Books like 'The Backlash Mission'
Readers who enjoyed The Backlash Mission by Timothy Zahn also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi action / adventure military, war & conflict space war military aliens invasion galactic-empire post-apocalyptic
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The Scientist, the Rat, and the Assassin by Sara King
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis is what happens when, in the chaos of an alien apocalypse where the all-powerful galactic empire of Congress has laid the smackdown on Earth for breaking its universal laws on genetic experimentation, the world's smartest human (sort of) swears to obey the galaxy's greatest assassin (definitely) on Wednesdays through Mondays, if she will give him Tuesdays in turn...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact galactic-empire invasion military post-apocalyptic war -
The Legend of ZERO: The Scientist, the Rat, and the Assassin by Sara King
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThis is what happens when, in the chaos of an alien apocalypse where the all-powerful galactic empire of Congress has laid the smackdown on Earth for breaking its universal laws on genetic experimentation, the world's smartest human (sort of) swears to obey the galaxy's greatest assassin (definitely) on Wednesdays through Mondays, if she will give him Tuesdays in turn...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact galactic-empire invasion military post-apocalyptic war -
Dispute by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTwo races. One war. Perpetual hatred. And the Magistrate crash lands right in the middle of it.Rivka and her crew take a much-deserved vacation, but find themselves on a jungle planet, cut off from the rest of the galaxy. Part by design, but mostly not. Isn’t that what a good vacation is supposed to be, disconnected from the rigors of everyday life? Until no one can hear your calls for help... -
When Words Fail by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan P. Brazee
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThe Galaxy is growing...and it's more dangerous than ever before.An all-out war within humanity has been narrowly avoided, and peace is finally at hand.Yeah, right.Human ships are being taken, their crews disappearing... -
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Forged in Flame by Michael R. Hicks
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis is the second book of the First Empress saga, following From Chaos Born.Keel-Tath, the child who would unite her people as foretold by an ancient prophecy, has grown to be a young warrior in the confines of the Desh-Ka temple, where she has been sheltered by her old friend and mentor Ayan-Dar from the clutches of Syr-Nagath, the Dark Queen... -
Turning Point by Jason Anspach, Nick Cole
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFight to Win. With the galaxy in turmoil, the Legion initiates Article Nineteen, a hard reset designed to halt the corruption and ineptitude that continues to spill forth from the Galactic Core. But when the House of Reason aligns itself with the bloodthirsty zhee extremists, the Legion has no choice but to commit to a savage campaign of Total War... -
Sword of the Legion by Jason Anspach, Nick Cole
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsChoose your legacy. Captain Chhun’s Dark Ops squad is reunited with Wraith, and they are entrusted with the task of denying Goth Sullus the shipyards he so eagerly desires. But when the mission doesn’t go as planned, Chhun and Wraith must find a way to stop the Black Fleet’s advance—even if it costs them their lives... -
Race Rivalry by S.H. Jucha
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe sisters’ leader, Miriamal, and three mining chairpersons investigate an unexplored wormhole for possible economic expansion. Aboard the Dominance, they exit the wormhole and are stunned to find the nearby system inhabited. More troubling, technologically advanced warships hold station above the system’s exoplanet... -
Darkness Beyond by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA newly-founded human colony world burned from orbit A warship squadron of the galaxy’s oldest race ambushed and destroyed An ancient enemy reborn in the darkness beyond the known stars The A!Tol Imperium and their new human subjects have had fifteen years of relative peace. New colonies have been founded, new worlds explored, new ships built... -
The Academy by Nathan Hystad
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Academy is a galaxy-class school, created to train the next generation of Gatekeepers. Jules Parker is attending the Academy, alongside her best friend Patty. When the Kold threaten everything her father and his friends have spent years building, she must reveal that her Iskios abilities are stronger than ever... -
Zero Recall by Sara King
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIt's been 53 turns after the legendary Commander Zero graduated as a Congie warrior. Joe, now a battle hardened veteran, has spent his life surviving wars he had no right to survive. Yet his real test is coming: New forces are conspiring to start a great war like the universe has never seen, one that would rip apart the very fabric of Congress...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact galactic-empire invasion military post-apocalyptic war -
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... -
Old Enemy by Nathan Hystad
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen all new threats are dealt with, old enemies emerge from the shadows. Dean Parker has brought his wife home, and he’s looking forward to relaxing and having a future with his family on New Spero. The Iskios vortex is gone, vanquished by the Hero of Earth, but unforeseen enemies linger in the universe. The Bhlat send a warning to the humans, one that suggests the Kraski may not all be dead...Categorized as:
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Deep Black by Miles Cameron
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMarca Nbaro had always dreamed of serving aboard the Greatships, with their vast cargo holds and a crew that could fill a city.They 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... -
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The Xaros Reckoning by Richard Fox
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe final battle begins.The Xaros Masters destroyed Bastion, the Alliance against the alien invaders has failed. Earth stands against the full force of the enemy's unending drone fleets.With their backs against the wall, Captain Valdar and the Breitenfeld must lead a last ditch mission to end the war against the Xaros...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia galactic-empire invasion military post-apocalyptic war action-adventure -
Relics of Eternity by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe edge of Imperial expansionFar from Earth and the other homeworldsHere lie the secrets of ancient godsHere…there be dragonsSeeking to escape the shadow of Annette Bond’s success, Captain Morgan Casimir has taken a posting on the far side of the A!Tol Imperium. Here, she hopes to begin a legend for herself that stands apart from her stepmother the Duchess... -
The Art of Smuggling by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhy would anyone steal art? Who can you sell it to? The High Chancellor puts Rivka on the trail of serial art thieves. Dismantle the ring. Recover the art. Put the thieves behind bars, thieves who stay one step ahead.Insiders? Or maybe outsiders with inside knowledge? No suspects. No clues... -
Reprisal by Charles Tillman, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAncient Warrior—Vampire—Queen’s Bitch...Akio accepted his Queen’s charge to stay behind and protect humanity from the Forsaken scourge.She never said it would be easy.An isolated police report about an island overtaken by feral, red-eyed creatures savaging humans spurs Akio to investigate... -
Confederation by Michael R. Hicks
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn the second book of the In Her Name science fiction & fantasy series, Reza Gard has been banished from the Kreelan Empire and is once again a stranger in a strange land as he returns to the human Confederation. Befriended by a marooned Confederation naval officer leading a desperate fight against the Kreelans on a distant colony world, she reunites Reza with Nicole Carré...Categorized as:
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The Others by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFrom the deepest darks of unknown space, evil comes… Admiral Tyler Barron and the Confederation navy face a new threat, darker and deadlier than any that have come before... -
Shout of Honor by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCommander Vepal is a Hero. He is also the Yxtrang ambassador to the greater universe. These two facts do not make Vepal's life easy. But they do make it interesting... -
Acheron Redemption by Ken Lozito
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSentinel warships were the answer to the Federation Wars. They brought peace and stability....or so they thought.The Sentinels are a menace, terrorizing spacers across the galaxy in their hunt. But change is coming, and spacers across the galaxy will have to choose whether to fight for their future or not... -
Odysseus Awakening by Evan Currie
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsDefy the inevitable. Such is the stance of Confederation captain Eric Weston and the crew of the starship Odysseus, patrolling the outer limits of Priminae space, anticipating the Empire’s next attacks. Connected with the Terran FTL tech—the transition drive—humanity might stand a chance against the overwhelming forces. Until the entire planetary system goes dark... -
Junkyard Raiders by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDumped on a backwater planet, heroic old vets will risk everything to take a stand against vicious alien invaders.On the pastoral, backwater planet of Fimil Alpha, something or someone is eradicating the tribespeople of the Gauder Plains. Back on Earth, Albert Jenkins and his crew are enjoying the short-lived fame that accompanied their last adventure... -
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The Prisoner of Eldaron by Jay Allan, Mark Boyett
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Search for Erik Cain...The Superpowers of Earth have fought their final war, leaving Earth a devastated ruin, populated only by scattered groups of survivors living in primitive squalor. Out in space, however, humanity moves forward, and the former colonies of Earth's dead nations are now free from the yoke of the despotic governments that had long ruled over them...Categorized as:
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War Eternal, Books 1-3 by M.R. Forbes
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings3 books. 1000+ pages. Over 100,000 unbundled copies sold. Book 1: Starship Eternal A lost starship... A dire warning from futures past... A desperate search for salvation… Captain Mitchell “Ares” Williams is a Space Marine and the hero of the Battle for Liberty, whose Shot Heard ‘Round the Universe saved the planet from a nearly unstoppable war machine... -
Void Horizon by J.N. Chaney, Christopher Hopper
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn enemy with otherworldly powers. A war fueled by insatiable bloodlust. No one will be spared. Following their first victory against a rogue unit of Repub Marines, Magnus finds his newly trained gladias pinned down by a squadron of Talons...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire invasion military action-adventure adult audiobook -
Lucky Revenge by Joshua James
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe universe if FUBAR. Just when things couldn't get any worse, humanity finds a way. The invasion force is in shambles. The universe is on fire. An ancient enemy is about to end mankind for good. Sgt. Lucky Lee Savage saw it all coming. He warned all the right people. He took all the right steps. Look what that got him... -
Lucky Empire by Joshua James
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMankind's luck has run out... As humanity rushes toward universal slaughter, the last Marine standing in the way of extinction is the least qualified one around — just ask him. With the conspiracy now fully in power, Lucky & Co. have turned into fugitives within the Empire... -
Fratricide by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSafety takes a back seat to profit. Until it crosses the line. Shipyard deaths. Labor complaints. Fear. Intimidation. Rivka gets called in to sort things out, investigate the safety issues, mediate the dispute.What she finds isn’t a negotiation at all. She puts on her Magistrate hat and gets to work sorting out crimes made to look like accidents... -
Tides of War by M.R. Forbes
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter being saved from annihilation by the Old Gator’s daring plan, Gabriel and the crew of the Magellan find themselves in the most unlikely of places: a captured enemy starship. While learning to control the alien vessel introduces a new set of challenges, the secrets they discover within may prove to be the edge they so desperately need...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact invasion military post-apocalyptic war action-adventure -
Weapons of War by M.R. Forbes
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the year 2280, an alien fleet stole our Earth. For fifty years they hunted us. For fifty years they enslaved us. For fifty years we lived in fear. Nothing lasts forever. They can try to quell us. They can try to break us. They can chase us to the ends of the Earth. They can chase us to the ends of the Universe. We’ve won our first battle. We’ve earned our first taste of hope...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact invasion military post-apocalyptic war action-adventure -
A Federation Forged in Fire by Stephen W. Bennett
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen the enemy discovers their hidden home, Mirikami is forced to lead 117 Kobani ships in a desperate attack against 3,000 Krall ships and uncounted warriors. Armed with a 22,000-year-old computer virus, and sheer courage, they must disable every enemy ship and weapon. The last time this tactic was tried against them, the Krall eradicated the entire Olt’kitapi civilization... -
Invasion by M.R. Forbes
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTwo hundred years ago, aliens invaded Earth. A violent war followed. The enemy won. Some of us escaped... ...most of us didn’t. On Proxima they flourished - the invasion forgotten. On Earth we floundered - the horror began. Their world is advanced, peaceful, and secure. Our world is broken, savage, and overrun. A new invasion is coming. A hunger that has swallowed half the universe...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact galactic-empire invasion military post-apocalyptic war -
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Adventures of the Starship Satori: Book 1-6 Complete Library by Kevin McLaughlin
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCollected together for the first time, read the opening six-book arc of USA Today Bestseller Kevin McLaughlin's epic starship Satori series! Dan Wynn thought he was grounded forever, but was given one last shot at the stars. Beth Wynn figured she'd never see her ex-husband again, until the adventure of a lifetime brought them back together... -
The Alliance by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA mission to free a world from the Kleese has gone terribly wrong. Lieutenant Ryan Nelson and his Marines are trapped with no hope of rescue. On the Kleese home world, a division grows between the regular Kleese and the militaristic Zaltule. The war against the Kleese intensifies as the human led Alliance attempts a daring attack against the heart of the Kleese Empire...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire invasion military post-apocalyptic action-adventure adult -
Insurrection by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe final battle between the Humans and the Zaltule is drawing near. However, the Arachnids have a secret that will ensure victory and allow them to wipe out the Human race once and for all.In the Strell Empire, former Supreme Overlord Xatul plans his return. He has amassed a fleet to take back control of the Kleese Empire...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire invasion military post-apocalyptic action-adventure adult -
The Crucible by Richard Fox
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe Xaros broke against Earth's defenses, but the war may be lost.The alien ships of former allies rule Earth's skies, threatening to obliterate cities and turn the planet into a barren wasteland if humanity refuses their demands. With their backs to the wall, the scattered crew of the Breitenfeld must work together to foil the enemy's plan before time runs out... -
Point of Origin by M.R. Forbes
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA starship lost. A creator found. A frantic race to save them both. For Colonel Mitchell “Ares” Williams, there is no giving up. There is no going back. The Goliath may have fallen into enemy hands, but the war must go on. After all, he and the Riggers have what they need to locate the Creator, the man responsible for the alien threat and the key to unraveling their unstoppable attack... -
Halo: Silent Storm: A Master Chief Story by Troy Denning
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAn original full-length novel set in the Halo universe and based on the New York Times bestselling video game series.2526. It has been almost a year since humanity engaged in its destructive first contact with a theocratic military alliance of alien races known as the Covenant... -
Eyes of Tomorrow by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsAn ancient power unleashed from its prison.Fleets summoned by oaths old and new alike.A rising tide of war that may consume the galaxy!Captain Morgan Casimir’s mission to stop a war has ended in a nightmare. In the heart of an ignored nebula, trapped behind a ring of newborn stars, she has awoken a creature of another time: the horde of biological starships who call themselves the Infinite... -
Legend of the Sword by Michael R. Hicks
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSix months after the alien Kreelan Empire launched its invasion of human space, the Confederation of Humanity is rapidly growing. The planet of Saint Petersburg, however, would rather see the Confederation destroyed. With a secretly built navy, they have lured the Confederation fleet into a trap, even as the Kreelans prepare another devastating attack...Categorized as:
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Final Battle by Michael R. Hicks
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFollowing Confederation, Final Battle is the last book in the saga of Reza Gard. Reza is caught up in a daring plot to assassinate the Confederation President, even as something goes terribly wrong in the Empire and its warriors lose their will to fight. Reunited with Tesh-Dar, Reza and his friends fight to save the woman he loves, with the fate of the Empire and Humanity hanging in the balance...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact galactic-empire invasion military post-apocalyptic war -
Shadows of the Fall by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFifty thousand years ago, the Precursors broke the universe. Now great powers and small alike fight over their wreckage. But in the midst of the chaos, there is a question no one asks… Why?Morgan Casimir, commander of the A!Tol Imperial cruiser Defiant, has seen the works of the Precursor aliens known as the Alava. She has seen their accidents threaten worlds and consume entire star fleets... -
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A.I. Battle Station by Vaughn Heppner
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWe defeated the invading death machines. But at a devastating cost, with smoldering radioactive craters on Mars, shattered moon-domes around Jupiter and floating junk where Saturn’s satellite cities used to orbit. We know more killing machines are coming and that the ultimate outcome seems hopeless. To win this war, we need more warships, more soldiers and a way to take the fight to the enemy...Categorized as:
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A.I. Assault by Vaughn Heppner
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsJon Hawkins and his crew are exhausted and homesick. They've destroyed the alien machine menace, going deep into the Kuiper Belt to annihilate the secret A.I. base. From out here the sun looks like just another star. It's a lonely existence. They're ready to go home.What they don't know - what no one could - was that the A.I. destroyer was only a scout.More alien vessels drop out of hyperspace...Categorized as:
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Gateway to War by J.N. Chaney, Christopher Hopper
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHunted by the Republic. Desperate to stop the enemy.Lieutenant Magnus survives the harrowing rescue of his unit only to find himself charged with treason by the very military he's pledged his allegiance to. Now, he must attempt to escort Piper to the Luma homeward of Worru before dark forces discover her otherworldly abilities...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire invasion military war action-adventure audiobook -
Attack Plan Alpha by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA battle is coming, the greatest the Rim has seen in ten thousand years, a fight for freedom, for the future, for the very survival of all humanity holds dear. Tyler Barron and his comrades are ready for their greatest test, but even as they prepare to hold the line at Fortress Striker, to turn back the Highborn’s imminent attack, the enemy have opened another front, one far to the rear...Categorized as:
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Ruins of the Earth by Christopher Hopper, J.N. Chaney
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA secret buried in the Antarctic.A puzzle unsolved for thousands of years.And a Brooklyn-born Master Gunnery Sergeant who's royally pissed that he has to babysit the researchers sent to figure it all out.Patrick "Wic" Finnegan's last op as a Marine Raider before retirement sends him to the frozen Ellsworth Subglacial Highlands...Categorized as:
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Star Force: Lost Destiny by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen Humans are the hunted...Two siblings are abandoned on an alien world as children when their father is killed, then taken in by one of his business associates and sheltered on their remote farm. Kept isolated from everyone else on the cruel, primitive world, their adoptive Calavari parents ensure that Esna and Teren obey their father's dying wish..
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