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jmdaly95's review against another edition
3.0
Book 12 of 40 for the 2015 Reading Challenge
So with a new Star Wars movie on the way and watching the originals the other day I picked up James Luceno’s Tarkin.
Tarkin has always been an interesting member of the Empire seemingly the only member of the military who was an equal to Darth Vader in the original movie.
The story tells the tale of Tarkin’s childhood and rise to power. The story also shows some of the early formation of the rebellion against the Empire.
The tale maintains a good pace and shows how Tarkin was part of the power triad with the Emperor and Darth Vader. The tales does a great job of filling in some of the gap between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.
I would defiantly recommend it to anyone looking for some pre-Force Awakening reading.
So with a new Star Wars movie on the way and watching the originals the other day I picked up James Luceno’s Tarkin.
Tarkin has always been an interesting member of the Empire seemingly the only member of the military who was an equal to Darth Vader in the original movie.
The story tells the tale of Tarkin’s childhood and rise to power. The story also shows some of the early formation of the rebellion against the Empire.
The tale maintains a good pace and shows how Tarkin was part of the power triad with the Emperor and Darth Vader. The tales does a great job of filling in some of the gap between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.
I would defiantly recommend it to anyone looking for some pre-Force Awakening reading.
asadaniels's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
This action-packed book is a fun read for any Star Wars fan. I think it did a great job giving more background and depth to one of the biggest players in the Empire, Grand Moff Tarkin, without making him excessively evil (he already is quite evil, considering all that he does just in A New Hope) and instead simply giving the context which informs his personality and authoritarian way of governance.
I also enjoyed exploring the lore of Star Wars in this book, learning about some of the sociopolitical elements, the culture and world of Tarkin's home world, and even just the eccentric, power-hungry nature of his family at large. While I think Luceno could have done more so that the narrator sounded like a sympathizer to The Empire, or at least painting the scenes from Tarkin's perspective in a more pro-Empire manner, the manner in which it is written now is not overly pro-Rebel or anti-Empire. The reason I pose this suggestion is that I think it would make the reading all the more immersive and engaging.
More of a random thought than necessarily a specific suggestion, but I think it would have been cool to see illustrations of the ships, races, planets, etc. that are referenced in this book. It is one of my favorite things about those giant encyclopedias about Star Wars lore and culture. Besides, it would have saved me time from having to look up things on my phone because I really wanted to see what they looked like.
All in all, a great, fun read and a welcome return to a galaxy far, far away.
I also enjoyed exploring the lore of Star Wars in this book, learning about some of the sociopolitical elements, the culture and world of Tarkin's home world, and even just the eccentric, power-hungry nature of his family at large. While I think Luceno could have done more so that the narrator sounded like a sympathizer to The Empire, or at least painting the scenes from Tarkin's perspective in a more pro-Empire manner, the manner in which it is written now is not overly pro-Rebel or anti-Empire. The reason I pose this suggestion is that I think it would make the reading all the more immersive and engaging.
More of a random thought than necessarily a specific suggestion, but I think it would have been cool to see illustrations of the ships, races, planets, etc. that are referenced in this book. It is one of my favorite things about those giant encyclopedias about Star Wars lore and culture. Besides, it would have saved me time from having to look up things on my phone because I really wanted to see what they looked like.
All in all, a great, fun read and a welcome return to a galaxy far, far away.
madqueeen's review against another edition
3.0
The insights into Tarkin’s childhood and upbringing, as well as how he got his titles, were super interesting. However, the rest of it was kinda boring.
queenserene's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
jarwhal3's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ashbatcher's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
jasonlee77's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting read for the backstory of Tarkin, but the main arc to the plot was rather lacking, I thought.
maximusvitale66's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dmcke013's review against another edition
2.0
"That's impossible! How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?"
"The Regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station."
That exchange, from the original Star Wars film, pretty much sums up what would become known as the Tarkin Doctrine: that of rule by fear.
While there have been other Star Wars novels based on the other 'bad guys' (Vader, Boba Fett, etc), this is also the first - to the best of my knowledge - based on Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, as portrayed by Peter Cushing in the films, and the first Grand Moff of the Galactic Empire.
"Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances ..."
While it may not be apparent in the film - particulary when he utters that line seconds before the Death Star is blown up - this also makes him out ot be a strategic mastermind - it is he who oversaw the construction of the Death Star, and he who (in this) works out the identites of those who have stolen his starship that is now cayying out strikes agaisnt Imperial installations, the pursuit of which is the main driving force of the plot behind this novel.
This also goes to show how Vader came to work with Tarkin on board the Death Star, and the defining events of Tarkins earlier life that would go to shape the character he would become.
With all that said, however, the writing style did - at times - put me off, with the novel never really getting me hooked into just what would ahppen next - we all know, for example, that he would survive and not only survive, but prosper by the end of it! It's also not the worst Star Wars book, nor even the worst of the 'New Canon' such books I've read, but nor was it the best - a solid middle-of-the-road entry for me.
"The Regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station."
That exchange, from the original Star Wars film, pretty much sums up what would become known as the Tarkin Doctrine: that of rule by fear.
While there have been other Star Wars novels based on the other 'bad guys' (Vader, Boba Fett, etc), this is also the first - to the best of my knowledge - based on Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, as portrayed by Peter Cushing in the films, and the first Grand Moff of the Galactic Empire.
"Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances ..."
While it may not be apparent in the film - particulary when he utters that line seconds before the Death Star is blown up - this also makes him out ot be a strategic mastermind - it is he who oversaw the construction of the Death Star, and he who (in this) works out the identites of those who have stolen his starship that is now cayying out strikes agaisnt Imperial installations, the pursuit of which is the main driving force of the plot behind this novel.
This also goes to show how Vader came to work with Tarkin on board the Death Star, and the defining events of Tarkins earlier life that would go to shape the character he would become.
With all that said, however, the writing style did - at times - put me off, with the novel never really getting me hooked into just what would ahppen next - we all know, for example, that he would survive and not only survive, but prosper by the end of it! It's also not the worst Star Wars book, nor even the worst of the 'New Canon' such books I've read, but nor was it the best - a solid middle-of-the-road entry for me.