Books like 'Dark Force Rising'
Readers who enjoyed Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn 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 epic classics far-away-galaxy
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Armageddon by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAfter the Renegade mission by the crew of the starship Flying Dutchman, the UN Expeditionary Force thought Earth was safe for hundreds of years, at least. After there was trouble on the Homefront, and the President had to authorize a nuclear strike on an American city. UNEF decided they did need the Merry Band of Pirates again. So, the Flying Dutchman is sent out on a simple recon mission... -
![Forged in Flame by Michael R. Hicks]()
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... -
![Valkyrie by Craig Alanson]()
Valkyrie by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAfter saving the world many times, the Merry Band of Pirates have accepted the inevitable: Earth is doomed. All they can do is try to bring a few thousand people to safety, before vicious aliens arrive to destroy humanity's homeworld. No. There is one other thing they can do: hit the enemy so hard that the aliens will regret they ever heard of humans... -
![Balance by Ryk Brown]()
Balance by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsPart 2: Episode 5 An entire sector in turmoil... Neighbors who appear unconcerned... A favor asked of an old friend... Sacrifices made for the good of humanity... Before they can challenge the Dusahn and prevent them from expanding their empire further, the Karuzari must first gather much needed resources. But doing so could be more difficult than anticipated... -
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![Zero Hour by Craig Alanson]()
Zero Hour by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsUnited Nations Special Operations Command sent an elite Expeditionary Force of soldiers and pilots out on a simple recon mission, and somehow along the way they sparked an alien civil war. Now the not-at-all-Merry Band of Pirates is in desperate trouble, again. Their stolen alien starship is falling apart, thousands of lightyears from home... -
![Thrawn: Treason by Timothy Zahn]()
Thrawn: Treason by Timothy Zahn
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsGrand Admiral Thrawn faces the ultimate test of his loyalty to the Empire in this epic Star Wars novel from bestselling author Timothy Zahn.“If I were to serve the Empire, you would command my allegiance.” Such was the promise Grand Admiral Thrawn made to Emperor Palpatine at their first meeting... -
![Renegades by Craig Alanson]()
Renegades by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe battle-scarred star carrier Flying Dutchman is finally on her way back to Earth, after an exceptionally successful series of missions that have once again Saved The World. The ship needs a serious refit, and her exhausted crew just wants a break from constant clandestine warfare against a vicious and superior enemy. Wishes come true, right? Not for the Merry Band of Pirates... -
![Governor by David Weber, Richard Fox]()
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]()
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... -
![Black Ops by Craig Alanson]()
Black Ops by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsThe elite crew of the pirate ship UNS Flying Dutchman had a simple mission: determining whether the Thuranin are sending another starship to Earth. Along the way, they became sidetracked by securing a future for the UNEF troops on the planet Paradise. When asked whether Earth was now safe, their ancient alien AI responded 'Not so much'... now they have to deal with the consequences... -
![Freefall by Craig Alanson]()
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]()
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... -
![We Few by David Weber, John Ringo]()
We Few by David Weber, John Ringo
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPrince Roger MacClintock was an heir to the galaxy's Throne of Man-and a self-obsessed spoiled young brat . . . until he and the Royal Marines sent to protect him were stranded on Marduk with only their feet to get them half way around the entire planet. So far, they've traversed a continent, crossed a sea full of ship-eating monsters, taken over an enemy spaceport, and hijacked a starship... -
![True Colors by Karen Traviss]()
True Colors by Karen Traviss
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAs the savage Clone Wars rage unchecked, the Republic’s deadliest warriors face the grim truth that the Separatists aren’t their only enemy–or even their worst.In the Grand Army’s desperate fight to crush the Separatists, the secret special ops missions of its elite clone warriors have never been more critical . . . or more dangerous... -
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![Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Woodring Stover, George Lucas]()
Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Woodring Stover, George Lucas
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe turning point for the entire Star Wars saga is at handAfter years of civil war, the Separatists have battered the already faltering Republic nearly to the point of collapse. On Coruscant, the Senate watches anxiously as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine aggressively strips away more and more constitutional liberties in the name of safeguarding the Republic... -
![Order 66: by Karen Traviss]()
Order 66: by Karen Traviss
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAfter the fierce combat of Hard Contact, Triple Zero, and True Colors comes the spectacular culmination of New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss's gripping Republic Commando series. As a battle-scarred era nears its end, a shattering power play is about to stun the entire galaxy . . . and set in motion events that will alter destinies and resound throughout history... -
![Hard Contact by Karen Traviss]()
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... -
![The Star Wars Trilogy by George Lucas, Donald F. Glut]()
The Star Wars Trilogy by George Lucas, Donald F. Glut
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsMore than twenty-five years after the groundbreaking movie Star Wars: A New Hope first hit the silver screen, Star Wars remains one of the most beloved sagas ever told... -
![For Honor We Stand by H. Paul Honsinger]()
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... -
![Triple Zero by Karen Traviss]()
Triple Zero by Karen Traviss
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFollowing the eruption of the bloody Clone Wars at the battle of Geonosis, both sides remain deadlocked in a stalemate that can be broken only by elite warrior teams like Omega Squad, clone commandos with terrifying combat skills and a lethal arsenal. . . .For Omega Squad, deployed deep behind enemy lines, it's the same old special ops grind: sabotage, espionage, ambush, and assassination... -
![Mavericks by Craig Alanson]()
Mavericks by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsThe remnants of the Expeditionary Force stranded on the alien-controlled planet 'Paradise' get a chance to prove themselves, in a simple off-world training mission with a ship full of teenage alien cadets. When the mission goes horribly wrong and the survival of everyone on Paradise is at risk, the Merry Band of Pirates may have to come to the rescue. Unless they get killed first.. -
![501st by Karen Traviss]()
501st by Karen Traviss
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe Clone Wars are over, but for those with reason to run from the new galactic Empire, the battle to survive has only just begun. . . .The Jedi have been decimated in the Great Purge, and the Republic has fallen. Now the former Republic Commandos–the galaxy’s finest special forces troops, cloned from Jango Fett–find themselves on opposing sides and in very different armor... -
![The Day of Battle by Doug Dandridge]()
The Day of Battle by Doug Dandridge
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSean needs a victory, before Parliament returns a no confidence vote and leaves him a figurehead ruler. The Ca'cadasans are almost through with their conquest of Sector IV, and from the there, the heart of the Empire is exposed. The Ca'cadasans continue to roll over the New Terran Empire and the New Terran Republic... -
![Flight of Freedom by Jeffrey Burger]()
Flight of Freedom by Jeffrey Burger
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmond Burke...The adventure continues - with one major difference: Jack Steele's Freedom is no longer the wounded duck she once was. They leave UFW Blackmount Station repaired and retooled, with a complete crew, fully armed and resupplied, ready to hunt... -
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![Manxome Foe by John Ringo, Travis S. Taylor]()
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... -
![The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 1 by David Drake]()
The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 1 by David Drake
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis volume features all of the Hammer’s Slammer short fiction, as well as all of the interstitial material from the original Slammers collection, new artwork and new interstitial material. Volume 1 also features an introduction by Gene Wolfe and an original Slammers story, “A Death in Peacetime... -
![The City and The Ship by Anne McCaffrey, S.M. Stirling]()
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 Empire Strikes Back by Donald F. Glut]()
The Empire Strikes Back by Donald F. Glut
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAlthough they had won a significant battle, the war between the Rebels and the Empire had really just begun. Soon, Luke, Han, the princess and their faithful companions were forced to flee, scattering in all directions—the Dark Lord's minions in fevered pursuit... -
![Vision of the Future by Timothy Zahn]()
Vision of the Future by Timothy Zahn
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLuke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo are thrust into the middle of an impending civil war - and discover the shocking truth behind the rumored resurrection of the dead Admiral Thrawn. For a beleaguered Empire, desperate times call for desperate measures. Sowing discord among the fragile coalition of The New Republic, remnants of the once powerful Empire make one last play for victory... -
![Brothers in Valor by H. Paul Honsinger]()
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... -
![Claws That Catch by John Ringo, Travis S. Taylor]()
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... -
![Clidepp Requital by Thomas DePrima]()
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]()
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... -
![The Star Brotherhood (AGU: SC Intelligence #1) by Thomas DePrima]()
The Star Brotherhood (AGU: SC Intelligence #1) by Thomas DePrima
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSpace Opera meets Horse Opera in this fast-paced adventure story featuring the Space Command Intelligence undercover team headed by Trader Vyx. The team, introduced in Book 4 of the A Galaxy Unknown series, and with small roles in subsequent books, is now featured in their own story as this AGU: SCI series kicks off... -
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![The Rising Storm by Doug Dandridge]()
The Rising Storm by Doug Dandridge
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThey're Back, and They want to End us.The Ca'cadasan Empire is at the gates, and they mean to destroy the human race. But we will not go quietly into the night.The saga continues, as Sean Ogden Lee Romanov finds himself the uncrowned leader of the New Terran Empire... -
![Knights of the Chosen by Lawrence P. White]()
Knights of the Chosen by Lawrence P. White
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThis is Book Two of a three book series. Readers are strongly encouraged to read Book One, Last of the Chosen, before reading Knights of the Chosen.The Empire has collapsed. Aided by the Chessori, who wield an unbeatable mind weapon, Rebel domination of the sectors strengthens daily. Against such formidable opponents, hope dims among the Empire hierarchy... -
![The Crucible of Empire by Eric Flint, K.D. Wentworth]()
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... -
![The Riss Survival by C.R. Daems]()
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... -
![Citizen X by Thomas DePrima]()
Citizen X by Thomas DePrima
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSydnee Marcola's greatest desire was to join the command of Admiral Jenetta Carver in Region Two, and in pursuit of that goal, she achieved top grades while at the Academy, and then again in advanced studies at the Warship Command Institute... -
![Retreat And Adapt by Thomas DePrima]()
Retreat And Adapt by Thomas DePrima
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAdmiral Jenetta Carver, in Region One for just the second time since becoming Commander of the Second Fleet, receives a message that the scout-destroyer Yenisei, on routine patrol, is overdue. The ship's last report ended with a statement that they were attempting to overtake several small ships spotted on their DeTect monitors... -
![Firstborn by Christie Golden]()
Firstborn by Christie Golden
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJake Ramsey -- an unassuming, yet talented archaeologist -- has been given the chance of a lifetime. Hired to investigate a recently unearthed Xel'Naga temple, he knows this latest assignment will open up whole new possibilities for his career. Yet, when Jake discovers the remains of a long-dead protoss mystic, his hopes and dreams are irrevocably drowned in a flood of alien memories... -
![When the Tide Rises by David Drake]()
When the Tide Rises by David Drake
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen the Republic of Cinnabar doesn't have enough battleships to deal with all the crises in its war with the Alliance, it sends the next best thing: Commander Daniel Leary and his friend, the spy Adele Mundy... -
![Against All Odds by Thomas DePrima]()
Against All Odds by Thomas DePrima
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWar has kept Admiral Jenetta Carver from home for twelve years. With the advent of peace, she takes a well-deserved vacation and returns to Earth for a visit before her duties as Military Governor and Supreme Military Commandeer of Region Two keep her away for more years. She picks up her two sisters on the trip and the three women surprise their mom with the unannounced visit... -
![Castle Vroman by Thomas DePrima]()
Castle Vroman by Thomas DePrima
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Milori, unsuccessful in their first attempt to defeat the Galactic Alliance and annex it's territory, prepare for a second assault. Emperor Maxxiloth has decided he won't be embarrassed a second time and sends every ship available in his empire as part of the new invasion force... -
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![Counter Strike by Doug Dandridge]()
Counter Strike by Doug Dandridge
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSean and the Empire have fought their way out of the corner. Now it's time to strike back. The Ca'cadasans have been hit hard, but they are not yet out of the fight. The ambush worked, to a point. The Cacas took grievous losses, but still retain a powerful force in Imperial Space. And they have sent for the ships they had besieging the New Terran Republic to back them up... -
![Time Strike by Doug Dandridge]()
Time Strike by Doug Dandridge
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe New Terran Empire is still trying to recover from the Ca’cadasan strike that left over three hundred million dead and ripped the heart out of the ship production of Central Docks. The Donut, the huge station in orbit around the Supersystem black hole, was almost destroyed in that strike, and its defenses have been strengthened considerably... -
![What Distant Deeps by David Drake]()
What Distant Deeps by David Drake
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsNO REST FOR THE WEARY Captain Daniel Leary and his friend, the spy Adele Mundy, have been in the front lines of Cinnabar's struggle against the totalitarian Alliance. Now these galactic superpowers have signed a peace of mutual exhaustion--But the jackals are moving in!The Republic of Cinnabar was on the verge of collapse under the weight of taxes, casualties, and war's disruption of trade... -
![Specter of the Past by Timothy Zahn]()
Specter of the Past by Timothy Zahn
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHugo Award-winning author Timothy Zahn makes his triumphant return to the Star Wars(r) universe in this first of an epic new two-volume series in which the New Republic must face its most dangerous enemy yet--a dead Imperial warlord.The Empire stands at the brink of total collapse. But they have saved their most heinous plan for last... -
![I, Jedi by Michael A. Stackpole]()
I, Jedi by Michael A. Stackpole
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole presents a stirring new tale set in the Star Wars® universe: the dramatic story of a heroic X-wing pilot on the razor's edge between the Force--and the dark side.Corran Horn has distinguished himself as one of the best and brightest of Rogue Squadron's elite fighting force... -
![Milor! by Thomas DePrima]()
Milor! by Thomas DePrima
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAs if the job of running Space Command's newest and most remote base wasn't difficult enough, Captain Jenetta Carver is charged with keeping the situation between two neighboring planets on the brink of hostilities, from erupting into open warfare. Since the assigned diplomatic corps has not yet arrived at the base, she must resolve the disputes without guidance...
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