Tarkin

Review ebook Tarkin

Indeed a very GOOD novel about EVIL

FINALLY A BOOK ABOUT A VILLAIN DONE AS IT SHOULD BE

Then evil will have to do.

Sometimes is odd the development of books where the villain is the main character since not matter that he/she is the main character and very likely the very reason of why the readers chose to read the novel, still, the narrative tend to point out how incorrect is to support evil, stating how awful they are, and even sometimes they even lose at the end.

Don’t get me wrong, i Indeed a very GOOD novel about EVIL

FINALLY A BOOK ABOUT A VILLAIN DONE AS IT SHOULD BE

Then evil will have to do.

Sometimes is odd the development of books where the villain is the main character since not matter that he/she is the main character and very likely the very reason of why the readers chose to read the novel, still, the narrative tend to point out how incorrect is to support evil, stating how awful they are, and even sometimes they even lose at the end.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like that I support evil or anything, in real life, but the freedom of reading is able to show us worlds and points of view that not necessarily we can encourage in our daily lives. It’s like in horror novels, that depends of the development of the story even if the bad guy wins at the end, you can perfectly consider that it was a good book after all.

Star Wars isn’t the first or the only pop culture franchise having novels using its villains as the main characters, but certainly, it’s quite impressive the quantity of novels (even inner book series) that you can find on this particular franchise. Character like Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Bobba Fett and many others have novels indicating quite clearly that they are the main character and as I pointed out before, the very reason of why we choose to read the books.

I am aware that I still have quite a few of Star Wars’s novels to read, so I can’t be certain how often this happens in this franchise, but definitely this book, Tarkin developed the kind of story that I expected it, having clear on mind that the main character is a villain of the franchise.

THE EMPIRE WAS STRONG THANKS TO HIM

It’ll look even better with blood on it.

Wilhuff Tarkin is indeed the main character in the story, he is pivotal and even he is shown as an impressive strategist with a sharp mind.

I came to realize that on each trilogy, there was a key character whose kinda early demise in the conflict defined the final outcome of the war. On the prequel trilogy, the loss of Qui-Gon Jinn, allowed the developing of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Galactic Empire. And now it’s totally clear to me, that the loss of Tarkin, in the Battle of Yavin, was the defining moment which opened the road of why the Rebel Alliance was able to success in Return of the Jedi. In the same way that I think that Qui-Gon Jinn, if he would be around, he could change the denouement in the Prequel Trilogy; it’s clear too that the presence of Grand Moff Tarkin, could change the final fate of the Empire at the end of the Original Trilogy.

Darth Sidious and Darth Vader were strong in the dark side of the Force, no one can deny that, and together were a fearsome pair, however the real power of the Empire was a triumvirate and it was formed thanks to Tarkin. He may not having any Force on him, but in the same way that in the “Big Three” of Luke, Leia and Han, that they were strong thanks to the balance of Han Solo, a scoundrel smuggler without Force on him, but key to the success of that trio; it’s undeniable now that Tarkin was the balance in the dark triumvirate and the key reason of why the Empire was able to exist during 20 years without worrying much about that beggarly Rebel Alliance.

THERE ISN’T ANY PERFECT GOVERNMENT

In the abscence of order, there was only chaos.

The Galactic Republic had many sins as the following Galactic Empire. But it’s clear that a government, any government is preferable than an anarchy that can immerse any population into a real chaos. The Empire is full of fear and surveillance, but the Republic was full of corruption and indifference.

An interesting point to think about beyond of the romantic idea of a rebellion is what will happen if that rebellion triumphs. The tyranny fell, yey!!! Okay, and tomorrow? Who will lead? Who will keep the basic services functioning? Who will guarantee that none other power would invade? Sometimes, the rebels and malcontents are so focused into battle the evil government that they haven’t thought how they will avoid to provoke a chaos in the very population that they are supposedly helping.

In a humourous way shown, but I remember in the film Monty Python’s Life of Brian, where the “People’s Front of Judea” is plotting to overturn the presence of the Roman Empire in Judea, and the attendees keep saying good stuff that the Romans brought to the region and finally the leader of the rebel movement exploded in fury telling that they will toss away the Roman Empire and that’s it.

No one can deny that the Galactic Empire is evil, so was the Roman Empire, but maybe my point here is that sometimes people tend of only thinking about how evil they were those regimens and just forgetting if those evil powers at least improved in some way how the things were before in those populations.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF TARKIN

Politics is worse than a theater of war.

This novel shows how was the youth of Wilhuff Tarkin while growing up on his native planet, Eriadu, which is a world in the Outer Rim of the galaxy. Also, some glimpses of his young adult deals with military and politics, which along with his coming-of-age trials, will form the man of who he is. The kind of man that came to the attention of Palpatine, knowing that he may be just what he will need once his plans of take command of the galaxy would succeed. And definitely, being of an Outer Rim’s world, just like Palpatine was too, it will create a bond between them, which it would be complemented with Vader’s origin in Tattoine. Three men, from Outer Rim’s worlds, ruling over the Core worlds, was just… the perfect vengeance over the pompous smugs of the Senate.

There is a main storyline happening like 5 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, where a mysterious line of events sent to Tarkin and Vader into a manhunt of terrorists whose agenda isn’t so easy to determine.

It was cool that Darth Vader wasn’t a brief cameo in the story but a pivotal character helping to Tarkin where both have to learn to work together since both have the same thing on their minds: Serving the Emperor as best as possible in anything that he would need them.

Tarkin and Vader have “balls” since they weren’t affraid to “get dirty” and facing danger piloting single-seater fighters that definitely isn’t as safe as to be standing in a capital ship’s bridge. People already watched Vader doing that kind of stuff, but knowing that Tarkin didn’t hesitate to do just the same if the situation demands it, it was cool. They can be evil, but they are villains with “balls” and you have to respect them for that.

THE ODD SIDE OF THE FORCE

There were some odd things during the narrative.

Some odd things were like to find out that Tarkin doesn’t know for certain that Darth Vader is really, well, you know, which I found odd, since while wasn’t something that Vader or the Emperor would post in their “Spacebooks”, I supposed that a key officer in the Empire with the rank of Moff like Tarkin (there are only 12 Moffs, in the Imperial Army, a rank even higher than a general or admiral) would be able to know that kind of things.

Also, even “odder” is that Tarkin isn’t certain that Vader is a Sith… come on! He is a Force-user, he has a RED lightsaber, and he has “Darth” on his name!!! Even it seems like he doesn’t recognize the use of the Force, since Tarkin calls “thumb-and-forefinger dark magic” when Vader uses, one of his trademarks moves with the Force. Tarkin even worked alongside Jedis in his past, how is possible that he calls “dark magic” something so obvious to be the Force?

But hey, what is a good story of Star Wars without some good controversy?

At the end, this a really good story about one of the best villains in Star Wars which he never needed the Force to be a formidable opponent and a character to be afraid of.

Highly recommended.

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