Books like 'Vapor Trails'
Readers who enjoyed Vapor Trails by Joshua Dalzelle also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi action / adventure space military, war & conflict military soldiers space-fleet space-opera colonization first-contact
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Stand Alone: Wolfhounds - Book One by John Van Stry
11 ratingsChase had it all planned out, do a little time in one of the emperor's jails, say a four year stretch for getting rid of some trash that no one would miss, and when he got out, the path to the leadership would be wide open... -
Legacy of Stars by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
12 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:
colonization military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult aliens -
Boneshaker by Joshua Dalzelle
14 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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Diplomatic Agent by S.E. Weir, Michael Anderle
8 ratingsHow far would you go to discover the truth?Seraphina Waters embarks on her latest mission just as she’s on the verge of graduation.Armed with hard-earned skills, talent, and a mouthy companion, Phina pursues the identity of a traitor among the ranks of SpyCorps. Even if the answer could be a stab to the heart.Following shadows and rumors, Phina races time to discover the truth...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
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Anvil Dark by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
12 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:
colonization military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult aliens -
Blockade Runner by Jamie McFarlane
12 ratingsTrapped in a far-off galaxy, Liam Hoffen receives news that a massive Kroerak fleet has found its way to Earth. Knowing an invasion is imminent stuns our explorers, but there’s nothing they can do when they discover the interplanetary Trans Loc system has been shut down to stem the tide of invading bugs...Categorized as:
colonization military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult aliens -
Corsair Menace by Jamie McFarlane
12 ratingsDeep in debt and stranded, a suicide mission may be this crew’s only hope… Liam Hoffen thought saving the world would cut him and his friends some slack. Instead, they’re bankrupt, shipwrecked, and fugitives on a backwater planet. So much for gratitude… But, after discovering an ancient Kroerak ship, Liam sees an opportunity to locate the home world of the vicious alien species...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Destroyer by Joshua Dalzelle
14 ratingsA relentless enemy… An old wolf's last hunt… The future of two species hanging in the balance… The Darshik war machine is flagging, but the war is far from over. Even as an exhausted Federation military tenses up for a counterattack after repelling the last Darshik invasion, reports are coming in of a new, more powerful class of ship that's striking deep into Terran space...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Children of Angels by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan P. Brazee
15 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:
colonization military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult aliens -
Drifter's Folly by Glynn Stewart
9 ratingsAn enemy on the run to neutral spaceAn elite squadron beyond the reach of any backupA secret deal that could doom the whole sector…When United Planets Alliance Captain Henry Wong and Ambassador Sylvia Todorovich attempted to bring peace to the Ra Sector, they turned to the Drifters for neutral ground. Instead, the nomadic spacers betrayed the summit and attempted to kill everyone there...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Among Enemies by Evan Currie
10 ratingsFor Sorilla Aida, the war has been ongoing. Peace was called, officially, but in the shadows her battles continued. The Alliance and SOLCOM are ready to call an end to it all now, but no one has yet been able to tell her why. Why the fighting began, why her allies, and enemies alike, died. Not even why it was over.She had to know, or at least she had to try to find out... -
Acheron Inheritance by Ken Lozito
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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
The Colossus by Jay Allan
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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
The Price of Liberty by D.J. Holmes
10 ratingsWar has been declared. The Indian Star Republic has landed ground troops on the newly discovered colony of Haven as they seek to seize access to the alien worlds of Vestar and Kulthar. The British Star Kingdom has reacted. A battle fleet has been formed with orders to drive off the Indians and retake Haven... -
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The Grand Conspiracy by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
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:
colonization military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult aliens -
The Others by Jay Allan
12 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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Give No Quarter by Jamie McFarlane
12 ratingsAlternate cover for ASIN B01FQ57I7G can be found here: Give No Quarter Branded criminals and on the run from the most powerful corporation in the known universe, Liam Hoffen and the crew of Hotspur have a simple choice to make...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Direct Fire by Rick Partlow
12 ratingsFrom 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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Old Dogs, Older Tricks by Jamie McFarlane
14 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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-opera action-adventure adult aliens -
Iron & Blood by Joshua Dalzelle
14 ratingsThe Black Fleet Saga continues… A human planet has been invaded. The enigmatic Darshik have landed troops on a frontier world and have begun subduing major cities even as their blockade repels all attempts by the fledgling United Terran Federation to mount a counteroffensive...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Star Force: Whitmore Day by Aer-ki Jyr
6 ratingsA pivotal moment in Star Force history occurs, but far more than the public will ever know about...Categorized as:
colonization military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult aliens -
Leviathan's Fear: A Military Sci-Fi Series by Craig Martelle
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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Marine by Joshua Dalzelle
16 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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
A.I. Rescue by Vaughn Heppner
8 ratingsDespite being all alone—the only one of his kind—Bast Banbeck has generously helped humanity time and again against the death machines, saving us from extinction. Years ago, Jon Hawkins promised Bast that he would hunt for and save the Sacerdotes in return. But the homesick Bast is losing hope, drowning his sorrows in extended drinking bouts...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
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A.I. Armada by Vaughn Heppner
8 ratingsYears ago, Main 54’s brain-core had to flee his exploding planet-sized warship because of the treachery of Jon Hawkins. Later, Main 54 gained special processors, a new warship—something changed in him…greater clarity of purpose and superior combat skills.He has been taking over the AI Dominion around here ever since...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Drifter's Folly: 4 by Glynn Stewart
8 ratingsAn enemy on the run to neutral spaceAn elite squadron beyond the reach of any backupA secret deal that could doom the whole sector…When United Planets Alliance Captain Henry Wong and Ambassador Sylvia Todorovich attempted to bring peace to the Ra Sector, they turned to the Drifters for neutral ground. Instead, the nomadic spacers betrayed the summit and attempted to kill everyone there...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Vendetta by Jonathan Yanez
8 ratingsWar is on the horizon. Daniel Hunt has no desire to lead the first coalition of corporations the galaxy has ever known. This is exactly why he's perfect for the job. In the face of humankind's greatest threat, old enemies will find redemption and new allies will answer the call...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-opera action-adventure adult aliens -
A Fiery Sunset by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey
8 ratingsThe Revelations are over, and the war to end all wars has begun. The plot by the Galactic Union’s Mercenary Guild against the Four Horsemen has culminated in an invasion of Earth. Faced with an overwhelming force, the Human mercs had no choice. They’ve fled, leaving Sansar Enkh to go to the Mercenary Guild headquarters on Capital Planet to stand trial for humanity...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
The Red Admiral by C.R. Daems
8 ratingsAnna's success as the Eastar NIA station chief has catapulted her into the position of Director of NIA Stations. Anna is uncomfortable with the promotion and bored. She has a master chief secretary, a lieutenant aide-de-camp, and fifteen commanders and their staff to do the work. But she suspects not all of her commanders are happy with their new, very young admiral or are doing their jobs... -
Raven's Course by Glynn Stewart
9 ratingsOld friends have turned to foesOld oaths have shatteredBut old ties still promise redemptionAmid the ruins of a fallen empire, humanity fights to secure the fates of once-enslaved worlds. Captain Henry Wong and Ambassador Sylvia Todorovich of the United Planets Alliance have mustered force and diplomacy alike to drive their former allies in the Kozun Hierarchy back from their invasion...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Fire Base by Rick Partlow
10 ratingsDeath stalks the edges of human space.Cam Alvarez and Vicky Sandoval have pursued the renegade, Tahni Zan-Thint, to his refuge in the outlaw cartels of the Pirate Worlds. On a planet of endless ocean and volcanic fury, Zan-Thint is coming ever closer to learning the secrets of the ancient alien weapons he’s discovered...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Star Force: Origin Series by Aer-ki Jyr
10 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:
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Star Force: Origin Series by Aer-ki Jyr
10 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... -
Return to Haven by D.J. Holmes
10 ratingsThe revelation that the human race is not alone has sent shockwaves throughout Earth’s naval powers. Suddenly all eyes have turned to Haven and the trade routes to the Vestarian and Kulrean homeworlds. Thinking he has nothing to lose, Haven’s First Councilor puts into motion a plan that threatens to turn star empire against star empire...Categorized as:
colonization military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult audiobook -
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The Dark Invaders by Raymond L. Weil
10 ratingsFrom 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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Genesis by Rick Partlow
12 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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Fracture by Ken Lozito, Scott Aiello
12 ratingsColonel Sean Quinn is stranded in another universe, along with two thousand people under his command. They've been hiding from the enemy long enough, now it’s time to return home. Outnumbered against a superior foe, Sean must risk everything in a daring operation, but the mysterious enemy has a few surprises of their own...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Raven's Peace by Glynn Stewart
13 ratingsTen thousand stars, once chained, taste freedom An eternal empire, once undefeated, falls to pieces An alliance, once united, now lacks a common foe War was hard enough. Peace may be impossible For seventeen years, Colonel Henry Wong and the United Planets Space Force have fought the Kenmiri Empire...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
The Lost Patrol by Vaughn Heppner
14 ratingsWe learned a terrible secret last voyage, the Swarm exists. It has a monstrous imperium, expanding, evolving and receiving incredible Builder tech. Captain Maddox heads into the Deep Beyond to find the Swarm Imperium. We must know the worst so we can prepare against the deadliest species in the galaxy...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Dead Man's Debt by Elliott Kay
17 ratings“WE REQUIRE A DIFFERENT BATTLEFIELD.” Nobody expected the war to last three hours, let alone three years. The star system of Archangel holds the line against invading corporate fleets, but a quarter of its territory is already lost. The navy can’t hang on much longer. Faced with this grim truth, Archangel’s leaders shift their strategy to diplomacy and espionage... -
Star Force: Equity by Aer-ki Jyr
6 ratingsAs the war to conquer Star Force progresses, the fighting shifts away from the Uriti and space battles to the ground...where planets are won or lost based on the supersized warfare of mechs vs. dinosaurs... -
Star Force: First Contact Fallout by Aer-ki Jyr
6 ratingsEldorat's attack and death in Itaru have affected the flow of galactic events in a way no one anticipated, and the fallout from that first contact is now crushing both the V'kit'no'sat and the Zak'de'ron all the while the Hadarak begin to encroach on their territory with little resistance...Categorized as:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Valdar's Hammer by Richard Fox, Scott Moon
6 ratingsWar has come to Syracuse, and only one team of Terran Strike Marines can save the planet. They are Valdar's Hammer. Admiral Isaac Valdar leads the Breitenfeld, and a fleet of Dotari allies, in a last ditch attempt to break a Kesaht blockade over the human colony. Failure means the death of millions of innocent lives - but the aging carrier, and her commander, have a reputation for miracles... -
Dark Moon Arisen by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey
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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
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Alpha Contracts by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey
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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Third Moon Chemicals: Adventures of a Jump Space Accountant Book 3 by Andrew Moriarty
6 ratingsJake's back. He's not the best spy ever. He fails his pilot exam, he can't shoot, and he gets beat up a lot, usually by girls. Next task is to track containers of missing food. What could possibly go wrong? Next thing he knows he's on a strange ship with not one, but two pretty girls, helping them smuggle illegal workers to pirates... -
Acheron Redemption by Ken Lozito
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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
Star Force: Reclaimers by Aer-ki Jyr
6 ratingsDoes Star Force have enough races in it yet? No...not even close...Categorized as:
colonization military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult aliens -
Valkyrie's Daughter by John E. Siers
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:
colonization first-contact military soldiers space-fleet space-opera action-adventure adult -
In Harm's Way by John Spearman
7 ratingsThe continuing adventures of Captain Jonah Halberd, Royal Navy of the Interplanetary Commonwealth. Join Captain Halberd in the Commonwealth's fight against the Rodinan Federation. A thinker as well as a man of action, Halberd finds ways to improve his odds when he finds himself 'In Harm's Way...Categorized as:
military space-opera space-fleet sci-fi action-adventure violent-conflict space fiction
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