Books like 'Dark Light'
Readers who enjoyed Dark Light by Ken MacLeod 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 aliens first-contact invasion colonization galactic-empire
-
Adverse Possession by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA planet in dispute. Farmers vs miners, and no one knows the full story.The Federation sends Rivka and her team to resolve a case of settlers squatting on a remote planet when the owners finally came calling.Not what it seems. Three generations of settlers and more. A planet that isn’t as welcoming as it appears. Crops coming ripe. Miners ready to dig. Tempers flare as the sides face off... -
Rise of the AI by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Singularity enters the Federation. Its citizens are AIs.And no one knows how to treat them. From collaborations to master-slave, every relationship is different, when they shouldn’t be. The AIs fight back, but on a level none of the other members understand.The fight starts slowly, but when the realization of what’s happening hits too close to home, more extraordinary measures are called for... -
The Interview by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen the right thing goes wrong, someone has to answer.Dismantling the Blood Trade wasn’t the end, but the beginning. Everything the Magistrates do has been called into question.Do they have probable cause? Are they respecting a suspect’s right against self-incrimination? The ambassadors have questions, and they think they know the answers, but only the Magistrates know the truth... -
She is the Principle: A Kurtherian Gambit Series by Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA teenage boy with a terminal condition, a group of school bullies, and an incognito Empress with a short temper…Kirian Larsen knows he won’t live to see adulthood. Dex and his gang only care that he’s a human living on “their” planet.Their determination to make his life harder bothers Kirian less than their efforts to do the same for their other victims... -
-
Command Authority by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsVictory snatched from the jaws of defeat.Commodore Jack Romanoff and his ragtag crew have repaired their ancient battleship, scatteredtheir adversaries at New Copenhagen, and discovered what was really behind the invasion. Nowthey must make the enemy bleed and start liberating the cluster.Betrayal from the shadows...Categorized as:
space-opera first-contact aliens invasion galactic-empire colonization sci-fi military -
The Enemy Revealed by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsVictory, but at what cost?Commodore Jack Romanoff and his crew won the battle for New Copenhagen but lost their quantum drive in the fight. Now they must free the human prisoners and strengthen their defenses before the Locusts trap them.If it’s not already too late.Only the alien hyperdrive they recovered offers a chance to get a new quantum drive and more missiles before time runs out...Categorized as:
space-opera first-contact aliens invasion galactic-empire colonization sci-fi fiction -
Dispute by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTwo races. One war. Perpetual hatred. And the Magistrate crash lands right in the middle of it.Rivka and her crew take a much-deserved vacation, but find themselves on a jungle planet, cut off from the rest of the galaxy. Part by design, but mostly not. Isn’t that what a good vacation is supposed to be, disconnected from the rigors of everyday life? Until no one can hear your calls for help... -
Anvil Dark by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe guild is under attack, and Van is right in the middle of it all.When Master Yewlo is abducted by unknown forces, the Peacemakers are thrown into chaos as the rescue mission begins. Finding Yewlo will be hard, but the search reveals secrets the guild might not survive—secrets about a system so corrupt, it will take Van and his team’s best efforts to untangle the truth...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult book -
Acheron Inheritance by Ken Lozito
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFirst, the Federation Wars toppled the galactic order.On a dying world along the galactic fringe, Quinton Aldren awakens in the body of an archaic android that’s barely operational. He has only vague memories of who he was and no idea what has happened...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
The Colossus by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe 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 colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
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...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult book -
The Grand Conspiracy by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKeep your friends close.After successfully striking back at the alien invaders, Commodore Jack Romanoff and his crew have liberated the cluster capital at Argent. For the first time, it seems like they might be getting their feet back underneath them.Keep your enemies closer...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult book -
Children of Angels by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan P. Brazee
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe war has only just begun.While rescuing a world from Centaur control, the Marines discover that not all humans on the planet are slaves. The Children of Angels believe their masters have been sent by the gods to lift up mankind.Humanity now has two enemies, one from the farthest reaches of the Galaxy and the other from within...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult book -
Legacy of Stars by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThere are some things you simply can’t escape. For Van, it’s family.Out among the stars, his cousin, Carter Yost, drags Van and his team into a criminal ring run by the High Doctor- a dangerous con artist with delusions of grandeur. Working from the abandoned world of Pathway, the High Doctor has created a cult, stealing a fortune from the fearful, sick, and scared...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult book -
-
Ships of the Line by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsVictory belongs to the strong and cunning warrior.Admiral Jack Romanoff and his crew have turned two enemies against one another via misdirection and timing. That gives them the breathing room to get back to their feet, but as any savvy commander knows, the footing on any battlefield is treacherous. One misstep could cost a warrior everything.Blood is the only coin that can buy victory...Categorized as:
space-opera first-contact aliens invasion galactic-empire colonization sci-fi military -
Leviathan's Fear: A Military Sci-Fi Series by Craig Martelle
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTrapped 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 colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
Old Dogs, Older Tricks by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHe’s a Vietnam vet, with a new lease on life. To fight an out-of-this-world invasion, he’ll need a little help from his friends…Albert Jenkins never cared much for bureaucrats and politicians. So when the Galactic Congress refuses to act on the illegal invasion of Earth by parasitic aliens, he does what any self-respecting vet would do – he steals a spaceship...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact invasion space-opera action-adventure adult audiobook -
Star Force: Origin Series Box Set (97-100) by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Origin Series is empire building at its finest, with 100 episodes and over 2.5 million words in the military science fiction serial detailing the rise of Star Force from corporate entity into an interstellar empire over the course of more than a millennium...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult book -
Return by Nathan Hystad, Flynn Earl Jones
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Rift opens once again. The battle for Earth continues. Only the Eureka and her crew can turn the tides. The Eureka returns to Sol through the Rift as an extreme time dilation creates complications. With a familiar face now the Earth Fleet's Grand Admiral, Ace and the others struggle to acclimate to their new reality...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact invasion space-opera action-adventure adult audiobook -
The Academy by Nathan Hystad
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Academy is a galaxy-class school, created to train the next generation of Gatekeepers. Jules Parker is attending the Academy, alongside her best friend Patty. When the Kold threaten everything her father and his friends have spent years building, she must reveal that her Iskios abilities are stronger than ever... -
Salvage by Jenny Schwartz
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSecrets can get a girl killed. Cherry Pendit knows to keep hers close. But what if it’s whispering to her? What if it’s warning her of danger on the galactic horizon, and only she can save her clan?To save the people she loves, Cherry will have to risk her life to rescue a man she’s never met.A hunted man, a man abandoned on a derelict space station, on the far side of a black hole...Categorized as:
space-opera aliens galactic-empire invasion colonization first-contact sci-fi suspense -
The Art of Smuggling by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhy would anyone steal art? Who can you sell it to? The High Chancellor puts Rivka on the trail of serial art thieves. Dismantle the ring. Recover the art. Put the thieves behind bars, thieves who stay one step ahead.Insiders? Or maybe outsiders with inside knowledge? No suspects. No clues... -
The Others by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFrom the deepest darks of unknown space, evil comes… Admiral Tyler Barron and the Confederation navy face a new threat, darker and deadlier than any that have come before...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
Dark Moon Arisen by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe war continues! The Omega War is in full swing. Earth has fallen to General Peepo’s army, and the surviving Human mercenaries have taken refuge at the hidden Winged Hussars’ base in New Warsaw...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
-
Shout of Honor by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCommander Vepal is a Hero. He is also the Yxtrang ambassador to the greater universe. These two facts do not make Vepal's life easy. But they do make it interesting... -
Alpha Contracts by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“Before CASPers were the lords of the battlefield, men tested their metal against aliens one-on-one.” First contact has been made, and Earth’s militaries and its premier mercenary companies stand ready to take their first tentative steps outside the Solar System...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
Acheron Redemption by Ken Lozito
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSentinel warships were the answer to the Federation Wars. They brought peace and stability....or so they thought.The Sentinels are a menace, terrorizing spacers across the galaxy in their hunt. But change is coming, and spacers across the galaxy will have to choose whether to fight for their future or not...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
Star Force: Reclaimers by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDoes Star Force have enough races in it yet? No...not even close...Categorized as:
aliens colonization galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult book -
Stardust by Edward W. Robertson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe invaders have arrived. The last battle for humanity is about to begin. STARDUST is the final book in the Rebel Stars series... -
Valkyrie's Daughter by John E. Siers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe alien Akara have a secret. They've discovered the location of a planet that is home to a primitive human civilization, another ancient "seeding" of the legendary Progenitors. But this planet lies in the territory of the Otuka, spacefaring alien predators who consider human flesh to be a delicacy and the planet to be their private hunting preserve...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
Revikk by Alana Khan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCan their love survive his deepest secrets? Dawn is immediately attracted to bad boy Revikk and surrenders to her fiery impulses. Confident and skilled, Revikk satisfies. But with every layer Revikk reveals about his past, Dawn must decide whether it spikes her attraction or her fear. Dawn A year ago, I never would have dreamed I’d approach a male like Revikk for a fling...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact aliens invasion galactic-empire space action-adventure paranormal -
Junkyard Raiders by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDumped on a backwater planet, heroic old vets will risk everything to take a stand against vicious alien invaders.On the pastoral, backwater planet of Fimil Alpha, something or someone is eradicating the tribespeople of the Gauder Plains. Back on Earth, Albert Jenkins and his crew are enjoying the short-lived fame that accompanied their last adventure...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
Tracker by C.J. Cherryh
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsTracker is the sixteenth installment of CJ Cherryh's acclaimed Foreigner series.It’s been a year of upheaval, since Bren Cameron’s return from space—a year when he and the aiji-dowager, one of his most powerful atevi allies, returned home from their two-year interstellar mission to find the government overthrown and their world in chaos...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact invasion space-opera action-adventure adult audiobook -
Challenges by Natalie Grey, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTabitha has one night to challenge her past, and her belief in herself. Normally, a person would fail. However, Tabitha has an ace in the hole. A female vampire with hundreds of years of life and wisdom and she is willing to protect Tabitha and tell her the truth. Whether Tabitha wants it, or not. And whether the Vampire wants to hurt others is not in question... -
-
War Eternal, Books 1-3 by M.R. Forbes
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings3 books. 1000+ pages. Over 100,000 unbundled copies sold. Book 1: Starship Eternal A lost starship... A dire warning from futures past... A desperate search for salvation… Captain Mitchell “Ares” Williams is a Space Marine and the hero of the Battle for Liberty, whose Shot Heard ‘Round the Universe saved the planet from a nearly unstoppable war machine...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult book -
Void Horizon by J.N. Chaney, Christopher Hopper
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn enemy with otherworldly powers. A war fueled by insatiable bloodlust. No one will be spared. Following their first victory against a rogue unit of Repub Marines, Magnus finds his newly trained gladias pinned down by a squadron of Talons...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
Fratricide by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSafety takes a back seat to profit. Until it crosses the line. Shipyard deaths. Labor complaints. Fear. Intimidation. Rivka gets called in to sort things out, investigate the safety issues, mediate the dispute.What she finds isn’t a negotiation at all. She puts on her Magistrate hat and gets to work sorting out crimes made to look like accidents... -
A Federation Forged in Fire by Stephen W. Bennett
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen the enemy discovers their hidden home, Mirikami is forced to lead 117 Kobani ships in a desperate attack against 3,000 Krall ships and uncounted warriors. Armed with a 22,000-year-old computer virus, and sheer courage, they must disable every enemy ship and weapon. The last time this tactic was tried against them, the Krall eradicated the entire Olt’kitapi civilization...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
The Alliance by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA mission to free a world from the Kleese has gone terribly wrong. Lieutenant Ryan Nelson and his Marines are trapped with no hope of rescue. On the Kleese home world, a division grows between the regular Kleese and the militaristic Zaltule. The war against the Kleese intensifies as the human led Alliance attempts a daring attack against the heart of the Kleese Empire...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
Insurrection by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe final battle between the Humans and the Zaltule is drawing near. However, the Arachnids have a secret that will ensure victory and allow them to wipe out the Human race once and for all.In the Strell Empire, former Supreme Overlord Xatul plans his return. He has amassed a fleet to take back control of the Kleese Empire...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
Fortress Earth by Vaughn Heppner
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEarth’s last Assault Troopers target the oldest being in existence. In the fourth book of the Extinction Wars series, Abaddon commands a Karg-Jelk Super Fleet bent on annihilating humanity. Years of intense terraforming has healed the Earth from the ravages of alien hell-burners and a deadly bio-terminator...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
Void Drifter by J.N. Chaney, Jason Anspach
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Amazon Rainforest holds a world-changing secret. A ship lost to time from another world.College student Will Kaufman unearthed the biggest archaeological discovery in human history… he just needs to find a way back to Earth to tell people about it.Four thousand years ago, a Federation bounty hunter Void ship crashed on a remote and primitive planet...Categorized as:
aliens space-opera galactic-empire invasion colonization first-contact sci-fi audiobook -
Your Life Is Forfeit by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsRed has a price on his head. Rivka is determined to find those who put it there. Criminals commit crimes. Career criminals do it in secret. They are good at hiding.Rivka’s latest case has her hunting fugitives. Red is on a mission to find them and make them pay for what they’ve done.Her search leads her through dark warrens of political intrigue and ecological disasters...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure audiobook book -
Deep Black (Infinite Sky #1) by Samuel Best
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo crews return to Titan. Who will survive?Titan. Sixth moon of Saturn. A deadly enigma harboring the greatest secret in the history of humankind.In the wake of the first mission, two companies with very different goals plot a return to that distant moon. Their ships are safer, their technology has improved…and they want answers... -
-
Losing Mars by Peter Cawdron
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsDisaster strikes in orbit around Mars. A Chinese spacecraft is disabled, stranded near Phobos. Well over a hundred million miles from Earth, their only hope for rescue comes from the American base on the edge of the Vallis Marineris on the surface of Mars... -
Destroy The Corrupt by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNo one runs a racket and gets away with it. Not in the Federation and not when it steals business from The Bad Company. Punish the interlopers! But justice must be served. Is it a racket? Or are they just better at business?Send in the Magistrate to investigate and apply the law. What will Rivka uncover? What justice will she deliver?Keep pulling the threads. See what unravels...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure audiobook book -
Serial Killer by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAlien ambassadors are dying. The locals are in over their heads. Or are they turning a blind eye?The Magistrates band together to learn about the law, each other, and even themselves. They still need outside help to solve the case. Who do they call? And Barnabas stops by to refuel and spin a tale. More training for the Magistrates. But duty takes them away...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure audiobook book -
Gateway to War by J.N. Chaney, Christopher Hopper
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHunted by the Republic. Desperate to stop the enemy.Lieutenant Magnus survives the harrowing rescue of his unit only to find himself charged with treason by the very military he's pledged his allegiance to. Now, he must attempt to escort Piper to the Luma homeward of Worru before dark forces discover her otherworldly abilities...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure audiobook -
Genesis by Rick Partlow
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFirst contact gone wrong...It was every starship captain’s nightmare, and for Travis Miller, it was his own personal hell. He’d done everything by the book, but when the Tahni had attacked him and his crew, there was no choice but to return fire and destroy the first alien vessel humans had ever encountered...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-opera action-adventure adult -
An Alliance Reforged by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan P. Brazee
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThis is a new kind of war.The MDS and allies have withdrawn from the CoH, and they now want to become the center of gravity for humankind.The goal is to obtain localized wins, draw in more allies, and achieve victory no matter the cost.With the alliance undone, Rev must fight a seemingly unwinnable war.But Marines never quit. They never falter. They never give up...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.