Hard Contact (Star Wars: Republic Commando)

Rating:
Summary: arguably the best Star Wars novel
Review: "Republic Commando: Hard Contact" is a video game tie-in novel which is set in the Star Wars Universe during the Clone Wars. While other Clone Wars novels have given us glimpses into the lives of the clone troopers, none have given us this level of detail, though "The Cestus Deception" comes close at times. This is a novel completely about clone troopers and even though there is a Jedi Padawan in the novel it is a reversal of the norm as she is dependent on the clones.

Four clone commandos, an elite fighting force, are sent to a planet controlled by the Separatists. The mission is to attack a chemical weapons facility which is making a virus which targets and kills only the Clones. If used, it would turn the tide of the Clone Wars against the Republic. "Republic Commando: Hard Contact" is a covert mission of the Clone Wars and one that features almost entirely clone commandos (the Jedi are secondary and far less important than the commandos). We are given the opportunity to see how the clones relate to each other and how they truly are individuals. They are just bred to fight and serve the Republic, but they have hopes and fears and distinct personalities despite the fact they are genetically identical.

Karen Traviss is an exciting new author. As a Star Wars author, one the strength of one book, she is already one of the best. There is a level of authenticity that runs through "Republic Commando: Hard Contact" that just feels right. Traviss gives us an intelligent, exciting story of one small squadron of elite clone commandos and she succeeds in humanizing them both to the reader as well as the Jedi apprentice in the story. Karen Traviss is one of the few Star Wars authors who did such a good job that I want to read her non-Star Wars work. This is a story which does not feature any of the main Star Wars characters, but it is easy to relate to Traviss's characters and fit them into our picture of the greater Star Wars universe.

-Joe Sherry

Rating:
Summary: A rare maturely written book for Star Wars
Review: A maturely written book for mature readers, Hard Contact is long overdue.

Hard Contact is one of the few novels that bothers with a creative title. Longer than a word, without using Dark, it perfectly conveys its multiple meanings like all titles should. Game-related books are often short on depth and justification for publication, with game box cover ripoffs. HC's respectable cover and even stylised author lettering demands approval.

Having written this myself I was quick to catch the descriptive writing. You're not just told the ship is sitting on the ground; you're actually told how a hot-hulled attack fighter affects the surrounding flora. Brief and concise, Karen goes the one step further where books like Starfighters of Adumar is too busy cramming as much juvenile childish humour before the back cover is reached. Writing a Jedi sensing an approaching clone, would you think to say their short chronological ages gives them "children's minds"? I don't think so.

Outstanding work, indeed.

No fool editor would ever let someone write full character names each and every time all book long---a filthy outrage Dark Rendezvous inflicted on adult readers---which evidences Del Rey's alleged professionalism. Nor did you have to suffer though Shatterpoint's pompous bookwide arrogance with lines like "Mace's smile was a humour-freeze zone."

A book's opening is suppose to grab your attention and incite further reading, and grab HC does. The opening line's style of voice is not one Star Wars readers have seen in books before, absent that usual bland monotone. Unlike Dark Rendezvous, which hurled all primary characters at you first chapter, and cluttered it to hell, we're introduced to the three voices of the novel in a timely and expedient manner.

Humour is best delivered subtle; more so when your core cast are shadow operatives not big on big talk. Unlike Arcers who play alone, commando quartets jig together with all the friction you'd expect and receive; the groundtrooper's envy at the commando's three-course-blaster was a nice touch.

HC is a pavlova of creativity. You didn't get yet another Corellian-Twi'lek-Rodian thrown at you. Nor a specific-climatised world like jungles or arid. Qiilura was allround normal. The sheer creativity you can wield with a transmogrifying alien is limited only by imagination. That the Gurlanin character exhibited persona and flare for the small page presence it had is evidence of Karen's miser writing---no sentence goes to waste.

Heck, even the Jedi exuded a certain style all the more conspicuous for their small inclusion. Not only weren't their full names written each time, their gestures, postures and dialogue were varied and styled. More importantly, Arlington Zey spoke normally: "I am sure of this", instead of the usual esoterical Jedi "Sure of this, I am."

What I liked best was knowing exactly how it would feel walking and talking like a commando. You were showed how they saw through their visors, their emotions and thoughts over various scenarios. And this book was shackled with tight time constraints? Impressive.

Echoes of Earth, for eg, was very readable and untechnical for those who don't know a quagmire from a quasar. You got the gist of the military acronyms. HC had none of those hard military terminology you'd expect from a book of its genre. Blatantly employing her own diction, Karen dares to offer new words like sinulation and her own profanity, not the ubiquitous sithspawn and sithspit we only seem to get.

You'd expect Skirata to be called a drill instructor . . . but why should terms be bound by Earthian definition? Make your own, and Hard Contact didn't disappoint. A key fault of Dark Rendezvous was the distinct Earth similes and expressions. It was shockingly conspicuous. This is Star Wars; and you expect to see their way of expressions, not ours.

Feeble Forceness has been explored before, only illustrated far better than Shadow Hunter's Darsha or that irritant Scout from Dark Rendezvous. Scout was created as little Forceful, but was written as an utter contradiction, the way her Force powers never failed her when she needed it most. Here, Etain's level is small and it stays small, a consistency other books had lacked.

It was refreshing to read a heroic band of characters who weren't outnumbered and outgunned by the evil bad enemy, as a trillion books delight in. It's rare to see the heroes not just courageous but actually canny, resourceful, and damn well competent. It's their game, Qiilura is their home field, and this makes it enjoyable.

The chapter quotes were great, varied, and fun. Adar Tallon got a mention. "How do clones pick each other out? Who cares? They're there to fight, not socialise." Tell me that wasn't slick, come on.

Too often villains' personality don't match their known profile. While the Mandalorian's dialogue was sharp and polished, his lack of proactive performance detracted from living up to his full potential. Hokan's scenes came across as of little importance too, and the constant reacting to events didn't advanced his role or naming similarity to (Hulk) Hogan.

Further more, the lack of a climatic finale kinda ended the book with a fizzle. It would have been interesting to see how a fully armed and operational commando went hand to hand with a Mando.

The somewhat repetitive attack scenes was a small downside. The commandoes essentially gunned and grenaded their way to the finish line the same way all book long. A broader range of fighting styles, and more action scenes, was needed; the one time when a commando went knife to knife with a foe came across as a little clumsily executed.

In short, Hard Contact is a fresh breath of mature writing, with a strong cast that balances emotive entanglements with enough sporadic action to keep you interested. While the specific nature of the novel may not appeal to everyone, it's understandable why Karen's return in 2008 is too long.

"There was nothing to be gained by wilfully ignoring excellence in another."
Hard Contact; p185

Rating:
Summary: Educational and Entertaining
Review: Compared to some of the more recent Star Wars books I've read, Hard Contact did a great job of keeping me entertained. In fact, I'd put it after the New Jedi Order series and the X-Wing series as far as quality. Most surprising to me was the amount of technical jargon, something usually found on a repeat episode of Star Trek. It wasn't over done, but well done. The jargon and slang was well balanced by great character development and an interesting back-story of the clones. It was a new direction for a Star Wars novel.

While the plot is a bit ho-hum at times, and the mission is rather obvious, the overall story is very exciting. The main characters are well defined, but a little rough in the introduction. It's mostly about the development of each character during the mission that is not just entertaining, but also educational. A lot may be known about the Jedi, but very little is known about the clones that were developed and grown to support them. This novel sheds a very big light on the clones, although mostly Commando Clones. There are some sources that talk about basic clones troops, even Advanced Recon Commandoes (ARC) troopers. But little is known about their training and their emotional and psychological interaction with other clones and non-clones.

(...)

Rating:
Summary: The Republic Clones, a story of their own...
Review: Delta Squad of the Republic clones, commandos and troopers, are an 'implacable' lot of fighters, 'soldiers bred to die'. Darman (RC-1136) and fellow, special ops squad are among the best created. Kept in 'suspended animation' until re-called to duty, Darman, Atin, Niner, and Fi rev up for a new mission as 'Omega Squad'. Trained to perform as cohesive units, Commando instructor Sergeant Kal Skirata advises the squad, "Think of yourselves as a hand. Each of you is a finger, and without the others you're useless. Alone, a finger can't grasp, or control, or form a fist. You are nothing on your own, and everything together."

Their objective is to destroy a facility on the Separatist-held planet of Quilura where a nanovirus (aimed at destroying clones) is being developed. (The clone forces are already outfitted, however, to fend off the virus.) In charge of the nanovirus project is scientist, Dr. Ovolot Qail Uthan. Her 'overseer' General Ghez Hokan is determined to defeat the landing clone forces. It is known to the commandos, and others, that the clones were developed from genetics of renowned bounty hunter, Mandalorian Jango Fett. Shapeshifter Valaqil (a.k.a. Jinart) effectively joins the clone squad in disguised forms and provides unique support to the clones. As the clone's gunship approaches the target location, it takes a dive. Darman is separated from his squad members, but all are equipped to meet at a rendezvous point. On Quilura, Padawan Etain Tur-Makan is hiding for her life. The Jedi has lost her Master Fulier, believed to be dead. Darman and Etain meet and learn about each other, as Etain has little faith in herself as a Jedi, and Darman has been trained to follow orders of Jedi (a.k.a. Commander(s).

This is my first exposure to author Karen Traviss. She has written an exemplary story in STAR WARS: HARD CONTACT , not to be missed by STAR WARS fans, or otherwise. As a Book Hugger and Ace Reviewer, I will definitely select more of Traviss' work, one of which is her critically acclaimed 2004 novel City of Pearl. By the way, watch out for those tunnel-burrowing Gdan creatures -- they are out with their sharp teeth to bite and infect you with deadly bacteria!


Rating:
Summary: i never exptected this...
Review: Like the others before me who reviewed this amazing book, we all can agree we did not expect this. I thought it was going to be another mindless action packed book like the Halo novels. Instead what I got was easily one of my favorite Star Wars books to date (and i've read 40+). I understand why people would not give this book a chance, it being a tie-in to a video game, and we all know how that worked out (Ruins of Dantooine). Im a US Army Ranger, and this book hit me emotionally, real hard, I do not believe anybody could have nailed it down precisely as she did (military/tactical wise), she gave a face to the clones, something nobodys been able to do, the characters are extraordinary, and the story itself is top notch. I understand what its like to be in the RC's shoes, ive been there. And have experienced some of their losses as well, that is why this book deserves 5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Xcellent Techno-Thriller Star Wars style!!!
Review: Republic Commando drops the reader right into the middle of a highly trained Republic Commando squad made up of the survivors of two other squads that met brutal ends during the Clone Wars. The author Karen Traviss takes us inside the minds of these highly trained, lethal indiviuals who are not only battle hardened and war weary but also almost child-like at heart if not in body. We are intorduced to Darman, Atin, Niner, Fi, and a young Jedi padawan named Etain Tur-Mukan who is clearly in need of a break if she is to continue along to become a Jedi Knight.
The book moves along very quickly, and the action is well paced with the base story involving the squad stopping the threat of a Separitist plot involving an experimental nano-virus and Mandalorian mercenaries on the backwater Outer Rim world of Quilara. The squad must go in undetected and destroy the virus or else every clone of the Grand Army of the Republic could be condemned to death. If you are a fan of Star Wars and like to see other stories involving unique and new heroes to this wonderful world of A Long Time Ago... then I migh suggest that you give this book a try, and also perhaps give the novel, Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter by Micheal Reeves a read as well.


Rating:
Summary: Respect for the fans and universe
Review: That's what Karen Traviss shows in this book. Reading articles and interviews with her she has shown that she approached the SW universe with open excitement, and this shines through in the novel she has written.

Many reviewers have been "suprised" by this novel, that it offers so realistic a viewpoint of a soldier's life even though it's "only a game tie-in". Not only does this show the talent of the author, but it's a shame that other books that are tie-in or franchise novels do not rise to this level.

Firstly, the writing is top notch. A clean style that is intelligent without going into literary pretentions. The POV characters, despite being clones, are fully fleshed out while still retaining the overriding theme that these are clones, that these are people who are bred for this lifestyle. It takes a deft hand to achieve this, and the payoff for the reader is immense.

Secondly, the amount of respect given the universe and characters, and by extension, the fans. The detail is amazingly accurate, and shows that for someone who claims not to have been familiar with the universe when first asked to write a SW novel, the author was a quick and respectful study. It helps that the author has made herself known on the major message boards where she has proved open to discussing the book and themes with fans.

Lastly, the characters, even the minor ones, feel fleshed out and lived in. The young Jedi, far from being the superhuman being that the clones believe all Jedi to be, is young and inexperienced, weak in the force but strong in a desire to see her charges through their ordeal.

The villain of the piece, far from being a cackling madman, is another soldier who has strong convictions and is honestly horrified at the cloning of one of his people's great heroes. Traviss gives us a harsh but tragic character in this very human villain, a refreshing change of pace from cackling evil jedi's and ruthless aliens so common in fiction these days.

All in all, a fantastic read that makes one wish that all authors had the respect for their audience that Traviss does, and also a great reminder of when the main purpose of fiction was intelligent entertainment.

Rating:
Summary: Should have been a throw away book, but isn't
Review: This is tie-in novel to an upcoming video game. Therefore, it SHOULD be a by-the-numbers, weak, poorly written piece of fluff. The thing is, it isn't at all. This may well be one of the finest Star Wars books out there, and since I've read pretty much all of them since I first clutched the Star Wars novelization in my hands back in 1977, I've a basis for comparison.

First off, this is a suprisingly decent special operations novel. The author obviously did a bunch of researh and her influence by the British side of the house, namely the SAS/SBS, is evident. It's almost a shame that this is a Star Wars novel, since it is significantly better than a lot of the pap out there that passes for a technothriller or SOF novel but the Star Wars title will keep a lot of those readers from giving it a chance.

Second, the book has no characters that we are familiar with from previous movies or books but instead a host of new ones, yet deftly sketches them as characters who are better fleshed out and more alive than characters who've been in multiple books (I'm looking at you, NJO series). The inexperienced Jedi could have been by the numbers, but instead she is fully realized character with an honest to goodness character arc. The commandos could have been characterless, grunting SF stereotypes and instead they are new and different, giving us an idea of what someone trained for 10 years of an accelerated life might be like.

Finally, the book subtly but surely gives us a greater understanding of the Star Wars universe. Sure, we're supposed to see that the Jedi have lost their way, their sense of the force diminishing. However, when we read of the clone commandos; how they were raised, how they were trained, how they are used, we begin to understand the depth to which the Jedi have lost their way. Disposable troops, brutally trained with massive training losses, and no luxuries or pleasures allowed until they get used up and replaced are exacly what the Jedi should be against. Instead, they use them, living men genetically brainwashed to serve the Jedi, as if they were droids. Certainly, they are the difference between victory and defeat but where are the Jedi demanding better treatment for their warriors? Where is their compassion for all things in the force? Here we get our best glimpse yet of the difference between what the Jedi profess to do and what they actually do before the fall.

All in all, this is an excellent book. If LucasFilm has any sense, they will sign Ms. Traviss to more books immediately. Either show out commando squad again or show them with more familiar Jedi or just give her a more standard style of book. Whichever, they had best not let her slip away. This book was good enough that I'll buy any book of hers, sight unseen, from now on until disappointed. I have few authors that I'll say that of.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book....Can't wait for the Video Game
Review: Unlike others I read this as a preview of the video game. So I was excited about it for different reasons when I picked it up. In the end the book gave more than I would have ever expected...lately Star Wars books have been seeming dull and even mundane to me. This book renewed my waning interest in actually reading the books. (I own all the adult novels, I cant stop now so I just keep buying) Now I have quite the pile to slog through in hopes of a gem like Hard Contact.

I highly recommend this book, it is fast paced, exciting, humorous without overdoing it...defintely worth the read. And if the game is anything like what is described in the book the future of star wars is looking fantastic. Especially with E3 on the horizon. Cant wait to see what else is in store for my favorite place far far away.....

Rating:
Summary: Great Book - awsome development of characters
Review: What a awsome book. I was surprised by the depth of character development by the author and how the story progressed to a great conclusion. I hope that the Omega Squad will come back again for another book under such as good author as this. I recommend this book not only to SW fans, but to fans of military fiction as well. The author has a good grip on military action and jargon. Fans of the Black Library will also enjoy this book.