Books like 'Defiant'

Readers who enjoyed Defiant by Laurence E. Dahners also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

sc-fi  hard sci-fi  space  action / adventure  military, war & conflict  space-travel  expert  power  celebrity  military

  • A Rock and a Hard Place by Ryk Brown, Jeffrey Kafer

    A Rock and a Hard Place by Ryk Brown, Jeffrey Kafer

    Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Two 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 ratings
    Empires 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...
  • A Grimm Sacrifice by Jeffery H. Haskell

    A Grimm Sacrifice by Jeffery H. Haskell

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    In order to survive, Interceptor must change the rules.The Consortium is in real trouble. Caliphate Naval forces have stepped up their raids on the border planets and are taking people by the thousands. They can defend the wormhole, or they can defend their planets, not both...
  • Who Takes No Risk by Ryk Brown

    Who Takes No Risk by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    Part 2: Episode 7 Old allies go dark… New worlds join the fight… A rescue from an enemy held world… A lone operative with a dangerous plan… The Karuzari finally have the support of an industrialized system, but they need time to build their forces. Unfortunately, time is the one thing they may not have...
  • Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton

    Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 43 ratings
    Robust, peaceful, and confident, the Commonwealth dispatched a ship to investigate the mystery of a disappearing star, only to inadvertently unleash a predatory alien species that turned on its liberators, striking hard, fast, and utterly without mercy. The Prime are the Commonwealth's worst nightmare...
  • I Am Justice by Ryk Brown

    I Am Justice by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    Part 2: Episode 9 A chance to gain resources… A need to prepare a defense… A trap about to be sprung… An opportunity for justice… As his sister faces a critical moment, Captain Scott must chase his friends to regions he has yet to travel. Sometimes, you just have to take risks for those you care about. Sometimes, quite often...
  • Secrets in the Stars by Mackey Chandler

    Secrets in the Stars by Mackey Chandler

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    When 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...
  • That Which Other Men Cannot Do by Ryk Brown

    That Which Other Men Cannot Do by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    Episode 15 New forces grow… Old friends are lost… New alliances are forged… Old weapons are made new… With political unrest growing, the Alliance must rush to rebuild their fleet and expand their 'sphere of influence' before their support runs out. But when the Jung up the ante, the Alliance must turn up the heat...
  • Edge World by B.V. Larson

    Edge World by B.V. Larson

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    A lonely planet circles a star on the very border of Province 921. Critical resources produced there are claimed by both the Mogwa and the Skay. War between the Galactic giants becomes more likely every day.James McGill and Legion Varus are deployed to protect Edge World, a planet that rotates at a walking pace. Each day is as long as a year back on Earth...
  • Sanctuary by Ryk Brown

    Sanctuary by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars
    · 20 ratings
    Part 2: Episode 8 A family nearly destroyed… A loved one in need of help… A fleet in need of a home port… An Alliance struggling to be reborn… Captain Scott has lost his entire family, save his sister, who needs better medical care than the Aurora can provide...
  • Rescue The Princess by John Hindmarsh

    Rescue The Princess by John Hindmarsh

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Jack suffered from an attack by the Blue Caps. He sued the RSN and won. He also sued the Royal Family and won. Now he’s acquired his own warship and his first mission is to rescue the princess.What? Yes, Sofia is missing. The Queen has taken an intense dislike to her daughter’s ambitions and Sofia has disappeared. Jack sets out to rescue her with the assistance of Black Company marines...
  • Return of the Corinari by Ryk Brown

    Return of the Corinari by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    Part 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...
  • Rescue by Ryk Brown

    Rescue by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    A leader left behind... An Alliance falling apart... Friends stranded on an enemy-held world... A chance to rediscover long forgotten truths... The new threat will require an immediate response. But first, Jessica and the Ghatazhak must execute a daring rescue in order to secure their future. But to do so, they need the one man they have been trying to protect. The question is..
  • Liberation by Ryk Brown

    Liberation by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    Episode 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...
  • Smarter by Laurence E. Dahners

    Smarter by Laurence E. Dahners

    Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    Smarter is a near future SciFi/Thriller whose young heroine Ell Donsaii we learned in "Quicker" has a nerve mutation that makes her an athletic phenomenon, so fast that no one can keep up with her...
  • 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 ratings
    In 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...
  • Shakedown by Scott Sigler

    Shakedown by Scott Sigler

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    "A gritty tale of cosmic dread.”— Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of RED RISINGFew know the warship’s actual name. Fewer still know what it really is. And almost no one knows of its unique ability, an ability that could tilt the balance of power if not outright win the war.But everyone has heard the rumors. Rumors about the worst place the Planetary Union Fleet can send you...
  • The Weak and the Innocent by Ryk Brown

    The Weak and the Innocent by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    Episode 14 A ship in the hands of their enemy… A liberation gone wrong… A chance to double their ranks… A bold and daring plan… Their support from the Pentaurus cluster dwindling fast, the Alliance faces new and unpleasant realities in the Sol sector. But untoward changes also bring unexpected opportunities… The 'trick' is in how you use them...
  • Artifact Space by Miles Cameron

    Artifact Space by Miles Cameron

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    Out in the darkness of space, something is targeting the Greatships.With their vast cargo holds and a crew that could fill a city, the Greatships are the lifeblood of human occupied space, transporting an unimaginable volume - and value - of goods from City, the greatest human orbital, all the way to Tradepoint at the other, to trade for xenoglas with an unknowable alien species...
  • Omnia by S.H. Jucha

    Omnia by S.H. Jucha

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Alex Racine, who led an elite group of humans and SADEs (self-ware digital entities), left the newly discovered planet of Celus-5 under difficult circumstances. Few of the Harakens with Alex thought there was little he could do to bring peace to the embroiled planet...
  • Allora by S.H. Jucha

    Allora by S.H. Jucha

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Until the Confederation created Allora, it had produced SADEs (self-aware digital entities) for hundreds of years with enormous consistency and harnessed their capabilities to power the society. But this particular, young SADE was disturbed by her confinement...
  • Celus-5 by S.H. Jucha

    Celus-5 by S.H. Jucha

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    For the Sojourn’s initial mission, the Haraken explorer ship undertakes the investigation of Celus-5, a world identified by Willem, a SADE (self-aware digital entity), and his team of scientists, as the best prospect for a new colony.What should be a routine survey mission becomes a disaster. To the Harakens’ surprise, they discover, not one, but two alien species engaged in conflict...
  • Born of the Ashes by Ryk Brown

    Born of the Ashes by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    Episode 11 A world in chaos… An eager new ally… A newly acquired ship… An even greater threat on its way… Captain Nathan Scott must decide whether to stand and fight to the end, or live to fight another day… even if it means the end of his world. “Born of the Ashes” is a 122,000 word novel, and is the 11th episode in The Frontiers Saga...
  • Resistance by Ryk Brown

    Resistance by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    Episode nine of The Frontiers Saga...A chance to gain much needed resources… A group of highly trained, merciless soldiers… A half-completed ship on a trajectory to nowhere… A lone operative on familiar yet dangerous ground… Captain Scott and the crew of the Aurora have a chance to get everything they need to liberate their home world, but they may have to fight someone else's war first...
  • Green World by B.V. Larson

    Green World by B.V. Larson

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 20 ratings
    Rebels build a secret base on Green World. Their plan is to attack Earth and retake all the planets the Humans have conquered.Hegemony starships gather to strike the Rebels first, but where is their base? As the fleets search, Earth warships trespass into Skay space igniting a fresh border conflict between rival Galactics...
  • Haraken by S.H. Jucha

    Haraken by S.H. Jucha

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Nine years of tranquility came to an abrupt end when a Méridien starship entered the Hellébore system, sounding a dire warning for Alex Racine, the Haraken president. Unwanted visitors had arrived again. But this time, they’re not alien; they’re human...
  • Escalation by Ryk Brown

    Escalation by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    A 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...
  • Comet! by Laurence E. Dahners

    Comet! by Laurence E. Dahners

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    "Comet!" is the fifth in a series of near future SciFi/Thrillers whose young heroine Ell Donsaii has a nerve mutation which has rendered her a genius and an athletic phenomenon. In “Comet!” she and her team begin exploring outer space using the wormholes she produced in "Rocket." Unfortunately Comet Hearth-Daster is on a trajectory to strike the Earth...
  • Rise of the Alliance by Ryk Brown

    Rise of the Alliance by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    Episode 12A new ally providing aid…An old ally joining the fight…Their resources growing with each passing day…Their homeworld finally on the road to recovery…Things finally seem to be coming together for Captain Scott and the Alliance, as he takes his forces on the offensive. However, the Jung may in turn give him more trouble than he bargained for...
  • Blood World by B.V. Larson

    Blood World by B.V. Larson

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    A dirty deal was struck. Humanity was allowed to keep three hundred rebellious worlds. In return, we declared war on a powerful enemy from beyond the frontier. A frantic build-up of forces has begun, but the task is hopeless. Seeking allies, Earth’s legions are sent to BLOOD WORLD. A planet on the fringe of known space, where the people only respect masters of combat...
  • Sol by S.H. Jucha

    Sol by S.H. Jucha

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Sol’s warships paid the ultimate price for threatening the Haraken and New Terran worlds. Now, Haraken President Alex Racine and his Méridien partner, Renée de Guirnon, are engaged in a desperate gamble to stop a war between their worlds and United Earth’s (UE) massive forces before it starts...
  • Rocket! by Laurence E. Dahners

    Rocket! by Laurence E. Dahners

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    Alternate cover edition for ASIN: B008RBN7TA"Rocket!" is the fourth in a series of near future SciFi/Thrillers whose young heroine Ell Donsaii has a nerve mutation which has rendered her a genius and an athletic phenomenon. In “Rocket!” she works out the enormous potential of the wormholes she discovered in "Lieutenant...
  • A Line in the Sand by Ryk Brown

    A Line in the Sand by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    Part 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...
  • Homeworld by Evan Currie

    Homeworld by Evan Currie

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 30 ratings
    War comes home to the Sol system when the Drasin track a human ship back to Earth, with devastating consequences. Facing massive force of invading alien ships wielding terrible power, the crew of the NAC spacecraft, their allies, and the people of Earth must mount a desperate effort to stop them...
  • Rise of the Corinari by Ryk Brown

    Rise of the Corinari by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 18 ratings
    A 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...
  • A Show of Force by Ryk Brown

    A Show of Force by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    Episode 13 The liberation old worlds… The addition of new allies… The fall of a regime… The death of a trusted friend… The Aurora begins clearing a 20 light year sphere of safety around Earth, taking out Jung forces as they liberate the core systems. However, Captain Scott and the Alliance quickly discover that not every world wants to be liberated, and the Jung have a few surprises of their own...
  • Osiris by Ralph Kern, Michael Kramer

    Osiris by Ralph Kern, Michael Kramer

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Beyond the apocalypse, humanity's future is being decided.It's been three months since the cruise ship M/S Atlantica arrived in a hostile new world.The survivors dream of building a home, but just as their hopes rise, they learn the true cost of saving thousands of people from catastrophe.Conrad Wakefield, the architect of the Locus project, killed billions...
  • Connection Unknown by Michael Chatfield

    Connection Unknown by Michael Chatfield

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Luke Tavares has dreamed of joining the vast gaming guilds of the hypernet. After recently graduating high school, his parents have given him the same ultimatum as his siblings; he has one month to get a job to pay for his air, gravity, and water aboard the Dahlia.The freighter needs more hands, but Luke doesn’t want to be a trader-ship engineer...
  • Head of the Dragon by Ryk Brown

    Head of the Dragon by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    Time 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...
  • Explorer by C.J. Cherryh

    Explorer by C.J. Cherryh

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    It has been nearly ten years since the starship Phoenix returned to Alpha, the station orbiting the world of the atevi, which had been abandoned following a rift between a faction of the station's inhabitants and the spacers' Pilot's Guild...
  • The Expanse by Ryk Brown

    The Expanse by Ryk Brown

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    Episode 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...
  • Lieutenant by Laurence E. Dahners

    Lieutenant by Laurence E. Dahners

    Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    "Lieutenant" is the third in a series of near future SciFi/Thrillers whose young heroine Ell Donsaii we learned in "Quicker" has a nerve mutation that makes her an athletic phenomenon, so fast that no one can keep up with her. In "Smarter" we learned how these fast nerve processes have made her a genius. She's both shy and concerned about her social skills, yet loved by those around her...
  • Corvus by Marko Kloos

    Corvus by Marko Kloos

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    When the aliens evolve, so does the threat against humanity in this thrilling sequel to Scorpio that finds Alex Archer in an epic battle of survival against the odds and the alien invaders.Alex Archer is a soldier now, the only civilian survivor from Scorpio to join the NAC Defense Corps...
  • The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 3 by David Drake

    The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 3 by David Drake

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    With a veteran ’s eye for the harsh and gritty details of war, David Drake depicts a futuristic analog of Vietnam-era tank combat in his Hammer’s Slammers fiction. Upon this tactical foundation, Drake uses historical metaphor to provide a rich and detailed future-history that is both unique and strangely familiar...
  • And What Goes Around by Mackey Chandler

    And What Goes Around by Mackey Chandler

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    The nation of Home and their ally Central seems to have bought some safety by moving Mitsubishi 3 from Low Earth Orbit to a halo orbit around L2 beyond the moon. It has added expenses, but it has unexpected advantages too, when Earth has its own problems. A little extra distance works just fine...
  • Rogue World by B.V. Larson

    Rogue World by B.V. Larson

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    The Galactics arrived with their Battle Fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined a vast Empire that spanned the Milky Way. Today, Battle Fleet 921 is returning to Earth. It hasn’t been seen by human eyes since our blissful day of Annexation...
  • March Upcountry by David Weber, John Ringo

    March Upcountry by David Weber, John Ringo

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Prince Roger MacClintock is a spoiled young princeling hardly worth the space he takes up. Now he must become a man, or the entire galaxy will suffer arrested adolescence...
  • The Hot Gate by John Ringo

    The Hot Gate by John Ringo

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 29 ratings
    New York Times Best-Selling Author.The Big Showdown with an Alien Empire, to Keep the Earth Free—and Maybe Free the Galaxy as Well. The fight to free the Earth from alien domination began in Live Free or Die, and continued in Citadel. Now Tyler Vernon, and his troops aboard the gigantic battle station Troy, face a desperate battle with the forces of galactic tyranny...
  • The Armageddon Inheritance by David Weber

    The Armageddon Inheritance by David Weber

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    Colin MacIntyre, a NASA astronaut kidnapped by a starship impersonating Earth's moon, has just suppressed a fifty-thousand-year-old mutiny, but now he faces an even bigger challenge. By the author of Mutineers' Moon. Reissue...
  • New Canaan by M.D. Cooper

    New Canaan by M.D. Cooper

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Tanis Richards has spent half her life on the Intrepid, guiding the great colony ship, and its two million passengers, across hundreds of light-years. She has risked life, limb and those dearest to her to get this far. Now she’s within reach of her goal; the New Canaan System, and a normal, stable life. The kind she's only dreamed about...
Fantastic book recommendations by book lovers for book lovers.
Find out more about thebooknaut.com.



Looking for more inspiration? Enter another book title to get more suggestions on what to read next.


Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.