Book picks similar to
Faith in the Service by M.C.A. Hogarth


science-fiction
space-opera
peltedverse
scifi

The Collected Kagan


Janet Kagan - 2016
    Janet Kagan was a unique voice in the business, bringing her witty sense of humor and refreshing outlook to stories that tackled political intrigue, murder mysteries, and ecological puzzles. Her stories are thought-provoking, often funny, and always entertaining.“Janet Kagan explores the interfaces of culture, language, intelligence, and what it means to be human.”—Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, coauthors of the best-selling Liaden Universe® series“An absolute delight.”—Mike ResnickAt the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Modified: Volumes 1 - 5 Box Set


Kat Stiles - 2018
    The last thing she needs is to be kidnapped, even if it is by a hot Brit. Afterwards, she's mysteriously returned and has no memory of what happened. She learns, with the help of an eccentric sexy woman, that she's been modified - given a power unique to her talents. Sounds cool, right? It would be if she knew how to use it without killing everyone around her... Modified is a funny, sexy, geeky romp about the trouble of acquiring an unexpected and inherently evil super power. Full of offbeat characters, profanity, and a healthy dose of salacious thoughts, you'll love this fun series. With the box set edition, you get all five volumes for one low price! Pick up your copy today and get Modified! Reader Discretion is Advised: If you are offended by strong language or sexual situations, for the love of God don't buy this box set.

Fortune's Pawn


Rachel Bach - 2013
    She has plans. Big ones. And a ton of ambition. It's a combination that's going to get her killed one day - but not just yet. That is, until she just gets a job on a tiny trade ship with a nasty reputation for surprises. The Glorious Fool isn't misnamed: it likes to get into trouble, so much so that one year of security work under its captain is equal to five years everywhere else. With odds like that, Devi knows she's found the perfect way to get the jump on the next part of her Plan. But the Fool doesn't give up its secrets without a fight, and one year on this ship might be more than even Devi can handle.

Discovery


Nate Johnson - 2017
     Machinist Mate Nick Barns goes from ship’s mechanic, to bodyguard, to Mission Leader. His only job, keep everyone alive until they are rescued. A task, the primitive Eundai are determined to make difficult. Xeno-sociologist Amanda Rogers' dreams have come true. Humans have finally found an intelligent species. They may be primitives, barely out of their own bronze age. The last thing these Eundai need is to be overwhelmed with human technology. History is filled with examples of primitive cultures being ruined after initial contact. It is her job to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Defiance


Jason Krumbine - 2018
    We reached out to them with a hand of friendship and they returned the gesture by nearly destroying us all.  After a single encounter with the mysterious alien race identified only as Species 4876, the United Planetary Alliance was nearly decimated. Stopping their lone vessel was almost a hollow victory in the aftermath of the haunting mystery that Species 4876 presented: Where had they come from? Why did they attack us? And most of all, what if they came back?But they never did.Today, the threat of Species 4876 is a distant memory, a nearly forgotten footnote in the history books.Or is it?On the outer rim, cut off from any backup, ignored by Fleet Admiralty and surrounded by a hostile empire and an interstellar crime syndicate, Captain Mitchell and his crew of the USS Defiance find themselves as the first, and possibly only, defense against an alien menace that the rest of the galaxy has all but forgotten about. “Firefly” meets “Battlestar Galactica” via "Star Trek" in this addictive, fast-paced military sci-fi adventure.

Cherry Drop (Abner Fortis, ISMC Book 1)


P.A. Piatt - 2021
    When he makes his first combat drop, or cherry drop, he’s a know-nothing second lieutenant added to the mission roster as an afterthought. The Space Marines are tasked to support the Galactic Resource Conglomerate (GRC) while they test a revolution in military technology: Precision Crafted Soldiers (PCS). All the Space Marines have to do is kill bugs. Even when a tragic accident leaves Fortis in command, the mission is still an easy breather. When the Space Marines discover proof of a long-buried betrayal, though, friends become enemies, and their mission goes awry. Does Fortis have what it takes to lead the Space Marines to survival in the face of overwhelming odds?

The Earthling's Brother


Earik Beann - 2020
    In fact, he’s never met another human—or seen a sunrise, smelled a flower, or eaten a regular meal. All of that is about to change.It’s night in the desert, but he doesn’t feel the cold. The sky is clear, and the stars twinkle at him. He has never seen the sky from Earth before. Everything looks so strange. So . . . alien. He shakes his head in wonderment and laughs. He can’t stop smiling. This is Earth!There is a building ahead. Other people will be inside. His heart skips a beat as he takes a step forward, the rocks crunching under his bare feet. He has dreamed of this moment for as long as he can remember.But that which can be found can just as easily be lost again. It would have been better had Sam’s arrival gone unnoticed. But the artificial life form known only as the Authority is not one to miss such things. Nearly as old as time, and almost as powerful, the Authority was built by an ancient civilization as both an enforcer and a war machine, the destroyer of worlds. It has been watching Sam his entire life. Watching, and waiting, and judging. And now, it has decided that it’s time to act.

Longknifes Defend the Legation


Mike Shepherd - 2020
    She asks her grandparents, Gramma and Grampa Trouble, to came out to spend time with her kids while she is gone.Meanwhile, back on the Iteeche Imperial Capitol planet, intrigue and power plays continue. Within fifty kilometers of the Imperial Palace are a dozen clan factions who dream of seizing the purple from the hand of the young Emperor.The Human Embassy once more comes under siege. This time, however, the entire Legation District, all thirty-six blocks and three million Iteeche must be protected.Meanwhile, the kids are left on their own. Sneaky parents should not be surprised to discover that their kids are just as sly as they are. Before too long, Little Ruth and Johnny, along with thirty of their Human and Iteeche friends, are in way over their heads.Can Little Ruth keep her friends alive long enough for Gramma Trouble to race to their rescue?Can Little Ruth, not yet eight, learn the hard lesson of being a Longknife?This action-packed adventure of just under 100,000 words is a great parallel story for Kris Longknife Stalwart that shows just what measures need to be taken to keep the home fires burning, because – Longknifes do what they have to do . . . no matter the cost.

First Command


Scott Bartlett - 2019
     The memories are still fresh. Of colonies burning. Of millions dying in agony. 50 years later, we’ve built up our strength. Using a wormhole, we colonized both sides of the galaxy. It was the worst mistake we could have made. Our enemy has returned and the wormhole has collapsed. Commander Thatcher finds himself on the wrong side of the divide. Separated from his pregnant wife by countless light years. He’s just been given command of a light armored cruiser. His first command. If he ever wants to see his wife again, he’ll need to do the impossible. To defeat this enemy, he will need to reinvent space warfare. So that’s just what he’s going to do.

Good Morning Vendemiatrix


H. Paul Honsinger - 2020
    In these labors, there is one friend that they can count on, day in and day out . . . he’s a constant companion in their headsets with the Smack and Crack, Sno Bro, and other music they love, as well offering a seemingly endless stream of friendship and encouragement: the morning DJ on Company Radio Channel D, Robin Whitlake. But, Robin is more than a warm human voice in the endless night, he is a man with a heroic, yet deadly and dangerous secret past that could condemn him to death at any time. Disfigured and aging rapidly, he must work harder and harder to project the youth and vitality that he brings to his broadcasts, all the while wondering when and if his past will catch up with him. On 14 January 2314, it did. A disaster in the mining colony brings the heroic and deadly elements of Robin’s past into sudden collision. Not only must he decide whether to subject himself to possible execution, Robin has to call upon all his professionalism as a broadcaster, the skills he spent decades honing in his former life, and the Morse code abilities of a red-headed, pig-tailed Space Scout named Elaine, in a desperate “Hail Mary” improvisation with thousands of innocent lives hanging in the balance. Good Morning Vendemiatrix is an 8800 word stand-alone novelette set in the “Man of War” universe. Fans of Honsinger’s other work will recognize the setting and be treated to a cameo appearance by a familiar character, while new readers will not find themselves “lost in space.” It is a humorous and exciting piece of shorter fiction written to be enjoyed by all Science Fiction readers.