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Children No More (Jon & Lobo #4)

3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 · rating details · 142 ratings · 21 reviews

Military SF with an adventurous flourish – Mark Van Name’s notches a thoughtful and hard-hitting #4 entry in his Jon and Lobo saga.

Jon Moore: nanotech-enhanced, fight-weary soldier-of-fortune. Assault vehicle Lobo: formerly scrap-heaped A.I.-equipped intelligence and weapons platform (spaceship-sized!) of enormous destructive potential. Hard lessons have forged their frien

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Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages

Published June 28th 2011 by Baen Books (first published 2010)

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Oct 11, 2010 Dan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: speculative-fiction

Mark Van Name's Children No More is a hard, heavy book. I'm not sure I can recommend it enough. It's one of those books that makes me re-think things and stay in touch--deeply in touch--with how I feel. I'm not sure, just now, if I'll ever be able to fully say why I like it so much, why it moves me as it does, but here's a stab at that. I hope you pick it up and give it a read, and I hope you find it moves you to a depth worthy of taking the trip.

I say the book is hard and heavy because that's h...more Mark Van Name's Children No More is a hard, heavy book. I'm not sure I can recommend it enough. It's one of those books that makes me re-think things and stay in touch--deeply in touch--with how I feel. I'm not sure, just now, if I'll ever be able to fully say why I like it so much, why it moves me as it does, but here's a stab at that. I hope you pick it up and give it a read, and I hope you find it moves you to a depth worthy of taking the trip.

I say the book is hard and heavy because that's how I experience the emotional impact of the story. Van Name pulls few punches in the beginning and the end of the book. He doesn't shy from the awful truth even when he does spare the reader some of the horrors of what child soldiers face and what other survivors, in other contexts, struggle to cope with. I picked up Children No More because I found out just enough about it, and about Mark's personal connection to the book, to be drawn to it. I kept reading because his writing is both honest and compassionate, facing down trauma with the committment to do the right thing, to remain human in spite of inhumanity.

This is the fourth novel in Van Name's Jon & Lobo series, but the first of his books that I've read. I'm looking forward to reading the earlier books because Children No More gives you a prequel-style look at Jon's past, why he is the way he is, while telling a story set after the first three books. It's going to be fun to read how he got to this part of his life, all while knowing where his story started. You get hints of those earlier novels here and there, and a few characters from them reappear. But Van Name gives you just enough info to understand those characters, and those past stories, without needing to have read the earlier book--and without giving away what happened.

I find myself not wanting to summarize the story arc - not just to avoid spoilers, but because what kept me reading was the emotional story within the events. What held me to the page - especially during the last half of the book - was the uncertainty of how Jon, the main character, would handle the situations he was in. The plot of the story is good, serving up developments that the reader expects while offering a few well-considered surprises. But the heart of the story is Jon's heart: why he decides to do what he does, how he feels about it, and how his choices influence his relationships with those around him, both past and present.

In structure, the story is two inter-related stories. The prequel characteristic comes through via memories from his childhood, well over 100 years from the present in Jon's life. Most of the story is focused on current events, but Jon's memories haunt him. Reading the memories, you gradually understand, and anticipate, the bind he will be in as present events unfold. As the book nears the end, the two stories become intertwined in Jon's mind, clearly showing how his past influences his present--and how his present can influence his past.

Children No More is a joy to read--if one is willing to understand "joy" in a weighty and profound way. Van Name brings Jon through a crisis that touches raw nerves and ressurrects memories Jon would rather be free of. That crisis, and Jon's response to it, will hold your attention, I believe. And the ending delivers on the promise of the story, though I won't say how in this review.

If you like science fiction, tortured heroes, or a really good read, go get this book and read it. Better yet, if you like a story that has real emotional impact, makes you think about your own choices, and leaves you feeling changed, not wanting the catharsis to end, then go buy it and read it. And recommend it to your friends.(less)

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Mar 30, 2010 Liviu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010_release_read, review_fbc, genre-sf, read_2010, t1_recommended_2010

The fourth Jon Lobo adventure is the "least adventurous" and most introspective of all and it works extremely well; alternating present happenings on a middle of nowhere poor planet where rebels pressed some 500 boys in service as soldiers and Jon and Lobo are co-opted to rescue them with the back story of Jon 139 years earlier when he became a child soldier himself, the novel is mostly about Jon confronting his personal demons and trying to do good for once rather than do the mission (hopefully...more

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May 01, 2011 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, science-fiction

Not a lighthearted romp like the early books in the series, but instead a much more serious novel that weaves together Jon and Lobo's attempt to help rescue 500 young child soldiers with Jon's memories of his own traumatic childhood experiences. The book is more thought provoking than exciting, but not at all boring. It was really interesting to finally see Jon's backstory and the way it played out against what the kids in the camp were dealing with was very touching. It will be interesting to s...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Ben Mason rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

This is the 4th "Jon & Lobo" book, and it's the one with the least amount of action, and the most discussion of feelings and ideas. Which is ok, I suppose—I liked it less than the other books in the series, but it wasn't because of that facet of it. It may be that I was honestly disappointed with which part of Jon's origin story the author chose to tell. I realize that his time on Pinkelponker after Jennie left was the part of his life most like the events of the hereandnow, and therefore sh...more

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Aug 28, 2010 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Jon & Lobo

Recommended to Eric by: The Author

Go and buy this hardcover. The author is donating his royalties from the hardcover sales to a worthy charity. I've got more than one copy. Go buy a couple and give them as gifts. Read a good story, aid a good cause. Five stars for that, four for the story.

I've done this book a disservice by not getting my review out faster. I read this book in about a day and a half, but I was attempting to get the word out about it via various methods and neglected this venue.

As I've stated in my reviews before...more

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Mar 30, 2013 John Kusters rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been a fan of the "Jon and Lobo" books since finding the first one. As others have said, this one wasn't as action-packed as others in the series, but it does dive much more deeply into Jon's background, and explores what drives Jon the way that he's driven. It doesn't give all the answers, but the way in which his background parallels the story of the child soldiers in the book was very illuminating. If you've been following the series for a while, this is a must-read. But if you're new to...more

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Oct 31, 2010 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

While every Jon and Lobo novel is worth reading, ‘Children No More’ by Mark L. Van Name is the story fans have been waiting for. In between the fast-paced action, plot twists and humour part of Jon’s own tale is told.

Fourth in the series of novels featuring Jon Moore and his companion, the sentient PCAV (Predator-Class Assault Vehicle) named Lobo, ‘Children No More’ begins with a series of disturbing holographic messages. They sent to Jon by a former colleague, Alyssa Lim. She has a job for him...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Per Gunnar rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

This book was certainly not the best one in the series. I still classifies as okay (barely) as far as I am concerned but I did indeed hope for something better.

As with the other ones in the series, the book is well written. The dialog (bickering) between Jon and Lobo can be quite entertaining although sometimes a wee bit tiring. It could have been a really good book.

Unfortunately it suffers, at least from my point of view, from the same fault as the previous books. Jon have these powerful nano-m...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Don rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My boss wrote this book, so I HAVE to give it a good rating, LOL. Seriously, it was an excellent read. Another high octane, sci-fi, action/adventure story with Jon and Lobo. These characters have developed incredible depth over the course of this series and really grown through the writing of each novel. The action and the dilemmas the heroes face are intriguing and not your average "shoot all the bad guys" type of solutions. This isn't Rambo with a Space Ship.

The main theme in this book is chi...more

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Sep 12, 2012 A.B.R. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Children No More is the title of science fiction writer Mark L. Van Name’s fourth novel. But it is the first one I’ve seen, and it was an enjoyable read. I burned through it pretty quickly.

I don’t read a lot of military sci-fi, but I guess Children No More is classifiable as military sci-fi. However, it approaches the genre from an entirely fresh, and more serious, point of view. The protagonist, Jon Moore, is a psychologically scarred professional soldier and mercenary recruited by an old comr...more Children No More is the title of science fiction writer Mark L. Van Name’s fourth novel. But it is the first one I’ve seen, and it was an enjoyable read. I burned through it pretty quickly.

I don’t read a lot of military sci-fi, but I guess Children No More is classifiable as military sci-fi. However, it approaches the genre from an entirely fresh, and more serious, point of view. The protagonist, Jon Moore, is a psychologically scarred professional soldier and mercenary recruited by an old comrade in arms to help free 500 child soldiers from a rebel army. Liberating the child soldiers from the rebels is the first part of the story.

After vacillating, and against the wishes of the group dedicated to deprogramming the child soldiers and returning them to their families and civil society, Jon decides to stay and help in any way he can. His unstated reason for doing so is because he was a child soldier of sorts himself. That story forms a sub-plot told through interspersions within the main story arc, and it is a good story in its own right.

Some of the best parts of the novel revolve around the difficulty of deprogramming soldiers who do not think of themselves as children. Then Jon is forced to save the child soldiers from a politician scheming to use the children against the same rebels who captured them and turned them into soldiers in the first place. Jon’s plan for saving the children from that fate is highly entertaining.

But that is just a skeletal outline of the plot. Van Name provides a wealth of detail to put flesh on the characters and create an engrossing story, with multiple conflicts and personality clashes, and an engaging sub-plot.

Not the least of those relationships, though one with little conflict and good entertainment value, is his relationship with his powerful and sarcastic warship, Lobo. Naturally, Lobo is the most powerful AI in Jon’s society. (Aren’t they always?)

If I have one knock on the novel, it is that while it is a good story with a serious theme, the plight of the child soldiers did not really engage me on an emotional level. But, then, science fiction novels rarely do. It certainly is not because Van Name fails to treat his subject matter seriously or develop it fully. He does both. In fact, he is donating his proceeds from the novel to an NGO or charitable group rehabilitating child soldiers in the Congo. Maybe it is just one of things you can can’t really feel unless you’ve been through it yourself. In all other respects Children No More is a good novel, and should appeal to readers who do not normally read military sci-fi. Give it a try.
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May 03, 2012 Samuel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bought, audible

Very recommended sf here, though not without a couple potential missteps in pacing and over explanation of decisions. Our sentient high tech spaceship doesn't get too many chances to show off in terms of firepower and ship to ship combat -- but with all of Lobo's sarcasm, and a demonstration of his/its abilities as hacker, surveillance, and command and control. This is a novel which ruminates on the costs of violence and very much in particular on the psychological damage done to child soldiers;...more Very recommended sf here, though not without a couple potential missteps in pacing and over explanation of decisions. Our sentient high tech spaceship doesn't get too many chances to show off in terms of firepower and ship to ship combat -- but with all of Lobo's sarcasm, and a demonstration of his/its abilities as hacker, surveillance, and command and control. This is a novel which ruminates on the costs of violence and very much in particular on the psychological damage done to child soldiers; the whiz-bang fireworks of space opera or military sf are a bit on pause. It's a 2010 novel which has been tragically overlooked; it was not on the Locus recommended reading list, not in the Hugo long tail -- there's quite a quiet something to this novel and I encourage more people to give the book a try. And the previous books in the series are not required reading to jump into Children No More, if my experience here is any indication. I really enjoyed getting to know Jon Moore through the use of the alternating origin story chapters; as the adult Moore finds himself trying to help former child soldiers make some sense of their lives, he is reliving his own, violent, militarized childhood in dreams and flashbacks. (Before I get to the conclusion, I want to say another word about the "over explanation" comment; it is actually for this reason (among several others which are more obvious) that Children No More is very recommended for fans of Ender's Game; in that novel, we see Ender Wiggin work consequences out in detail in his head, and here there's a similar use of Jon-Lobo interaction to present the full extent of the thought process behind decisions. OK, back to the book.) In Children No More, super-soldier Jon Moore is called upon to do something fairly extraordinary: not fight. To stay around and deal with the political aftermath of a military engagement, to protect something he cares about rather than destroy or acquire a target. To fulfill this particular mission, Jon (and Lobo of course!) have to devise a hacked-together high stakes plan to out-politic, out-bluff, out-media their opponents. When these overtly hidden plans come to fruition, I got big grin right along with Jon. In conclusion, though, I wonder if Van Name has written Jon into a non-violent corner; he's learned a lot and grown during this book, which is saying something. I suppose we'll find out pretty soon in the next book, No Going Back, at the end of May.(less)

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Mar 13, 2013 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: lovers of science fiction, action and fantasy

The fourth book in the Jon and Lobo series
This book embraces issues we are facing in our world today.
At times it is sad, others it's confronting. What would you do if faced with the same decisions as Jon are Lobo in this book ?
Well written, reveals more of Jon's past, revealing why he makes certain choices in his life
As the author allows you to know more about his main characters, you find them more endearing and understand what drives them

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Oct 07, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

While this book in the Jon and Lobo saga isn't as action packed as the previous books in the series, I still highly recommend it. It deliverers an important political message about the effects of war on children and it also fills in many of the mysteries of Jon's past. Even more importantly the author is donating his royalties from the sales to a worthy charity which helps children who are the victims of war.

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Jan 25, 2013 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: military-sci-fi, science-fiction, space-stories

Another really great episode with Jon & Lobo fighting against rebel soldiers who have captured hundreds of kids and turned them into child soldiers. Jon also stays behind after the fighting is done to witness the rehabilitation efforts, but it soon becomes clear that a corrupt senator also wants to use these same boys as child soldiers, this time fighting for the government. Jon finds a way to save the boys and get them off this poor, backwater planet, although we don't know the details of h...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Bill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jon and Lobo assist a former colleague of Jon's in liberating a large group of boys who had been made soldiers. It's deja vu for Jon. Another excellent chapter to the Jon and Lobo story.

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Jul 31, 2012 Meical abAwen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-f

Good quick read. The author makes you care about the protagonists, and that' s always a good thing.

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Mar 01, 2011 Harry Kloss rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jon and Lobo tale of child soldiers.

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Jul 27, 2011 Brian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

I love this series.

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Oct 07, 2010 Joey Hoggard rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't normally pick up a book in the middle of a series, but this was given to me at the right time since I just finished what I had been reading. So far, it looks promising.

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Mar 22, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It blew my mind to read about the things Mark Van Name went through as a kid after reading this fictional account of child soldiers. Bless my parents for being the wonderful people they are!

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Feb 23, 2012 Nora rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The author has a noble goal, but I found the characters very one-dimensional.

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May 22, 2013 Oezay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

May 13, 2013 Michael Joint rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

May 10, 2013 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apr 29, 2013 Kate marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Apr 19, 2013 Lisa marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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Apr 05, 2013 Aggie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apr 05, 2013 thp1017 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apr 02, 2013 Eliz Eames rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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“Please recall that she rescued you from torture not so many years ago, and do try to be nice" Lobo
I remembered, but the last thing I wanted was social coaching from a killing machine. Jon” — 2 people liked it

“Of course," Lobo said. "It's not like this is my first dance, and it's not as if you've cornered the market on paranoia.” — 2 people liked it

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Children No More (Jon & Lobo #4)

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