Lit Rogue Planet

No, Tarkin is the best in Rogue Planet. It's not outright stated that he's aware of Palpatine as having a plan to create an Empire, but Tarkin has the wonderful vibe that he's in on something big. There's some kind of cabal around the centers of power and a new order is coming. It's not necessarily anything more than thinking he'll get the Militarist Republic that he wants, but it's wonderful to have that creepy sense of conspiracy, of something on the horizon, which is missing too often from PT works, which play with blatant foreshadowing without anchoring it in the universe. It's not even clear if Tarkin is linked in with the Palpatine administration or with Sidious -- or, as is likely, with both -- but I love the sense that Palpatine is stringing along more than just the Confederacy behind the scenes. He's also stringing along the Militarists, the people who will make up the core of the Empire's New Order ideology. That can't just spring up overnight, and the idea that Palpatine has been stringing these guys along, using them as his agents, putting them in power, letting them know in a vague sense that something is going to come, as he plans to vault them to power with the Clone War and let them form the backbone of his Empire -- it's great. It's exactly the kind of extensive behind-the-scenes dealings that Palpatine needs to be making. It's especially appropriate with Tarkin, the man who was the great intellectual font of Imperial ideology and one of the most powerful men in the Empire. It's way better than him just being some jerk who's floating around the scene.

 

This is one of those books that I keep in the "Junk Star Wars books" box.

 

I found that several of Tarkin's predictions in Rogue Planet were too precise. He's stabbing in the dark at a bunch of trends, whatever his potential inside knowledge, and yet he gets pretty much everything right. Now Tarkin's a smart man, perhaps he really did have such a good grasp of those trends, but it smacked more of Greg Bear simply not caring about crafting the connections in any detail and simply proclaiming them in the most blatant way possible.

A book about Tarkin, and various other militarist factions within the Republic being subtly courted by Palpatine (or Plageuis I suppose) could be a very good novel, but Rogue Planet is not that novel.

 

Also see: The Cestus Deception.

 

In Cloak of Deception, Tarkin knowingly works for Sidious. I'd say that's proof that Tarkin knows that Palpatine = Sidious.

 

Do you have a page reference? Tarkin is barely in the book and I can't find a reference to him knowingly working for Sidious.

 

It's something I've read on Wookieepedia.

 

I read it on first publication, liked it vaguely. Then in 2009 it was in a thrift store in hardback and I really must have been overjoyed to see something Star Wars in hardback after reading tons of Jude Watson, because after purchase I reread it in a day and loved it. The Temple scenes, the in over his head Anakin, the making of the ship, the works. Even the mystical 'echo' of Qui-Gon's voice in Anakin and Obi-Wan's shock upon hearing Anakin say 'Qui-Gon says hi!' Maybe especially that part. 9.5/10 because

Spoiler

the ship died.

 

The characterization of Sienar is way, way better than the characterization of Bevel. Anderson can't characterize on anything like the level of Greg Bear.

 

I really like this book. Honestly, my least favorite part of it is the opening chapter. It was a race of some kind, but that's really all I can remember. I have not read any of Bear's original work, but if Rogue Planet serves as good representation, then he's at his best when quiet and thoughtful.

 

I have to say I personally don't think this is the only place that got Anakin and Obi-Wan's relationship down characterization wise. In fact, I think most works have at the specific time they're written, and when read as a whole it's that much better.

Jedi Quest Series->Rogue Planet->Approaching Storm->AOTC>Jedi Trial->Labyrinth of Evil->ROTS, with TCW taking place in between somewhere as I have no idea what the current timeline for the Clone Wars is anymore lol but my point is that i've always viewed the relationship as one of the most well done in the EU. It's not the same at all instances, because their relationship, like most others, isn't the same. It changes and grows over the years. From master and student, to father and son (And all the ups and downs that that kind of relationship entails), to brothers in arms. Each era and the books that make it up is well done in my opinion. (Except perhaps for Approaching Storm, which to this day I have yet to finish lol)

 

Lucky.

 

I actually rather enjoyed The Approaching Storm- but then it's extremely rare for me not to enjoy a SW book on at least some level.

 

2/10
Only good things about this book were Tarkin and Anakin's kill at the end.

 

Bonjour!

 

Of course he is, but Sienar and Bevel still come across as somewhat similar.

 

I still remember very well what happened in Rogue Planet and that is not something I can say about a lot of SW novels.
The scenes involving Tarkin and Sienar were great! I would love to see Sienar make more appearances in the future.
He is really interesting character. He is mentioned a lot in source books, but he almost never appears in other SW works (such as novels and comics).
I very much interested in how Sienar exactly died and how Santhe upsurped the company he created.

Tarkin is a character that does not get much love from new SW fans. Probably, because he only appeared in ANH.
Personnally, I love Tarkin! A novel about him would be great!

 

Big giant bump.

Just read this book, as part of a desire to do a chronological read through the EU for mostly the first time. (I read many of the Bantam Spectra novels back in the day). It's especially interesting to read in light of the new Story Group Canon.

A few interesting observations in this light:

* While Luceno's Tarkin went at lengths to re-canonize events from past EU prequel-era books, it seems the events of this book are very specifically over-written. Luceno makes references to Anakin's earlier encounters with Tarkin, and the one in this book does not get mentioned. The characterization of Tarkin is extremely different, as is the assertion that Tarkin took credit for the Death Star design pre- Clone Wars. In addition to the substantial Vergere subplot, which I learn is a prequel of sorts to the NJO story, I see no evidence that Story Group intends to recognize this story at all.

* While I won't include the events of this story in my own personal head-canon moving forward, I DO find the emotional and character relationship progressions with Anakin and Obi-Wan very interesting, and helpful. I think the episode with Anakin and the Blood Carver was significant, and that it makes sense that an event of the same impact makes sense to have happened prior to Anakin's slaughter of the Sand People - which, for the first time, includes true innocents. It's far easier to understand a step to go from losing control and justifying killing one guilty life to later go and allow that justification to allow for a step greater of slaughter. The relationship and doubts shown by Obi-Wan are also deftly handled.

* Sum up: Again, while I won't be including the storyline in my headcanon, I will be including the emotional and relationship beats in this story, at around this point in Anakin's life, as part of my headcanon, with details perhaps to be filled in by another source later. Not my favorite story by far, but I appreciate the character development for Anakin and Obi-Wan. Not a fan at all of the Tarkin characterization, and am very glad Luceno gave a substantial over-writing to this aspect.

 

I was bored in the beginning, but the more I stuck with the novel, the more I liked it. When I closed the book for the final time, I had the feeling of satisfaction that happens when you just read an awesome story. And it made me look forward to reading the NJO at some point. 9/10

 

I love the process of getting a "ship" . Get painfully latched onto by various ship seeds until you decide which seed is the one to grow into your ship. I have to say, it seems better than dealing with car salesmen.

 

It's okay for a Greg Bear book, fantastic for an EU book.

 

It's been a while since I read this, but I've got a question...in Unifying Force, the Yuuzhan Vong's living weapons basically deactivated when they came into contact with Zonama Sekot. If this was the case, then how did the planet have such a problem with the "Far Outsiders" to begin with in Rogue Planet?

 

It did not have that ability back then, it spent its time in the UR learning it.