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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Karen Traviss’s four book series based off of the Republic Commando video game came to a close with the publication of her latest Star Wars novel, Order 66. The book is a slightly uneven affair, with a number of story lines coming to a close in a quick, complete fashion. The book is by no means a bad or uninteresting read, but it’s not the best of the four.
I came across Karen Traviss when I was in High School, when I began to read Asimov’s, a long-running Science Fiction magazine. Karen had published a couple or short stories through them, and I had found that I enjoyed them very much. When it was announced that there was to be a tie-in novel about the Republic Commando game, I wasn’t all that interested until I heard that it was Traviss who would be writing it, and the first book didn’t disappoint, introducing readers to a series of new characters and a moral element that has largely been lacking in a number of the Star Wars books that have come out recently.
Order 66 picks up where True Colors leaves off- Jedi Etain Tur-Mukan has had her child, Jusik has left the Jedi Order, Fi has been brought to Mandalor, the ARC troopers are working on infiltrating the computer systems of the Republic and Skirata is working to find a way to reverse the rapid aging in order to give the clones a full and normal life after the war is over.
One of my main concerns with the series as it’s progressed over the past couple of books is the vast complexity that they have come to. There are a number of very diverse story lines that have largely taken away from the main focus of the original novel - Delta Squad, with Niner, Atin, Darman and Fi. The cast of characters has been expanded, and that goes for the story lines as well. To some extent, this is a good thing, and it falls in with what Karen has done with her other, non-Star Wars books - they’ve become extremely rich with plots and characters, turning them into books that really make you think. In the Star Wars universe, this is a rare thing, and Order 66 stands as one of the better books in the series for this trait. On the other hand, it feels somewhat overburdened at times. The first half of the book starts off fairly slowly, and its not until the last half in which the action really picks up, where Karen shows once again that she’s one of the better writers when it comes to combat situations - Clone operations here are possibly the most realistic and logical than in any other book series, save for the X-Wing Series by Michael A Stackpole and Aaron Allston.
What also sets this, and her other Republic Commando books, apart is the care and devotion that is paid to the Clone Troopers. I’ve made this point in other reviews - the clones might be genetically the same, but Karen has expertly crafted numerous characters that are wholly different from one another in different situations and in the way that they approach problems. This comes particularly at the end, when one of the team members is left behind in a battle and presumed killed. Karen doesn’t shy away from making the characters really hurt when she needs them to be, and the book ends on somewhat of an unclear and unresolved note, which seems very fitting, given how this book ends around the time of Revenge of the Sith.
The absolute strongest point is the morality of the characters, and constant questioning of right and wrong on the part of the Clone Troopers and the Jedi and Republic that brought them into battle. The reactions of many of the Clones during the order to kill the Jedi surprised me, given where I was thinking the story was going and the attitudes of the Jedi up to that point, and it makes me re-think some elements of the movie - the clones weren’t mindlessly following their orders to kill their Generals - they had legitimate issues with the way that they were treated and used in the war, and genuinely saw the Jedi as a threat.
One of the big sticking points that I found in this was not the overall complexity, but the Mandalorian subplots that Karen has worked into the series. While it was running full tilt by the time this book came around, the plot took up a lot of the book in places, where it didn’t really seem to need to. Karen pulled it out and made it a fully-formed and well realized idea, but at points, it seems a little out of place. This was one element where I wished that the sequels were a little more in line with the first book, in that they focused a bit more on the combat actions of the Clone Commandos.
One of the interesting parts is how the issue of only a couple million Clones has been resolved, and by doing so, ties in her novel with several other pieces of Clone Wars fiction, most notably Timothy Zahn’s short stories, Hero of Cartao and his Heir to the Empire trilogy, with the use of the Spaarti cloning technology. Throughout the events of this novel, it’s clear that a vast wave of Clone Troopers, including elements of the 501st, were a much larger, quickly grown generation of Clone Troopers, coming in during the months leading up to the final battle over Coruscant. This has been a sticking point for Karen and has caused some trouble for her on message boards by irritated and annoying fans. Despite the troubles that have been caused, it is nice to see that this issue is somewhat resolved, and it is fantastic to see mention of the 501st, of which Karen is an Honorary Member, and a group that she looked at a lot in her novelization of the Clone Wars. The 501st Dune Sea Garrison is honored with a thanks in the beginning of the book.
Order 66 is a fine installment in the Republic Commando and Clone Wars series, and I’m sad to see it go. It is a rich and complex read, one that is far superior to most of the novels in the Star Wars line for its stand on moral issues, its writing and genuine care that makes me remember that these books are leaps and bounds above most of the tie-in novels that are on the market nowadays.
While the book is not a perfect read (or cover, for that matter. Side note - I’m not sure who thought that the current cover was a better one than the original, but it’s not, and should be changed back. Like right now. Ahem.) but it’s a superior one that stands out from the rest of the books out there.
(originally printed: http://jeditrilobite.wordpress.com)
I came across Karen Traviss when I was in High School, when I began to read Asimov’s, a long-running Science Fiction magazine. Karen had published a couple or short stories through them, and I had found that I enjoyed them very much. When it was announced that there was to be a tie-in novel about the Republic Commando game, I wasn’t all that interested until I heard that it was Traviss who would be writing it, and the first book didn’t disappoint, introducing readers to a series of new characters and a moral element that has largely been lacking in a number of the Star Wars books that have come out recently.
Order 66 picks up where True Colors leaves off- Jedi Etain Tur-Mukan has had her child, Jusik has left the Jedi Order, Fi has been brought to Mandalor, the ARC troopers are working on infiltrating the computer systems of the Republic and Skirata is working to find a way to reverse the rapid aging in order to give the clones a full and normal life after the war is over.
One of my main concerns with the series as it’s progressed over the past couple of books is the vast complexity that they have come to. There are a number of very diverse story lines that have largely taken away from the main focus of the original novel - Delta Squad, with Niner, Atin, Darman and Fi. The cast of characters has been expanded, and that goes for the story lines as well. To some extent, this is a good thing, and it falls in with what Karen has done with her other, non-Star Wars books - they’ve become extremely rich with plots and characters, turning them into books that really make you think. In the Star Wars universe, this is a rare thing, and Order 66 stands as one of the better books in the series for this trait. On the other hand, it feels somewhat overburdened at times. The first half of the book starts off fairly slowly, and its not until the last half in which the action really picks up, where Karen shows once again that she’s one of the better writers when it comes to combat situations - Clone operations here are possibly the most realistic and logical than in any other book series, save for the X-Wing Series by Michael A Stackpole and Aaron Allston.
What also sets this, and her other Republic Commando books, apart is the care and devotion that is paid to the Clone Troopers. I’ve made this point in other reviews - the clones might be genetically the same, but Karen has expertly crafted numerous characters that are wholly different from one another in different situations and in the way that they approach problems. This comes particularly at the end, when one of the team members is left behind in a battle and presumed killed. Karen doesn’t shy away from making the characters really hurt when she needs them to be, and the book ends on somewhat of an unclear and unresolved note, which seems very fitting, given how this book ends around the time of Revenge of the Sith.
The absolute strongest point is the morality of the characters, and constant questioning of right and wrong on the part of the Clone Troopers and the Jedi and Republic that brought them into battle. The reactions of many of the Clones during the order to kill the Jedi surprised me, given where I was thinking the story was going and the attitudes of the Jedi up to that point, and it makes me re-think some elements of the movie - the clones weren’t mindlessly following their orders to kill their Generals - they had legitimate issues with the way that they were treated and used in the war, and genuinely saw the Jedi as a threat.
One of the big sticking points that I found in this was not the overall complexity, but the Mandalorian subplots that Karen has worked into the series. While it was running full tilt by the time this book came around, the plot took up a lot of the book in places, where it didn’t really seem to need to. Karen pulled it out and made it a fully-formed and well realized idea, but at points, it seems a little out of place. This was one element where I wished that the sequels were a little more in line with the first book, in that they focused a bit more on the combat actions of the Clone Commandos.
One of the interesting parts is how the issue of only a couple million Clones has been resolved, and by doing so, ties in her novel with several other pieces of Clone Wars fiction, most notably Timothy Zahn’s short stories, Hero of Cartao and his Heir to the Empire trilogy, with the use of the Spaarti cloning technology. Throughout the events of this novel, it’s clear that a vast wave of Clone Troopers, including elements of the 501st, were a much larger, quickly grown generation of Clone Troopers, coming in during the months leading up to the final battle over Coruscant. This has been a sticking point for Karen and has caused some trouble for her on message boards by irritated and annoying fans. Despite the troubles that have been caused, it is nice to see that this issue is somewhat resolved, and it is fantastic to see mention of the 501st, of which Karen is an Honorary Member, and a group that she looked at a lot in her novelization of the Clone Wars. The 501st Dune Sea Garrison is honored with a thanks in the beginning of the book.
Order 66 is a fine installment in the Republic Commando and Clone Wars series, and I’m sad to see it go. It is a rich and complex read, one that is far superior to most of the novels in the Star Wars line for its stand on moral issues, its writing and genuine care that makes me remember that these books are leaps and bounds above most of the tie-in novels that are on the market nowadays.
While the book is not a perfect read (or cover, for that matter. Side note - I’m not sure who thought that the current cover was a better one than the original, but it’s not, and should be changed back. Like right now. Ahem.) but it’s a superior one that stands out from the rest of the books out there.
(originally printed: http://jeditrilobite.wordpress.com)
Star Wars Legends Project #166
Background: Order 66 was written by [a:Karen Traviss|12672|Karen Traviss|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1199058946p2/12672.jpg]. It was published in September 2008. This is the 4th book in Traviss's Republic Commando series. Her other Star Wars books include 3 of the Legacy of the Force novels.
Order 66 is set during the weeks leading up to and immediately following the Battle of Coruscant, 19 years before the Battle of Yavin, approximately a year and a half after the previous book, [b:True Colors|334801|True Colors (Star Wars Republic Commando, #3)|Karen Traviss|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388450505s/334801.jpg|4380014] (my review). The book features all of the growing cast of series regulars: Omega and Delta Squads, Kal Skirata, Bardan Jusik, Etain Tur-Mukan, Besany Wennen, the Null-ARCs, etc. The book takes place mostly on Coruscant, Mandalore, and Kashyyyk.
Summary: As the Clone Wars reach their climax, Kal Skirata's desperate search for a cure to the clone's rapid aging continues to come up empty. His plans to provide a sanctuary for any clone who wishes to desert the Grand Army of the Republic, however, are nearly complete. His first priority is the safety of Clan Skirata, his growing family of clone "sons," rogue Jedi, and the other misfits they've picked up along the way. But even Kal and his boys in special ops can't plan for everything, and the war is about to come home, first in a massive attack on Coruscant itself, and then with a terrifying galaxy-wide order that the clones may have no choice but to obey.
Review: This series continues to be hit or miss with me. There's no denying that Traviss is a good writer with a particular talent for creating and developing characters, but this series still feels self-indulgent in all the wrong ways. The plot spins its wheels for chapter after chapter as Traviss catches us up on what the now couple dozen important characters have been up to since we last saw them . . . And then she leaves them sitting in a holding pattern for awhile longer while we wait for the inevitable encroachment of major events. The characters don't know what's barreling down on them, of course (well, mostly, but more on that in a minute), but we could hardly help but know and makes the first half of the novel drag. Also, this is the third novel in a row to devote a significant percentage of its length to the Battle of Coruscant, and although I actually really enjoyed reading it from the clones' perspective, it's getting a bit overdone by this point.
A big part of what drains the book of dramatic tension is that the characters, particularly the Null-ARCs, come off as omnipotent and omniscient in every way that matters. Part of this is Traviss's wry commentary on how George Lucas has written Palpatine's scheming in a way that requires everyone in the galaxy to be kind of blind and stupid, but she overplays her hand by making her characters the only smart people in the galaxy and it gets old hearing how they run circles around everyone else with no effort at all. There's no dramatic tension when there's no credible threat from anyone. There is one brief moment where it looks like someone might be onto them, but literally everything is already set up to nullify the threat almost before they know it exists. There's another moment later in the book where something is laid out so neatly for them that I was certain it would turn out to be a trap, revealing that Palpatine was aware of them after all, and introducing some real danger and real stakes into the story. But no, it was just another walk in the park for Clan Skirata.
Everything goes great for them and they always land on their feet . . . except for when they suddenly don't. But because they're so uber at everything all the time, when things goes radically sideways near the end of the novel, it can only be because of a monumentally stupid and unlikely chain of events. And ultimately that's pretty unsatisfying, too. There's plenty to like about this, particularly if you like some or all of the characters, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.
C+
Background: Order 66 was written by [a:Karen Traviss|12672|Karen Traviss|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1199058946p2/12672.jpg]. It was published in September 2008. This is the 4th book in Traviss's Republic Commando series. Her other Star Wars books include 3 of the Legacy of the Force novels.
Order 66 is set during the weeks leading up to and immediately following the Battle of Coruscant, 19 years before the Battle of Yavin, approximately a year and a half after the previous book, [b:True Colors|334801|True Colors (Star Wars Republic Commando, #3)|Karen Traviss|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388450505s/334801.jpg|4380014] (my review). The book features all of the growing cast of series regulars: Omega and Delta Squads, Kal Skirata, Bardan Jusik, Etain Tur-Mukan, Besany Wennen, the Null-ARCs, etc. The book takes place mostly on Coruscant, Mandalore, and Kashyyyk.
Summary: As the Clone Wars reach their climax, Kal Skirata's desperate search for a cure to the clone's rapid aging continues to come up empty. His plans to provide a sanctuary for any clone who wishes to desert the Grand Army of the Republic, however, are nearly complete. His first priority is the safety of Clan Skirata, his growing family of clone "sons," rogue Jedi, and the other misfits they've picked up along the way. But even Kal and his boys in special ops can't plan for everything, and the war is about to come home, first in a massive attack on Coruscant itself, and then with a terrifying galaxy-wide order that the clones may have no choice but to obey.
Review: This series continues to be hit or miss with me. There's no denying that Traviss is a good writer with a particular talent for creating and developing characters, but this series still feels self-indulgent in all the wrong ways. The plot spins its wheels for chapter after chapter as Traviss catches us up on what the now couple dozen important characters have been up to since we last saw them . . . And then she leaves them sitting in a holding pattern for awhile longer while we wait for the inevitable encroachment of major events. The characters don't know what's barreling down on them, of course (well, mostly, but more on that in a minute), but we could hardly help but know and makes the first half of the novel drag. Also, this is the third novel in a row to devote a significant percentage of its length to the Battle of Coruscant, and although I actually really enjoyed reading it from the clones' perspective, it's getting a bit overdone by this point.
A big part of what drains the book of dramatic tension is that the characters, particularly the Null-ARCs, come off as omnipotent and omniscient in every way that matters. Part of this is Traviss's wry commentary on how George Lucas has written Palpatine's scheming in a way that requires everyone in the galaxy to be kind of blind and stupid, but she overplays her hand by making her characters the only smart people in the galaxy and it gets old hearing how they run circles around everyone else with no effort at all. There's no dramatic tension when there's no credible threat from anyone. There is one brief moment where it looks like someone might be onto them, but literally everything is already set up to nullify the threat almost before they know it exists. There's another moment later in the book where something is laid out so neatly for them that I was certain it would turn out to be a trap, revealing that Palpatine was aware of them after all, and introducing some real danger and real stakes into the story. But no, it was just another walk in the park for Clan Skirata.
Everything goes great for them and they always land on their feet . . . except for when they suddenly don't. But because they're so uber at everything all the time, when things goes radically sideways near the end of the novel, it can only be because of a monumentally stupid and unlikely chain of events. And ultimately that's pretty unsatisfying, too. There's plenty to like about this, particularly if you like some or all of the characters, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.
C+
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just the name of the title tells you that it is not all fun and games.
This order is synonymous with pain (of one man, especially...but for the entire galaxy), and what was spawned shortly there after. Ugh.
Omega squad is my favourite, at the moment. Kal has tried his best to keep his "boys" safe, but life is never easy. There really isn't a way that I can express how I felt...after a certain reveal. So close, but no. Tears welled up and I just couldn't believe it. I knew SOMETHING was going to happen, but NOT that. I just wasn't ready for "that".
So well written, paced and plotted. This series is top notch. Obviously, this is Legends, but I can see how this was even BETTER when the EU was the only game in town.
Jedi Knight Etain went through the ringer in this story...still fighting for what she believed and her "family" (however you want to attribute that is). Darman and the reveal of Kad to him. That moment hurt, too...but I knew he'd "get over" his hurt, and get with the plan.
What Kal and Walon feel about Jedi, now. That is a thing...and will be for the rest of their lives (Jusik, not withstanding...he's a Mandalorian, now).
Really worried about two of the Omega squad...they stick together, no matter what. BUT, they really are in a LOT of danger. Ugh.
Well, as you can see...I loved this book. Now, on to the final book of the series. 501st...and this now makes it truly awkward. From being on the side of the right, to maybe not being? Hmmm?
This order is synonymous with pain (of one man, especially...but for the entire galaxy), and what was spawned shortly there after. Ugh.
Omega squad is my favourite, at the moment. Kal has tried his best to keep his "boys" safe, but life is never easy. There really isn't a way that I can express how I felt...after a certain reveal. So close, but no. Tears welled up and I just couldn't believe it. I knew SOMETHING was going to happen, but NOT that. I just wasn't ready for "that".
So well written, paced and plotted. This series is top notch. Obviously, this is Legends, but I can see how this was even BETTER when the EU was the only game in town.
Jedi Knight Etain went through the ringer in this story...still fighting for what she believed and her "family" (however you want to attribute that is). Darman and the reveal of Kad to him. That moment hurt, too...but I knew he'd "get over" his hurt, and get with the plan.
What Kal and Walon feel about Jedi, now. That is a thing...and will be for the rest of their lives (Jusik, not withstanding...he's a Mandalorian, now).
Really worried about two of the Omega squad...they stick together, no matter what. BUT, they really are in a LOT of danger. Ugh.
Well, as you can see...I loved this book. Now, on to the final book of the series. 501st...and this now makes it truly awkward. From being on the side of the right, to maybe not being? Hmmm?
One of the better books in the republic commando series. I do like how important family is in these books. Family including found family, those you love.
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a slog to get through. This book is 467 pages and order 66 doesn't happen until page 375 and then is over in about two chapters. So much stuff could have been cut out, this was so tedious.
Not a single character in this book is even a halfway decent person. Even if you make the argument that the Jedi Order is at fault for everything (which they are not, by the way), the way these characters just think nothing of committing genocide when they are supposed to be the moral heroes of the story is deeply troubling. Especially when it comes down to them just mowing down children who are simply trying to survive. In fact, I would argue that both Jusik and Etain were actually darksiders. Etain actively tries to murder a child and gets herself killed instead and honestly, good riddance. Blame the Jedi masters if you must but padawans are minors and cannot be held accountable for the actions of the actual people in charge. One of the chapters even begins with a pithy Mandolorian saying which more or less translates to it doesn't matter who your parents are, just who you are. Why does that not apply to Jedi children? Especially if you believe the Jedi Order is cult who steals and indoctrinates their young? As a moral person, aren't you obligated to try to help them then? The Jedi hate in this book is just outrageous and not at all in line with what happened in the movies.
So glad that Disney bought Star Wars and designated this as no longer canon because it is truly a travesty.
Not a single character in this book is even a halfway decent person. Even if you make the argument that the Jedi Order is at fault for everything (which they are not, by the way), the way these characters just think nothing of committing genocide when they are supposed to be the moral heroes of the story is deeply troubling. Especially when it comes down to them just mowing down children who are simply trying to survive. In fact, I would argue that both Jusik and Etain were actually darksiders. Etain actively tries to murder a child and gets herself killed instead and honestly, good riddance. Blame the Jedi masters if you must but padawans are minors and cannot be held accountable for the actions of the actual people in charge. One of the chapters even begins with a pithy Mandolorian saying which more or less translates to it doesn't matter who your parents are, just who you are. Why does that not apply to Jedi children? Especially if you believe the Jedi Order is cult who steals and indoctrinates their young? As a moral person, aren't you obligated to try to help them then? The Jedi hate in this book is just outrageous and not at all in line with what happened in the movies.
So glad that Disney bought Star Wars and designated this as no longer canon because it is truly a travesty.
Dieser Band war der bisher schwächste. Wahrscheinlich genau wegen der berühmten Order 66. Die Handlung ist hier weniger auf Innenansicht, sondern mehr auf Action und Vorwärtskommen aus. Überhaupt stellt sich bei mir langsam das Gefühl ein, dass Traviss das Ganze auch etwas kürzen hätte können. Das hätte der Serie gut getan.
Female writers in the science fiction and fantasy field are fairly rare. One's that are any good are even more so. (This is not because women are bad writers it is because of Sturgeon's Law.)
Star Wars books tend to be an extreme subset of this culture. There are books by female authors but each one seems more painfully confused than the last. Kathy Tyers was quite good (thankfully, since she started off the whole Expanded Universe thing). Kristine Katherine Rusch was very good – she usually is – but only wrote one book. Then we were forced to trip through Barbara Hambly (the only Star Wars books that I have not been able to finish), Vonda McIntyre, K. W. Jeter, A. C. Crispin and Elaine Cunningham.
Then Lucasbooks released a book by a new author, Karen Traviss. To make things worse the book was a novelization of a video game for the XBOX. So now we have a tie-in novel for a video game in a tie-in universe. With some trepidation I picked up the first of Karen Traviss's Republic Commando novels and found myself living inside this universe in a way that only happens with the best of writers.
Karen Traviss is somewhat of an enigma to me. She writes books about science fiction militaries. She worked as a secretary to the British Minister of Defense for a number of years so she knows how soldiers think and act. She also writes books very fast – about three months each – but with never a word out of place. The dialogue always feels real and her writing flows smoothly. The dichotomy comes from the fact that Miss Traviss does not read. She hates reading and hates books. She gets her entertainment from television and movies and refuses to read.
Star Wars: Republic Commando: Order 66 is one of the most emotionally powerful books I've ever read. The story opens with the two Mandalorian Sergeants Kal Skirata and Walon Vau standing in the hangar of a clone trooper barracks on Coruscant reciting the names of all the fallen clones who died four years before at the Battle of Geonosis. Skirata and Vau trained the clones and adopted them as their own children.
The book is about the Commandos in Delta and Omega squads as they struggle to find meaning in a war that they are being forced to fight. Jokingly they call themselves wet-droids and give each other nicknames. Their names usually have to do with their serial number (Fi, Niner, Sev), some are representative of their personalities (Boss, Scorch, Fixer), others are Madalorian words (Darman, Atin). Each of the clones is unique.
Skirata, obsessed with saving his boys from their accelerated aging, has acquired all of Ko Sai's research into genetics and is looking for a new researcher, and a way out of the Grand Army of the Republic for his clones.
Anybody who remembers Order 66 from the Star Wars movies will know that this book is a tragedy. It moves toward the climax with a weight that tugs at every scene. The clones are stretched to their limit. Skirata and Vau are caught between the Jedi and their own agendas to save their adopted clone children. Darman, one of the clones in Omega squad, is married to Etain, a Jedi Knight and she finally tells him that he has a son. Atin struggles to overcome his hatred of Vau who abused him when he was younger in order to “make him tough enough to survive.” Niner just wants to walk straight and follow orders but he's torn with his loyalty to his 'father' Skirata and his loyalty to the Republic. Fi, reported dead after a near fatal head-wound fights with his own lost memory and coordination to become the man that he once was.
Then comes the moment when Chancellor Palpatine speaks the words that mean the death sentence of all Jedi. Darman, Niner, Atin and the others are hurled into chaos and pain that they were never given a chance to sign up for.
Karen Traviss's writing is as solid as ever. Her greatest strengths have always been the emotional impact of trauma on individuals and the great, realistic characters that she writes about. I have found myself thinking about the characters in these books as real people, comparing them to others that I meet.
Dialogue and description are some of the best I've read. Karen Traviss has woven a tapestry of culture and history into the Star Wars universe that makes sense out of the new movies and brings an emotional weight to Star Wars that it has been missing for... maybe forever.
Karen Traviss and her Republic Commando books are among the best Star Wars books out there and stand as shining examples to the world that just because it's Star Wars doesn't make it garbage. Order 66 is the best of the bunch and answers two questions that get repeated over and over. Can Science Fiction have good literature? and Can a tie-in book be good Science Fiction? The answer – according to Miss Traviss is “absolutely.”
(9/10)
Star Wars books tend to be an extreme subset of this culture. There are books by female authors but each one seems more painfully confused than the last. Kathy Tyers was quite good (thankfully, since she started off the whole Expanded Universe thing). Kristine Katherine Rusch was very good – she usually is – but only wrote one book. Then we were forced to trip through Barbara Hambly (the only Star Wars books that I have not been able to finish), Vonda McIntyre, K. W. Jeter, A. C. Crispin and Elaine Cunningham.
Then Lucasbooks released a book by a new author, Karen Traviss. To make things worse the book was a novelization of a video game for the XBOX. So now we have a tie-in novel for a video game in a tie-in universe. With some trepidation I picked up the first of Karen Traviss's Republic Commando novels and found myself living inside this universe in a way that only happens with the best of writers.
Karen Traviss is somewhat of an enigma to me. She writes books about science fiction militaries. She worked as a secretary to the British Minister of Defense for a number of years so she knows how soldiers think and act. She also writes books very fast – about three months each – but with never a word out of place. The dialogue always feels real and her writing flows smoothly. The dichotomy comes from the fact that Miss Traviss does not read. She hates reading and hates books. She gets her entertainment from television and movies and refuses to read.
Star Wars: Republic Commando: Order 66 is one of the most emotionally powerful books I've ever read. The story opens with the two Mandalorian Sergeants Kal Skirata and Walon Vau standing in the hangar of a clone trooper barracks on Coruscant reciting the names of all the fallen clones who died four years before at the Battle of Geonosis. Skirata and Vau trained the clones and adopted them as their own children.
The book is about the Commandos in Delta and Omega squads as they struggle to find meaning in a war that they are being forced to fight. Jokingly they call themselves wet-droids and give each other nicknames. Their names usually have to do with their serial number (Fi, Niner, Sev), some are representative of their personalities (Boss, Scorch, Fixer), others are Madalorian words (Darman, Atin). Each of the clones is unique.
Skirata, obsessed with saving his boys from their accelerated aging, has acquired all of Ko Sai's research into genetics and is looking for a new researcher, and a way out of the Grand Army of the Republic for his clones.
Anybody who remembers Order 66 from the Star Wars movies will know that this book is a tragedy. It moves toward the climax with a weight that tugs at every scene. The clones are stretched to their limit. Skirata and Vau are caught between the Jedi and their own agendas to save their adopted clone children. Darman, one of the clones in Omega squad, is married to Etain, a Jedi Knight and she finally tells him that he has a son. Atin struggles to overcome his hatred of Vau who abused him when he was younger in order to “make him tough enough to survive.” Niner just wants to walk straight and follow orders but he's torn with his loyalty to his 'father' Skirata and his loyalty to the Republic. Fi, reported dead after a near fatal head-wound fights with his own lost memory and coordination to become the man that he once was.
Then comes the moment when Chancellor Palpatine speaks the words that mean the death sentence of all Jedi. Darman, Niner, Atin and the others are hurled into chaos and pain that they were never given a chance to sign up for.
Karen Traviss's writing is as solid as ever. Her greatest strengths have always been the emotional impact of trauma on individuals and the great, realistic characters that she writes about. I have found myself thinking about the characters in these books as real people, comparing them to others that I meet.
Dialogue and description are some of the best I've read. Karen Traviss has woven a tapestry of culture and history into the Star Wars universe that makes sense out of the new movies and brings an emotional weight to Star Wars that it has been missing for... maybe forever.
Karen Traviss and her Republic Commando books are among the best Star Wars books out there and stand as shining examples to the world that just because it's Star Wars doesn't make it garbage. Order 66 is the best of the bunch and answers two questions that get repeated over and over. Can Science Fiction have good literature? and Can a tie-in book be good Science Fiction? The answer – according to Miss Traviss is “absolutely.”
(9/10)