Review – Cobra War, Book 1: Cobra Alliance by Timothy Zahn

Going back is treason. Staying could end the Cobra Worlds. Jasmine her family are stuck between a rock and a hard place….

Cobras are the ultimate saboteurs. They can hit a target and fade into the crowd more easily than regular soldiers in times of war. But this very advantage makes it hard for them to react calmly when threatened even as a prank.

So the Cobras and their dependents, along with other colonists, left the Dominion of Man and settled the Cobra Worlds.

But their new home is no longer safe….

The Story

Jasmine “Jin” Moreau-Broom comes from a line of Cobras, soldiers given special cybernetic enhancements. Most Cobras are male; Jin is the first woman to undergo the procedure and become a Cobra. She married fellow Cobra Paul Broom, and they have three adult children: Merrick, Lorne, and Jody. Merrick and Lorne both became Cobras like their parents, with Merrick notably inheriting his father’s calm, logical approach to crises and combat. Lorne is more impulsive than his older brother and tends to be the hot head of the family.

Jody is a scientist seeking a way to help tame the sole Cobra World that seems resistant to human colonization. Both the animal and plant life of this planet tries to kill every person that arrives on it in one way or another. This world has the most Cobras stationed on it, which is both a boon and a problem. It is a boon to those trying to colonize the planet, as despite the fact that everything is trying to kill them, they have people who can defend them.

It is a problem because the colonized Cobra Worlds want to defund the Cobra program.

Cobras are expensive to make and train, so the politicians who maintain the Cobra Worlds’ governments want to end the program. Aside from the unconquerable planet, the problem is that the Cobra Worlds are literally in the middle of enemy territory: They are surrounded by worlds inhabited by the avian Trofts. Although the Dominion of Man has a treaty with the Trofts, as do the Cobra Worlds, relying on that treaty alone to keep the peace is not a good or viable idea.

Jin and her family know this better than most, and her fears seem to be confirmed when a message arrives from the human world of Qasama, a planet outside both the Domnion and the Cobra Worlds that she visited as a newly minted Cobra in her youth. The team of Cobras sent with Jin to Qasama all died to a man. She survived and got off-world, but just barely. For her to receive a message from the planet – which was convinced the Cobras were sent as spies – is not only surprising, it is downright unnerving. Certain she cannot ignore the message lest all she holds dear be destroyed, Jin sets out to answer the call.

But her family isn’t going to let her go alone. While Paul joins their daughter Jody on the final Cobra World, Merrick packs a bag to go with his mother to Qasama. They manage to land safely and make contact with some old acquaintances of Jin’s in the Sammon family – only to learn they never sent her a letter, nor do they know anything about a message meant for her.

Now Jin and her oldest son have to figure out who wants to start a war with the Cobra Worlds. In the midst of this, they have to worry about Qasama being invaded by the Trofts. To find any answers, they have to avoid being captured or killed, and they have to get back home. But that is easier said than done….

The Characters

Jin reminds one very easily of Princess Leia Organa Solo, save that she is a combat veteran who stayed home after her children were born to raise them. Not much is seen of her daughter Jody or husband Paul in the book, so it is difficult to get a read on them. Other than to say that Paul loves his wife and family while Jody is determined to keep the Cobra program alive, they do have much time in which to shine.

Lorne gets more screentime and comes across as a more loving and lovable Human Torch than Johnny Storm is usually depicted to be, while Merrick appears to be a genius who prefers the simple life with his family to being in politics or academia. He is also willing to walk into hell to keep his mother safe, which wins him extra points, as Jin is a very determined woman no one can talk down from a plan. Knowing this, Merrick simply adjusts the plans they make to do his best to be there when things get out of hand and Mom needs backup.

The Qasamans are utterly paranoid. Only Moffren Omnathi, Jin’s enemy and savior from her last trip to the planet, seems to have a healthy understanding that paranoia has its limits. The Sammon family, who helped Jin inadvertently before, must ally with her again in this adventure. The senior Sammon shows a remarkable bit of sense while his son learns by the end that, more often than not, his old man is correct to do what is right, despite the risks to himself and his family.

The World

The planet Qasama is fleshed out well, as it is where most of the action takes place. Readers are given enough of a glimpse of how the Cobra Worlds operate to have an idea of the culture the main characters come from, but these planets are not explored overmuch in this book. Even with that, the universe feels real in a manner that only Timothy Zahn could make it.

Politics

There are no politics in the book that do not relate specifically to the story.

Content Warning

The book is PG-13 and easy to read for any age.

Who is it for?

Anyone who likes space opera and commando fiction will love Cobra Alliance, as it has plenty of high-powered action on the ground and enough worldbuilding to leave space opera fans chewing over the implications for days. Readers who want to follow a loving family into adventure will enjoy the book as well, as the Moreau-Broom clan has family love and honor in spades. Those who want to see a family standing up to the universe and saying, “No, you move,” will have reason to keep this book on the shelf for years to come.

Of course, if a reader wants intricate plotting, then this Timothy Zahn book is a good choice. Between the Troft invasion, Qasaman scheming and paranoia, and Jin and Merrick’s desire to unravel the whole mess before escaping certain death, the entire plot is a grand chess match. It is just a matter of discovering who the players are – and who is being played!

Why buy it?

 It is a good family adventure by a great writer. What’s not to like?