Books like 'Rolling Thunder'
Readers who enjoyed Rolling Thunder by John Varley also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi space action / adventure military, war & conflict space-opera coming-of-age lgbtq space-travel exploration space-fleet
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A Rock and a Hard Place by Ryk Brown, Jeffrey Kafer
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo worlds preparing their defenses . . . A ship struggling to get back in the fight . . . An enemy continuing its relentless attack . . . A former enemy that could hold the answer . . . With the fate of billions in his hands, Captain Scott is offered a way to save them all and end the bloodshed, but if it backfires, he could lose everything. Sometimes, there is no good choice... -
![Into the Serpent's Lair by Ryk Brown]()
Into the Serpent's Lair by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.76 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsEmpires at the brink of war…A galactic alliance on the horizon…Worlds on the verge of destruction…Comrades taking up arms against one another…Nathan Scott must use all his cunning to save not only his own world, but the worlds of his friends and his enemies. But to do so, he must make a deal with the devil, and risk everything on a fight no one believes he can win... -
![Retaliation by Ryk Brown]()
Retaliation by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPart 2: Episode 10 A ship unable to defend itself… A captain determined to revive her… Worlds dependent on them both to survive… An enemy bent on their destruction… With the Aurora unable to fight, the Karuzari Alliance must find a way to not only repair their flagship, but to make the enemy pay dearly. Sometimes, you just have to make do with what you've got... -
![A Price Too High by Ryk Brown]()
A Price Too High by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsPart 2: Episode 12 …An enemy in retreat …A new world to protect …A new potential ally on the horizon …A new chance to go on the offensive The Dusahn have taken a massive blow, and with the Aurora’s improved jump range, Captain Scott and the Karuzari Alliance can finally keep them at arms length... -
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![Blockade: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle]()
Blockade: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHumanity’s greatest export – Justice. Space is a dangerous place, even for the wary, especially for the unprepared. The aliens have no idea. Here comes the Bad Company. When the Bad Company learns of a human colony blockaded by aliens, they take the upgraded War Axe into battle. Once again, nothing is as it seems, but this time, they find a single enemy, evil to its core...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![The Price of Liberty by D.J. Holmes]()
The Price of Liberty by D.J. Holmes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWar has been declared. The Indian Star Republic has landed ground troops on the newly discovered colony of Haven as they seek to seize access to the alien worlds of Vestar and Kulthar. The British Star Kingdom has reacted. A battle fleet has been formed with orders to drive off the Indians and retake Haven...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult book -
![Secrets in the Stars by Mackey Chandler]()
Secrets in the Stars by Mackey Chandler
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Lee Anderson and her parents discovered a new world teeming with life, it was the dream of every explorer: they were rich beyond their imaginations. But tragedy struck when a herd of creatures overran their camp and killed her parents. The only other adult in her life had been their partner Gordon, who adopted her as parent. Which didn’t turn out to be easy, because he wasn’t human...Categorized as:
coming-of-age exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![A Grimm Decision by Jeffery H. Haskell]()
A Grimm Decision by Jeffery H. Haskell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Jeffery H. Haskell comes book six in the military science fiction epic in the tradition of Honor Harrington and Star Trek... -
![Delphi Colony by Bob Blanton, Jessica Gurd]()
Delphi Colony by Bob Blanton, Jessica Gurd
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBook 8 of the popular series Delphi in Space. The McCormacks are finally going to start an Earth Colony and the Paraxeans are finally getting a home. Catie is going to the Academy and Marc is going to Artemis...Categorized as:
coming-of-age exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure ai -
![Delphi Challenge by Bob Blanton, Jessica Gurd]()
Delphi Challenge by Bob Blanton, Jessica Gurd
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBook 9 of the popular series Delphi In Space Delphi. In it, we find the McCormacks having to defend Artemis from the same Aliens that attacked the Paraxean colony fleet over 70 years before. Follow along as Catie finally graduates from the Academy...Categorized as:
coming-of-age exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure ai -
![Nua'll by S.H. Jucha]()
Nua'll by S.H. Jucha
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Omnian expeditionary fleet sails for the faraway place they call “the wall.” The worlds of humankind have consolidated their resources to create a powerful armada to confront the alien federation.During the Omnians’ previous encounter with an alien fleet at the wall, the Nua’ll comm sphere spoke to them in multiple languages...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![Delphi Diversion by Bob Blanton]()
Delphi Diversion by Bob Blanton
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCatie is on her way back to Earth after having settled the Fazulan slaves when the wormhole her ship is traveling in collapses. They are diverted to another system where big chunks are flying around. They rescue a ship and find themselves in the middle of a series of mysteries...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure aliens audiobook -
![The Lost Supernova by Vaughn Heppner]()
The Lost Supernova by Vaughn Heppner
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAndroids used to mingle among us, pretending to be human. Then an alien puppet-master altered their programming. Unknown to us, androids began leaving human society, burning their clothes and peeling off their skin to reveal the chrome-colored bodies underneath. They gathered in a system were a star had exploded, blowing away the atmosphere of a Jupiter-like planet...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![Return of the Corinari by Ryk Brown]()
Return of the Corinari by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPart 2: Episode 13 A host of new allies… A plethora of advanced technologies… A daring gamble to advance their forces… A chance to retake lost worlds once and for all… The Dusahn have been backed into a corner, barely able to hold the worlds of the Pentaurus cluster, let alone the entire sector. Forced to dig in, they may have to resort to drastic measures to save their fledgling empire... -
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![Buccaneers by Jamie McFarlane]()
Buccaneers by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe crew of the Hotspur just happens to be looking for a new home. If Nick James is right, and he usually is, the Tipperary solar system is about to become the busiest trading hub in the galaxy. To sweeten the pot, the cloud-city of Lèger Nuage is offering free warehouse space to qualified traders. It's a deal that seems too good to pass up. Of course, nothing's as simple as it seems...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult audiobook -
![Star Force: Origin Series by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: Origin Series by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Origin Series is empire building at its finest, with 100 episodes and over 2.5 million words in the military science fiction serial detailing the rise of Star Force from corporate entity into an interstellar empire over the course of more than a millennium...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult book -
![All in Good Time by Mackey Chandler]()
All in Good Time by Mackey Chandler
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLiving by bad neighbors is hard. Especially when there is a whole mob of them. Needing to do business with them makes it harder. Imagine nine billion noisy disrespectful neighbors who can’t keep their word and would be just as happy to see you dead... -
![Absolution by Glynn Stewart]()
Absolution by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA homeworld is not always home.Family is not always blood.Enemies are not always who you expect.Captain Evridiki “EB” Bardacki wants nothing more than to quietly ride off into the sunset with his fiancé, his crew, and his adopted daughter, Trace... -
![Liberation by Ryk Brown]()
Liberation by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsEpisode 10 Heartfelt reunions with friends… Desperate plans to gain advantage… Opportunities that cannot be ignored… Discovery of family once thought lost… The time has come for Captain Scott to fight for that which was taken… the very freedom of the world he was sworn to protect. “Liberation” is a 108,000 word novel, and is the 10th episode in The Frontiers Saga... -
![Bane of Worlds by Anthony James]()
Bane of Worlds by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFollowing his successful mission to recover the missing warship ESS Crimson, Captain John Duggan finds himself unredeemed in the eyes of his superiors. His duties resume and this time he’s given something easy - escort a cargo ship to a distant planet and bring it home safely. But war is never so predictable and a straightforward mission becomes something much more important...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![Crusade by Glynn Stewart]()
Crusade by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA newborn Alliance, forged to stop the destroyers of worldsA potential ally, with secrets hidden by a thousand liesA long-doomed star, whose ruins hold a vital answer... -
![Galactar by Anthony James]()
Galactar by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFollowing decades of war and the recent catastrophic loss of an entire planet, the Human Planetary Alliance is riven by internal disputes and rivalries. The military’s old guard fights for power against those who see a chance to turn things around.After a series of hard-fought victories, Captain Carl Recker is becoming recognized as a man who gets results - a man who knows how to beat the Daklan...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![Star Force: Origin Series by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: Origin Series by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Origin Series is empire building at its finest, with 100 episodes and over 2.5 million words in the military science fiction serial detailing the rise of Star Force from corporate entity into an interstellar empire over the course of more than a millennium...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult book -
![Fulcrum Gun by Anthony James]()
Fulcrum Gun by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLost in hostile space and pursued by the most powerful warship in the known universe, Captain Carl Recker is losing hope and running out of options. His battleship Fulcrum is no match for this enemy and the Meklon aliens who might have helped him are dead, killed by the Galactar’s murderous weaponry.Somehow, Recker must find a way to succeed where the might of an alien empire already failed...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
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![Laws of Ancidium by Anthony James]()
Laws of Ancidium by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHaving fought his hardest battle, Captain Carl Recker returns to planet Lustre, bringing the alien battleship Fulcrum with him.Recker is under no illusions that he’ll be offered backdated shore leave, but his feet don’t even touch the ground before trouble shows up. A heavily armed fifty-thousand-metre Meklon interstellar drops out of lightspeed near the planet...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![Return to Haven by D.J. Holmes]()
Return to Haven by D.J. Holmes
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe revelation that the human race is not alone has sent shockwaves throughout Earth’s naval powers. Suddenly all eyes have turned to Haven and the trade routes to the Vestarian and Kulrean homeworlds. Thinking he has nothing to lose, Haven’s First Councilor puts into motion a plan that threatens to turn star empire against star empire...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult audiobook -
![The Long Voyage of the Little Fleet by Mackey Chandler]()
The Long Voyage of the Little Fleet by Mackey Chandler
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the first book of this series "Family Law", Lee's parents and their business partner Gordon found a class A habitable planet. They thought their quest as explorers was over and they'd live a life of ease. But before they could return and register their claim Lee's parents died doing a survey of the surface...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![Refuge by Glynn Stewart]()
Refuge by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA dying world, shattered by a broken machineA desperate flight, their only hope for refugeA robotic race, ally and destroyer alikeThe Republic of Exilium has grown in strength and confidence at the far end of the galaxy from the rest of mankind, sending out scout ships to survey the worlds around them as they try to learn more about the mysterious Construction Matrix AIs... -
![Duty Calls: The adventure continues by James Haddock]()
Duty Calls: The adventure continues by James Haddock
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDuty Calls continues the story of Nic, Mal, Jazz and Jade as they fight to hold what belongs to them. The Corporations are becoming more aggressive in their effort to steal their inventions. Our four friends are matching the corporate's aggression blow for blow. The fight has already turned deadly, and the Corporation has shown they aren't afraid to spill blood... -
![Exile by Glynn Stewart]()
Exile by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA shackled Earth, ruled by an unstoppable tyrantAn exiled son, and a one-way trip across the galaxyA perfect world, their last hope for survivalVice Admiral Isaac Gallant is the heir apparent to the First Admiral, the dictator of the Confederacy of Humanity. Unwilling to let his mother's tyranny stand, he joins the rebellion and leads his ships into war against the might of his own nation...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![Escalation by Ryk Brown]()
Escalation by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA cease-fire that has lasted seven years… Worlds half-destroyed that have been rebuilt anew… Friends and crewmates scattered light-years apart… New leaders that would be kings… The Jung threat has been renewed, in ways not imagined. It will take a new savior to inspire the masses, and once again lead those willing to fight against oppression... -
![Parley by Jamie McFarlane]()
Parley by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLiam Hoffen and Nick James are back in the next, exciting installment of Jamie McFarlane's Privateer Tales. After fighting space pirates and rescuing a damsel in distress, nothing sounds better than shore leave at Puskar Stellar on Mars where Liam can reconnect with his girlfriend...Categorized as:
coming-of-age exploration military space-fleet space-opera action-adventure audiobook book -
![A Line in the Sand by Ryk Brown]()
A Line in the Sand by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPart 2: Episode 14An enemy lashing out in desperation…An alliance poised to expand…A new fleet of ships to help them…A covert mission to get answers…The Dusahn Empire has been contained for the moment. But there is much work to be done in order to keep them from reasserting their dominance over the Pentaurus sector... -
![Rise of the Corinari by Ryk Brown]()
Rise of the Corinari by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA time to recover…A chance to make a new ally…A brief respite to repair and rearm…An opportunity for a people to regain their honor…For every civilization there comes a moment when a stand must be made against tyranny.The time has come for the Alliance to draw a line in the sand... -
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![Star Force: Temple Wars by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: Temple Wars by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingshe bell has been rung, and the Return of the Reignor has come...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![Corruption by Sarah Noffke, Michael Anderle]()
Corruption by Sarah Noffke, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA new evil lurks in the darkness. After an explosion, the crew of a battlecruiser mysteriously disappears.Bailey and Lewis, complete strangers, find themselves suddenly onboard the damaged ship. Lewis hasn’t worked a case in years, not since the final one broke his spirit and his bank account. The last thing Bailey remembers is preparing to take down a fugitive on Onyx Station...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure aliens book -
![Judas Kiss by Rick Partlow]()
Judas Kiss by Rick Partlow
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe battle for Sparta has begun. Logan Brannigan has taken back his father’s name and now he and Wholesale Slaughter fight to reclaim his father’s throne. But deposing the traitor, Rhianna Hale, without bringing all of Sparta into a bloody and divisive civil war won't be easy. And while the Spartans fight among themselves, vultures circle, waiting for their chance to claim what’s left...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-travel action-adventure adult book colonization -
![Star Force: Phoenix by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: Phoenix by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCal-com's journey is not at an end. In fact, it's just beginning..Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![Star Force: The Powers That Be by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: The Powers That Be by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn youth you'd lay awake at night and scheme..Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![Fallen Souls by David Alastair Hayden]()
Fallen Souls by David Alastair Hayden
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Outworld Ranger crew has dodged government forces, criminal guilds, and bounty hunters numerous times since fleeing Ekaran IV. But with the warships of the Dark Messiah closing in on them, their mission has never been in greater jeopardy. Cornered, their options and allies are few. And the Outworld Ranger suffered extensive damage getting them this far... -
![Head of the Dragon by Ryk Brown]()
Head of the Dragon by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsTime is running out…An ally has all but fallen…Resources are running low…The time for attack has come...The Alliance must strike deep into the heart of the empire.This time, the Aurora will be going home, or going to her grave.“Head of the Dragon” is a 133,000 word novel, and is the 6th episode in The Frontiers Saga... -
![The Expanse by Ryk Brown]()
The Expanse by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsEpisode 7A newly repaired ship…A willing and eager crew…A host of new technologies…A long anticipated return home…The crew of the UES Aurora finally has the chance to fulfill their mission, but first they must complete a long and dangerous journey across a thousand light years of unexplored space.“The Expanse” is a 104,000 word novel, and is the 7th episode in The Frontiers Saga... -
![Imperial Command by D.J. Holmes]()
Imperial Command by D.J. Holmes
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsTrapped behind enemy lines, the survivors of the raid on Jaranna have been forced to flee deeper into enemy territory. Behind them Karacknid fleets gather to exact revenge. With danger at every turn, Admiral Lightfoot must find a way to get his ships home or Earth will be left defenceless.On Earth the Empire has been formed and is bringing the outlying colonies into its fold...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![In Harm's Way by John Spearman]()
In Harm's Way by John Spearman
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe continuing adventures of Captain Jonah Halberd, Royal Navy of the Interplanetary Commonwealth. Join Captain Halberd in the Commonwealth's fight against the Rodinan Federation. A thinker as well as a man of action, Halberd finds ways to improve his odds when he finds himself 'In Harm's Way...Categorized as:
military space-opera space-fleet sci-fi action-adventure violent-conflict space fiction -
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![Terminus Cut by Rick Partlow]()
Terminus Cut by Rick Partlow
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMercenaries with a mission. Logan Conner has given up the life of a warrior prince to become Jonathan Slaughter, a mercenary captain of a rough-and-ready band of mech-jocks for hire. Already legendary throughout the Periphery, their next job brings them head-to-head with the Jeuta, militant aliens who seek to loot and plunder isolated human colony worlds...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult audiobook -
![Hero to the End by Timothy Ellis]()
Hero to the End by Timothy Ellis
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings'If we fall, humanity is lost. Those are the stakes.' The Darkness War rages on, and a war weary Jonathon Hunter faces obstacles which only humans can create, while an enemy which keeps growing stronger continues to force him to retreat...Categorized as:
coming-of-age exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure aliens -
![Star Force: Origin Box Set #93-96 by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: Origin Box Set #93-96 by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Origin Series is empire building at its finest, with 100 episodes and over 2.5 million words in the military science fiction serial detailing the rise of Star Force from corporate entity into an interstellar empire over the course of more than a millennium...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens -
![Resurgence by Jerry Aubin]()
Resurgence by Jerry Aubin
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWith the battle for Earth over, our heroes are forced to deal with the repercussions of its outcome. They enlist their closest allies to take back the Ship from enemies both new and old, and along the way they discover a most unexpected source of help...Categorized as:
exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure audiobook book colonization -
![Star Force: Origin Series Box Set (85-88) by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: Origin Series Box Set (85-88) by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Origin Series is empire building at its finest, with 100 episodes and over 2.5 million words in the military science fiction serial detailing the rise of Star Force from corporate entity into an interstellar empire over the course of more than a millennium...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult book -
![Star Force: Origin Series by Aer-ki Jyr]()
Star Force: Origin Series by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Origin Series is empire building at its finest, with 100 episodes and over 2.5 million words in the military science fiction serial detailing the rise of Star Force from corporate entity into an interstellar empire over the course of more than a millennium...Categorized as:
exploration military space-fleet space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens
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