Book picks similar to
Guardian Ship by Mark Wayne McGinnis


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Empire of Bones


Terry Mixon - 2014
    Long live the Empire! Commander Jared Mertz, the bastard son of the Emperor, and his half-sister, Princess Kelsey, barely speak to one another. To their dismay, their father seizes an opportunity to change that and sends them on a dangerous quest to explore the fallen Empire. Separated from home by an impassable gulf and struggling to redefine their relationship, they find themselves thrust into a vicious war. Unless they work together to stop the Empire’s deadly legacy, billions face a horrific fate.

Wolfhound


Kindal Debenham - 2011
    As a newly commissioned officer in the Celostian Navy, his goal was to serve well until the day he could retire. Then disaster strikes on his first cruise aboard the CNS Wolfhound, and he will have to display all the courage, skill and determination he has in order to keep the remaining crew members out of danger. Because if he does not, the only ones to tell the tale will be prisoners of war—if there are any left at all.

Existence


David Brin - 2012
    Gerald Livingston is an orbital garbage collector. For a hundred years, people have been abandoning things in space, and someone has to clean it up. But there’s something spinning a little bit higher than he expects, something that isn’t on the decades’ old orbital maps. An hour after he grabs it and brings it in, rumors fill Earth’s infomesh about an “alien artifact.” Thrown into the maelstrom of worldwide shared experience, the Artifact is a game-changer. A message in a bottle; an alien capsule that wants to communicate. The world reacts as humans always do: with fear and hope and selfishness and love and violence. And insatiable curiosity.

Gregor's Run: The Universe is too Small to Hide


Saxon Andrew - 2016
    He’s forced to scrub booster tubes on commercial starships to make enough coins to feed his alcohol addiction in his dirty day-to-day existence. The future looks dark and is getting darker. To make matters worse, he discovers that two very powerful forces are attempting to capture him and he has no clue why. One of them is the Venzel Dragons, who are recognized as the most deadly warriors in the known universe. The other is a secretive organization simply known as the Movement. Gregor just can’t figure out why they’re after him and remaining free is quickly disappearing as an option. He has no choice but to run and try to determine why he is being pursued across the known universe. He has no memory of his childhood or where he was born and before he can make sense of everything, he would need to go back to Earth and find out who he really is. What he finds changes his world completely and learning that his adopted father was assassinated makes him resolve to make the killers pay for their actions. But what could a filthy, alcoholic bum do against the two most powerful forces in the known universe? The answer lies on the forest world of Bellingham and according to the Cartian Database, no one has gone to that planet in more than six hundred years and lived. Gregor’s Run will keep you guessing at all the twists and turns as Gregor struggles to find himself in a universe gone insane. Excerpt: Gregor’s Run Gregor looked around the gathering, “Some of ye give it a go.” A warrior standing next to Gregor shook his head, “I think it’s clear that swords will not go through that thing.” Gregor said loudly, “All of ye agree that swords are useless against this force field.” The warriors all looked at each other and nodded. “Now if that piece of wood inside the force field was holding a blaster and ye were close enough to strike the force field, ye would die. All of ye see that.” Again the warriors looked at each other and were forced to agree with Gregor. Gregor turned and said, “Now, I want the archers to move back ten yards and fire at that piece of wood like it’s an enemy coming to harm ye families. I want ye to move back in case the arrows you shoot bounce off towards ye.” Several male warriors and ten females moved back ten yards and formed a line. Ellie was one of the archers and she lifted her bow and pulled an arrow out of her quiver. The arrow flew toward the target at a speed that was difficult to see but, when it bounced off the force field, everyone saw it penetrate the canoe twenty yards further up the beach. Everyone immediately moved back another ten yards. The archers didn’t give up as easily as the swordsmen. They fired arrow after arrow at the target and arrows were ricocheting in all directions. Finally, all of them stopped firing except for Ellie. Gregor saw the anger on her face and she started screaming as each arrow failed to penetrate the force field. Gregor sighed and saw her frustration getting the better of her. She jumped and slammed her elbows down to her sides as she stamped both feet into the sand. She screamed at the top of her voice and ran toward the force field. Gregor yelled, “NO, ELLIE! STOP!!” Ellie arrived at the force field, jerked the last arrow out of her quiver, and screamed as she threw it at the wooden target. The arrow went through the force field and stuck in the center of the target. Gregor’s mouth fell open as he heard the computer say over the link, “What the hell just happened here!”

Whistling Past the Graveyard: Prequel to The Saga of Shadows


Kevin J. Anderson - 2016
    Anderson’s breathtaking, bestselling Saga of Seven Suns and Saga of Shadows. Nine years have passed since the end of the titanic Elemental War, and the human race is still picking up the pieces. The Terran Hanseatic League has become the Confederation, and King Peter and Queen Estarra work to heal wounds among the factions of humanity, as well as with the alien Ildiran Empire. Trade Minister Rlinda Kett seeks to reestablish contact with lost human colonies that have vanished in the chaos, and she travels to a planet called Happiness, site of an isolated neo-Amish colony where the treacherous Prince Daniel was exiled. As a civil war brews among the Roamer clans over the old ways versus new business methods, some brave clans venture back to skymining again, harvesting the restless clouds of huge gas giant planets—where the threat of the devastating hydrogue aliens always looms…

The Abyss Beyond Dreams


Peter F. Hamilton - 2014
    Nigel Sheldon, one of the founders of the Commonwealth, receives a visit from the Raiel—self-appointed guardians of the Void, the enigmatic construct at the core of the galaxy that threatens the existence of all that lives. The Raiel convince Nigel to participate in a desperate scheme to infiltrate the Void.Once inside, Nigel discovers that humans are not the only life-forms to have been sucked into the Void, where the laws of physics are subtly different and mental powers indistinguishable from magic are commonplace. The humans trapped there are afflicted by an alien species of biological mimics—the Fallers—that are intelligent but merciless killers.Yet these same aliens may hold the key to destroying the threat of the Void forever—if Nigel can uncover their secrets. As the Fallers’ relentless attacks continue, and the fragile human society splinters into civil war, Nigel must uncover the secrets of the Fallers—before he is killed by the very people he has come to save.

Ark Royal


Christopher G. Nuttall - 2014
    -Royal Navy Motto Seventy years ago, the interstellar supercarrier Ark Royal was the pride of the Royal Navy. But now, her weapons are outdated and her solid-state armour nothing more than a burden on her colossal hull. She floats in permanent orbit near Earth, a dumping ground for the officers and crew the Royal Navy wishes to keep out of the public eye. But when a deadly alien threat appears, the modern starships built by humanity are no match for the powerful alien weapons. Ark Royal and her mismatched crew must go on the offensive, buying time with their lives. And yet, with a drunkard for a Captain, an over-ambitious first officer and a crew composed of reservists and the dregs of the service, do they have even the faintest hope of surviving......and returning to an Earth which may no longer be there?

Fractured Light


Nick Cook - 2018
    THEY UNCOVERED A THREAT TO EVERY PERSON ON THE PLANET. NOW AN INVISIBLE ENEMY IS HUNTING THEM DOWN. What would you do if you started to see something lurking in the shadows of our everyday world? That's the reality that Jake Stevens has been pitched into and now he’s questioning his sanity.Jake’s been an outsider in his hometown Stoneham, England, ever since his life was shattered when his father's experiment into dark energy exploded, killing himself and many others.When Jake witnesses a satellite crash-landing, and starts to receive garbled messages that hint at a conspiracy, a chain of events is unleashed that will threaten the very existence of all life on Earth in a dystopian nightmare.Can Jake, and the best friend that he froze out of his life, Chloe Haze, a coding genius who’s heavily entrenched with the underground hacking network, figure out the connections of the mystery that link all the events before it’s too late?Fractured Light is the first volume in the Fractured Light trilogy, and is also part of the Multiverse Chronicles, an epic series of interlinked stories that follows the struggle of humanity to survive across parallel universes. If you love books by Michael Grant and Robert J Crane, or adore series like Stranger Things and Fringe, then this page-turning smart sci-fi thriller, is for you.

On a Pale Ship: A Privateer Tales Series


Jamie McFarlane - 2017
    And one scientist is willing to kill to find it… Dorian Anino thought her research would change the world. The discovery of the so-called “hero-gene” taught her and her team that it was possible for some humans to have incredible strength, speed, and agility. But when Dorian discovers that the gene only expresses in people on the brink of death, her team can’t help but be disappointed. Except for Dorian’s protégé, who opts to poison the water supply to unearth more heroes…Luc Gray is a hero through and through. But when the squadron leader loses a pilot and then his position in quick succession, he has no idea what to do next. Without a mission, he jumps at an assignment from Dorian to investigate the pilot’s death. But when the mission puts him in grave danger, Luc is about to find out just how much of a hero he is…To defeat a scientist who wants to play god, Dorian may just have to create her own team of heroes…On a Pale Ship is the first book in a new series in the Privateer Tales universe, a set of military sci-fi space operas. If you like amazing tech, superhuman abilities, and interstellar action, then you’ll love Jamie McFarlane’s powerful tale. Buy On a Pale Ship to unlock your inner hero today!

The Lost Gunboat Captain


J.D. Oppenheim - 2017
     Alone in the cold black with 36 hours of oxygen. Jolo Vargas, Federation Gunboat Captain, is trapped in a runaway escape pod zooming towards Federation space. But will he be dead before he gets there? He's in a tight spot. But he's a war hero, just the type of man who could work his way out of this jam. But there's just one little problem. He doesn't remember who he is. Will he find out his identity and his place in the universe, or will he run out of air on the edge of Fed space?

Merkiaari Wars Series: Books 1-3


Mark E. Cooper - 2013
    Will the next encounter spell the end of mankind? 3 books and 1,200+ pages of alien invasion and interstellar action. Over 250 five-star ratings on Goodreads! In the far future, nanotechnology will be all that keeps us alive in a brutal war with the Merkiaari. Into this war-torn galaxy a courageous Marine, an alien geneticist, and a broken hero will unite in common cause... The Merkiaari Wars Series: Books 1-3 includes the first three installments in an epic space opera about space exploration and alien invasion. If you enjoy military science fiction stories that mix philosophy with political intrigue, then you'll love Mark Cooper's unequivocal masterpiece. Pick up this box set, and you'll get a free two-chapter preview of Operation Breakout (book 4). Buy The Merkiaari Wars Series: Books 1-3 and start reading today! Author Interview Q - What inspired you to write The Merkiaari Wars?A - I love science fiction and space opera. I can never read enough futuristic war novels about galactic empires! I always write books that I would read myself. When people ask me about other author's novels, I tell them to try the books I love. Books like C J Cherryh's Chanur series. I absolutely devoured them. Did you know my aliens, the Shan, were inspired by Chanur? I love the idea of cat-like aliens. My space battles are David Weber's fault. I could never get enough of Honor Harrington. And lastly, I couldn't possibly ignore his collaborations with John Ringo. John’s Empire of Man series is EPIC!Q - What order should I read the books in?A - Although each book in the series "could" be read as a standalone book, I don't recommend it. Each one is intricately woven into the overall story arc and linked to the plots of the previous novels. I'd suggest the following sequence:- Hard Duty- What Price Honour- Operation Oracle- Operation Breakout- Incursion (TBA)Q - So, why should readers give these books a try?A - Because the Merkiaari Wars series is a fast and fun story full of interstellar action that takes no prisoners! Each of the books is packed with futuristic space battles or ground warfare with high stakes -- mankind's extinction. Ultimately, readers who enjoy lightning-fast pacing about space exploration and alien invasion in a far future time will love the series. The Merkiaari Wars Series eBook Categories: - Space Opera books- Alien Invasion- Space Exploration novels- Genetic Engineering- Galactic Empire Series- Military Thriller- First Contact books- Space Marine- Space Fleet

Gehenna Dawn


Jay Allan - 2012
    An unimaginable nightmare. A searing hot world, covered with cracked, burning deserts and sweltering jungles. A hostile planet far from Earth, it was the most hellish place men have ever tried to survive. Called Gehenna by the condemned men sent to fight there, it forged the few who survived its murderous battles into the strongest soldiers in history.Jake Taylor was a New Hampshire farmboy who wanted nothing more than to marry his girlfriend, work on the farm, and maybe one day write a great novel. But mankind was fighting the alien Tegeri and their bio-mechanical cyborg soldiers, and UN Central needed men…men to go to war on hostile worlds like Erastus.Jake wasn’t given a choice, not a real one. He found himself torn from home and family, conscripted for life and shipped to Erastus to take his place in the battle lines, never to return. In this alien hell, Taylor and his cybernetically-enhanced comrades fight their never-ending war against the servants of the Tegeri, the manufactured soldiers they call simply, the Machines.Jake survives battle after battle, rising steadily through the ranks, giving all to the desperate fight to save Earth. But endless combat in hell carries a cost, and Taylor can feel himself losing what little is left of his spirit, his humanity. When he finally discovers a terrible secret…that everything he’d believed, all he’d fought for his entire life, was nothing but a monstrous lie, he must decide who is the real enemy, and how far he is willing to go to right a horrific wrong.And if he does what he must to prevail against overwhelming odds and win the final victory, will he be able to control the growing madness inside…or will he be become the very thing he has sworn to destroy?The Crimson Worlds SeriesBy Jay AllanCrimson Worlds I: Marines Crimson Worlds II: The Cost of Victory Crimson Worlds III: A Little Rebellion Crimson Worlds IV: The First Imperium Crimson Worlds V: The Line Must Hold Crimson Worlds VI: To Hell's Heart Tombstone: A Crimson Worlds Prequel Bitter Glory: A Crimson Worlds Prequel Coming December 2013: Crimson Worlds VII: The Shadow Legions

Kestrel Class


Toby Neighbors - 2019
    Living on the junk world of Torrent Four, Ben scours the vast fields of trash, wreckage, and derelict ships in search of anything of value while avoiding the Salvage Scalpers, a gang that takes whatever it wants and enslaves anyone with a knack for finding valuables in the endless mounds of trash. For many people in his position, life is unbearable, but Ben has a secret. Buried deep in the salvage fields, hidden by mounds of rubbish, lies a Kestrel class starship. And after a decade of tireless work, she’s almost ready to fly. The Royal Imperium rules the galaxy with an iron fist. Freedom is just a dream on the hundreds of worlds under their domain. But in space, a person with a fast ship, an able crew, and the right connections can enjoy the last vestiges of liberty, as long as they stay under the radar. Ben Griminski has a ship, but he’ll need a crew and plenty of Zexum to fuel her if they hope to escape their dreary lives on Torrent Four. It’s a challenge worth taking on, and if his luck holds, he might just discover what life is like among the stars. Kestrel Class is the first novel in a new science fiction saga by master storyteller Toby Neighbors. Drawing inspiration from Firefly, The A-Team, and even Star Wars, Kestrel Class is a fast-paced mix of action and character-driven drama. Take the pilot’s seat in the Modulus Echo, join the crew in a heist for fuel, and learn just how depraved the Imperium has become to ensure unquestioning obedience from the masses under their control. If you love space opera, or you’re just looking for the next story that will sweep you away from your ordinary existence, Kestrel Class is the book for you.

REV


T.R. Harris - 2018
    He’d gone on more Runs and killed more aliens than any single Human alive. He’d been one of the early volunteers for the NT-4 Program, which used a powerful performance-enhancing drug to turn ordinary Marines into super killing machines. Affectionately called REV, the drug wasn’t for everyone. Few made it through the screening process, and fewer still into the Fleet.Zac was the most-senior REV alive, a miracle of science and a legend in the Corps. His job was to be the battering ram for the Marines, the first in while revved up on NT-4. During a Run he was a mindless killing machine, dangerous to both foe and friend alike. That’s why his fellow Marines gave him a wide berth until he could be put down by the Twilight drug. At that point he was somewhat manageable.But something was happening to Zac. Long after most other REVs were dead, burned out or ‘retired,’ he was growing stronger, more powerful.He was also doing something else unheard of for a REV on a Run. He was beginning to think.

Steel World


B.V. Larson - 2013
    Unfortunately, someone noticed. The Galactics arrived with their battle fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined their vast Empire. Swearing allegiance to our distant alien overlords wasn’t the only requirement for survival. We also had to have something of value to trade, something that neighboring planets would pay their hard-earned credits to buy. As most of the local worlds were too civilized to have a proper army, the only valuable service Earth could provide came in the form of soldiers…someone had to do their dirty work for them, their fighting and dying. I, James McGill, was born in 2099 on the fringe of the galaxy. When Hegemony Financial denied my loan applications, I was kicked out of the university and I turned to the stars. My first campaign involved the invasion of a mineral-rich planet called Cancri-9, better known as Steel World. The attack didn’t go well, and now Earth has entered a grim struggle for survival. Humanity’s mercenary legions go to war in STEEL WORLD, bestselling author B. V. Larson’s latest science fiction novel.