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Star Wars: Republic Commando #1
Star Wars Republic Commando: Hard Contact
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.
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.
293 pages, Paperback
First published October 26, 2004
932 people are currently reading
7622 people want to read
About the author
Karen Traviss
130 books1,532 followers#1 New York Times best-selling novelist, scriptwriter and comics author Karen Traviss has received critical acclaim for her award-nominated Wess'har series, and her work on Halo, Gears of War, Batman, G.I. Joe, and other major franchises has earned her a broad range of fans. She's best known for military science fiction, but GOING GREY and BLACK RUN, the first books in her new techno-thriller series RINGER, are set in the real world of today. A former defence correspondent and TV and newspaper journalist, she lives in Wiltshire, England. She's currently working on SACRIFICIAL RED, the third book in the Ringer series, and HERE WE STAND, book three in the NOMAD series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 642 reviews
March 31, 2008
When is a Star Wars novel not a Star Wars novel?
That seems to be one of the questions raised by Republic Commando: Hard Contact. On the surface, it very much seems to be one - you have a group of Commando clone troopers trying to rescue a young Jedi from a Mandalorian warrior, and the Clone Wars are very actively happening in the background of the novel's action. Despite these surface similarities, however, the novel bears very little in common with the rest of the Star Wars universe, and what is the "house style" of the EU (Expanded Universe) novels in general. If a few names and titles had have been changed, this could have very easily been an 'original fiction' title, rather than a tie-in novel. For all of the stories that have been written in the Star Wars universe, most of them have focused very heavily on the 'Star' portion of the title, with little if any focus done on the 'Wars' part. Hard Contact changes that by delivering a story of military sci-fi, focusing on an elite group of Commando clones.
Throughout the course of the novel, Traviss does a very good job of developing all of her clone soldiers as distinct individuals. In other parts of the Clone Wars saga, the clones exist more or less as cyphers; in addition to sharing a genetic code, it appeared that they all shared a character (or lack thereof). One of the themes that Traviss explores is the idea of finding both a culture and an individual identity, and the difficulties that would be associated with that, when there are millions of others who share both your physical form and most of your personal past. [return][return]I generally try not to be a snob when it comes to liscenced material, but in the past year I've read a few that were really a chore to get through. Hard Contact is the exact opposite of that; with or without the Star Wars name attached to it, it was a really enjoyable piece of fiction writing.
That seems to be one of the questions raised by Republic Commando: Hard Contact. On the surface, it very much seems to be one - you have a group of Commando clone troopers trying to rescue a young Jedi from a Mandalorian warrior, and the Clone Wars are very actively happening in the background of the novel's action. Despite these surface similarities, however, the novel bears very little in common with the rest of the Star Wars universe, and what is the "house style" of the EU (Expanded Universe) novels in general. If a few names and titles had have been changed, this could have very easily been an 'original fiction' title, rather than a tie-in novel. For all of the stories that have been written in the Star Wars universe, most of them have focused very heavily on the 'Star' portion of the title, with little if any focus done on the 'Wars' part. Hard Contact changes that by delivering a story of military sci-fi, focusing on an elite group of Commando clones.
Throughout the course of the novel, Traviss does a very good job of developing all of her clone soldiers as distinct individuals. In other parts of the Clone Wars saga, the clones exist more or less as cyphers; in addition to sharing a genetic code, it appeared that they all shared a character (or lack thereof). One of the themes that Traviss explores is the idea of finding both a culture and an individual identity, and the difficulties that would be associated with that, when there are millions of others who share both your physical form and most of your personal past. [return][return]I generally try not to be a snob when it comes to liscenced material, but in the past year I've read a few that were really a chore to get through. Hard Contact is the exact opposite of that; with or without the Star Wars name attached to it, it was a really enjoyable piece of fiction writing.
January 12, 2022
"Not all soldiers wear uniforms, ma'am"
Thanks to a Star Wars book club, I got to reread this amazing Clone Wars era novel!
Four clone commandos have been assigned an important task: land on Qiilura, apprehend scientist, Uthan, and destroy her work on biological agents targeted at clones. But a Mandalorian mercenary, the desperate natives, and a green Padawan might keep them from their objective.
What I Liked:
There is so much to love about this book, it's hard to decide where exactly to begin.
I guess I should start at the beginning: the characters. So many books (even--or maybe especially?--Star Wars ones) tend to generalize. The sleuth is usually down and out but incredibly smart. The scientists are either sexy, sassy, ladies or complete dorky nerds. Jedi are omnipotent, all seeing. The bad guys are plum out of a children's book (replete with giggling over their latest plot device, which is lame, lame, lame). Personally, I am sick of this. I want to see REAL people. People who are like me. So-so at their jobs, average in looks, maybe not quite happy with themselves (and not because they don't have any friends, being supermodel material after all--cue eye roll), trying so hard to figure out why the heck they are there.
And then Karen Traviss starts writing Star Wars. First off, THANK YOU DEL REY!!! Karen Traviss is a superb, intelligent writer and the perfect fit for the Republic Commando novels. She can do what so many others fail at (particularly in this book): she writes about real people.
Hokan is a mercenary. He is not a giggling bad guy, but an intelligent, well-planned Mandalorian who doesn't kill because it's fun but for a purpose. He even shows a fondness and appreciation for a subordinate (something sorely lacking in other novels).
Etain Tur-Mukan is probably one of the best written Jedi in the universe. Seriously, here is a woman with a conflict. She has no idea what to do, doesn't even think she can do it if she could, and isn't a super-Jedi either. She doubts, she questions, she is unsure. In fact, she totally blows up at Darman when he calls her commander and is later chewed out by Jinart. This is rarely done in the Star Wars universe and is a breath of fresh air in a sewer plant.
Then, the clones. Karen Traviss gets the award for making each clone identical yet separate. Niner is a no-bones leader. Fi is more sensitive, more worried about the feelings of each member. Atin buries his thoughts behind mechanical equipment. Darman is amazing, tender yet tough. Through him, we see the unique balance of hardened warrior and childlike innocence, something one would never have expected from clones bred for the sole purpose of killing another.
The other characters (Jinart, Uthan, etc.) are similarly well done, but in a much smaller scale, since they are more of background characters.
Moving on from characterization, the number of characters is perfect. We have, as primary characters, 4 clones, one Jedi, and one Mandalorian (Jinart, the Weequay, the other Jedi, and Uthan being secondary). There is just enough time to develop each character, not too much to interrupt the action and plot. One complaint I had about Death Star was its huge cast. It was challenging to get close to any of the characters when there were 20 or so of them. Karen Traviss keeps the cast small so the audience can grow close to them. It works perfectly.
I feel the balance in Hard Contact--characters, Mando'a history, philosophical musings on the usage of clones and the actual plot of the story--is perfect. KT spends enough time to make you feel for the characters, get acquainted to the Mandalorian lifestyle (which had never before been revealed), ponder the humanity of the clones (though this got to be a little much at times--see below), and do what commandos are supposed to do: Fight! The action in the story is prominent, cementing its Star Wars-iness, but while it is a big part of the book, KT doesn't cut back on character.
Another (small) favorite comes when Hokan mentions to Uthan (another ho-hum lady, not some sexy vixan--Thank you again, KT!!) about Hard Contact! I love it when the author slips in the title of her book somewhere in the actual book. I know it can't always be done, but this was totally awesome!!
What I Didn't Like
It was very challenging to visualize the Gurlanins. They are vaguely described as having a snout, being black, and reminding me of either wolves or panthers. Other than that, their shapeshifting, their appearance is cloaked in mystery, making it hard to imagine the actual creature.
Another problem I had was towards the end. At this point, I felt the message of clones being real people was too heavy-handed. Etain mentions it at least twice in the last ten pages besides the conversations previous. I understand the concept and appreciate KT making the effort to talk about something this controversial, but I think she could have backed off a bit.
Finally, I do not appreciate Etain's being practically commended for defying a superior officer (when she is demanding the Laati stay on Qiilura until Fi and Niner return from their mission). Anywhere else, she would have been courtmarshalled for defying General Zey's orders. I understand this is a fiction novel; however, I feel that the scene could have been modified so as not to seemingly promote this fantastical scenario.
Conclusions:
Amazing! KT has done for the Star Wars Clone Wars era--and for the Star Wars universe in general--what many of the other novels (The Cestus Decpetion and Jedi Trial) could only dream of doing. In Hard Contact, the audience is transported into the middle of a commando mission. There is no doubt about the authenticity, the realness of the surroundings, weapons, actions.
KT not only has created one of (if not the) best action novels, but she has also done the unbelievable: she has created a Mando'a culture, catapulted the clones into humans, and has portrayed Jedi in a real life sense.
With these amazing accomplishments under her belt, it would be impossible for me to give this novel anything less than a 5 stars, even with the minor road bumps.
Thanks to a Star Wars book club, I got to reread this amazing Clone Wars era novel!
Four clone commandos have been assigned an important task: land on Qiilura, apprehend scientist, Uthan, and destroy her work on biological agents targeted at clones. But a Mandalorian mercenary, the desperate natives, and a green Padawan might keep them from their objective.
What I Liked:
There is so much to love about this book, it's hard to decide where exactly to begin.
I guess I should start at the beginning: the characters. So many books (even--or maybe especially?--Star Wars ones) tend to generalize. The sleuth is usually down and out but incredibly smart. The scientists are either sexy, sassy, ladies or complete dorky nerds. Jedi are omnipotent, all seeing. The bad guys are plum out of a children's book (replete with giggling over their latest plot device, which is lame, lame, lame). Personally, I am sick of this. I want to see REAL people. People who are like me. So-so at their jobs, average in looks, maybe not quite happy with themselves (and not because they don't have any friends, being supermodel material after all--cue eye roll), trying so hard to figure out why the heck they are there.
And then Karen Traviss starts writing Star Wars. First off, THANK YOU DEL REY!!! Karen Traviss is a superb, intelligent writer and the perfect fit for the Republic Commando novels. She can do what so many others fail at (particularly in this book): she writes about real people.
Hokan is a mercenary. He is not a giggling bad guy, but an intelligent, well-planned Mandalorian who doesn't kill because it's fun but for a purpose. He even shows a fondness and appreciation for a subordinate (something sorely lacking in other novels).
Etain Tur-Mukan is probably one of the best written Jedi in the universe. Seriously, here is a woman with a conflict. She has no idea what to do, doesn't even think she can do it if she could, and isn't a super-Jedi either. She doubts, she questions, she is unsure. In fact, she totally blows up at Darman when he calls her commander and is later chewed out by Jinart. This is rarely done in the Star Wars universe and is a breath of fresh air in a sewer plant.
Then, the clones. Karen Traviss gets the award for making each clone identical yet separate. Niner is a no-bones leader. Fi is more sensitive, more worried about the feelings of each member. Atin buries his thoughts behind mechanical equipment. Darman is amazing, tender yet tough. Through him, we see the unique balance of hardened warrior and childlike innocence, something one would never have expected from clones bred for the sole purpose of killing another.
The other characters (Jinart, Uthan, etc.) are similarly well done, but in a much smaller scale, since they are more of background characters.
Moving on from characterization, the number of characters is perfect. We have, as primary characters, 4 clones, one Jedi, and one Mandalorian (Jinart, the Weequay, the other Jedi, and Uthan being secondary). There is just enough time to develop each character, not too much to interrupt the action and plot. One complaint I had about Death Star was its huge cast. It was challenging to get close to any of the characters when there were 20 or so of them. Karen Traviss keeps the cast small so the audience can grow close to them. It works perfectly.
I feel the balance in Hard Contact--characters, Mando'a history, philosophical musings on the usage of clones and the actual plot of the story--is perfect. KT spends enough time to make you feel for the characters, get acquainted to the Mandalorian lifestyle (which had never before been revealed), ponder the humanity of the clones (though this got to be a little much at times--see below), and do what commandos are supposed to do: Fight! The action in the story is prominent, cementing its Star Wars-iness, but while it is a big part of the book, KT doesn't cut back on character.
Another (small) favorite comes when Hokan mentions to Uthan (another ho-hum lady, not some sexy vixan--Thank you again, KT!!) about Hard Contact! I love it when the author slips in the title of her book somewhere in the actual book. I know it can't always be done, but this was totally awesome!!
What I Didn't Like
It was very challenging to visualize the Gurlanins. They are vaguely described as having a snout, being black, and reminding me of either wolves or panthers. Other than that, their shapeshifting, their appearance is cloaked in mystery, making it hard to imagine the actual creature.
Another problem I had was towards the end. At this point, I felt the message of clones being real people was too heavy-handed. Etain mentions it at least twice in the last ten pages besides the conversations previous. I understand the concept and appreciate KT making the effort to talk about something this controversial, but I think she could have backed off a bit.
Finally, I do not appreciate Etain's being practically commended for defying a superior officer (when she is demanding the Laati stay on Qiilura until Fi and Niner return from their mission). Anywhere else, she would have been courtmarshalled for defying General Zey's orders. I understand this is a fiction novel; however, I feel that the scene could have been modified so as not to seemingly promote this fantastical scenario.
Conclusions:
Amazing! KT has done for the Star Wars Clone Wars era--and for the Star Wars universe in general--what many of the other novels (The Cestus Decpetion and Jedi Trial) could only dream of doing. In Hard Contact, the audience is transported into the middle of a commando mission. There is no doubt about the authenticity, the realness of the surroundings, weapons, actions.
KT not only has created one of (if not the) best action novels, but she has also done the unbelievable: she has created a Mando'a culture, catapulted the clones into humans, and has portrayed Jedi in a real life sense.
With these amazing accomplishments under her belt, it would be impossible for me to give this novel anything less than a 5 stars, even with the minor road bumps.
January 29, 2020
I admit, before I started my Star Wars binge I had more than a few prejudices about tie-ins (just ask all my friends who had to listen to me whining about the tie-in r/Fantasy Bingo square for months on end). I heard bad things about quality. And I just never saw the point. Sure I have played video games that had tie-ins before, but I've never really cared about video game lore. But Star Wars has left me with a few specific itches I desperately want scratched, no matter how, plus a desperate need for more. Tie-ins, fanfic, tv series, canon or non-canon, give me all of it.
Luckily, Hard Contact is a damn good book that went above and beyond my expectations. I came in for an easy read with clone troopers and Mandalorian culture (which it was!) and stayed for the thorough examination of how fucked up the concept of a clone army really is and the wonderful (at times even adorable!) interactions between the characters. In other words, it was an absolute delight and I can easily see myself devouring the rest of the series.
The plot is simple. Four clone commandos whose previous squad members were killed are assembled into a new squad and sent on a mission to destroy a facility where a virus targeting clones is being developed. On their way, they get separated and Darman has a run-in with a stranded, extremely inexperienced Padawan who is forced to become their commander because she is a Jedi and they were made to obey Jedi.
If you ever wondered why nobody in the prequels ever pointed at the clone troopers and started wondering how the Republic can still call themselves the good guys and do this, if you didn't like how they were dehumanised blaster fodder...well, then this is definitely the book for you. As a call-out it's downright brutal.
Traviss takes the concept of what happens when you use people as disposable to its logical conclusion. She doesn't exactly have a delicate touch about it, she shows us first and then tells as well just to hammer the point home, but for once, I didn't mind a lack of subtlety. I had to see someone notice the same issues I noticed, the point desperately had to be made, plus I have a huge weakness for stories humanising and giving voice to the faceless minor characters, and I got all of that in spades. Darman gets the most character development out of the bunch, with Atin close behind, but they're all very clearly not identical. And they have a great dynamic. It reminded me a little of the Bridgeburners or the Bonehunters from The Malazan Book of the Fallen, another series that focuses on soldiers.
All of this goes double if you also want stories that don't paint Jedi as flawless paragons. Etain, the Padawan forced into a commander role, is a wonderful character and I love her to bits. She's woefully inexperienced, reeling from the death of her master, far from fully trained, far from the best Force or lightsaber user, and insecure about it all on top of it, but dammit, she tries her absolute best. She cares, perhaps too much for a Jedi. And she learns fast. Her interactions with Darman are oddly heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, and definitely the highlight of the book for me.
And then there are little snippets of Mandalorian culture interspersed throughout! Given my entry point into Star Wars, I have an obvious fondness for Mandos. Here it mostly shows up in two forms - the POV of the main antagonist Hokan, who is a Mandalorian, and the clone commandos themselves, who were trained by Mandalorians. Hokan himself is interesting, very much not evil for the sake of evil (and antagonists who are not evil for the sake of evil are awesome). He's as disturbed by the concept of clones - of one of his own people, no less - as the reader, though obviously his solution to the problem is way too extreme. And he definitely doesn't see them as people. But the motivation? The motivation makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, I thought he was a little wasted in the second half when his POVs stopped being as interspersed with his views and opinions and generally him as a character and became almost completely about tactics and exposition. But aside from that, and a rather unfortunate nickname for the Trandoshans used in one of the last chapters (see: content warning section below), no real complaints.
It's just such a wonderfully character-focused book. Sure, there's plenty of action and explosions. The writing style is very simple and straightforward and it's not even remotely slow-paced. But in my reviews of the movies and discussion around them, I have gone on and on about how action is meaningless without slow moments that establish why you should care - and here the balance was perfect (though unlike with movies, I'm all about slow moments when it comes to books). I may be more than a little blind to its flaws, but what the hell. It entertained me, it provided the worldbuilding I wanted, it made me think, it even broke my heart a little. What else could I ever possibly want?
Enjoyment: 5/5
Execution: 4/5
Recommended to: fellow Star Wars fans who don't care about canon, anyone who thinks the Mandalorians are cool, those who wondered if nobody in the prequels saw how fucked up the concept of clone troopers is, fans of military SFF, the found family trope, or character-focused books, anyone looking for a fast and easy read, those who wonder how can a book manage to combine "fucked up" and "adorable"
Not recommended to: those who dislike the idea of Jedi being flawed, those who dislike made-up swearwords (though to be fair, at least Mando'a is a proper conlang), plus see content warnings below
Content warnings: Attempted rape at the beginning. Also, it contains an extremely unfortunate nickname for the Trandoshans that is very similar to a slur. It only appears in one scene near the end and I genuinely believe it was not intended to offend or cause harm (besides, the book was published in 2004) - which is why I did not reduce the rating - but it threw me out of the story and deserves a strong warning for those who require it regardless.
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
Luckily, Hard Contact is a damn good book that went above and beyond my expectations. I came in for an easy read with clone troopers and Mandalorian culture (which it was!) and stayed for the thorough examination of how fucked up the concept of a clone army really is and the wonderful (at times even adorable!) interactions between the characters. In other words, it was an absolute delight and I can easily see myself devouring the rest of the series.
The plot is simple. Four clone commandos whose previous squad members were killed are assembled into a new squad and sent on a mission to destroy a facility where a virus targeting clones is being developed. On their way, they get separated and Darman has a run-in with a stranded, extremely inexperienced Padawan who is forced to become their commander because she is a Jedi and they were made to obey Jedi.
If you ever wondered why nobody in the prequels ever pointed at the clone troopers and started wondering how the Republic can still call themselves the good guys and do this, if you didn't like how they were dehumanised blaster fodder...well, then this is definitely the book for you. As a call-out it's downright brutal.
Traviss takes the concept of what happens when you use people as disposable to its logical conclusion. She doesn't exactly have a delicate touch about it, she shows us first and then tells as well just to hammer the point home, but for once, I didn't mind a lack of subtlety. I had to see someone notice the same issues I noticed, the point desperately had to be made, plus I have a huge weakness for stories humanising and giving voice to the faceless minor characters, and I got all of that in spades. Darman gets the most character development out of the bunch, with Atin close behind, but they're all very clearly not identical. And they have a great dynamic. It reminded me a little of the Bridgeburners or the Bonehunters from The Malazan Book of the Fallen, another series that focuses on soldiers.
All of this goes double if you also want stories that don't paint Jedi as flawless paragons. Etain, the Padawan forced into a commander role, is a wonderful character and I love her to bits. She's woefully inexperienced, reeling from the death of her master, far from fully trained, far from the best Force or lightsaber user, and insecure about it all on top of it, but dammit, she tries her absolute best. She cares, perhaps too much for a Jedi. And she learns fast. Her interactions with Darman are oddly heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, and definitely the highlight of the book for me.
And then there are little snippets of Mandalorian culture interspersed throughout! Given my entry point into Star Wars, I have an obvious fondness for Mandos. Here it mostly shows up in two forms - the POV of the main antagonist Hokan, who is a Mandalorian, and the clone commandos themselves, who were trained by Mandalorians. Hokan himself is interesting, very much not evil for the sake of evil (and antagonists who are not evil for the sake of evil are awesome). He's as disturbed by the concept of clones - of one of his own people, no less - as the reader, though obviously his solution to the problem is way too extreme. And he definitely doesn't see them as people. But the motivation? The motivation makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, I thought he was a little wasted in the second half when his POVs stopped being as interspersed with his views and opinions and generally him as a character and became almost completely about tactics and exposition. But aside from that, and a rather unfortunate nickname for the Trandoshans used in one of the last chapters (see: content warning section below), no real complaints.
It's just such a wonderfully character-focused book. Sure, there's plenty of action and explosions. The writing style is very simple and straightforward and it's not even remotely slow-paced. But in my reviews of the movies and discussion around them, I have gone on and on about how action is meaningless without slow moments that establish why you should care - and here the balance was perfect (though unlike with movies, I'm all about slow moments when it comes to books). I may be more than a little blind to its flaws, but what the hell. It entertained me, it provided the worldbuilding I wanted, it made me think, it even broke my heart a little. What else could I ever possibly want?
Enjoyment: 5/5
Execution: 4/5
Recommended to: fellow Star Wars fans who don't care about canon, anyone who thinks the Mandalorians are cool, those who wondered if nobody in the prequels saw how fucked up the concept of clone troopers is, fans of military SFF, the found family trope, or character-focused books, anyone looking for a fast and easy read, those who wonder how can a book manage to combine "fucked up" and "adorable"
Not recommended to: those who dislike the idea of Jedi being flawed, those who dislike made-up swearwords (though to be fair, at least Mando'a is a proper conlang), plus see content warnings below
Content warnings: Attempted rape at the beginning. Also, it contains an extremely unfortunate nickname for the Trandoshans that is very similar to a slur. It only appears in one scene near the end and I genuinely believe it was not intended to offend or cause harm (besides, the book was published in 2004) - which is why I did not reduce the rating - but it threw me out of the story and deserves a strong warning for those who require it regardless.
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
December 12, 2010
4.0 to 4.5 stars. This is an excellent example of a really good writer (which Karen Traviss certainly is) using the Star Wars universe as "background" but still taking the the time to tell a good story. If you were to remove the Star Wars elements from this book, it would still be a compelling read as the characters are fully fleshed out, the action scenes are very well written and the plot is excellent. It is books like this that show you what a rich, wonderful background the Star Wars universe can provide. It also makes you angry that so many writers just "mail it in" knowing that the Star Wars brand will sell itself. Highly recommended!!
April 3, 2023
you ever love characters in a book but not the plot? yeah…
February 17, 2020
Talk about not judging a book by its cover! Neither the title nor the cover art prepared me for this beautiful story, full of well-rendered, thoughtfully constructed 3-dimensional characters and an at times heartbreaking, at times funny adventure.
You don't have to have played the game this is a tie-in to, in order to enjoy and fully understand this book. I'll definitely read the next in the series.
You don't have to have played the game this is a tie-in to, in order to enjoy and fully understand this book. I'll definitely read the next in the series.
June 21, 2022
I'm not much of a video game fan, so I'm glad Karen Traviss saw fit to make a version of the Republic Commando story for us literary enthusiasts. Although the style was decidedly different from other Star Wars books, this book was definitely enjoyable reading. Just make sure you have the sequels handy; Republic Commando ends on a cliffhanger.
May 27, 2023
(don’t mind this unnecessarily long review that shows just how much of a Star Wars nerd I am even when I held back lol)
Mmkay now the prequels/Galactic Republic/Clone Wars era is easily my favorite in the Star Wars universe, partially because the movies and the Clone Wars show were a big part of my childhood and also because I love the political intrigue and war strategy along with the overall moral of the Clone Wars and the fall of the Jedi. So that paired with the fact that I’ve heard this series is one of the best in Legends meant I had rather high expectations. But oh my God did Karen Traviss completely blow away those expectations!
I mean this is literally the first book I’ve been able to read through without a problem since January, the first book that I haven’t wanted to put down within the first 20 pages. Like I stayed up till past 3am and read for 6 hours straight, only stopping when my eyes started watering with exhaustion. That says something!
—from now on Star Wars is SW, Clone Wars is CW, Republic Commando(s) is RC (this could mean the game, the commandos themselves- Omega or Delta, or this series)—
Now first of all, coming into this I wasn’t sure how I would like the clones since as I said above, I grew up on CW which is like the pinnacle of characters in all of SW and a big reason for that is the clones. Like they each have their own very unique personalities and traits while still all having a similar demeanor in a way. But Karen Traviss nailed it. Like I am blown away. I actually would forget they were these elite trained soldiers because they would act like simple young men sometimes around each other or Etain. Like with clones in other things they always still felt like soldiers (even Cut in CW who’s a farmer now).
(this technically did come out four years before CW though)
The Mandalorian culture and phrases/words just made this book so much better. Like The Mandalorian show is good and all but after watching the animated series it’s a bit underwhelming in the cultural and historical area. This however was incredible. I also loved how the clones kind of identified themselves as Mandalorian, because when you think about it it makes complete sense: while they’re not Jango they’re still of him and they were trained (and basically raised) by Mandalorians.
The curse words and slang were so funny too and I loved them.
Do I know what any of these curses and insults mean though? Nope.
Am I still going to use them? Absolutely, yes.
Fierfek was definitely used a lot and I think it has a lot of potential but I should probably Google what exactly it means before using it lol. Also used a lot was di’kut and what I’m assuming is it’s plural form: di’kutla. My guess is the second is Mandalorian as Hoken used it most.
Plus there were awesome quotes!
—So this was the aftermath of victory. He wondered how much worse defeat might feel.—
—It’s okay to be scared as long as you use it.—
—That’s the nature of duty. It calls and you give it your all.—
—If you don’t crack sometimes, how do you know how far you can go?—
—We’re all going to die sometime, so you might as well die pushing the odds for something that matters.—
I loved all the characters, even the bad ones if in a different way and the main reason for that is that they were written so well.
~ Darman was very curious and observant and I loved it. It was so cute how amazed and interested he was in nature and people and just the world in general, there was a sense of longing about it.
~ Niner reminded me of Leonardo in TMNT which makes sense cuz he’s the leader. You could tell he had that extra stress on him and it had left it’s mark, and you could see he totally soaked up anything and everything his trainer had said. He’s hard to describe but I definitely liked and related to him.
~ Fi seemed like a sweetheart and he was funny so obviously I immediately adored him. Like come on, one of the first things he does on page is start singing a Mandalorian war chant. He’s constantly in a good mood and joking with a dark sense of humor. And he clearly cared about his brothers and allies.
~ I wasn’t quite sure about Atin at first but once he opened up a bit and you actually get to see his character I loved him just as much as the others. He’s the gadget guy and it was so cute to see him excited about different things (like Etain’s lightsaber). And while he seems detached and uncaring he’s actually too caring and extremely loyal. He had some awesome development in this first book so I’m curious to see him in the next book.
~ Etain was an incredible character too, she goes through a lot of development in this book alone and I can’t wait to see the Jedi she becomes. She’s very wise at times but then also a tad reckless (the sign of a proper Jedi lol). She sticks up for the clones and is like the model of Jedi caring attachments be damned. Plus I mean she could swear fluently in Huttese so I’m curious about where she learned how.
~ Even Hoken was interesting, he seemed very conflicted- at times ruthless and other times, as he put it, “soft”. He was interesting for sure though, especially the way he viewed the clones and how he was both completely honorable and yet totally not.
I adored Omega Squad. You’re throwing these four strangers who just lost all their former squad members in a group and dumping them on a mission. And you get to see them become brothers and open up to each other and learn how each of them is different and distinct as they figure out how to work as a solid unit. Ok but when they started calling Darman “Dar” I died.
Now I know from experience that shipping clones with people is strange business because of their accelerated aging but knowing they actually get together in the end I feel safe enough to ship these two. Like before they’d even met I could tell their dynamic would be so perfect together. And sure, he’s technically a 20 year old 10 year old child soldier that ages double time and she’s a mediocre teenage space wizard with anxiety so it feels weird now but it won’t later.
Another thing I loved and I think it helped with keeping me hooked was that the POV changed quite frequently but they all fit together seamlessly. You get Darman and Etain’s POVs most since Id say they’re the two main-main characters. But then you also got Niner so you knew what was going on with the rest of the squad and then Hoken which meant you understand the enemy which improves the story as a whole.
I have to say though that I hated the Kaminoans before but now let’s just say that I will gladly kiss Tipoca City goodbye, all the Kaminoans with it. Reading about the clones cruel training and treatment from them and the general mindset that was drilled (and literally programmed) into them actually made me cry (which isn’t exactly new… but still). The clones story has got to be one of the most tragic and heartbreaking I’ve ever come across and Traviss managed to show it rather perfectly within the first 5 pages. And that last-ish scene with Niner and his trick, I cried, it made me cry so hard, it was HEARTSHATTERING! I just can’t, it will haunt me forever.
Then there was their training sergeant, Skirata, who reminded me of Haymitch from THG and whom I can relate to because he sees it too, he sees just how cruel it is and wronged the clones are and he cares for them 🥲
Anyway overall I’m sure you can tell by now that I loved this book and I look forward to continuing the series even if I know Order 66 will break me. If you’re a SW fan then I suggest you read this (especially if you’re a Republic era fan like me).
Mmkay now the prequels/Galactic Republic/Clone Wars era is easily my favorite in the Star Wars universe, partially because the movies and the Clone Wars show were a big part of my childhood and also because I love the political intrigue and war strategy along with the overall moral of the Clone Wars and the fall of the Jedi. So that paired with the fact that I’ve heard this series is one of the best in Legends meant I had rather high expectations. But oh my God did Karen Traviss completely blow away those expectations!
I mean this is literally the first book I’ve been able to read through without a problem since January, the first book that I haven’t wanted to put down within the first 20 pages. Like I stayed up till past 3am and read for 6 hours straight, only stopping when my eyes started watering with exhaustion. That says something!
—from now on Star Wars is SW, Clone Wars is CW, Republic Commando(s) is RC (this could mean the game, the commandos themselves- Omega or Delta, or this series)—
Now first of all, coming into this I wasn’t sure how I would like the clones since as I said above, I grew up on CW which is like the pinnacle of characters in all of SW and a big reason for that is the clones. Like they each have their own very unique personalities and traits while still all having a similar demeanor in a way. But Karen Traviss nailed it. Like I am blown away. I actually would forget they were these elite trained soldiers because they would act like simple young men sometimes around each other or Etain. Like with clones in other things they always still felt like soldiers (even Cut in CW who’s a farmer now).
(this technically did come out four years before CW though)
The Mandalorian culture and phrases/words just made this book so much better. Like The Mandalorian show is good and all but after watching the animated series it’s a bit underwhelming in the cultural and historical area. This however was incredible. I also loved how the clones kind of identified themselves as Mandalorian, because when you think about it it makes complete sense: while they’re not Jango they’re still of him and they were trained (and basically raised) by Mandalorians.
The curse words and slang were so funny too and I loved them.
Do I know what any of these curses and insults mean though? Nope.
Am I still going to use them? Absolutely, yes.
Fierfek was definitely used a lot and I think it has a lot of potential but I should probably Google what exactly it means before using it lol. Also used a lot was di’kut and what I’m assuming is it’s plural form: di’kutla. My guess is the second is Mandalorian as Hoken used it most.
Plus there were awesome quotes!
—So this was the aftermath of victory. He wondered how much worse defeat might feel.—
—It’s okay to be scared as long as you use it.—
—That’s the nature of duty. It calls and you give it your all.—
—If you don’t crack sometimes, how do you know how far you can go?—
—We’re all going to die sometime, so you might as well die pushing the odds for something that matters.—
I loved all the characters, even the bad ones if in a different way and the main reason for that is that they were written so well.
~ Darman was very curious and observant and I loved it. It was so cute how amazed and interested he was in nature and people and just the world in general, there was a sense of longing about it.
~ Niner reminded me of Leonardo in TMNT which makes sense cuz he’s the leader. You could tell he had that extra stress on him and it had left it’s mark, and you could see he totally soaked up anything and everything his trainer had said. He’s hard to describe but I definitely liked and related to him.
~ Fi seemed like a sweetheart and he was funny so obviously I immediately adored him. Like come on, one of the first things he does on page is start singing a Mandalorian war chant. He’s constantly in a good mood and joking with a dark sense of humor. And he clearly cared about his brothers and allies.
~ I wasn’t quite sure about Atin at first but once he opened up a bit and you actually get to see his character I loved him just as much as the others. He’s the gadget guy and it was so cute to see him excited about different things (like Etain’s lightsaber). And while he seems detached and uncaring he’s actually too caring and extremely loyal. He had some awesome development in this first book so I’m curious to see him in the next book.
~ Etain was an incredible character too, she goes through a lot of development in this book alone and I can’t wait to see the Jedi she becomes. She’s very wise at times but then also a tad reckless (the sign of a proper Jedi lol). She sticks up for the clones and is like the model of Jedi caring attachments be damned. Plus I mean she could swear fluently in Huttese so I’m curious about where she learned how.
~ Even Hoken was interesting, he seemed very conflicted- at times ruthless and other times, as he put it, “soft”. He was interesting for sure though, especially the way he viewed the clones and how he was both completely honorable and yet totally not.
I adored Omega Squad. You’re throwing these four strangers who just lost all their former squad members in a group and dumping them on a mission. And you get to see them become brothers and open up to each other and learn how each of them is different and distinct as they figure out how to work as a solid unit. Ok but when they started calling Darman “Dar” I died.
Now I know from experience that shipping clones with people is strange business because of their accelerated aging but knowing they actually get together in the end I feel safe enough to ship these two. Like before they’d even met I could tell their dynamic would be so perfect together. And sure, he’s technically a 20 year old 10 year old child soldier that ages double time and she’s a mediocre teenage space wizard with anxiety so it feels weird now but it won’t later.
Another thing I loved and I think it helped with keeping me hooked was that the POV changed quite frequently but they all fit together seamlessly. You get Darman and Etain’s POVs most since Id say they’re the two main-main characters. But then you also got Niner so you knew what was going on with the rest of the squad and then Hoken which meant you understand the enemy which improves the story as a whole.
I have to say though that I hated the Kaminoans before but now let’s just say that I will gladly kiss Tipoca City goodbye, all the Kaminoans with it. Reading about the clones cruel training and treatment from them and the general mindset that was drilled (and literally programmed) into them actually made me cry (which isn’t exactly new… but still). The clones story has got to be one of the most tragic and heartbreaking I’ve ever come across and Traviss managed to show it rather perfectly within the first 5 pages. And that last-ish scene with Niner and his trick, I cried, it made me cry so hard, it was HEARTSHATTERING! I just can’t, it will haunt me forever.
Then there was their training sergeant, Skirata, who reminded me of Haymitch from THG and whom I can relate to because he sees it too, he sees just how cruel it is and wronged the clones are and he cares for them 🥲
Anyway overall I’m sure you can tell by now that I loved this book and I look forward to continuing the series even if I know Order 66 will break me. If you’re a SW fan then I suggest you read this (especially if you’re a Republic era fan like me).
February 12, 2025
Years ago it was a Star Wars book that ignited my love for reading. So it makes sense that it is once again a Star Wars book that re-ignites that love after a few months' burnout break/reading hiatus.
The Clone Wars is my favorite time period in Star Wars so I have been looking forward to starting this series for a long time, especially knowing it's held in high regard among the Legends books. And I can easily tell why from this first entry, it was really really good. Traviss made me almost forget I was reading Star Wars at times, making it feel more like a gritty Military/Spy thriller akin to something Tom Clancy would write.
It wouldn't surprise me that the excellent Clone Wars TV series took heavy inspirations from this book and series, as both really made me look at clones more than just cannon fodder, humanizing and individualizing them in great ways, much more than the movies ever get into. The bonds created between clones and their jedi masters are also showcased in a good way.
This was super good and I am very excited to continue this series. One of the top Star Wars books I have read.
The Clone Wars is my favorite time period in Star Wars so I have been looking forward to starting this series for a long time, especially knowing it's held in high regard among the Legends books. And I can easily tell why from this first entry, it was really really good. Traviss made me almost forget I was reading Star Wars at times, making it feel more like a gritty Military/Spy thriller akin to something Tom Clancy would write.
It wouldn't surprise me that the excellent Clone Wars TV series took heavy inspirations from this book and series, as both really made me look at clones more than just cannon fodder, humanizing and individualizing them in great ways, much more than the movies ever get into. The bonds created between clones and their jedi masters are also showcased in a good way.
This was super good and I am very excited to continue this series. One of the top Star Wars books I have read.
January 26, 2020
Star Wars novels are my preferred brand of "junk food reading." I don't use that term because there's anything wrong with them; I used to consume them multiple times weekly. But it's franchise tie-in fiction. I know roughly what to expect, and I know there's a good chance I'll enjoy it, which makes it a good pick for cold, rainy weekends.
Hard Contact is interesting, because its a deviation from the ol' Light vs Dark, Jedi vs. Sith conflict. Set shortly after the battle of Geonosis, it follows a squad of four Republic Commandos (special-ops Clone Troopers). It's a decent mil-SF book, but the real conflict here is moral. The clones think the Jedi are infallible; the Jedi don't know what to do about this brainwashed army they've been handled. You get to read this on both sides. There's also the backstory of the clones themselves, with some fairly well-done character voices.
By far the greatest reason I can recommend this is that it takes the whole 'clone wars' situation seriously. It's easy not to think about it too hard in the movies, and the Clone Wars TV series (though entertaining) fails to hit the correct tone. This, though, is gritty without being gratuitous, and unflinchingly serious about what it takes to make a clone army, and what the results would be.
A few minor issues:
1.) Jacket description says "chemical weapon," book contents say "nanovirus." Execution is iffy either way. Basically it's a doomsday macguffin.
2.) No matter how brutal the training the clones went through was, you cannot convince me that Niner 'didn't know how to scream.' These guys are still human; that's a major point of the book, even...
3.) The antagonist has got a couple of hangups over the idea of 'going soft,' especially with regard to women. He spends a lot of time reassuring himself that he's still a brutal shabuir of a Mandalorian even if he didn't kill somebody.
4.) There are a couple things that really haven't aged well, mainly an unfortunate shortening of "Trandoshan" and specism re: the alien Weequay characters
Action-y junk food for a rainy weekend. Recommended to Star Wars fans interested in mixing things up a little.
Hard Contact is interesting, because its a deviation from the ol' Light vs Dark, Jedi vs. Sith conflict. Set shortly after the battle of Geonosis, it follows a squad of four Republic Commandos (special-ops Clone Troopers). It's a decent mil-SF book, but the real conflict here is moral. The clones think the Jedi are infallible; the Jedi don't know what to do about this brainwashed army they've been handled. You get to read this on both sides. There's also the backstory of the clones themselves, with some fairly well-done character voices.
By far the greatest reason I can recommend this is that it takes the whole 'clone wars' situation seriously. It's easy not to think about it too hard in the movies, and the Clone Wars TV series (though entertaining) fails to hit the correct tone. This, though, is gritty without being gratuitous, and unflinchingly serious about what it takes to make a clone army, and what the results would be.
A few minor issues:
1.) Jacket description says "chemical weapon," book contents say "nanovirus." Execution is iffy either way. Basically it's a doomsday macguffin.
2.) No matter how brutal the training the clones went through was, you cannot convince me that Niner 'didn't know how to scream.' These guys are still human; that's a major point of the book, even...
3.) The antagonist has got a couple of hangups over the idea of 'going soft,' especially with regard to women. He spends a lot of time reassuring himself that he's still a brutal shabuir of a Mandalorian even if he didn't kill somebody.
4.) There are a couple things that really haven't aged well, mainly an unfortunate shortening of "Trandoshan" and specism re: the alien Weequay characters
Action-y junk food for a rainy weekend. Recommended to Star Wars fans interested in mixing things up a little.
November 25, 2018
Pretty good read, but I feel like it's still missing something. Again, refers to the hard issues and morality of it all, but doesn't take a real bite into it which is disappointing. Maybe in the next ones? Also my complaint with Traviss still stands, she uses a lot of subtle sexist language toward female characters, and I dont think a clone who has no experience of the outside culture of the world would ever call a female enemy "sweetheart"... i mean, that makes no sense. And when a woman scientist we had never even encountered before was laying on the ground wounded or dead (I can't remember) the narrative from a commando pov was like "she certainly wasn't pretty anymore"?? REALLY? Meh this kind of stuff really gets on my nerves, clones haven't been raised in the objectifying culture of the outside world.
September 25, 2008
Star Wars: republic Commando – Hard Contact is a great read for anybody who loves Star Wars books or Star Wars in general. The plot follows a squad of clone commandos and a Jedi Padawan as they carry out a mission on a farming planet. In this way, it is unlike most Star Wars books. It is a great military book, and shows how a four-person squad works together. The author uses imagery well to allow the reader to visualize the action and fighting. The book emphasizes working as a team a lot. It keeps repeating the importance, even in the dialogue. “Gdans work as a team. That’s what enables them to take prey that’s many times their size. A point, I think, that would not be lost on men such as yourselves.” However, it doesn’t just focus on military. Throughout the book, the characters relationships with each other grow as they get to know each other, and the author does a great job of portraying that through the character’s actions. The characters also connect to the reader with their various personalities and thoughts. I found this book to be a very interesting read, with a lot of action. It was very enjoyable, and I think and Science Fiction or Star Wars fan would like it as well.
June 12, 2023
I liked the introduction to the characters in this book, Karen Traviss drives home her opinion on the characters without it becoming bothersome.
The Republic Clones are such an interesting subject to handle due to the intense debates there has been in the "real world" about cloning, set in the SW Universe it gives the author a possibility to imagine the problem from another viewpoint (or two). I especially like how the "same man" (the Clone Troopers) gets to be so different, and I guess you could have great wide debates on Nature versus Nurture on the background of this.
The Republic Clones are such an interesting subject to handle due to the intense debates there has been in the "real world" about cloning, set in the SW Universe it gives the author a possibility to imagine the problem from another viewpoint (or two). I especially like how the "same man" (the Clone Troopers) gets to be so different, and I guess you could have great wide debates on Nature versus Nurture on the background of this.
March 5, 2024
3.5 stars
For 2024, I decided to pick up where I left off after 2022 and reread books published between 2004 and 2011—a hodgepodge of Clone Wars, inter-trilogy, and Original Trilogy stories, plus a smattering of Old Republic Sith. This shakes out to twenty-one novels and four short stories, mainly consisting of the Republic Commando series, the Darth Bane trilogy, the Coruscant Nights trilogy, five Clone Wars books written by the Karens, and four standalone novels.
This week’s focus: the first book in the Republic Commando series, Hard Contact by Karen Traviss.
SOME HISTORY:
Before writing the first Republic Commando book, Hard Contact, Karen Traviss knew nothing about Star Wars beyond what happened in the films. So she worked closely with Ryan Kaufman from LucasArts to make sure that her novel fit within the prequel era. Hard Contact also had to stoke readers’ interest for the Republic Commando video game, which was scheduled to release in February 2005. The video game would focus on the exploits of Delta Squad, while Traviss’s novel followed a separate clone commando squad, Omega Squad, sent to Qiilura to capture an enemy scientist and eliminate a biochemical threat.
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I’m fairly certain I read Hard Contact before, but I honestly didn’t remember any of the details!
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
On a mission to sabotage a nanovirus research facility on a Separatist planet, four clone commandos try to survive under the very noses of their enemies—and matters don't improve when Darman, the squad's demolitions expert, gets cut off from the others during planetfall. Even Darman's good luck in meeting a Jedi Padawan vanishes once she admits to her woeful inexperience. For the isolated clone commandos and stranded Jedi, a long, dangerous journey lies ahead, through hostile territory brimming with slavers, Separatists, and suspicious natives…
THE PLOT:
Hard Contact is relatively short at just under 300 pages, and I appreciated that—there were a limited number of characters, and the plot was easy to follow. After Darman, Niner, Fi, and Atin live through the Battle of Geonosis and lose their respective squads, they’re put together to form Omega Squad and sent to the world of Qiilura to capture the Separatist scientist Dr. Uthan and destroy her nanovirus research. They’re also told that a Jedi and his padawan were dispatched to Qiilura weeks earlier, and haven’t been heard from since. Master Fulier is killed by the Mandalorian mercenary Ghez Hokan towards the beginning of the book, and his padawan Etain is hiding in the countryside.
Darman is separated from the other three during planetfall, but runs into Etain—and Etain has the plans for the research facility that the commandos need. Darman and Etain try to rendezvous with the rest of Omega Squad with the help of a shapeshifter ally, while Niner and the rest focus on taking down the Separatists communication system. Once reunited, they’ll attempt to capture Dr. Uthan and destroy her work—since her nanovirus is intended to target clones—and hopefully make it out alive.
CHARACTERS:
Of the four clone commandos, I feel like Traviss spent the most time in Darman’s head, and then a lesser but still significant amount of time in Sergeant Niner’s POV. Poor Atin and Fi got significantly less development here; Atin has a distinctive scar that crosses his whole face, we don’t get the story behind it but he must have refused bacta treatment. While Niner, Darman, and Fi were all trained by a Mandalorian named Skirata, Atin was trained by someone else. He comes across as standoffish and closed off, but he’s lost two squads and you get the sense that he doesn’t want to lose anyone else.
Fi uses humor as a coping mechanism, and comes across as the jokey one. But when the situation escalates and Darman and Atin are in trouble, he withdraws into himself. Each of the commandos has a different personality, and while they may all be from the same genetic template, they’ve developed very different ways of dealing with the world around them.
Niner is the sergeant, so he’s In Charge. But since he’s only been through his training and the Battle of Geonosis he has moments of doubt: is he doing the right thing? Is this the right approach? However, he knows that he’s the leader, so he pushes through and tries to plan as best he can despite their limited intel.
Darman is their demolitions expert, and he’s separated from the others during planetfall because he tries to save as much explosive material as possible—despite Niner’s order to leave everything behind. Darman is the first of the commandos to encounter the Jedi padawan Etain, and they form a friendship along their trek. Etain’s reluctance to be a Jedi Commander and take control of Omega Squad leads Darman to take charge perhaps more than he initially would.
The clone commandos are a little different than basic clone troopers in that they have specialized training and a bit more initiative, but they’re also willing to obey an unfamiliar padawan simply because she’s a Jedi. All of the commandos, but especially Darman, view themselves as expendable and aren’t worried about it; they were made to serve the Republic, and they seem to view death as inevitable.
When we were first introduced to Etain the woefully inexperienced padawan, I was a little worried. Would the clone commandos be condescending about her lack of experience? Refreshingly, they were not—although the shapeshifter Jinart was cruel and dismissive to her at times. I was sympathetic to Etain’s struggles, but she came across as passive and reluctant to take charge, especially once she met up with Darman and the others. Since we never see her interactions with her Master, I couldn’t get a sense of whether this was similar to Lorana Jinzler and Jorus C’Baoth’s padawan/Master relationship in Outbound Flight, where Lorana is kind and capable and compassionate but C’Baoth has done a number on her self esteem. I don’t think Fulier and Etain had the same dysfunctional dynamic, so maybe “weak and full of doubts” was just Etain’s natural personality.
It was frustrating at times to read, but probably more realistic than I initially realized: Etain feels like a teenager, one blindsided by the existence of this clone army and completely unprepared to take any sort of military leadership role. I wish she had stepped up and taken charge sooner (much sooner), but I also prefer characters like Lorana, who are inexperienced Jedi but have a much sweeter nature. (Etain whines a lot.) The pairing of some newbie commandos who have lots of training but limited real world experience with an indecisive padawan worked well, and I think she learned a lot from them.
We also meet some mammalian shapeshifters native to Qiilura, Jinart and her consort. They want the Separatists off their homeworld, and are willing to work with the Republic to achieve that end. Jinart felt a little too overpowered to me, though. I thought the idea of shapeshifters who could change their size was cool, shifting from big to small and bipedal to quadrupedal, but then Jinart could also look like a human. I think that size and general shapeshifting is cool and useful, but changing your species felt like a step too far. I’m not a fan of shapeshifters in general, however, especially when I don’t know the rules and limits behind their shifting.
On the baddie front, we have the Mandalorian mercenary Ghez Hokan, the Separatist scientist Dr. Ovolot Qail Uthan, and a whole bunch of lesser baddies that I could not keep straight. Dr. Uthan is working on a nanovirus that would target only clone troopers, but it’s only in the preliminary stages and would have killed all the humans on Qiilura. I’m glad that it wasn’t deployed! She’s captured fairly easily by Darman and Atin, but I bought that because combat training or knowledge is clearly not in her wheelhouse. The Mandalorian Hokan thinks very highly of himself and his skills, and very lowly of his Neimodian employee—yet he’s still willing to take money from him. He takes Master Fulier’s lightsaber and uses it at various points, but doesn’t understand how it works or really use it effectively, treating the lightsaber as a threatening tool more than anything else.
I was a little surprised that Hokan was killed at the end of the novel, because I know that there are more Republic Commando books and just assumed that he’d be an overarching villain. But no! Hokan is killed, his forces are pretty much destroyed, and Dr. Uthan is captured—so I’m not sure what will happen in future installments. Maybe more of a bad-guy-of-the-week setup? I’m pretty sure that when Lucasbooks and Del Rey commissioned Karen Traviss for the first Republic Commando book, they didn’t intend for it to be a multi-book series—after all, there were almost two years between the release of the first and the second books. So I like that this book feels self-contained and standalone with a satisfying ending, because I remember not enjoying the later Republic Commando books as much.
ISSUES:
My first issue with Hard Contact was more of a general military sci-fi complaint: I didn’t always understand the terms that Traviss was using. There seemed to be less Britishisms than her other SW books (characters actually talk about “gear” instead of “kit”), but some of the military terms were unexplained within the text. If you’re going to use “EP” for Extraction Point, please explain the term once before you start throwing the acronym around! I have also not played the Republic Commando game, so I have no base knowledge to draw from that either. I was floundering at times.
Second, my sympathy for Etain ebbed and flowed as the story progressed, but really took a hit when she had a meltdown when Master Zey was going to leave with Niner and Fi. I appreciate the sentiment, but it felt a little overdone. I liked that Etain formed a connection with these clone commandos, and came to see them as separate individuals and actual distinct human beings—but I didn't like how it played out here, with Etain yelling about not leaving anyone behind and threatening the shuttle. Etain won’t take initiative or command, but suddenly she’s standing up for the commandos? Her character is all over the place in this book.
This ties into my biggest issue with Hard Contact, which is that Etain senses Darman in the Force as a literal child. She asks him how old he is, and he says “I’m ten years old, ma’am.” HOLY BEJEEBUS BATMAN! Yes, I would agree with Traviss that biologically the clone troopers are only ten years old, but they also have this sped-up aging/growth cycle so that after ten years they’re physically adults. Yes, I would agree that they don’t have much experience beyond what they were trained for, and that they’re sheltered in the same way that a teenage padawan may be. But Etain sensing clones as children gave me the heebie jeebies like nothing else, perhaps especially because I remember that multiple characters form romantic relationships with these guys! I think this makes Etain’s indecisiveness even worse, because if I sensed that these soldiers were actually children I would have stepped majorly up as a Jedi and taken charge of the situation, not deny responsibility at any turn.
IN CONCLUSION:
I rather enjoyed the first Republic Commando book. I think it serves as a great standalone story, and I appreciated that Traviss humanized the four clone commandos. However, I did not have the same feelings about Etain as a passive, whiny Jedi Padawan, or how Traviss chose to approach the clone's sped-up aging...
Next up: a short story that appeared in Star Wars Insider magazine, Omega Squad: Targets by Karen Traviss.
YouTube review: https://youtu.be/dTQKLbKbTjQ
“Giving Commandos a Human Side: Author Karen Traviss” (October 2004): https://web.archive.org/web/200502041...
For 2024, I decided to pick up where I left off after 2022 and reread books published between 2004 and 2011—a hodgepodge of Clone Wars, inter-trilogy, and Original Trilogy stories, plus a smattering of Old Republic Sith. This shakes out to twenty-one novels and four short stories, mainly consisting of the Republic Commando series, the Darth Bane trilogy, the Coruscant Nights trilogy, five Clone Wars books written by the Karens, and four standalone novels.
This week’s focus: the first book in the Republic Commando series, Hard Contact by Karen Traviss.
SOME HISTORY:
Before writing the first Republic Commando book, Hard Contact, Karen Traviss knew nothing about Star Wars beyond what happened in the films. So she worked closely with Ryan Kaufman from LucasArts to make sure that her novel fit within the prequel era. Hard Contact also had to stoke readers’ interest for the Republic Commando video game, which was scheduled to release in February 2005. The video game would focus on the exploits of Delta Squad, while Traviss’s novel followed a separate clone commando squad, Omega Squad, sent to Qiilura to capture an enemy scientist and eliminate a biochemical threat.
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I’m fairly certain I read Hard Contact before, but I honestly didn’t remember any of the details!
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
On a mission to sabotage a nanovirus research facility on a Separatist planet, four clone commandos try to survive under the very noses of their enemies—and matters don't improve when Darman, the squad's demolitions expert, gets cut off from the others during planetfall. Even Darman's good luck in meeting a Jedi Padawan vanishes once she admits to her woeful inexperience. For the isolated clone commandos and stranded Jedi, a long, dangerous journey lies ahead, through hostile territory brimming with slavers, Separatists, and suspicious natives…
THE PLOT:
Hard Contact is relatively short at just under 300 pages, and I appreciated that—there were a limited number of characters, and the plot was easy to follow. After Darman, Niner, Fi, and Atin live through the Battle of Geonosis and lose their respective squads, they’re put together to form Omega Squad and sent to the world of Qiilura to capture the Separatist scientist Dr. Uthan and destroy her nanovirus research. They’re also told that a Jedi and his padawan were dispatched to Qiilura weeks earlier, and haven’t been heard from since. Master Fulier is killed by the Mandalorian mercenary Ghez Hokan towards the beginning of the book, and his padawan Etain is hiding in the countryside.
Darman is separated from the other three during planetfall, but runs into Etain—and Etain has the plans for the research facility that the commandos need. Darman and Etain try to rendezvous with the rest of Omega Squad with the help of a shapeshifter ally, while Niner and the rest focus on taking down the Separatists communication system. Once reunited, they’ll attempt to capture Dr. Uthan and destroy her work—since her nanovirus is intended to target clones—and hopefully make it out alive.
CHARACTERS:
Of the four clone commandos, I feel like Traviss spent the most time in Darman’s head, and then a lesser but still significant amount of time in Sergeant Niner’s POV. Poor Atin and Fi got significantly less development here; Atin has a distinctive scar that crosses his whole face, we don’t get the story behind it but he must have refused bacta treatment. While Niner, Darman, and Fi were all trained by a Mandalorian named Skirata, Atin was trained by someone else. He comes across as standoffish and closed off, but he’s lost two squads and you get the sense that he doesn’t want to lose anyone else.
Fi uses humor as a coping mechanism, and comes across as the jokey one. But when the situation escalates and Darman and Atin are in trouble, he withdraws into himself. Each of the commandos has a different personality, and while they may all be from the same genetic template, they’ve developed very different ways of dealing with the world around them.
Niner is the sergeant, so he’s In Charge. But since he’s only been through his training and the Battle of Geonosis he has moments of doubt: is he doing the right thing? Is this the right approach? However, he knows that he’s the leader, so he pushes through and tries to plan as best he can despite their limited intel.
Darman is their demolitions expert, and he’s separated from the others during planetfall because he tries to save as much explosive material as possible—despite Niner’s order to leave everything behind. Darman is the first of the commandos to encounter the Jedi padawan Etain, and they form a friendship along their trek. Etain’s reluctance to be a Jedi Commander and take control of Omega Squad leads Darman to take charge perhaps more than he initially would.
The clone commandos are a little different than basic clone troopers in that they have specialized training and a bit more initiative, but they’re also willing to obey an unfamiliar padawan simply because she’s a Jedi. All of the commandos, but especially Darman, view themselves as expendable and aren’t worried about it; they were made to serve the Republic, and they seem to view death as inevitable.
When we were first introduced to Etain the woefully inexperienced padawan, I was a little worried. Would the clone commandos be condescending about her lack of experience? Refreshingly, they were not—although the shapeshifter Jinart was cruel and dismissive to her at times. I was sympathetic to Etain’s struggles, but she came across as passive and reluctant to take charge, especially once she met up with Darman and the others. Since we never see her interactions with her Master, I couldn’t get a sense of whether this was similar to Lorana Jinzler and Jorus C’Baoth’s padawan/Master relationship in Outbound Flight, where Lorana is kind and capable and compassionate but C’Baoth has done a number on her self esteem. I don’t think Fulier and Etain had the same dysfunctional dynamic, so maybe “weak and full of doubts” was just Etain’s natural personality.
It was frustrating at times to read, but probably more realistic than I initially realized: Etain feels like a teenager, one blindsided by the existence of this clone army and completely unprepared to take any sort of military leadership role. I wish she had stepped up and taken charge sooner (much sooner), but I also prefer characters like Lorana, who are inexperienced Jedi but have a much sweeter nature. (Etain whines a lot.) The pairing of some newbie commandos who have lots of training but limited real world experience with an indecisive padawan worked well, and I think she learned a lot from them.
We also meet some mammalian shapeshifters native to Qiilura, Jinart and her consort. They want the Separatists off their homeworld, and are willing to work with the Republic to achieve that end. Jinart felt a little too overpowered to me, though. I thought the idea of shapeshifters who could change their size was cool, shifting from big to small and bipedal to quadrupedal, but then Jinart could also look like a human. I think that size and general shapeshifting is cool and useful, but changing your species felt like a step too far. I’m not a fan of shapeshifters in general, however, especially when I don’t know the rules and limits behind their shifting.
On the baddie front, we have the Mandalorian mercenary Ghez Hokan, the Separatist scientist Dr. Ovolot Qail Uthan, and a whole bunch of lesser baddies that I could not keep straight. Dr. Uthan is working on a nanovirus that would target only clone troopers, but it’s only in the preliminary stages and would have killed all the humans on Qiilura. I’m glad that it wasn’t deployed! She’s captured fairly easily by Darman and Atin, but I bought that because combat training or knowledge is clearly not in her wheelhouse. The Mandalorian Hokan thinks very highly of himself and his skills, and very lowly of his Neimodian employee—yet he’s still willing to take money from him. He takes Master Fulier’s lightsaber and uses it at various points, but doesn’t understand how it works or really use it effectively, treating the lightsaber as a threatening tool more than anything else.
I was a little surprised that Hokan was killed at the end of the novel, because I know that there are more Republic Commando books and just assumed that he’d be an overarching villain. But no! Hokan is killed, his forces are pretty much destroyed, and Dr. Uthan is captured—so I’m not sure what will happen in future installments. Maybe more of a bad-guy-of-the-week setup? I’m pretty sure that when Lucasbooks and Del Rey commissioned Karen Traviss for the first Republic Commando book, they didn’t intend for it to be a multi-book series—after all, there were almost two years between the release of the first and the second books. So I like that this book feels self-contained and standalone with a satisfying ending, because I remember not enjoying the later Republic Commando books as much.
ISSUES:
My first issue with Hard Contact was more of a general military sci-fi complaint: I didn’t always understand the terms that Traviss was using. There seemed to be less Britishisms than her other SW books (characters actually talk about “gear” instead of “kit”), but some of the military terms were unexplained within the text. If you’re going to use “EP” for Extraction Point, please explain the term once before you start throwing the acronym around! I have also not played the Republic Commando game, so I have no base knowledge to draw from that either. I was floundering at times.
Second, my sympathy for Etain ebbed and flowed as the story progressed, but really took a hit when she had a meltdown when Master Zey was going to leave with Niner and Fi. I appreciate the sentiment, but it felt a little overdone. I liked that Etain formed a connection with these clone commandos, and came to see them as separate individuals and actual distinct human beings—but I didn't like how it played out here, with Etain yelling about not leaving anyone behind and threatening the shuttle. Etain won’t take initiative or command, but suddenly she’s standing up for the commandos? Her character is all over the place in this book.
This ties into my biggest issue with Hard Contact, which is that Etain senses Darman in the Force as a literal child. She asks him how old he is, and he says “I’m ten years old, ma’am.” HOLY BEJEEBUS BATMAN! Yes, I would agree with Traviss that biologically the clone troopers are only ten years old, but they also have this sped-up aging/growth cycle so that after ten years they’re physically adults. Yes, I would agree that they don’t have much experience beyond what they were trained for, and that they’re sheltered in the same way that a teenage padawan may be. But Etain sensing clones as children gave me the heebie jeebies like nothing else, perhaps especially because I remember that multiple characters form romantic relationships with these guys! I think this makes Etain’s indecisiveness even worse, because if I sensed that these soldiers were actually children I would have stepped majorly up as a Jedi and taken charge of the situation, not deny responsibility at any turn.
IN CONCLUSION:
I rather enjoyed the first Republic Commando book. I think it serves as a great standalone story, and I appreciated that Traviss humanized the four clone commandos. However, I did not have the same feelings about Etain as a passive, whiny Jedi Padawan, or how Traviss chose to approach the clone's sped-up aging...
Next up: a short story that appeared in Star Wars Insider magazine, Omega Squad: Targets by Karen Traviss.
YouTube review: https://youtu.be/dTQKLbKbTjQ
“Giving Commandos a Human Side: Author Karen Traviss” (October 2004): https://web.archive.org/web/200502041...
July 19, 2020
I’ve never read a Star Wars book before, so I don’t know if this one is pretty typical for how it goes but I really enjoyed it. It was far grittier than I expected, and the combat was described with surprising realism. The commandos faced hunger, fatigue, bad intel, all on top of the actual fighting. This wasn’t like the movie where a single Jedi can take down an entire regiment of droids.
Here we had 4 regular men and a young Padawan fighting tooth and nail (literally) to beat overwhelming odds and accomplish the mission. By the end of it, though mission accomplishment is still important, you can tell they’re no longer fighting for the Republic or any grand ideals. They fight for each other, and that’s as real as it gets.
The author also did an incredible job adding military terminology and quips, and that’s rare. Their conversations and interactions never felt cheesy or forced.
So this one gets 5 stars from me. I might have to get the next book in this particular series.
Here we had 4 regular men and a young Padawan fighting tooth and nail (literally) to beat overwhelming odds and accomplish the mission. By the end of it, though mission accomplishment is still important, you can tell they’re no longer fighting for the Republic or any grand ideals. They fight for each other, and that’s as real as it gets.
The author also did an incredible job adding military terminology and quips, and that’s rare. Their conversations and interactions never felt cheesy or forced.
So this one gets 5 stars from me. I might have to get the next book in this particular series.
February 19, 2023
2023 review:
Third time I've read this book. Not a line of this book is a throw away line, not even the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Those quotes help focus the themes of the books and tell a short story of what the support ship is doing during the main storyline. Travis nails how disturbing the Clone Wars really is. It is so hard to see the Jedi fall to this level of corruption whilst thinking they are in the right. Everyone lost in the Clone Wars except Palpatine, and the ones who lost the most were the Clones and the Jedi.
Original review:
Second time I've read tjis book, and man is it good. Wish this series was still canon, and that it had been finished, but this first book is fantastic. If I hadn't had to go to work, could have read it in a day. Pacing, dialogue, plot, characters, and exploration of how messed up the Clone Wars really is is perfect.
Third time I've read this book. Not a line of this book is a throw away line, not even the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Those quotes help focus the themes of the books and tell a short story of what the support ship is doing during the main storyline. Travis nails how disturbing the Clone Wars really is. It is so hard to see the Jedi fall to this level of corruption whilst thinking they are in the right. Everyone lost in the Clone Wars except Palpatine, and the ones who lost the most were the Clones and the Jedi.
Original review:
Second time I've read tjis book, and man is it good. Wish this series was still canon, and that it had been finished, but this first book is fantastic. If I hadn't had to go to work, could have read it in a day. Pacing, dialogue, plot, characters, and exploration of how messed up the Clone Wars really is is perfect.
February 20, 2019
Listen, it is 2:42 in the morning and instead of sleeping I just spent fifteen minutes explaining the ending of this novel to my roommate complete with a two-paragraph readaloud because I needed somewhere to put my feelings.
I just . . . never knew I wanted this story but I really, really did. I bow to Karen Traviss and her subtly poignant craftsmanship. The characters, the relationships, the setup/payoff arcs—incredible.
I just . . . never knew I wanted this story but I really, really did. I bow to Karen Traviss and her subtly poignant craftsmanship. The characters, the relationships, the setup/payoff arcs—incredible.
March 16, 2024
Set in 22BBY
Here's the thing, this one is a solid story that delivers a gripping narrative centered on a squad of Clone Commandos facing perilous challenges. As they confront Trandoshans and Separatists, the team endures loss, including one member who becomes separated alongside a Jedi Padawan, testing their survival skills. The story is masterfully crafted, brimming with intense action sequences and compelling character dynamics.
However, my recommendation is not to read but to listen to this gem. Halfway through the book, I discovered the audiobook, which truly enhances the experience with its immersive narration.
Here's the thing, this one is a solid story that delivers a gripping narrative centered on a squad of Clone Commandos facing perilous challenges. As they confront Trandoshans and Separatists, the team endures loss, including one member who becomes separated alongside a Jedi Padawan, testing their survival skills. The story is masterfully crafted, brimming with intense action sequences and compelling character dynamics.
However, my recommendation is not to read but to listen to this gem. Halfway through the book, I discovered the audiobook, which truly enhances the experience with its immersive narration.
November 18, 2020
Karen Traviss has completely changed my view of Mandalorian culture and perspective on the clone troopers. I am so attached to each new character she introduces into the main plot, and had trouble putting this book down. Absolutely fantastic writing, very fun to read.
August 12, 2024
I was unimpressed with TCW novelization but page one of this is already better. I’m not loving it but it’s okay. I dislike Etain as a character. Nothing happened the whole middle section of the book. Didn’t really like the ending or the characters. 2 stars
January 27, 2024
No man left behind!!
January 15, 2025
Toen Star Wars nog goed was 🥲
March 7, 2017
Star Wars Legends Project #108
Background: Hard Contact was written by Karen Traviss and published in October 2004. Traviss has written 10 Star Wars novels, in addition to a number of short stories and other materials. Most of her novels are set during the Clone Wars, but she also wrote 3 of the Legacy of the Force books. She has also written several Halo and Gears of War books, and half a dozen of her own science fiction novels.
Hard Contact takes place about 3 months after the Battle of Geonosis, 22 years before the battle of Yavin. The main characters are a squad of clone commandos and a Jedi apprentice, none of whom have appeared previously elsewhere. Most of the story takes place on the Separatist-held planet Qiilura.
Summary: Deployed on a mission to take out a Separatist research facility that is developing a virus targeting clones, four elite clone commandos (Darman, Niner, Atin, and Fi) find themselves in over even their very capable heads. They'll need all the help they can get, even from the likes of Etain Tur-Mukan, a young Jedi whose connection to the Force is tenuous at best, and Jinart, a mysterious Qiiluran native whose abilities are as mysterious as her motives.
Review: So, this pretty much blew me away. And maybe part of that is because my expectations were really low for a novel that was written as a tie-in for a mediocre video game, but I honestly forgot all about that almost immediately. You'd never know that that's what this is. Traviss commits 100% to excellence and nothing about this feels like a phoned-in piece of merchandising. I love almost everything about this book, but let me try to focus in on four specific things that are great about it:
First, Traviss writes with a tremendous amount of detail that feels "authentic" and natural, like she is totally familiar with this world and comfortable with every facet of it. The characters are fully realized and wonderfully drawn and a lot of fun to spend time with. But more importantly, her facility with dialogue and description makes the whole thing so immersive. This is top-notch military sci-fi, just set in the Star Wars universe.
Second, Traviss has so many chances to quietly stack the deck in ways that would give us some cool action scenes and be perfectly fine and serviceable, but she never takes that easy way out. The primary antagonist is as fully-realized and compelling of a character as the protagonists, and he is every bit as smart as they are (which is so rare). He has his own advantages and disadvantages that come into play in the conflict that takes place over the course of the story. It's like Traviss is playing chess against herself, and she gives both sides the full benefit of her strategic expertise, so there's never a clear outcome telegraphed way in advance.
Third, as I mentioned, none of these characters have ever appeared in any other stories, and most of them are, by definition, extremely expendable, so there's never a sense that anyone is guaranteed to survive to the end of the book. The tension is real because we care about these characters and it's pretty likely that at least some of them will end up dead. There aren't enough Star Wars novels that focus on "minor" characters like this, and when it's done well as it is here, it produces something really special.
Fourth, Traviss takes some time to dig deep into the realities of warfare and the moral quandaries of the Republic using people, albeit cloned people, who are programmed not to care whether they live or die in waging that conflict. She also addresses the idea of collateral damage, and people who aren't as interested in the "higher ideals" of the Republic as they are in not losing everything and everyone that they care about in the crossfire of a galactic conflict whose outcome ultimately means very little to their daily lives.
Just all around, in addition to being a well-written book with great characters and a great plot, this is one of those rare "Star Wars" stories that really lives up to the implications of that title. I loved it and I'm excited to read the rest of the series.
A
Background: Hard Contact was written by Karen Traviss and published in October 2004. Traviss has written 10 Star Wars novels, in addition to a number of short stories and other materials. Most of her novels are set during the Clone Wars, but she also wrote 3 of the Legacy of the Force books. She has also written several Halo and Gears of War books, and half a dozen of her own science fiction novels.
Hard Contact takes place about 3 months after the Battle of Geonosis, 22 years before the battle of Yavin. The main characters are a squad of clone commandos and a Jedi apprentice, none of whom have appeared previously elsewhere. Most of the story takes place on the Separatist-held planet Qiilura.
Summary: Deployed on a mission to take out a Separatist research facility that is developing a virus targeting clones, four elite clone commandos (Darman, Niner, Atin, and Fi) find themselves in over even their very capable heads. They'll need all the help they can get, even from the likes of Etain Tur-Mukan, a young Jedi whose connection to the Force is tenuous at best, and Jinart, a mysterious Qiiluran native whose abilities are as mysterious as her motives.
Review: So, this pretty much blew me away. And maybe part of that is because my expectations were really low for a novel that was written as a tie-in for a mediocre video game, but I honestly forgot all about that almost immediately. You'd never know that that's what this is. Traviss commits 100% to excellence and nothing about this feels like a phoned-in piece of merchandising. I love almost everything about this book, but let me try to focus in on four specific things that are great about it:
First, Traviss writes with a tremendous amount of detail that feels "authentic" and natural, like she is totally familiar with this world and comfortable with every facet of it. The characters are fully realized and wonderfully drawn and a lot of fun to spend time with. But more importantly, her facility with dialogue and description makes the whole thing so immersive. This is top-notch military sci-fi, just set in the Star Wars universe.
Second, Traviss has so many chances to quietly stack the deck in ways that would give us some cool action scenes and be perfectly fine and serviceable, but she never takes that easy way out. The primary antagonist is as fully-realized and compelling of a character as the protagonists, and he is every bit as smart as they are (which is so rare). He has his own advantages and disadvantages that come into play in the conflict that takes place over the course of the story. It's like Traviss is playing chess against herself, and she gives both sides the full benefit of her strategic expertise, so there's never a clear outcome telegraphed way in advance.
Third, as I mentioned, none of these characters have ever appeared in any other stories, and most of them are, by definition, extremely expendable, so there's never a sense that anyone is guaranteed to survive to the end of the book. The tension is real because we care about these characters and it's pretty likely that at least some of them will end up dead. There aren't enough Star Wars novels that focus on "minor" characters like this, and when it's done well as it is here, it produces something really special.
Fourth, Traviss takes some time to dig deep into the realities of warfare and the moral quandaries of the Republic using people, albeit cloned people, who are programmed not to care whether they live or die in waging that conflict. She also addresses the idea of collateral damage, and people who aren't as interested in the "higher ideals" of the Republic as they are in not losing everything and everyone that they care about in the crossfire of a galactic conflict whose outcome ultimately means very little to their daily lives.
Just all around, in addition to being a well-written book with great characters and a great plot, this is one of those rare "Star Wars" stories that really lives up to the implications of that title. I loved it and I'm excited to read the rest of the series.
A
May 24, 2016
This is my first contact with the star wars expanded universe and this is a very good story with some profound deepness within, although there’s something off that will not allow it to be a five star book. Between the star wars and commando lexical the story is, sometimes, difficult to follow but well, it is a star wars commando book so that kind of words were supposed to be there; between IED, EP, decees, and so on the commandos express their integrity as such and for us to understand that there’s a character who’s at the same level as the reader, so we can understand of what are they talking about.
We discover the horrors of war and the things that make you an individual even if you’re expendable, your commanding officers and jedi masters treat you as cheap and anonymous property, on how is to be an individual when everyone around you it’s you, literally. There are also some extremely valuable lessons to be learned from the commandos and their instructors on life, group thinking and leadership. I really want to read the other books!
We discover the horrors of war and the things that make you an individual even if you’re expendable, your commanding officers and jedi masters treat you as cheap and anonymous property, on how is to be an individual when everyone around you it’s you, literally. There are also some extremely valuable lessons to be learned from the commandos and their instructors on life, group thinking and leadership. I really want to read the other books!
September 16, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Honestly not my usual read but so glad I did! I always love books that expand my mind creatively. It took a while to understand some details of the universe building since I am not very knowledgeable on Star Wars and this book is definitely written for Star Wars fanatics. Watching the movies again definitely helped revamp my memory. After getting a few chapters in I was able to really speed through. The characters were so lovable and complex. They have so much depth to them and specifically the clones and their unique outlook on life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and definitely plan to keep reading the series!
Honestly not my usual read but so glad I did! I always love books that expand my mind creatively. It took a while to understand some details of the universe building since I am not very knowledgeable on Star Wars and this book is definitely written for Star Wars fanatics. Watching the movies again definitely helped revamp my memory. After getting a few chapters in I was able to really speed through. The characters were so lovable and complex. They have so much depth to them and specifically the clones and their unique outlook on life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and definitely plan to keep reading the series!
March 31, 2012
I absolutley loved this book, I loved the friendship/brotherhood situation of the clones and I loved the developing relationship of darmen and the other troopers with jedi padawan etain and how they learned from each other. Thanks to my best friend I have the other books in the series..but havnt read them yet..sooooooo wish i could speed read like someone i wont name *coughsfelicadaycoughs* :P
September 26, 2008
Surprisingly subtle for a story whose basic purpose is to advertise a Star Wars game.
Not all blasters and light sabers. Character growth and change on several levels.
A second reading confirmed my opinion of this book's quality.
Not all blasters and light sabers. Character growth and change on several levels.
A second reading confirmed my opinion of this book's quality.
November 27, 2017
When I first read this book, I was expecting to read a light, shallow book based on a video game. Instead, I got an intriguing story with complex themes and well-developed, unique characters that all interact in some of the best dialogue I've ever read. Love this series.
November 25, 2020
*ugly cries* I just love my clones, okay? It makes me emotional, especially if any of them get hurt or aren’t appreciated.
July 11, 2022
Great book even for someone who isn't a star wars fan. Amazing writing and story telling made it read like a real war novel. Good character development and action showing star wars from a clones pov.
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