Customer Reviews

Orphan's Triumph (Jason Wander)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the last of the series and as such, one has to expect certain problems and issues from the earlier books to be tidied up - neatly or not - as the stories are closed out. The very issue of cleaning up the loose ends and characters means some clumsiness no matter who the author is or what the overall story is, but I have to say Mr. Buettner handled this pretty darn well. I came away feeling that I had followed the war and the various soldiers' lives and careers from start to a realistic end and I still respected & like (our lead character) Jason Wander - I still wanted to root for him (and JEEB) through the last 25 pages.

Personally, I loved the little twist at the end (no spoiler here) and found it a nice touch, though others will surely disagree! If you haven't read this entire series in order, you must or you'll be lost. One thing I really enjoyed was the fact that the technology for the weapons and equipment grew with each book - we learned about it and discovered it as the characters in the story did, thus the reader grasped the meaning and use of it from page one. Other Sci-Fi stories the tech stuff is sort of assumed or thrown in like magic.

I'll be checking out future offerings from Robert Buettner without fail! Definately glad I read the Orphan series. My husband is busy devouring Orphan's Triumph now.

What a great way to finish up this amazing five-book series. Robert Buettner's characters are easy to get attached to. Its unfortunate that this series has reached its conclusion but I am really looking forward to Buettner's next project, whatever it may be! This book was a great read and almost impossible to put down once you pick it up! The title Triumph is fitting and the ending is worth waiting for! Long live Jason Wander!

A Logical and nevertheless surprise-packed finale to the series! Bravo!

'Nuff said.

Read it, you'll like it--but make sure you read them all in order.

Buettner is a soldier's science fiction writer. Hooahh!

My name is Diego and I am brazilian. I said that so you know how difficult is for me to gather any book writen in english. But to read the orphans series any effort I made is easy game compared to the joy that I felt when I read the last chapter in this book. Awesome! I recommend it with all five stars. And enjoy the ride!

Orphan's Triumph is the fifth and final book in the author's "Jason Wander" series. Basically a tale of conflict between the human race and aliens who have attacked and devastated Earth (in the first book). The series has a running theme with Wander as the reluctant hero constantly having to make the last stand against various alien attacks. My description makes it sound typical Starship Troopers fare which does not do justice to a well written and entertaining series. The author hooks you in and delivers an exciting and thoughtful story with a variety of characters that you believe in and have been properly fleshed out. It's a good series and well worth picking up.

Having said that, this is probably the weakest of them all as the author tries to complete Wander's story and provide closure to the conflict. Wander is being retired as earth develops a 'super weapon' that will take out the aliens once and for all. Things get confused as the aliens steal a moon (yes, I wasn't sure about that one either) and Wander has to lead a revolution on a planet that is apparently modelled on WW2 Nazi Germany, concentration camps and all.... It didn't hang together as well as the previous books and the author tries to provide a thoughtful and intelligent ending that I think he has been telegraphing for most of the series.

So it was okay but not spectacular. A series worth picking up, but don't start with this one.

Orphan's Triumph is the fifth and last book of the Jason Wander series. The series started off with Jason Wander as an orphaned, directionless, wayward young man given the choice between jail and the army. The Earth had been attacked by an alien force called "the slugs" and Jason goes off to boot camp and war.

As the series progresses Wander matures into a unique, outside the box thinker that sees him rise to a general and leader in the war against the slugs. As he matures he is given other assignments, such as becoming a diplomat trying to bring newly discovered outlying human colonies into cooperation with the mother planet to protect the human race from extinction. That's not an easy task as these colonies are technologically backward and have developed cultural divisions and hatreds. But Wander succeeds in bringing a modicum of peace and a bit of cooperation.

Orphan's Triumph takes up where Orphan's Alliance leaves off, although Jason now finds himself somewhat more peripheral to the action as an aging general. Colonel Howard Hibble, the eccentric scientist who heads the very secretive group of xenobiologist dedicated to finding new ways to fight the slugs, has been working on a way to find a quick way to the slugs' home world to deliver a final and decisive blow in the war and destroy the slug threat once and for all.

Jason, as he often does, ingratiates himself with those in charge of the operation, and gets himself near the thick of the action. He's not quite done yet.

The first two novels in this series, Orphanage, and Orphan's Destiny were top notch, very entertaining, military science fiction novels. The last two works in this series, Orphan's Journey and Orphan's Alliance, almost seem like filler leading up to this concluding novel. While Orphan's Triumph does not quite reach the level of the first two volumes in this series, it offers a very satisfying conclusion as we see Wander continue to mature and progress throughout. This novel suffers some of the same problems as the previous two installments, being almost written as vignettes or short stories that culminate in the whole, but at least here the events tie together much more nicely and lead in a clear direction.

Orphan's Triumph also evokes more emotion and drama, similar to the first two installments in the series, and as the characters age and progress, those who have followed the series from the beginning will start feeling rather nostalgic and at times sad.

The ending is also very relevant to how Jason Wander has developed emotionally and philosophically and for this reader was very satisfying.

While I am less enamored of the third and fourth books of this series, the journey taken from beginning to end has been enjoyable and one I would take again.

"Orphan's Triumph" is the fifth and final book in Robert Buettner's "Orphan" series. This is not a standalone book as it picks up following the event of "Orphan's Alliance" and references events that occurred in the other books of the series.

As before, the story is told in first person from the viewpoint of Lieutenant General Jason Wander. For those that have read the books up to this point, you know that Buettner enjoys placing Jason is uncomfortable situations (that often occur due to his own lack of forethought) and often the solution that presents itself is less than optimal. This story line is much the same, but this time Jason is much more mature and capable. Characters that will be familiar to fans of the series reappear here as well, including, Howard, Jude, Ord, Aud, Mimi, and Jeeb.

This book was bittersweet since it is the last book in an excellent series that I didn't want to end. I don't give away plot spoilers, but can say that the ending was OK and several nagging questions I had about the Slug mentality were finally answered. I enjoy Buettner's writing style and found times in the story that invoked strong emotions, since he is able to illustrate both humorous and serious situations realistically. The only fault with the book was the sometimes overly obvious way Buettner set up references early in the book, just to be called on later in moments of need.

All in all, "Orphan's Triumph" is a satisfying conclusion to a very good Military Sci-Fi series. Recommended!

True to form, Robert Buettner delivers in the finale of the Jason Wander series. Picking up at the conclusion of ORPHAN'S ALLIANCE, the United Human forces are ready to launch the ultimate counter stroke in the battle against the slugs that has raged on for four decades. At the heart of the novel is Jason Wander, the orphan who has stumbled his way to the position of Lieutenant General, much to the dismay of everyone. Wander was the first to encounter a slug and is determined to be the last one to see them alive. Along the way, through the entire series, he has sacrificed much, and lost even more.

ORPHAN'S TRIUMPH explores the price of command and the price of a life long service to the military as Wander comes to terms with what is necessary to win at all costs. As expected, the personal commentary by Wander in this first person account is raw and genuine. The voice is unmatched and deeply personal. As in ORPHAN'S ALLIANCE, there were times of true emotional responses from me while reading some of the passages, which proves the depth of this military science fiction installment.

The cast of characters includes those that readers of the series have come to appreciate (and love) including Ord, Mimi, Jude, Howard Hibble and his merry band of "Spooks," and Aud. Forty years of war has certainly had an effect on these people and as the end of the Slugs or the end of Humanity looms they will have to reconcile with each other and show the worth of their friendship/relationship. Buettner excels in casting his believable characters in situations that are, at times, excruciating and elegant to read, all at the same time.

ORPHAN'S TRIUMPH, as well as the entire series, is not to be missed. In the spirit of Robert Heinlein, ORPHAN'S TRIUMPH is today's commentary on war, exploration, and personal sacrifice.

Good reading,

J.Stoner

I asked bestselling science fiction author Robert Buettner about his latest book, Orphan's Triumph, and he had all kinds of fascinating things to say about being compared to Heinlein, getting published overseas and scrubbing the Death Star with a toothbrush. You can read the interview for free at [..]

Orphan's Triumph (2009) is the fifth SF novel in the Orphanage series, following Orphan's Alliance. In the previous volume, the Slugs landed on Mousetrap and blocked attempts to land more human troops. The remaining defenders were still fighting within the planetoid.

The Emerald Green was inserted into the central tunnel and started evacuating survivors. After everybody was taken off, the outer doors were opened to space and the Slug died of explosive decompression. But Jason and Munchkin remained in the control room.

In this novel, Lieutenant General Jason Wander is now Commander in Chief of Offworld Forces. He lost an arm during the evacuation, but it was replaced. He also lost Munchkin and Jude blames him for her death.

DeArthur Ord is Jason's Command Sergeant Major. Luckily for the general, Ord knows everything about military strategy, tactics, weapons and logistics. They work well as a team.

Howard Hibble is a Colonel and is still THE top expert on Slugs. He leads a group studying the Slug habits and artifacts. His team is designing a new approach toward winning the war with the Red Moon.

Jason Udey Metzger is Jason's godson. Jude was born on Ganymede and has abnormally fast reactions; in fact, sometimes he seems to react before the stimulus occurs. Mow he is an air vice marshal within the Tressen forces.

Audance Planck was a Brigadier General in the Tressen Army. Aud is now one of three chancellors ruling the Republican Socialist government of Tressen. This government has a bad reputation on Earth.

In this story, Jason is called back from Bren to Mousetrap for a meeting with Hibble. The Pseudocephalopods have retaken Weichsel with only four Firewitches and a force of fifty thousand Warriors. It is probably a trap, but Hibble wants to take the bait. The Ganglion could give them the location of its home planet.

Jason drops with Hibble and two infantry companies onto Weichsel. They take the Ganglion, but Slug Warriors and the weather are closing in. Jason sends away the surviving Scorpions with the remaining troops and then assists Hibble in dragging the Ganglion from the trap.

After retrieval from Weichsel, Hibble takes the Ganglion back to his Spook lab. Jason goes back to Earth, where he meets his new boss. Then he is handed his retirement papers. They take effect ninety days after signature and submission to Personnel.

But the retirement is postponed when the Slugs snatch away the Red Moon. Jason is given a new assignment. He goes to Tressel to get another source of Cavorite.

This tale reunites Jason with Jude. He also renews his acquaintance with Aud. But his first meeting on Tressel is with Chancellor Zeit, a neo-Nazi to the core.

The author was an Army Intelligence officer during the Vietnam War Era. Other than his rank and reserve duty, little else is known about his military service. But that service and his geology background seem to permeate the Orphanage series.

However, the series is notable within military SF for its almost complete absence of counterintelligence operations. Of course, the government keeps information from other humans, but such efforts are not necessary against the Slugs. Apparently the concept of humint never occurred to the Pseudocephalopod central mind.

This is the last book in the series. One can hope that the author has another series in the wings. Read and enjoy!

Recommended for Buettner fans and anyone else who enjoys tales of armed conflict, political intrigue, and thinking outside the box.

-Arthur W. Jordin