I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Cobra Traitor
by
Timothy Zahn
military science fiction in a paperback edition that was published by Baen Books on January 2, 2018 and has 416 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Cobra Guardian, Cobra Gamble, Judgment at Proteus, Cobra Slave, A Call to Duty, Cobra Outlaw, A Call to Vengeance, A Call to Arms, A Call to Insurrection
Third (and last) in the third trilogy of the Cobra Rebellion of the overall Cobra military science fiction series and revolving around the Moreau-Broom family, as they and fellow Cobras work to save their Worlds from the Dominion.
If you’re interested, there is a chronological listing of the Cobra books on my website.
My Take
There are plots within plots when it comes to the Dominion of Man (DoM) or the Troft. Well, the Qasama as well, since they’ve been sneaking about as well. Oh, yeah, and the people on Muninn… Hmmm, I guess the only ones without twisty plans are the Cobras.
The DoM has a patronage system amongst their military, i.e., one rises based on influence and not ability. A system that does not engender loyalty to anyone. “No man left behind?” Don’t count on it. Makes me think of David Weber’s Honor Harrington series and the Peeps. Of course that comparison fades when we learn how the DoM “reveres” women until circumstances change.
I’ve loved the Cobra series, but I gotta say I’m not a fan of Cobra Traitor. With three, four?, different substories, it’s been unsatisfying and somewhat headache-inducing. Yes, it helps that Zahn uses a third person global subjective point-of-view, so we’re able to peep in on all these different scenarios, but there have been too many twists and turns that flip everything on its head — let alone those nasty DoM soldiers!
There is a ton of action. There has to be to fit in all the betrayals. First there are the events on the Cobra World where the full impact of the DoM hits hard against our good guys. Then there’s Barrington, an enemy Moreau who slowly reveals his humanity in the Dorian, which is chasing the Squire, which has its own dramas. And then there’s Merrick on Muninn.
It doesn’t help that these young Brooms are dismayingly naive, which only adds to my regret.
The Story
Having shunted the Cobras aside and forgotten their existence, now the Dominion of Man is back. And they’re the enemy, invading the Cobra Worlds, forcing the Cobras into what amounts to slavery, putting their worlds under martial law.
But two clans of Cobras — the Moreaus and the Brooms ——will not stand idly by and let the Dominion run roughshod over their home worlds.
Now the truth of the Dominion’s presence emerges. Their plan to doom the Cobra Worlds to save themselves.
The Characters
The Cobra Worlds are…
…five isolated worlds of humans, the Cobras, “technologically enhanced warriors bred to fight an alien menace no ordinary human can withstand”, who were kicked out of the Dominion of Man and sent to the farthest reaches of the universe decades ago when they were no longer needed.
Aventine is…
…the home of the Broom family, and I think one of the five planets. It’s currently governed by Governor-General Chintawa. Nissa Grendeves, his secondary assistant, hates the Brooms. Treakness had been the senior governor.
Paul Broom, a Cobra, was “arrested” in Cobra Slave, 7, and he’s been fried by the DoM’s MindsEye. Jasmine “Jin” Moreau Broom is his wife, Corwin’s daughter, and the first woman Cobra. Their son is Lorne Moreau Broom, a Cobra. Merrick Moreau Broom, the youngest son, is another Cobra, who was taken by the Trofts. Great-uncle Corwin Moreau had been a governor with a ceramics hobby. Thena Broom has filed for a separation from Corwin. Jonny Moreau from Cobra is Lorne’s great-grandfather. Jame Moreau had been Jonny’s brother, who stayed behind in the Dominion.
More Cobras include Badger “Badj” Werle; Dillon de Portola; Emile Chun-Wei, a Capitalia Cobra, who is not one of Lorne’s friends; Aaron Koshevski; Dreysler; “Kicker” Pierce; and, Jeffries.
Leslie and Ducha Jankos, the mother of Taras Jankos, one of three Cobras murdered by the DoM Marines, are civilians. Will and Christy are some of the techs working on anti-DoM defenses. Jennie Sider is/was the chief makeup artist for Anne Villager; Kathia Rezondo and Doris are some of her people. Their current studio is based out of Badham’s Market. James Hobwell and Polestar Productions had produced that show as well as Greendale and Tribecca. Ben Saller is a friend of Aaron’s and a city pipe inspector. “Jeb Stuart Jones” is supposed to be undercover.
Capitalia is a traitorous city on the planet. Archway was where the “riot” took place. De Vegas province is controlled by the DoM.
Caelian is…
…a hell world allied with the Cobra Worlds but with a deadly environment ruled by Governor Uy. It was the focus of the subseries, Cobra War. Stronghold is its capital. Their Cobras include Popescu and Tammling.
Qasama is…
…a planet, a lost DoM colony allied with the Cobras, and ruled by Shahni Moffren Omnathi. Their medical expertise is a marvel.
The Squire is…
…the courier ship stolen from the DoM. Jody Moreau Broom, Smitty, and Kemp are Cobras. Rashida Vil is a Qasaman pilot. DoM Marine Gunnery Sergeant Fitzgerald Plaine hid aboard the Squire.
The Dominion of Man is…
…the human world that threw out their then-Cobras. The war was over, and they saw the surviving Cobras as a threat. I think the Dome is their central government with Asgard the military command center. Now the DoM has a use for them again and is forcing loyalty collars on any Cobra they can capture. And those Dominion Marines have more technically advanced Cobra-type enhancements that overwhelm our Cobras. MindsEye is a machine that sifts through the brain, taking its memories, with the possibility of destroying it.
Colonel Milorad Reivaro is in charge of the DoM Marines. The ruthless Captain Joshti Lij Tulu commands the Algonquin, a warship. Accompanying her is the courier ship, Squire; Falcon; and, Hermes. Commodore Rubo Santores, who arrived at Aventine in Cobra Slave, 7, commands the Megalith, a war cruiser.
Captain Barrington Jame Moreau, grandson of Jame Moreau, commands the Dorian, another war cruiser. Lieutenant Cottros Meekan is Barrington’s aide. Lieutenant Commander Eliser Kusari is the ship’s engineering officer and Second Officer. Dr Lancer is the chief medical officer. Tactical Officer Castenello is not one of Moreau’s allies. Commander Ling Garret is the first officer. Acting Captain Filho is in Castenello’s camp. Corporal Kai. Sergeant Oponn is a Marine guard; Colonel Mwando is in command of the Marines, I think. The Iris is one of Dorian‘s courier ships.
Troft is…
…a rather generic term for a number of different demesnes — think of it as Troft equaling Earthling and a demesne equaling a country. Troft demesne-lords are never allies but temporary partners of convenience. Flicker nets are one of their typical weapons. Some of the demesnes include Balin’ekha’spmi, Hoibe’ryi’sarai, Drim’hco’plai, and Kreil’laa’misar.
The Hoibe’ryi’sarai (Hoibie) are…
…Cobra World allies along with the Tlossies.
The Balin’ekha’spmi (Balin) is…
…one of the demesnes with Commander Ukuthi, the fourth demesne heir, who will work with anyone.
The Drim’hco’plai (Drim) is…
…another demesne and one which has taken over Muninn, creating a mind-control war drug on this lost DoM planet where the naive Merrick “Hopekeeper” is still on the run with Anya Winghunter, both of whom are slaves who escaped the Trofts. Bersarkis is a drug made from bersark, some kind of plant that makes you go crazy from simple contact.
Svipall is the village on Muninn where testing and chemical studies are being done. Alexis Tucker/Turner Woolmaster has a ranch. Helga Herbseeker and Ludolf Treetapper are Anya’s parents who abandoned her to the slavers and are leading their world’s rebellion. I think the humans on this world have been exposed to Troft morality for way too long. Dyre Woodsplitter is Anya’s betraying fiancé.
Kreil’laa’misar is…
…another demesne for whom Kjoic, a supposed Troft slave master, is actually a spy sent to learn more about a mind-control war drug.
The Cover and Title
The cover uses a black background to focus on da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man with exploded boxes of those areas of the body that have been replaced on an enhanced Cobra as well as a few extra, nicely muscled arms and legs. There are arcing longitude and horizontal latitude lines against a space blue background inside Da Vinci’s circle and box, which are outlined in a lime green with specks of blue-green “missiles” exploding outward. At the very top is a radial gradation in grays for this trilogy’s series information. Beneath that is the book title in a gradated (and grayed), lightly highlighted teal. The series number is in the same series info gray to the right and in line with the second word in the title. The electric colors of Vitruvian Man take up almost two-thirds of the cover with the author’s name in white at the very bottom. There is a testimonial in white within the graphic on the right. The publisher has an orange-to-yellows circular badge on the left.
The title reveals a most unexpected Cobra Traitor.
