Book Review: Timothy Zahn’s Cobra Trilogy

It’s been a while since I’ve done a book review, and having just finished the collection by Timothy Zahn - Cobra Trilogy, the time seems ripe.

The Cobra Trilogy

I received Cobra Trilogy as a Christmas gift.  Having read the first two books in the trilogy many moons ago, getting the trilogy gave me a chance to finish off the series (or so I though, anyway).

The trilogy tells the story of the Moreau family, starting with Johnny Moreau.  Set in a future where Man has branched out to explore the Universe, our race now inhabits many planets, which are ruled collectively by the Dominion of Man.  Faced with an invading race, known as Trofts, the Dominion accepts volunteers for a newly formed military unit, called the Cobras.  Johnny Moreau is accepted to the unit, and undergoes a grueling surgical procedure, to find himself a living weapon.  With nearly unbreakable, laminated bones, servo motors in his joints, and an arsenal to rival a small military unit, he is the perfect guerilla warrior.  Indistinguishable from the general populace, he has a nano-computer implanted at the base of his brain that takes control and assesses threats, allowing him to respond faster than human thought.

Book 1 deals with Johnny’s entry into the war, and the exodus of the Trofts.  One would think with such a hero, designed for action sequences, that would be the thrust of the book.  However, the true thrust of the story isn’t the combat ability of the Cobras, but their re-integration into society.  Having successfully put a halt to the threat posed by the Trofts, how can the Dominion now deal with the warriors?  How can a government stay balanced, when an elite group possesses an exponentially greater amount of power than the general populace?

Book 2, Cobra Strike, examines the solution to that problem.  The Moreau family has moved on, with Johnny entering politics as a leader of the Cobras, and his son following in his footsteps.  Taking a leadership position among the Cobra elite, Justin Moreau steps to the forefront in assessing a new threat.  Not Trofts, but humans.  Having forgotten their roots, a world of humans that offers an insane paranoia and perfect cooperation poses a threat of unimaginable proportions, should they ever manage to re-discover interstellar travel and be in a position to threaten the Cobra worlds.  While many favor sending an overwhelming Cobra force to eliminate the threat entirely, Justin develops an alternative plan.  One he hopes will save the people of Quasama, and the Cobra forces.

Book 3, Cobra Bargain, deals with Jin Moreau’s desire to become the first woman to enter into the Cobra academy.  When her uncle places his governorship on the line to make that a reality, she becomes the cornerstone of a new mission to assess an unknown threat on Quasama.

In Cobra Trilogy, Timothy Zahn gets us to consider the social impact of our choices.  Although the Cobra forces are interesting in combat, that is by no means the thrust of this storyline.  If you enjoy this genre of science fiction, its a well written series, and recommended.