Books like 'Shadowplay'
Readers who enjoyed Shadowplay by Jo Clayton also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi space action / adventure espionage political-intrigue
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Spaced Out by Stuart Gibbs
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn this New York Times bestselling novel the moon base commander has gone missing and Dash Gibson is on the case. The second mind-boggling mystery of the Moon Base Alpha series from beloved author Stuart Gibbs.There’s nowhere to hide on the world’s first moon base. After all, it’s only the size of a soccer field...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure aliens audiobook book bullying children -
![Waste of Space by Stuart Gibbs, Gibson Frazier]()
Waste of Space by Stuart Gibbs, Gibson Frazier
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTensions are running high when multibillionaire Lars Sjoburg is poisoned and demands to go home and everyone is looking to Dash Gibson to solve the case, in this third and final book in the New York Times bestselling Moon Base Alpha series.Moon Base Alpha was supposed to be an exciting place to live, but Dash didn't expect for it to be this exciting...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure audiobook book children children-books fiction -
![Mountain of Mars by Glynn Stewart]()
Mountain of Mars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Mage-King of Mars is deadChaos rocks Olympus MonsA new monarch must rise – but she does not stand alone!As the celebration of the victory at Legatus cools, a shuttle accident claims the lives of the Mage-King of Mars and his heir. The Crown and the Mountain fall to the Mage-King’s daughter, seventeen-year-old Kiera Alexander... -
![Boneshaker by Joshua Dalzelle]()
Boneshaker by Joshua Dalzelle
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsMarine First Lieutenant Jacob Brown is bored.For months he's been sitting around on an alien planet, waiting for command to recall his scout team so they could rest and be re-outfitted. The team went through hell during their previous mission, losing both their commanding officer and their ship...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult aliens book colonization fiction -
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![Sword of Mars by Glynn Stewart]()
Sword of Mars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA defector with a dangerous leadA chance to speak for the silentA perilous quest into enemy starsWhen the star system of Legatus was preparing to secede from the Protectorate of the Mage-King of Mars, it was the secret agents of the Legatan Military Intelligence Directorate that laid the groundwork and fought the covert war to make it happen... -
![UnArcana Stars by Glynn Stewart]()
UnArcana Stars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA humanitarian mission into unfriendly starsA training cruise under the watch of a fortified fleet baseThe closing jaws of a trap years in the makingIt has been over a year since the UnArcana Worlds of the Protectorate of the Mage-King of Mars seceded, shattering the unity of the human race...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult aliens audiobook book exploration -
![Shakedown by Scott Sigler]()
Shakedown by Scott Sigler
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"A gritty tale of cosmic dread.”— Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of RED RISINGFew know the warship’s actual name. Fewer still know what it really is. And almost no one knows of its unique ability, an ability that could tilt the balance of power if not outright win the war.But everyone has heard the rumors. Rumors about the worst place the Planetary Union Fleet can send you... -
![Space Case by Stuart Gibbs]()
Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsIt’s a murder mystery on the moon in this humorous and suspenseful space adventure from the author of Belly Up and Spy School that The New York Times Book Review called “a delightful and brilliantly constructed middle grade thriller...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure aliens audiobook book children children-books -
![Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA rich Komarran merchant fleet has been impounded at Graf Station, in distant Quaddiespace, after a bloody incident on the station docks involving a security officer from the convoy's Barrayaran military escort. Lord Miles Vorkosigan of Barrayar and his wife, Lady Ekaterin, have other things on their minds, such as getting home in time to attend the long-awaited births of their first children... -
![Marine by Joshua Dalzelle]()
Marine by Joshua Dalzelle
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsAliens exist… and, as it turns out, most of them aren’t that friendly. Jacob Brown wasn’t even born yet the first time they attacked Earth. He was only fourteen the second time it happened. When Earth finally came together and fielded its first spaceborne military, Jacob didn’t hesitate to volunteer...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult aliens audiobook book colonization -
![The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsHugo Award Winner! Miles Vorkosigan graduates from the Academy, joins a mutiny, is placed under house arrest, goes on a secret mission, reconnects with his loyal Dendarii Mercenaries, rescues his Emperor, and thwarts an interstellar war. Situation normal, if you're Miles...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue 20th-century action-adventure audiobook book classics coming-of-age -
![Mage-Provocateur by Glynn Stewart]()
Mage-Provocateur by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsVengeance hunts them. Rebellion seeks them. Loyalty commands them. The shadows will fear them. Captain David Rice and Mage Maria Soprano have made their choice, signing up with the Martian Interstellar Security Agency and converting Red Falcon into a covert operations ship for the Protectorate...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult aliens audiobook book exploration -
![The Meridian Ascent by Richard Phillips]()
The Meridian Ascent by Richard Phillips
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn their battle to save Earth from becoming another conquest of the alien Kasari Collective, Mark and Heather Smythe have struck crucial blows against the enemy. But their best efforts have still failed to derail the completion of the wormhole gateway that would give the insidious extraterrestrial invaders access to the planet—and doom humankind as helpless slaves of the Kasari hive mind... -
![Allies by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller]()
Allies by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEven Clan Korval needs friends, and the kinds of friends they often need aren't simply buddies and pals, but allies. As Cantra so succinctly put it:"In the matter of allies only two things are important...Categorized as:
political-intrigue action-adventure adult anthologies fiction space space-opera sci-fi -
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![Assassin by Kacey Ezell, Marisa Wolf]()
Assassin by Kacey Ezell, Marisa Wolf
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDepik. The race of cat-like assassins is feared galaxy-wide. Few living people have seen them, as the sight of one is usually the last thing its victim sees. Clan politics on the Depik home world of Khatash are complicated, with clans jockeying for contracts and the prestige and wealth they bring. There’s only one rule—Depik do not kill other Depik. Ever...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult aliens audiobook book colonization -
![Quantum Escape by Joe Kuster]()
Quantum Escape by Joe Kuster
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCovalent Technology’s unveiling of the next generation of Mesh caused ripples felt worldwide. In one move, Alex and Sophie not only launched their latest money-making scheme but also their opening salvo in their war against the rogue AI that stands to destroy all those that might oppose it. Such a thing was always bound to attract attention...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue harem ai graphic-violence steamy action-adventure audiobook -
![Monster In Me by Michael Anderle]()
Monster In Me by Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's time. The gloves are coming off.The mob has disrespected Taylor's people, and he won't stand for it.However, DESK is more than willing to help everyone bet their bank account on the outcome...Categorized as:
political-intrigue sci-fi audiobook space fiction military conspiracies technothriller -
![Sidespace by G.S. Jennsen]()
Sidespace by G.S. Jennsen
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHumanity is saved. But its troubles are just beginning. To achieve their extraordinary triumph over the invading Metigen armada, humanity put aside its myriad of political and social conflicts and united against a common foe intent on annihilating civilization. In victory, unparalleled peace and prosperity are theirs for the taking—if they can keep hold of them... -
![April by Mackey Chandler]()
April by Mackey Chandler
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsApril is an exceptional young lady and something of a snoop. She finds herself involved with intrigues that stretch her abilities after a chance run in with a spy. There is a terrible danger she and her friends and family will lose the only home she has ever known in orbit and be forced to live on the slum ball below. It's more than a almost teen can deal with...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult book female-mc fiction hard-sci-fi -
![To End in Fire by David Weber, Flint]()
To End in Fire by David Weber, Flint
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTHE CROWN OF SLAVES SAGA CONTINUES. ADVENTURE AND INTRIGUE IN THE STAR KINGDOM FROM NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHORS DAVID WEBER AND ERIC FLINT.The Solarian League lies in defeat, crushed by the Grand Alliance of Manticore, Haven, and Grayson... -
![Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsKomarr could be a garden with a thousand more years' work, or an uninhabitable wasteland if the terraforming fails. Now, the solar mirror vital to the terraforming of the conquered planet has been shattered by a ship hurtling off course. The Emperor of Barrayar sends his newest imperial auditor, Lord Miles Vorkosigan, to find out why...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook book crime -
![Spinward Fringe Broadcast 1: Resurrection by Randolph Lalonde]()
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 1: Resurrection by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCaptain Jacob Valance has no memory of his past. Left on a strange ship in an unfamiliar sector of the galaxy, he's forced to begin a new life. Possessing a skill set that leads to bounty hunting and object repossession, he gathers a crew from the rough fringe of the galaxy... -
![Agents of Mars by Glynn Stewart]()
Agents of Mars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn enemy hidden in the shadowsA crack in the armor of secrecyOne chance to find an answerCaptain David Rice and the crew of Red Falcon have spent two years infiltrating the arms smuggling underworld of the Protectorate of the Mage-King of Mars. When the co-opted rebellion on Ardennes reveals a supply chain of weapons intended to fight Mars, this makes them the perfect team to investigate...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult aliens audiobook book exploration -
![Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework by Randolph Lalonde]()
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe crew of the Triton find themselves marooned in the Rega Gain solar system. Refusing to abandon the refugees and liberated slaves who joined them along the way, Ayan Rice and her friends negotiate a deal with the Carthan Government to found a home on a terraformed moon...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue 21st-century action-adventure adult book dystopia exploration -
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![Kantovan Vault by Joel Shepherd]()
Kantovan Vault by Joel Shepherd
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe UFS Phoenix is on a mission to find a lost data-core that may contain the secret to defeating the alo-deepynine alliance. But the means to find the data-core is hidden deep in tavalai space, in a highest-security vault where the tavalai's manipulative State Department keep all their most treacherous secrets. To recover it, Phoenix must pull off the most daring heist the Spiral has ever seen... -
![Spinward Fringe Broadcast 5: Fracture by Randolph Lalonde]()
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 5: Fracture by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe crew of the Triton, a rare, Earth built Space Combat Carrier, make their way to Ossimi Station, a safe haven for independent ships and traders. In a galaxy gripped by conflict and teetering on the verge of chaos, Captain Jacob Valance and his crew will be faced with the unexpected, the unknown, and an opportunity to save thousands of lives...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult book dystopia exploration fiction -
![Cauldron of Ghosts by David Weber, Eric Flint]()
Cauldron of Ghosts by David Weber, Eric Flint
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSequel to national bestsellers Crown of Slaves and Torch of Freedom, Cauldron of Ghosts is the return of Secret agent Anton Zilwicki and Victor Cachat in the Wages of Sin, the classic tie-in series set in David Weber's Honorverse...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult audiobook book fiction futuristic -
![Spinward Fringe Broadcast 4: Frontline by Randolph Lalonde]()
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 4: Frontline by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhat at first seemed to be a chaotic uprising of machine against man is becoming a controlled event, destroying the lives of billions and hurling the known galaxy into a state of utter discord. The fourth fall of mankind is well underway. The Order of Eden seems to be the only force for order and peace, offering a place in their new society in trade for a large investment and their freedom...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult book dystopia exploration fiction -
![The Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn]()
The Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsSmuggler Jordan McKell has partner Ixil, an alien whose two "ferrets" ride his shoulders and telepathically exchange simple messages. They take a job on the odd-shaped ship Icarus. But the ragtag crew was found at taverns, the secret cargo sealed tight, the employer missing, and a saboteur is aboard... -
![Malleus by Dan Abnett]()
Malleus by Dan Abnett
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsIn the 41st Millenium, the enemies of mankind are legion, omnipresent and utterly deadly. While the warriors of the Imperium fight with firepower and faith, the Holy Inquisition hunts the shadows for the most terrible of foes – rogue psykers, xenos, and daemons. Inquisitor Eisenhorn must track down and defeat the forces who would destroy him or face the wrath of the Ordo Malleus... -
![Hereticus by Dan Abnett]()
Hereticus by Dan Abnett
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsIn this concluding novel of Dan Abnett's sensational trilogy, a dark figure from the past returns to exact a cruel vengeance upon Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn... -
![Born of Vengeance by Sherrilyn Kenyon]()
Born of Vengeance by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA fate worse than death . . .Bastien Cabarro survived the brutal slaughter of his entire family only to have his wife pin their murders on him. Made Ravin by The League, he is now a target for their assassins-in-training to hunt and kill. The average life expectancy for such beings is six weeks...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue abuse action-adventure adult aliens assassins audiobook -
![Special Forces 01 by Honor Raconteur]()
Special Forces 01 by Honor Raconteur
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis is an alternate cover edition of ASIN B00AO8CO02Captain Arystair Savar has seen more of war in his seventeen years than most retired officers. He has been defending his home colony from the Nova Federation ever since he graduated from the Army Academy at 14 years old... -
![Blue Gemini by Mike Jenne]()
Blue Gemini by Mike Jenne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsScott Ourecky wanted to fly—he never dreamed he'd end up in a secret military space program.The year is 1968: The Cold War is far from over, nuclear annihilation is always only a heartbeat away. America is racing the Soviet Union to land men on the Moon, a war is raging, and a pivotal presidential election looms on the horizon...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure audiobook book exploration fiction historical -
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![Aftershocks by Marko Kloos]()
Aftershocks by Marko Kloos
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsAcross the six-planet expanse of the Gaia system, the Earthlike Gretia struggles to stabilize in the wake of an interplanetary war. Amid an uneasy alliance to maintain economies, resources, and populations, Aden Robertson reemerges. After devoting twelve years of his life to the reviled losing side, with the blood of half a million casualties on his hands, Aden is looking for a way to move on...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult audiobook book fiction futuristic -
![The Aleph Extraction by Dan Moren]()
The Aleph Extraction by Dan Moren
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAboard a notorious gangster's luxurious starliner, Simon Kovalic and his crew race to steal a mysterious artifact that could shift the balance of the war...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult audiobook book cyberpunk dystopia -
![Phantom Orbit: A Thriller by David Ignatius]()
Phantom Orbit: A Thriller by David Ignatius
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA subtle and masterful novel from a prescient voice on the cutting edge of spy literature.David Ignatius is known for his uncanny ability, in novel after novel, to predict the next great national security headline. In Phantom Orbit, he presents a story both searing and topical, with stakes as far-reaching as outer space... -
![Invisible Sun by Charles Stross]()
Invisible Sun by Charles Stross
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe alternate timelines of Charles Stross' Empire Games trilogy have never been so entangled than in Invisible Sun--the techno-thriller follow up to Dark State--as stakes escalate in a conflict that could spell extermination for humanity across all known timelines.A inter-timline coup d'état gone awry.A renegade British monarch on the run through the streets of Berlin...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book fiction -
![Primordial Threat by M.A. Rothman]()
Primordial Threat by M.A. Rothman
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe year is 2066 and the world is oblivious to the threat it faces.The fate of humanity lies on the shoulders of Burt Radcliffe, the new head of NASA's Near Earth Object program.He's been rushing the completion of DefenseNet, a ring of satellites that are both part of an early-warning system as well as the means to eliminate incoming threats...Categorized as:
political-intrigue action-adventure adult apocalyptic book colonization fiction hard-sci-fi -
![Spy Night on Union Station by E.M. Foner]()
Spy Night on Union Station by E.M. Foner
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSpy Night on Union Stationis is Book 4 of the EarthCent Ambassador series. The story picks up less than a year after the events of High Priest on Union Station, with Kelly coming to the conclusion that EarthCent needs an intelligence service. Of course, EarthCent has no institutional knowledge of what spies do, or how they work, so the new agency gets off to a slow start... -
![Claiming Her Alien Warrior by Mina Carter]()
Claiming Her Alien Warrior by Mina Carter
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn a race against the clock, she must betray his trust to achieve her mission… But fooling a Latharian warrior comes with a price.A guest of the Lathar, Jane Allen hasn’t forgotten what she is: a hard as nails marine major... -
![Dark State by Charles Stross]()
Dark State by Charles Stross
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDark State is the second book in an exciting series in the same world as Charles Stross' Merchant Princes series, following Empire Games.In the near-future, the collision of two nuclear superpowers across timelines, one in the midst of a technological revolution and the other a hyper-police state, is imminent...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book cyberpunk -
![Descent by Marko Kloos]()
Descent by Marko Kloos
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA nationalist uprising triggers an interstellar wrest for control in an epic novel of embattled worlds by the author of Citadel and the Frontlines series.POW Aden Jansen has lost a decade of his life to both the war and internment when he’s recruited by the Alliance...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue sci-fi space space-opera fiction young-adult action-adventure -
![Spinward Fringe Broadcast 3: Triton by Randolph Lalonde]()
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 3: Triton by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsCaptain Valance has taken the Triton to the Enreega System. The Samson crew man the massive Sol Defence vessel with the help of deserters and are soon joined by recently displaced refugees. Though they may have taken possession of the mighty ship, the battle to keep and tame her is only beginning. She's filled with surprises and secrets...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult book fiction found-family military -
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![Torch of Freedom by David Weber, Eric Flint]()
Torch of Freedom by David Weber, Eric Flint
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Direct Sequel to Crown of Slaves. Two New York Times Best-Selling Authors Again Join Forces in a New Novel in David Weber’s Honor Harrington Universe...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult audiobook book fiction futuristic -
![Burning Chrome by William Gibson]()
Burning Chrome by William Gibson
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsTen tales, from the computer-enhanced hustlers of Johnny Mnemonic to the technofetishist blues of Burning Chrome...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue 20th-century action-adventure adult ai anthologies audiobook -
![Agent of Change by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller]()
Agent of Change by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsTwo tough-but-tender characters with a bright future--if they live that long. Terran Miri Robertson was a mercenary, but she retired to a cushy job as a private bodyguard. What she didn't know what that her client had powerful enemies. Now he's dead, and they're after her...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult aliens audiobook book female-author -
![The 97th Step by Steve Perry]()
The 97th Step by Steve Perry
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsBorn on a desolate planet, Mwili dreamed of the stars. Ferret was a thief and a smuggler on exotic worlds. Pen was trained by master warriors, learning skills that would forge a legend. He was a man who lived three lives--the mentor and inspiration for The Man Who Never Missed. Reissue...Categorized as:
political-intrigue action-adventure adult audiobook bisexuality book conspiracies crime -
![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...Categorized as:
espionage political-intrigue action-adventure adult aliens book far-away-galaxy fiction -
![Skyship Thrive by Ginger Booth]()
Skyship Thrive by Ginger Booth
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn ex-cop who cannot die. A moon full of settlers who cannot thrive. Mahina's terraformers built a high-tech urban paradise. Then Earth flooded the colony with desperate refugees, cop Sass Collier among them. The settlers who arrived with Sass died decades ago. Outside the citadel, their descendants die weak and young.Sass fought a rebellion against the city once...Categorized as:
political-intrigue action-adventure adult book colonization exploration fiction genetic-engineering
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