Title: Republic Commando: Hard Contact
Author: Karen Traviss
Pages: 293
Type: Military thriller
Time: 22 BBY

Novel quality
Before reading this novel I was introduced to Republic Commando by the videogame with the same name. I really liked that game and the way it made you feel about your commandos and I hoped that the novel would make the commandos even more interesting. I'm glad to say that it did. The first thing you need to do when planning to read this novel is accept that it is different, it's a war story not a classic Star Wars story. The novel is about a group of highly trained clone commandos who are sent to the planet Qiilura to stop the creation of a virus that targets clone troopers. The troopers also learn that there is already a Jedi on the planet, but that contact with him or his Padawan has been lost for some time. What makes this novel so great is the way it treats the commandos, like human beings. The squad is formed of four commandos who have all been in teams before. These teams were destroyed in a battle on Geonosis and the commandos start feeling the loss of that. The four commandos also have very distinct personalities and qualities, this shows that genes aren't the only thing that forms a human. During the novel they're struggling with emotions and their characters are put more and more into focus. Especially when the team gets separated by an accident during landing. On the one hand we see Niner, Fi and Atin acting as a squad and finding out the many things that training cannot teach you. They start to get a slight hint of what real life is all about. On the other hand we see Darman who meets Jedi Padawan Etain Tur-Mukan. He wonders about the same things as his squad mates, but in addition he also has to deal with a Jedi Padawan who is having trouble seeing herself as a true Jedi. She treats him as a human being and they become friends during the story. Darman finds out new things about real life and helps Etain become a better Jedi. This all done very well and really ads an extreme amount of depth to the previously anonymous Clones. What's also different about this novel is the inclusion of a Jedi who is not full of confidence and apparently not extremely powerful. Etain has a lot of trouble learning the ways of the Force and thinks of herself as a failure. It's really great to read the way the unwavering and unconditional trust Darman puts in her pays of. She learns some hard lessons about the reality of war and conflict and gradually becomes the Jedi she never thought she could be. The commandos make everything seem simple and straightforward and they don't complain or indulge in self-pity. It's really great to see Etain grow during the story and to see her overcome some of her demons. In addition there is a supporting good-guy by the name Jinart, a changeling who helps the republic. Her character does appear in some of the key parts of the book, but we don't really see much about her. It is enough however to make the character interesting. Most of the "bad-guys" in the story aren't very deep. In truth there is only one character that gets a some real attention, the Mandalorian commander Hokan. We get to see a lot about his thoughts and his military mind. Het thinks and acts as a true Mandalorian and the way he reacts to clones of Jango Fett is nice. Even though his motivations and history are left out of the story, he makes a good character. The other bad-guys feel rather shallow and could have been done a bit better. Overall this story is quite good, it delivers a refreshing look on the Star Wars galaxy and does so with a solid storyline and interesting characters. The relatively shallow bad-guys don't take much away from the fun of reading the novel. Of you are a conservative Star Wars fan, this might be a bit too far besides the Force and the Jedi. Otherwise this novel is highly recommendable! Two thumbs up to Ms. Traviss.
Rating: 85/100

Personal tilt
This novel has been a welcome change in Star Wars reading for me. Though I love to read the "standard" Star Wars tales, it is very nice to see the galaxy from another point of view. Ms. Traviss has created a very good military story which fits right into the Star Wars universe. The story creates an interesting perspective on the life of clones. How do they feel? How do they think? How much are they alike? These are all questions that are addressed in this novel and it makes for some very interesting reading. The relatively shallow bad-guys don't really bother me. It would have been nice however if the novel was a bit longer. The ending somehow feels a bit short. Other than that I really can't think of anything that I didn't like about the story. I'm looking forward to the next Republic Commando novel.
Rating: 90/100


Overall rating: 87.0/100

- - - -

For an overview of al reviews and a ranking see my Book review summary