Star Wars: Darth Maul: Saboteur Review

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(More customer reviews)Darth Maul: Saboteur is an eBook, or rather an eStory, which was publicized as a digital prelude of sorts to Michael Reaves' novel Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. In fact, though, it takes place more than six months and probably close to a year before the novel, shortly before the Darth Maul comic, and it chronicles Maul's first solo assignment. Written by James Luceno, the author of a duology set in the New Jedi Order series, as well as a forthcoming prequel-era novel, 'Cloak of Deception,' Luceno continues his high standards of writing and delivers a piece of quality entertainment.
In this story, which in terms of length is worth approximately fifty printed pages, Darth Maul is sent to disrupt a couple of corporations mining lommite ore, a substance needed for the production of transparisteel. With these corporations devastated, the Neimoidian Trade Federation will pick up the pieces, and the profits, helping to cement their trust in Darth Sidious.
This story shows us a more restrained side of Maul than we have seen before. In the comic, he was a killing machine, plain and simple. In the novel, he was a ruthless hunter. This story was able to show us his ability to be patient when necessary, to cover his tracks, to deceive rather than simply all-out attack. Of course, there is a cool lightsaber fight, but the appeal of this story is in his other abilities. In addition, in this book we meet Lieutenant Governor Tarkin of Eriadu. Yes, the same Tarkin who later dies in the movie, and the same Tarkin who will be a main character in 'Cloak of Deception.' I love the way Luceno is able to tie things together.
Overall, this is a very fun story. Is it worth two dollars? Yes. Unfortunately, without the ability to print the eBook format means staring at a computer screen for around an hour, which really detracted from the experience for me. Nevertheless, if you like Star Wars, or are a 'Mauloholic,' this book is worth the buying.

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No Prisoners (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) Review

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(More customer reviews)Del Rey is publishing a series of five tie-in novels to accompany the highly successful Clone Wars cartoon series, which kicked off in the fall of 2008. Authorial duties are rotating between two Karens: Karen Traviss, notable Star Wars author with a penchant for clones and Mandalorians, kicked things off with an excellent novelization of the feature film. Karen Miller, a newcomer to the Expanded Universe, followed up with Wild Space, a harrowing but overlong tale of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bail Organa journeying through the galaxy in search of a Sith planet. Now Traviss delivers the third novel, No Prisoners, coupling an intriguing exploration of differing Jedi philosophies with a juicy dose of clone and battle droid action.
One striking feature of the three novels published to date in this particular mini-series is the juxtaposition of their serious and introspective tone with the light-hearted adventure of the TV show. I appreciate that the authors are working to deepen the EU by not simply offering shallow tales of Jedi heroics. At times I find it a bit challenging to marry the TV show to these stories in my mind, but overall this is a great strategy and sometimes makes me see the TV episodes in a new light. For example, clone officer Captain Rex is given a meaty and provocative role in No Prisoners. He wrestles with some fundamental issues concerning the role of the clone army, what their purpose is in life, and whether there is any hope for them to be something more. These themes will be familiar to readers of the superb Republic Commando series, also by Karen Traviss, but playing them against the adventurous fun of the cartoon made them more poignant than ever, at least for this reader.
Beyond the intellectual examination of Rex and his clone squad, there are many intense action sequences scattered throughout. One particularly vivid scene involves the clones rescuing one of the main characters who is being held hostage. The pace at which they take over the situation and Rex's brutally firm leadership make for compelling reading. Traviss deftly paints the clones as a military force to be reckoned with and the saga is all the richer for it.
Readers of Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy will be interested to know Captain Gilad (new first name!) Pellaeon is a featured character in No Prisoners. In fact, his forbidden relationship with intelligence agent Hallena Davis and what he's willing to do to save her from danger is the prime driver of the plot. Their relationship echoes the forbidden marriage of Anakin and Padme. Pellaeon is portrayed as a smart and capable officer. Arguably, he is portrayed as TOO smart and capable: I found myself picturing the old, experienced, post-Thrawn-and-Daala Pellaeon more than a young officer making his way through the ranks. There are an awful lot of years between the Clone Wars and the Thrawn Trilogy in which he doesn't seem to have grown much, but still, it's a treat reading his interactions with Anakin, Ahsoka, and Rex.
Another place where the book veers tonally away from the show is in its treatment of Ahsoka. Many characters here are surprised or even shocked that a half-dressed fourteen-year-old has been given a leadership role. Pellaeon even forces her to change into military-issue clothes in an awkward little scene. Ahsoka also undergoes some mental turmoil when she is introduced to a rogue sect of Jedi who permit relationships and do not fear attachment. These Jedi, led by Master Djinn Altis and featuring Callista Masana from the Bantam novels, go against many of the precepts she was raised to unthinkingly accept.
These challenges to Ahsoka's beliefs (and later in the story, to Anakin's as well) underscored a theme I see woven through the Traviss stories. She seems to favor book characters over movie ones, and her anti-Jedi Order viewpoints are a strongly recurring motif. While there are times I feel she is excessively weakening characters like Ahsoka to demonstrate the Order is rotting from within, I do appreciate that she is willing to introduce and flesh out alternative views of the prequel era. She is correct that many people would likely have more negative views of the Jedi than we as movie viewers tend to, and certainly there is fertile ground to be plowed with the bred-to-fight and enslaved clone army. So while I don't always agree with the viewpoints she espouses, I value them highly.
No Prisoners presents a balanced mix of philosophical musings about the nature of clones, Jedi, and warfare with gripping action sequences and a fast-paced storyline. Karen Traviss has made quite a mark on the Expanded Universe and shows no signs of letting up, and I am pleased Del Rey is open to publishing stories such as hers that don't necessarily toe the line of the other media including the cartoon. No Prisoners is highly recommended.


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The Clone Wars rage on. As insurgent Separatists fight furiously to wrest control of the galaxy from the Republic, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine cunningly manipulates both sides for his own sinister purposes. Torrent Company's Captain Rex agrees to temporarily relieve Anakin Skywalker of Ahsoka, his ubiquitous–and insatiably curious–Padawan, by bringing her along on a routine three-day shakedown cruise aboard Captain Gilad Pellaeon's newly refitted assault ship. But the training run becomes an active–and dangerous–rescue mission when Republic undercover agent Hallena Devis goes missing in the middle of a Separatist invasion.Dispatched to a distant world to aid a local dictator facing a revolution, Hallena finds herself surrounded by angry freedom fighters and questioning the Republic's methods–and motives. Summoned to rescue the missing operative who is also his secret love, Pellaeon–sworn to protect the Republic over all–is torn between duty and desire. And Ahsoka, sent in with Rex and six untested clone troopers to extract Hallena, encounters a new and different Jedi philosophy, which shakes the foundation of her upbringing to the core. As danger and intrigue intensify, the loyalties and convictions of all involved will be tested. . . .

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Order 66 (Star Wars: Republic Commando) Review

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(More customer reviews)Several years ago first-time Star Wars author Karen Traviss was tapped to pen a spinoff novel based on the videogame Republic Commando. Although there are an increasing number of games available featuring significantly strong storylines (Knights of the Old Republic comes to mind), Republic Commando was a fairly straightforward first-person shooter: a lot of fun to play, but not necessarily a deep source for a quality book. Defying my expectations, Traviss produced a gripping and distinctive tale with her book Hard Contact. By not adhering to the storyline of the game, she gave herself room to develop a compelling set of new characters, breathing life into the concept of clone soldiers.
Reactions to the first book, despite some fan concerns about its pro-Mandalorian, anti-Jedi overtones, were quite positive, and the sequel Triple Zero appeared not long thereafter. Triple Zero took its time in developing a richly detailed ensemble cast of mercenaries, soldiers, and disillusioned Jedi, and it became clear that Traviss was laying foundations for a bigger story. It turned out there were two more books coming, a third paperback named True Colors and the hardcover series finale, succinctly titled Order 66.
My anticipation for this climactic fourth novel was extremely high and overall I was not disappointed. As expected, Traviss takes all of the disparate threads and characters she has been developing and weaves together an action-packed portrait of the chaos surrounding Order 66 itself and the rise of the fledgling Empire. One element I did not expect is how much time is spent months earlier in the first half of the book. This makes sense, though: the war was three years long and there was a significant gap of roughly a year between the end of True Colors and Order 66.
I confess a bit of surprise on my part regarding the climactic events of Order 66. I had a picture in my head of the decisions Omega and Delta squads would be forced to make regarding their Jedi allies (primarily Etain Tur-Mukan and Bardan Jusik) but the actual story was quite different. I'm not going to spoil anything specific here, but I will say events weren't nearly as conclusive as I pictured, with the exception of one particular character's death (a very moving one). It has recently turned out that Traviss will be penning a sequel series, the aptly dubbed Imperial Commando, which sheds new light on her choice here to leave questions unanswered and even some new storylines barely addressed (such as the intriguing introduction of Callista, a Jedi character some readers may be familiar with from the Bantam novel era).
The viewpoint of this novel, much like the prior three but more amplified, has a very Mandalorian slant to it. The dialogue is liberally sprinkled with Mando terms, and the mercenaries are placed in heroic roles, those of noble warriors looking after their families and loved ones while doing what they "have to do" for a living. While I disagree with the vilification of the Jedi the book veers toward, I greatly appreciate the different point of view Traviss explores. Not everyone in the Star Wars galaxy should feel the same about things, and just looking briefly at any political discussion today ably depicts how completely differently people can view a particular subject or person. I've never seen clones the same way after reading this series, and it's interesting to examine the cues the new Clone Wars cartoon has picked up in humanizing the troops.
I'm reluctant to delve any further into the plot of this one. If you've read the first three books and enjoyed them, you'll certainly want to read this one, and if you haven't and you are interested, start with Hard Contact and see what you think. I highly recommend all four of these books for the fresh viewpoints and strong characterizations they present, and I look forward to reading Imperial Commando: 501st next.


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True Colors (Star Wars: Republic Commando, Book 3) Review

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(More customer reviews)True Colors is what most SW books are not: intelligent, dramatic, internally realistic, and morally complex.
A sequel to the previous Republic Commando novel, Triple Zero, True Colors follows Delta and Omega Squads as they seek to capture scientist Ko Sai, the master geneticist of the Republic's clone army. Having fled Kamino with records of the cloning program, she's now being hunted by Palpatine and other commercial cloners eager to appropriate her work. But where these parties are motivated by commercial and political potential, Delta and Omega Squads have a more personal interest, to coerce the scientist into prolonging their lives by slowing down the quick-aging process built into their genetic code.
It's a fairly simple story made complex by attention to character and theme, something most Star Wars writers glance over if they think of it at all. Many employ a comfortable shorthand in which certain kinds of characters or characteristics are good, others bad, and the situations in which they find themselves clear cut. Traviss, though, paints in shades of gray, in which heroes have faults, bad guys are sometimes good, and the choices they have to make rarely easy.
The clone soldiers struggle to comprehend the enormity - and irony - of their burden, to die for a Republic that claims to defend freedom and liberty but values its clone warriors less than machines. Though content to do that for which they have been bred, the clones begin to resent being taken for granted, especially by their Jedi generals, men and women who through their relationship with the Force claim to have a wider and deeper appreciation of life in all its forms. The Jedi are painfully aware of their responsibilities to the clones, but find themselves trapped by tradition and circumstance serving the Republic, setting aside the rights of their soldiers to first fight the greater threat posed by the Separatists.
With no one to look after their interests but themselves, the clone commandos and their Mandalorian trainers set in motion a plan to free themselves from the tyranny of genetics and societal neglect, to give themselves an opportunity to live a life of normal men. But to do that they have to go against their breeding and training to disobey orders, aid deserters, deceive trusted comrades, kill fellow clone troopers and Mandalorians, and put civilian associates at risk. Complicit in their schemes are two Jedi commanders who discover first hand the dangers of attachment to loved ones and the equally dangerous detachment from avoiding difficult decisions.
In the end the commandos and the Jedi find that by looking closely at the thing you hate, you begin to understand it, to see that it exists much the same as you, as the expression of conditions that brought you into existence. Ko Sai is from a society that as a result of ecological disaster had to euthanize weaker members of its species to survive. For the Kaminoans the universe is a cold and harsh place that demands difficult choices, choices other species seem unable to take, but from which the commandos do not shy. In taking extraordinary measures to protect their own kind, in not being able to depend on the help of outsiders, the clones and Ko Sai find they have something in common. And in a universe in which many see the clones as little more than crude fighting machines, the Jedi begin to see that what they might have considered brutish behavior is as much a result of breeding as it is the tasks the Jedi and the Republic call upon the clones to perform.
This is the finest Star Wars novel ever written. Where Triple Zero was weighed down by excessive detail on weaponry, technology, and Mandalorian culture, True Colors pulses with the warmth of life and the honest portrayal of human conflict. There is no SW novel that can compare in depth of character and ethical complexity (though Matthew Stover's novels come close). On the one hand I'm glad Traviss wrote it. It was a fine read and shows that licensed fiction need not be hackneyed product. On the other, I despair of reading anything as fine until Traviss' next Republic Commando novel.
If you enjoyed True Colors, then by all means check out Traviss Wess'har series, which covers much of the same thematic ground.
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Triple Zero (Star Wars: Republic Commando, Book 2) Review

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(More customer reviews)It may be damning with faint praise but this is quite possibly the best written Star Wars novel yet. There have been good, even great Star Wars novels before, albiet not a whole lot of them. However, the best of them are well told adventure stories and little else. Perhaps they give some insight into a central character or two but that is about as high as the bar is set. This novel is different. Certainly it is a fine adventure novel in its own right. However, it also touches on philisophic issues that don't typically make it into franchise tie-ins. In here we see the other side of the Galactic War seen in the prequels from the side of the clone troopers, those men bred for war and used up as easily and callously as one treats a piece of tissue paper. We've been told that the Republic before the fall was corrupt but we've really not seen much; characters simply announce that it is or was and we accept it as part of the backstory. Here we see the corruption of ideals and beliefs from the Jedi who shuck their treasured beliefs for an advantage in war to the government and supportive public who don't know much of the clones and don't generally care.
Beyond that, the story is well told and possibly the most realistic of any Star Wars novel, if realism can be used in a story of clones and magic using warrior priests. The action works the way it would in the real world and the challenges and plans ring true. This book is a better primer for someone interested in the SAS or "Delta Force" than many of the Ramboesque Walter Mitty garbage that pollute the book stores. In addition, characters are engaging and actually develop and grow, something all to rare in a book like this.
Simply put, this would be an excellent book without the Star Wars universe behind it. That it actually takes place in that universe and can stimulate discussion about the underpinnings of the prequels is extraordinary. Buy the book.

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Following the eruption of the bloody Clone Wars at the battle of Geonosis, both sides remain deadlocked in a stalemate that can be broken only by elite warrior teams like Omega Squad, clone commandos with terrifying combat skills and a lethal arsenal. . . .For Omega Squad, deployed deep behind enemy lines, it's the same old special ops grind: sabotage, espionage, ambush, and assassination. But when Omega Squad is rushed to Coruscant, the war's most dangerous new hotspot, the commandos discover they're not the only ones penetrating the heart of the enemy. A surge in Separatist attacks has been traced to a network of Sep terror cells in the Republic's capital, masterminded by a mole in Command Headquarters. To identify and destroy a Separatist spy and terror network in a city full of civilians will require special talents and skills. Not even the leadership of Jedi generals, along with the assistance of Delta squad and a certain notorious ARC trooper, can even the odds against the Republic Commandos. And while success may not bring victory in the Clone Wars, failure means certain defeat.Also includes the bonus story Omega Squad: Targets by Karen Traviss!

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Hard Contact (Star Wars: Republic Commando, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)In a rather ironic moment, Hard Contact is so far the Clone Wars novel that best exemplifies the common conception of the Wars--but it doesn't have the logo on the cover. As befits a novel based on a first-person shooter, Karen Traviss's Hard Contact is not a novel about sitting around and talking, as others have been. Much as MedStar was "a day in the strife" for the non-combatants in the war, Hard Contact does the same for another neglected group: the clones themselves. (Perhaps this is why the earlier novels have seemed peripheral, plotwise: for all their seeming importance, the Jedi don't seem to do much in the war.)
Hard Contact is a showcase for Traviss's abilities. Her worldbuilding talents were used to create the environment of Qiilura, with its new flora and fauna that play a non-trivial role in the story. The background of the commandoes--of the clones in general--is also essentially produced from whole cloth, and manages to be distinctly, though not overtly, Imperial. She also managed to create distinct characters among the commandoes--and provide justification for it, something not really seen before. None of the four come across as cardboard. Another point worth mentioning is the sense of humor--Traviss doesn't go overboard with it, but the clones offer us some of the best quips since the Wraiths.
The same can be said of the other characters, as well. Unlike other recent novels, the "villain" is a complex character in his own right, as are the other antagonists. Traviss does a good job of showing the breadth of the Separatist movement. Some of the minor characters (read: the two-scene cannon fodder) are a bit flat, but there's really not much opportunity to avoid that, either.
All in all, Hard Contact is an excellent read, being what many were expecting from the Clone Wars. Don't be fooled by the ties to a video game; Hard Contact is the best SW novel since Shatterpoint (and perhaps earlier, depending on what you're looking for). We're lucky to have Karen Traviss writing Star Wars.

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As the Clone Wars rage, victory or defeat lies in the hands of elite squads that take on the toughest assignments in the galaxy–stone-cold soldiers who go where no one else would, to do what no one else could. . . .On a mission to sabotage a chemical weapon research facility on a Separatist-held planet, four clone troopers operate under the very noses of their enemies. The commandos are outnumbered and outgunned, deep behind enemy lines with no backup–and working with strangers instead of trusted teammates. Matters don't improve when Darman, the squad's demolitions expert, gets separated from the others during planetfall. Even Darman's apparent good luck in meeting an inexperienced Padawan vanishes once Etain admits to her woeful inexperience.For the separated clone commandos and stranded Jedi, a long, dangerous journey lies ahead, through hostile territory brimming with Trandoshan slavers, Separatists, and suspicious natives. A single misstep could mean discovery . . . and death. It's a virtual suicide mission for anyone–anyone except Republic Commandos.

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Star Wars 501st: An Imperial Commando Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)Fans of a more realistically-portrayed Star Wars universe have learned to depend on solid, character-driven plotlines from Karen Traviss, and IC:501st delivers as expected. This book, like the Republic Commando series, is gritty, bloody and moving. However, the action scenes work to punctuate the raw emotion underlying the bulk of the novel, rather than serving as the main reason for the story as seems to be the case in too many Star Wars novels. It's a very rare reading experience to have a real, almost tangible sense of dread while reading certain chapters, but such is the payoff in stories that revolve more around the hopes and dreams of the men and women in the novel than how many space battles and lightsaber duels the writer can cram into it. Someone once said the best writers create people, not characters, and Traviss has accomplished that.
Traviss also has a refreshing, paradigm-changing view of jedi and clone troops that is not always appreciated by some of the more zealous fanboys.
Four out of five stars. Four and a half stars would be more accurate, as the half star is lost because I'm still a little angry that the series is being cut short due to asinine retcon issues raised by the otherwise excellent Clone Wars TV series. I would also liked to have seen a little bit more Vader in the story, as Traviss has shown a deep insight into Vader's psyche with her previous short stories about him. I am looking forward to seeing Skirata and Altis work together in the second, and hopefully last, Imperial Commando novel, at least with regard to Skirata and this particular group of clones, because the only thing worse than Traviss leaving the SW books would be having someone else finishing the storyline about Skirata and his sons.
All in all, an outstanding job.


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The Clone Wars are over, but for those with reason to run from the new galactic Empire, the battle to survive has only just begun. . . .The Jedi have been decimated in the Great Purge, and the Republic has fallen. Now the former Republic Commandos–the galaxy's finest special forces troops, cloned from Jango Fett–find themselves on opposing sides and in very different armor. Some have deserted and fled to Mandalore with the mercenaries, renegade clone troopers, and rogue Jedi who make up Kal Skirata's ragtag resistance to Imperial occupation. Others–including men from Delta and Omega squads–now serve as Imperial Commandos, a black ops unit within Vader's own 501st Legion, tasked to hunt down fugitive Jedi and clone deserters. For Darman, grieving for his Jedi wife and separated from his son, it's an agonizing test of loyalty. But he's not the only one who'll be forced to test the ties of brotherhood. On Mandalore, clone deserters and the planet's own natives, who have no love for the Jedi, will have their most cherished beliefs challenged. In the savage new galactic order, old feuds may have to be set aside to unite against a far bigger threat, and nobody can take old loyalties for granted.

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