich flashbacks. If you enjoy familial drama, then the rivalries between the ruling Chiss families will captivate you. 

While the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy boasts the fan-favorite Thrawn as the central character, his own story often takes the backseat in terms of narrative structure. Thrawn is the sun of the trilogy and the books are simply exploring the characters that are caught in his orbit. The plots that do directly relate to Thrawn feel lackluster — we’re told about his flaws, but they never fully come into play. 

Zahn is a master at creating characters and Greater Good has a plethora of interesting characters that interact with each other in various ways, but I was still left wanting to know more about them. When so much of the story is driven by character choices and conflict, having so many uniquely different characters can be frustrating. 

You might be intimidated by the size of Greater Good, but Timothy Zahn has a true genius for writing prose that keeps you engaged with it’s fast-paced style. At times the story wanders away from the central plot, to the extent that key factors set-up in the first half of the book are forgotten by the second half, but it ultimately manages to tie it together in the end. 

I have a passing interest in Thrawn and his exploits, so Greater Good falls somewhere within my “good Star Wars books” ranking. It’s a fun read, with intriguing characters, but in the end it’s just alright for me. The Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy started strong with Chaos Rising, however Greater Good has left me hoping it can pull off a strong finish. 

Whatever my qualms with Thrawn Ascendancy, there is something truly special about having a series written by Timothy Zahn about a character that he created thirty years ago in Heir to the Empire. Nine years ago this month, Disney’s acquisition de-canonized the Expanded Universe and Grand Admiral Thrawn, but — against all odds — he was brought back to the canon through Star Wars: Rebels, The Mandalorian, and his own novelizations. 

For fans of Thrawn, the Thrawn Ascendancy and all of Timothy Zahn’s work is a dream come true and this trilogy is bound to find a special place on the bookshelves of Star Wars fans.

Timothy Zahn delivers a decent middle book that will act as a bridge between the first and last installments of the trilogy. I appreciated how Zahn chose to develop side characters and continue the theme of not entirely focusing on Thrawn trying to outsmart his opponent. Additionally, Greater Good has a great deal of world building that I feel will be pertinent in the final installment, Leaser Evil, coming this Fall. I’m more of a story person myself but I enjoyed the world-building Zahn developed. The political schemes encompassing the main plot were not overly engaging for me; although, I appreciated the technicalities for what they were and it was insightful in learning more about the Chiss. After reading Chaos Rising and Greater Good, I feel like the pay off will come in Lesser Evil, and I’m greatly looking forward to the final chapter.

Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good is the second in the latest trilogy bearing the popular Chiss’ name, written again by Timothy Zahn, exploring the Chiss Ascendancy and the area of space called the Chaos they patrol. Like a lot of middle installments in trilogies, Greater Good falls into several ruts, coasting with characters and focusing on plot movement, leaving readers largely where they were at the end of the first book and saving all the important, impactful stuff for the final installment.

By the end of Chaos Rising, the Chiss Ascendancy is victorious against a slowly growing external threat, while its internal family structure vies and tussles with the results, sweeping them under the rug, per usual. The remaining pockets of the threat are being dealt with by Thrawn and Ar’alani and they are no closer to understanding the larger, hidden threat arrayed against them, which we learn in the first canon Thrawn trilogy is the Grysk Hegemony. Greater Good picks up with those two dealing with the Nikadurn remnants, and as they both begin to uncover different aspects of what’s really going, we spend some time with the actual beings responsible for a growing threat of civil war within the Ascendancy. By the end of GG, the Ascendancy is no closer to understanding the threat against them and the family structure vies and tussles with the results of an almost civil war, preferring to sweep it under the rug, per usual.

What really makes a great middle installment is not only moving the story along, but it’s dealing with the characters, developing and growing them, seeing how they affect the plot and how the plot affects them. One of the best Star Wars novel examples of an excellent middle-entry is the recent Alphabet Squadron: Shadow Fall, where the characters take front and center, changing and evolving on their own journeys, which help push the plot that’s moving around them. In Greater Good, the plot takes precedence over characters, occasionally discarding them when they aren’t needed or halting or winding back progress to help suit the story unfolding around them. Both Thalias and Che’ri, caregiver and sky-walker respectively, two hidden and secretive aspects of the Chiss and how they get around the Chaos so quickly, made great and intriguing strides in Chaos Rising, but much of it is gone or forgotten in Greater Good. Thalias, who went on a thrilling journey through the Mitth Trials to become a more important part of the family she and Thrawn share, and to become Che’ri’s caregiver, gets involved with a planet’s leader in GG and trying to stop her death-pact from going through, but she plays inquisitive and uninformed to everyone else’s newly superior intellect, often asking questions just so the other characters, largely male, can explain to her (and us readers) the answers, and therefore showing deduction capabilities she seems to have lost this book; she was also told to watch over Thrawn and his political shortcomings, but that doesn’t come into play here other than they talk about it. Che’ri, a ten-year-old who uses the Force to navigate hyperspace, learned new and interesting skills with Thrawn in the last book, and while she pulls a big new trick at the end, Greater Good spends more time talking about her like a child, needing naps or food all the time again, instead of recognizing much of the progress she made. Even Ar’alani, a fellow tactical genius amongst the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force and one of the characters I actually care about in these Chiss-focused endeavors, whose past we had glimpses of and was a vital part of the first book, inexplicably disappears a little over halfway through this book, as the plot has moved past her usefulness up until that moment. This happens to Thrawn too, who takes an even bigger backseat in this entry as Zahn explores time with those who plan against the Chiss and some smaller players caught up in said plans. It’s not a detriment to the book however, because Thrawn is the same, fully-formed, tactical genius we met in the last book and in the trilogy which takes place during his time with the Empire/Star Wars Rebels, and since he’s protected from showing failure beyond his already known political shortcomings, he does his usual deductive madness and saves the day so less of that and more of other content adds some variety to the proceedings. By the end of the book, most characters are exactly where we left them at the end of the previous, and those who do advance, it’s more because the plot dictates it than anything of their own devising.

It wouldn’t be too much of a problem if these characters were overall engaging and intriguing, but with the backtracks and stagnancy, they don’t get a chance to really be anything more than what the plot wants them to be. The plot itself sags in the middle, as the focus switches to a Chiss rancher and his family and a local councilman dealing with the arrival of the Agbui. We first meet Haplif of the Agbui in connection with Jixtus, the spooky, behind-the-scenes character who put General Yiv in the Chiss’ way last book, and we watch his plans to fulfill Jixtus’ demands unfold with the rancher family and the local councilman. The ‘Memory’ flashback sections return from the previous entry, though they focus on Haplif working his long-con game with two young Chiss to worm his way to the planet with the rancher/councilman, so since we already know the outcome these sections drag on a story we already know the end too, without adding anything new the story set in the present couldn’t explain or explore. Haplif and Jixtus’ interactions are the rare highlights here, as the slowly unfolding story of how he manipulates the Chiss is too slow for its own good, forced to take its time to allow the other plots to unfold to the same conclusion so it can all end in a somewhat thrilling crescendo. It felt like the Memory sections padded this book, rather than added to it, whereas covering aspects like Chiss history or character’s backgrounds could’ve offered new insights. In my review of Chaos Rising, I had hoped to deal with some non-military or family hierarchy characters, and while I got my wish in Greater Good, the rancher and his family, and the Agbui who come to live with them, felt more like reading a Western than anything really alien and new. In fact, we’re no closer to understanding, seeing, or dealing with the truth Grsyk and their Hegemony, as while Jixtus seems to be their veiled presence in the Chaos, he only offers some cryptic words and cryptic orders, though we don’t even know if he’s a Grsyk himself, as they do tend to use client races. The fact we’ve had 5 books so far and we are no closer to learning much about them or why they are doing what they’re doing, while could be a signal of a larger, grand story, instead feels like it’s one purposefully stalled because we might have another trilogy of books on the way or it’ll be explored in Thrawn’s eventual TV presence; I don’t necessarily need answers, and the mystery is intriguing enough it keeps me invested, but if it all comes to a head in the final book of this trilogy, these first two will feel like padding themselves.

Plus, it seems like the exploration of Chiss society and its history, hinted and teased in book 1, will finally come in book 3, judging by the final line of this book, while book 2 only seems to offer more of the family in-fighting we gleaned from previous stories. As I mentioned in my review of Chaos Rising, in the end the story, characters, and setting didn’t feel that different than the rest of the galaxy and it was only Thalias’ Trials and glimpse of Csilla, the Chiss heartworld, that offered some exciting threads of Chiss to explore. GG lacks these moments, and even when there are aspects explored about the Chiss, which includes characters offering hints at the Ascendancy’s history via rumors and how many Ruling Families there were, the concrete depths GG plumbs ends up being stuff like an interesting journaling technique or antiquated laws/rules that feel convenient to the plot rather than necessary to their history.

Through new character Lakinda, an officer in the Fleet who works alongside Ar’alani on her own ship, there’s some glimpses of what someone tied to family within the military can actually look like, as both Thrawn and Ar’alani care little or aren’t attached to family and focus more on their duty to the Fleet. Lakinda still cares more about duty than family, but how the Xodlak’s point-of-view causes her to think Thrawn could steal her glory and honor, which they place above all else, it colors some of her decisions and choices throughout. She’s an interesting enough new face, but the fact she’s another character whose biggest concern ends up being how Thrawn affects or could affect her life, it makes the Chiss world in these books so much smaller and narrow. Two Speakers, like higher up advisors/rulers in a family, Zistalmu and Thurfian return with their plotting against Thrawn, though they seem to make some logical leaps to continue to believe he’s the only thing standing against the Ascendancy’s rise or ruin. In fact, one of the two rises in their family ranks more so than even they hoped for, but it, like many moments in the story, feels like it happens thanks to the plot’s desires with how they end up picked, rather than anything on their end. Again, having these two obsessed with Thrawn keeps this new culture and area of space feeling so small since it somehow hinges on one, single being; are the Chiss really that powerful and intimidating if it all could come crashing down on Thrawn’s actions or lack thereof? Or is this meant to show the fallacy of the Chiss, they believe themselves so superior (they do call the well-known parts of the galaxy Lesser Space), no outside force could be a considerable threat? If this series is meant to highlight that, not spending more time with the Grysk Hegemony, or developing them specifically or finally showing us how far they go to bring other species under their thrall, makes a smidge more sense so there’s room to show how the Chiss can make themselves fall, but having Thrawn and Co. so easily thwart all the Grysk plans so far makes this “growing” threat less and less formidable with each passing book. Will there be enough in the third and final book, out November, to make up for this?

As I mentioned earlier with Thalias as well, not only is she often forced to ask what the male characters around her already know or often used as the character to ask what’s going on so everyone else can sound smarter, there’s also troubling undercurrents when other characters are around her, from First Officer Samanko, who often thinks little of her and talks down to her who ends the book still suspicious of her thanks to a logical leap, while Thurfian often thinks of her as something he can use still. With her losing a lot of agency this book, it feels even more prevalent and noticeable here. It was a problem I noticed even in the first book, and called out more succinctly and pointed in Den of Geek’s review, so to see this book double down is a disappointment to say the least.

Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good is full of the expected: Thrawn thwarting anything and everything that comes in his path, with lots of plot movement and little on character development, and it unfortunately doubles down on problems with the first, though its sense of mystery should help propel readers to finish in preparation for the finale later this year.

Grand Admiral Thrawn: blue skin, glowing red eyes, lethally intelligent. He was other-worldly even for Star Wars aliens when he was first conceived by Timothy Zahn. He played a huge role as the grand antagonist for our favorite heroes in Heir to the Empire (1991). Thrawn Ascendancy Book II: Greater Good, reveals more of Thrawn’s past and his family – the Chiss Ascendancy. Read on for our review of Thrawn Greater Good, on sale April 27, 2021 wherever books are sold.


Thrawn as a character is resilient – as famous today as he was in his debut 30 years ago – May 1991. I can still remember the screams of joy echoing through the halls of Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016 from the Star Wars Rebels panel, as Dave Filoni announced Thrawn would appear in Season 3 of the animated TV show. For Star Wars fans enthralled by the books and expanded universe in the ’90’s, Grand Admiral Thrawn is on par with Luke Skywalker in terms of nostalgia.

Thrawn Today
In this new Thrawn Ascendancy Trilogy, Timothy Zahn explores Thrawn’s origin story within the Chiss Ascendancy. The Ascendancy lies beyond the Star Wars galaxy, past the Unknown Regions, and in an area of space known as The Chaos. Here, hyperspace is so treacherous that only Force-sensitive species can navigate swiftly. This particular trilogy occurs before Thrawn leaves the Chaos and ventures into the Star Wars galaxy. Before he becomes indispensable to the Emperor as Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Thrawn Ascendancy began with Book I: Chaos Rising, in which we learned the political and family structure of Thrawn’s homeworld. Between each Chiss possessing several names and a complicated story structure, this book took several read-throughs for clarity. But by Book II, all the names are sorted and the Chiss family structure is in place. Zahn can take time to weave a complicated, smart plot that Thrawn must decipher before the entire Chiss Ascendancy unravels from within.

Synopsis:
Thrawn’s latest triumph still rests newly on his shoulders. He has led the Chiss to victory and brought glory to the House of Mitth, but the true threat to the Ascendancy has not yet been extinguished. Their foes do not send threats or ultimatums, do not mass ships on the edge of the Chaos. Their weapons come cloaked in smiles and generosity: Gifts offered freely. Services granted unconditionally.

Across the Ascendancy, seemingly inconsequential events could herald the doom of the Chiss. As Thrawn and the Expansionary Defense Fleet rally to uncover the plot, they discover a chilling truth: Rather than invade Chiss capitals or pillage resources, their enemy strikes at the very foundation of the Ascendancy, seeking to widen the rifts between the Nine Ruling Families and the Forty Great Houses below. As rivalry and suspicion sow discord among allies, each warrior must decide what matters most to them: the security of their family or the survival of the Ascendancy itself.


Thrawn Ascendancy: Book II Greater Good Review:
Overall, the plot of Greater Good bears a striking resemblance to Captain America: Civil War. An alien race known as the agbui take the place of Baron Zemo in that film. Zemo tries to destroy the Avengers from within – using psychology rather than might. The agbui similarly plan to destroy the Chiss from within, using family honor as a tool. The Ascendancy has a powerful armada and its Expansionary Defense Fleet patrols the borders. But no one is expecting a subtle attack on family honor, political clout and values.

Though “Thrawn” is in the book title, this novel tells the story from the perspective of the characters surrounding Thrawn, never the titular character himself. It’s an interesting writing device, as we see different layers to Thrawn through each characters’ particular viewpoint. Caregiver Thalias, sky-walker Che’ri, Admiral Ar’alani, Senior Captain Lakinda and First Officer Samakro work with Senior Captain Thrawn on the bridge of his ship in battles and thoroughly respect him. Syndics Thurfian and Zistalmu, however, view Thrawn as a complete imbecil because, while he is a military mastermind, he is politically inept when it comes to the Chiss bureaucracy. As someone who has been fascinated with the character for 30 years, I appreciate this 360 degree examination of Thrawn. Where he’s come from informs the story we already know.

Is this book for me?
Those who like to relate new Star Wars content to existing stories may be disappointed, as this book makes no reference to the Star Wars universe we know, beyond calling it “Lesser Space.” The only reference is Thrawn himself. And perhaps a mysterious, cloaked character known here as Jixtus. But Timothy Zahn leaves us guessing in this novel, perhaps planning another character reveal in Book III.

If you love a slow-burn and steady character-building, Greater Good is the novel for you. With great patience, comes reward. The final paragraph of the book kicks the story into high gear, and luckily Book III: Lesser Evil arrives November 16, 2021. Thirty years after Grand Admiral Thrawn was introduced, we will have a full character arc from the very beginning.

Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy (Book II: Greater Good) by Timothy Zahn will be released on April 27, 2021. Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 29th at 5:00PM PST/8:00PM EST. ReedPop is hosting a virtual book launch for Book II: Greater Good with author Timothy Zahn!


Still need to catch up on this book series? Check out the first novel in the series, Chaos Rising.

Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good is the middle book in the second Star Wars canon trilogy starring the titular Senior Captain Thrawn of the Chill Expansionary Defense Fleet. The novel is written by Timothy Zahn and published by Del Rey. Fresh off a victory against General Yiv of the Nikardun, Thrawn and his fellows are working to snuff out any lingering threat. Meanwhile, a greater threat seems to loom and the incessant politics of the Chiss Ascendancy and its familial feuds threatens to inadvertently aid this unknown enemy.

Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good is the epitome of a middle book in a trilogy. With the great enemy defeated in the first book, the second is all about uncovering the greater threat that lurked behind the original enemy and makes them seem tame by comparison. This way by book three, everything will be set into place and a grand and final confrontation can occur. This is a tried and true formula within Star Wars, but unfortunately, in this trilogy, it just did not work for me. For nearly 60 percent of the book or so, I knew there was a greater threat coming into focus, both through the plot, context, and general trilogy formula. But I never really understood what kind of fear I should have or the type of danger the Chiss were in. For all of that time, the strong and interesting plot moments or engaging action sequences were just constantly interspersed by either seemingly trivial side plots that eventually let to the apex of the action but not for a few hundred pages, or mundane flashbacks and tired politics.

I didn’t dislike the book. As somebody already deeply invested in the Star Wars universe as a whole and in Thrawn’s story as a character, I am confident that the slog through a large portion of this book will feel worth it when the mostly strong finish here leads us into the conclusion of the trilogy. But it was absolutely a slog. There were too many new characters introduced who had little personality other than as plot devices and took up two entire side-plots and points of view in the book. The various adventures of Thrawn, Ar’alani, and even Lakinda as their three ships went about their investigations of Nirkadun and other alien activity were totally engaging though.

I love most of the battle sequences, always have in the Thrawn books. The way they each are essentially their own little puzzles you watch Thrawn and his subordinate (or superiors) put together in creative ways each time is always interesting. Even with a limited array of weapon types at the Chiss’s disposal, every battle still manages to be unique. The problem is that none of the smaller puzzles ever felt particularly connected to a greater purpose. There’s the looming dramatic irony where the reader knows some greater threat is out there, and you know Thrawn is smart enough to understand it too, but ultimately, most of the book goes by without every for a second giving the reader an explicit enemy or end-goal to keep in mind. Without this, the book just feels like it meanders too aimlessly to keep me captivated.
It’s been interesting having Thrawn go from sure villain to sympathetic protagonist to hero over the past few years of Star Wars media. It’s especially interesting seeing the way an alien civilization works and perceives the rest of the galaxy. The Force is still a major presence in the Unkown Regions, even if people call it by different names and touch it in different ways. So some of the most basic tenets of Star Wars storytelling are still there. But a lot of the rules are different in the Chaos as well. Travel is slower, there are different types of weapons and customs and cultures and governments. And the rules of engagement especially for the Chiss Ascendancy are dramatically different than that of the Republic, the Empire, or the New Republic. In theory, observing the universe of Star Wars through a different culture’s lens in a different part of space is really cool.

It’s just that all of the massive worldbuilding done in Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good is done at the expense of a strong plot. I am fully here for the final book in the series and absolutely would love to see more stories told in the Unknown Regions. But I would like to see it perhaps in a different medium or type of story next to help retroactively make some of what happens in this series make more sense and feel more clear.

Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good is a mystery that doesn’t have enough mystery, an action book with not enough action, and a political thriller that isn’t particularly thrilling. It’s definitely an interesting read as a case study in how to present unique stories within the Star Wars universe, and fans of Zahn’s Thrawn books will continue to enjoy its latest entry. But in the grand scheme of Star Wars novels and science fiction in general, it will not be topping any lists of my favorites.

Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good is available wherever books are sold April 27th.

Thrawn: Ascendancy - Greater Good, does not satisfy the hype generated by the first novel of the Ascendancy Trilogy. A bit too slow in its first two-third and with not a lot of appearances of the protagonist, the greatest merit of the novel is to make the reader explore the Chiss Ascendancy and the Chaos like never before.

The final act of the story finally ramps up in terms of excitement, and it is also able to open up a lot of possibilities for the trilogy finale, coming out in November.

Timothy Zahn's writing style is, as always, excellent: rich in detail, but never too heavy or difficult, with a strong focus, in this novel, on worldbuilding rather than the usual battles.

In conclusion, a solid strong chapter for the trilogy, that suffers from a certain slowness, as many second chapters, while putting some foundations for the next and final book.

The epic saga of Thrawn Ascendancy continues with its second installment set beyond a galaxy far, far away. Greater Good by New York Times Best Selling author Timothy Zahn is a solid middle chapter with plenty of mystery, deception, and a constant battle between family and military loyalties. Although Thrawn’s indisputable victory against the Nikardun brought honor and glory to the House of Mitth in Chaos Rising, the true threat to the Ascendancy is yet to be extinguished.

What makes Greater Good (and the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy so far) so enticing is its fresh take on the galaxy we all have come to know and love. Timothy Zahn set up solid ground for his new characters in Chaos Rising, introducing the readers to Sky-walker Che’ri and her Caregiver Thalias while at the same time enriching the developments of both Thrawn and Ar’alani, the latter making her first appearance in Thrawn: Treason. However, Greater Good switches gears and focuses more on the new, mysterious enemy and its long game to destroy the Ascendancy from the core.

The very last pages of Chaos Rising gave an insatiable teaser for what’s to come in the saga’s second book as the new Ascendancy foe by the name of Jixtus made an ominous appearance, leaving the readers at the edge of their seats and full of questions. Greater Good does what every mid-chapter does best: answer very few questions while leaving many stones unturned. Readers will be drawn into an irresistible mystery to solve as every chapter slowly unveils bits and pieces of the long scheme played by the Chiss’ new enemy. Rather than a bold, brute force approach, Jixtus’ plan is much more fine-grained—seeking to widen the rifts between the Nine Ruling and Forty Great Families by means of bribery through generous gifts and services.

Zahn’s Greater Good further explores and expands upon the complexity and often corrupt nature of family in the Chiss culture—this time introducing the readers to the Forty Great Families, the second tier of Ascendancy power, particularly focusing on the Xodlak family. Delving into the family’s obsession of honor and glory from two different perspectives—one being the Expansionary Defence Fleet Senior Captain Lakinda and the other from the people of the economically valuable but politically insignificant Ascendancy world of Celwis—is what makes Greater Good a must read. The need for reinstatement to Ruling Family status drives its members to make often radical decisions—inadvertently opening doors to the unsuspected enemy while making the plot all the more intriguing.

Despite Thrawn being the main selling point of the Ascendancy trilogy, in Greater Good Zahn takes the character out of the spotlight in favor of the Xodlak family affairs and the inner workings of the new Chiss threat—the “memories” sections within most chapters building up the suspense leading to present time as each seed of destruction is carefully planted. However, readers fear not because there is still plenty of Thrawn with yet more downright ludicrous and politically outrageous military strategies that continue to contribute to question his place within the Ascendancy (although the quest for bringing him down takes a hard stop in Greatest Good). Also, probably the most missed character in Greater Good is Admiral Ar’alani, her presence reduced almost to a mere cameo but replaced by the equally strong and charismatic Lakinda. Fortunately for the readers who fell in love with Thalias and Che’ri in Chaos Rising, both Caregiver and Sky-walker are still key players in the story—although Greater Good does not add any major character development to the duo.

Just like Chaos Rising, its sequel ends with jaw dropping revelations, career advancements, and yet another teaser for the conclusion of this epic trilogy, Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil, coming later this November. Where will the loyalties lay? Will family honor and glory prevail over the greater good of the Ascendancy?

Grab your copy of Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good today from your favorite book store, available in physical, ebook, and audio book format read by the legendary Marc Thompson!

The second book in Thrawn's prequel trilogy is here! Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good continues the story of our little blue guy's rise through the military ranks in the Chiss Ascendancy. Once again Timothy Zahn pits Thrawn and his fellow Chiss against their enemies deep in the Unknown Regions. This time, however, the danger isn't just fleet tactics and capital ships. The enemies of the Ascendancy strike with subterfuge and politics. A new battlefield for Thrawn where he might no longer be the genius tactician.

The book takes most of the Thrawn story tropes and tosses in a mix of Chiss politics and the sowing of dissonance to bring a very interesting story that strays a bit from the usual Thrawn fare. As the second book in a trilogy, there are plenty of loose threads to ponder on as we wait until Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil arrives in November. I enjoyed this book a bit more I think because Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising did a great job in setting up these characters and Chiss society. Greater Good plants some very interesting seeds and raises some very interesting questions. This book is definitely a must-read for any Thrawn fan or fans of political intrigue!