Books like 'Hard Duty'

Readers who enjoyed Hard Duty by Mark E. Cooper also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

sc-fi space military, war & conflict space-opera war military aliens exploration invasion space-fleet

No Retreat by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 12 ratings
When things are going to plan, check to see what you’re missing.Admiral Jack Romanoff and his crew are trapped inside the Confederation proper and facing an unknown number of alien attack ships. They’d thought the Tardan military was defeated, but they’d been wrong. Now they were trapped in a fight they couldn’t lose.When everything seems exactly as you’d hoped, figure out what you’ve missed...

Categorized as:
space-opera military first-contact aliens invasion soldiers space-travel exploration
Under Siege by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 12 ratings
Only one world in the cluster remains in enemy hands.Admiral Jack Romanoff and his crew have one remaining nut to crack before they can turn their attention to the people that overthrew the Confederation. The Vesuvius system has become a fortress, so it won’t be an easy fight, but it is one they cannot lose and survive.When force alone won’t do the trick, add guile...

Categorized as:
military space-opera first-contact aliens invasion soldiers space-travel exploration
Operation Liberty by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 12 ratings
Aliens invaders hold human worlds. That cannot stand.Admiral Jack Romanoff and his crew have defeated the Locusts once and for all, but they are far from the only invaders infesting the Confederation. The time to go after the xenophobic Novarites and free those worlds has come, and nothing will stand in his way.If words aren’t enough, show them your teeth and bite deep...

Categorized as:
military space-opera first-contact aliens invasion soldiers space-travel exploration
Ice World by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars
· 20 ratings
Long before Earth began conquering her neighboring stars, Legion Varus was deployed on Tau Ceti. Valuable and highly illegal treasures were stolen during the campaign, but McGill never gave it a second thought.The Tau haven’t forgotten him, however. For decades they’ve hunted and plotted, and at last they’ve found the pirate who robbed them. Tau agents invade Earth seeking revenge and profit...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
The Colossus by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
The Hegemony strikes again… The Confederation and its allies have won their first victory, retaken their capital from he forces of the Hegemony. But the enemy is not beaten, far from it, and they are back, with an unstoppable weapon, a vast superbattleship, a deadly hybrid of imperial and Hegemony technology, called the Colossus...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Galaxy in Peril by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
he situation in the galaxy is growing desperate. Every day the Vorn are harvesting world after world to be used as food for their Queens. The Vorn ships are nearly indestructible and destroying every fleet that dares to oppose them.Lakiam Fleet Commodore Dreen is trying to form an alliance to try to stop the Vorn, but he needs a victory to bring other Protector Worlds to his side...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Earth Ascendant by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
· 12 ratings
From USA Today Bestselling Author Raymond L. Weil comes the second book in a new military science fiction series.The war between the seven alien races of the Confederation and Earth heats up as the two come into direct conflict over the former Human Empire. The people or Earth are determined to free it, and the Confederation is determined to keep it under their strict control...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Duchess of Terra by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
· 26 ratings
When Terra knelt to an alien Imperium They guaranteed our safety and our future But now their enemies are coming for us To preserve humanity’s survival and freedom in a hostile galaxy, Annette Bond tied her world to the A!Tol Imperium, taking on the mantle of Duchess of Terra to rule humanity in the Imperium’s name...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Terra and Imperium by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
· 23 ratings
Secrets both ancient and new. Powers great and greater— With Terra caught in the middle Humanity’s first colony is a project neither the Duchy of Terra nor the A!Tol Imperium can allow to fail. The planet Hope in the Alpha Centauri system has been lavished with resources and attention—but when an unknown alien force attacks the system, all of that is in danger...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Nemesis of Mars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
A failed attempt on the Mage-QueenAn old friend from the gutterAn enemy that should be dead...When a kidnapping attempt on the Mage-Queen of Mars is thwarted by luck, leaving thousands dead in its wake, Prince-Chancellor Damien Montgomery returns to field operations one more time. The evidence leads to one place: Tau Ceti...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration invasion military soldiers space-fleet space-opera space-travel
Leviathan's Fear: A Military Sci-Fi Series by Craig Martelle
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
Trapped in Ga’ee space, Leviathan runs for its life.And the lives of its crew.Declan Payne and Harry Wesson decide to go on the offensive. They have no choice.They can’t go home. It only delays the inevitable.The Ga’ee march relentlessly into the space of the seven races while turning an inward eye toward the interloper, the ship they call God1...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Interstellar Justice by Jamie Davis, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
Old Villains, New Enemies, Same Squadron of Misfits.Beau and the pilots of Lone Wolf Squadron have settled into their Marshal duties on the Federation Frontier.Now colonies old and new call out for Lone Wolf Squadron to bring justice. On a wing and a prayer is the order of the day as they take on evil at the edges of civilization once again...

Categorized as:
military soldiers space-travel exploration space-fleet galactic-empire aliens invasion
Obliteration by Sarah Noffke, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
A new evil lurks in the darkness. The crew is relieved by Dejoure’s perplexing ability to soothe the monster, but that won’t keep them safe for long.Precious Galaxy Coffee Company is under constant attack. Someone wants to take out the biggest giant in the galaxy. The team goes after the other databases only to learn something that changes everything. Vance is always one step ahead of them...

Categorized as:
aliens invasion exploration first-contact space-fleet space-opera space-travel galactic-empire
Determination by Sarah Noffke, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
A new evil lurks in the darkness Bailey and Lewis are more determined than ever to find Ricky Bobby’s missing crew.Monstre Corp knows they are on the hunt, and Solomon Vance isn’t letting them get close. The monster is still out there, a threat they can’t stop. Jack decides the only way to win is to fake their own deaths. If Vance believes they’re dead, he’ll let down his guard...

Categorized as:
aliens invasion exploration first-contact space-fleet space-opera space-travel galactic-empire
The Terran Privateer by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars
· 16 ratings
Earth is conquered. Sol is lost. One ship is tasked to free them. One Captain to save them all. When an alien armada destroys the United Earth Space Force and takes control of the human homeworld, newly reinstated Captain Annette Bond must take her experimental hyperspace cruiser Tornado into exile as Terra’s only interstellar privateer...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Raven's Flag by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars
· 7 ratings
In times of peace, alliances wither and are forgotten.In times of war, honor must reforge them in fire and steel!The United Planets Alliance fought the Kenmiri Empire with a hundred allies at their side. Bound in common cause until genocide broke the Kenmiri—and Kenmiri schemes broke the alliance in turn—those one-time allies still left deep debts of blood and friendship behind...

Categorized as:
military aliens exploration space-opera invasion soldiers galactic-empire space-fleet
Darkness Beyond by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars
· 24 ratings
A 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...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Imperial Recruit by Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 8 ratings
Andrea Tolliver—a genetically designed human from the Singularity—has finally earned a spot in the Imperial Marines. If she makes it through training, she’ll earn citizenship.If not—well, best not to think about that.With ruthless enemies willing to do anything to stop her, she’ll need all the help she can get to survive...

Categorized as:
exploration galactic-empire military soldiers space-fleet space-opera space-travel war
Explorations by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 8 ratings
Disaster has struck the Human Federation of Worlds. The Eternals have finally found Earth and are preparing to destroy it and the rest of the Federation. They begin gathering a massive fleet to overwhelm and destroy all of the Human worlds...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Junkyard Veterans by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars
· 17 ratings
With a price on their heads, grumpy old vets will risk everything to bring alien assassins to justice.Someone is killing off the old team of vets who repelled Earth’s first Korgul invasion. With the end of a war precious few even knew was happening, life’s been peaceful...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel
Shield of Terra by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars
· 20 ratings
The mother, ruler of an entire world Sent to the heart of an old enemy to build a new peace The daughter, officer of a deadly warship Sent to the darkness to find the new enemy hunting them all A dozen inhabited worlds of the Kanzi Theocracy and the A!Tol Imperium are ash...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Paying the Price by Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
No good deed goes unpunished… Admiral Jared Mertz and Princess Kelsey Bandar saved billions of lives and staved off an invasion of the Terran Empire, but not everyone is cheering their success. Their triumphant return sets off a chain of events that threaten not only their lives, but everyone they hold dear...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration galactic-empire military soldiers space-fleet space-opera space-travel
Crusade by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
A 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...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military space-fleet space-opera
Galactar by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
Following 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:
aliens exploration galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet space-opera
Oblivion's Light by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
Two more years have passed for the Lost Fleets trapped in the Triangulum Galaxy. It’s becoming more apparent with each passing day that the Dyson Sphere of the Simulins must be destroyed if Fleet Admiral Jeremy Strong and his people want to survive. Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes sets out on a mission of discovery seeking allies against the Simulins...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Genesis by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
Fleet Admiral Jeremy Strong is determined to preserve the planet Gaia as the new home of the lost fleets. Unfortunately, a new and frightening danger from the destroyed Dyson Sphere threatens to undo everything he has fought for. Kazak, the AI on the Originator ship has his own agenda. The Humans and Altons will either do as he demands or he will destroy them...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Fulcrum Gun by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
Lost 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:
aliens exploration galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet space-opera
Laws of Ancidium by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
Having 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:
aliens exploration galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet space-opera
Search for the Lost by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
From USA Today Best Selling Author Raymond L. Weil comes the second book in the Originator Wars series. The Eternals have decided to conquer Originator space. All that stands between them are the Originator AIs and the Humans, or at least that is what the Eternals believe. In preparation for the invasion, they begin gathering their massive warfleet...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
The Dark Invaders by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
From USA Today Best Selling Author Raymond L. Weil comes the second book in the Star Cross series. Over fourteen months have passed since Fleet Admiral Kurt Vickers drove the Profiteers from Earth. Eighty million people died while the planet was being ransacked and its wealth stolen. Now a new and deadlier threat comes from intergalactic space...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Shell Game by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
If you can't hide the game, conceal the pieces. Admiral Jack Romanoff and his people have located the system the Tardans are using as their command post for the invasion of the Confederation. Only they can't simply attack militarily because of the stellar terrain, so they need to improvise. When the stakes are high, leave no option unexplored...

Categorized as:
space-opera military first-contact aliens invasion soldiers space-travel exploration
Lightning Strike by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
In combat, speed is life.Admiral Jack Romanoff and his people have seized control of Faust and now have a base of operations, though the people of that world aren't completely pleased by his presence or actions. That's okay because he doesn't have time to worry about them. He needs to strike the Locusts before they spread even more than they already have in the wreck everything humanity has built...

Categorized as:
space-opera military first-contact aliens invasion soldiers space-travel exploration
Dark World by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
· 27 ratings
Two expanding interstellar powers are about to meet in battle. After the collapse of the Cephalopod Kingdom, Humanity claimed the three hundred rebellious worlds they left behind. But many light years away on the far side of disputed region, a rival power has begun to move. They're stealing our planets, one at a time...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Archangel Rising by Evan Currie
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars
· 23 ratings
Archangel Squadron faces off against the forces of the brutal Protectorate to claim a prize, and save humanity, in a gripping novel of deep space jeopardy by the author of the Odyssey One series. At the helm of a commandeered freighter, Captain Steph Michaels has infiltrated the Free Star systems...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet space-opera
Relics of Eternity by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
· 12 ratings
The 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...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Vigilance by Ken Lozito
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
· 12 ratings
They’ve spent years exploring this world, but they were living on borrowed time. Only they didn’t know it. Six months ago, Connor learned what the alien race that populated New Earth feared—a mysterious enemy who nearly brought about the collapse of an entire civilization. To help the colony prepare for this new threat, Connor rejoins the Colonial Defense Force...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact invasion military soldiers space-fleet space-opera
Fracture by Ken Lozito, Scott Aiello
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
· 12 ratings
Colonel Sean Quinn is stranded in another universe, along with two thousand people under his command. They've been hiding from the enemy long enough, now it’s time to return home. Outnumbered against a superior foe, Sean must risk everything in a daring operation, but the mysterious enemy has a few surprises of their own...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact invasion military soldiers space-fleet space-opera
Direct Fire by Rick Partlow
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars
· 21 ratings
From street criminal to war hero.From outcast to Marine officer.The journey has been a long one, but now it’s reaching the end.Cam Alvarez leads his platoon of Drop-Troopers into the Tahni Imperium, into the final days of the war and the bloodiest battles yet...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
The Others by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars
· 17 ratings
From 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...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Echoes of Glory by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
· 23 ratings
A Fight to the End… The Confederation and the Union have fought each other to a standstill. Battered, exhausted fleets eye each other warily across a border that has been a battlefield for three bloody years. Neither side has the strength to attack, and both wait for reinforcements that will allow them to resume the fight...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Storm World by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
· 23 ratings
James McGill is sent to the Core Worlds! In an unprecedented first, Earth sends a message to Mogwa Prime. Unfortunately, the messenger is not met with enthusiasm. Misunderstandings soon threaten all of Humanity. Forced to prove Earth can serve the Empire better than any rival, McGill does his best...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Crystals by Jonathan P. Brazee
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
War with the aliens has broken out, and they seem to have all the advantages. Engineers and scientists are scrambling to develop weapons to stand up to the threat, but when all is said and done, it is the Navy fighter pilots who have to take the fight to the enemy...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military space-fleet space-travel
Hell's Reach by David VanDyke, B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
USA Today bestseller B.V. Larson and Dragon award finalist David VanDyke have released book six in their epic military space opera! The Breakers find a new home among the stars: Utopia. An engineered planet that is vast beyond comprehension with plenty of room to grow. They set up trade routes and work as mercenaries for their supplies… but trouble lurks. Pirates strike their merchant lanes...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Enemies & Allies by Rick Partlow
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
The war is over and Andy Clanton is ready to live happily ever after.Space Force has other ideas.Recruited to follow the last signal of the mysterious Elders to a system halfway across the galaxy, Andy joins the crew of the James Bowie for another adventure into the unknown...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet space-opera
Zero Friction by Toby Neighbors
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
The bestselling space opera is back! The crew of the Modulus Echo is stuck in service to Brigadier General Alicia Pershing in exchange for their freedom. But while working for the Royal Imperium may have its perks, it is also extremely dangerous. From space battles to rescue missions, Ben and his friends will have to use all their resourcefulness if they hope to survive...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire military soldiers space-opera space-travel
The Line of Duty by Rick Partlow
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
Danger stalks the Republic once again. Raiders hijack their starships, biological weapons slaughter their colonists, and terrorists kill thousands of innocents in their mega-cities…and as the head of Fleet Intelligence, it’s Jason McKay’s job to track down the enemy, whether they’re on a world at the edge of known space or in the midst of a corrupt government...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Star Force: Phoenix by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
Cal-com's journey is not at an end. In fact, it's just beginning..

Categorized as:
aliens exploration galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet space-opera
Ace by Jonathan Brazee
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
Alien Crystals don't recognize human boundaries. The Navy of Humankind has to hold them back. Small fighters in the vastness of space. Joint Task Force Iron Shield stands ready. Too small to defend everywhere, they need intel so they can go on the attack. Maximize their firepower. Maximize their impact. The Crystals do not know fear. They are coming for what they want...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military space-fleet space-travel
Twilight of the Gods by Christian Kallias
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
Chase tries to convince Thor and the Asgardians to reconsider Kvasir's fate as well as membership in the Earth Alliance. Oryn believes she knows a way to convince the Asgardians to join them in their fight against the Furies, but Thor is not easily manipulated. The Furies move en masse to Droxia to finish what they started earlier as Sarah is tested in unexpected ways...

Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire invasion military space-fleet space-opera adult
The Pike Chronicles Books 1-8 - A Space Opera Adventure by G.P. Hudson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
Over 3,000 pages of military science fiction action adventure. "An epic space opera adventure" The 1st 8 hit space operas from The Pike Chronicles. Book 1: Sol Shall Rise The Sol System was conquered and humans lived as slaves for 500 long years. Now, after years of brutal warfare, humanity has been liberated...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet

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