Star Wars : La Croisade noire du Jedi fou

Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy #1-3

by Timothy Zahn, Michel Demuth (Translator)

Il y a bien longtemps, dans une galaxie lointaine, très lointaine....

Cinq ans se sont écoulés depuis que l'Alliance Rebelle a détruit l'Étoile de la Mort. Dark Vador et l'Empereur, son maître, ne sont plus. La République prospère sous l'égide de la Princesse Leia et de son époux, Han Solo. Luke Skywalker est quant à lui le premier d'une nouvelle lignée de Jedi. Dans les confins de l'espace, les derniers bâtiments impériaux se sont rassemblés sous la bannière du Grand Amiral Thrawn. Un César de carnaval que l'on ne prend pas au sérieux. Mais celui-ci a fait deux découvertes capitales qui pourraient faire tomber la jeune République. Et le côté Obscur est encore vivace... Que la Force soit avec nous.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Space Opera, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy

1280 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published October 27, 2015

About the author

Timothy Zahn attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1973. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and achieved an M.S. degree in physics in 1975. While he was pursuing a doctorate in physics, his adviser became ill and died. Zahn never completed the doctorate. In 1975 he had begun writing science fiction as a hobby, and he became a professional writer. He and his wife Anna live in Bandon, Oregon. They have a son, Corwin Zahn.

Reviews

[Simon Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thrawn Trilogy was and still is an excellent beginning to the old expanded universe. It only requires that you are familiar with Return of the Jedi. (Which if you aren't what are you doing here?) It is the story that brought the favorite character of many, Thrawn, into being. This trilogy shows what a broken shattered empire can do with a true strategist at it's helm. If you don't want to read this book because it isn't canon you should know that you are depriving yourself of an excellent tale set in the star wars universe.

I personally recommend anyone wanting to read this to instead listen to it. Star Wars audiobooks are of truly great, with the music right were you'd want it. When a blaster fires they add the sound, they have the murmuring backgrounds of cantinas, the iconic activation of a lightsaber, and most are narrated by Marc Thompson who manages to give almost every character a unique voice. The audiobook is the way to experience this and any Star Wars novel.

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

¿Quiere saber más de esta trilogía, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Dimitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

An apt continuation but Star Wars simply doesn't work as letters on a page... :-(

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original Thrawn trilogy now part of the Legends timeline. Overall books more of a slow burn focusing more on political maneuvering and military strategy than traditional Star Wars movie fare. It was a bit heavy handed on nostalgia from the original trilogy at points but it was great to have a different Star Wars villain in Thrawn than the stereotypical Sith Lord. I am excited to see Thrawn make an appearance is the Ashoka show later this year.

[Robin Franks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

The Thrawn trilogy is some of the best Star Wars writing. Timothy Zahn builds good storylines and characters. The books are even better since I'm reading from a whole new perspective than I read from before.

[Jill Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this was the next trilogy movie

Took me a long time to read these. It makes me think j how much better these would have been for the next set of star wars movies than what we got!

[Jason Marciak · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters portrayed in the Thrawn trilogy are already much loved and fairly well known Han, Luke, Leia, Lando, the droids and all the rest. Here though we are actually given some excellent foils and rich new characters like Karrde, Mara, and Thrawn himself. As a fan of the mythos of Star Wars, I couldn’t help but fall in love with them all. Pellion’s initial grudging willingness to obey orders for Thrawn that eventually becomes true respect. And the analysis that Thrawn puts into his every move, even when wrong, seems totally believable.

Excellent trilogy and well worth the read.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been several years since I read these books, but I remember Zahn's vivid, dynamic characters and plots that kept me reading and leaving me wanting more when it was done. For having written in the universe of another writer, he excellently recreated that universe and is perhaps the best author of a Star Wars continuing story to date.

[Paulo Goulart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Na verdade, li uma BD desta Trilogia (já tinha lido o livro e não me lembrava). Gostei muito.

[Jonathan Lodato · Rating 2 out of 5]

Still better than Disney at least

More plot holes than the average star wars fans cratered face.

What makes the books memorable is obviously the characters, Thrawn is a brilliant character, Mara jade the emporers hand, great concept, a mad jedi clone. Such a great premise and character concepts. Some poor ones as well.

My problem with it all is that the whole story is much too similar to an actual Hollywood film plotline. Lack of nuance, Unbelievable blunders, overused scenarios, a hundred things that dont make sense and utter incongruencues with the characters. It's hard to even pick one plot hole as so many things are just plain dumb imo. If this book was ever made into film it would be a new high score on 'cinema sins'.

Seriously how many jail breaks can the new republic pull off? How many flawless victories of multiple heros? Its so tiresome.

Basically I knew how it would end halfway through the second book. Very obvious, Not very interesting at all after that. Pretty lame. I could carry on for a while but I'll just pick one major complaint, besides the plotline itself.

There are major character incongruencies. Mara being the most convoluted. She starts off being pissed that her future was ruined by the new republic and specifically Luke, she enjoyed her power and purpose in the empire, she was bitter it was taken from her. Was she selected by the emperor? Did she choose that path? Author Never really specifies but it is specified that shes pissed about losing the emporer and vows revenge. This would indicate she does not share the values of a lets say a Mon Mothma type of political world view. Which is also unclear btw but theyre obviously at opposing polarity.

However as the story progresses she completely betrays the empire and the emporers vision for the empire, her entire personal experience accounts for nothing it all amounts to just a little mind trick the emporer played on her, you know the force or something. She actually had no agency or responsibility. Which is totally contradictory to the story anyway, Joris was unique in his mind control abilities. It just doesn't hold weight that she would flip because I guess she didn't like that Thrawn told her what to do one time, such a meanie! Even though her beloved emporer would have wanted that.

Luke is just such a nice guy for helping her save the smuggler Karrde or not killing her one time and so she was so willing to throw away everything she stood for and become the most monumental asset to the war against the empire. Isnt Karrde a smuggler? smugglers ship harmful illegal goods and are criminals, theyre unsavory or ie scum of the earth, why is he presented as palatable,loyal and honorable? For a character who was her beloved emporers hand it makes no sense the whole smuggling thing would be more than a means to an end.

The karrde character was particularly annoyinv throughout the story. The endearing dirt bag Han solo was the exception and it was already done. Integrating smugglers into the story as halfway decent legitimate faction was simply bothersome and redundant imo.
Anyway...

Seriously her flipping to the "good" side wouldn't make a bad story, you expect it somewhere but the "heroes" didn't really have to do much to win her over. It was just mostly happenstance. And more annoying that she mostly overshadowed luke in the end. Which is not what I think most people would want.

I could go on about much more. Sadly disappointed in the whole thing.

[Brielle "Bookend" Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

🧠🧬🚀
"Before Disney, before sequels, before blue milk discourse... there was Thrawn."
🚀🧬🧠

Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (we will forgive the "copuwright 1993")
Read if: You believe Star Wars should be space opera with moral philosophy, character arcs, and actual stakes.
Skip if: You came here for lightsaber duels and got overwhelmed by political intrigue and clone ethics.

Let’s be real.
This isn’t just a trilogy—it’s a whole thesis on what Star Wars could be after Endor. Zahn didn’t just pick up where Return of the Jedi left off. He expanded the universe before it was a marketing term. He gave us:

✅ A tactician villain who wins with intelligence, not Force lightning
✅ A broken Luke Skywalker trying to rebuild meaning
✅ Leia balancing politics, Force training, and impending motherhood
✅ Han… being Han, but with slightly more stress lines
✅ And Mara Jade. THE Mara Jade.

Why the Omnibus Works:
This collected edition hits like a freight train of space drama. You don’t get a breather. You are immersed. There’s no forgetting what happened last volume. It’s all right there, waiting to emotionally gut-punch you.

Highlights I Yelped Over (again):
✨ Thrawn's art-based warfare logic. (Why is this not taught in military schools??)
✨ Leia standing toe-to-toe with old Imperials while pregnant. Icon.
✨ The slow thaw between Mara and Luke—less romance, more grudging respect until it isn’t.
✨ That final confrontation in The Last Command. Chilling. Earned. And a masterclass in escalation.

Gripes? Only Two:
🕰️ Some of the exposition ages like a Holonet dial-up signal. It’s from the '90s. Accept it.
🌀 The clone tech explanation gets murky fast. Just roll with it and nod wisely.

TL;DR:
If you’ve never read the old Expanded Universe, this Omnibus is the best crash course in what we lost when canon got nuked. It’s literary, it’s thrilling, it’s emotionally complex. It made Thrawn iconic, Mara unforgettable, and Star Wars feel like myth again.

Read this if you love:
🔹 Heroes with PTSD
🔹 Empires that don’t die clean
🔹 Tactical warfare that feels like a game of chess with real lives
🔹 Space women who do not need saving
🔹 Legacy storytelling that earns every twist

Final Thought:
This isn’t just “what happened after the movies.”
This is how you build a galaxy with weight, history, and consequences. And Thrawn? He doesn’t just belong in canon. He should be required reading.

“The Force may bind the galaxy together. But it’s the people who pull the strings that shape it.”

⭐ Also: You’ll never look at a Ysalamiri the same way again.

[Muhme Rumpumpel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fünf Jahre nach dem Sieg auf Endor ist die Neue Republik immer noch damit beschäftigt, die letzten Reste des Imperiums zu bekämpfen - und unglücklicherweise hat sich dort ein Großadmiral Thrawn gefunden, ein taktisches Genie, der das Ruder wieder herumreißen und ein neues Imperium erschaffen will. Dafür rekrutiert er den als verschollen geltenden Jedi-Klon Joruus C'Baoth, dessen Wahnsinn und Größenwahn jedoch schnell ein Eigenleben bekommen. C'Baoth ist besessen davon, eine Schar von Jedi zu unterrichten und mit ihnen über die Galaxis zu herrschen - und diese Jedi sollen Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa Solo und Leias Babies Jacen und Jaina sein.

Während Leia der Geburt ihrer Kinder entgegensieht, entdeckt sie einen kleinen Planeten, dessen Bewohner sich in einer Mehrgenerationen-Lebensschuld dem Imperium gegenüber befinden. Es gelingt ihr, den Verrat aufzudecken, mit dem das Imperium diese Lebensschuld ergaunert hat.

Han Solo bemüht sich, die Schmuggler für Transportaufträge im Namen der Neuen Republik zu engagieren und lernt dabei den charismatischen Talon Karrde kennen. Dessen Assistentin Mara Jade ist getrieben vom Hass auf Luke Skywalker, den sie unbedingt töten will - und auch sie ist eine der von C'Baoth "Auserwählten" für seine Jedi-Armee, denn auch Mara verfügt über die Macht...

***

Eine tolle Trilogie. Ausnahmslos alle der vielen Handlungsstränge sind interessant und fast alle super-spannend. Thrawn und C'Baoth sind phänomenale Bösewichter, und sowohl Talon Karrde als auch Mara Jade gehören zu den interessantesten Charakteren, die ich in Büchern je kennen gelernt habe.
Leider enthält die deutsche Übersetzung eindeutig zu viele dumme Flüchtigkeitsfehler. Die sind zwar verschmerzbar, aber eben einfach nicht schön.

[Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

4.5*

First time read the author's work?: No

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Wilmer Alcivar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thrawn trilogy takes place five years after the Battle of Endor (Episode VI), and thanks to the fact that all the characters from the old movies reappear in this trilogy, it has the same vibe.

I have to say that Thrawn is a genius in battle. If he had been at the helm of the Empire instead of Vader, the Battle of Endor might have had a different outcome. Thrawn is a villain you want to see succeed, and that says a lot.

I loved reading this trilogy and definitely recommend it. Book 2 may be a little slow in the Noghri chapters, but for the rest it's a very good trilogy. For me, this trilogy is how episodes 7, 8, and 9 should have been.

It adds a lot of lore to characters like Luke, Han, and Leia. It's great to understand that Luke doesn't have it so easy after Endor, even one might thinks otherwise.

And of course you have new characters that are also really interesting. Mara is the most interesting one. And yes you also have space battles like in the movies 🙌

[Devan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are amazing. Read them all over the course of a month and could read them again today. All three books are very faithful to the characters we know and love and give them a fair bit of development, especially Luke Skywalker. He has a journey where he kind of decides how he wants to use his power to benefit people and a really cool foil character is introduced for him. Also, I would be remiss not to mention Thrawn, probably the best Star Wars villain produced outside of the original movie trilogy. If you are a SW fan, give this a read. It is light years above anything Disney is putting out these days.

[Enrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timothy Zahn created a masterpiece of a trilogy. He created a phenomenal characters as he expanded the Star War universe. And in my opinion he created one of the best villain who is not a Sith or bounty hunter. Thrawn! He is a man determine to crush the Rebel Alliance after the fall of the Empire in Star Wars Return of the Jedi. What makes this man so dangerous? His mind. He is a master strategist. To find the weakness of your people all he does is study the art and then he will understand you. Could Luke, Han, Leia and Chewie face off against such an enemy? You'll have to pick it up and see for yourself. It is most definitely worth the read.

[Greg Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this trilogy back in the 90s, and just got back to it recently. Back in the day, this was really all that was available for rabid fans wanting more beyond the original 3 Star Wars movies.

Overall the trilogy was a fun read -- great world building within the Star Wars universe, and character development (even for the well established characters)

My only beef is that I didn't find the ending very satisfying. It felt like the writer had hit a deadline, and simply ended it to be finished.

[Tyler O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this trilogy, for sure, but the ending I mean come on. 1500 pages of buildup about the genius of Thrawn only for him to be killed and ended in a half page, in a Noghri betrayal? I almost bumped this series down to 3 stars due to how trash his conclusion was. The finale felt so rushed!

That said though, I did mostly enjoy the story and don’t regret reading it. Though I’m happy to be done

[Tim Devogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect follow-up to the original trilogy in every single way. It includes and nails all the classical characters, while also introducing several new ones. Thrawn repeatedly demonstrates his strategical prowess, making him a true force to be reckoned with and setting him up as one of the most well-known Star Wars Legends characters. The novel does not require any prior reads, and is a must read for anyone interested in the Legends continuity.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the relationship between Luke and Mara (especially the end scene), the relationship between Leia and her twins, and the unwavering dedication of the Noghri. The unexpected twist of seeing the clone Luke, crafted from the hand severed at Cloud City, was delightful. Finally, reading the climactic conclusion of Grand Admiral Thrawn was "artistically done."

[Davide Pappalardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent trilogy which introduced both the new wave of EU materials and the famous character Thrawn in the early 90’s. There are some continuity discrepancies with what came after the prequel trilogy, but that’s not the author’s fault - at the time not even Lucas knew what Clone Wars really were and the whole pre-Empire period wasn’t defined. I think the only minor cons I can hold against Zahn are some repetitiveness in the kind of situations our heroes have to face, the way Thrawn being always one step ahead his enemies stretches the suspension of disbelief, and some campy ideas in the final part of the trilogy. But overall, this is a great read that feels like proper Star Wars material.

[Edwin Nealley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Original Legend, and the Best

The Original Legends novels, and perhaps the Best, Timothy Zahn writes true SW, with authentic feel and character, as well as several beloved new characters, including the first appearance of Thrawn in print.

Despite not being 'canon', it's definitive.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent roman ! On retrouve vraiment le souffle de l'aventure façon Star Wars. Les nouveaux personnages sont particulièrement réussis, le suspens est entier, et on découvre de nouvelles facettes aux personnages d'origine de la saga.

[Humble · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turns a fantasy space opera into a hard sci-fi story. Solid for what it is, but not my vibe. Most of the characters don't really have personality or readable differences in prose patterns beyond the villains. Thrawn is cool. Mara Jade is kind of not a character.

[Kelly Lemieux · Rating 3 out of 5]

This genre trilogy collection is quality mass market hack writing and I found myself enjoying this series a lot more as I got to each new volume. My Denver boyfriend in the '90s and I gave this series and all of my other Star Wars books to his younger brother. Zahn at the top of his game.

[Douglas Sulick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Timothy Zahn wrote one wonderful Star Wars trilogy. The tension builds constantly until the end. The ending is tidy too, and that is one of my pet peeves against many writers.

[Molly Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read these for the first time during the 2020 pandemic shutdowns. I think they are great! I’m actually upset I hadn’t read them before that point. I definitely recommend for any Star Wars fan who likes the first 3 Star Wars films.

[Chenoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read the first 2 books before but never the third. An amazingly interesting and intelligent storyline in the series. This story is important in some of the modern tv series but the characters here have so much life to them.

[Andrés Pérez Camarasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying ending to a great trilogy.
If you have bought this one, you are already enthrilled with the story.
And it delivers too. Super interesting until the very end. What a pleasure to read.
What a great trilogy indeed.
An absolute must for any Star Wars enjoyer.

[Anthony Dorsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good Star Wars book and for its time I understand the acclaim this trilogy received. Some of the story felt wild but just pulling from the OT I don’t think they quite jumped the shark yet like I know Legends ended up.