I just finished reading Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn. The book was very good, and showed the Star Wars universe the depth, and tactical genius, of Thrawn. There were cameos by the Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, Grand Moff Tarkin, and more.
The only thing that I couldn't shake out of my mind as I read the book was that I am a big Star Wars: Rebels fan. The genius of Thrawn is watered down in Rebels. When I read scene after scene in Star Wars: Thrawn where Thrawn out foxes everyone I kept thinking of how the rebels got away with what they did. The other thing was Governor Arihnda Pryce was a much stronger character in the novel than in Rebels. I know that Star Wars: Rebels was a kids show, and thus the hard edge of the characters in the novel had to be toned down.
When I watched Rebels I kept wondering what the big deal about Lothal was, and Star Wars: Thrawn gives us some insight into that.