501st: Star Wars Legends (Imperial Commando): An Imperial Commando Novel

by Karen Traviss

Book Overview

Omega Squad is no more--in its place stand the Imperial commandos, under the imperious command of Darth Vader and the Empire.

The Clone Wars are over, but for those with reason to run from the new galactic Empire, the battle to survive has only just begun. . . .

The Jedi have been decimated in the Great Purge, and the Republic has fallen. Now the former Republic commandos--the galaxy's finest special forces troops, cloned from...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345511131
• ISBN13: 9780345511133
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Random House Worlds
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Awesome read

Karen Traviss has been a breath of fresh air to the Star Wars scene! She has written about the clone troopers and continues that trend in 501st. The book chronicles a group of clones raised and trained by Kal Skirata. This book takes place shortly after Order 66 and goes from there. Even though there is not a lot of action, the book was a fast read. Again a really good book but you need to read the clone trooper series before this book or you will be lost.

great for those who follow the series

This book is great for avid star wars book readers,it has story plot tie-ins with other books,mentions characters from other series and reveals more of the jedi purge era.The plot also thickens in this series as character growth takes place.If you arent a star wars reader and havent followed this series then you likely wont be impressed.Go start at the beginning of the series with republic commando hard contact.

Great book

Great book started reading the first republic commando and been hooked on thier story since.

Nothing Short of Perfection in the Continuing Saga of the Mandalorian/Clone Troopers!

This books author is simply amazing and really knows how to grab hold of the reader and get him/her interested not only in the story, but also the individual characters that populate the story like so many Ewoks on Endor. This story picks up mere days after the infamous Order 66 has been given and follows the continuing saga of Kal Skirata and his "boys" as he searches desperately for a cure for the accelerated aging factor that affects his "boys" (clones). To give away any of the plot is downright osik, so I won't proceed to do that. However, if you are a fan of this series, you will get a literal continuation of the previous books and all that they encompassed. All of the characters that populated the first four novels in the series return along with some new ones and a very surprising one from the author's previous novel, Order 66 (Star Wars: Republic Commando). I especially enjoyed the introduction of a very old and ancient Jedi Master and her young companion. Very effective characters and really brought out some depth in some of the older characters. I thoroughly enjoy the author's work and especially this series, which I hope she continues to write as she has a loyal follower in me. Be sure and read the first four thrilling novels in the series! Hard Contact (Star Wars: Republic Commando, Book 1) Triple Zero (Star Wars: Republic Commando, Book 2) True Colors (Star Wars: Republic Commando, Book 3) Order 66 (Star Wars: Republic Commando) Shawn Kovacich Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

Another excellent work by KT

Imperial Commando: 501st gives us a look into the early days of the Empire, just at the end of the Clone War, and not all is well across the galaxy. Several systems don't recognize Imperial Authority, and the Jedi Purge is underway. Instead of making those the plot, however, 501st makes those into somewhat background events, coming to forefront only when the impact the people we've come to know through the Republic Commando series. There's a great sense of everyone being adrift in the aftermath of the Clone War, from fugitive Jedi, deserting soldiers, to loyal commandos who are effectively behind enemy lines even in their own headquarters. The novel shows how the different individuals find something new to anchor themselves, even momentarily. I have to admit, I was happy to see the return of one of the characters I'd liked best from a non-RC novel. Scout, a young Jedi Padawan survived the purge with two strikes against her in the Jedi Order: a weak talent for telekinesis, and a working mind. Mandalore lives up to it's promise of being a clean slate for people who adopt it's culture, and the collection of misfits under Kal Skirata certainly could all use one. While this story may feel short on action, it deals with the important issues of what happens when the shooting stops but the war isn't over, and how someone who's only known war adapts to an uneasy peace. There is no doubt the clones themselves are at the mental breaking point and an unexpected tragedy rings all too true with real-world veterans, even those of seemingly minor conflicts. I really cannot wait for the next and final Imperial Commando book, and am very disappointed that there aren't going to be 7 or 8 more afterwards.