A review by jenny_librarian
Alliances by Timothy Zahn

adventurous mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

3.5

For what the Chiss Ascendancy and the first Thrawn book achieved, I expected a lot more from this. I've been waiting to learn about Anakin and Thrawn's little expedition ever since Zahn hinted at it in the Ascendancy trilogy. And I was sorely disappointed.

This wasn't on par with any other Thrawn books. Not only that, Zahn made it clear he has no idea how to write a straight relationship. He's really good at unknowingly writing homoerotic subtext between male characters, but his depiction of an actual married straight couple was... abysmal. I don't know where he got that characterization of Padmé, but it hurt my soul to read it. Her scenes with Anakin were physically painful, and I say this as an Anidala fangirl.

It was just... plain. I didn't see my favourites in there, I saw a bland version of them. And even Thrawn's became unbearable at one point. I usually like him, but this book was so dry and boring that it lacked the little bit of warmth I need to appreciate him.

I hope the last book in this trilogy is better, and I hope Zahn never writes anything with Padmé or Anidala ever again. My loves deserve better than that.
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