Science Fiction
![Timothy Zahn - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B000APAX8E.jpg)
![Timothy Zahn - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B00L1G4XKK.jpg)
Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy (Book II: Greater Good) (Star Wars: The Ascendancy Trilogy)
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Thrawn and his allies race to save the Chiss Ascendancy from an unseen enemy in the second book in the epic Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy from bestselling author Timothy Zahn.
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'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.
Readers Top Reviews
L Schultzkourgath
The first book of the trilogy sets the reader up nicely to learn how the families and patriarchy works. It taught us the ways of the Chiss. This book starts weaving the story that I hope will lead to the point where Thrawn is found as an outcast in Thrawn, but we shall see. There are plot twists, betrayals and murders throughout this book, along with the political play seen in the Ascendancy. Thrawn is as brilliant and yet politically flawed as always, but the question Is, will he become unstuck this time?
AlanBRADLEYL Schu
In 1991 Timothy Zahn released 'Heir to Empire' and a truly classic Star Wars character was born. Throughout further books Thrawn became a StarWars fan favourite with many stating, what would become known as, The Thrawn trilogy should become the storyline for movies 7, 8, & 9. But alas Disney arrived and thus the Thrawn trilogy has been wiped from the StarWars timeline. Fans wanted to know more about Thrawn, about where he came from, what shaped him and Zahn gave us that in 'Thrawn'. Unfortunately with 'Acendancy Greater Good' Zahn has obviously been told to toe the Woke Agenda line. Thrawn has become a lesser character in his own story as he is pushed to background to make way for 'strong, independent women that can do everything without any form of training'. A book filled with nonsensical words like 'Patriarchy'. It's such a shame to see this happen to a character as fantastic as Thrawn. The book itself obviously went through a lot of rewrites as it missed a few release dates. This was clearly down to Disney overlords demanding more woke content. When reading the book there's a sense that, perhaps, it wasn't even written by Timothy Zahn. That Disney simply used his name in order to sell the book. This book is the last Timothy Zahn book I will ever buy. He's sold out to the woke agenda that demands all major characters must be female and any previous main characters that were male must become bumbling idiots that need instruction from the strong female characters. Pass on this book. It's basically a Woke Manifesto and really should be avoided. RIP Mitth'raw'nuruodo. I shall remember you as you were before Disney destroyed you.
K. G. A. AlaviAla
A great book. Once Zahn delivers on Thrawn. I had one complaint of this book there was not enough Thrawn in the book. Though this can be forgiven as it did give more insight into the Ascendancy and the other Chiss characters. As well as the mysterious puppet master who has declared war on the Chiss. Even the "memories" section of this book is about the villains, rather than about Thrawn in the last book. Thrawn has made some high ranking enemies within his own people, who send him on a mission destined to fail. However as Thrawn says "the odds are never impossible, just unfavourable". Though there is an even bigger threat, that the Chriss are not even aware of. I liked this book, but I did prefer the first book. Though this one does set the stage for an attack on the Ascendancy. I am really looking forward to see what happens next. What is it that causes Thrawn to finally leave his people, and what family secrets are hinted at the end of thus book?
BrandonK. G. A
Love the Thrawn series. This one in my opinion is the most lacking in real substance. It had plenty of interesting plots and sub plots that merged together, like all Thrawn books. However, the plots mostly felt like filler, nothing with great substance. If you are a fan of Thrawn, especially the Ascendancy series, you don't want to skip it. But Book II is just lacking the quality story telling the other books have. It felt rushed, and mostly a filler book for what I assume to be the conclusion of Thrawn in book 3. Hopefully not, because the Thrawn series is without a doubt my favorite in the Star Wars Universe.
Adam LangleyTed F
The pacing of this book was not so much to my liking. It spends a long time building up to the finale, and the build-up is a little dull in places. Then the finale suddenly takes off and the solution isn't completely convincing. It works, there's nothing technically wrong, but I feel that this book was lacking a critical word from an editor and a final rewrite that would have really sharpened it up.
Short Excerpt Teaser
CHAPTER ONE
Throughout her years in the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet, Admiral Ar'alani had lived through more than fifty battles and smaller armed clashes. The opponents in those encounters, like the battles themselves, had varied widely. Some of them had been clever, others had been cautious, still others-particularly political appointees who had been promoted far beyond their abilities-had been painfully incompetent. The strategies and tactics employed had also varied, ranging from simple to obscure to screamingly violent. The battle results themselves had sometimes been mixed, sometimes inconclusive, often a defeat for the enemy, and-occasionally-a defeat for the Chiss.
But never in all that time had Ar'alani experienced such a mix of determination, viciousness, and utter pointlessness as in the scene now unfolding in front of her.
"Watch it, Vigilant-you've got four more coming at you from starboard-nadir." The voice of Senior Captain Xodlak'in'daro came from the Vigilant's bridge speaker, her resonant alto glacially calm as always.
"Acknowledged, Grayshrike," Ar'alani called back, looking at the tactical. Four more Nikardun gunboats had indeed appeared from around the small moon, driving at full power toward the Vigilant. "Looks like you have a few latecomers to your party, as well," she added.
"We're on it, ma'am," Lakinda said.
"Good," Ar'alani said, studying the six missile boats that had appeared from behind the hulk of the battle cruiser she and the other two Chiss ships had hammered into rubble fifteen minutes ago. Sneaking into cover that way without being spotted had taken some ingenuity, and many commanders with that level of competence would have used their skill to exercise the better part of valor and abandon such a clearly hopeless battle.
But that wasn't what these last pockets of Nikardun resistance were about. They were about complete self-sacrifice, throwing themselves at the Chiss warships that had rooted them from their burrows, apparently with the sole goal of taking some of the hated enemies with them.
That wasn't going to happen. Not today. Not to Ar'alani's force. "Thrawn, the Grayshrike has picked up a new nest of nighthunters," she called. "Can you offer them some assistance?"
"Certainly," Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo replied. "Captain Lakinda, if you'll turn thirty degrees to starboard, I believe we can draw your attackers into a crossfire."
"Thirty degrees, acknowledged," Lakinda said, and Ar'alani saw the Grayshrike's tactical display image angle away from the incoming missile boats and head toward Thrawn's Springhawk. "Though with all due respect to the admiral, I'd say they're more whisker cubs than nighthunters."
"Agreed," Thrawn said. "If these are the same ones we thought were caught in the battle cruiser explosion, they should be down to a single missile each."
"Actually, our tally makes two of them completely empty," Lakinda said. "Just along for the glory of martyrdom, I suppose."
"Such as it is," Ar'alani said. "I doubt anyone out there is going to be singing the elegiac praises of Yiv the Benevolent anytime soon. Wutroow?"
"Spheres are ready, Admiral," Senior Captain Kiwu'tro'owmis confirmed from across the Vigilant's bridge. "Ready to rain on their picnic?"
"One moment," Ar'alani said, watching the tactical and gauging the distances. Plasma spheres' ability to deliver electronics-freezing blasts of ionic energy made them capable of disabling attackers without having to plow through the tough nyix-alloy hulls that sheathed most warships in this part of the Chaos. Smaller fighter-class ships, like the Nikardun missile boats currently charging the Vigilant, were especially vulnerable to such attacks.
But the missile boats' smaller size also meant they were more nimble than larger warships, and could sometimes dodge out of harm's way if the relatively slow plasma spheres were launched too soon.
There were tables and balance charts to calculate that sort of thing. Ar'alani preferred to do it by eyesight and experienced judgment.
And that judgment told her they had a sudden opportunity here. Another two seconds . . . "Fire spheres," she ordered.
There was a small, muffled thud as the plasma spheres shot from their launchers. Ar'alani kept her eyes on the tactical, watching as the missile boats realized they were under attack and scrambled to evade the spheres. The rearmost of them almost made it, the sphere flickering into its aft port side and paralyzing its thrusters, sending it spinning off into space along its final evasion vector. The other three caught the spheres squarely amidships, killing their major systems as they, too, went gli...
Throughout her years in the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet, Admiral Ar'alani had lived through more than fifty battles and smaller armed clashes. The opponents in those encounters, like the battles themselves, had varied widely. Some of them had been clever, others had been cautious, still others-particularly political appointees who had been promoted far beyond their abilities-had been painfully incompetent. The strategies and tactics employed had also varied, ranging from simple to obscure to screamingly violent. The battle results themselves had sometimes been mixed, sometimes inconclusive, often a defeat for the enemy, and-occasionally-a defeat for the Chiss.
But never in all that time had Ar'alani experienced such a mix of determination, viciousness, and utter pointlessness as in the scene now unfolding in front of her.
"Watch it, Vigilant-you've got four more coming at you from starboard-nadir." The voice of Senior Captain Xodlak'in'daro came from the Vigilant's bridge speaker, her resonant alto glacially calm as always.
"Acknowledged, Grayshrike," Ar'alani called back, looking at the tactical. Four more Nikardun gunboats had indeed appeared from around the small moon, driving at full power toward the Vigilant. "Looks like you have a few latecomers to your party, as well," she added.
"We're on it, ma'am," Lakinda said.
"Good," Ar'alani said, studying the six missile boats that had appeared from behind the hulk of the battle cruiser she and the other two Chiss ships had hammered into rubble fifteen minutes ago. Sneaking into cover that way without being spotted had taken some ingenuity, and many commanders with that level of competence would have used their skill to exercise the better part of valor and abandon such a clearly hopeless battle.
But that wasn't what these last pockets of Nikardun resistance were about. They were about complete self-sacrifice, throwing themselves at the Chiss warships that had rooted them from their burrows, apparently with the sole goal of taking some of the hated enemies with them.
That wasn't going to happen. Not today. Not to Ar'alani's force. "Thrawn, the Grayshrike has picked up a new nest of nighthunters," she called. "Can you offer them some assistance?"
"Certainly," Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo replied. "Captain Lakinda, if you'll turn thirty degrees to starboard, I believe we can draw your attackers into a crossfire."
"Thirty degrees, acknowledged," Lakinda said, and Ar'alani saw the Grayshrike's tactical display image angle away from the incoming missile boats and head toward Thrawn's Springhawk. "Though with all due respect to the admiral, I'd say they're more whisker cubs than nighthunters."
"Agreed," Thrawn said. "If these are the same ones we thought were caught in the battle cruiser explosion, they should be down to a single missile each."
"Actually, our tally makes two of them completely empty," Lakinda said. "Just along for the glory of martyrdom, I suppose."
"Such as it is," Ar'alani said. "I doubt anyone out there is going to be singing the elegiac praises of Yiv the Benevolent anytime soon. Wutroow?"
"Spheres are ready, Admiral," Senior Captain Kiwu'tro'owmis confirmed from across the Vigilant's bridge. "Ready to rain on their picnic?"
"One moment," Ar'alani said, watching the tactical and gauging the distances. Plasma spheres' ability to deliver electronics-freezing blasts of ionic energy made them capable of disabling attackers without having to plow through the tough nyix-alloy hulls that sheathed most warships in this part of the Chaos. Smaller fighter-class ships, like the Nikardun missile boats currently charging the Vigilant, were especially vulnerable to such attacks.
But the missile boats' smaller size also meant they were more nimble than larger warships, and could sometimes dodge out of harm's way if the relatively slow plasma spheres were launched too soon.
There were tables and balance charts to calculate that sort of thing. Ar'alani preferred to do it by eyesight and experienced judgment.
And that judgment told her they had a sudden opportunity here. Another two seconds . . . "Fire spheres," she ordered.
There was a small, muffled thud as the plasma spheres shot from their launchers. Ar'alani kept her eyes on the tactical, watching as the missile boats realized they were under attack and scrambled to evade the spheres. The rearmost of them almost made it, the sphere flickering into its aft port side and paralyzing its thrusters, sending it spinning off into space along its final evasion vector. The other three caught the spheres squarely amidships, killing their major systems as they, too, went gli...
