Books like 'Shadows in Flight'
Readers who enjoyed Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
futuristic sc-fi space action / adventure military, war & conflict aliens space-opera dystopia space-travel coming-of-age
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Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 48 ratingsThirteen hundred gates have opened to solar systems around the galaxy. But as humanity builds its interstellar empire in the alien ruins, the mysteries and threats grow deeper... -
![Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey]()
Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 61 ratingsThe fifth novel in Corey's New York Times bestselling Expanse series--now being produced for television by the SyFy Channel!A thousand worlds have opened, and the greatest land rush in human history has begun. As wave after wave of colonists leave, the power structures of the old solar system begin to buckle.Ships are disappearing without a trace. Private armies are being secretly formed... -
![Skyward by Brandon Sanderson]()
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 72 ratingsDefeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot... -
![Persepolis Rising by James S.A. Corey]()
Persepolis Rising by James S.A. Corey
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsIn the thousand-sun network of humanity's expansion, new colony worlds are struggling to find their way. Every new planet lives on a knife edge between collapse and wonder, and the crew of the aging gunship Rocinante have their hands more than full keeping the fragile peace... -
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![Dark Age by Pierce Brown]()
Dark Age by Pierce Brown
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsThe #1 New York Times bestselling author of Morning Star returns to the Red Rising universe with the thrilling sequel to Iron Gold.For a decade Darrow led a revolution against the corrupt color-coded Society. Now, outlawed by the very Republic he founded, he wages a rogue war on Mercury in hopes that he can still salvage the dream of Eo... -
![A Grimm Sacrifice by Jeffery H. Haskell]()
A Grimm Sacrifice by Jeffery H. Haskell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn order to survive, Interceptor must change the rules.The Consortium is in real trouble. Caliphate Naval forces have stepped up their raids on the border planets and are taking people by the thousands. They can defend the wormhole, or they can defend their planets, not both... -
![All These Worlds by Dennis E. Taylor]()
All These Worlds by Dennis E. Taylor
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsBeing a sentient spaceship really should be more fun. But after spreading out through space for almost a century, Bob and his clones just can't stay out of trouble.They've created enough colonies so humanity shouldn't go extinct. But political squabbles have a bad habit of dying hard, and the Brazilian probes are still trying to take out the competition...Categorized as:
aliens colonization dystopia exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure -
![We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor]()
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsAlternate Cover Edition can be found here. Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street...Categorized as:
aliens colonization dystopia exploration military space-opera space-travel 21st-century -
![Nightfall by Jay Allan]()
Nightfall by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNight is falling. The unstoppable Hegemony invasion has reached the very heart of the Confederation. Battle after desperate battle has been fought, and each time, the Confeds have been pushed back, columns of battered and blasted ship retreating from system to system. Now, they prepare to grimly defend the capital world of Megara, the very center of the Confederation...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
![Blockade Runner by Jamie McFarlane]()
Blockade Runner by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsTrapped in a far-off galaxy, Liam Hoffen receives news that a massive Kroerak fleet has found its way to Earth. Knowing an invasion is imminent stuns our explorers, but there’s nothing they can do when they discover the interplanetary Trans Loc system has been shut down to stem the tide of invading bugs... -
![Resolve by Jenny Schwartz]()
Resolve by Jenny Schwartz
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe unmissable conclusion to the science fiction series that has it all—ancient aliens, rogue AIs, beleaguered royalty, semi-repentant pirates, and the chance to go where no humans have gone before (well, not for five hundred years)—all wrapped up in the possibility of a happy-ever-after for everyone (bad guys excluded)... -
![Corsair Menace by Jamie McFarlane]()
Corsair Menace by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsDeep in debt and stranded, a suicide mission may be this crew’s only hope… Liam Hoffen thought saving the world would cut him and his friends some slack. Instead, they’re bankrupt, shipwrecked, and fugitives on a backwater planet. So much for gratitude… But, after discovering an ancient Kroerak ship, Liam sees an opportunity to locate the home world of the vicious alien species... -
![Buccaneers by Jamie McFarlane]()
Buccaneers by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe crew of the Hotspur just happens to be looking for a new home. If Nick James is right, and he usually is, the Tipperary solar system is about to become the busiest trading hub in the galaxy. To sweeten the pot, the cloud-city of Lèger Nuage is offering free warehouse space to qualified traders. It's a deal that seems too good to pass up. Of course, nothing's as simple as it seems... -
![Give No Quarter by Jamie McFarlane]()
Give No Quarter by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsAlternate cover for ASIN B01FQ57I7G can be found here: Give No Quarter Branded criminals and on the run from the most powerful corporation in the known universe, Liam Hoffen and the crew of Hotspur have a simple choice to make...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
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![Return of the Archon by Joshua Dalzelle]()
Return of the Archon by Joshua Dalzelle
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsListening length: 9 hoursEach member of Omega Force carries his own baggage. Most of them are running from their pasts or simply trying to forget them. One member of the small mercenary crew is not who he claims to be, however. When his former life collides with his current one, the team is drawn into a conflict that could have profound consequences for the future of an entire species... -
![Zero Recall by Sara King]()
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... -
![Bane of Worlds by Anthony James]()
Bane of Worlds by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFollowing his successful mission to recover the missing warship ESS Crimson, Captain John Duggan finds himself unredeemed in the eyes of his superiors. His duties resume and this time he’s given something easy - escort a cargo ship to a distant planet and bring it home safely. But war is never so predictable and a straightforward mission becomes something much more important... -
![Old Man's War by John Scalzi]()
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsJohn Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-- and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate... -
![It Ain't Over... by Robert M. Kerns]()
It Ain't Over... by Robert M. Kerns
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsBuy a planet and disappear...That's all Cole wanted.He spent thirteen years hiding on the fringes of society, piloting freighters for criminals and building a stash to do just that.But life happens when you're busy making plans.When Cole chooses to save an ejected castaway and stumbles into a crew of his own, he starts down a path that will force him to choose... -
![Unforgiven by M.R. Forbes]()
Unforgiven by M.R. Forbes
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSheriff Hayden Duke was born on the starship Pilgrim, like his father, and his father before him. He’s got a long way to go before he can rest. How can he when the entire world is under siege? By demonic aliens. By a brutal thug who calls himself King. By an unknown and powerful threat that may be responsible for the end of humankind. The road may be long. The odds may be bad... -
![Duty Calls: The adventure continues by James Haddock]()
Duty Calls: The adventure continues by James Haddock
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDuty Calls continues the story of Nic, Mal, Jazz and Jade as they fight to hold what belongs to them. The Corporations are becoming more aggressive in their effort to steal their inventions. Our four friends are matching the corporate's aggression blow for blow. The fight has already turned deadly, and the Corporation has shown they aren't afraid to spill blood... -
![The White Fleet by Jay Allan, Jeffrey Kafer]()
The White Fleet by Jay Allan, Jeffrey Kafer
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe war is over, but the struggle continues. Tyler Barron and his spacers have set out into the unknown, deep into the Badlands, seeking to discover the empire's old tech and the secrets of its tortured history before Gaston Villieneuve and the resurgent Union can beat them to it. The White Fleet is a vast force, powerful, and crewed by the toughest veterans from the war...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
![Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie]()
Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsAncillary Mercy is the stunning conclusion to the trilogy that began with Ancillary Justice, the only novel ever to win the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards.For a moment, things seemed to be under control for Breq, the soldier who used to be a warship... -
![Fury of the Bold by Jamie McFarlane]()
Fury of the Bold by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA looming alien horde. A buried alien weapon. One last chance to save humanity. Liam Hoffen and his crew may have squashed a few alien bugs, but they’re nowhere near ready for the coming swarm. Left for dead on a backwater planet, Liam must crawl through ancient alien ruins in search of an advanced weapon... -
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![Confederation by Michael R. Hicks]()
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... -
![Parley by Jamie McFarlane]()
Parley by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLiam Hoffen and Nick James are back in the next, exciting installment of Jamie McFarlane's Privateer Tales. After fighting space pirates and rescuing a damsel in distress, nothing sounds better than shore leave at Puskar Stellar on Mars where Liam can reconnect with his girlfriend...Categorized as:
coming-of-age exploration military space-opera action-adventure audiobook book fiction -
![Homeworld by Evan Currie]()
Homeworld by Evan Currie
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWar comes home to the Sol system when the Drasin track a human ship back to Earth, with devastating consequences. Facing massive force of invading alien ships wielding terrible power, the crew of the NAC spacecraft, their allies, and the people of Earth must mount a desperate effort to stop them... -
![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... -
![Double Share by Nathan Lowell]()
Double Share by Nathan Lowell
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAN INEXPERIENCED OFFICER. A DYSFUNCTIONAL SHIP. LIFE IN THE DEEP DARK JUST GOT A LOT HARDER.In his first assignment as an officer, Ishmael Horatio Wang finds himself fresh out of school, wet behind the ears, and way out of his depth. Aboard the William Tinker the senior officers are derelict and abusive, the crew demoralized and undisciplined, and change unwelcomed and dangerous...Categorized as:
coming-of-age military space-opera action-adventure audiobook book fiction futuristic -
![March to the Sea by David Weber, John Ringo]()
March to the Sea by David Weber, John Ringo
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA Bad Neighborhood "Always Faithful." That was the IMC motto, and the Marines of Bravo Company, Bronze Battalion, of the Empress' Own Regiment, lived by it...even if they did occasionally wonder why they bothered. After all, Prince Roger MacClintock, Tertiary Heir to the Throne of Man, was a real piece of work... -
![Of A Darker Void by G.S. Jennsen]()
Of A Darker Void by G.S. Jennsen
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen man and machine are one and the same, death is no longer an inevitability. But in the darkest reaches of space, neither is life.Diplomat. Rebel. Fugitive. Nika Tescarav has lived many lives, though she no longer remembers most of them... -
![Pursuit of the Bold by Jamie McFarlane]()
Pursuit of the Bold by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA world-shattering invasion. A long-dead rumor. A death-defying risk to save humanity. If the Kroerak Empire had a soft spot, Liam Hoffen would have found it by now. After years of fighting the blasted bug invaders, he’s all but thrown in the towel. To make matters worse, intercepted enemy plans show the empire’s next attack could wipe them off the map...Categorized as:
aliens exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult audiobook -
![Incursion at Elea Station by Jamie McFarlane]()
Incursion at Elea Station by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAn alien invasion. A home-world destroyed. Can an embattled captain survive a daring fight to save the remnant of his colony? Privateer Liam Hoffen can’t wait to reunite with his family. But after he emerges from a 20-year stasis, he’s shocked to discover a hostile enemy has razed his home and exiled his people...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
![Lyel by Ava Ross]()
Lyel by Ava Ross
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn alien warrior seeking redemption meets a captured Earth woman being treated as a pet. Will their love survive in a hostile world?Kidnapped by four-armed, blue skinned aliens, Isabelle "Isi" is sold to the head of the Al'kieern kidnapping operation. Isi has accepted she'll live and die as a songbird pet to the queen. If nothing else, performing for the Al'kieern beats being sold as a breeder... -
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![Andromeda Rising by Jay Allan]()
Andromeda Rising by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Hero is Born The Gut. An industrial hell. The foulest and most decrepit slum on Parsephon. A nest of human misery, where hope is word long forgotten, and the dead are carted away every day. It is the worst pit in the Confederation’s great industrial machine known as the Iron Belt... -
![Rogue World by B.V. Larson]()
Rogue World by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe Galactics arrived with their Battle Fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined a vast Empire that spanned the Milky Way. Today, Battle Fleet 921 is returning to Earth. It hasn’t been seen by human eyes since our blissful day of Annexation...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
![Savage Homecoming by Joshua Dalzelle]()
Savage Homecoming by Joshua Dalzelle
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsEver since he joined Omega Force, Captain Jason Burke has lived with the underlying fear that one day Earth would be discovered. His desire to keep Earth’s existence and location a secret has driven him to extremes, and kept him far away from his homeworld for a long time.But now Jason’s greatest fear is realized, and a fleet of alien ships has attacked his planet... -
![March Upcountry by David Weber, John Ringo]()
March Upcountry by David Weber, John Ringo
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsPrince Roger MacClintock is a spoiled young princeling hardly worth the space he takes up. Now he must become a man, or the entire galaxy will suffer arrested adolescence... -
![The Hot Gate by John Ringo]()
The Hot Gate by John Ringo
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNew York Times Best-Selling Author.The Big Showdown with an Alien Empire, to Keep the Earth Free—and Maybe Free the Galaxy as Well. The fight to free the Earth from alien domination began in Live Free or Die, and continued in Citadel. Now Tyler Vernon, and his troops aboard the gigantic battle station Troy, face a desperate battle with the forces of galactic tyranny... -
![...Till It's Over! by Robert M. Kerns]()
...Till It's Over! by Robert M. Kerns
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsClaim an inheritance.It's a simple goal, right?Nothing is simple when Cole returns to Centauri, the seat of Coleson Interstellar Engineering. Challenges at every turn, with no idea who he can trust. And then...the Solar Republic gets involved... -
![Judgment of the Bold by Jamie McFarlane]()
Judgment of the Bold by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA retreating alien enemy. Civilization's new beginning. A terrifying threat could postpone his victory lap… forever. After discovering an indefensible weapon, Liam thought he had the Kroerak invaders on the ropes. But as he and his crew root out the last alien strongholds, he comes face to face with the staggering damage the invaders wreaked on the crew’s now-inhospitable homeworlds...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
![Olympus by Ivan Kal]()
Olympus by Ivan Kal
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings-NOTE- This book has been professionally re-edited as of March 17, 2016 The year is 2081. Earth is recovering from a devastating nuclear war. An age of technological advancement. A find at the bottom of the Ocean. A man driven by a dream. The time for humanity to reach to the stars is now. A find provides Tomas Klein with the tools to speed up his timetable and execute his plans...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
![Sanctuary by Ivan Kal]()
Sanctuary by Ivan Kal
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings-NOTE- This book has been professionally re-edited as of March 23, 2016 A new start, six hundred light-years from Earth. Tomas Klein founder of Olympus had brought his people to a new world, freed them from constraints of Earth and its governments. But a new world brings new dangers. Tomas Klein will need to set aside past regrets and rise up to the challenge... -
![The Derelict Duty: A Space Adventure by James Haddock]()
The Derelict Duty: A Space Adventure by James Haddock
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPrologue: The Blaring klaxon jolted me out of a sound sleep. I threw my covers off and was halfway to my Vac-suit locker before I was fully awake. It felt like I had just fallen to sleep having just finished a long EVA shift. It would be just like Dad to have an emergency drill after an EVA shift to see if I had recharged my suit...Categorized as:
colonization coming-of-age military space-opera space-travel action-adventure ai audiobook -
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![A Pocket Full of Lies by Kirsten Beyer, Martin Frei]()
A Pocket Full of Lies by Kirsten Beyer, Martin Frei
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Full Circle Fleet has resumed its unprecedented explorations of the Delta Quadrant and former Borg space. Commander Liam O'Donnell of the U.S.S. Demeter makes a promising first contact with the Nihydron—humanoid aliens that are collectors of history... -
![Rogue Starship by David Alastair Hayden]()
Rogue Starship by David Alastair Hayden
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen renowned archeologist Gav Gendin finds an Ancient starship, and a stasis chamber with a living member of the extinct alien race inside, he knows something strange is going on. Visions and dreams aren't the normal way archeologists uncover artifacts, but that's what guided him to the Ancient ship.The discovery should be the greatest triumph of his career...Categorized as:
aliens exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult audiobook -
![Chains of Duty by Anthony James]()
Chains of Duty by Anthony James
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor Captain John Duggan, it seems like war never ends. Each success brings another mission and more death. Following events at the Helius Blackstar, Duggan is given the Space Corps’ newest warship – a heavy cruiser armed to the teeth with the latest weapons and technology... -
![Forsaken by M.R. Forbes]()
Forsaken by M.R. Forbes
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSheriff Hayden Duke was born on the starship Pilgrim, like his father, and his father before him.He expects to die any second.He's already been attacked by demonic aliens, rogue soldiers, and even the people he thought were his friends.He's survived.Barely.Outcast. Forsaken. He's entered a strange new world. A world he knows nothing about. A world he's never stepped foot on before...Categorized as:
aliens colonization dystopia military space-opera action-adventure adult apocalyptic -
![Battleship Leviathan by Craig Martelle]()
Battleship Leviathan by Craig Martelle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA derelict warship, ancient but still alive. A small team of humans fighting for all humanity.Built for a time when the races were just finding their way to the stars, finding that they could dominate others. The galactic conquests created the arms race and the ancients, the Progenitors had to protect their own. They built a ship to drive the others away.It worked. And it didn’t...Categorized as:
aliens colonization military space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult anthologies -
![Invasion by Jay Allan]()
Invasion by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWar…like none that has come before. The Hegemony has launched the invasion Tyler Barron and his Confederation comrades have feared, and all the Rim is ablaze with the fires of war and destruction. The Hegemony has brought its vast fleets, its advanced technology, and its endless legions of grim cyborg warriors to impose its system of rigid genetic hierarchy over all humanity on the Rim...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration military space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult
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