The Clone Wars: No Prisoners
by Karen Traviss

Published by Del Rey

Adrick's Rating:   3 out of 4

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The Clone Wars rage on. As insurgent Separatists fight furiously to wrest control of the galaxy from the Republic, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine cunningly manipulates both sides for his own sinister purposes.

Torrent Company’s Captain Rex agrees to temporarily relieve Anakin Skywalker of Ahsoka, his ubiquitous—and insatiably curious—Padawan, by bringing her along on a routine three-day shakedown cruise aboard Captain Gilad Pellaeon’s newly refitted assault ship. But the training run becomes an active—and dangerous—rescue mission when Republic undercover agent Hallena Devis goes missing in the middle of a Separatist invasion.

Dispatched to a distant world to aid a local dictator facing a revolution, Hallena finds herself surrounded by angry freedom fighters and questioning the Republic’s methods—and motives. Summoned to rescue the missing operative who is also his secret love, Pellaeon—sworn to protect the Republic over all—is torn between duty and desire. And Ahsoka, sent in with Rex and six untested clone troopers to extract Hallena, encounters a new and different Jedi philosophy, which shakes the foundation of her upbringing to the core. As danger and intrigue intensify, the loyalties and convictions of all involved will be tested.

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Adrick:

    The title No Prisoners could refer to Karen Traviss’s writing style as much as the book’s theme. After reading two and a half of the increasingly padded and lethargic Legacy of the Force books in a row, the fast-paced straightforward action of No Prisoners is a welcome relief.

Traviss has assembled an all-star cast of pre-existing characters for this novel: Ahsoka Tano and Rex from the cartoon join Bantam alums Gilad Pellaeon and Callista on a mission to rescue a stranded Republic agent. Another stand-out character is Djinn Altis, a previously minor Jedi character who has, through some necessary retcons, taken on the role of official alternative to the strict Jedi Order of the prequels. Traviss is the first author to portray him, and he is an interesting and conflicted character.

Ahsoka is also portrayed well; she is completely believable as a fourteen year old finding out that not everyone shares her beliefs. Traviss emphasizes the character’s youth and weaknesses, while never downplaying her strengths. Through Ahsoka and Callista, Traviss also deals with adherence to religious orthodoxy. Normally I don’t agree with Traviss’s close examination of the Jedi Order’s beliefs, but it’s well done here. If Traviss were brought on board to tweak The Clone Wars scripts occasionally, the show would go from an above-average Star Wars spin-off product to a genuinely excellent television show.

Say what you will about the effects The Clone Wars television show has had on the previously well ordered timeline of the Clone Wars conflict; quality tie-ins like Way of the Jedi and No Prisoners pretty much make it worth it.

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Adrick:

    It’s almost absurd to say this of a novel with as many battles and military characters as No Prisoners, but this book suffers from a lack of conflict. There’s no antagonist, such as Ghez Hokan in Hard Contact or Ventress in The Clone Wars adaptation, to challenge the protagonists or provide any kind of contrast.

Even among the main characters, there is far less conflict than one might expect. In a few years’ time, the clones will still be owned and used by a government which Pellaeon will serve for decades, Djinn Altis’s band of Jedi will be hunted by the clones, and Djinn will be condemned by his apprentice Geith. Any hint of the fundamental differences in viewpoint that will pit these characters against one another is entirely muted in No Prisoners. There are even several pages of mutual admiration between Rex, Pellaeon, and Altis, with the only conflict stemming from Ahsoka’s largely unexpressed shock at Altis’s liberal clan and some drama over how Geith’s respect for clones should manifest itself. In other words, not much.

Even Pellaeon’s conflict between duty and desire, touted on the back of the book, is neutered, since he has already determined and been granted authorization to rescue the Republic agent before he knew who she was. What if Pellaeon really did stage a rescue out of love alone, and Ahsoka, incensed at Pellaeon’s reaction to her wardrobe, ratted him out in typical teenage fashion, ensuring that he would remain a captain for decades? What if Pellaeon really did see the clones as insane, as he did in the Thrawn Trilogy? What if Geith hated Altis, as he did in Children of the Jedi? There are a lot of legitimate opportunities to bring these characters into some interesting conflicts, but in this world of noble soldiers, everyone gets along, shares most of their ideals and fall all over themselves to respect each other.

A more minor gripe is that it’s not exactly clear when this book takes place in relation to the film and Karen Miller’s Wild Space…but again, this book is worth any timeline confusion.

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Adrick:

    Padme Amidala with a beauty mask. This falls into the same category as Indiana Jones becoming a one-eyed geriatric and Chewbacca’s father viewing adult entertainment. Sure, it happens, it even makes sense, but why do we have to see it?

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