Books like 'Rule of Two'
Readers who enjoyed Rule of Two by Drew Karpyshyn 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 war aliens dark journey
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Brushfire by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsPeacetime can be a rough adjustment for the battle-hardened Merry Band of Pirates.Especially when aliens don’t get the memo that the shooting is over... -
Livesuit by James S.A. Corey
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHumanity's war is eternal, spread across the galaxy and the ages. Humanity's best hope to end the endless slaughter is the Livesuit forces. Soldiers meld their bodies to the bleeding edge technology, becoming something more than human for the duration of a war that might never end.The first novella set in the universe of James S. A. Corey's epic Captive's War series... -
Madame Guillotine by Jason Anspach, Nick Cole
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLeave no man behind. On Detron, a simmering protest boils over and turns deadly when militants hiding among the demonstrators deliberately shoot down a group of legionnaires, executing one survivor and taking two for ransom. The only Republic asset the captured leejes can rely on is a lone marine sniper who defies orders in a desperate attempt to save them... -
Galaxy's Edge: Takeover: Season Two: Book One by Jason Anspach, Nick Cole
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEvery disaster brings an opportunity. Goth Sullus and his empire have fallen. With the Legion and the rest of the galaxy watching from the still-smoldering galactic core, Carter, a former legionnaire turned private contractor, and Jack Bowie, a Navy spy with nowhere left to turn, sign up to work for an enterprising private contractor looking to make a statement on the planet Kublar... -
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Fallout by Craig Alanson, R.C. Bray
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsListening time 22 hours 29 minutesThe Expeditionary Force saga continues with Fallout, the eagerly awaited sequel to number one Audible-ranked and New York Times best-selling Breakaway, from an epic sci-fi writer at the top of his game. Join the millions of listeners who have enjoyed R.C... -
Dynasty of Evil by Drew Karpyshyn
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsTwenty years have passed since Darth Bane, reigning Dark Lord of the Sith, demolished the ancient order devoted to the dark side and reinvented it as a circle of two: one Master to wield the power and pass on the wisdom, and one apprentice to learn, challenge, and ultimately usurp the Dark Lord in a duel to the death... -
Governor by David Weber, Richard Fox
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA NEW MILITARY SCIENCE FICTION SERIES FROM NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR AND CREATOR OF THE HONOR HARRINGTON SERIES DAVID WEBER AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR RICHARD FOXSix Billion Dead—And One Man Intent on Putting a Stop to the Killing For more than fifty years, the Terran Republic and the Terran League have been killing one another... -
Border Wars by Evan Currie
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe mission continues as Sorilla, the Green Berets of the Fifth, and the Lucian Sentinels take their investigation to the colony world claimed by Islamic separatists during the very earliest of Earth's Diaspora period... -
Freefall by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Alien Legion has a new mission, and this time, they are working for the enemy. Also against the enemy. Like every operation that Emily Perkins plans, it’s complicated... -
Deathtrap by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe human soldiers stranded on the planet Paradise have been recruited into an Alien Legion, to do the dirty jobs that the high-tech species won't do. Their first mission is to kick the enemy off a backwater planet no one cares about. It's a simple assignment, except everyone has a hidden agenda, and the planet could become a deathtrap... -
Blood Reaver by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDriven on by their hatred of the False Emperor, the Night Lords stalk the shadows of the galaxy, eternally seeking revenge for the death of their primarch. Their dark quest leads them to a fractious alliance with the Red Corsairs, united only by a common enemy. Together with this piratical band of renegades, they bring their ways of destruction to the fortress-monastery of the Marines Errant... -
Hard Contact by Karen Traviss
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsAs the Clone Wars rage, victory or defeat lies in the hands of elite squads that take on the toughest assignments in the galaxy–stone-cold soldiers who go where no one else would, to do what no one else could. . . . On a mission to sabotage a chemical weapon research facility on a Separatist-held planet, four clone troopers operate under the very noses of their enemies... -
Valkyrie Rising by Evan Currie
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTwo years after the initial invasion of Hayden's World, the newly reinforced Hayden Militia is in a state of stalemate with the remaining enemy forces but neither side is content to leave things at that.The alien alliance has dispatched their varsity to clean up the resistance on Hayden while the USF has officially activated Task Force V, the latest and most advanced combat ships built by humans... -
For Honor We Stand by H. Paul Honsinger
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsIn 2315, the Earth Union is losing a thirty-year-long war with the Krag Hegemony.Having encountered the Krag before, Space Commander Max Robicheaux now faces daunting challenges aboard the USS Cumberland: the dangers from the enemy without… and clashes with crew and superiors within... -
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Halo: Ghosts of Onyx by Eric S. Nylund
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsContinuing the saga of the award-winning Xbox(TM) game!The Spartan-II program has gone public. Tales of super-soldiers fending off thousands of Covenant attacks have become the stuff of legend... -
Rage of Winter by Richard Fox, Scott Moon
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne Shot. One Kill. One sniper to strike fear in the heart of alien invaders. Hoffman’s Strike Marines pursue enemy agents across a wintry world, desperate to stop an insidious threat festering in the heart of the Terran Union. Their hunt is disrupted when the fanatical Kesaht invade and the team is split across the snow and ice of a harsh planet... -
Manxome Foe by John Ringo, Travis S. Taylor
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn the midst of recovering from their successful if casualty prone first mission, the crew of the Alliance Space Ship "Vorpal Blade" are suddenly scrambled back into action. All other priorities take second place as word arrives on earth of a gate colony which has fallen to an unidentified alien assault... -
Vanguard by Christopher G. Nuttall
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe third trilogy in the hit ‘Ark Royal’ series begins now! HMS Vanguard is the most powerful battleship ever to be commissioned by the Royal Navy, but she is not a happy ship. Her commanding officer is eccentric, rarely seen on the bridge; her former XO has deserted his post and her first middy is resentful because he hasn't been promoted as he deserves .. -
The City and The Ship by Anne McCaffrey, S.M. Stirling
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo novels in one large volume, both set in the same universe as The Ship Who Sang: The City Who Fought: Simeon was bored with running the mining and processing station that made up his "body." Then the invaders came. If anyone was to survive, somehow he must transform his wargaming hobby into the real thing and become The City Who Fought... -
The Moldy Dead by Sara King
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Moldy Dead is one of the powerful and poignant "Creation Myth" stories for Sara King's overwhelmingly popular Legend of ZERO series. It is the history of Congress' First Contact with the sentient species known as the Geuji, and the unspeakable tragedy that befell their entire species in the early history of Congress... -
Trouble on Paradise by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBook '3.5' in the ExForce series: While the crew of the UN Expeditionary Force's pirate starship Flying Dutchman are enjoying a luxury vacation cruise (not!), UNEF troops are still stranded on an alien-controlled planet. Major Emily Perkins and her team are busy picking up the pieces, and it's not easy, because there is trouble on Paradise.. -
Halo: First Strike by Eric S. Nylund
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThe Human-Covenant war rages on as the alien juggernaut sweeps inexorably toward its final goal: destruction of all human life! Halo has been destroyed, and the threat it posed to sentient life, neutralized. But victory has come at a terrible cost for the UNSC. Thousands of valiant soldiers fell in the battle to prevent the alien construct from falling into the enemy’s clutches... -
Brothers in Valor by H. Paul Honsinger
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsIt is the year 2315, the 33rd year of the Krag Wars. The tide has been running against humankind and its allies. One small destroyer, the USS Cumberland, under the command of its young Cajun skipper, Max Robichaux, fights along with the rest of the Union and Allied navies to preserve the very existence of the human race... -
Heirs of Empire by David Weber
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsRestoring the empire that had been destroyed 45,000 years earlier, Emperor Colin finds problems in the genocidal Achuultani and in his children Sean and Harriet, who have been marooned on a hostile planet...Categorized as:
aliens space-opera war action-adventure adult alternate-history anthologies audiobook -
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Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe by Frank O'Connor, Tobias S. Buckell
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWhen humanity expanded beyond the safety of Earth to new stars and horizons, they never dreamed what dangers they would encounter there. When the alien juggernaut known as the Covenant declared holy war upon the fragile human empire, millions of lives were lost—but, millions of heroes rose to the challenge... -
Knife Edge by Christopher G. Nuttall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn all-new story of The Empire’s Corps!Earth has fallen. The Core Worlds have collapsed into chaos. War is breaking out everywhere as planetary governments declare independence, entire sectors slip out of contact and warlords battle for power. The remnants of the once-great Empire are tearing themselves apart... -
Claws That Catch by John Ringo, Travis S. Taylor
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIt's Not Over Til The Skinny Lady Sings . . . Working off of a piece of intelligence from the alien Hexosehr, the Vorpal Blade is dispatched to investigate rumors of an ancient and powerful civilization that may have been the creators of the “black box” that drives humanity's only space ship... -
Ghostmaker by Dan Abnett
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsHumanity's front-line defenders, the Imperial Guard, are aware of the risks to their bodies in defending the species, but they did not count on the damage to their souls. Reprint... -
Clidepp Requital by Thomas DePrima
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe long-awaited second book in the AGU: Border Patrol series, resumes the storyline of the first book. The severely damaged SC Destroyer Perry, nearly destroyed while battling the Clidepp destroyer Glassama, is awaiting the arrival of a Space Command ship-transporter vessel, which will convey it to the Mars shipyard for repairs... -
First Light Chronicles Freeground by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe first book in the First Light Chronicles Series. Large enough to support an entire civilization, one of the last free ports all alone in the dark, Freeground Station is about to come under siege... -
Out of the Darkness by Peter David, J. Michael Straczynski
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCentauri Prime declares war on the Interstellar Alliance in Book Three of the epic trilogy that continues Babylon 5's brilliant legacy . . .Blind to the fact that he is a pawn in the Drakh's deadly strategy, Centauri prime minister Durla launches an overwhelming blitzkrieg, sending Centauri warships to devastate other races' homeworlds and pave the way for total conquest... -
The Crucible of Empire by Eric Flint, K.D. Wentworth
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen humans and their Jao overlords joined forces in a desperate battle to save the Earth from the malevolent race called the Ekhat, the relationship between the two species was changed forever. Two years later, humans and Jao are learning to work together in an uneasy alliance. Then, in a distant nebula, three Jao ships detect signs of another sentient species during a battle with the Ekhat... -
Teardrops In The Night Sky by J.W. Murison
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPursued across the great barrier, two self-aware ships and their crews escape with their lives from marauding pirates; but the neutrons from our solar system are deadly to the crews and the ships are soon left desolate and alone. On hearing a distant signal they follow it to Earth. On Earth young Steven Gordon, a child protegee, is nearly killed in a horrific crash... -
The Riss Survival by C.R. Daems
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Raider clans have been defeated and their planet under the supervision of the Riss, with Captain Reese the station commander. But while Reese sees the Raider clans as on probation, many in the SAS task force she commands, perceive them as prisoners and hope to break the Treaty and get revenge.As Nadya attempts to maintain the fragile peace, the three empires are being invaded... -
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Metal Boxes by Alan Black
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsComing of age can be hard for anyone. But for Blackmon Perry Stone it is life threatening. At 15, he barely manages to graduate from the empire's cadet training by a talent for unusual problem solving. He has trouble settling into navy life, but life becomes harder when he uncovers a ring of thieves aboard the huge ship. Life becomes difficult when they killed him... -
Beginnings by David Weber, Charles E. Gannon
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe hottest military science fiction series of all time continues with a collection of tales by New York Times bestselling authors Timothy Zahn, Charles E. Gannon, David Weber and more, set in Weber's Honor Harrington Series.The hottest military science fiction series of all time continues... -
Hell's Faire by John Ringo
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWith the defenses of the Southern Appalachians sundered, the only thing standing between the ravening Posleen hordes and the soft interior of the Cumberland Plateau are the veterans of 555th Mobile Infantry. Dropped into Rabun Pass, with a couple of million Posleen behind them and fourteen million to the front, the only question is which will run out first: power, bullets or bodies... -
They Shall Not Pass by Christopher G. Nuttall
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDespite the escape from Meridian - and a strike at the heart of Wolfbane - enemy forces are still advancing on all fronts. The Commonwealth, worn down by a year of hard fighting, is reaching the end of its tether, while Admiral Singh - having secured control of Wolfbane - is searching for the breaking point that will shatter the Commonwealth once and for all... -
To Honor You Call Us by H. Paul Honsinger
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThe Terran Union is engaged in a vast interstellar war against the Krag, ruthless aliens intent on exterminating humankind. In 2315, the wily Max Robichaux is given command of the USS Cumberland, a destroyer with state-of-the-art capabilities but a combat record so bad, she’s known as the “Cumberland Gap.”Capt... -
Armor by John Steakley
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThe military sci-fi classic in a striking new packageFelix is an Earth soldier, encased in special body armor designed to withstand Earth's most implacable enemy-a bioengineered, insectoid alien horde. But Felix is also equipped with internal mechanisms that enable him, and his fellow soldiers, to survive battle situations that would destroy a man's mind... -
After the Coup by John Scalzi
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIn a universe of harsh interstellar conflict, the practice of interspecies diplomacy—when possible—is important. So being a Colonial Union officer attached to an interplanetary diplomatic mission sometimes means taking a fall. Literally... -
Conquerors' Legacy by Timothy Zahn
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhile humans and alien Zhirrzh prepare for galactic war, a handful of individuals from both sides learn that the reason was all a misunderstanding. Both were mistaken. To avoid extinction for both their races, this band becomes the focus of a subtle dangerous force that intends overall destruction... -
Doctor Who: Engines of War by George Mann, Aslı Dağlı
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"The death of billions is as nothing to us Doctor, if it helps defeat the Daleks."The Great Time War has raged for centuries, ravaging the universe. Scores of human colony planets are now overrun by Dalek occupation forces. A weary, angry Doctor leads a flotilla of Battle TARDISes against the Dalek stronghold but in the midst of the carnage, the Doctor's TARDIS crashes to a planet below: Moldox... -
The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFor four thousand years, the Guardships have ruled Canon Space - immortal ships with an immortal crew, dealing swiftly and harshly with any mercantile houses or alien races that threaten the status quo. But now the House Tregesser has an edge: a force from outside Canon Space offers them the resources to throw off Guardship rule... -
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Reap the Whirlwind by David Mack
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe mystery of the Taurus Reach is about to be revealed.Ancient secrets lie on the fourth planet of the Jinoteur system, and three great rivals are fighting to control it. The Federation and the Klingon Empire want to wield its power; the Tholian Assembly wants to bury it.But the threat stirring on that distant world is more dangerous than they realize... -
Armies of Light and Dark by Peter David, J. Michael Straczynski
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Drakh have assaulted Earth with deadly Shadow technology--but the worst is yet to come in this stunning continuation of the Babylon 5 epic adventure . . .Centauri Prime has been infiltrated by malevolent allies of the Shadows, creatures known as the Drakh... -
Trial by Fire by Charles E. Gannon
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen reluctant interstellar diplomat and intelligence operative Caine Riordan returns from humanity's first encounter with alien races, sudden war clouds burst. With Earth's fleet shattered by a sneak attack and its survivors fighting for their lives, Caine must rely upon both his first contact and weaponry skills to contend with the non-humanoid enemy... -
The Empty Chair by Diane Duane
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTHE CULMINATION OF A SAGA TWENTY-TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING.They call themselves "Rihannsu" -- the Declared. To the Federation, they are the Romulans. By any name they are adversaries as formidable as they are inscrutable... -
Antares Victory by Michael McCollum
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter a century of warfare, humanity finally discovered the Achilles heel of the Ryall, their xenophobic reptilian foe. Spica Alpha Virginis is the key star system in enemy space. It is the hub through which all Ryall star-ships must pass, and if humanity can only capture and hold it, they will strangle the Ryall war machine and end their threat to humankind forever... -
Ghost Station by Chris Hechtl
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter everything that has happened to Fleet Admiral Irons since he'd woken up from stasis after nearly 700 years after the last shots in the brutal Xeno War left Earth and civilization a memory... you'd think he couldn't go any lower. Smarting from his 'exile' from Pyrax he'd saved the frieghter Destiny several times and dodged an assassin only to find and loose love to a near miss...
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