His Majesty's Starship Series by Ben Jeapes

Michael Gilmore, Captain of the HMSS Ark Royal is part of the Earth delegation invited by alien race to develop their planet. Passengers are an ill-tempered prince and an inscrutable quadruped alien. His First Officer is on the brink of mutiny, the ship’s AI seems to have turned renegade, and the neighboring vessel harbors a genocidal maniac.

Space opera is back with a bang! Lieutenant Joel Gilmore is part of a space observation team who find themselves attacked by the very aliens they are watching. It becomes a race against time for their fellow soldiers to rescue them, but in doing so, they unlock the shocking secrets of the solar system.With thrilling action sequences and brilliantly characterized aliens, this science fiction novelist is one to watch–but be careful of the aliens... moreSpace opera is back with a bang! Lieutenant Joel Gilmore is part of a space observation team who find themselves attacked by the very aliens they are watching. It becomes a race against time for their fellow soldiers to rescue them, but in doing so, they unlock the shocking secrets of the solar system.With thrilling action sequences and brilliantly characterized aliens, this science fiction novelist is one to watch–but be careful of the aliens. These are not Star Trek aliens with altered faces, but a glimpse of what really might be out there. . . .From the Hardcover edition. less