Note: This is the first time I have produced anything for the internet. Enjoy. Written by OptimalFBax. (Fraser Baxter).
The first time I saw Tarkin on the shelves I immediately thought: "Great. Here's another Star Wars character who can have their background explained. Here's another character who can have a destiny". However, after some time I decided that I would give the novel a chance to prove that Star Wars books can have substance.
And boy does it.
Before going into this book I had been a fan of Peter Cushing's portrayal of the ruthless and calculating Wilhuff Tarkin. After I put the novel down he was one of my favourite characters. The credit has to go to the author James Luceno who has demonstrated he has such a grasp on the character and the world. You can imagine the dialogue from Cushing himself, it's so well written. The backstory that has been created is fascinating.
The plot concerns the Emperor summoning Tarkin to investigate an insurgency, and revealing Tarkin is to work with Darth Vader. I won’t go any further as many of the plot points are intriguing and not worth spoiling. As mentioned, Vader is in the novel and he is captured perfectly; the cold and domineering Sith Lord plays off Tarkin brilliantly.
After reading the novel you will gain an understanding as to why Vader took orders from Tarkin on the Death Star, and why Vader didn’t hate him for it. In addition Luceno weaves in other characters in the period excellently in order to broaden the scope of the Empire, individuals such as Wullf Yularen and Mas Amedda are great editions.
One point I must raise about the novel is the style of writing that Luceno has used to portray the story. As a history nerd, I enjoy reading extended paragraphs on exposition and facts, even if it does require slowing the plot a little. So I should warn you that if you intend on reading Tarkin, there are dozens of expositional paragraphs. Which I love. So I’m not going to count this as a criticism of the novel just something you should be aware of.
Any Star Wars fan who loves the Empire will immediately be satisfied. Through Tarkin Luceno is able to expose the inner workings and politics of Imperial officers vying for the Emperor’s favour. I love the use of twisted propaganda the Empire uses; the novel really reminds you that history is written by the victors.
As you can tell I love this novel to death, and it’s hard for me to admit criticism. The antagonists of the novel, anti-Imperial supporters, are not fleshed out well enough to care for or support. Despite the reader knowing that the Galactic Empire does commit atrocities, it’s hard not to like characters such as Tarkin.
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+ Beautiful exploration of Tarkin’s character.
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+ Terrific use of Darth Vader.
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+ Intriguing plot.
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+ Insight into the Empire.
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- Uninspiring antagonists.
A
He positions the reader to like (or even love in my case) a character who is ultimately responsible for destroying a planet.