Review: Star Wars- Tarkin
Quick Summary
Pros: Tarkin is written fantastically and his personal story is great from start to finish. The stories surrounding Vader and the Emperor are also interesting and add to the Star Wars lore. The book’s main conflict is compelling and is satisfying to see play out.
Cons: Some of the book’s minor characters feel underdeveloped.
Overall: This is a great book through and through. The centerpiece of the novel is a thrilling story about Tarkin, one that utilizes a series of compelling flashbacks to make the modern story even more interesting. This is then flanked by subplots that showcase Vader and the Emperor in a way that is just as satisfying. Any reader looking for good stories about the Empire should absolutely not miss this book.
Story
Star Wars: Tarkin, by James Luceno, is an absolutely gripping story about one of the most imposing characters in any Star Wars movie. This book combines flashbacks, present day action, and deep connections to Star Wars lore in order to create a narrative that delights at every turn.
The bulk of Tarkin is focused on the titular character. His every action in the book’s main storyline is calculated and impressive in a way that is simultaneously thrilling to see play out and frightening to watch. He makes for a great villain but his status as the book’s protagonist allows for a more in-depth look at his character than a simple casting as a cheap antagonist would. All of his actions and experiences are then further enhanced by a series of flashbacks, which give a deeper understanding of how this terrifyingly bright and terrifyingly evil character came to be.
In addition to this, a good portion of Tarkin also focuses on building up other aspects of Star Wars lore. The book has Sidious in his earlier days as Emperor and shows how some of his additional schemes were executed. It has Vader preforming his typically impressive feats while also giving Tarkin’s intriguing analysis into his character. And, finally, it has an origin for early sources of rebellion within the Empire. For big fans of Star Wars, all of this helps provide an even more compelling glimpse at this universe.
The book’s only downside is that the rebels in it feel underdeveloped. By the end of this book, I didn’t find myself with too much of an attachment to these characters, especially when compared to any other character in this book. However, as this is only one of the book’s several subplots, it being mediocre doesn’t have a huge impact on the book as a whole.
Continuity
Star Wars: Tarkin takes place before the events of Episode IV- A New Hope but after the events of Episode III- Revenge of the Sith. This book sets up and expands upon the events of these two movies, respectively.
This book also makes a few references to other Star Wars works:
- Tarkin’s appearances across the Clone Wars TV show are mentioned. Specifically, his appearances in Season Three and Season Five are brought up.