I remember loving the book when I read it. Every second I spent reading it was enjoyable. The sad part is that Thrawn is not, as the other review comments, the original Thrawn Trilogy. In this setting, it couldn't have been. So, let's see how the book stands up on its own merits and then compare it to the originals:
By Itself: It's good. The plot's solid, the characters are interesting and complex, and the scenes where Thrawn is the POV character were interesting in their portrayal of his mind. His perception of the world, his internal notes, everything serves to highlight how this extraordinary man ticks. It is a good book on its own merits.
With the Trilogy: Let's face it, there's no way Disney would have allowed Zahn to recreate his magnum opus. What allowed the Thrawn Trilogy to truly thrive was that it had more space to work with. With the plot left open after Jedi, Thrawn could appear on an open canvas. Zahn could work with an entirely new future, unfettered by other films and books. Thrawn, however, is set inside a universe with dozens of other media restricting Zahn's creative liberties. Not to mention that Thrawn has to get from the events of Mist Encounters to the beginning of season 3 of Star Wars Rebels in one book, already a Herculean task. That it could not show Thrawn's failings or stop and pause on his ascent to admiralship is understandable. Thrawn would work better if it was allowed to go where Zahn wanted it to, not where the canon forces it to.
General Thoughts: I believe that this shows what ultimately cripples the new EU when compared to Legends. Legends was a laboratory for creativity. There was schlock like Glove of Darth Vader, but also triumphs like Hand of Thrawn and Legacy, which were able to expand the universe and tell stories the films and shows would or could not. Now, thanks to the centralized EU, everything is set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and Last Jedi. Authors in the new EU do not move the universe forward, but instead, fill the gaps between the films. Authors like Zahn can no longer blaze trails because Disney already paved an interstate highway. That is what ultimately (and tragically) brings Thrawn down from true greatness.
A Good Book, But Not as Good as the Originals
I remember loving the book when I read it. Every second I spent reading it was enjoyable. The sad part is that Thrawn is not, as the other review comments, the original Thrawn Trilogy. In this setting, it couldn't have been. So, let's see how the book stands up on its own merits and then compare it to the originals:
By Itself: It's good. The plot's solid, the characters are interesting and complex, and the scenes where Thrawn is the POV character were interesting in their portrayal of his mind. His perception of the world, his internal notes, everything serves to highlight how this extraordinary man ticks. It is a good book on its own merits.
With the Trilogy: Let's face it, there's no way Disney would have allowed Zahn to recreate his magnum opus. What allowed the Thrawn Trilogy to truly thrive was that it had more space to work with. With the plot left open after Jedi, Thrawn could appear on an open canvas. Zahn could work with an entirely new future, unfettered by other films and books. Thrawn, however, is set inside a universe with dozens of other media restricting Zahn's creative liberties. Not to mention that Thrawn has to get from the events of Mist Encounters to the beginning of season 3 of Star Wars Rebels in one book, already a Herculean task. That it could not show Thrawn's failings or stop and pause on his ascent to admiralship is understandable. Thrawn would work better if it was allowed to go where Zahn wanted it to, not where the canon forces it to.
General Thoughts: I believe that this shows what ultimately cripples the new EU when compared to Legends. Legends was a laboratory for creativity. There was schlock like Glove of Darth Vader, but also triumphs like Hand of Thrawn and Legacy, which were able to expand the universe and tell stories the films and shows would or could not. Now, thanks to the centralized EU, everything is set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and Last Jedi. Authors in the new EU do not move the universe forward, but instead, fill the gaps between the films. Authors like Zahn can no longer blaze trails because Disney already paved an interstate highway. That is what ultimately (and tragically) brings Thrawn down from true greatness.
Score: 4/5