Book picks similar to
War Begins Book One by Odette C. Bell


romance
science-fiction
despicable-villains
odd-balls

The Antiterrorist


Al Macy - 2015
    Not exploding, not dropping out of the sky, just disappearing. When the Hubble Space Telescope vanishes, reluctant hero Jake Corby is dispatched to figure out who or what is responsible. He's used to solving problems for the FBI, but hunting down missing satellites? That's a new one. The mysterious force next cripples the International Space Station and destroys the only spacecraft that could rescue the astronauts. The race is on to avert the final death blow to the ISS and execute a risky plan to get the astronauts back home. Before it's too late. This short prequel to Contact Us is filled with the quirky surprises and humor that Al Macy's readers have come to expect. The Antiterrorist is a standalone book, with no cliffhanger or "to be continued" at the end. It may be read before or after other books in the series.

Overload Flux


Carol Van Natta - 2014
    Debilitated by their influence when faced with violence, the brilliant forensic investigator now only takes assignments involving theft. But when he has to hunt down a hijacked vaccine for a galaxy-wide pandemic, the tragic first clue is his best friend’s brutal murder.Nightshift guard Mairwen Morganthur knows she must keep a low profile. The product of illegal genetic alteration, she’s a lethal weapon with no social graces. But when she’s tasked to protect a detective with frightening intuition, she finds herself falling for him even though he could expose her.Racing to recover the cure for a galaxy-wide pandemic, Luka is surprised by his developing feelings for the capable-but-mysterious guard. And Mairwen may have to risk everything by revealing her identity, with deadly mercenaries hot on their tail.Can the unlikely pair survive an interplanetary conspiracy long enough to save lives and find love?Overload Flux is the first novel in the sweeping Central Galactic Concordance space opera series. If you like haunted characters, compelling mysteries, and interstellar romance, then you’ll enjoy Carol Van Natta’s epic tale.

Forging Zero


Sara King - 2013
    Now they own us.The Legend of ZERO: Forging Zero is the epic journey of 14-year-old Joe Dobbs in a post-apocalyptic universe following a massive galactic empire's invasion of Earth. The oldest of the children drafted from humanity’s devastated planet, Joe is impressed into service by the alien Congressional Ground Force—and becomes the unwitting centerpiece in a millennia-long alien struggle for independence. Once his training begins, one of the elusive and prophetic Trith appears to give Joe a spine chilling prophecy that the universe has been anticipating for millions of years: Joe will be the one to finally shatter the vast alien government known as Congress. And the Trith cannot lie.…But first Joe has to make it through bootcamp.

The Pandora Chronicle:s Book 1


Ryan Attard - 2014
    And they were here just long enough to leave a legacy behind – buried in our DNA. 1713 - Captain Jack Finnegan’s remarkable success as a privateer gets him the attention of the Order, a secret society with only one mission: finding an ancient alien artifact and hiding it away. Finnegan will need all of his wits, resources, and newfound mysterious abilities, to survive his quest. 2012 - Famous archaeologist Nick Solomon find himself caught in an NSA Black Ops investigation to locate an ancient and powerful relic that could potentially change the world as we know it. Blackmailing Nick into working with them, he has to face off against Astrid, a Spanish crime lord who will stop at nothing to get the artifact first. Also helping Nick is the beautiful and deadly Agent Excalibur, a lethal secret agent from Nick's past... a past he is trying so hard to forget. Join Nick Solomon in his biggest adventure yet, as he explores ancient conspiracies, people with strange abilities, and mysterious alien technology.

Accord of Honor


Kevin O. McLaughlin - 2015
    But apparently, nobody told them that. When Thomas’s first command is ambushed in space, only quick thinking will keep his crew alive. *** A USA Today Bestselling Author! *** One random pirate ship would be bad enough, But the truth is far more deadly. Multiple ships of unknown origin are striking freighters and kidnapping their crews. Then the pirates turn their eyes toward the planets. One man has prepared for this; Thomas’s estranged father, Admiral Nicholas Stein. Hero and villain of the last great war, he has spent decades preparing for the conflict he always knew was coming. Now he and Thomas are all that stands between humanity and a ruthless enemy who will stop at nothing to control space - and from there, to enslave us all.

Black Hole Sun


David Macinnis Gill - 2010
    The air reeks of burning fuel; the rivers and lakes seethe with sulfur. In the shadows, evil men plot terror and beasts hunt the innocent. Out on the barren crags of the terraformed planet, there is nowhere to hide. No one to heed a call for help.No one, except Durango.

Timberwolf


Tom Julian - 2015
    He just wants the damn spider out of his head! For a hundred years, humanity destroyed every alien species they encountered… until we met the Arnock – psychic spiders that drove us insane on contact. There was only one man who ever survived contact with the spiders - Timberwolf Velez. He’s a very damaged man and took every suicide mission he could, but the spider forced him to stay alive and do its bidding. As a madman schemes to control the most deadly weapons in the galaxy, Timberwolf is the only force that can stop the galaxy from descending in to endless war. A cinematic epic on every page - Timberwolf has the hardware of Aliens, the intensity of Battlestar Galactic and the intrigue of Dune. Terrific action and great characters make this book impossible to put down! READERS SAY - "This is the very definition of a page turner." David Adkins - "This book should come with a warning: read only on weekends when you can sleep in. Stayed up all night because I couldn't put it down." Alexis W - "This book is like a train, heading to it's destination. Unswerving. ALWAYS moving forward, to it's terminus." - "Timberwolf is what you'd get if Dirty Harry and Ripley had a son." Merrill Chapman - "The action is simply amazing; it makes putting the book down nearly impossible." Tito Martínez Barberi - "Skillfully plotted, with well-drawn characters that have subtle shading, Timberwolf is a fast-paced story that is immensely readable." Photoguy126 - "Timberwolf has a human heart; it’s not about the combat suits or space ships, it’s about the people and their motivations for doing what they do." Eric Lahti - "How Timberwolf hasn't been snatched up by Hollywood as a screen play, is beyond me" DavidM - "Characters in Timberwolf are thoughtfully developed with great depth and the action is described in outstanding detail that puts you right on the pages with them." Picode Gallo CONNECT Talk to the author here... www.facebook.com/Timberwolf and here... www.twitter.com/TimberwolfNovel

Syndicate Wars: First Strike


Justin Sloan - 2017
     With an alien invasion and survival of the human race at stake, service in the Marines was no longer simply about honor and duty, it was a matter of life and death. This was especially true for Quinn, a Marine sergeant who was hell-bent on ensuring that her young daughter had a world to grow up in. No one stands a chance, but the invasion isn't what it seems. The others don't see this, but one thing separates Quinn from the others: She’s a certifiable badass. And as the aliens will learn, it’s tough to keep a good woman down. "A space opera with heart, great characters, and neverending action, the set-up will suck you in and the characters and story, including a very cool time-travel hook, will keep you wanting more." -- Stephen L'Heureux, SOLIPSISTFILMS (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) WARNING: There is not over-the-top swearing, but there is swearing. They are Marines, after all.

Dark of the Void


Anthony James - 2021
    The enemy warships are seemingly invulnerable and able to act with impunity, killing and destroying at will. Billions of lives are at risk, along with the new technology the Kilvar have come to steal.Against this opponent, the years of preparation seem useless. And yet…the alliance military has plenty of veterans who never learned how to give up.Lieutenant James Vance – a soldier of many past conflicts - thinks he’s seen the worst of the universe. The Kilvar will prove him wrong.Captain William Flint – his heavy cruiser Loadout is about to come face-to-face with an enemy he can’t possibly overcome.Fleet Admiral Carl Recker is the most decorated officer in the alliance. All his experience may not be enough to handle what lies ahead.Hardened by years on the frontline and endless past conflicts, humanity and the Daklan must figure out a way to defeat the Kilvar. The solution will, perhaps, be far more deadly than the enemy. With new technology comes new risks, and what the alliance has discovered may well be the most terrible weapon of all.Dark of the Void is a traditional-style science fiction action adventure and the first in the Forged Alliance series. Inside this book, a reader will find space combat, ground combat, ruthless aliens, incredible tech and lots more.Author’s Note: Forged Alliance is set twelve years after the Savage Stars series of books. Dark of the Void is welcoming to new readers, with no requirement to read the first series, but if you want to learn the history of this universe, by all means start with the Savage Stars Book 1: War from a Distant Sun.

The Transmuter's Daughter


Laurence E. Dahners - 2018
    Morgan Djai’s company’s been bought out, he’s been laid off, his wife wants a divorce, and his brilliant but estranged brother has just been murdered. As Morgan tries to assume his duties as guardian for his brother’s teenage children he’s confronted with the mystery of why his brother died carrying a $10,000 chunk of platinum in the pocket of his jeans. Morgan’s fifteen year old niece is striking in appearance but hostile in attitude. His nephew’s pleasant but defers all questions about the platinum to his sister. It slowly becomes evident that Morgan’s brother made the platinum. He was killed by people who wanted his secret. His niece knows how the platinum was created but doesn’t want to tell Morgan. The people who killed his brother still want the platinum… Damn…

The Retreat


Kelly St. Clare - 2016
    Humankind destroyed. And it’s old news. Romy’s life is simple—for a genetically enhanced space soldier; pick up space junk with her four friends, and stave off the invaders fixated on stealing Planet Earth. It isn’t much. But it’s temporary—only another 850 years to go, give or take. When her crew tangles with a gulp-worthy alien mothership, Romy’s return to Earth is brought forwards at hurtling pace. Strength comes from the unlikeliest of quarters. As does leadership. …As does betrayal.

Warrior Wench


Marie Andreas - 2016
     All of those are about to bite her in the ass. Vas’s life takes a turn for the worse when she comes back to her crew after what should have been a two week pleasure trip to find out she’s actually been gone a month and has no memory of missing time. Her beloved ship, The Victorious Dead, has been sold for scrap and its pieces scattered throughout the galaxy. In addition, there are unmarked ships blowing apart entire planets and the Commonwealth government can’t, or won’t, stop them. And that’s just her first day back. Vas has to fight her crew, the Commonwealth, and a mysterious cadre of warrior monks to get her ship back and save a universe that may not want to be saved.

Destroyer of Planets


L.A. Johnson - 2017
    She has never actually destroyed any planets, but getting to choose your own title is one of the few perks you get when you work against your will for an evil Octopus Overlord.In an attempt to regain her freedom, Kirian defies her tentacled boss and secretly saves Ari, the human she is supposed to kill. Can the two of them and a band of misfits join forces to thwart the Neon Octopus Overlord? And can a revolutionary rock song from an illegal grunge band save a planet?

The Irish Brigade: A Fallen Empire Novel


J.F. Holmes - 2020
    

The Signal


Nick Cook - 2018
    Why? Could it be we really are alone in the universe? Or is it that the truth has been withheld from us by a global conspiracy of silence? When radio telescope operators Lauren Stelleck, a woman with a special gift enabling her to literally see certain sounds, and Steve Andrews, a diehard sci-fi geek, detect a signal like no other at Jodrell Bank in England, a chain of events is unleashed that propels Earth towards all-out nuclear war. Can Lauren and Steve unlock the secret of the signal before our species tears itself apart? The Signal is a prequel novella to the Fractured Light trilogy, and is part of the Multiverse Chronicles, an epic series of interlinked stories that follows the struggle of humanity to survive across parallel universes. Watch the skies because the darkness is coming for us. Please note that there is the occasional use of strong language in The Signal and the story deals with adult themes. Recommended age is 16+.