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Rogue Clone #6
The Clone Empire
After a blistering defeat by alien forces, clone soldier Lt. Wayson Harris and his brethren have been exiled to the far reaches of the galaxy where the Unified Authority intends to use them as targets for live-fire training exercises. But the clones they created and trained to fight have founded their own empire. Now, Harris will unleash his rage against the might of the U.A. Fleet, leading an army with everything to fight for, and one thing to die for-revenge.
464 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2010
8 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Steven L. Kent
37 books242 followersSteven L. Kent is the author of the Rogue Clone series of Military Science Fiction novels as well as The Ultimate History of Video Games.
Born in California and raised in Hawaii, Kent served as a missionary for the LDS Church between the years of 1979 and 1981. During that time, he worked as a Spanish-speaking missionary serving migrant farm workers in southern Idaho.
While Kent has a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and a Master’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University, he claims that his most important education came from life.
He learned important lessons from working with farm laborers in Idaho. Later, from 1986 through 1988, Kent worked as a telemarketer selling TV Guide and Inc. Magazine. His years on the phone helped him develop an ear for dialog.
In 1987, Kent reviewed the Stephen King novels Misery and The Eyes of the Dragon for the Seattle Times. A diehard Stephen King fan, Kent later admitted that he pitched the reviews to the Times so that he could afford to buy the books.
In 1993, upon returning to Seattle after a five-year absence, Kent pitched a review of “virtual haunted houses” for the Halloween issue of the Seattle Times. He reviewed the games The Seventh Guest, Alone in the Dark, and Legacy. Not only did this review land Kent three free PC games, it started him on a new career path.
By the middle of 1994, when Kent found himself laid off from his job at a PR agency, he became a full-time freelance journalist. He wrote monthly pieces for the Seattle Times along with regular features and reviews for Electronic Games, CDRom Today, ComputerLife, and NautilusCD. In later years, he would write for American Heritage, Parade, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and many other publications. He wrote regular columns for MSNBC, Next Generation, the Japan Times, and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
In 2000, Kent self-published The First Quarter: A 25-year History of Video Games. That book was later purchased and re-published as The Ultimate History of Video Games by the Prima, Three River Press, and Crown divisions of Random House.
During his career as a games journalist, Kent wrote the entries on video games for Encarta and the Encyclopedia Americana. At the invitation of Senator Joseph Lieberman, Kent has spoken at the annual Report Card on Video Game Violence in Washington D.C.
Born in California and raised in Hawaii, Kent served as a missionary for the LDS Church between the years of 1979 and 1981. During that time, he worked as a Spanish-speaking missionary serving migrant farm workers in southern Idaho.
While Kent has a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and a Master’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University, he claims that his most important education came from life.
He learned important lessons from working with farm laborers in Idaho. Later, from 1986 through 1988, Kent worked as a telemarketer selling TV Guide and Inc. Magazine. His years on the phone helped him develop an ear for dialog.
In 1987, Kent reviewed the Stephen King novels Misery and The Eyes of the Dragon for the Seattle Times. A diehard Stephen King fan, Kent later admitted that he pitched the reviews to the Times so that he could afford to buy the books.
In 1993, upon returning to Seattle after a five-year absence, Kent pitched a review of “virtual haunted houses” for the Halloween issue of the Seattle Times. He reviewed the games The Seventh Guest, Alone in the Dark, and Legacy. Not only did this review land Kent three free PC games, it started him on a new career path.
By the middle of 1994, when Kent found himself laid off from his job at a PR agency, he became a full-time freelance journalist. He wrote monthly pieces for the Seattle Times along with regular features and reviews for Electronic Games, CDRom Today, ComputerLife, and NautilusCD. In later years, he would write for American Heritage, Parade, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and many other publications. He wrote regular columns for MSNBC, Next Generation, the Japan Times, and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
In 2000, Kent self-published The First Quarter: A 25-year History of Video Games. That book was later purchased and re-published as The Ultimate History of Video Games by the Prima, Three River Press, and Crown divisions of Random House.
During his career as a games journalist, Kent wrote the entries on video games for Encarta and the Encyclopedia Americana. At the invitation of Senator Joseph Lieberman, Kent has spoken at the annual Report Card on Video Game Violence in Washington D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 22, 2019
It's been okay.
I like the story around the assassins and Wayson trying to find out who they are and the glimpse in the world the clones are making for themselves. But, I did not care for the story when it came between the "love" story between Ava and Wayson. Some of the decisions Wayson made due to that? *hrmpf*
Well, that's the last book of the series that I have at home. On the one hand, I'm glad it's the last and I don't have any more to read. On the other hand, I kind of want to know what happens next. We'll see if I'll get the next books.
I like the story around the assassins and Wayson trying to find out who they are and the glimpse in the world the clones are making for themselves. But, I did not care for the story when it came between the "love" story between Ava and Wayson. Some of the decisions Wayson made due to that? *hrmpf*
Well, that's the last book of the series that I have at home. On the one hand, I'm glad it's the last and I don't have any more to read. On the other hand, I kind of want to know what happens next. We'll see if I'll get the next books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2011
So far I've enjoyed this series of books; so far, that is. I had trouble getting through this one because the author chose to turn his main character into a blithering idiot!
Wayson Harris is a clone that has risen to the rank of a one-star general. He also has managed to find the only clone female that anyone knows about and she happens to be a duplicate of Ava Gardner whom most readers probably have no clue what she looks like. Anyway, Gen. Harris becomes stupidly infatuated with Ms. Gardner to the extent that he can't do a thing without her screwing up his head.
He's also the senior military leader on Terraneau, a planet with no value except for Harris as it holds Ava Gardner. The senior civilian on Terraneau doesn't want Harris or his thousands of Marines on the planet. So instead of Harris acting like a Marine General, he becomes a love sick idiot cowtowing to this egomaniac civilian that pushes him around until it's very hard to continue reading this book.
Harris does find the Enlisted Man's Fleet and he gets promoted to a 3-star Marine General which doesn't mean much cause he lets everyone treat him like a dog! I just don't understand his attitude. He's a Liberator Clone but acts like a wimp for most all this book. If it wasn't for Freeman, Harris would be dead and the story line over.
I just don't understand why the author chooses to depict his main character in such a negative way. I hope the next book gets Harris back to acting like a Liberator Clone and not this sick puppy!
Wayson Harris is a clone that has risen to the rank of a one-star general. He also has managed to find the only clone female that anyone knows about and she happens to be a duplicate of Ava Gardner whom most readers probably have no clue what she looks like. Anyway, Gen. Harris becomes stupidly infatuated with Ms. Gardner to the extent that he can't do a thing without her screwing up his head.
He's also the senior military leader on Terraneau, a planet with no value except for Harris as it holds Ava Gardner. The senior civilian on Terraneau doesn't want Harris or his thousands of Marines on the planet. So instead of Harris acting like a Marine General, he becomes a love sick idiot cowtowing to this egomaniac civilian that pushes him around until it's very hard to continue reading this book.
Harris does find the Enlisted Man's Fleet and he gets promoted to a 3-star Marine General which doesn't mean much cause he lets everyone treat him like a dog! I just don't understand his attitude. He's a Liberator Clone but acts like a wimp for most all this book. If it wasn't for Freeman, Harris would be dead and the story line over.
I just don't understand why the author chooses to depict his main character in such a negative way. I hope the next book gets Harris back to acting like a Liberator Clone and not this sick puppy!
April 17, 2011
Number 6 in Kent's clone series, our man Harris is portrayed (slightly awkwardly) both as less sure of himself and yet more in control this time (less surge from the boosted adrenaline glands), although the control is something Harris seems to regret.
We still pelt along at a fair pace, moving between several planets (and back again), but for me it doesn't quite have the same appeal as the first five novels did. The action sequences seemed a little "distant" - not so visceral as the previous books, but the overall story pace is still pretty good.
Having said that, I haven't finished it yet - I'm 3/4's of the way through and we're now starting to ramp up to a bit of excitment which may be more promising ... will re-edit this once complete.
(... a couple of days later...)
OK, the epilogue indicates the direction the story arc is going (no spoilers) and I can see how Empire is a link towards that goal, laying political and character-emotional points as hooks for book 7.
If you like the series (and I do), definitely read this as it ties up a couple of loose ends as well.
We still pelt along at a fair pace, moving between several planets (and back again), but for me it doesn't quite have the same appeal as the first five novels did. The action sequences seemed a little "distant" - not so visceral as the previous books, but the overall story pace is still pretty good.
Having said that, I haven't finished it yet - I'm 3/4's of the way through and we're now starting to ramp up to a bit of excitment which may be more promising ... will re-edit this once complete.
(... a couple of days later...)
OK, the epilogue indicates the direction the story arc is going (no spoilers) and I can see how Empire is a link towards that goal, laying political and character-emotional points as hooks for book 7.
If you like the series (and I do), definitely read this as it ties up a couple of loose ends as well.
July 11, 2018
Empire kicks off after the previous book with Wayson Harris and Freeman finding themselves embroiled in the politics of the UA, The Enlisted Man's Empire and the locals off Terraneau all mixed up in a back-stabbing fest that keep the plot moving at a cracking pace! :D The way that the UA consistently keeps trying to either eliminate the clones of make them serve their 'Empire' is at the heart of the book through in the returning Avatari and the whole situation looks like it is being flopped back and forth from the get go! :D
At the heart of the Wayson and Freeman having to wade through all off this! :D For a sizeable chunk of the book you are not really sure, much like Wayson, whose side Freeman is on and the way that this comes together is neatly handled with the various sides either falling into line or becoming very obviously the enemy! :D
The way that Wayson responds to the changing situation and Freeman's lack of reaction adds to the humour of the situations that they find themselves in! :D The book does a great job of dramatically resolving much of the Terraneau situation, having the atmosphere nearly ripped off a planet will do that, and as the same neatly sets up future plotlines as Wayson finds himself with a UA carrier the Churchill and his Corp of Engineers nominally under his command again! :D
As ever the characters themselves continue to grow with Wayson growing in leaps and bounds and not simply dismissing everything human without justification that is! One of the things that you notice is that the characters with the exception of the UA tend to be very honest even if their objective is galactic domination! :D As ever the battle scenes themselves are visceral with a really there feel to them thanks to the POV and this really add to the feeling that you do not know how the storyline is going to present itself! :D
With the turning up of the Avatari A team and their ticking time bomb way of destroying the planets that they intend to conquer this adds a time pressure to all the scenes that the characters are in! :D You can sense their frustration at being stymied but also the way they work things out and get round things is brilliantly handled and you will find yourself cheering! :D The gun battles on land and the ship battles in space all seem to this visceral nature to that really shows that things are high stakes! :D This works excellently throughout with each event and things delaying the characters you can see their frustration on every page and this translates into a rip-roaring character and action driven story! :D
The backstabbing of the UA and the destruction of New Copenhagen and Olympus Kri really sets the stage for the next books and the re-emergence of the Japanese fleet really sets things up for this as well putting all the characters and changing situation in peek points for new plots and intrigues! :D
Empire answers many question as well as setting up new ones! :D On the the one hand it also shows us the growing Enlisted Man's Empire and on the other shows us what the UA are ready to go through in order to get their way! :D The appearance of the Avatari also throws a monkey in the works but also neatly sets up things for the next books that look to be setting things up on epic scale like this book but with a jump to the Bode Galaxy that promises a reunion with Wade's Japanese friends and Master Illych! :D
Empire is a roller-coaster ride from start to finish, full of moral choices and the lengths that are undertaken to the actual right thing, humour – Harris gang kidnapping Ava Gardner and her partner for their own good is hilarious - , adventure and world building – we get to see more of the universe in this one, and action packed throughout full of visceral battles and conflict in space and never ceases the pace for a second! :D Brilliant highly recommended! :D Crisp high five! :D Make sure you have the next one! :D
At the heart of the Wayson and Freeman having to wade through all off this! :D For a sizeable chunk of the book you are not really sure, much like Wayson, whose side Freeman is on and the way that this comes together is neatly handled with the various sides either falling into line or becoming very obviously the enemy! :D
The way that Wayson responds to the changing situation and Freeman's lack of reaction adds to the humour of the situations that they find themselves in! :D The book does a great job of dramatically resolving much of the Terraneau situation, having the atmosphere nearly ripped off a planet will do that, and as the same neatly sets up future plotlines as Wayson finds himself with a UA carrier the Churchill and his Corp of Engineers nominally under his command again! :D
As ever the characters themselves continue to grow with Wayson growing in leaps and bounds and not simply dismissing everything human without justification that is! One of the things that you notice is that the characters with the exception of the UA tend to be very honest even if their objective is galactic domination! :D As ever the battle scenes themselves are visceral with a really there feel to them thanks to the POV and this really add to the feeling that you do not know how the storyline is going to present itself! :D
With the turning up of the Avatari A team and their ticking time bomb way of destroying the planets that they intend to conquer this adds a time pressure to all the scenes that the characters are in! :D You can sense their frustration at being stymied but also the way they work things out and get round things is brilliantly handled and you will find yourself cheering! :D The gun battles on land and the ship battles in space all seem to this visceral nature to that really shows that things are high stakes! :D This works excellently throughout with each event and things delaying the characters you can see their frustration on every page and this translates into a rip-roaring character and action driven story! :D
The backstabbing of the UA and the destruction of New Copenhagen and Olympus Kri really sets the stage for the next books and the re-emergence of the Japanese fleet really sets things up for this as well putting all the characters and changing situation in peek points for new plots and intrigues! :D
Empire answers many question as well as setting up new ones! :D On the the one hand it also shows us the growing Enlisted Man's Empire and on the other shows us what the UA are ready to go through in order to get their way! :D The appearance of the Avatari also throws a monkey in the works but also neatly sets up things for the next books that look to be setting things up on epic scale like this book but with a jump to the Bode Galaxy that promises a reunion with Wade's Japanese friends and Master Illych! :D
Empire is a roller-coaster ride from start to finish, full of moral choices and the lengths that are undertaken to the actual right thing, humour – Harris gang kidnapping Ava Gardner and her partner for their own good is hilarious - , adventure and world building – we get to see more of the universe in this one, and action packed throughout full of visceral battles and conflict in space and never ceases the pace for a second! :D Brilliant highly recommended! :D Crisp high five! :D Make sure you have the next one! :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2017
Not the worst book. And as enjoyable as can be for the sixth book in a series where I have not read any of the others, *and* where it turns out it is not the last book either.
Not as much of a military sci-fi as I was expecting, as far as actual battles... a decent semi-procedural mystery early on... kind of peters out later but... you know... fine to carry around to lunch, on the train, etc. ;-)
Not as much of a military sci-fi as I was expecting, as far as actual battles... a decent semi-procedural mystery early on... kind of peters out later but... you know... fine to carry around to lunch, on the train, etc. ;-)
November 4, 2010
The penultimate book in the series according to the author picks up with Wayson Harris and the rest of the clones in his command on Terreanau recovering from the attack of the U.A. all natural Navy. But Harris knows that most of his army has gotten away and is willing to risk his life to go and find them. That's alright with the "Right" Reverand Doctorow who wants nothing more than to see Harris and his clone marines off of Terreanau so he can create his utopia with him as General/Commander in Chief/Dictator. This book shows another side of Harris, one not quite as confident as before, one where he's not so sure that his combat reflex will keep him alive. Harris finds his fleet but is in for a much bigger surprise than he expected. His fleet now rules an "empire" but all is not well in it's heart. Someone is killing the officers of the fleet and of course Harris is the one who needs to find out who it is. His search finds him meeting up with his old "friend" Ray Freedman and the return of something he'd hoped was gone forever. A book not only filled with action but also shows Harris getting a deeper understanding of who he is not just as a Liberator Clone, but as a general and leader of men as well.
November 27, 2010
Vast improvement on the side of storytelling, but the narration itself still floats lazily in a windstill ocean without real direction or sense of things to come. Either Kent will close this series with an absolut thrilling volume or it will rather dripple away without any impact of any kind.
There's simply no point to play a seven book series with the rules of any "sitcom" with indefinite numbers of episodes out there: put everything after each episode back where you took it from. Unfortunately the persona of Wayson Harris as well as the political situation of his clone-compatriots his "love" and the Unified authority behaves too much in this sense to give the reader a real feeling of having been part of a process that was worth reading.
There's simply no point to play a seven book series with the rules of any "sitcom" with indefinite numbers of episodes out there: put everything after each episode back where you took it from. Unfortunately the persona of Wayson Harris as well as the political situation of his clone-compatriots his "love" and the Unified authority behaves too much in this sense to give the reader a real feeling of having been part of a process that was worth reading.
March 24, 2011
The Clone Empire by Steven L. Kent is the latest book in the Clone series. Once again we find Wayson Harris in the middle of more action than he wants. Harris is asked to leave the planet he saved from the Unified Authority. When he joins the rest of the Clone Fleet he finds that UA needs their help to defeat an old enemy that has reappeared, an enemy that threatens to destroy every planet humans have colonized.
There is a lot of action and intrigue in Clone Empire but no resolution to the problems Wayson and the rest of the clones are facing. Instead Clone Empire sets the stage for the next part of Wayson’s adventure.
There is a lot of action and intrigue in Clone Empire but no resolution to the problems Wayson and the rest of the clones are facing. Instead Clone Empire sets the stage for the next part of Wayson’s adventure.
October 27, 2012
I picked this book up from a library book sale and did not realize it was the 6th in a series. On that note I really enjoyed this book, and do plan on going back and reading the series from the first book on. Even though it is further in the series I did not really find it too difficult to get into the story, as the pace of the book was pretty good and the action was maintained throughout the story. I look forward to reading the first book in the series and eventually reading the next book in the line.
June 8, 2011
WARNING: VAGUE SPOILER:
I'm a fan of these books, but I don't like how this book sets you up for something and then does a twist in the middle. Normally I don't mind twists, except that this one abandons everything that's gone before in this book and goes in a new unlikable direction.
I'm a fan of these books, but I don't like how this book sets you up for something and then does a twist in the middle. Normally I don't mind twists, except that this one abandons everything that's gone before in this book and goes in a new unlikable direction.
June 28, 2015
The plot keeps getting better. It is starting to go a bit faster now that we know the history. i can't wait to see how the series ends.
Over all the book is well written and a fast read for those who love sci-fi.
Over all the book is well written and a fast read for those who love sci-fi.
April 2, 2016
This was another good entry into the clone series. I liked how the infiltrator clones were dealt with and how the relationship with Ava was handled. I wonder if Ava returns in the next book or if we have seen the last of her.
January 8, 2017
There's a rather annoying start to this one, but it hits its stride 1/3 a way through and goes in interesting directions. The character Harris develops further in new and interesting ways, and this means I am happy to continue with the series. That's quite an achievement for a 6th book.
November 17, 2010
I found the plot to be a bit scattered. Still an okay read, but not great.
January 10, 2011
These novels are like candy. I can't stop reading them. I now have to wait for Kent to write more.
December 21, 2012
Had a lot of fun reading this. Easy, fast and exciting.
September 2, 2020
The clone rogue series is fun to read. It gets a little "out there" at times, with what it expects you to go along with, but it is very enjoyable.
November 29, 2010
Another great read by Steven L. Kent
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews