Customer Reviews

And I thought the series couldn't get any better . . . boy, was I wrong! - By: Beedo Sookcool, 21 Oct 2008
Wow. Just . . . wow. This is a hard one to review without giving away too much, especially if you've not read the three previous novelsin the series. But I'll take a crack at it.

Karen Traviss hooked me with her first "Republic Commando" book, "Hard Target," showing excellent storytelling, good character development, & intensive research into the fictional universe about which she was writing. Her second bookin the series, "Republic Commando: Triple Zero" beautifully developed the characters even further. By the third book, "Republic Commando: True Colors," I was cheering for just about everyone, including the formerly unlikeable Walon Vau. This is now the fourth "Republic Commando" book, & I was poleaxed that I found it EVEN BETTER than the previous novelsin the series.

The story starts over fifty years prior to the Battle of Geonosis, where the Mandalorian warrior Munin Skirata adopts a small war-orphan, upon whom he bestows the new name "Kal." The rest of the story skips ahead to the late days of the Clone Wars, up to the issuing of the galaxy-changing & titular Order 66 & slightly beyond, takingin all the consequences of everyone's decisions, taking some shocking twists & turns. And I'm sorry, but I can't possibly go into much more plot detail without spoiling some major surprises bothin this book & thosein previous instalments.

Suffice it to say that if you've read & liked the previous novelsin the series & grown attached to the characters, you will really, REALLY enjoy this book. I hate to use a trite expression, but "Order 66" really IS an emotional roller-coaster. By page eleven, my eyes were welling up a bit. Later on, I found myself laughing with delight as more great characters were brought in, more gallows humour was cracked, & more loose ends were tied up. Either my brain's turning to sentimental mush, or Karen Traviss is one of the finest military fiction writers living. I prefer to think the latter.

I can't possibly imagine a "Star Wars" novel getting better than this, folks. Kandosii!