Books like 'Empires Ascendant: A Space Opera Anthology'

Readers who enjoyed Empires Ascendant: A Space Opera Anthology by Jay Allan, Jason Anspach, Daniel Arenson, J.N. Chaney, Joshua Dalzelle, Ken Lozito & Jasper T. Scott also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

sc-fi space military, war & conflict space-opera space-travel first-contact space-fleet soldiers military aliens

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

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

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

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

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
The Forever War by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
From USA Today Best Selling Author Raymond L. Weil comes the fourth book in the Star Cross series. The Vorn have returned with a massive fleet and are once more harvesting the intelligent worlds of the galaxy for food. Every fleet placed in front of them has been annihilated by the Vorn’s superior weapons. The Vorn seem unstoppable as they harvest world after world...

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
The Lost Supernova by Vaughn Heppner
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
· 12 ratings
Androids used to mingle among us, pretending to be human. Then an alien puppet-master altered their programming. Unknown to us, androids began leaving human society, burning their clothes and peeling off their skin to reveal the chrome-colored bodies underneath. They gathered in a system were a star had exploded, blowing away the atmosphere of a Jupiter-like planet...

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
Empire's Gambit by D.J. Holmes
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
The Karacknid assault on Earth has been turned back at great cost to both sides. Only the intervention of the Kulreans saved Humanity’s homeworld from certain destruction. Yet the Kulrean worldships cannot be used for offensive operations. This means Humanity and her allies have only a few months of respite before the Karacknids can make good their losses...

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

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

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
Prince Peacemaker by Fred Huges
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 8 ratings
Hazard survived the war… but can he survive the peace?The empire defeated the Swarm at the Battle of Iris, but it came at a great cost. To win, Hazard King needed to reveal he was Crown Prince Henry and take command of the Imperial Fleet as War Leader. Now their enemy is suing for peace, something many in the empire don’t want to give...

Categorized as:
military aliens invasion colonization space-travel galactic-empire soldiers first-contact
Prince Commander by Fred Hughes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 8 ratings
Hazard King was ready to get back to a normal life…Well, as normal a life as the next emperor of the Brittania Empire could expect, anyway. Hazard wanted to continue his naval career—to grow and take on positions of higher responsibility—because he knew the Swarm would be back, and he intended to be there to fight them when they returned...

Categorized as:
aliens invasion colonization military space-travel galactic-empire soldiers first-contact
Federation Marine: Recruit by Jonathan P. Brazee, Jonathan P. Brazee
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 8 ratings
Previously published as “United Federation Marine Corps”, now updated and re-edited. What would you do to change your life? How far would you go? How hard would you fight?Rather than work his bones into dust toiling away on a barren world, Ryck Lysander chooses to enlist in the Federation Marine Corps.But as he quickly finds out, this path isn't just a job. . . it's a calling. .

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact invasion military soldiers space-opera
Galactar by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
Following decades of war and the recent catastrophic loss of an entire planet, the Human Planetary Alliance is riven by internal disputes and rivalries. The military’s old guard fights for power against those who see a chance to turn things around.After a series of hard-fought victories, Captain Carl Recker is becoming recognized as a man who gets results - a man who knows how to beat the Daklan...

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

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
Fulcrum Gun by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
Lost in hostile space and pursued by the most powerful warship in the known universe, Captain Carl Recker is losing hope and running out of options. His battleship Fulcrum is no match for this enemy and the Meklon aliens who might have helped him are dead, killed by the Galactar’s murderous weaponry.Somehow, Recker must find a way to succeed where the might of an alien empire already failed...

Categorized as:
aliens exploration galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet space-opera
Universe in Danger by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
The Lost Fleets have settled on an Originator Dyson Sphere in preparation for their greatest test yet. A great enemy is spreading across the universe conquering galaxy after galaxy.The few surviving Originators have asked Fleet Admiral Jeremy Strong to fight a war against their most hated enemy, the Anti-Life. If he fails to stop their advance, then the entire universe could be in danger...

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
Laws of Ancidium by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
· 10 ratings
Having fought his hardest battle, Captain Carl Recker returns to planet Lustre, bringing the alien battleship Fulcrum with him.Recker is under no illusions that he’ll be offered backdated shore leave, but his feet don’t even touch the ground before trouble shows up. A heavily armed fifty-thousand-metre Meklon interstellar drops out of lightspeed near the planet...

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

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

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

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

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
Into the War by James Rosone
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
· 20 ratings
Humanity stumbles into a galactic war……a war of survival, a conflict with no endEarth has united under the banner of the Republic. Humanities brightest minds have deciphered the secrets to the alien technology and begin to reverse engineer it. An elder race takes notice of humanities strides and intervenes...

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact invasion military soldiers space-fleet
The Prince Awakens by Fred Hughes
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
· 12 ratings
Hazard King had always wanted to be an Imperial Fleet officer, just like his father.But he’s a Prince of the Realm, which make things a bit more… complicated. And when Hazard’s parents tell him that they don’t trust his older brother and want Hazard to be the Crown Prince—the heir to the throne—things go from bad to worse.And just when they can’t get any worse, the Empress is attacked...

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
The Others by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars
· 17 ratings
From the deepest darks of unknown space, evil comes… Admiral Tyler Barron and the Confederation navy face a new threat, darker and deadlier than any that have come before...

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
When the Axe Falls by Jon R. Osborne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
The clouds of war continue to build…and not everyone is blind… Bjorn Tovesson III, the owner of Bjorn’s Berserkers, is a man tied to the past, but who’s not afraid to innovate. Whether it is new tactics or new equipment, Bjorn is willing to try anything, once, in an effort to grow his company into the status of the fabled Four Horsemen...

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
Dirty Deeds by Mark Wandrey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
Old mercs don't die, you do. Abraham Murdock left his home of Sheridan Arkansas at seventeen to start a merc career that spanned almost 50 years, working for dozens of companies, killing aliens and getting paid across the galaxy. Near the end of his career, he landed a gig with Cartwright’s Cavaliers...

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
Dark Moon Arisen by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
The 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 exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
Star Force: Temple Wars by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
he bell has been rung, and the Return of the Reignor has come...

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
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 exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
A Pale Dawn by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
The tides of war have shifted, and humanity has the Galactic Union on the run. After a stunning victory at the Merc Guild shipyard of Golara, the leaders of the Four Horsemen mercenary units of Earth have decided it’s time to take back the colonies the Merc Guild has captured, and the Horsemen split up to liberate them...

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
Storm Clouds by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
The Omega War ended, not with a bang, but with a whimper. The Peacemaker-enforced ceasefire brought an end to the hostilities, but not a resolution, and now it’s up to the Four Horsemen to forge a lasting peace...

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
Do No Harm by Robert E. Hampson, Chris Kennedy
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
When Todd’s critically damaged ship dropped out of hyperspace near the Human colony world of Azure, he had no memory of his past. He didn’t know who he was, or even what he was, and the Humans didn’t either. That didn’t stop the colonists of Azure—they took him in, anyway…even though they didn’t understand how he could do some of the things he could do...

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Planet Fall by Toby Neighbors
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
The highly anticipated conclusion to the Kestrel Class Saga is here.The crew of the Modulus Echo are trapped on the planet Gershwin. The Krah Empire has returned with overwhelming force, and the Royal Imperium fleet is divided by petty rivalries and opposing political views. The path to victory is clear - close the worm hole, defeat the aliens, and retake what has been lost...

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

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

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

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-fleet
Lucky Justice: Lucky's Marines | Book Seven by Joshua James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
A simple mission gone impossibly wrong. Ambushed by an enemy that shouldn't exist, Lucky and his Marines must overcome powerful forces with limitless resources – and a princess with limitless ego. But Sergeant Lucky Savage has a powerful weapon of his own. Whether he can manage to control it is an open question...

Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers
Acheron Redemption by Ken Lozito
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
· 6 ratings
Sentinel 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 military soldiers space-fleet

Empires Ascendant: A Space Opera Anthology by Jay Allan, Jason Anspach, Daniel Arenson, J.N. Chaney, Joshua Dalzelle, Ken Lozito, Jasper T. Scott

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