James Luceno

Darth Plagueis, a Sith Lord who knows the Dark Side so well that he has power over life and death, joins forces with his apprentice, one-day emperor Darth Sidious, to try to dominate the whole galaxy. Movie tie-in.

Darth Plagueis

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . . Bestselling Star Wars veteran James Luceno gives Grand Moff Tarkin the Star Wars: Darth Plagueis treatment, bringing the legendary character from A New Hope to full, fascinating life. He’s the scion of an honorable and revered family. A dedicated soldier and distinguished legislator. Loyal proponent of the Republic and trusted ally of the Jedi Order. Groomed by the ruthless politician and Sith Lord who would be Emperor, Governor Wilhuff Tarkin rises through the Imperial ranks, enforcing his authority ever more mercilessly . . . and zealously pursuing his destiny as the architect of absolute dominion. Rule through the fear of force rather than force itself, he advises his Emperor. Under Tarkin’s guidance, an ultimate weapon of unparalleled destruction moves ever closer to becoming a terrifying reality. When the so-called Death Star is completed, Tarkin is confident that the galaxy’s lingering pockets of Separatist rebellion will be brought to heel—by intimidation . . . or annihilation. Until then, however, insurgency remains a genuine threat. Escalating guerrilla attacks by resistance forces and newfound evidence of a growing Separatist conspiracy are an immediate danger the Empire must meet with swift and brutal action. And to bring down a band of elusive freedom fighters, the Emperor turns to his most formidable agents: Darth Vader, the fearsome new Sith enforcer as remorseless as he is mysterious; and Tarkin—whose tactical cunning and cold-blooded efficiency will pave the way for the Empire’s supremacy . . . and its enemies’ extinction. Praise for Tarkin “Tarkin tells a compelling tale of mystery while revealing much about a character who has fueled debate among fans since 1977, as well as the oppressive regime he represents. [James] Luceno has proven once again that the villains of Star Wars are as much fun as the good guys.”—New York Daily News “Another home run in the new canon . . . This is the highest and best distillation of Tarkin stories, old and new, we’ve ever been given.”—Big Shiny Robot “A spectacular novel, with the intrigue, action, and profound characterization we have come to expect from the pen of Luceno . . . [Tarkin] provides a nuanced, multi-faceted anti-hero who is captivating, ominous, and calculating; in many ways, this is an origin tale of the Empire [and] a fascinating portrait of one of the more popular characters in the Original Trilogy. It may very well be one my favorite Star Wars novels.”—Coffee with Kenobi “A fascinating look at the pathos of one of the galaxy’s most criminally underused characters.”—TheForce.net

Tarkin: Star Wars

Julie Failde

I love to see through Tarkin's eyes, and his inner voice is fantastic but this book just didn't do it for me.

Dimitris Papastergiou

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."

Elizabeth Clement

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!

Ryan LaFerney

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.

Robin M Cabana

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.

Tells the complete tale of Grand Moff Tarkin, who guides the creation of the Death Star and paves the way for the Empire's supremacy--and whom even the dreaded Darth Vader obeys.

Nikki Sojkowski

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.

Jane Krauss

** 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.

Les Reynolds

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.

Ahmet Emre Aslan

Cody Madden

Chris Farrell 

Michael Cowell

Malte Thiele

"The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise: Once, not so long ago, there was a reat Sith Lord called Darth Plagueis. So powerful and wise was Darth Plagueis hat he could manipulate the dark side of the Force to save others from dying. ventually Darth Plagueis became so powerful that the only thing he feared was osing his power. Then, as is the way of the Sith, he was murdered by his pprentice, Darth Sidious. o went the tale told by Chancellor Palpatine--Darth Sidious himself--to Anakin kywalker, and since that moment in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, fans have lamored to know the true story of Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious. This tand-alone novel is a dark and moving tale of two Sith and their quest for ultimate ower over life and death...."

Darth Plagueis

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