Thrawn Ascendancy

Thrawn Ascendancy takes place in the Chiss Ascendancy, an oligarchic autocracy residing deep in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy. The system is headed by the Nine Ruling Families: Boadil, Chaf, Clarr, Dasklo, Irizi, Mitth, Obbic, Plikh, and the Ufsa and is overseen by a ruling body named the Syndicure.

Due to their heavily isolationist belief systems, the Ascendancy was not involved in any external affairs and kept their presence hidden to the rest of the galaxy except in fairy tales heard from inhabitants in the Outer Rim. Their focus is primarily on research and exploration rather than expansion into the Galactic Empire, but Thrawn's eventual rise to power in the Empire went against their primary desires.

The Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet composes the Ascendancy's military fleet and monitored the rise of the Grysk forces as enemies of the Ascendancy.

{{Hatnote|383 pages hardcover}}

{{main|Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising}}

The first novel explores Thrawn and his companion Ar'alani's backstory set against the present day several years into the Clone Wars where Thrawn, a controversial figure in the Ascendancy, is tasked with tracking down a threat by the Nikardun Destiny led by Yiv the Benevolent.{{Citation|title=Star Wars: How Grand Admiral Thrawn's Creator Reinvented His Origin Story - IGN|date=4 September 2020 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/star-wars-grand-admiral-thrawn-origin-story-timothy-zahn-rebels|language=en|access-date=2021-06-13}}

The second novel takes place several months after Chaos Rising and sees Thrawn's fleet continuing to track the Nikardun threat when a mysterious figure called the Magys seeks his help to save her planet from extinction. The resulting expedition leads Thrawn, Ar'alani, and their compatriots to discover a new threat that has been quietly brewing. Flashbacks show Haplif, an Agbui spy, infiltrating Chiss society at the behalf of Jixtus (eventually revealed to be a Grysk) in order to sow discord between the Mitth and Irizi families.

{{Hatnote|548 pages hardcover}}

{{main|Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil}}

The final novel, Lesser Evil, follows Thrawn exploring the legend of the Starflash, a mythic weapon from ancient Chiss history and having to make a difficult decision in his quest for the Ascendancy's salvation as the tides of war continue to grow within and without the Ascendancy.{{Cite web|date=2021-04-01|title=The Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy Trilogy Will End with Lesser Evil - Exclusive Reveal|url=https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-thrawn-ascendancy-lesser-evil|access-date=2021-06-13|website=StarWars.com|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2021-04-28|title=Star Wars Theory: The Ancient Sith Created The Unknown Regions|url=https://screenrant.com/star-wars-ancient-sith-unknown-regions-create-theory/|access-date=2021-06-13|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}

Gizmodo said of Chaos Rising: "[it is] a Star Wars book quite unlike anything we’ve experienced so far in the last six years—in ways that are good and bad," calling the world "fascinatingly fleshed out" and the novel a "treat worth sinking your teeth into, although it may prove to be a little too rich for its own good at times."{{cite news |last1=Whitbrook |first1=James |title=Chaos Rising Is a Fascinating, Inscrutably Alien Look Into One of Star Wars' Most Mysterious Species |url=https://gizmodo.com/chaos-rising-is-a-fascinating-inscrutably-alien-look-i-1844961092 |access-date=16 May 2023 |work=Gizmodo |publisher=G/O Media |date=7 September 2020 |language=en}} Star Wars News Net stated that the novel "will make you look at Thrawn in a completely new light...My faith in Star Wars feels very strong after finishing Chaos Rising."{{Cite web|title=Review: Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising + SWNN Book Discussions - Star Wars News Net|url=https://www.starwarsnewsnet.com/2020/09/review-timothy-zahns-thrawn-ascendancy-chaos-rising-swnn-book-discussions.html|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.starwarsnewsnet.com}} CNET reviewed Greater Good: "It becomes more engaging as it goes along, but fails to satisfy as a standalone story and ends on a disappointingly limp note."{{cite web |last1=Keane |first1=Sean |title=Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good sidelines its incredible lead character too much |url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/star-wars-thrawn-ascendancy-greater-good-sidelines-its-incredible-lead-character-too-much/ |website=CNET |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=26 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306221945/https://www.cnet.com/culture/star-wars-thrawn-ascendancy-greater-good-sidelines-its-incredible-lead-character-too-much/ |archive-date=6 March 2023 |date=27 April 2021 |url-status=live}}

Chaos Rising debuted at number 9 on the New York Times Best Seller list for Hardcover Fiction in the week of September 20, 2020.{{Cite news|title=Hardcover Fiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Sept. 20, 2020 - The New York Times|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2020/09/20/hardcover-fiction/|access-date=2021-06-13|issn=0362-4331}} Greater Good debuted at number 10 during the week of May 16, 2021.{{Cite news|title=Hardcover Fiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - May 16, 2021 - The New York Times|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2021/05/16/hardcover-fiction/|access-date=2021-06-13|issn=0362-4331}}

• Star Wars: Thrawn, the first novel in the canon Thrawn series.
• Timothy Zahn, the creator of Grand Admiral Thrawn and writer of this book.
• Grand Admiral Thrawn, the main character of this book.
• List of Star Wars books, the list of novels published in the Star Wars series.

{{reflist}}

• {{Wookieepedia|Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy|Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy}}

{{Timothy Zahn}}

{{Star Wars canon novels}}

{{Star Wars Rebels}}

Category:Thrawn

Category:Star Wars novels

Category:Science fiction novel trilogies