2008-01-01 Gripping conclusion to the "Clone Universe" trilogy

This book completes the trilogy telling the story of Wayson Harris. These books are best read in chronological sequence, which is

The Clone Republic
Rogue Clone
The Clone Alliance.

The first book was a story of an individual in an army of clones, trying to work out who and what he was, and why he had both friends and enemies in high places.

In the second book he found himself cast out of his place in that army, but that senators and admirals - including some of those who were trying to kill him in the first book - still had jobs for him to do as a mercenary, spy, and bounty hunter.

At the start of this third book, as the galaxy has collapsed in civil war, Harris is stranded with his partner, super-mercenary Ray Freeman, on a frontier planet. Then they are contacted by one of the factions which initially rebelled against the galactic senate but now wish to rejoin it, and Harris is asked to carry their offer of allegiance. Soon he is back in unform - and comes up against an even more extraordinary enemy than he has met before.

The story is set in a Universe which contains just about every "Star Wars" cliche imaginable, but Kent manages to find new things to say about most of them. The "Unified Authority," originally the central government of the galaxy until several spiral arms declared independence in the second book, uses armies of clones to keep everyone in line. All the clones who provide the grunts for the marines and the other armed services are raised in orphanages: each is told that he is the only natural born real orphan in the institution, and programmed to see himself with different hair and eye colour. Each standard military clone is also programmed to die if he finds out that he is really a clone.

Harris really is different from all the regular marine clones, for example he is four inches taller. But to the generals and admirals, both he and the standard clones are just as much expendable assets as the ammmunition for the fleet's guns.


One of the hardest things to write well is one or more sequels to a book in which the central character spent most of his time trying to uncover a secret and ultimately did so. Much of the plot of the first book in this series, "The Clone Republic" revolved around Wayson Harris's origins, e.g. whether he was a clone, what plans certain admirals had for him, why other admirals were trying to kill him. By the end of that book Harris had found out what he is. So in the second and third books, author Steven Kent had to find new mysteries and challenges for him. Consequently the styles of these three books are significantly different: in my opinion they all work well, but not everyone who likes one of them can be guaranteed to enjoy the others.

As mentioned, they are best read in publication order, so start with "The Clone Republic" then follow up with "Rogue Clone" and finally this book, "The Clone Alliance." The second and third books give away the mysteries that Harris is trying to understand during the first book, and this third book would be harder for someone who has not read the first two to follow.

I found all three books to be good gripping entertainment, and I think most readers who enjoy military SF will like them.