Reviews
I love to see through Tarkin's eyes, and his inner voice is fantastic but this book just didn't do it for me.
Set in: 67-65 BBY (Part 1) 54-52 BBY (Part 2) 34-32 BBY (Part 3) Let me start by asking you one simple question that will determine if you would want to read this book. Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis The Wise? No? I thought not. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. This is the tragedy, the rise and fall of Darth Plagueis the Wise. This is a great story, that continues to be among the best ones told from the Legends books, and a must read for sure, for those who want more Star Wars in their lives. This made me reminisce the Darth Bane trilogy which was the last SWEU books I read and liked that much. "Yoda and the rest of the Council members will double their meditation sessions in an effort to peer into the future only to discover it clouded and unknowable. Only to discover that complacency has opened the door to catastrophe." - Darth Plagueis Here's what you'll get in this one, Darth Plaguies' beginning as an Apprentice to Darth Tenebrous and then you'll get a young Palpatine and his upbringing to the Sith order, his grooming from Plaguies and his rise to the position we find him in in Phantom Menace. The whole SW theme and feeling is in here and it rules all over the book, you won't be disappointed. Do yourself a favor and learn about Darth Plaguies The Wise. "Let them inhale the aroma of the Dark Side."
Serves more as a thorough backstory to Palpatine than anything else. There's some great character development here, although it gets a bit rushed at times. Has Darth Maul's backstory as well. This book leads directly in to Phantom Menace. The biggest issue I had was that there were several chunks of the book that got a bit boring because they were about Coruscant and Republic politics, which can be a bit dry :) but definitely a recommended read for any Star Wars fan!
Star Wars: Tarkin is a confident book that is written by a confident author. It is filled with the intrigue, action, and fascinating characterization that we've come to expect from a Luceno Star Wars book. In my opinion, Luceno is one of the best authors of Star Wars fiction writing today (alongside of Timothy Zahn and Claudia Gray). He is also very proficient at describing the technology world of the star wars universe without bogging the reader down. The story takes place five years after the end of the Clone Wars. Emperor Palpatine is using his influence and the dark side of the Force to manipulate the galaxy and change the landscape. Moff Tarkin is in the Outer Rim overseeing the construction of the Death Star, and Darth Vader is doing whatever the Emperor wants. In this case, the Emperor wants Vader and Tarkin to work together to investigate what appears to be an act of insurrection. Mystery ensues. As the plot unfolds, so does Tarkin’s past. We learn about his family, his home on the planet Eriadu, a little about his time in the Clone Wars, and most importantly, we see his family’s peculiar rites of passage. Those experiences – which are essentially an intense game of Survivor that pits Tarkin against wild creatures and nature – are what ultimately shape Tarkin into the man we meet in Episode IV. They taught Tarkin the value of ruling with fear, and it’s a theme that runs throughout the book. The Empire’s governing techniques are rooted in intimidation. I mean they're building a Death Star to rule with terror. And this is more or less the plot of the book. I found it interesting to read about the insurgency (one of those many flickers of hope throughout the galaxy). It gives you insight (the way Enfys Nest did in Solo) into all the different freedom fighters that exist in the galaxy before the rebellion really gets organized. Anyway, as fascinating as freedom fighters are, this is Tarkin's story and a captivating one at that. You really see how he learned to be such a tactical and cunning leader. I found the ending to be completely satisfying and his characterization dazzling. Kuddos to Luceno for writing another great Star Wars entry.
I really enjoyed this book, which might have also been called Darth Sidious, because it really is about the rise of Darth Plagueis apprentice. This story delves into the world of the Sith and the Dark Side and really explains some of the mysteries that aren't clarified in Episodes I-III. I enjoyed reading a story from the point of view of characters entrenched in the Dark Side and I also enjoyed many of the references to the expanded universe and appearances by characters like Jabba the Hutt, Sifo-Dyas, Jorus C'baoth.
This was an amazing book about Tarkin and Vader being bros hunting down some criminals and it was so well done. Villain POV had the potential to really mess up, especially with Tarkin being so iconic. The backstories really did him just A+ the only thing was that it's slow at parts which is understandable being an Imperial officer and having a chain of command. It just wasn't my style in that regard. My favorite Star Wars novel after Dark Disciple because no one tops Ventress in my book.
** spoiler alert ** Reading like a biography, this book felt like I was reading of an actual historical figure. I love the level of intrigue between Tarkin and Vader. There is so much development of the relationship between Vader and Emperor Palpatine. I found it really interesting how the Sith view their meditation and their overarching galactic plan. However, the biggest piece of knowledge was the Sith Shrine that the Jedi didn't understand and how it damaged the order from within.
I enjoy the way some Star Wars books flesh out the stories we know, but this was mostly about politics, and financial maneuverings. And I don't really like reading about the "bad guys" (Thrawn being the exception). I also found the conclusion of Darth Plagius' quest for eternal life dissatisfying.
