As the Clone Wars rage, victory or defeat lies in the hands of elite squads that take on the toughest assignments in the galaxy–stone-c...
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reviews
Mar 31, 2008
Ryan
rated it: 
When is a Star Wars novel not a Star Wars novel?
That seems to be one of the questions raised by Republic Commando: Hard Contact. On the surface, it very much seems to be one - you have a group of Commando clone troopers trying to rescue a young Jedi from a Mandalorian warrior, and the Clone Wars are very actively happening in the background of the novel's action. Despite these surface similarities, however, the novel bears very little in common with the rest of the Star Wars unive More...
That seems to be one of the questions raised by Republic Commando: Hard Contact. On the surface, it very much seems to be one - you have a group of Commando clone troopers trying to rescue a young Jedi from a Mandalorian warrior, and the Clone Wars are very actively happening in the background of the novel's action. Despite these surface similarities, however, the novel bears very little in common with the rest of the Star Wars unive More...
Sep 24, 2008
Michael
rated it: 
Star Wars: republic Commando – Hard Contact is a great read for anybody who loves Star Wars books or Star Wars in general. The plot follows a squad of clone commandos and a Jedi Padawan as they carry out a mission on a farming planet. In this way, it is unlike most Star Wars books. It is a great military book, and shows how a four-person squad works together. The author uses imagery well to allow the reader to visualize the action and fighting. The book emphasizes working as a team a lot. It ke
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Apr 01, 2008
Liz
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I wanted to read this book because I fell in love with Karen Traviss' wess'har novels, so was definitely looking forward to reading pretty much anything else she writes. I'm also a Star Wars fan, but haven't read much in the Star Wars universe as far as tie-in novels but for one by Timothy Zahn a *long* time ago.
It took me a long time to get into it - but once I did, I was drawn into Ms. Traviss' typical characterizations and didn't really want to put the book down. I don't, however, More...
It took me a long time to get into it - but once I did, I was drawn into Ms. Traviss' typical characterizations and didn't really want to put the book down. I don't, however, More...
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Jul 28, 2008
Sarah
rated it:
Cracking good military SF with heart and soul ... that just happens to be set in the Star Wars universe. I decided to give this series a try because I am so crazy about Karen Traviss's non-Star Wars series, The Wess'har Wars, the final volume of which (Judge) I will be reading soon (so sad!). The writing is just as good here, the morality complex and thought-provoking. Traviss takes the reader behind the visors of some of the clone soldiers, where we get to know them as human beings: artificiall
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Jan 05, 2009
Nat
rated it:
I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
I generally think that the Star Wars line of books are basically horrible filler for all of us fanboys out there. I've not read many Star Wars novels in the last few years and I did not have high expectations for this title.
I played the game a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised by it as well, but it really didn't have a strong narrative. What really surprised me about this book was all the moral undertones of sending clones More...
I generally think that the Star Wars line of books are basically horrible filler for all of us fanboys out there. I've not read many Star Wars novels in the last few years and I did not have high expectations for this title.
I played the game a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised by it as well, but it really didn't have a strong narrative. What really surprised me about this book was all the moral undertones of sending clones More...
Sep 04, 2011
Tina
rated it:
This book was fast-paced and fun! It could be bias on my part because I just love Clone Troopers, but this book rocked. Traviss is a great writer who manages to approach Star Wars without making it seem like fan fiction or an appeal by the publisher for easy money. The troopers were believable in that they were very similar to one another but still slightly different; you could tell that they all came from the same mould, but that their experiences had given them distinct outlooks and personalit
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Apr 25, 2011
Mia
rated it:
As a person who is not a huge fan of tie-in books and very picky about my Star Wars extended universe material I must say I was pleasantly surprised as how much of a fun and multi-layered read this was. Star Wars is a universe of Jedi Knights and Sith Lords... or at least that's what most of the material picks up on. And while some of it is pretty great, the concept does get a bit old after a while (especially in a literary medium, where you don't have the advantage of being distracted by great
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Mar 14, 2011
Kayla
rated it:
LOVED IT!!
It's the spirituality, ethics and concepts of the Force that have made SW my favorite science-fiction/fantasy series. I put up with the detailed space battle sequences to get to the juicy philosophy discussions and thoughts of the characters. I've been disappointed, recently, with the pacing of stories of the adventures of Luke, Han and Leia in the years after their children are grown. One story arc is stretched out over 25 books! This book, in contrast, is a tight story of t More...
It's the spirituality, ethics and concepts of the Force that have made SW my favorite science-fiction/fantasy series. I put up with the detailed space battle sequences to get to the juicy philosophy discussions and thoughts of the characters. I've been disappointed, recently, with the pacing of stories of the adventures of Luke, Han and Leia in the years after their children are grown. One story arc is stretched out over 25 books! This book, in contrast, is a tight story of t More...
Sep 14, 2010
Mike
rated it:
Yeah, I read a Star Wars book. What are you gonna do about it?
So this book isn't bad, certainly not as bad as I expected, honestly. It just isn't very good. The story is about some special ops military guys that are on some special ops military mission during the Clone Wars. Oh, and they're all four of them clones of that bounty hunter who captured Harrison Ford in "Empire."
Having only seen those prequel movies once, and having tried to forget about them, I didn't r More...
So this book isn't bad, certainly not as bad as I expected, honestly. It just isn't very good. The story is about some special ops military guys that are on some special ops military mission during the Clone Wars. Oh, and they're all four of them clones of that bounty hunter who captured Harrison Ford in "Empire."
Having only seen those prequel movies once, and having tried to forget about them, I didn't r More...
Jul 11, 2010
Crystal Starr Light
rated it:
"Not all soldiers wear uniforms, ma'am"
Thanks to a Star Wars book club, I got to reread this amazing Clone Wars era novel!
Four clone commandos have been assigned an important task: land on Qiilura, apprehend scientist, Uthan, and destroy her work on biological agents targeted at clones. But a Mandalorian mercenary, the desperate natives, and a green Padawan might keep them from their objective.
What I Liked:
There is so much to love about this book, it's hard to More...
Thanks to a Star Wars book club, I got to reread this amazing Clone Wars era novel!
Four clone commandos have been assigned an important task: land on Qiilura, apprehend scientist, Uthan, and destroy her work on biological agents targeted at clones. But a Mandalorian mercenary, the desperate natives, and a green Padawan might keep them from their objective.
What I Liked:
There is so much to love about this book, it's hard to More...
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Jun 11, 2009
Jayson
rated it:
This book in a series of books about Republic Commandos who are elite soldeirs for the republic. These soldiers are the best of the best who do the most dangerous of missions, but now they face something some may consider an impossible. Their task is to work behind any lines with no backup, in this environment they are far outnumbered by the enemy, and plus they are forced to work with strangers. Under these circumstances people may say that everything is impossible, but then again that word is
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May 28, 2009
Steve
rated it:
This book i got for cheap at a used bookstore. I played the game a few years back and loved it so played it again before is tarted reading this book. If follows a Commando squad not mentioned in the game OMEGA squad. The characters are cool and fun to read about but the book itself is poorly written and lacks detail in many areas. I have a hard time grinding my way through the middle of the book as the writing was very confusing and would leave details about until the middle of a chapter th
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Dec 06, 2011
Christopher
rated it:
Another excellent SW book by Karen Traviss. In fact, it's hard to even call this a Star Wars book as she obviously drew on a lot of her own personal experience as a military/defense correspondent to create a realistic tale of commando's behind enemy lines. What also set's this book apart is that it is one of the few SW novels that succeeds at being a good story without having to rely on well-known characters from the movies, a crutch that all too many SW authors rely on sometimes. My only critic
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Sep 06, 2009
Relstuart
rated it:
I really enjoyed getting into these books. The author goes a bit further into making the clones real people with hopes and dreams. What does it feel like to learn that you are a clone? No retirement package. No rights as a human or citizen. But you are to put your life on the line for citizens so they don't have to leave their comfortable lives.
Love the whole delving onto the Mandolorian culture at play throughout the first four books in this series. The author has a goal of creatin More...
Love the whole delving onto the Mandolorian culture at play throughout the first four books in this series. The author has a goal of creatin More...
Aug 01, 2011
Michael
rated it:
I was somewhat surprised by this one. I'd read it simply as a bridge between my chronological listening to the Star Wars audiobooks. While neither the blurb nor the first few chapters suggest it's anything but fan fodder (character names, species and equipment are undescribed and impenetrable to casual readers) the main push of the book is quite interesting, concentrating on the ethics of cloning (the Republic raises a clone army to combat the Separatist's droids - in case you didn't see the f
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Apr 24, 2010
Ryan
rated it:
The whole idea behind this book was to create a sense in the reader that the clones are human, with the emotions and unique experiences that go along with that. I think that the author dealt with this idea very well, and I gained a better understanding of what and who the clones are. The author made it easy for me to sympathize with the men of Omega squad.
The plot of the book was well thought out. I thought that the pacing, structure, and flow all worked together very well. The dialo More...
The plot of the book was well thought out. I thought that the pacing, structure, and flow all worked together very well. The dialo More...
Sep 26, 2008
Ron
rated it:
Surprisingly subtle for a story whose basic purpose is to advertise a Star Wars game.
Not all blasters and light sabers. Character growth and change on several levels.
A second reading confirmed my opinion of this book's quality.
Not all blasters and light sabers. Character growth and change on several levels.
A second reading confirmed my opinion of this book's quality.
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Sep 11, 2011
Adelaide
rated it:
Aww YES! So good! YEAH! This is the BEEEEEEST video game adapted book series next to the Halo novels.
There are only four books, (which makes it a series, not a trilogy), but I wanted so bad for Karen Traviss to continue the series with--whoops, I can't say anything for the people who haven't read it yet.
The first books in a series are always unique on their own because we are still in act one with getting to know the characters and such, and that's kind of how this series is, b More...
There are only four books, (which makes it a series, not a trilogy), but I wanted so bad for Karen Traviss to continue the series with--whoops, I can't say anything for the people who haven't read it yet.
The first books in a series are always unique on their own because we are still in act one with getting to know the characters and such, and that's kind of how this series is, b More...
Jun 01, 2007
Chris
rated it:
4 men against an army of droids, any ordinary man would have been destroyed, but these are not ordinary men they are... Clone Commandos. With a fast paced action packed story this novel has the makings of a hallmark Star Wars book.
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Dec 16, 2009
Aaron
rated it:
If the aspect of a clone army intrigued you - the moral issues with it mainly give the book a chance. Its based on video game but its still good. Like I said you have to like clone troopers to get into it.
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Aug 05, 2009
Gabriel
rated it:
Okay, so I loved the Lucasarts video game, Republic Commando, as well as Karen Traviss' other Star Wars novels, so I was dying to read these books. They are very different from both her other novels and the video game. She paints the clones in an image that almost says "slaves" which makes for a much darker Clone Wars novel than I was expecting. The character development was great, as was the writing. The biggest difference between these books and the game is that the commandos are tea
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Apr 17, 2011
Brett
rated it:
It took a long time for me to get around to reading this book. I grew to hate Karen Traviss's LoTF novels with each one I read, and after all the drama she was a part of leading up to her depature from writing SW fiction, I really didn't care to read any more of her stuff.
After reading Hard Contact, I now see why so many fans love her work. This book was mostly free of her usual anti-Jedi sentiment, and it was very interesting to read about the clones. I look forward to contiuin More...
After reading Hard Contact, I now see why so many fans love her work. This book was mostly free of her usual anti-Jedi sentiment, and it was very interesting to read about the clones. I look forward to contiuin More...
Apr 29, 2009
Ronda
rated it:
My son recommended this one to me. Generally speaking, when a 5th grade boy recommends a book to you, it's a good idea to give it a read, and I'm glad that I did. Reminded me why I enjoyed sci fi to begin with--and gave me lots to think about. I particularly enjoyed the "quotes" at the beginnings of each chapter. On finishing the story, I found that I wanted to spend more time with these characters--and Eli tells me that I can do that very thing--in the next book.
Can' More...
Can' More...
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Oct 26, 2011
Tom
rated it: 
I wouldn't really call this a review, something like "initial thoughts" would be more important. My friend kept pestering me to read this, eve though I told him I had no interest in the Star Wars expanded universe. Still, I read a bit, but I just couldn't continue. The book seems to assume that the reader is a star wars nerd, because it used many terms that I just didn't get. It didn't introduce the characters very well either, they were just there. I had no idea what was going on, so
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Apr 23, 2011
Brett
rated it:
I'm a fan of military memoirs, specifically those of special forces or commandos or the like. What Karen Traviss has done is to create a fictional work that carries the feel of these realistic stories, all within the bounds of the Star Wars universe. It is nothing short of enthralling.
The personalities of the Republic Commandos do a great job of making them individuals in spite of the fact that they're all clones. Each of the soldiers is enjoyable is their own way, but Darman is by More...
The personalities of the Republic Commandos do a great job of making them individuals in spite of the fact that they're all clones. Each of the soldiers is enjoyable is their own way, but Darman is by More...
Nov 12, 2007
Louis
rated it:
What sets this apart from other military fiction is the emphasis on the relationship between the commando team members. To make the point, it starts by creating a commando team of clones that do not know each other and have been thrown together as a team. All professionals, but trained to regard teamwork as an essential part of working.
Hard contact has three story lines. The padawan who is learning what it means to be a leader and a jedi. The team that is learning how to gel, and More...
Hard contact has three story lines. The padawan who is learning what it means to be a leader and a jedi. The team that is learning how to gel, and More...
Mar 01, 2009
Espresso
rated it:
This book was an amazing combination of action, brotherly love, budding friendships and self-realization. The clones are essentially considered nothing more than tools, while they realize they are more, they do not yet realize how much more. The jedi padawan Etain feels she is a failure and not worthy of the role of jedi now that her master dead. Through interaction the squad and Etain start to teach each other the value each holds independently of the roles society has dictated for them.
Sep 22, 2011
Uppercase
rated it:
4.8 stars
It is the first book out of four in the series Republic Commando. One squad of surviving Commando's (Omega squad) are placed on Quileera a planet in the Star Wars universe. They have been trained by Mandalorians and the enemy they are facing is defended by a Mandalorian. There are two obscenities that may be seen in hard contact, they are both of unknown origin. Overall it is a great book and I recommend it to all readers, even those who are not Star Wars enthusiasts. Good
It is the first book out of four in the series Republic Commando. One squad of surviving Commando's (Omega squad) are placed on Quileera a planet in the Star Wars universe. They have been trained by Mandalorians and the enemy they are facing is defended by a Mandalorian. There are two obscenities that may be seen in hard contact, they are both of unknown origin. Overall it is a great book and I recommend it to all readers, even those who are not Star Wars enthusiasts. Good
Feb 01, 2012
Christian
rated it:
Author Karen Traviss delivers an intense and thrilling novel in the perspective of the deadly clone commandos during the clone wars. Not only that Ms. Traviss was able to create a story focusing on the clone commandos, but also the plots that us star wars fans have never seen in the theatres. Her experience in the navy and her inspiration from fellow brothers and sisters in arms, had helped create an intriguing masterpiece of tragedy and action.
Aug 04, 2011
Outstanding. This is the best Star Wars book I've read to date and what's good about this book is that it is NOT a usual Star Wars book that's centered around the main Star Wars characters or even Jedis to begin with. The action is fast and I can't recall any "dead" parts of the book. The pace is consistent. And I am immediately following up this book with the sequel "Triple Zero".
