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Thrawn: Alliances

Star Wars: Thrawn: Alliances
The primary cover art of Thrawn: Alliances
AuthorTimothy Zahn
LanguageEnglish
SeriesStar Wars: Thrawn trilogy
Genre
PublisherDel Rey Books
Publication date
July 24, 2018
Publication placeUnited States
Pages496[1] (paperback)
ISBN9781787460645
Preceded byStar Wars: Thrawn 
Followed byThrawn: Treason 

Thrawn: Alliances is a 2018 Star Wars novel by Timothy Zahn, published on July 24, 2018 by Del Rey Books. It continues the chronicles of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a character that Zahn originated in his Heir to the Empire trilogy published in 1991–1993. It is the sequel to Zahn's Star Wars: Thrawn novel, the second installment of the newer Thrawn trilogy, and the ninth Thrawn novel overall.[2]

Development

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At the New York Comic Con in 2017, Timothy Zahn, the author of the first eight Thrawn novels, announced that he had been working on a sequel to the 2017 Thrawn novel. He said that the book was actually finished and had been turned in a few weeks prior.[3] @DelReyStarWars, the official Star Wars Del Rey Twitter account, published a comment that read: "Thrawn is back. And he's bringing Vader with him. Coming summer 2018." The book was initially planned for release on June 26, 2018,[4] but was later delayed to July 24, 2018.[5][6][7]

Zahn said about coming back to writing about Thrawn: "Thrawn is a great character to write. It was really like I was never away from the last books I did. He’s a fun character to deal with..."[2]

Plot

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Thrawn: Alliances focuses on Thrawn's partnership with Darth Vader,[8] whom he meets at the conclusion of Thrawn. In the novel, Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Vader are sent on a mission to Batuu[9] to explore a disturbance in the Force felt by Emperor Palpatine.[1] The mission is more than that however, as Thrawn's split loyalties between the Empire and his native people the Chiss and Vader's past as a Jedi require a test of loyalty for both of the characters. The book also features flashbacks to a Clone Wars conflict featuring Thrawn and Anakin Skywalker on the same planet several years ago.[10] Additionally, Padmé Amidala is featured, investigating the disappearance of an old ally.[11][12]

The novel also introduces the fictional Grysk species,[13] which later return in Thrawn: Treason.

Reception

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Timothy Zahn authored Thrawn: Alliances

Thrawn: Alliances topped The New York Times Best Seller list for Hardcover Fiction on the August 12, 2018 edition,[14] and stayed there the next week.[15] It placed second in Hardcover Fiction for the August 6, 2018 edition of Publishers Weekly's list of the week's best-sellers.[16]

Megan Crouse of Den of Geek wrote:"The sequel moves a lot faster and has a more energetic central dynamic than the first book. It’s a science fiction beach read in the best way, brisk and amusing, with some cool additions to the Star Wars galaxy."[9]

In 2019, Alliances won a Dragon Award for Best Media Tie-In Novel.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Thrawn: Alliances (Star Wars). Penguin.co.uk. 28 February 2019. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Liptak, Andrew (July 25, 2018). "Star Wars Author Timothy Zahn on Thrawn: Alliances and Toxic Fandom". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  3. ^ Keane, Sean (October 6, 2017). "'Star Wars: Thrawn' sequel 'Alliances' announced at New York Comic Con 2017". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  4. ^ "Star Wars: 'Thrawn: Alliances' Cover Debuts Darth Vader's Partnership". Star Wars. Archived from the original on 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2021-02-09.
  5. ^ Figeuroa, Johnathan (4 June 2018). "11 Star Wars Projects Currently In Development (And 9 Rumored)". ScreenRant.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  6. ^ Jones, Dominic (January 15, 2018). "'Thrawn: Alliances' Release Delayed to July 24th". StarWarsUnderworld.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  7. ^ McClurg, Jocelyn. "5 new books you won't want to miss this week, including J.P. Delaney and 'Star Wars'". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  8. ^ "Star Wars: Thrawn: Alliances Answers Fan Questions and Teases the Disney Theme Park". Syfy.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Crouse, Megan (24 July 2018). "Star Wars: Thrawn – Alliances Review". DenOfGeek.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  10. ^ Keane, Sean (July 24, 2018). "Star Wars: Thrawn: Alliances offers clever character studies in two time periods". CNET. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  11. ^ "Padmé Is On a Mission in Thrawn: Alliances – Exclusive Excerpt". StarWars.com. July 11, 2018. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  12. ^ Larson, Kyle (July 19, 2018). "(Non-Spoiler) Review: Star Wars – Thrawn: Alliances". Star Wars Net. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  13. ^ Bacon, Thomas (29 July 2018). "Star Wars Has Just Introduced A Canon Replacement For The Yuuzhan Vong". ScreenRant.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers Week of August 12, 2018". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  15. ^ "Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers Week of August 19, 2018". The New York Times.
  16. ^ Juris, Carolyn. "This Week's Bestsellers: August 6, 2018". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  17. ^ "2019 Dragon Award Winners". September 2019. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
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