Books like 'System Failure'
Readers who enjoyed System Failure by Joe Zieja also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical sc-fi space action / adventure military, war & conflict space-opera humor war steampunk industrial-era
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Miles Errant by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsContains: The Borders of InfinityBrothers in Arms Mirror DanceMiles Naismith--in the person of his two alter-egos Admiral Naismith and Lieutenant Lord Vorkosigan--embarks on a perilous series of adventures, from the liberation of Barrayaran allies from a Cetagandan POW camp to the rescue of clone children scheduled to be murdered for their bodies...Categorized as:
military space-opera war 20th-century action-adventure adult anthologies female-author -
Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsForced to abandon his undercover role as leader of the Dendarii Mercenaries, Miles Vorkosigan persuades Emperor Gregor to appoint him Imperial Auditor so he can penetrate Barrayar’s intelligence and security operations (ImpSec)... -
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... -
Young Miles by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe Warrior's Apprentice 1The Mountains of Mourning 373The Vor Game 465Author's Afterword 829IT ISN'T EASY, BEING VOR...Being a Vor lord on the war-torn planet Barrayar wasn't easy. Being an officer in Barrayar's military wasn't easy... -
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Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsIn her first trial by fire, Cordelia Naismith captained a throwaway ship of the Betan Expeditionary Force on a mission to destroy an enemy armada... -
The Ceph Sector by Jenny Schwartz
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe legendary Ceph have been in stasis for forty two millennia. In a century, they’ll wake. History remembers them as an unstoppable force, employing a mysterious power to decimate sentient life on the planets they attacked. Jaya’s first mission as a new Shaman Justice is to lead an expedition into the perilous Ceph Sector...Categorized as:
industrial-era military soldiers space-opera steampunk action-adventure adult aliens -
Absolution by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA homeworld is not always home.Family is not always blood.Enemies are not always who you expect.Captain Evridiki “EB” Bardacki wants nothing more than to quietly ride off into the sunset with his fiancé, his crew, and his adopted daughter, Trace... -
Discretion by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA crew, scattered across enemy linesA father, separated from his daughterA daughter who will not wait for rescueThe bounty for bringing down a major crime syndicate may have removed Captain Evridiki “EB” Bardacki’s immediate financial needs, but no freighter captain wants to fly empty between the stars... -
HMS Nightingale by J.A. Sutherland
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFor Lieutenant Alexis Carew, it should be the perfect assignment — a command of her own and a chance to return to her home star system...Categorized as:
industrial-era military space-opera steampunk war action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook -
The Gardens of Nibiru by Richard Fox
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEarth defeated the Toth invasion. Now humanity takes the fight to the aliens. The supreme Toth overlord, Mentiq, rules his species with an iron fist from his fortress on the planet Nibiru. Armed with stolen Toth technology, the Breitenfeld travels to the world with a single mission: Kill Mentiq and end the Toth threat to Earth... -
The Little Ships by J.A. Sutherland
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNewly commissioned lieutenant, Alexis Carew is appointed into HMS Shrewsbury, a 74-gun ship of the line in New London’s space navy. She expects Shrewsbury will be sent into action in the war against Hanover, but instead she finds that she and her new ship are pivotal in a Foreign Office plot to bring the star systems of the French Republic into the war and end the threat of Hanover forever... -
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... -
How Firm a Foundation by David Weber
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Charisian Empire, born in war, has always known it must fight for its very survival. What most of its subjects don't know even now, however, is how much more it's fighting for. Emperor Cayleb, Empress Sharleyan, Merlin Athrawes, and their innermost circle of most trusted advisers do know... -
Mutineer by J.A. Sutherland
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsJust as Midshipman Alexis Carew thinks she’s found a place in the Royal Navy, she’s transferred aboard H.M.S. Hermione. Her captain is a tartar, liberal with the cat, who thinks girls have no place aboard ship. The other midshipmen in the berth are no better. The only advice she’s offered is to keep her head down and mouth shut – things Alexis is rarely able to do... -
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The Queen's Pardon by J.A. Sutherland
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsAllies and enemies are not always what they seem. Trapped on a hostile world, hunted by pirate bands and abandoned by her fellow captains, Alexis Carew must lead her small band to safety, even though it seems every hand is set against her...Categorized as:
industrial-era military soldiers space-opera steampunk war action-adventure audiobook -
The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 30 ratings[A Miles Vorkosigan Story] Twenty year old Ensign Miles Vorkosigan plays detective in a murder case, and tests the balance of power as a member of the Barrayaran nobility. [Publisher's Note: The Mountains of Mourning was originally published as a stand-alone novella in the May 1989 issue of Analog... -
Crimson Sun by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Nyctus don’t like losing, and they’ll go to any lengths to turn the tides of war.When the idyllic planet Nebo is scorched into oblivion, it’s obvious that the Nyctus are moving massive fleets into human space again, and their intention is clear: even if they lose their ships, they will render planets into ash... -
Wayward Galaxy 2 by Jason Anspach, J.N. Chaney
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings'WAYWARD GALAXY 2' is the explosive sequel to the blockbuster first book that had sci-fi listeners calling for more. This next installment featured the gritty combat of Galaxy's Edge combined with the world-building intrigue of the Renegade Star series... -
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... -
Hero to the Rescue by Timothy Ellis
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"I'm not in the rescue business," states Jonathon Hunter, to the amusement of his crew. But rescues are the least of his concerns. Darkness is coming, and there are still people out there who don’t like him. The Sirius system has always fascinated Jon, and he is drawn to solve its mysteries... -
Star Wars: Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force by Ryder Windham
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTHE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE ABSOLUTE POWER AT THE HEART OF THE STAR WARS GALAXY The Force, in the immortal words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “surrounds us, it penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together...Categorized as:
industrial-era military space-opera steampunk war action-adventure adult anthologies -
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... -
William Shakespeare's The Force Doth Awaken: Star Wars Part the Seventh by Ian Doescher, Shakespeare
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsExperience The Force Awakens as a Shakespeare play, complete with Elizabethan verse, Shakespearian monologues, and theatrical stage directions! As the noble Resistance clashes with the vile First Order, Rey, Finn, Poe Damaron, Kylo Ren, and BB-8 are pulled into a galaxy-wide drama--in iambic pentameter! Star Wars fans and Shakespeare enthusiasts alike will enjoy the authentic meter, reimagined... -
The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsBetween the seemingly impossible tasks of living up to his warrior-father's legend and surmounting his own physical limitations, Miles Vorkosigan faces some truly daunting challenges. Shortly after his arrival on Beta Colony, Miles unexpectedly finds himself the owner of an obsolete freighter and in more debt than he ever thought possible... -
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Fortune's Stroke by Eric Flint, David Drake
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAide, a human soul embodied in a jewel, journeys back in time to join forces with Belisarius, the greatest general of the sixth century, to stop Link, an evil supercomputer that is using its vast powers to rewrite history to create the powerful, technologically advance Malwa Empire. Reprint... -
First and Only by Dan Abnett
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIn the Chaos-infested Sabbat system, Imperial Commissar Gaunt must lead his men through as much in-fighting amongst rival regiments as against the forces of Chaos. For a thousand years, the Sabbat Worlds have been lost to the Imperium, claimed by the dread powers of Chaos. Now, a mighty crusade seeks to return the sector to Imperial rule... -
Initiate by Joshua Anderle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsIt was just one fight, but it changed Kaiden Jericho's life forever.He was in a gang but was trying to change his future when a board member of the elite advanced academy NEXUS made a snap decision and offered him a chance. Then fate, or an unbalanced genius, offered him another... -
Alien Artifacts by Jasper T. Scott
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA DEADLY MISSION ON AN UNCHARTED WORLD RIDDLED WITH ANCIENT SECRETSOn his last job, Cade Korbin lost his ship, lost his credits, and barely escaped with his life, but it’s not over. His enemy is still out there, nursing a decades-old vendetta that has yet to be quenched. Making matters worse, his guild is coming after him for breaking their rules... -
Renegade Evolution by J.N. Chaney
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe truth about the gods will set you free.Jace Hughes and the people of Earth have joined with the Union and the Sarkonians to create the largest alliance in human history. They have amassed a wealth of weapons, shields, and the strongest military ever conceived.But it may not be enough... -
Nemesis by Jonathan Yanez
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsVillainy has a new face. With the Voy recently dispatched, Daniel Hunt and the rest of the Pack think they have a moment of reprieve from the madness. They would be wrong. A stranger from the future comes with a story so wild it's hard to deny. If this wasn't enough a new Relic is introduced onto the field. Every faction will do whatever it takes to claim it as their own... -
The Enemy Within by Jasper T. Scott
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDISCOUNTED FROM $3.99 UNTIL AUGUST 27thTHEY LEFT SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS FROM THE COSMOS AND FOUND AN EVIL AS OLD AS TIME Lucien, Garek, Addy, and Brak are all that's left of the Inquisitor's crew...Categorized as:
industrial-era military soldiers space-opera steampunk action-adventure adult aliens -
Zero Day Threat by R.M. Olson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFour ex-convicts. One charismatic mastermind. And the most dangerous heist the System has ever seen.Jez is a damn good pilot, and she’s always worked alone. Until she got picked up for smuggling, that is.Now she’s lost her ship, lost her job, lost her reputation, and is on the run from the law...Categorized as:
space-opera military humor soldiers steampunk industrial-era sci-fi action-adventure -
Orion Uncharted by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Orion has fallen.After barely escaping with their lives, the crew of the Orion has scattered across an unknown world. With a diminishing hope of returning home, they have no choice but to band together.But between the local wildlife, lack of supplies, a missing crew, and a strange, ominous door that can't be opened, Dean and his new friends will need everything at their disposal to survive... -
Cosmic Catalyst by Jenny Schwartz
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsASIN B076PSPMHH moved to latest edition as per guidelinesEveryone has secrets. But some people will risk the galaxy to protect theirs. When starship shaman Jaya Romanov and her new mate partner, galactic bounty hunter and robot wolf shifter, Vulf Trent, saved the galaxy from the deadly actions of a determined geriatric terrorist, they forgot that old Earth truism: no good deed goes unpunished...Categorized as:
industrial-era military soldiers space-opera steampunk action-adventure adult aliens -
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Occupied Earth (The Sequel to First Encounter) by Jasper T. Scott
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFROM MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER JASPER T. SCOTT THE FORERUNNERS LEFT EARTH IN SEARCH OF INTELLIGENT LIFE, AND THEY FOUND IT. Captain Clayton Cross and his crew encountered the Kyra, an advanced race of avian carnivores. They fled this first encounter, but the Kyra beat them back to Earth by almost a century. Earth lost the war in just a few weeks. Our cities burned, and billions died...Categorized as:
industrial-era military soldiers space-opera steampunk action-adventure adult aliens -
Starcaster by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMagic. Steel. Blood. Victory.The Earth’s navy is left drifting among the stars as Nyctus ships swarm, their purpose unknown as they continue their advance, burning one system after another.Humanity's extinction seems inevitable.But on one of the forgotten worlds, a boy is left behind, and he holds a talent unlike anything the galaxy has ever known.Thorn Stellers is a mage, made to lead and fight... -
The Bounty Hunter by Jasper T. Scott
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBY MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER JASPER T. SCOTTFROM OUTLAW TO BOUNTY HUNTER TO VIGILANTE: REVENGE IS JUST THE BEGINNINGCade Korbin became a bounty hunter because he knew what it was like to be hunted. What he didn’t know was who he’d end up hunting.When it suited the Coalition, Cade was a Paladin, a member of their elite special forces. He did their dirty work and cleaned up their messes...Categorized as:
industrial-era military soldiers space-opera steampunk action-adventure adult aliens -
Fury by Jonathan Yanez
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe more he uncovers, the less he really knows. So far answers to Daniel's past have taken him from the moon to Earth and Mars. Each memory recovered leads to yet more questions. Everything is about to change. When the survival of the humankind is threatened Daniel will have to put his own crusade for answers on hold... -
Annihilation by Jonathan Yanez
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Battle For Mars Comes to a Bloody End Daniel Hunt has been many things in his life but a commander in a full out military conflict has never been one of them. The Voy is a deadly opponent and if humanity is going to have a chance every faction must come together...Categorized as:
industrial-era military soldiers space-opera steampunk action-adventure adult aliens -
The Tide of Victory by Eric Flint, David Drake
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsArmed with lancers, breech-loading rifles, steamships, and galleys, General Belisarius, accompanied by his own ally from the future, ventures into the Malwa Empire, a sixth-century kingdom ruled by Link, a horrifying and evil entity from the future... -
Into the Dark by J.A. Sutherland
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAt fifteen, Alexis Carew has to face an age old problem - she's a girl, and only a boy can inherit the family's vast holdings. Her options are few. She must marry and watch a stranger run the lands, or become a penniless tenant and see the lands she so dearly loves sold off. Yet there may be another option, one that involves becoming a midshipman on a shorthanded spaceship with no other women... -
Destiny's Shield by Eric Flint, David Drake
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEric Flint and David Drake's alt-history epic devoted to real-life Byzantine butt-kicker Belisarius has reached part three--Destiny's Shield--and this installment finally busts loose with some serious head-to-head... -
Damnation by Jean Johnson
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt began with a terrible vision of the future. Compelled by her precognitive abilities, Ia must somehow save her home galaxy long after she’s gone... -
An Officer's Duty by Jean Johnson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJean Johnson—the national bestselling author of the Sons of Destiny novels—returns to the world she introduced in A Soldier’s Duty with a terrible vision of the future... Promoted in the field for courage and leadership under fire, Ia is now poised to become an officer in the Space Force Navy—once she undertakes her Academy training... -
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Wayward Galaxy by Jason Anspach, J.N. Chaney
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe future isn’t what they expected.A company of Army Rangers is sent on an interstellar colony ship to secure a foothold on a dangerous, alien planet through violence of action... -
A Mighty Fortress by David Weber
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsYoung Cayleb Ahrmahk has accomplished things few people could even dream of. Not yet even thirty years old, he’s won the most crushing naval victories in human history. He’s smashed a hostile alliance of no less than five princedoms and won the hand of the beautiful young Queen Sharleyan of Chisholm... -
The Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsOn a rescue mission gone wrong, Miles Vorkosigan is captured by the enemy Cetagandans and thrown into a dome-shaped prisoner of war camp that seems a literal Circle of Hell. Against impossible odds, Miles organizes thousands of angry and dispirited prisoners into military formation that may offer the only chance for escape... -
Space Deputy by Jenny Schwartz
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA millennium into the future, the Saloon Sector is where the Wild West meets the 1950s, in space, with robots. It’s where careers go to die. Thelma Bach graduated top of her class after four years at the Galactic Justice academy. But she’s a Rock Sector citizen. The core worlders were never going to let her transcend her background... -
Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn the wake of unexpected planetary peace and the disappearance of the Dendarii payroll, mercenary captain Miles Naismith attempts to discover the link between the insufferable Captain Galeni and the Komarran rebel expatriates. Reissue. AB... -
The Uplift War by David Brin
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThis is the third book in the Uplift series. Humanity has contacted their Patron Line and uplifted chimpanzees and dolphins to full partnership. But on a distant planet occupied by Earth humans and neo-chimps, it seems the chimps have information concerning the location of the Progenitors...
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