Scan barcode
A review by asadaniels
Tarkin by James Luceno
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.