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qjbrown96's review against another edition
2.0
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.
brookenger's review against another edition
2.0
It's a nice idea for a universe, similar to Scalzi's "Old Man's War", but nowhere near as engaging.
The protagonist doesn't really move the plot. Instead of being a part of the plot, the plot is all stuff that is happening to him.
The protagonist doesn't really move the plot. Instead of being a part of the plot, the plot is all stuff that is happening to him.
veronica87's review against another edition
2.0
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.
gemmaduds's review against another edition
2.0
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!!!
rotorguy64's review against another edition
4.0
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 [b:The Forever War|21611|The Forever War (The Forever War, #1)|Joe Haldeman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386852511l/21611._SY75_.jpg|423] or [b:Old Man's War|36510196|Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1)|John Scalzi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509467059l/36510196._SY75_.jpg|50700]. 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 [b:The Forever War|21611|The Forever War (The Forever War, #1)|Joe Haldeman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386852511l/21611._SY75_.jpg|423] or [b:Old Man's War|36510196|Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1)|John Scalzi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509467059l/36510196._SY75_.jpg|50700]. 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.
wisecraic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
magnaraz117's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A good read, the plot is interesting and I enjoy Wayne as a character. The prose is a little rough, we jump through time and locations with little notice, and some things that seem important are skipped through in a page, while some small details are drawn out.
The ending is particularly jarring. I understand the desired cliff hanger, but feel an additional chapter would help flesh things out.
I'll definitely continue reading as I enjoy the military/sci-fi aspect, but wouldn't consider this a genre defining work. A guilty pleasure to pass the time in the airport.
The ending is particularly jarring. I understand the desired cliff hanger, but feel an additional chapter would help flesh things out.
I'll definitely continue reading as I enjoy the military/sci-fi aspect, but wouldn't consider this a genre defining work. A guilty pleasure to pass the time in the airport.
markyon's review against another edition
3.0
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.
saphirablue's review against another edition
4.0
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. :)
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