Customer Reviews

Star Wars 501st: An Imperial Commando Novel

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Fans of a more realistically-portrayed Star Wars universe have learned to depend on solid, character-driven plotlines from Karen Traviss, and IC:501st delivers as expected. This book, like the Republic Commando series, is gritty, bloody and moving. However, the action scenes work to punctuate the raw emotion underlying the bulk of the novel, rather than serving as the main reason for the story as seems to be the case in too many Star Wars novels. It's a very rare reading experience to have a real, almost tangible sense of dread while reading certain chapters, but such is the payoff in stories that revolve more around the hopes and dreams of the men and women in the novel than how many space battles and lightsaber duels the writer can cram into it. Someone once said the best writers create people, not characters, and Traviss has accomplished that.

Traviss also has a refreshing, paradigm-changing view of jedi and clone troops that is not always appreciated by some of the more zealous fanboys.

Four out of five stars. Four and a half stars would be more accurate, as the half star is lost because I'm still a little angry that the series is being cut short due to asinine retcon issues raised by the otherwise excellent Clone Wars TV series. I would also liked to have seen a little bit more Vader in the story, as Traviss has shown a deep insight into Vader's psyche with her previous short stories about him. I am looking forward to seeing Skirata and Altis work together in the second, and hopefully last, Imperial Commando novel, at least with regard to Skirata and this particular group of clones, because the only thing worse than Traviss leaving the SW books would be having someone else finishing the storyline about Skirata and his sons.

All in all, an outstanding job.

Another character driven book by Karen Traviss. I have to say that I expected more action based on her past books and the prospect of Vader's 501st Legion hunting down fugitive jedi and rogue clones. On the other hand I appreciate the authors willingness to develop a stong cast of characters. Perhaps in the next installment we will see more action. I think this series holds incredible promise. I like the references to plots from other books, it gives the story depth and credibility. Generally this book was slow but well worth the read. oya

This book is mostly about loss, the clones have lost focus with no clear defined enemy and the realizaton that life after the war has changed little for them.
Ninner fears Dahrman may be going mad with grief as they attempt mesh with the new order and new replacements.
On Mandalor Kal finds himself copeing with guilt and grief over those lost or left behind, also he and his adopted clone sons a allies can't seem to agree about how to cope not only with deserters from the Imperial Army but also Jedi futurtives that wind up on the doorstep.
The book is good just not great and i'll give you my 2 cents as to why. I think KT tried to cram too much into one novel so all the familiar chaacters were like shadows of themselves.
That said you'll meet some great new people like the IC commander, called Holy Roly by the commandos for his zeal in hunting Jedi, and a supprise appearance by someone thought to be dead! So if you enjoyed KT's Republic Commando novel this will be a must read.

While I really enjoyed the first 3 novels Im a little let down by Order 66 and 501st. 501st should have had some sort of closure so that in the event another couldn't written we wouldn't be left hanging. I don't like be left hanging, so I can't recommend the novel at all really.

The evil Jedi thing also bugs me and not because the Jedi are wonderful and glorious but because there hasn't been any evidence to support why these free-thinking men believe the Jedi are the greatest evil in the galaxy. Especially since Palps, whom they all know is a Sith, clearly demonstrates the difference by wiping out an entire planet's citizens. It seems genes, history, and gossip are enough to blur the line between Sith and Jedi. I would believe their views were justified if through out this series the Jedi treated the clones like crap, but this is far from the case. Let me be clear, its not what they believe but how they have come to believe it.

Another big gripe is Darman's transformation to Jedi killing machine. Little extreme since his late wife, Etain, was a Jedi and his son, Kad, is force sensitive. Again this is another case of believability and not whether I agree with hatred and bigotry. This is where the last books really lost me. I need to believe why this group, who has had great relations with all the Jedi they have encountered, can hate them so much. Its really an issue with the last 2 novels.

Beyond all that thought and despite liking the story overall, a story without closure is a fail. And if this is to be the last book then I would recommend stopping at Order 66 and forget 501st even exists.

I have been a big fan of these books since the begining, but enough is enough. It's time to close out this series or at least finish the business with this group of clones. The last couple of books read more like a soap-opera or a very long episode of the "Love-Boat". It looks like the next book will be the last and I think that is a good thing. Although its been a great series, its really outlived its purpose. The entire issue of fixing the aging problem has been drug on so long its getting--well--old. Either let them fix it or not but just move on!

Darman's whole reason for staying in the Imperial Commandos is really flimsy. I want to be with my son but I need to protect him by staying on the inside. Yeah...okay. Its just all getting a little weak and although I wouldn't mind seeing more of these characters, it needs to be in a different venue. No more aging problem, no more matchmaking, no more trying to cram 100 characters into every book. The series has really lost its focus, or rather its let its focus get far too large.

Its a relatively good read but very little happens in the book and its really getting to feel tired. Still, for long time fans of the series like me, its something you should probably read.

"That's how tyranny succeeds. When folks think it won't affect them. Until it eventually does."
This book was selected in my Star Wars book of the month club! Plus, a good friend of mine gave me the book, which meant I absolutely had to read it!
The Clone Wars has ended, and the Republic is now the Empire. Darman and Niner are stuck in Vader's 501st, Vader's Fist. Darman struggles with the events of the last book, and both long to be home on Kyrimorout with Kal Skirata, Atin, Fi, and the other rag-tags that have assembled there as a haven.
Please note, spoilers from Order 66 (Star Wars: Republic Commando) may follow.

I Liked:
To keep myself streamlined, I will split this up into three categories: writing, characters and plot.
Writing.
1.Karen Traviss' novels don't beat around the bush. They deal with big, universal themes, which this time are bigotry/prejudice, complacency, and fear.
a)Prejudice permeates most of the Mandalorian characters (and the Jedi, of course). Skirata can't accept Kina Ha for being a Kaminoan and Uthan for being a scientist trying to kill his clones. The Kaminoan clones ridicule the Spaarti clones for being inferior. The rising bias against the Jedi in the Empire, the rivalry between Mandalore and the rest of the galaxy...all are potraits of prejudice and intolerance. Ny, one of the least intolerant of the group, puts it this way to the Null clones when they ridicule the Spaarti clones (page 198): "How can you dismiss them all like that when you're the first to say you're more than your genes?" We also see, in her eyes, how ironic it is for Skirata to hate the Jedi, when he happens to adopt many of the practices he criticizes in them (see page 301 for a good quote).
b)Complacency is what keeps the people from revolting. Under the Empire, the galaxy has grown to not care about her galactic brothers and sisters...those on Kashyyyk, Gibad, Camaas...and many others. The quote for the review, said by Uthan on page 139, says this perfectly.
c)Fear: a quote by Jusik best relays this (page 290): "Fear kept beings in line. Fear...made you mistrust and suspect everyone...and divided people didn't form up into groups to rebel."
2.Once her novel starts to roll along (particularly with the Niner and Darman scenes), you thirst for more. How are Niner and Darman going to survive in the 501st? Will anyone find out about the chip Niner has? What about the new Spaarti clone in their squad? How will the Corellian trained Ennen cope with the death of his squadmate? It was hard to put down the book in these sections.
3.Traviss again provides other Expanded Universe references, such as Jax Pavan and the Whiplash movement and Callista and the Altis' sect.
Plot:
1.The story of Niner and Darman in the 501st, Vader's Fist, is definitely the highlight of the book. You get inside Vader's Fist, to see the differences between the Imperial and Republic management, the inclusion of the Spaarti clones, the distrust, and the underlying fear. Plus, they get to do a whole lot more missions, a whole lot more Jedi hunting, which means more of what made Hard Contact so amazing and what has been lacking from most of the Republic Commando books and less sitting around and bad-mouthing the Jedi.
2.Darman's personal battle of the death of Etain is particularly poignant. I feel Traviss did a good job conveying his detached self and his grieving self and I adored how Niner looked out for him.
3.This novel is set in the Imperial era, which is so undiscovered and unexplored. It's nice to see the forays out into it.
4.The fear and suspicion, mentioned in passing in the Jedi Twilight (Star Wars: Coruscant Nights I), is actually at work in Coruscant in this novel. In 501st, clone commandos can feel the growing fear, see how the Empire is coaxing people to tell on their neighbors (all I can think of is the movie, Brazil!), and basically keeping one eye open.
Characters:
1.My favorite characters now include Walon Vau, Niner (who gets a point of view!! YAY!), Ny (sometimes), Commander Roly Melusar, and Maze. I've mentioned why I've liked Walon Vau before (quintessential Mando, cold, hard, calculating) and Maze too (follows orders, perfect ARC), but I will detail on the others.
2.Niner is a particularly fascinating clone. He didn't want to desert like all the others. He felt it was his duty to stay in, to fight the good fight. Only when his other brothers were going to leave, leaving him alone, did he change his mind. Through his reasonable, cautious eyes, we see the growing hatred and distrust of Jedi, his care for his brother, Darman, and how he is growing to want a life outside, yet still fearing it.
3.Nyreen is one of the few female characters Traviss has written that I actually like. Although there are still parts of her that I am not fond of (like how quickly she wants to become Mando and such), I like how she was married before, around Kal's age, independent, not so vehemently against the Jedi, and just overall being different and unique ("a voice of reason"). Through her eyes and her eyes alone, we get a balance from the Mando-heavy prejudice from the book and see how much Jedi Kal is like, how what he does really isn't much different from them.
4.Lastly, my brand-new all-time favorite is Commander Roly Melusar. Man, I can't say enough how much I like him! Here we finally get an Imperial not out for power, prestige, money, whatever, but out there to get rid of Force-users and dissenters for a reason...because he believes in the ideals of the Empire.

I Didn't Like:
You knew this was coming, didn't you?
1.Mandos good, Jedi bad. Highly toned down from the Republic Commando books with the balancing view off Ny (too bad she remains mostly silent on the matter to the Mandos), but still prevalent none-the-less. I could go on and on about this point, but I don't really think I need to say more. The Jedi are most certainly not perfect, but neither are the Mandalorians.
2.Good Mando wife. It sickens me to see all the women of these commando books be stripped of anything of their own, their own culture, desires, loves, hopes, and dreams and adopt without question or hesitation the Mando way. Besany was a tax auditor...and she goes to being good Mando housewife in less than 18.2 seconds. Laseema, same thing. Jilka follows the same path as Besany and Laseema by falling for yet another of our clone boys, Corr, in a gag-worthy romance. Uthan is slipping and falling for Mij Gilamar, and Nyreen appears to doing the same with Kal. Why can't Traviss create strong women who don't feel the need to drop their own personality for one their husbands can take better? Other than Parja, none of the married women have jobs outside the home (Uthan not being Mando nor married to Mij), and the one woman who didn't follow the Mando way (Kal's wife) is treated with scorn and disdain for wanting her husband to be home (I was a military kid, I could go on about this topic for a while, but I'll spare you). It's an unfair way to paint women, that they are only good if they are A) married to Mandos, B) a good, stay-at-home "Mando wife", and/or C) accept their husband's Mando ways without a qualm or thought about their own heritage and traditions.
3.Repetition. Yet again, Traviss has a few things she must make sure she says at least a dozen times in her novel. How the Nulls were saved by Skirata (as if the last three books didn't repeat that enough). How much Scout reminds Kal of Etain, how Kal hates Kaminoans and Jedi and Uthan, how Atin and Laseema can't have biological kids (which shouldn't really matter in an adoptive society like Mandalore), how hypocritical the Jedi were, how bad artuesii are, how so-and-so can't believe how "easy and quickly" she (most often she) is accepting the Mando culture, how so-and-so was surprised that she (again, most often she) wouldn't be shocked or upset if he (aka insert your Mando here) killed someone, etc., etc., etc. While I understand that new readers may be unfamiliar with the characters and history, the constant repetitions won't help them "catch up". This is not a book for the uninitiated. I figure you cut out half the extraneous repetitions, you lose about 150 pages.
4.Least Favorite characters.
a)Besany, who is mostly shoved into the background (Yay!). However, there is one scene where she appears, just recently wakened and yet is said to look "glamorous". You ever see a woman just wake up? Her hair is everywhere!
b)Skirata, whom I really have never liked since he appeared in Triple Zero (Star Wars: Republic Commando, Book 2). I know he loves his boys (I've heard it a billion times in between the pages), but he is overly emotional, always bawling or pouting or yelling or something-ing.
c)The Nulls. All perfect Gary Stus, who can do no wrong. Plus, there are 6 interchangeable men. Maybe if it were only Ordo, I could stand them, but having six indistinguishable, perfect men is too much for me to handle.
5.Other quibbles:
a)Darman's sudden change to want to return home felt out of left field.
b)Kad acts way off-kilter for a toddler, even a Force sensitive one.
c)Jusik having no attachment to his master? Maybe I got spoiled with the Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan relationship from the Jedi Apprentice series.
d)Did you hear Palpatine is a Sith? Apparently everyone in this galaxy knows.
e)Too much time spent on Kyrimorout, aka "Walton's Mountain". In fact, in the beginning, I wanted to call the book "The Skiratas" after "The Waltons" because of all the time they spent at home doing homey things. Isn't this a Star Wars novel?
f)No Dramatis Personae. I've always had trouble figuring out who was what and this time it was even harder than usual.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Expect to confront the Mando curse word "fierfek". Other than that, not much.
Little to none. Other than perhaps Kad being the child of a liaison between Etain and Darman and that Altis' clan take lovers, not much is made in this regard.
People die in the novel, one by suicide (not to spoil too much, hopefully) and one when attacked by a Jedi. Niner and Darman see a lot of battle in this one.

Overall:
One hundred pages into it, I was going to throw in the towel. I just couldn't take the "At Home on Kyrimorout" any longer. This was a commando novel, where were the commandos doing something besides raising Star Wars chickens? Thankfully, the Niner and Darman story saved it and the Kyrimorout sections actually started to go somewhere besides to the barnyard.
Lots of good stuff happens in this book. We get an inside view of the Empire, see Jusik wonder about his Jedi heritage, see the prejudices of the characters through a mostly unbiased eye (Nyreen), and learn more of why the Empire lasted so long (fear and complacency). Plus, there are some good Jedi chases and fights.
But a lot of "filler" happens too. People talk endlessly about topics we've heard inside and out. More anti-Jedi bias. More silly Kyrimorout "happy family" scenes. And a LOT of characters (fortunately, most background).
Imperial Commando: 501st is a good novel, but I would not recommend reading it unless you have read the last four Republic Commando novels. I tried to start without reading Order 66 (Star Wars: Republic Commando), and it was confusing. And while it has its bumps, if you don't mind a highly Mando bias (I did), you should enjoy. I give it 4 stars (with a revised rating 3.5 star rating to Order 66).

Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*

I was surprised to discover this book - I thought the series was over after the last Republic Commando novel. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best one yet. Clan Skirata continues to thrive, and they haven't been found out (yet). Although I was extremely disappointed by the loss of Etain, at least Scout avoided the purge and I was genuinely pleased to see her alive and well. Niner did and awesome job as squad sergeant, especially when he stayed behind to support Darman (who was being a major dumba$$ at the time).

Some of the matchmaking was overkill, and I hope that Kal & Ny don't end up together because that would just be too convenient. The rest of the clones are doing fine, and it was nice to see Fi make a nearly full recovery. If Darman would have split when he had the chance, everything would be great. As it is, there is apparently more to tell and there is still the issue rapid aging to solve. That bit is wearing pretty thin at this point, so I hope it gets resolved soon - like before Imperial Intel gets wind of their activities and slags Kyrimorut.

Mando culture is fascinating. I would rather read about the Star Wars galaxy from the perspective of "fringe" characters such as these than any of the "primary" (Luke, Leia, Han, etc...) ones. Seriously. The state of galactic politics has little meaning for most beings. Let them battle it out for the illusion of dominance in the core where it belongs. Meanwhile, I prefer to hear about the lives of characters who are actually interesting while they go about trying to survive in a hostile and unforgiving universe.

Star Wars 501st picks up where Order 66 left off. Darman and Niner are still on Coruscant (or now Imperial City) while all of their family is on Mandalore. Darman is constantly going through turmoil with the death of his wife and is having problems dealing with the whole thing. He learns that his kid is around Jedi and becomes really upset with his father (Kal Skirata). Niner is constantly trying to desert and trying to take Darman with him. Kal wants his kids back, and the rest of the family wants Darman and Niner to come home also.

Throughout the whole novel I couldn't help but think 'when is this going to end?'. I thought the other Republic Commando novels were amazing (with Order 66 slacking a little), but this one was monotonous. There is always a twist with Niner and Darman trying to get off of Imperial City, and the story just keeps going on and on. I was really looking forward to reading this novel so it would put an end to the Republic Commando novels and yet it still didn't. Karen Traviss is an amazing author but I think she needs to learn when to call it quits, and right now would be a good time.

If you have followed the Republic Commando novels then you would know that Darman and Niner are clones trained by Mandalorians and become a family. Kal Skirata is the father figure and everyone else is brothers. With myself being in the military I really enjoyed the connection between all of the clones in Omega and even in Delta squads. I have a hard time believing that a training sergeant would convince his troops to desert on the only thing that they know but at the same time I've never been trained by someone who hates what they are doing. I love how Traviss makes it seem like you are there with the clones and the false sense of everything is going to be okay and turn out, but starting with Order 66 and continuing to 501st the reader starts to realize that everything isn't going to be okay. I would really like to see an end to the continuing saga (especially sense the rapid aging will soon take hold over the clones and there will be nothing left to write about).

I've been going through the Star Wars novels and Relevant Comics (Republic, Dark Times, etc.) in as much order as I possibly can, though I only began a few decades before The Phantom Menace, as I still need to back track at some point and cover the tales of the ancient Sith.

Anyhow, I generally go through and read the book reviews and only tends to skip over those books that everyone and their grandma is giving 1 star to.

Of the Novels I've read thus far, I can say that Karen's are amongst the absolute best! She provides the much needed depth of character that is lacking in many Star Wars novels and leaves them feeling rushed and a bit pulpy. Not only that, but you can tell she's done her Star Wars research, and has a way of laying things out on the table that leaves the reader with a MUCH better understanding of what it means to be a Jedi, Sith, Dark/Fallen Jedi, or Force Sensitive, as obviously they are not the same, and further more, the lines between what is Light and what is Dark become blurred. She offers a very in depth look into the hearts and minds of the Clones which you only get in small doses, if at all in the other novels. She seems to be setting us up for an explanation as to what happens to all the clones when their life cycles run out, and where all the new troops come from, which may or may not be the same bread that we were familiar with in A New Hope and after.

She explains in great detail why it is that many people do not trust Force Sensitives in the Galaxy, as well as why those Indoctrinated with the Jedi principles are particularly frowned upon. Reasons which do not fall far from the tree of Christian, Islamic, or Buddhist criticism in our own world.

There has been so much depth in these books, and while they don't entirely carry that Star Wars feel in the way that, so far in my reading experience, only seems to have been captured by the original three Star Wars novels, and The Trawn Trilogy...

...they do still resonate that distinct spirit, and don't ever feel like they could merely fall in line with some other random sci-fi story line or what have you.

You've got your comedy, your drama, your love, your passions, your Jedi Wisdom, your human conditions, intriguing technology, and many other defining words that fail to describe the ISness that is Star Wars. :)

As for this particular novel, well I have to say, I'm with everyone else in that it does feel a bit like she tried to cram too much into one book, because Lucas wanted to put more emphasis on those childish Clone Wars TV episodes and novels. So all we are getting is one more book, and quite frankly, this one only felt like I was reading a 400 some page Prologue and the rest of the book was missing, or rather it was like a 400 some page Epilogue and I'm still waiting to find out what happens next, where as this book just seemed to focus on the personal details of each character, but really doesn't go anywhere as to answering many of those awe inspiring questions that Karen created in our minds through out the other four novels. Though now I do know a lot more about what they ate, and who helped to make it since the last novel. And I learned about bit about house keeping, and making new friends in strange places too...

...ya, like I said, it's a necessary read, it really gives you some insight about how everyone is coping since the dramatic conclusion of the last novel, but that's about it. It just leaves you wishing that the next novel will come out soon, and more than that, it leaves you hoping that the next novel will be at least 1,000 pages long, because it is just WRONG that their is only going to be one more novel in the series, so that the company and it's hired authors can dedicate more time and focus to the Clone Wars project, which quite frankly, play out like one of those flaky schoolastic books, and at many times, just goes into the territory of just plane silly, cliche, and un-Star Wars. The Force is missing with that series and those books me says. They've lost the mystique that I was entranced with as a child, that mystique helped lead me to life's greater, less mundane mysteries, while the clone wars seems to be catering to a society with no touch with The Spirit, and no attention span to follow deep plots, or characters. Sighhh....

If only Star Wars was not bound by marketing schemes, and was rather made in the Spirit of the classics for the fans that grew up on it, if only Star Wars was still art...


...but at least, with this book, and many others, that Spirit does still live on, to greater and lesser degrees.

I liked this book. As was the case with all the other Republic Commando novels, I found it hard to stop reading until I finished it.
It is true, as others here have observed, that the novel is not as 'strong' as the others.
However, though it might not be strong in what pure action is concerned, I feel the goal here is a more psychological one. The most impressive example of this is Darman, undergoing his dramatic transformation.
I must say I appreciate Karen Traviss as a writer even more now, as she enters a still unexplored segment of the Star Wars time line. I'm looking forward to the following book in the series, feeling it is going to be bursting with action.