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Rogue Clone #1
The Clone Republic
PFC Wayson Harris is just another clone born and bred to fight humanity's battles for them. But when he learns that his fellow Marines are being slaughtered to make room for the newer model of clone soldier, he goes AWOL--and plans revenge.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 20, 2006
36 people are currently reading
1381 people want to read
About the author
Steven L. Kent
36 books242 followersSteven L. Kent is the author of the Rogue Clone series of Military Science Fiction novels as well as The Ultimate History of Video Games.
Born in California and raised in Hawaii, Kent served as a missionary for the LDS Church between the years of 1979 and 1981. During that time, he worked as a Spanish-speaking missionary serving migrant farm workers in southern Idaho.
While Kent has a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and a Master’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University, he claims that his most important education came from life.
He learned important lessons from working with farm laborers in Idaho. Later, from 1986 through 1988, Kent worked as a telemarketer selling TV Guide and Inc. Magazine. His years on the phone helped him develop an ear for dialog.
In 1987, Kent reviewed the Stephen King novels Misery and The Eyes of the Dragon for the Seattle Times. A diehard Stephen King fan, Kent later admitted that he pitched the reviews to the Times so that he could afford to buy the books.
In 1993, upon returning to Seattle after a five-year absence, Kent pitched a review of “virtual haunted houses” for the Halloween issue of the Seattle Times. He reviewed the games The Seventh Guest, Alone in the Dark, and Legacy. Not only did this review land Kent three free PC games, it started him on a new career path.
By the middle of 1994, when Kent found himself laid off from his job at a PR agency, he became a full-time freelance journalist. He wrote monthly pieces for the Seattle Times along with regular features and reviews for Electronic Games, CDRom Today, ComputerLife, and NautilusCD. In later years, he would write for American Heritage, Parade, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and many other publications. He wrote regular columns for MSNBC, Next Generation, the Japan Times, and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
In 2000, Kent self-published The First Quarter: A 25-year History of Video Games. That book was later purchased and re-published as The Ultimate History of Video Games by the Prima, Three River Press, and Crown divisions of Random House.
During his career as a games journalist, Kent wrote the entries on video games for Encarta and the Encyclopedia Americana. At the invitation of Senator Joseph Lieberman, Kent has spoken at the annual Report Card on Video Game Violence in Washington D.C.
Born in California and raised in Hawaii, Kent served as a missionary for the LDS Church between the years of 1979 and 1981. During that time, he worked as a Spanish-speaking missionary serving migrant farm workers in southern Idaho.
While Kent has a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and a Master’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University, he claims that his most important education came from life.
He learned important lessons from working with farm laborers in Idaho. Later, from 1986 through 1988, Kent worked as a telemarketer selling TV Guide and Inc. Magazine. His years on the phone helped him develop an ear for dialog.
In 1987, Kent reviewed the Stephen King novels Misery and The Eyes of the Dragon for the Seattle Times. A diehard Stephen King fan, Kent later admitted that he pitched the reviews to the Times so that he could afford to buy the books.
In 1993, upon returning to Seattle after a five-year absence, Kent pitched a review of “virtual haunted houses” for the Halloween issue of the Seattle Times. He reviewed the games The Seventh Guest, Alone in the Dark, and Legacy. Not only did this review land Kent three free PC games, it started him on a new career path.
By the middle of 1994, when Kent found himself laid off from his job at a PR agency, he became a full-time freelance journalist. He wrote monthly pieces for the Seattle Times along with regular features and reviews for Electronic Games, CDRom Today, ComputerLife, and NautilusCD. In later years, he would write for American Heritage, Parade, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and many other publications. He wrote regular columns for MSNBC, Next Generation, the Japan Times, and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
In 2000, Kent self-published The First Quarter: A 25-year History of Video Games. That book was later purchased and re-published as The Ultimate History of Video Games by the Prima, Three River Press, and Crown divisions of Random House.
During his career as a games journalist, Kent wrote the entries on video games for Encarta and the Encyclopedia Americana. At the invitation of Senator Joseph Lieberman, Kent has spoken at the annual Report Card on Video Game Violence in Washington D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
May 25, 2018
Finding a shelf of "Any 3 books for £1.99" at Forbidden Planet, I fully expected all options to be completely devoid of quality and only there to be cleared out. Being a book hoarder, I obviously bought three anyway. I was surprised to find that at least on of the offerings, Republic, was actually quite enjoyable.
The front cover advertised the book as suited for Jack Campbell fans, and that comparison is spot on. This book is extremely similar to the Lost Fleet books, not merely by being a decent example of military sci-fi, but by its whole style, presentation, and story themes.
Flaws are unfortunately quite present. Primarily, I was annoyed by the same blatant amerocentrism that pervades much of the subgenre. However, while Campbell's amerocentrism is relatively harmless and even almost justified, Kent displays a form that is so devoid of any realism and consideration that it gives the impression of the book being a journey through the imagination of a redneck who recognises no world outside his home state, let alone the US. Which, to be fair, I am sure Kent is not, and like Campbell, he is an American author writing primarily to an American audience. Overall, however, this was almost enough of an annoyance to make me give up on the book as hopeless.
However, my interest in the story won out in the end. It is quite catchy, includes a lot of mystery, and a couple of actually multi-dimensional characters (another rarity of this subgenre). In the end, this was a slightly-above-mediocre book with some deep flaws, but a very pleasant surprise based on the meagre price I paid for it. And I will happily pay another £1.99 for the next three books in the series.
Finally, I would recommend this to military sci-fi fans and those who have read and enjoyed The Lost Fleet, but probably not anybody else.
The front cover advertised the book as suited for Jack Campbell fans, and that comparison is spot on. This book is extremely similar to the Lost Fleet books, not merely by being a decent example of military sci-fi, but by its whole style, presentation, and story themes.
Flaws are unfortunately quite present. Primarily, I was annoyed by the same blatant amerocentrism that pervades much of the subgenre. However, while Campbell's amerocentrism is relatively harmless and even almost justified, Kent displays a form that is so devoid of any realism and consideration that it gives the impression of the book being a journey through the imagination of a redneck who recognises no world outside his home state, let alone the US. Which, to be fair, I am sure Kent is not, and like Campbell, he is an American author writing primarily to an American audience. Overall, however, this was almost enough of an annoyance to make me give up on the book as hopeless.
However, my interest in the story won out in the end. It is quite catchy, includes a lot of mystery, and a couple of actually multi-dimensional characters (another rarity of this subgenre). In the end, this was a slightly-above-mediocre book with some deep flaws, but a very pleasant surprise based on the meagre price I paid for it. And I will happily pay another £1.99 for the next three books in the series.
Finally, I would recommend this to military sci-fi fans and those who have read and enjoyed The Lost Fleet, but probably not anybody else.
April 5, 2015
Damn. This started so well, and I thought I had found another space opera-type series I could really enjoy. The opening dialogue, which I read in the bookshop, drew me in immediately, in the way truly engaging thrillers do:
"Name?" The sergeant barked the question withouth bothering to look up from his desk. (p 13)
Fantastic. I was immediately in the story, and the fact that Wayson Harris, freshly baked space marine and key character, was portrayed through an "I-narrator" point of view made this even more immersive.
The first time I grew a little bit sceptical about Wayson was relatively early on, in the second chapter. In the scene in question, another marine puts Wayson in an uncomfortable, illegal even, situation. Remember, this is "I"-narrative. So here is how "I" extricate myself from this spot of bother:
"Listen, pal," Guttman [the other marine] said, grabbing me by my shoulder. Before I realized what I was doing, I spun and slammed my fist into Guttman's mouth. (p 32)
Oh dear. Really? That is how I react to mild threats and irritating "colleagues"? I do not seem to be very bright - could I not have put him down in a more elegant way?
Anyway, I thought. Not an issue. Perhaps I just had a bad day. And the dude was annoying, so there.
Events unfold, and I am transferred to the Kamehameha, flagship of the Scutum-Crux Fleet, the navy fleet stationed in the Scutum-Crux spiral arm of the Milky Way. One thing we are doing here is preventing planets to secede from the galaxy-spanning republic of worlds united under Earth's rule. And so we are off to deal with the Mogats, a bunch of terrorists united by a common faith not supported by Earth. Here is what I am thinking about these people:
Whatever possessed those Atkins believers [the Mogats] to ambush our platoon, they had seriously miscalculated. Fanatics that they were, perhaps the Mogats thought they could take on the entire Scutum-Crux Fleet (p 126)
Huh. Apart from the fact that I am thinking in very poor style, were my thoughts ever to be written down, I seem not to have progressed beyond the mental age of 12, nor am I capable of independent and critical thought.
But now we are sorting these guys out, and here's how we deal with that sort of people:
As it [the flagship] made its first pass, the ship opened fire, leveling the entire Mogat district. More than fifteen square miles were thoroughly pulverized. Whatever it was that the Mogats wanted to hide, the Kamehameha vaporized it in a flash of red lasers and white flames. (p 127)
Yes! Yes! Fantastic! I am a mass murderer! Or at least I am condoning mass murder because I havent learnt to think for myself. And this has nothing to do with the fact that I might be a clone, because I am not one. Indeed, all through the events that preceded this incomprehensibly cynical show of force have I demonstrated that I am capable of sarcasm, and criticism of the government (I spared you the quotes). So I am inconsistent as well.
Well now. To the victor go the spoils. So we are sending down a landing party to the city we so efficiently devastated, and meet with the local governmental authorities. These are of course officially happy that we rid them of the scourge that were the Mogats, and invite us to talks into the gubernatorial offices. And striding through the building, here are my impressions:
I saw several works of art around the capitol, but the best piece sat behind the desk just outside the governor's door. She stood as we approached, and I had a hard time staring straight ahead. (p134)
Ah splendid. I was afraid that deep down, below the tendency for petty violence, the inability to think for myself, or the fascination with near-genocide there may be a decent guy, a guy who respects others, and is likeable. This comment puts that concern to rest. I needn't have worried. I am a sexist and misogynist pig who objectifies women. And in true style of the best of us, I am a patronising arse to boot, seeing that I really like women, and think they are beautiful, and even recognise when they are being intelligent.
Excellent. However, I do have a confession to make. I do not like myself very much. I think I am a total wanker. I do not wish to have anything to do with myself, and I shall therefore terminate my life by slamming the world in which I exist shut and putting it on the shelf.
"Name?" The sergeant barked the question withouth bothering to look up from his desk. (p 13)
Fantastic. I was immediately in the story, and the fact that Wayson Harris, freshly baked space marine and key character, was portrayed through an "I-narrator" point of view made this even more immersive.
The first time I grew a little bit sceptical about Wayson was relatively early on, in the second chapter. In the scene in question, another marine puts Wayson in an uncomfortable, illegal even, situation. Remember, this is "I"-narrative. So here is how "I" extricate myself from this spot of bother:
"Listen, pal," Guttman [the other marine] said, grabbing me by my shoulder. Before I realized what I was doing, I spun and slammed my fist into Guttman's mouth. (p 32)
Oh dear. Really? That is how I react to mild threats and irritating "colleagues"? I do not seem to be very bright - could I not have put him down in a more elegant way?
Anyway, I thought. Not an issue. Perhaps I just had a bad day. And the dude was annoying, so there.
Events unfold, and I am transferred to the Kamehameha, flagship of the Scutum-Crux Fleet, the navy fleet stationed in the Scutum-Crux spiral arm of the Milky Way. One thing we are doing here is preventing planets to secede from the galaxy-spanning republic of worlds united under Earth's rule. And so we are off to deal with the Mogats, a bunch of terrorists united by a common faith not supported by Earth. Here is what I am thinking about these people:
Whatever possessed those Atkins believers [the Mogats] to ambush our platoon, they had seriously miscalculated. Fanatics that they were, perhaps the Mogats thought they could take on the entire Scutum-Crux Fleet (p 126)
Huh. Apart from the fact that I am thinking in very poor style, were my thoughts ever to be written down, I seem not to have progressed beyond the mental age of 12, nor am I capable of independent and critical thought.
But now we are sorting these guys out, and here's how we deal with that sort of people:
As it [the flagship] made its first pass, the ship opened fire, leveling the entire Mogat district. More than fifteen square miles were thoroughly pulverized. Whatever it was that the Mogats wanted to hide, the Kamehameha vaporized it in a flash of red lasers and white flames. (p 127)
Yes! Yes! Fantastic! I am a mass murderer! Or at least I am condoning mass murder because I havent learnt to think for myself. And this has nothing to do with the fact that I might be a clone, because I am not one. Indeed, all through the events that preceded this incomprehensibly cynical show of force have I demonstrated that I am capable of sarcasm, and criticism of the government (I spared you the quotes). So I am inconsistent as well.
Well now. To the victor go the spoils. So we are sending down a landing party to the city we so efficiently devastated, and meet with the local governmental authorities. These are of course officially happy that we rid them of the scourge that were the Mogats, and invite us to talks into the gubernatorial offices. And striding through the building, here are my impressions:
I saw several works of art around the capitol, but the best piece sat behind the desk just outside the governor's door. She stood as we approached, and I had a hard time staring straight ahead. (p134)
Ah splendid. I was afraid that deep down, below the tendency for petty violence, the inability to think for myself, or the fascination with near-genocide there may be a decent guy, a guy who respects others, and is likeable. This comment puts that concern to rest. I needn't have worried. I am a sexist and misogynist pig who objectifies women. And in true style of the best of us, I am a patronising arse to boot, seeing that I really like women, and think they are beautiful, and even recognise when they are being intelligent.
Excellent. However, I do have a confession to make. I do not like myself very much. I think I am a total wanker. I do not wish to have anything to do with myself, and I shall therefore terminate my life by slamming the world in which I exist shut and putting it on the shelf.
August 21, 2016
This story felt clumsily cobbled together and all the relationships between the characters felt superficial. When characters died I didn't feel anything and it didn't seem to me that the surviving characters felt much more. The story kicks off with a prologue that finds the MC in the year A.D. 2510, about to face likely death in some remote outpost on some dumpy planet. The rest of the book details the two years leading up to that point but a lot of it just wasn't that interesting. The whole story circles back around to the beginning but I'm just not sure what the whole point was.
April 23, 2016
Sci-Fi? Check. Military themed? Check. A loner as the main character? Check! Some twists and turns you don't see coming? Check. You've got me! :) I like how this book deals with the colonisation of space when there are no Aliens in the whole galaxy. How will mankind deal with that? With a dictatorship in which Earth controls its colonies with an iron fist and a large military presence? Highly possible! I also like how it deals with an army of clones. It could have been boring but here we get a special twist: Yes, they are clones but every clone has a different personality and they don't know that they are clones! I also like the main character, Wayson Harris, and a lot of the supporting characters, Vince Lee, Admiral Klyber, Master Sergeant Shannon and Captain McKay (guess what I've been thinking the first time I read that name ;) ) and so on, a lot. I like how we get to know them and that we don't know what they are up to (Yes, I'm looking at you Klyber). What doesn't hurt is that there is a small but steady amount of H/C through the story. :) In short: I really enjoyed the book and have already ordered the five sequels. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2022
The mediocre ratings of this book make me wonder whether everyone else missed something or whether I have. I liked it enough for me to have decided to read the rest of this series, which is something I rarely do with sagas.
As military sci-fi, this book really isn't that spectacular. Not that it isn't action-packed, but the most memorable action sequences are brawls (some really fine brawls, I should add). The maneuvering, the shootouts, these are pretty bland, and it isn't filled with fun gadgets of the sort you have in The Forever War or Old Man's War. The exception might be the clones, perhaps, although they technically aren't gadgets.
Nevertheless, the military isn't just tacked on. The plot, the characters, the overall atmosphere, they plain couldn't exist without the military background.
I think the author did a very good job in creating unique scenes that are each fun to read in their own right, without making the story a sequence of unrelated events. You have a Jarhead-esque sequence on a backwater world, Magnum-esque rest and recreation, underground fights, grueling suicide missions and more. The visuals come to live when I think back about this book, and they're pretty cool.
The idea of a clone army isn't new, but here, it's executed better than elsewhere, including in Scalzis novels. Each individual clone is hardwired to think he's the only orphan in the entire armed forces, yet they also all know every clone is hardwired that way. Hardwired as in, it's a completely unshakable belief but if it was shaken, the clone would automatically die. This makes for some really hilarious scenes, but the clones are not just comic relief. They play an integral role in the thriller, for one. They also seem to collectively make a statement against genetic determinism, as all clones have individual personalities, ranging from complacent, overweight administrators to bodybuilders. How this happens, the novel never explains, although it mentions the mystery. Given the authors religious views, it might have to do with either their soul or the existence of free will. Both are nice to see implied in a sci-fi novel, for a change. Lastly, that the clones are treated as expendable tells us something about the rest of the entire society, in the light of the fact that they are individuals and not just factory-produced automatons. There's a surprising humanity in this novel, and not just in what I mentioned, but throughout it, particularly in the characters.
So yes, I think it's a really good book.
As military sci-fi, this book really isn't that spectacular. Not that it isn't action-packed, but the most memorable action sequences are brawls (some really fine brawls, I should add). The maneuvering, the shootouts, these are pretty bland, and it isn't filled with fun gadgets of the sort you have in The Forever War or Old Man's War. The exception might be the clones, perhaps, although they technically aren't gadgets.
Nevertheless, the military isn't just tacked on. The plot, the characters, the overall atmosphere, they plain couldn't exist without the military background.
I think the author did a very good job in creating unique scenes that are each fun to read in their own right, without making the story a sequence of unrelated events. You have a Jarhead-esque sequence on a backwater world, Magnum-esque rest and recreation, underground fights, grueling suicide missions and more. The visuals come to live when I think back about this book, and they're pretty cool.
The idea of a clone army isn't new, but here, it's executed better than elsewhere, including in Scalzis novels. Each individual clone is hardwired to think he's the only orphan in the entire armed forces, yet they also all know every clone is hardwired that way. Hardwired as in, it's a completely unshakable belief but if it was shaken, the clone would automatically die. This makes for some really hilarious scenes, but the clones are not just comic relief. They play an integral role in the thriller, for one. They also seem to collectively make a statement against genetic determinism, as all clones have individual personalities, ranging from complacent, overweight administrators to bodybuilders. How this happens, the novel never explains, although it mentions the mystery. Given the authors religious views, it might have to do with either their soul or the existence of free will. Both are nice to see implied in a sci-fi novel, for a change. Lastly, that the clones are treated as expendable tells us something about the rest of the entire society, in the light of the fact that they are individuals and not just factory-produced automatons. There's a surprising humanity in this novel, and not just in what I mentioned, but throughout it, particularly in the characters.
So yes, I think it's a really good book.
February 21, 2024
I was forced to read this by my cousin which he apparently hasn’t read this in 20 years and just remembers how much he loved it as a kid. This is very YA and I just couldn’t do it. Also doesn’t help that I listened to the graphic audio and it was terribly performed.
November 3, 2016
The Clone Rebellion follows the character of Private First-class Wayson Harris from his first posting from the State run orphanage from where he was raised. The storyline is almost exclusively told from this perspective but in the third person! :D
Harris's first posting to may seem to be a bit of dump but as the Clone Rebellion it becomes very apparent that the posting was form of protection from powers high up looking to keep him out of trouble! As the story progresses though Harris is thrust into the lime light due mostly to his own action and the urge to do what is right! :D This is portrayed extremely well with each deed coming perfectly naturally and to the surprise of the main character who is constantly under the impression that each promotion is totally undeserved! :D This adds some humour to the proceedings! :D
The other characters in the book though are also well covered as well!: D The character of Freeman the mercenary hired gun is another one on the mysterious characters who has an unerring habit of turning up wherever Harris is and this also becomes a bit of a running gag as the Harris is constantly surprised to find an extra companion popping up when least expecting it! :D Again this though, as the storyline progresses, makes a lot of sense and has ramifications at the end of the book the will no doubt have further ramifications for the rest of the series! :D
The battle scenes are thick and plentiful! :D They are portrayed very rawly though and you get to see the parts that Harris is taking part in and the rest of the events tend to filter through later which adds a soldiers eyed perspective to things an keeps you guessing as well! :D It is also one of the areas of the book where Harris openly starts to question what the apparent opposition had done to deserve what has happened to them! :D This adds further to the mystery as well shows in later parts of the book the lengths where certain nefarious element in the UA Senate are willing to go to get rid of things they perceive as in their way e.g. a certain group of clones! :D It also shows the difference in many of the characters moral levels and the length to which some of them have been conditioned by the UA government! :D A fact that the few characters who are suspicious of this level of conditioning have to tread a very fine line! This in turn ass another layer to the events and the tensions that are occurring through the book! :D
The ending of the book is portrayed in a visceral way with many of the issues that have been brewing since the beginning of the book coming to a head as well setting up major new events for the next book! :D
Analogies between the UA and the USA are very thick and fast with even one interviewer in the book making the point! :D Lol But at the end the secession of many member planets and the UA prepared to use force to keep them in also draws parallels but at the same time the scale of the politics and conflict is portrayed in a realistic way! Politics abound in the book and the corruption of certain political groups in the book is the direct cause of many of the events that occur and you can't help but think that some people will be getting their comeuppance in future books! :D
Heroics, grim chins, gigantic events, characters both good and bad all abound in the Clone Republic! :D Epic Stuff! Highly recommended! :D
Harris's first posting to may seem to be a bit of dump but as the Clone Rebellion it becomes very apparent that the posting was form of protection from powers high up looking to keep him out of trouble! As the story progresses though Harris is thrust into the lime light due mostly to his own action and the urge to do what is right! :D This is portrayed extremely well with each deed coming perfectly naturally and to the surprise of the main character who is constantly under the impression that each promotion is totally undeserved! :D This adds some humour to the proceedings! :D
The other characters in the book though are also well covered as well!: D The character of Freeman the mercenary hired gun is another one on the mysterious characters who has an unerring habit of turning up wherever Harris is and this also becomes a bit of a running gag as the Harris is constantly surprised to find an extra companion popping up when least expecting it! :D Again this though, as the storyline progresses, makes a lot of sense and has ramifications at the end of the book the will no doubt have further ramifications for the rest of the series! :D
The battle scenes are thick and plentiful! :D They are portrayed very rawly though and you get to see the parts that Harris is taking part in and the rest of the events tend to filter through later which adds a soldiers eyed perspective to things an keeps you guessing as well! :D It is also one of the areas of the book where Harris openly starts to question what the apparent opposition had done to deserve what has happened to them! :D This adds further to the mystery as well shows in later parts of the book the lengths where certain nefarious element in the UA Senate are willing to go to get rid of things they perceive as in their way e.g. a certain group of clones! :D It also shows the difference in many of the characters moral levels and the length to which some of them have been conditioned by the UA government! :D A fact that the few characters who are suspicious of this level of conditioning have to tread a very fine line! This in turn ass another layer to the events and the tensions that are occurring through the book! :D
The ending of the book is portrayed in a visceral way with many of the issues that have been brewing since the beginning of the book coming to a head as well setting up major new events for the next book! :D
Analogies between the UA and the USA are very thick and fast with even one interviewer in the book making the point! :D Lol But at the end the secession of many member planets and the UA prepared to use force to keep them in also draws parallels but at the same time the scale of the politics and conflict is portrayed in a realistic way! Politics abound in the book and the corruption of certain political groups in the book is the direct cause of many of the events that occur and you can't help but think that some people will be getting their comeuppance in future books! :D
Heroics, grim chins, gigantic events, characters both good and bad all abound in the Clone Republic! :D Epic Stuff! Highly recommended! :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2014
First off, let me say that no, this book is not anything like "Star Wars." This book is fascinating to read, and after reading the rest of the series, Steven L. Kent has managed to become one of my favorite authors. This book tells the intriguing story of Wayson Harris, a Unified Authority marine fresh out of training. The book takes place in the 26th century, and the Unified Authority is a hyper-evolved plutocratic version of the United States. As Harris journeys across the various planets of the U.A, he deals with concepts such as a sometimes not so subtle prejudice against cloned servicemen (who are actually unaware of their synthetic origin), corruption in government and society, and dealing with foreign culture in an age where those words were supposedly rendered meaningless centuries ago. Harris also has to deal with the inherent immorality of war. The philosophical conundrums (yes I said conundrums) Harris encounters only get deeper and the consequences of his actions more far-ranging as the series goes on. Not to mention the dramatic battle here and there. Overall, The Clone Republic and the books that follow it are highly enjoyable to read and will leave you thinking not just about the society Harris has to deal with, but real society as well.
May 25, 2011
Good book. This follows the life of a Marine in the future. If you like sci-fi (and not complicated), I suggest this. Currently reading the second book in the series.
July 3, 2017
My Thoughts: This is going to be a really tough review to write, mainly because this book wound me up for quite some time before I reached the end, and not really in a good way. Please remember that this is just my own opinion, and you will need to read the book yourself to form your own views. I am going to break this review down somewhat, to help me to articulate everything that I feel I need to. There is quite a lot for me to get through!
First Impressions... The idea of this novel struck me. Give me anything to do with conformity, cloning, remnants of a dystopian society and I will be all over it, whether the book is set on planet Earth or otherwise. I had never picked up anything from military sci-fi before, and so this has opened up a whole new genre for me. I love to read military history, action and adventure stories, fantasy and science fiction; and so as long as a book has a lot of ass-kicking in it, then it will be good for me! 'Republic's' book jacket looks pretty awesome, with the identical silhouettes at the top to represent cloning and the brutal looking landscape at the bottom - I couldn't wait to get started on it!
In The Beginning... We are introduced (in first person) to Wayson Harris and instantly he is thrust amongst a group of untrained, lazy marine clones without a care in the world ... I enjoyed the first part of the book; the action, the introduction to Freeman and the way that Harris (despite not doing much at all) is given his second assignment before I had even reached page 100. And this is where things started to go downhill...
The Middle... Once I had been introduced to the main characters, I began to notice the awkward writing style. Short sentence after short sentence, the same word repeated two or three times in quick succession. The lack of metaphoric language and the occasional odd choice of words (personal annoyance, but 'specking' this and for 'speck's' sake really irritated me!)....
The water was cold, but my body adjusted quickly. I loped forward through the shallows until the water was up to my waist, then I dived in. Lee followed me as far as the water's edge, but his willingness to continue vanished the moment he felt the water.
Just one of many examples in which I took out my biro and started to edit the book!!! Four uses of one word in three sentences?
The whole book was written in this style, where the narrator tries to hammer the story into us by reeling out the facts in short bursts and never giving us any emotion, any atmosphere or much creative use of language at all. It sounds harsh, but this is how I personally interpreted it. Half of the sentences could have been cut out and I would have gained back hours of reading time.
The characters were also lacking. With the narrative being written in first person, the reader never witnesses the 'behind the scenes' look at the other character's background, actions or thoughts. We don't see the broader picture, and for a setting as vast as the whole galaxy, this could have been a big mistake.
Some of the dialogue was pretty poor also - the characters don't 'sound' genuine; at one point, Wayson says "Ha!"... which to me is pointless!
Wayson Harris (taking into consideration that he isn't human) is not relateable at all. He doesn't seem to have much emotion. No hobbies to speak of, no family or friends, no history. I couldn't connect or find him likeable.
The only female characters mentioned at all in this book are 'two pieces of damn fine scrub' that Wayson and his comrade meet whilst on leave. The plot might have had more depth if the odd woman was introduced at other times too, or one or two were laced into the background cast. It is clear at this point exactly who the reader should be; these girls seem to be a ditzy blip in the plotline to highlight the fact that clones actually do have testosterone in there somewhere and that females do still exist in this future.
I believe that all of this could have been pushed aside if there had been some action throughout the plot - but in fact there was hardly any. Harris doesn't really show off his skills (yet) and any action that actually does take off is initiated by other people. We never really get close to it. This had to be the biggest disappointment, as I was expecting fire fights and fist fights throughout. Maybe this is because I have never read from this genre before and I had misguided preconceptions.
The End... The best part of this book was the end! Not simply because it took me so long to get there. Harris' action FINALLY started from page 430, and he led a pretty intense mission that actually had me quickly turning pages for a little while. This is the part of the book that I will gladly remember, and actually, I was pretty pleased that I had stuck with it at this point, as I had been close to putting it down on a few occasions! This is the kind of narrative that should have really been present from the beginning - even with the odd writing style I would have enjoyed it that much more. What a finish!
In Conclusion... A pretty good first and last 100 pages, but the middle felt like filler for the reasons outlined above. I was glad that I finished it, but unhappy that it was so time-consuming to do so. And that I felt the need to edit it when it all got a bit too much for me!
I read the first few pages of Jack Campbell's first Lost Fleet novel (as Steven Kent has been compared to) and already found it more captivating, his style is engaging (I have since added Campbell to my book(et) list).
I do have book 2 of Kent's Clone Rebellion Series on my bookshelf, and I think that I might wait a while and then give it a go. Now that the scene has been set and I know Wayson Harris a little better, the second book might be easier to read.
Watch this space!!!
First Impressions... The idea of this novel struck me. Give me anything to do with conformity, cloning, remnants of a dystopian society and I will be all over it, whether the book is set on planet Earth or otherwise. I had never picked up anything from military sci-fi before, and so this has opened up a whole new genre for me. I love to read military history, action and adventure stories, fantasy and science fiction; and so as long as a book has a lot of ass-kicking in it, then it will be good for me! 'Republic's' book jacket looks pretty awesome, with the identical silhouettes at the top to represent cloning and the brutal looking landscape at the bottom - I couldn't wait to get started on it!
In The Beginning... We are introduced (in first person) to Wayson Harris and instantly he is thrust amongst a group of untrained, lazy marine clones without a care in the world ... I enjoyed the first part of the book; the action, the introduction to Freeman and the way that Harris (despite not doing much at all) is given his second assignment before I had even reached page 100. And this is where things started to go downhill...
The Middle... Once I had been introduced to the main characters, I began to notice the awkward writing style. Short sentence after short sentence, the same word repeated two or three times in quick succession. The lack of metaphoric language and the occasional odd choice of words (personal annoyance, but 'specking' this and for 'speck's' sake really irritated me!)....
The water was cold, but my body adjusted quickly. I loped forward through the shallows until the water was up to my waist, then I dived in. Lee followed me as far as the water's edge, but his willingness to continue vanished the moment he felt the water.
Just one of many examples in which I took out my biro and started to edit the book!!! Four uses of one word in three sentences?
The whole book was written in this style, where the narrator tries to hammer the story into us by reeling out the facts in short bursts and never giving us any emotion, any atmosphere or much creative use of language at all. It sounds harsh, but this is how I personally interpreted it. Half of the sentences could have been cut out and I would have gained back hours of reading time.
The characters were also lacking. With the narrative being written in first person, the reader never witnesses the 'behind the scenes' look at the other character's background, actions or thoughts. We don't see the broader picture, and for a setting as vast as the whole galaxy, this could have been a big mistake.
Some of the dialogue was pretty poor also - the characters don't 'sound' genuine; at one point, Wayson says "Ha!"... which to me is pointless!
Wayson Harris (taking into consideration that he isn't human) is not relateable at all. He doesn't seem to have much emotion. No hobbies to speak of, no family or friends, no history. I couldn't connect or find him likeable.
The only female characters mentioned at all in this book are 'two pieces of damn fine scrub' that Wayson and his comrade meet whilst on leave. The plot might have had more depth if the odd woman was introduced at other times too, or one or two were laced into the background cast. It is clear at this point exactly who the reader should be; these girls seem to be a ditzy blip in the plotline to highlight the fact that clones actually do have testosterone in there somewhere and that females do still exist in this future.
I believe that all of this could have been pushed aside if there had been some action throughout the plot - but in fact there was hardly any. Harris doesn't really show off his skills (yet) and any action that actually does take off is initiated by other people. We never really get close to it. This had to be the biggest disappointment, as I was expecting fire fights and fist fights throughout. Maybe this is because I have never read from this genre before and I had misguided preconceptions.
The End... The best part of this book was the end! Not simply because it took me so long to get there. Harris' action FINALLY started from page 430, and he led a pretty intense mission that actually had me quickly turning pages for a little while. This is the part of the book that I will gladly remember, and actually, I was pretty pleased that I had stuck with it at this point, as I had been close to putting it down on a few occasions! This is the kind of narrative that should have really been present from the beginning - even with the odd writing style I would have enjoyed it that much more. What a finish!
In Conclusion... A pretty good first and last 100 pages, but the middle felt like filler for the reasons outlined above. I was glad that I finished it, but unhappy that it was so time-consuming to do so. And that I felt the need to edit it when it all got a bit too much for me!
I read the first few pages of Jack Campbell's first Lost Fleet novel (as Steven Kent has been compared to) and already found it more captivating, his style is engaging (I have since added Campbell to my book(et) list).
I do have book 2 of Kent's Clone Rebellion Series on my bookshelf, and I think that I might wait a while and then give it a go. Now that the scene has been set and I know Wayson Harris a little better, the second book might be easier to read.
Watch this space!!!
November 12, 2019
So... this wasn't unenjoyable. But I don't think I'm the target audience.
It reminded me a bit of Starship Troopers, so I guess if you are a fan of that, then you might enjoy this.
I haven't decided if I will continue listening to the series or not. Maybe.
The performance was well done, definitely the quality one expects from Graphic Audio. For that alone I might continue listening to the series.
It reminded me a bit of Starship Troopers, so I guess if you are a fan of that, then you might enjoy this.
I haven't decided if I will continue listening to the series or not. Maybe.
The performance was well done, definitely the quality one expects from Graphic Audio. For that alone I might continue listening to the series.
March 13, 2013
Titan Books in the UK are currently catching up on a lot of authors that our US readers have already met: Jack Campbell, Kevin J Anderson and John Birmingham, for example.
Their latest conscript is Steven L Kent, whose nine book series has already been quite popular in the US. The Clone Republic, the first in the series, is standard mil-SF for those who want to upgrade from those clones in the Star Wars novels. These are books that cover similar ground but are much more adult in nature (and please note, the language used often reflects this.)
It is the year 2508AD. The Unified Authority rules over the galaxy, using clones for much of its policing across the colonies. The story is told from the perspective of one of these clones, Private First-Class Wayson Harris, initially newly assigned to the small and obscure desert outpost of Gobi on a planet called Ravenwood. As a clone, he’s trained to obey without question, and clearly finds the rather laidback setup at Gobi disconcerting.
A most-wanted rogue ex-general attacks the base in an attempt to gain arms. Wayson saves the base and is promoted to become a corporal on the battle cruiser Kamehameha. Here the world of the Clone Republic suddenly becomes broader, as the view widens to events on a much wider scale. We discover more about the difficulties of implementing a ‘one size fits all’ policy for the Unified Authority as Wayson and the battle cruiser Kamehameha are sent to the planet Ezer Kri to deal with an incident: namely that the planet wants to rename itself and follow old Japanese traditions, something seen as against the principles of the Republic. Add to this an embittered troop Sergeant from an earlier war, political infighting between the senior officers of the Republic and a lead character trying to come to terms both with his own identity and casual racism whilst battling in difficult circumstances and you have a mix that fans will find attractive.
Part of this attraction may be that initially, for all intents and purposes, the book doesn’t stray too far from the tried and trusted model for military stories. The Marines of 2508 pretty much act and talk like soldiers in 2013. What happens here on a desert-type world in 2508 is very similar to, say, Iraq, Iran or Afghanistan in 2013, a point further emphasized when some of the hardware used has familiar names such as Harrier and Tomahawk which could place the book as easily in the 1980’s as the 2500’s. This reminds the reader that a Marine is a Marine, regardless of time, and nothing really changes that, whether now or in the future. Here they complain, gamble, sleep around and fight one another like any other typical armed force, past, present and (presumably) future.
Think The Hurt Locker but in an SF setting.
At about halfway through the tale my thoughts were that Clone Republic was solidly entertaining, easy to read and a good page turner. The battle scenes were suitably visual and emotive, the main character likeable and engaging, if a little naïve. I thought I pretty much had it pegged as a book that told a standard mil-SF plot that highlights the importance of comradeship and loyalty, even when stupid decisions, resource issues and incompetent leadership do their best to destroy that.
Well, it is that. But what elevates this book a little is that there are some interesting points made along the way about the logistics of running a large Republic state based on Plato’s ideals. Whilst the idea is laudable, the reality of such a society is quite different, and Steven does a good job of getting that point across by showing us the ambiguity of such a society. In a universe where people are spread over vast distances and views are various, the author gives good reasons why Space Empires probably wouldn’t work, or at least have to use extreme measures to maintain some degree of order.
Whilst the book deals with such issues, it will work best for many readers because, perhaps most of all, this is a book that shows the life journey of a man in a difficult situation. Wayson starts as a naïve and unquestioning clone and by the end of the book realises his place in the bigger picture. It’s a book that gets you to question authority whilst maintaining loyalty and comradeship, and has a nice twist at the conclusion that leads (no doubt) to the next book in the series.
Despite what might appear to be a rather gung-ho nature in the book initially, there’s some developments towards the end of the book that suggest that the book isn’t as conservatively right-wing as you might have expected at first, and caused me to revise my mid-point assessment. In the end, this is a book that delivers what you expect and doesn’t disappoint on that score. It’s exciting and well written, showing the reader that future conflict can be just as difficult, complex and dangerous as it is now. A no-frills, recommended read for mil-SF fans that know what they want and expect it from their reading material, but it also makes them think about the consequences of some of the actions undertaken here in a way that George Lucas hasn’t.
I’m pleased that Titan are catching up with the series by releasing the books in batches, one month apart. I want to read the next book in the series now, which can only be a good thing.
Their latest conscript is Steven L Kent, whose nine book series has already been quite popular in the US. The Clone Republic, the first in the series, is standard mil-SF for those who want to upgrade from those clones in the Star Wars novels. These are books that cover similar ground but are much more adult in nature (and please note, the language used often reflects this.)
It is the year 2508AD. The Unified Authority rules over the galaxy, using clones for much of its policing across the colonies. The story is told from the perspective of one of these clones, Private First-Class Wayson Harris, initially newly assigned to the small and obscure desert outpost of Gobi on a planet called Ravenwood. As a clone, he’s trained to obey without question, and clearly finds the rather laidback setup at Gobi disconcerting.
A most-wanted rogue ex-general attacks the base in an attempt to gain arms. Wayson saves the base and is promoted to become a corporal on the battle cruiser Kamehameha. Here the world of the Clone Republic suddenly becomes broader, as the view widens to events on a much wider scale. We discover more about the difficulties of implementing a ‘one size fits all’ policy for the Unified Authority as Wayson and the battle cruiser Kamehameha are sent to the planet Ezer Kri to deal with an incident: namely that the planet wants to rename itself and follow old Japanese traditions, something seen as against the principles of the Republic. Add to this an embittered troop Sergeant from an earlier war, political infighting between the senior officers of the Republic and a lead character trying to come to terms both with his own identity and casual racism whilst battling in difficult circumstances and you have a mix that fans will find attractive.
Part of this attraction may be that initially, for all intents and purposes, the book doesn’t stray too far from the tried and trusted model for military stories. The Marines of 2508 pretty much act and talk like soldiers in 2013. What happens here on a desert-type world in 2508 is very similar to, say, Iraq, Iran or Afghanistan in 2013, a point further emphasized when some of the hardware used has familiar names such as Harrier and Tomahawk which could place the book as easily in the 1980’s as the 2500’s. This reminds the reader that a Marine is a Marine, regardless of time, and nothing really changes that, whether now or in the future. Here they complain, gamble, sleep around and fight one another like any other typical armed force, past, present and (presumably) future.
Think The Hurt Locker but in an SF setting.
At about halfway through the tale my thoughts were that Clone Republic was solidly entertaining, easy to read and a good page turner. The battle scenes were suitably visual and emotive, the main character likeable and engaging, if a little naïve. I thought I pretty much had it pegged as a book that told a standard mil-SF plot that highlights the importance of comradeship and loyalty, even when stupid decisions, resource issues and incompetent leadership do their best to destroy that.
Well, it is that. But what elevates this book a little is that there are some interesting points made along the way about the logistics of running a large Republic state based on Plato’s ideals. Whilst the idea is laudable, the reality of such a society is quite different, and Steven does a good job of getting that point across by showing us the ambiguity of such a society. In a universe where people are spread over vast distances and views are various, the author gives good reasons why Space Empires probably wouldn’t work, or at least have to use extreme measures to maintain some degree of order.
Whilst the book deals with such issues, it will work best for many readers because, perhaps most of all, this is a book that shows the life journey of a man in a difficult situation. Wayson starts as a naïve and unquestioning clone and by the end of the book realises his place in the bigger picture. It’s a book that gets you to question authority whilst maintaining loyalty and comradeship, and has a nice twist at the conclusion that leads (no doubt) to the next book in the series.
Despite what might appear to be a rather gung-ho nature in the book initially, there’s some developments towards the end of the book that suggest that the book isn’t as conservatively right-wing as you might have expected at first, and caused me to revise my mid-point assessment. In the end, this is a book that delivers what you expect and doesn’t disappoint on that score. It’s exciting and well written, showing the reader that future conflict can be just as difficult, complex and dangerous as it is now. A no-frills, recommended read for mil-SF fans that know what they want and expect it from their reading material, but it also makes them think about the consequences of some of the actions undertaken here in a way that George Lucas hasn’t.
I’m pleased that Titan are catching up with the series by releasing the books in batches, one month apart. I want to read the next book in the series now, which can only be a good thing.
December 2, 2020
does the depth of an argument or the complexity of it , validates it
October 23, 2012
Did you enjoy Deathstalker? Vlad Taltos? Drizzt? Ender? This series is of that high of a caliber to rank in my five best of all time. This series is outstanding! While it is necessary to read them in order to properly follow the sequence of events, he goes into enough detail within the book to allow you to catch up or bring back to memory things that have transpired.
The premise: the military consists entirely of clone soliders, very expendable clone soldiers with no thought for self preservation. The galaxy has been explored and settled. Earth is united in purpose and government. Our main character is also a clone, but one from a mold that has been tossed away due to its inability to distinquish friend from foe. And he has valuable allies in the military and the government. Yet someone wants him dead.
Expect the unexpected, there are so many plot twists and unexpected developments it will keep you floored wanting for more. Tons of political intrique, military details, action, butt kicking, sensuality, and humor. Please don't get too attached to the minor characters, they might not survive very long. By his bare hands even, oh yeah bring out the can of whip a$$.
Highly recommend to military buffs, sy-fy fans, and anyone that is looking for a great new author to read. You will NOT be disappointed.
The premise: the military consists entirely of clone soliders, very expendable clone soldiers with no thought for self preservation. The galaxy has been explored and settled. Earth is united in purpose and government. Our main character is also a clone, but one from a mold that has been tossed away due to its inability to distinquish friend from foe. And he has valuable allies in the military and the government. Yet someone wants him dead.
Expect the unexpected, there are so many plot twists and unexpected developments it will keep you floored wanting for more. Tons of political intrique, military details, action, butt kicking, sensuality, and humor. Please don't get too attached to the minor characters, they might not survive very long. By his bare hands even, oh yeah bring out the can of whip a$$.
Highly recommend to military buffs, sy-fy fans, and anyone that is looking for a great new author to read. You will NOT be disappointed.
April 10, 2011
Another generic science fiction read. Character development is slow, it never seems as if any character is truly at odds with himself. All character conflicts of interest seem to be resolved by the 'oops, but I'm a clone and I'm programmed to act this way' method. I found the plot to be relatively straightforward, very predictable at points, but utterly unpredictable at others (like the first mention of the Atkins separatists), on a scale where I consider the sweet spot to be barely unpredictable. Continuity was a little disappointing - if you consider character motives a bit too deeply, the characters and plot don't seem to be thrown together as cohesively as I would like. The philosophy seems to be rather lamely thrown in there as well.
All in all, I'd recommend this book to middle grade readers in terms of vocabulary and diction (a diction I found somewhat too simple at times). If Kent was attempting to write the next gloss-covered sci-fi novel a voracious reader picks up one day and forgets the next, he succeeded. It's not bad. Certainly nothing memorable, but worth a few idle hours.
All in all, I'd recommend this book to middle grade readers in terms of vocabulary and diction (a diction I found somewhat too simple at times). If Kent was attempting to write the next gloss-covered sci-fi novel a voracious reader picks up one day and forgets the next, he succeeded. It's not bad. Certainly nothing memorable, but worth a few idle hours.
September 15, 2012
I believe I have read this book before. Pretty good military science-fiction. Has a lot of action but the main character gets a lot of attention pretty quickly. He goes from just out of basic to becoming a Lt. in about 2-3 years which I guess isn't so bad since OCS can generate an Lt in 90 days!
May 6, 2010
The Clone Republic was a thrilling work of science fiction. Stephen Kent reminded me why I so enjoyed military science fiction: good dialogue, a intelligent plot, memorable characters, and a interesting setting. The first page drew me into the story and I was hooked. The Clone Republic has the depth, excitement, and variety that so many science fiction novels lack.
January 2, 2011
This is military Sci-Fi at its finest. If you like David Drake's Hammers Slammers then you will love this series. The author uses a nifty trick to explain the science behind his fiction and a good use of First Person to avoid having to explain every detail. Not amazing fiction, but very entertaining.
September 21, 2014
This is a fun read. If you're looking for some entertaining military sci fi, this will do the trick.
October 23, 2014
The officers are normal; the enlisted are clones; the clones don't know they're clones. If they figure it out, the clones suicide. Fun read.
April 4, 2015
overall a very good book well written and good character and plot this book is awesome
August 16, 2024
2.5 stars rounded up
The story was decent, although the middle section felt like mostly filler. I enjoyed Wayson's first assignment and everything that happened there, and the last battle was pretty thrilling. The middle section was kind of a slog, only hitting you over the head with how terrible some of the characters are and Wayson's plot armor. The only women in this book solely exist as sexual objects for the men to gawk at. Like I get that most of your military is clones, but you're telling me that not a SINGLE woman in the entire galaxy has ever wanted to enlist? Come on. This could have been a great way to write in some genuinely strong, badass female characters, but I guess that was beyond the author's comprehension. Another thing that was odd was that everyone was wearing armor, but somehow that armor never offered any protection? Every battle had someone being shot in the back of the head and dying, so what is the purpose of the helmet? You would think that technology so far in the future would have better protection (for people other than the main character and his best friend).
The writing style was all over the place. Repetitive sentences using the same words over and over, commas in the wrong places, the author's inability to decide whether or not to use contractions for some reason? At best it took me out of the story, at worst it made me confused, angry and wanting to get out my editing pen.
The story was decent, although the middle section felt like mostly filler. I enjoyed Wayson's first assignment and everything that happened there, and the last battle was pretty thrilling. The middle section was kind of a slog, only hitting you over the head with how terrible some of the characters are and Wayson's plot armor. The only women in this book solely exist as sexual objects for the men to gawk at. Like I get that most of your military is clones, but you're telling me that not a SINGLE woman in the entire galaxy has ever wanted to enlist? Come on. This could have been a great way to write in some genuinely strong, badass female characters, but I guess that was beyond the author's comprehension. Another thing that was odd was that everyone was wearing armor, but somehow that armor never offered any protection? Every battle had someone being shot in the back of the head and dying, so what is the purpose of the helmet? You would think that technology so far in the future would have better protection (for people other than the main character and his best friend).
The writing style was all over the place. Repetitive sentences using the same words over and over, commas in the wrong places, the author's inability to decide whether or not to use contractions for some reason? At best it took me out of the story, at worst it made me confused, angry and wanting to get out my editing pen.
April 22, 2022
This was really a good story. Not what I expected - I felt like a pre-teen again reading those first scifi novels that weren’t the most popular but were still thrilling to me as they opened new worlds and experiences I had yet to enjoy. Yeah, this book took me back to those innocent days when I had really enjoyed reading for the surprises & excitement it brought to me. This is a unique story set in the future, the primary character is likeable and the story is about him. While he is a clone used for warfare & such, he somehow isn’t controlled by all the behaviour modifications as all the others. He thinks for himself, he wants to do right & fight for those who need help. There are quite a few things going on at the same time through the story but if you plug on through & are patient, you will see them all come together. I love how the story flows very well and all the characters are cohesive despite some of the jumping around. What I do like out if all of it is that it a story unlike anything I’ve read in quite a while. I think that is what drew me to give it a go. When I learned that there are a number of these books in the series, I was excited. It’s a story you want to dig yourself into & when it’s done, you have this need to see where the next adventure will take you.
June 6, 2018
I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I thought I would. Of course I forgot to make this comment right after finishing it, so I now have only vague memories of it, but I'll say that it covers a lot of ground, and at times gets a little too detail-focused, but its lofty goals are quite admirable, and as slow as some bits were, it still got me intrigued by the universe and made me want to find out what other secrets there were in it.
There's one ... I guess big "twist" to the book, that I assumed was the case from the beginning, and I'm really glad that it comes about a third of the way through the book, and is more than what you expect. There are some bits about it that don't ... quite add up, but that's not important. The whole "Plato's lie" aspect of this society is what the author is obviously more interested in, and while I think there are far better metaphors to describe the same thing, again, lofty goals to pull Plato into your military scifi featuring clones, so that's admirable.
I'm torn about continuing with this series. I want to, but I also get tired just looking at how many of these damn books there are. Maybe someday ...
There's one ... I guess big "twist" to the book, that I assumed was the case from the beginning, and I'm really glad that it comes about a third of the way through the book, and is more than what you expect. There are some bits about it that don't ... quite add up, but that's not important. The whole "Plato's lie" aspect of this society is what the author is obviously more interested in, and while I think there are far better metaphors to describe the same thing, again, lofty goals to pull Plato into your military scifi featuring clones, so that's admirable.
I'm torn about continuing with this series. I want to, but I also get tired just looking at how many of these damn books there are. Maybe someday ...
July 19, 2022
This was the most meh book I've read in a long time. It was fine. I didn't hate it or not like it, but there just wasn't anything overly interesting about it. It honestly felt like a worse version of the newer Thrawn series by Timothy Zahn. The first Thrawn book does a similar thing with its timeline where you jump from point to point throughout the beginning stages of Thrawn's military career. And throughout The Clone Republic all I could think was "Thrawn did this better." And I thought this in many facets, from general story telling, to character strength, character relationships, combat, intrigue, etc.
I try not to just sit and compare books to one another, but when it's so easy to draw parallels (which I don't think is always a bad thing), it's hard not to compare. Especially when one clear outshines the other. I will not be picking up book 2.
I try not to just sit and compare books to one another, but when it's so easy to draw parallels (which I don't think is always a bad thing), it's hard not to compare. Especially when one clear outshines the other. I will not be picking up book 2.
September 30, 2023
The only redeeming factor in the book are the action scenes. It is otherwise quite an insipid piece of science fiction. Though the action takes place far into the future but other than the fancy technology , the book is stuck in the early 20th century. Not a single female character in the book. The only female characters who find mention in the entire story are two who merely serve as sexual interests for the main character. Also to think of that we are 500 years in the future and expanded into the entire galaxy and we are so US centric. Ultimately the novel just ends up being a patchwork of ideas picked from various Sci fi novels stitched together with the most hollow characters and a jerky plot.
Avoid.
Avoid.
August 8, 2023
As someone who is a fan of Star Wars the Clone Wars because of the Clones, I really enjoyed this book. It’s not a Star Wars book at all, but it’s got clone soldiers and had that tragic Clone military life vibe to which I am addicted.
I love the main character, he’s a sassy boy. Looking forward to the next book!
I love the main character, he’s a sassy boy. Looking forward to the next book!
December 13, 2016
Un audiolibro de GraphicAudio, con cast completo, música y efectos de sonido. Una radionovela con mucha acción y toneladas de explosiones XD Ya había leído los libros y no son nada revolucionarios. Pero sí que son muy entretenidos, para el que le guste la ciencia ficción militar. Y son 9 más en la serie, me da para bastantes colas o diligencias.
August 11, 2024
I just could not get into this book. I could care less what happens to the main character. I am still not sure what the war being fought in the book is about. But a lot of people get killed using sci-fi weapons during the fighting many of them are civilians so to me more like war crimes than good stories.
March 29, 2018
Well written. Some bad language.
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