NGP Review : Tarkin
I’ll be the first to admit that the second published novel under the new Star Wars canon had me skeptical. A story focused solely on Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin seemed a bit of a stretch for me, especially knowing how he would ultimately reach his incendiary demise aboard the first Death Star. However, Tarkin author James Luceno masterfully gives us a tale that truly shines a fascinating light on how Wilhuff Tarkin would become one of the most formidable villains in Star Wars history.
Taking place five years after Star Wars : Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Tarkin begins in the Outer Rim, where we find the Governor, a newly appointed Moff, overseeing a base of operations where parts are being created and assembled for a massive mobile space station …
However, not all is peaceful in the Empire as the myriad species of former Separatist worlds (stripped of weaponry and resources with the death of Count Dooku and formation of the Galactic Empire) are bent on revenge for being left to fend for themselves under Palpatine’s rule and have initialed raids on Imperial depots such as the one under Tarkin’s command.
Convinced that the completion of the Empire’s ultimate weapon will ultimately crush these lingering pockets of Rebellion, Palpatine pairs his Sith enforcer, Darth Vader, alongside the tactical genius of Tarkin to investigate and extinguish these rising threats.
As a whole, I was really impressed with the expansion Tarkin was able to provide to the New Expanded Universe Canon. Throughout the course of A New Hope, it’s clear that the tactical cunning and cold-blooded efficiency of Grand Moff Tarkin is a force to be reckoned with within the Galactic Empire. However, we are never given the opportunity to explore how or why Tarkin is the way he is. Filling in this piece of the puzzle alongside yet another unexplored time period in the Star Wars mythos made for an exciting read.
Unlike the building blocks of the Rebellion perspective provided through A New Dawn, Tarkin shows us the story from the villain's point of view at a point in history where the Rebellion has become a growing threat to the Empire as opposed to the nuisance it once was. At times, I even found myself rooting for Tarkin and Vader in their attempts to uncover and obliterate the cunning Rebels though numerous space battles and conspiracies.
Tarkin is another fantastic addition, and comes highly recommended.
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| 4/5 |
With two strong novels out the gate, I’m excited to see what the next installment holds as I begin Kevin Hearne’s Luke Skywalker centric Heir to the Jedi. Keep an eye on NGP for the next installment, and feel free to post your thoughts and spark a conversation!
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Until next time True Believers,
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