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Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation: From the Ashes
From The Ashes, written by Hugo Award-winning author Timothy Zahn, sets the scene for the events chronicled in the movie Terminator Salvation, revealing the full story behind John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators.
In post-Judgment Day LA, two lost kids named Kyle and Star keep watch for Terminators; a jaded Marine struggles to keep his rag-tag community together in the face of unrelenting danger; and John and Kate Connor assemble their Resistance team for a brutal assault on a deadly enemy.
In post-Judgment Day LA, two lost kids named Kyle and Star keep watch for Terminators; a jaded Marine struggles to keep his rag-tag community together in the face of unrelenting danger; and John and Kate Connor assemble their Resistance team for a brutal assault on a deadly enemy.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
39 people are currently reading
691 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Zahn
481 books8,525 followersTimothy Zahn attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1973. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and achieved an M.S. degree in physics in 1975. While he was pursuing a doctorate in physics, his adviser became ill and died. Zahn never completed the doctorate. In 1975 he had begun writing science fiction as a hobby, and he became a professional writer. He and his wife Anna live in Bandon, Oregon. They have a son, Corwin Zahn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
July 30, 2025
The prolific Mr. Zahn here turns his attention from that long ago far away franchise to the near-future world of Skynet. This is an "official prequel" to the Terminator Salvation movie, but it doesn't require any prior knowledge of the films. I suppose it fits well into the Terminator continuity; it's set post-Judgment Day, has a character named Kyle and a couple named Connor, and lots of killer 'bots with short designations like T-600 and HK. When you have time travel and can go back to reset reality, any kind of slip is pardonable, n'cest pas? It's a nice military style adventure, maybe a little too long in places for someone like me who never played a shoot-'em-up video game, but with an interesting story and some good characters, particularly an ex-Marine survivor of the initial blasts, Orozco. It's a fun story.
May 7, 2009
Fan-favorite Timothy Zhan has proven that he can create incredibly readable, highly addictive original works and tie-in novels during his long and distinguished career. He helped launch the modern "Star Wars" novel over 20 years ago and now he turns his attention to the "Terminator" universe with a prequel to this summer's "Terminator: Salvation."
Given Zhan's solid background is creating futuristic military battles that are both engaged and easy for the reader to follow, the match of Zhan with the "Terminator" universe is a match made in heaven. Set just before the events of the upcoming film, Zhan chronicles events in Los Angeles in the aftermath of the initial Skynet attack and leading up to what we'll see on the big-screen later this year. The military battles are the strength of this story, with Zhan making them both thrilling and accessible to readers.
However, because this is a prequel story, there are some limits on what Zhan can do--especially when it comes to the characters. There are some instantly recognizable characters such as John and Kate Connor and Kyle Reese. There are also a lot of other characters in the story, who I presume will be included in the upcoming film. Zhan's job is clearly to give some backstory on how certain players get into certain situations and places by the start of the film and while he does a good job telling that story, you can tell the constraints are limiting him. (For a good comparison, read any of Zhan's original "Star Wars" trilogy of novels where he has more freedom to play with the characters).
This weakness leads to some character moments that are too obviously telegraphed and some characters who are clearly brought into the story to be little more than red-shirts where on classic "Star Trek."
However, there is more that works in the story than doesn't. Fans of the "Terminator" franchise will want to devour this one before they hit theaters. And casual fans may find themselves wanting to pick it up after seeing the film. Either way, you're in for a treat in the universe of media tie-in novels.
Given Zhan's solid background is creating futuristic military battles that are both engaged and easy for the reader to follow, the match of Zhan with the "Terminator" universe is a match made in heaven. Set just before the events of the upcoming film, Zhan chronicles events in Los Angeles in the aftermath of the initial Skynet attack and leading up to what we'll see on the big-screen later this year. The military battles are the strength of this story, with Zhan making them both thrilling and accessible to readers.
However, because this is a prequel story, there are some limits on what Zhan can do--especially when it comes to the characters. There are some instantly recognizable characters such as John and Kate Connor and Kyle Reese. There are also a lot of other characters in the story, who I presume will be included in the upcoming film. Zhan's job is clearly to give some backstory on how certain players get into certain situations and places by the start of the film and while he does a good job telling that story, you can tell the constraints are limiting him. (For a good comparison, read any of Zhan's original "Star Wars" trilogy of novels where he has more freedom to play with the characters).
This weakness leads to some character moments that are too obviously telegraphed and some characters who are clearly brought into the story to be little more than red-shirts where on classic "Star Trek."
However, there is more that works in the story than doesn't. Fans of the "Terminator" franchise will want to devour this one before they hit theaters. And casual fans may find themselves wanting to pick it up after seeing the film. Either way, you're in for a treat in the universe of media tie-in novels.
June 28, 2016
This book which happens before the movie Terminator Salvation describes humanity struggle against the machines and the computer that controls them Skynet. I thought this book was very well put together and written by my favorite author Timothy Zahn. The action flowed very well and the story was very entertaining. 5 out of 5 stars.
June 16, 2009
Timothy Zahn rarely lets me down and he comes through here with a rousing tale of humans trying to still be human and take the fight to Skynet. Sure it's a pretty limited story (takes place over just a few days) and Zahn is writing with one hand tied behind his back given the history and the present of the franchise but he still gives you a fine ride. This book is great for readers who are also closet adrenalin junkies as it reads quickly and quickens the pulse. Ooh-rah!
March 12, 2012
This is the book prequel to the movie "Terminator: Salvation" and I enjoyed it very much. I liked to read about how Kyle and Star fared before "Salvation". I like that we get a glimpse at how people live and try to survive after Judgment day and how Connor fights the Terminators. :) I especially enjoyed the POVs of Blair and Orozco (the Marine).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2025
A lead-in to the events of the 'Terminator Salvation' movie, set in post-apocalyptic 2018.
Following the destruction of Judgement Day, humanity is desperately trying to survive against the murderous AI Skynet amid the ruins of the world that was. Some of the survivors, such as John and Kate Connor have chosen to become members of the Resistance, taking the fight to Skynet, but others have gathered in civilian communities, hoping to wait out the storm. Amid the ruins of LA, these two disparate groups both find themselves in the crosshairs of a ruthless purge by Skynet and its Terminators.
Despite being a big Terminator fan, I only ever actually watched Salvation once and I barely remember it, beyond being hugely disappointed (I actually remember a friend's review far clearer; "It's just two hours of Christian Bale shouting 'John Connor!'").
That being the case, is it possible to enjoy this tie-in novel? Well, yes, actually.
I've long been a fan of Zahn's Star Wars books (and I liked that he managed to sneak an 'A New Hope' reference in here too) and his ability to work within a larger franchise is well-established.
We're given a fairly engaging community of survivors to follow here, led by both the bureaucrat Grimaldi and the more down-to-Earth ex-Marine Sergeant Orozco, and including the young kids Star and Kyle (the latter being Kyle Reese). Meanwhile, we have the counterpoint of John Connor's Resistance cell, skilled professionals all but lacking support and equipment from High Command. I particularly liked the way that Zahn contrasts these two groups, with each having strengths but very different ideologies, none of which makes any difference to Skynet, which just sees them as more humans to be eradicated.
There are some great action scenes in this book and you genuinely feel the frustration and despair of the characters when all their best efforts aren't enough to stave off the waves of Terminators they're faced with.
If I had to make one criticism of the book it's that John Connor himself is neither as charismatic nor tactically clever a leader as the narrative seems to treat him as.
Many of his decisions throughout the book are nonsensical and/or stupid and only turn out alright because (to quote the aforementioned shouting Christian Bale) he's John Connor. There was one scene in particular which soured me towards the character, in which he's annoyed that Kate has gone into battle against his orders (in defiance of a clearly-demonstrated double-standard). What got on my nerves in particular was his irritation stems not only from a soldier disobeying her commander, but also from a wife disobeying her husband.
Come on John, maybe it's time to kill The Patriarchy alongside Skynet?
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
Following the destruction of Judgement Day, humanity is desperately trying to survive against the murderous AI Skynet amid the ruins of the world that was. Some of the survivors, such as John and Kate Connor have chosen to become members of the Resistance, taking the fight to Skynet, but others have gathered in civilian communities, hoping to wait out the storm. Amid the ruins of LA, these two disparate groups both find themselves in the crosshairs of a ruthless purge by Skynet and its Terminators.
Despite being a big Terminator fan, I only ever actually watched Salvation once and I barely remember it, beyond being hugely disappointed (I actually remember a friend's review far clearer; "It's just two hours of Christian Bale shouting 'John Connor!'").
That being the case, is it possible to enjoy this tie-in novel? Well, yes, actually.
I've long been a fan of Zahn's Star Wars books (and I liked that he managed to sneak an 'A New Hope' reference in here too) and his ability to work within a larger franchise is well-established.
We're given a fairly engaging community of survivors to follow here, led by both the bureaucrat Grimaldi and the more down-to-Earth ex-Marine Sergeant Orozco, and including the young kids Star and Kyle (the latter being Kyle Reese). Meanwhile, we have the counterpoint of John Connor's Resistance cell, skilled professionals all but lacking support and equipment from High Command. I particularly liked the way that Zahn contrasts these two groups, with each having strengths but very different ideologies, none of which makes any difference to Skynet, which just sees them as more humans to be eradicated.
There are some great action scenes in this book and you genuinely feel the frustration and despair of the characters when all their best efforts aren't enough to stave off the waves of Terminators they're faced with.
If I had to make one criticism of the book it's that John Connor himself is neither as charismatic nor tactically clever a leader as the narrative seems to treat him as.
Many of his decisions throughout the book are nonsensical and/or stupid and only turn out alright because (to quote the aforementioned shouting Christian Bale) he's John Connor. There was one scene in particular which soured me towards the character, in which he's annoyed that Kate has gone into battle against his orders (in defiance of a clearly-demonstrated double-standard). What got on my nerves in particular was his irritation stems not only from a soldier disobeying her commander, but also from a wife disobeying her husband.
Come on John, maybe it's time to kill The Patriarchy alongside Skynet?
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
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July 29, 2025A much slighter read than I'd expect from Zahn, this book offers a couple good setpieces and nothing much else. It can't do much to develop the characters or settings and doesn't have much to offer thematically so there's nothing to latch onto. In fact I'm pretty sure I've read this before but couldn't have told you anything about it.
Unsurprisingly but sadly, even though Terminator: Salvation is set in the same timeline as Terminator 3, the Salvation novels are not set in the same future as the T3 novels -- and are also set earlier, in 2018 or so rather than T3's 2029.
This story also has the same difficulty pretty much every other future war story has: it's very difficult, apparently, to write a resistance leader John Connor who can live up to the messianic figure suggested by the movies. He's not really doing anything in any of these stories that makes him stand out as a great leader, and there's never any sense that his childhood experiences contributed particularly to his or humanity's future survival. Maybe future war stories would have been better off not featuring movie characters and focusing instead on original characters who can actually do or learn things without having to worry about being contradicted by future movies? I dunno.
Unsurprisingly but sadly, even though Terminator: Salvation is set in the same timeline as Terminator 3, the Salvation novels are not set in the same future as the T3 novels -- and are also set earlier, in 2018 or so rather than T3's 2029.
This story also has the same difficulty pretty much every other future war story has: it's very difficult, apparently, to write a resistance leader John Connor who can live up to the messianic figure suggested by the movies. He's not really doing anything in any of these stories that makes him stand out as a great leader, and there's never any sense that his childhood experiences contributed particularly to his or humanity's future survival. Maybe future war stories would have been better off not featuring movie characters and focusing instead on original characters who can actually do or learn things without having to worry about being contradicted by future movies? I dunno.
May 13, 2019
Obviously the book builds to the events of "Terminator: Salvation," since the book has a choppy and abrupt ending. The book also raises the following questions and comments:
1. How far in the future from Judgment Day does the book take place? I would believe anywhere from six weeks to ten years, given the introduction with Sgt. Orozco and the genuflection of Kyle Reese.
2. Why does SkyNet use ground combat, instead of chemical or biological agents?
3. Instead of using an A-10, a more logical and realistic approach is to use an attack helicopter. How is a jet traveling at 200 miles an hour going to seemingly keep attacking the same spot quickly?
4. What does the Resistance do for food and fresh water? How do they obtain guns and ammunition?
5. Star served no purpose.
6. For a story like this to work, the reader must suspend the disbelief of a world with a current population in excess of SEVEN BILLION people. Surely the Resistance is one of numerous groups fighting SkyNet.
Aside from the good fighting scenes (the last 1/3 of the book was a battle), the story seems somewhat forced. Watch the movies instead.
1. How far in the future from Judgment Day does the book take place? I would believe anywhere from six weeks to ten years, given the introduction with Sgt. Orozco and the genuflection of Kyle Reese.
2. Why does SkyNet use ground combat, instead of chemical or biological agents?
3. Instead of using an A-10, a more logical and realistic approach is to use an attack helicopter. How is a jet traveling at 200 miles an hour going to seemingly keep attacking the same spot quickly?
4. What does the Resistance do for food and fresh water? How do they obtain guns and ammunition?
5. Star served no purpose.
6. For a story like this to work, the reader must suspend the disbelief of a world with a current population in excess of SEVEN BILLION people. Surely the Resistance is one of numerous groups fighting SkyNet.
Aside from the good fighting scenes (the last 1/3 of the book was a battle), the story seems somewhat forced. Watch the movies instead.
October 31, 2020
Timothy Zahn has written an engaging and accessible military-sf novel that happens to be set in a movie tie-in world. This book is a prequel to the movie Terminator 4: Salvation, and introduces us to the post-Judgement Day world in the ruins of LA.
John & Kate Connor are leading a Resistance cell and there's some kind of command structure co-ordinating resistance (across the US alone, I presume, no hint of any other countries anyway). Meanwhile in a broken up hotel, a teenage Kyle Reese is part of a small community of civilians trying to stay alive against the threats both of Skynet and other humans.
The book follows the attempts of Connor's cell to capture a Skynet "staging post" while all its defences are out murdering the remaining humans in this part of the city. The action is seen from many viewpoints, both fighting in the streets & aerial battles, and Zahn's ability to keep the reader gripped is as good as ever.
The book comes to a resolution and a satisfying close, but it is clearly just a chapter in a longer story.
John & Kate Connor are leading a Resistance cell and there's some kind of command structure co-ordinating resistance (across the US alone, I presume, no hint of any other countries anyway). Meanwhile in a broken up hotel, a teenage Kyle Reese is part of a small community of civilians trying to stay alive against the threats both of Skynet and other humans.
The book follows the attempts of Connor's cell to capture a Skynet "staging post" while all its defences are out murdering the remaining humans in this part of the city. The action is seen from many viewpoints, both fighting in the streets & aerial battles, and Zahn's ability to keep the reader gripped is as good as ever.
The book comes to a resolution and a satisfying close, but it is clearly just a chapter in a longer story.
July 9, 2021
This is a good summer read. Zahn’s talent for moving a story and engaging the audience are top notch as always. And frankly, this was a better structure than what came in the movie that followed it.
So why not more than 3 stars? Because Zahn’s talent is practically begging to be set free here, and he’s restricted by having to set up without the payoff he’s trying so hard to give.
I will say that, honestly, had he been set free and this was an actual full blown sequel of its own to the Terminator series it would have been a more enjoyable first entry with “Salvation” as the middle movie of the series.
Ah well. Glad I picked it up in a used book section and glad I read it. It’s a good summer fun read.
So why not more than 3 stars? Because Zahn’s talent is practically begging to be set free here, and he’s restricted by having to set up without the payoff he’s trying so hard to give.
I will say that, honestly, had he been set free and this was an actual full blown sequel of its own to the Terminator series it would have been a more enjoyable first entry with “Salvation” as the middle movie of the series.
Ah well. Glad I picked it up in a used book section and glad I read it. It’s a good summer fun read.
January 28, 2025
Action-packed book filled with tons of easter eggs for Terminator Salvation as well as a fair amount of franchise reference. I even counted a Star Wars line which is appropriate for one of Star Wars' greatest novelist! It was rather thrilling and enjoyable for someone who enjoyed Terminator Salvation. Zahn is a literary genius. As someone who grew up watching Terminator 2 countless times, the future war was always something I wanted to see more of and this book provides just that in addition to its tie-in movie!
July 7, 2025
I enjoyed this more then the Terminator salvation movie low-key.
as a Terminator fan this is a good book but honestly it's probably a mediocre book if u read it and don't have knowledge about Terminator
I think what made me really enjoy it is the fact we get is inside view of a group of people who aren't part of the resistance but is just simply trying to survive
and I do love the concept that ppl don't fully trust the resistance and just want to focus on their own survival
so yeah this book was fun and cool
as a Terminator fan this is a good book but honestly it's probably a mediocre book if u read it and don't have knowledge about Terminator
I think what made me really enjoy it is the fact we get is inside view of a group of people who aren't part of the resistance but is just simply trying to survive
and I do love the concept that ppl don't fully trust the resistance and just want to focus on their own survival
so yeah this book was fun and cool
March 4, 2018
Decent Terminator adaption but I don't think it's suited for reading unless you already love the series. Lots of dialogue, most of it is alright and sharp enough. Code phrases at the end were a bit ugly (Lobster etc). Introduces many characters by name only--doesn't describe them--which I found annoying and disconnecting. Has 6 POVs and I think it suffers a bit because of that. Not a great deal happens in the book, but there is a prolonged action piece in the last 100 pages. It's a by-the-numbers effort overall.
October 29, 2020
A good books to read.
You are taken on a trip that I hope we never have to live , the journey shows you how bad it could be. Yes this is just a story but when you depend on computer systems to run everything. Most people would not believe that a computler system could take over and go out kill people. The story is well done and to me leaves you wondering, good job with books.
You are taken on a trip that I hope we never have to live , the journey shows you how bad it could be. Yes this is just a story but when you depend on computer systems to run everything. Most people would not believe that a computler system could take over and go out kill people. The story is well done and to me leaves you wondering, good job with books.
November 7, 2025
More so than TS: Cold War, this books really illustrates that it would suck major ass to live in the Terminator future. Unlike Cold War, this book focuses on multiple angles of one main story and I feel like that is a little more riveting.
Also the balls to have the ending that this book does is commendable.
Overall, good book, and I like how both of the books nicely dovetail into the movie…which ends up being massive disappointing…but hey that’s not the fault of the books.
Also the balls to have the ending that this book does is commendable.
Overall, good book, and I like how both of the books nicely dovetail into the movie…which ends up being massive disappointing…but hey that’s not the fault of the books.
August 6, 2025
T3.5
In terms of the movies, this would be the 3.5 installment. What a ride. The prequel was action packed but moreover gives us the answers we didn’t dwell on as Salvation moved along. Zahn has created a world where you feel like you’re in the action as your alertness never rests because Skyler can attack at any time.
In terms of the movies, this would be the 3.5 installment. What a ride. The prequel was action packed but moreover gives us the answers we didn’t dwell on as Salvation moved along. Zahn has created a world where you feel like you’re in the action as your alertness never rests because Skyler can attack at any time.
May 10, 2021
I enjoyed this book! The action was interesting and well written. Overall this is a pretty good set up for terminator salvation!
November 28, 2021
My first Terminator book. I guess it could have been worse as far as movie material goes but the action is pretty good.
February 10, 2024
It was okay. Far from Zahn's best, and far from his worst.
November 15, 2012
I have more to say about the Terminator franchise than I probably have to say directly about this book, but I am going to do in this review since this book inspired to think about it. It is not a stretch for me to say that the first and second Terminator movies are two of my favorite movies of all time.
After the excellent sequel, it seemed like the franchise ended perfectly. T2 was genius, I didn’t believe they could turn Arnie into a hero, but Cameron pulled it off while making the T-1000 even more frightening. The strongest element of T2 for me however was the development of Sarah Connor from wimp to warrior. This was done so effectively through actor Linda Hamilton training with mossed agents, training so hard it strained and help end her marriage with director James Cameron.
T2 also effectively ended the story, creating a viable ending that left the possibility of believing that John and Sarah Connor had in our past saved our future by destroying Skynet. It was possible to believe this story had happened and thanks to the effort of the human resistance we could go on to act like morons at Y2K and skynet never came to power.
Somewhere in between T2 and T3 noted sci-fi author SM Sterling wrote a genius Terminator Tie-In novel called Infiltrator. Actually would have made a great T3 even having a plausible excuse for casting an older Swarzenegger, as the novel featured the character who skynet used as a template for the Terminator. Not sure this novel is even still in print anymore. Too bad, I remember it being good.
It has been my policy to avoid all further entries in the franchise. It has nothing to do with the studios cutting out Cameron, but it was early reviews that scared me away. Sarah Connor is one of my favorite fictional characters, so I was excited at the first Ain’t It cool news post mentioning the TV in development – The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The studio blew it in a serious way. The show could have worked had the focused on the right elements. They needed a team of writers willing to keep Sarah Connor a half crazed revolutionary and an actor willingly to train and devout herself to the role like Hamilton. No offense to the actor they hired but she didn’t bring it. I also wondered if the producers ever watched T2 or gave a moment’s thought to making a TV show about the same character. For no other reason, and there were plenty the show was a total failure.
When T:Salvation was greenlit I was excited by the idea of a movie about the Machine war, the short scene in the first movie was always one of the coolest parts in the movie. Christian Bale as John Connor was also great casting. Then they hired McG to direct it. I can’t stand his movies. Then I read interviews with him, and the interviews were so bad I couldn’t bring myself to see it. I was convinced his ideas and mine about the Terminator just could not co-exist.
So why then did I bother with this tie-in novel? Well for starters I am a fan of Zhan’s Star Wars novels. I think he writes excellent military sci-fi and did such a great job Lucas toys I wondered how he would do with Cameron’s toys.
This novel is a prequel leading up to the events of this film. Basically it’s the story of how John Connor gets his first major victory that sets him up to be the leader of the human resistance to Skynet. That’s not really a spoiler as if you see the movies you know that happens at some point.
Zhan was a wise choice, although it seems Titan books has just hired Star Wars Vets to do the T novels. The characters are rich, the details pulled from various movies are put to excellent use in the action of the novel.
I can’t judge how well this book feeds into the movie, as I have not seen it. I can only look at this novel as a stand-alone Tie-in with the first two movies. Zhan does a great job of telling the story if there is a serious weakness is sometimes to so fast that the suffering of the machine war survivors gets glossed over in the second half. However that is addressed with skill in the first half.
If you’re a Terminator fan, and enjoy reading tie-in novels I would suggest giving this novel a spin. Zhan writes effective battles, has created a connecting story worth reading.
After the excellent sequel, it seemed like the franchise ended perfectly. T2 was genius, I didn’t believe they could turn Arnie into a hero, but Cameron pulled it off while making the T-1000 even more frightening. The strongest element of T2 for me however was the development of Sarah Connor from wimp to warrior. This was done so effectively through actor Linda Hamilton training with mossed agents, training so hard it strained and help end her marriage with director James Cameron.
T2 also effectively ended the story, creating a viable ending that left the possibility of believing that John and Sarah Connor had in our past saved our future by destroying Skynet. It was possible to believe this story had happened and thanks to the effort of the human resistance we could go on to act like morons at Y2K and skynet never came to power.
Somewhere in between T2 and T3 noted sci-fi author SM Sterling wrote a genius Terminator Tie-In novel called Infiltrator. Actually would have made a great T3 even having a plausible excuse for casting an older Swarzenegger, as the novel featured the character who skynet used as a template for the Terminator. Not sure this novel is even still in print anymore. Too bad, I remember it being good.
It has been my policy to avoid all further entries in the franchise. It has nothing to do with the studios cutting out Cameron, but it was early reviews that scared me away. Sarah Connor is one of my favorite fictional characters, so I was excited at the first Ain’t It cool news post mentioning the TV in development – The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The studio blew it in a serious way. The show could have worked had the focused on the right elements. They needed a team of writers willing to keep Sarah Connor a half crazed revolutionary and an actor willingly to train and devout herself to the role like Hamilton. No offense to the actor they hired but she didn’t bring it. I also wondered if the producers ever watched T2 or gave a moment’s thought to making a TV show about the same character. For no other reason, and there were plenty the show was a total failure.
When T:Salvation was greenlit I was excited by the idea of a movie about the Machine war, the short scene in the first movie was always one of the coolest parts in the movie. Christian Bale as John Connor was also great casting. Then they hired McG to direct it. I can’t stand his movies. Then I read interviews with him, and the interviews were so bad I couldn’t bring myself to see it. I was convinced his ideas and mine about the Terminator just could not co-exist.
So why then did I bother with this tie-in novel? Well for starters I am a fan of Zhan’s Star Wars novels. I think he writes excellent military sci-fi and did such a great job Lucas toys I wondered how he would do with Cameron’s toys.
This novel is a prequel leading up to the events of this film. Basically it’s the story of how John Connor gets his first major victory that sets him up to be the leader of the human resistance to Skynet. That’s not really a spoiler as if you see the movies you know that happens at some point.
Zhan was a wise choice, although it seems Titan books has just hired Star Wars Vets to do the T novels. The characters are rich, the details pulled from various movies are put to excellent use in the action of the novel.
I can’t judge how well this book feeds into the movie, as I have not seen it. I can only look at this novel as a stand-alone Tie-in with the first two movies. Zhan does a great job of telling the story if there is a serious weakness is sometimes to so fast that the suffering of the machine war survivors gets glossed over in the second half. However that is addressed with skill in the first half.
If you’re a Terminator fan, and enjoy reading tie-in novels I would suggest giving this novel a spin. Zhan writes effective battles, has created a connecting story worth reading.
November 19, 2011
Abstract
Judgement Day - the day that a few selected knew about, the day for which they did everything they could to prevent from coming. And they would succeed, providing that the wheels of technological progress and man's lust for warfare could stop turning.
Timothy Zahn takes us to the time when man is facing it's largest challenge - it's ultimate test of Darwin's theory.
Story
The book takes place in remnants of what has once been Los Angeles, a city which was saved from being a direct target of a nuke attack thanks to a nearby military base which served as a more important target.
Sergeant Orozco and his fellows live among a community that struggles to survive between the dangers brought forth by Skynet on one side, and by city gangs on the other. Among his community also lives Kyle Reese and Star, which Orocso protects and teaches about the daily challenges of survival.
The large city remnant also provides enough cover for John Connor's group. They struggle both to survive and hit Skynet where they can and with whatever they can, their access to resources being limited by not being an fully recognized unit within the Resistance yet.
While retreating to a fallback base after Skynet discovered and attacked their current one, they accidentaly discover a group of four Hunter-Killer units, sitting on the ground and silently protecting their location, forfeiting their chance of attacking Connor's group during their retreat. Realizing the importance of this rare discovery and what it could mean for what was left of LA, Connor decides to take action. Besides putting a stop to Skynet's plans in LA, there is hope for his group getting more support if their plan improves the group's standing with Resistance Command.
And so, the preparations begin for what might be one of the longest nights that LA has seen since the bombs fell.
Reviewer's notes
This book is the official prequiel to the fourth movie in the franchise, Terminator Salvation. If you did not have a chance to see the movie yet, don't worry - there are no spoilers, nor will you lack any important pieces of the story while reading the book. It's a prequiel after all, but it stands really well on its own as well. Seeing the third movie can offer a bit of interesting insight about some Terminator models, but you'll fare well without it as well. If there still is someone who did not see any of first two movies yet, be sure to watch them first if you are considering reading this book - your reading experience will suffer significantly from the lack of background in the franchise.
The story portraied in the book fits very well into the events which viewers can see in the fourth movie - the story is very well thought and so are the characters. There is not much amount of space focused on character development, but I would say that the amount is just right for the benefit of the story and the franchise.
And then there's the combat of course, but this is not a book full of gore and blood as someone might expect. The story is driven by the events and by the choices that each character makes - and it is driven very well. I'm very glad that I read this book during the holidays, as it accounted for more than one sleepless night - as someone with a very vivid imagination, the story took me in completely.
What I really enjoyed is that the combat part really made sense - the tactics are sound and believable, without the unnecessary overflown amount of gore - but note that I'm not a soldier, so someone with military background might not agree. I however have some insight into aviation, and I found the air combat parts to be very good.
I really enjoyed the book and I gladly recommend it to every fan of the franchise.
Judgement Day - the day that a few selected knew about, the day for which they did everything they could to prevent from coming. And they would succeed, providing that the wheels of technological progress and man's lust for warfare could stop turning.
Timothy Zahn takes us to the time when man is facing it's largest challenge - it's ultimate test of Darwin's theory.
Story
The book takes place in remnants of what has once been Los Angeles, a city which was saved from being a direct target of a nuke attack thanks to a nearby military base which served as a more important target.
Sergeant Orozco and his fellows live among a community that struggles to survive between the dangers brought forth by Skynet on one side, and by city gangs on the other. Among his community also lives Kyle Reese and Star, which Orocso protects and teaches about the daily challenges of survival.
The large city remnant also provides enough cover for John Connor's group. They struggle both to survive and hit Skynet where they can and with whatever they can, their access to resources being limited by not being an fully recognized unit within the Resistance yet.
While retreating to a fallback base after Skynet discovered and attacked their current one, they accidentaly discover a group of four Hunter-Killer units, sitting on the ground and silently protecting their location, forfeiting their chance of attacking Connor's group during their retreat. Realizing the importance of this rare discovery and what it could mean for what was left of LA, Connor decides to take action. Besides putting a stop to Skynet's plans in LA, there is hope for his group getting more support if their plan improves the group's standing with Resistance Command.
And so, the preparations begin for what might be one of the longest nights that LA has seen since the bombs fell.
Reviewer's notes
This book is the official prequiel to the fourth movie in the franchise, Terminator Salvation. If you did not have a chance to see the movie yet, don't worry - there are no spoilers, nor will you lack any important pieces of the story while reading the book. It's a prequiel after all, but it stands really well on its own as well. Seeing the third movie can offer a bit of interesting insight about some Terminator models, but you'll fare well without it as well. If there still is someone who did not see any of first two movies yet, be sure to watch them first if you are considering reading this book - your reading experience will suffer significantly from the lack of background in the franchise.
The story portraied in the book fits very well into the events which viewers can see in the fourth movie - the story is very well thought and so are the characters. There is not much amount of space focused on character development, but I would say that the amount is just right for the benefit of the story and the franchise.
And then there's the combat of course, but this is not a book full of gore and blood as someone might expect. The story is driven by the events and by the choices that each character makes - and it is driven very well. I'm very glad that I read this book during the holidays, as it accounted for more than one sleepless night - as someone with a very vivid imagination, the story took me in completely.
What I really enjoyed is that the combat part really made sense - the tactics are sound and believable, without the unnecessary overflown amount of gore - but note that I'm not a soldier, so someone with military background might not agree. I however have some insight into aviation, and I found the air combat parts to be very good.
I really enjoyed the book and I gladly recommend it to every fan of the franchise.
December 3, 2014
This novel is being billed as “This is the story you must read before the brand-new movie hits theaters!” So, it is a must read for Terminator fans? I guess so. Does it give special insight into the movie? Not sure as I have not seen the movie yet but I will assume that you will be able to enjoy the movie without reading the novel.
In reality this is a self contained story with a beginning, middle and end. There is no real special insight into the Terminator Salvation universe to be gleamed from this novel (I use the term Terminator Salvation universe to mean the time line that is created by the upcoming movie as there are numerous other time lines created by the previous Terminator movies and TV Show). The book is just a fun and light read that will entertain you between other challenging novels.
There are essentially two main plot threads running through this novel that converge in the end with a huge battle against Skynet. The first involves a young John Connor leading his own resistance cell. The generals in the larger resistance army are not willing to fold Connor’s cell into their army unless they can prove they are ready for prime time. So Connor works up a daring plan that will be giant defeat to the terminators and Skynet. I am not sure why the requirements are so stringent to become an official resistance soldiers since most of the human race was killed off, you think that they would need anyone and everyone to help fight.
The second and more interesting story line involves Sergeant Justo Orozco. This thread follows the typical post-apocalyptic theme in which a group of survivors band together to form some assemblance of a civilization. Sergeant Orozco was a US Marine before Judgment Day and after he becomes head of security for a community known as Moldering Lost Ashes. They have fought off gangs in the area and have become somewhat comfortable in their lives until the big dog on the block, Skynet, takes notice and decides to wipe them out. Kyle Reese and a new character, Star, are also residents of Moldering Lost Ashes but they never really add much to the story except for constantly running from the terminators.
The third act consists of Connor’s cell and Moldering Lost Ashes joining forces to fight against Skynet that is both thrilling and exciting as I suspect that the movie will be.
What I liked: The action sequences are well done. But I generally enjoyed reading about the day to day struggles of Moldering Lost Ashes to become a viable community more than the battle against Skynet. Maybe it is because this ground has been covered numerous times before making the other plot line more interesting.
What I didn’t like: No Summer Glau. I also would have liked more of insight into Skynet and how it operates. But then again, maybe it is better to have a faceless enemy whose only goal to kill all humans.
Last word: Mr. Zahn is no stranger to movie tie-in novels and can generally squeeze the material for all it’s worth. This novel is no exception. Overall, it was a fun read that I found myself picking it up more and more instead of some other serious Sci-Fi novels that I have laying around.
In reality this is a self contained story with a beginning, middle and end. There is no real special insight into the Terminator Salvation universe to be gleamed from this novel (I use the term Terminator Salvation universe to mean the time line that is created by the upcoming movie as there are numerous other time lines created by the previous Terminator movies and TV Show). The book is just a fun and light read that will entertain you between other challenging novels.
There are essentially two main plot threads running through this novel that converge in the end with a huge battle against Skynet. The first involves a young John Connor leading his own resistance cell. The generals in the larger resistance army are not willing to fold Connor’s cell into their army unless they can prove they are ready for prime time. So Connor works up a daring plan that will be giant defeat to the terminators and Skynet. I am not sure why the requirements are so stringent to become an official resistance soldiers since most of the human race was killed off, you think that they would need anyone and everyone to help fight.
The second and more interesting story line involves Sergeant Justo Orozco. This thread follows the typical post-apocalyptic theme in which a group of survivors band together to form some assemblance of a civilization. Sergeant Orozco was a US Marine before Judgment Day and after he becomes head of security for a community known as Moldering Lost Ashes. They have fought off gangs in the area and have become somewhat comfortable in their lives until the big dog on the block, Skynet, takes notice and decides to wipe them out. Kyle Reese and a new character, Star, are also residents of Moldering Lost Ashes but they never really add much to the story except for constantly running from the terminators.
The third act consists of Connor’s cell and Moldering Lost Ashes joining forces to fight against Skynet that is both thrilling and exciting as I suspect that the movie will be.
What I liked: The action sequences are well done. But I generally enjoyed reading about the day to day struggles of Moldering Lost Ashes to become a viable community more than the battle against Skynet. Maybe it is because this ground has been covered numerous times before making the other plot line more interesting.
What I didn’t like: No Summer Glau. I also would have liked more of insight into Skynet and how it operates. But then again, maybe it is better to have a faceless enemy whose only goal to kill all humans.
Last word: Mr. Zahn is no stranger to movie tie-in novels and can generally squeeze the material for all it’s worth. This novel is no exception. Overall, it was a fun read that I found myself picking it up more and more instead of some other serious Sci-Fi novels that I have laying around.
August 29, 2010
I initially picked this book up, not because I really cared about Terminator Salvation, the movie was lackluster at best, but because it was supposed to be a prequel of sorts to the movie and I love everything that Zahn does. That said though, this is a very limited story that really, in the end, means nothing.
It's essentially an action piece, John Connor and his band of resistance fighters are trying to officially get into the "Resistance" so they set their sights on a Skynet supply depot that is supposedly going to sent Terminators out into the surrounding Los Angeles streets to wipe out the pockets of humanity hiding there.
The problem is, we really learn nothing new in this story. There's nothing original or even particularly interesting that happens and the Terminator universe is not remotely enlarged or clarified by what happens within these pages.
Young Kyle Reese and Star show up as major characters, but it's clear that Zahn has to keep moving them out of the way when John Connor comes through because, at least in movie terms, he doesn't meet them until much later in the timeline. There's really no need for them to be included at all, they're simply there because the Terminator Salvation name is on the cover.
Personally, I was hoping for more. I wanted to learn more about Skynet and John Connor's war. Just watching people die against the Terminators wasn't all that interesting. It was a meaningless skirmish in a much larger war, just a story to fill pages, not something that increases our understanding of the overall universe. Don't get me wrong, I loved Zahn's writing, the story was good, in and of itself, it just didn't sate my curiousity over the subject matter.
It's essentially an action piece, John Connor and his band of resistance fighters are trying to officially get into the "Resistance" so they set their sights on a Skynet supply depot that is supposedly going to sent Terminators out into the surrounding Los Angeles streets to wipe out the pockets of humanity hiding there.
The problem is, we really learn nothing new in this story. There's nothing original or even particularly interesting that happens and the Terminator universe is not remotely enlarged or clarified by what happens within these pages.
Young Kyle Reese and Star show up as major characters, but it's clear that Zahn has to keep moving them out of the way when John Connor comes through because, at least in movie terms, he doesn't meet them until much later in the timeline. There's really no need for them to be included at all, they're simply there because the Terminator Salvation name is on the cover.
Personally, I was hoping for more. I wanted to learn more about Skynet and John Connor's war. Just watching people die against the Terminators wasn't all that interesting. It was a meaningless skirmish in a much larger war, just a story to fill pages, not something that increases our understanding of the overall universe. Don't get me wrong, I loved Zahn's writing, the story was good, in and of itself, it just didn't sate my curiousity over the subject matter.
January 14, 2014
I suppose that I should throw out a couple things before we get into the crux of this review. First, in case you somehow missed it, this novel is actually a prequel to the Terminator Salvation movie. And second, I read the book after I saw the movie; so any extra benefit of knowing what little things led into the bigger movie were kind of lost on me. Why did I read the book then? I've read Timothy Zahn's Star Wars novels and thought here was a chance for him to build upon existing characters in a Science Fiction movie and make them better, to give them grand adventures. Alas, that didn't really happen.
Zahn does a perfectly adequate job within the Terminator universe. A story is told. Characters are present. People and machines die. All the normal things you expect in a Terminator movie are there. What was missing was some of the action and excitement; the suspense leading to things blowing up is difficult when you don't really care about the characters. One of the hard things to do when working with characters in an established, and licensed, universe is to make the characters develop and change over the course of the story but to then leave things pretty much the same at the end as the beginning. John Connor can't lose an arm unless it happens in a movie; the books fill in gaps and provide off-screen character development but don't evolve too much. Zahn is good with following that rule and yet making it feel like he isn't. Zahn's Thrawn saga for Star Wars is awesome! But he didn't bring the magic to this book. Instead you have a story that you'll get through and go "OK" and move on. Maybe it will be better if you immediately watch the movie afterwards.
Zahn does a perfectly adequate job within the Terminator universe. A story is told. Characters are present. People and machines die. All the normal things you expect in a Terminator movie are there. What was missing was some of the action and excitement; the suspense leading to things blowing up is difficult when you don't really care about the characters. One of the hard things to do when working with characters in an established, and licensed, universe is to make the characters develop and change over the course of the story but to then leave things pretty much the same at the end as the beginning. John Connor can't lose an arm unless it happens in a movie; the books fill in gaps and provide off-screen character development but don't evolve too much. Zahn is good with following that rule and yet making it feel like he isn't. Zahn's Thrawn saga for Star Wars is awesome! But he didn't bring the magic to this book. Instead you have a story that you'll get through and go "OK" and move on. Maybe it will be better if you immediately watch the movie afterwards.
November 29, 2012
What i liked about this book is the action. Almost right away in the story it is packed with action and is very well illustrated through words. Another thing the author does a great thing with in this book is connecting you with the characters which helps you understand what they are going through and what it would feel like to be in their shoes.
This story begins with Orozco who is a Marine in California when they witness the rise of Skynet with the bombing of many major cities around them. It then jumps to John Connor, who is the leader of a resistance group in Los Angeles. His base is attacked and they must flee to a fall-back base. Soon after a Skynet base is discovered and the group decide to attack it to show to the main resistance that they should get more supplies. So Connor creates two teams one to infiltrate the base and another to destroy the terminators in the city. The team sent to destroy the terminators in the city is also ordered to recruit civilians to join the resistance. So they find a survival group in "Moldering Lost Ashes", which is where they meet Orozco, Kyle Reese, and Star. After recruiting some civilians they begin the attack to help put an end to Skynet.
I rated this book 5 stars because it was a very exciting and well written book. It also showed the darkness of war so taught some valuable lessons.
This story begins with Orozco who is a Marine in California when they witness the rise of Skynet with the bombing of many major cities around them. It then jumps to John Connor, who is the leader of a resistance group in Los Angeles. His base is attacked and they must flee to a fall-back base. Soon after a Skynet base is discovered and the group decide to attack it to show to the main resistance that they should get more supplies. So Connor creates two teams one to infiltrate the base and another to destroy the terminators in the city. The team sent to destroy the terminators in the city is also ordered to recruit civilians to join the resistance. So they find a survival group in "Moldering Lost Ashes", which is where they meet Orozco, Kyle Reese, and Star. After recruiting some civilians they begin the attack to help put an end to Skynet.
I rated this book 5 stars because it was a very exciting and well written book. It also showed the darkness of war so taught some valuable lessons.
October 5, 2013
It must be a daunting task for any author to create a world full of death and destruction and still make the reader want to feel inspired enough to read about it until the very end. In Terminator Salvation: From the Ashes, Tim Zahn uses his creative writing ability to construct a world where the characters must look within themselves in order to survive not only from Skynet but from each other. Zahn spins a wonderful web of suspense and turmoil that pulls the reader into a post apocalyptic world.
The first part of the book sets the stage and introduces us to all the main characters from the movie and introduces us to a few new ones along the way as well. As the book continues on, two factions separated by enemy lines fight their arch villains until the battle lines become blurred and the two separate groups begin to fall under one flag. In a heart-beating conclusion our heroes fight to the bitter end against wave after wave of death bringers.
As a huge fan of both the franchise and Tim Zahn as well, I was right at home within the pages of this book. Zahn's writing and imagination is a saving grace in today's market and is a sure bet to bring the reader a good time.
The first part of the book sets the stage and introduces us to all the main characters from the movie and introduces us to a few new ones along the way as well. As the book continues on, two factions separated by enemy lines fight their arch villains until the battle lines become blurred and the two separate groups begin to fall under one flag. In a heart-beating conclusion our heroes fight to the bitter end against wave after wave of death bringers.
As a huge fan of both the franchise and Tim Zahn as well, I was right at home within the pages of this book. Zahn's writing and imagination is a saving grace in today's market and is a sure bet to bring the reader a good time.
July 27, 2011
This is a quick and easy read with plenty of action all the way through as you would expect from a Terminator story. It follows certain characters as their paths gradually intertwine. The characters are written very well, and reading about John Connor and a teenage Kyle Reese in the early days of the Resistance filled in a lot of blanks and gave a nod to some of what was mentioned in 'The Terminator'. The supporting characters are all interesting in their own right and I'm sure this will give some light on where they all are in the new film. A must read if you are a Terminator fan; and a great lead up to the new movie.
October 27, 2025
This was a surprisingly good novel. I actually liked this story more than some of the new movies. I liked this novel being set in the post-Judgement Day years and the inclusion of stories of ordinary people surviving in this future. I think this is the direction the movies should have gone after "Salvation" instead of revisiting the past.
The only negative this I could say is that I don't feel it connects well to the movie. This story feels completely independent. But it's ben a while since I watched the movie so probably it's because of that.
In general I had a great time with this book. I would totally recommend for those who want a good story within the Terminator universe.
The only negative this I could say is that I don't feel it connects well to the movie. This story feels completely independent. But it's ben a while since I watched the movie so probably it's because of that.
In general I had a great time with this book. I would totally recommend for those who want a good story within the Terminator universe.
May 17, 2009
Another easy read in the Terminator series. This one gives you a deeper insight into John Connor as well as his father Kyle who just happens to be younger than his son in this book. Ah...the joys of time travel!
I read novels for escapism and this novel served that purpose very well. The writing is smooth and the story gripping that at some point, I stopped reading it and started experiencing it...I got so caught up that I remember the story visually the same way one would remember seeing a movie.
I read novels for escapism and this novel served that purpose very well. The writing is smooth and the story gripping that at some point, I stopped reading it and started experiencing it...I got so caught up that I remember the story visually the same way one would remember seeing a movie.
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