Star Wars: The Rise of the Empire
Ratings2
Average rating4
15
Ratings2
Average rating4
Witness the rise of the Empire with these two thrilling Star Wars novels—plus exclusive short stories by Melissa Scott, John Jackson Miller, and Jason Fry! TARKIN “Compelling . . . The villains of Star Wars are as much fun as the good guys.”—New York Daily News Under Governor Wilhuff Tarkin’s guidance, an ultimate weapon of unparalleled destruction—the so-called Death Star—moves ever closer to becoming a terrifying reality. Until then, insurgency remains a genuine threat. Guerrilla attacks by an elusive band of freedom fighters must be countered with swift and brutal action—a mission the Emperor entrusts to his most formidable agents: Darth Vader, the fearsome new Sith enforcer, and Tarkin, whose tactical cunning and cold-blooded efficiency will pave the way for the Empire’s supremacy—and its enemies’ extinction. A NEW DAWN Foreword by Dave Filoni “A story with pacing and dialogue that feels like classic Star Wars.”—Nerdist Ever since the Jedi were marked for death, Kanan Jarrus has devoted himself to staying alive rather than serving the Force. So when he discovers a conflict brewing between Imperial forces and desperate revolutionaries, he’s not about to get caught in the crossfire. Then the brutal death of a friend forces him to choose between bowing down to fear or standing up to fight. But Jarrus won’t be fighting alone. Soon he is joined by Hera Syndulla—a mysterious agent provocateur with motives of her own—in challenging the Empire for the sake of a world and its people.
Reviews with the most likes.
The Rise of the Empire is honestly a great deal for the price. Keep in mind though that it's around the size of a comic book volume (a big paperback) and 700 pages long.
Mercy Mission short: 4An entertaining story and not at all a bad introduction to Hera leading into A New Dawn. Tarkin: 4
As opposed to some people I've seen, I am a huge fan of the detail and stylized writing of James Luceno. His stories are some of my favorite in the universe. I love seeing the ideas and experiences behind the mind that led to Tarkin becoming the Grand Moff.
Bottleneck short: 5The idea of having Tarkin and Vidian face off was a great one. This could have been flushed out into an even longer story and I would have been on board. However, it still did itself justice as a short. The twist with the poisoning at the end is just another reason why Tarkin is the mastermind. Another tidbit of information on Rae Sloane before her official first appearance in A New Dawn as well. A New Dawn: 4
Not my favorite novel as I had read it prior to seeing anything about rebels. Even though it's a prequel to rebels I just didn't have any connection or reference to those characters. With that being said, it's a pretty enjoyable first team up for Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla. An even deeper extension to the Bottleneck short would be how imposing and honestly creepy Count Vidian is. He was a great creation for an antagonist. As always for me, especially with this being the first official appearance, Rae Sloane is continuously badass.
The Levers of Power short: 5*
Now ADMIRAL Rae Sloane leading her ISD during the battle of Endor. I love seeing the amount of stories that can be pieced together just from things already seen in the universe. Also the reference to the B-Wing fighters from the Blade Squadron shorts? what a nice little reference. The ending with her shooting the officer and preparing for what will come in Aftermath? what a badass, again.
The end of this compilation also includes excerpts from: Battlefront: Twilight Company and SW Aftermath, just another reason why this is totally worth the price. If you haven't read these novels or short stories (I couldn't find these three online) it's honestly unbeatable.
