Review: Star Wars: Tarkin by James Luceno
I received a complimentary download of this book from Netgalley In exchange for a review
A few months ago I was able to attend the Del Rey Books panel at San Diego Comic Con. A lot of fans had expressed concern that some of their favorite Extended Universe stories would be wiped out of existence. Though Del Rey/Disney Books did announce that the stories prior to the book A New Dawn, would be considered the Legends Line, what’s more exciting is that the stories contained within the new wave of novels will be considered canon across all formats.
So that means the planets, situations and characters in Tarkin are now a part of a larger galaxy. Let’s talk a bit about Tarkin. He is a powerful visual symbol of the Empire, yet a short lived one as he *spoilers* , dies at the end of Episode IV. So despite being excited about the thought of a new Star Wars novel, there was a part of me that thought why Tarkin?
Primarily I believe it is the legacy of Peter Crushing’s excellent portrayal of the character along with Tarkin’s ties to The Emperor, Darth Vader & The Death Star that make him an interesting study.
The novel begins with Tarkin’s origin story. Young Wilhuff Tarkin is the son of a wealthy and revered political family. His pampered life is shattered one night when his Father explains to him a ritual he must perform, one that generations of Tarkin men have endured and in some cases failed.
Wilhuff is taken a few days later by a group of men, including his absentee Uncle. Tarkin Endures grueling conditions as her learns to live off the land.
Wilhuff thrives under his Uncle’s tutelage and returns home a success. The strength he has attained leads him on the path to serving the Imperial cause.
As a fan of the Star Wars films I was fascinated by all the tidbits James built in this novel. I could hear Cushing’s voice in my head as I was reading the novel and had a fangirl flail when Tarkin teamed up with a certain Dark Lord for an adventure.
A very solid story that picks up many threads from that prequels and a look a the construction of the Death Star . I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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