Death Star (Star Wars) Review

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(More customer reviews)For the thirty years of Star Wars so far, the Death Star has stood as one of the single most iconic elements of the entire story. It burst upon screens in 1977 early in Star Wars, as an rapid camera cut leapt away from Tatooine to this gigantic menacing space station. We knew it was recently completed but little more. What was the conception of such a monstrous project? Who built it and how long did it take? Was the increasingly-insignificant Senate aware of the Emperor's plans for it? Why did someone with the evident powers of Darth Vader appear to bow to the commands of Grand Moff Tarkin? These questions and more have been bandied about in fans' minds for decades, some being touched upon in the Expanded Universe but most never directly addressed.
Adding to the general interest in the Death Star were its two appearances in the prequel trilogy. Attack of the Clones gives us a glimpse of the initial Death Star plans as Count Dooku takes them from Geonosian Archduke Poggle the Lesser for "safekeeping." In Revenge of the Sith, we see the skeletal frame of what appears to be the real Death Star in progress as the newly-armored Darth Vader and his master Darth Sidious gaze upon it contemplatively. This shot raised new questions for me, chief among them being how did it take an apparent eighteen years to get from this skeletal frame to the finished station?
Based on the level of interest and the many questions surrounding the Death Star, the opportunity was ripe for a comprehensive look at the whole project from start to finish, whether in book, cartoon, videogame, or some other form. I had high hopes for Michael Reaves and Steve Perry's novel Death Star to take that opportunity and run with it. However, after having read it, I'll say the opportunity is still there. Death Star is a mixture of high and low points with some clear strengths and weaknesses, but inarguably it does not answer the many outstanding questions out there.
For starters, the book is set in a surprisingly narrow window of time. It only covers the months right before completion of the station and does not attempt to fill in the intervening time. Perhaps Lucasfilm instructed the authors to stick to this timeframe due to a potential conflict-of-interest with the forthcoming Star Wars live-action television series which will cover events in the years between Episodes III and IV. More likely is that Reaves and Perry wanted time in the book to introduce sub-plots and new characters of their own, which didn't leave much room for a story that jumps through decades of Death Star development.
There are a great many new characters and stories to keep up with in this book. Making this rather challenging is the rapid-fire shifting from scene to scene, sometimes more often than once a page. The movies sometimes move at this pace but it's disorienting in a novel. Midway through the novel, I felt unsettled as I kept wanting it to slow down and let me get to know the characters and settings a little better.
A very strong and memorable storyline from this book is that of Tenn Graneet, the Imperial Navy Master Chief Gunnery Officer who ends up being the one to pull the trigger on Alderaan. I'd never given much thought to how that would feel, since the films focus on the leaders giving the orders, but it's well done here. I love how they even work in the odd double "Standing By" at Yavin IV from the film - a nice touch for those of us who have seen the movies MANY times.
It was interesting to see Doctor Divini return from the authors' Clone Wars-era Medstar Duology and follow his continuing storyline. The inclusion of Admiral Daala seemed a bit superfluous - perhaps this was because her scenes with Grand Moff Tarkin were a little on the grotesque side. The authors do a solid job with Tarkin himself and Darth Vader, and I found myself frequently wishing there were more scenes with them. Most of the other characters were adequate but I'm not likely to remember them very long.
Reaves and Perry did a great job of altering my concept of the station itself. I had never pictured recreational areas, shopping and cantinas as being part of the Imperial facility, but now that they've brought that in it makes perfect sense. Military personnel should always have some place to blow off steam and the requisite civilians to help with those services. There were some scenes in the cantina that felt more Love Boat than Star Wars, but I'm glad they didn't set the whole novel in the hangars, conference rooms, and detention areas we see in the films, as that wouldn't have made much sense.
The climax of the novel aligns with the events of Episode IV. Scenes feature dialogue taken verbatim from the movie, although many new events with the new characters are woven around them. This did not bother me at all - the movies are so familiar that I would find it jarring at this point to attempt a restating of their dialogue. There's plenty of excitement despite knowing the fate of the station beforehand and the authors do a great job with presenting the Imperial perspective on the attack by the small groups of Rebel snubfighters.
Death Star is a reasonably entertaining read but I am still hopeful to someday learn more about the history of this icon of the saga.


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"THAT'S NO MOON."–Obi-Wan KenobiThe Death Star's name says it all, with bone-chilling accuracy. It is a virtual world unto itself–equipped with uncanny power for a singularly brutal purpose: to obliterate entire planets in the blink of an eye. Its annihilation of the planet Alderaan, at the merciless command of Grand Moff Tarkin, lives in infamy. And its own ultimate destruction, at the hands of Luke Skywalker, is the stuff of legend. But what is the whole story, and who are the players, behind the creation of this world-killing satellite of doom?The near extermination of the Jedi order cleared the way for Palpatine–power-hungry Senator and Sith Lord–to seize control of the Republic, declare himself Emperor, and usher in a fearsome, totalitarian regime. But even with the dreaded Darth Vader enforcing Palpatine's sinister will, the threat of rebellion still looms. And the Emperor knows that only abject fear–and the ability to punish dissent with devastating consequences–can ensure his unchallenged control of the galaxy. Enter ambitious and ruthless government official Wilhuff Tarkin, architect of the Emperor's terrifying dream come true. From inception to completion, construction of the unprecedented Death Star is awash in the intrigues, hidden agendas, unexpected revelations, and daring gambits of those involved on every level. The brightest minds and boldest egos, the most ambitious and corrupt, the desperate and the devious, all have a stake in the Death Star–and its potential to control the fate of the galaxy.Soldiers and slaves, loyalists and Rebels, spies and avengers, the innocent and the evil–all their paths and fates will cross and intertwine as the Death Star moves from its maiden voyage to its final showdown. And a shadowy chapter of Star Wars history is stunningly illuminated in a thrilling, unforgettable adventure.From the Hardcover edition.

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