Books like 'The Departure'
Readers who enjoyed The Departure by K.A. Applegate & Katherine Applegate also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi action / adventure mystery space military, war & conflict aliens animals war children shapeshifters
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Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey
34 ratingsThirteen hundred gates have opened to solar systems around the galaxy. But as humanity builds its interstellar empire in the alien ruins, the mysteries and threats grow deeper... -
Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey
29 ratingsThe Laconian Empire has fallen, setting the thirteen hundred solar systems free from the rule of Winston Duarte. But the ancient enemy that killed the gate builders is awake, and the war against our universe has begun again... -
Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey
41 ratingsThe fifth novel in Corey's New York Times bestselling Expanse series--now being produced for television by the SyFy Channel!A thousand worlds have opened, and the greatest land rush in human history has begun. As wave after wave of colonists leave, the power structures of the old solar system begin to buckle.Ships are disappearing without a trace. Private armies are being secretly formed... -
Gemina by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
37 ratingsMoving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault... -
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The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin, Eisso Post
43 ratingsThis is the second novel in "Remembrance of Earth’s Past", the near-future trilogy written by the China's multiple-award-winning science fiction author, Cixin Liu. In The Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion — four centuries in the future... -
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
45 ratingsDefeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot... -
Starsight by Brandon Sanderson
38 ratingsAll her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing.Spensa is sure there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her... -
Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton
30 ratingsRobust, peaceful, and confident, the Commonwealth dispatched a ship to investigate the mystery of a disappearing star, only to inadvertently unleash a predatory alien species that turned on its liberators, striking hard, fast, and utterly without mercy. The Prime are the Commonwealth's worst nightmare... -
A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine
27 ratingsNow a USA Today bestseller! Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2021Bookpage's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee for Best Science Fiction Book of 2021"[An] all around brilliant space opera, I absolutely love it... -
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
37 ratingsAs a world-ending war surges to life around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions. The indigenous Spackle, thinking and acting as one, have mobilized to avenge their murdered people. Ruthless human leaders prepare to defend their factions at all costs, even as a convoy of new settlers approaches... -
Judgment of Mars by Glynn Stewart
17 ratingsA war fought in the shadowsA conspiracy shattered in fireA moment of weakness… When politics are played for blood. The destruction of the secret archive of the Royal Order of Keepers on Mars has left Damien Montgomery, Hand of the Mage-King, with his enemies defeated, his lover dead—and his questions unanswered... -
Space Specter by Jenny Schwartz
10 ratingsThe Saloon Sector is the Federation’s official frontier, but beyond it lurks the Badstars. Bandits hide there. The Saloon Sector is Sheriff Max Smith’s territory. Since the revelation of his secret identity, life has changed for Max and Thelma. Their relationship is under increased pressure... -
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
39 ratingsWe were in the square, in the square where I'd run, holding her, carrying her, telling her to stay alive, stay alive till we got safe, till we got to Haven so I could save her - But there weren't no safety, no safety at all, there was just him and his men...Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss... -
The Solar War by A.G. Riddle
24 ratingsWe thought the war was over.We were wrong.They decimated Earth during the Long Winter.Now the grid has returned, and they won't stop until the human race is extinct.On a ruined world, humanity's last survivors fight against impossible odds. In their darkest hour, they discover a new hope for survival. But it comes at an unthinkable price, with consequences that will change everything... -
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Destiny's Cradle by Paul Crawford
8 ratingsTeenagers Ben Canterbury and Tessa Nyera are harvesting cotton on a warm afternoon when a hole opens up in a nearby meadow—like the doorway to another dimension. The hole disgorges a naked man, barely conscious and clutching a human leg bone, and then vanishes... -
Salvation Lost by Peter F. Hamilton
19 ratingsThe comparative utopia of twenty-third century Earth is about to go dreadfully awry when a seemingly benign alien race is abruptly revealed to be one of the worst threats humanity has ever faced. Driven by an intense religious extremism, the Olyix are determined to bring everyone to their version of god as they see it... -
Driving the Deep by Suzanne Palmer
12 ratingsFrom a Hugo Award-winning author comes the second book in this action-packed sci-fi caper, starring Fergus Ferguson, interstellar repo man and professional finder.As a professional finder, Fergus Ferguson is hired to locate missing objects and steal them back. But it is rarely so simple, especially after his latest job in Cernee... -
Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
28 ratingsOur heroes are back… kind of. From the bestselling co-authors of the Illuminae Files comes the second book in the epic series about a squad of misfits, losers, and discipline cases who just might be the galaxy’s best hope for survival.First, the bad news: an ancient evil—you know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy deal—is about to be unleashed... -
Nyxia Uprising by Scott Reintgen
16 ratingsIn the highly anticipated Nyxia Triad series finale, Emmett and the Genesis team must join forces with a surprising set of allies if they’re ever to make it home alive.Desperate to return home to Earth and claim the reward Babel promised, Emmett and the Genesis team join forces with the Imago. Babel’s initial attack left their home city in ruins, but that was just part of the Imago’s plan... -
Auberon by James S.A. Corey
21 ratingsA novella set in the universe of James S. A. Corey’s NYT-bestselling Expanse series, Auberon explores a new and alien world and the age-old dangers that humanity has carried with it to the stars. Now a Prime Original series.Auberon is one of the first and most important colony worlds in humanity’s reach, and the new conquering faction has come to claim it... -
Stryker's War by Josh Hayes, Jason Anspach
8 ratingsFeel the thunder! Stryker Company always brings the fight, but when they relieve embittered and embattled Republic marines, they find an enemy unwilling to stand up and face them. Tasked with protecting the Republic's interests on a mining world, the legionnaires face roadside ambushes, double-dealing locals, and constant sabotage... -
Méridien by S.H. Jucha
14 ratingsThe Méridiens are fleeing to their far colonies—and they have reason to run. Over the course of decades, they have lost hundreds of ships, billions of people, and seven Confederation colonies to an alien enemy: an advancing swarm of silver ships transported in the bowels of a gigantic, spherical vessel... -
Discovery by Ken Lozito
14 ratingsExploring New Earth should be a thrilling undertaking. Instead, the more the colonists learn about the planet, the more alarmed they become. Alien ruins hint at a species who fought great wars among themselves and disappeared centuries ago.When Connor Gates discovers a hidden bunker, he finds something he never expected... -
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie
33 ratingsSeeking atonement for past crimes, Breq takes on a mission as captain of a troublesome new crew of Radchai soldiers, in the sequel to Ann Leckie's NYT bestselling, award-winning Ancillary Justice. A must read for fans of Ursula K. Le Guin and James S. A. Corey.Breq is a soldier who used to be a warship... -
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Genesis by Ken Lozito
18 ratingsA mission gone wrong. Innocent lives have been lost. Escaping wrongful imprisonment wasn’t something Connor had in mind, but being put into stasis aboard Earth’s first interstellar colony ship was something he couldn’t have prepared for. For three hundred thousand colonists, the new colony brings the promise of a fresh start…a second chance... -
Winter World by A.G. Riddle
27 ratingsA new ice age... and a shocking discovery...will change humanity forever.In the near future, a new ice age has begun.Humanity stands on the brink of extinction.Desperate for answers, scientists send probes into the solar system to take readings. Near Mars, a probe spots a mysterious object drifting toward the Sun... -
Final Days: Escape by Nathan Hystad, Jasper T. Scott
10 ratingsAndrew and Kendra have learned what's on the other side of the ridge, but it leaves them with more questions than answers. Their colony has turned into a dictatorship under the thumb of its delusional self-appointed leader, the Reverend, making their lives a living nightmare... -
Hard Luck Hank: Stank Delicious by Steven Campbell
10 ratingsBelvaille has cemented its place as the most important System in the galaxy and Hank is working as an official Factotum, negotiating deals between gangs and noblemen under the watchful eye of the Arch Minister. When his ever-capable butler, Cliston, is approached to become the general manager of a Super Class glocken team, Hank is hired not only as protection, but as a player... -
Exo-Hunter by Jeremy Robinson
10 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author, Jeremy Robinson, takes readers on a pulse-pounding journey to a dark and twisted future... and makes them laugh.THE YEAR IS 1989Callsign: Dark Horse and his Marine Rapid Reaction Force team have been sent to recover a strange artifact near Antarctica's Soviet-controlled Vostok Station... -
The Ellimist Chronicles by K.A. Applegate, Katherine Applegate
14 ratingsLibrarian's note: There is an Alternate Cover Edition for this edition of this book here.He is called the Ellimist. A being with the ability to alter space and time. A being with a power that will never be fully understood. He is the reason Elfangor came to Earth. He is the reason the Earth now has a fighting chance... -
Damnation by Jean Johnson
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... -
Alone by Scott Sigler
14 ratingsIn the final installment of an exhilarating sci-fi adventure trilogy in the vein of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Red Rising, Scott Sigler’s unforgettable heroine, Em Savage, must come to grips once and for all with the perilous mysteries of her own existence.“We thought this place was our destiny—not our doom... -
The Dog King by John Scalzi
16 ratingsCDF Lieutenant Harry Wilson has one simple task: Watch an ambassador’s dog while the diplomat is conducting sensitive negotiations with an alien race. But you know dogs - always getting into something. And when this dog gets into something that could launch an alien civil war, Wilson has to find a way to solve the conflict, fast, or be the one in the Colonial Union’s doghouse... -
Dust World by B.V. Larson
18 ratingsThe Galactics arrived with their Battle fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined a vast Empire that spans the Milky Way. Our only worthwhile trade goods are our infamous mercenary legions, elite troops we sell to the highest alien bidder.In 2122 a lost colony expedition contacts Earth, surprising our government... -
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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Alexander Freed
18 ratingsNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Go beyond the film with a novelization featuring new scenes and expanded material.As the shadows of the Empire loom ever larger across the galaxy, so do deeply troubling rumors. The Rebellion has learned of a sinister Imperial plot to bring entire worlds to their knees. Deep in Empire-dominated space, a machine of unimaginable destructive power is nearing completion... -
Valor's Trial by Tanya Huff
18 ratingsThe rousing military adventure (Locus) continues with a brand new Valor novel. Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr is a Confederation Marines marine. She's survived more deadly encounters and kept more of her officers and enlistees alive than anyone in the Corps... -
Demon by John Varley
18 ratingsISBN moved from less recent editionThe satellite-sized alien Gaea has gone completely insane. She has transformed her love of old movies into monstrous realities. She is Marilyn Monroe. She is King Kong. And now she must be destroyed... -
Into the Black by Evan Currie
25 ratingsThis edition of Odyssey One has been completely edited and remastered to correct the typos and content issues that reviewers commented on in the original edition. Beyond the confines of our small world, far from the glow of our star, lies a galaxy and universe much larger and more varied than anyone on Earth can possibly imagine... -
Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner
25 ratingsA year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth... -
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
35 ratingsAlternate Cover Edition can be found here. A Fire upon the Deep is the big, breakout book that fulfills the promise of Vinge's career to date: a gripping tale of galactic war told on a cosmic scale... -
The Honor of the Queen by David Weber
30 ratingsIt's hard to give peace a chance when the other side regards war as a prelude to conquest. That's why Manticore needs allies against Haven, and planet Grayson is placed to make a good ally. But the Foreign Office overlooked a cultural difference when they sent Honor Harrington to carry the flag... -
Ends, Means, Laws and an Angry Ship by Lyn Gala
6 ratingsThe new Rownt contracts have helped Command retake the rebel planets. And now refugees are fleeing toward the edges of space. Ex-Command officer Tyce Robinson has a price on his head. He and the crew of the Dragon have all broken laws, and they refuse to be condemned to an Earth prison... -
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, Ken Liu
47 ratingsThe Three-Body Problem is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience the Hugo Award-winning phenomenon from China's most beloved science fiction author, Liu Cixin.Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens... -
Starlight by Lisa Henry
10 ratingsBrady Garrett is back in space, this time as an unwilling member of a team of humans seeking to study the alien Faceless and their technology. It’s not the first time Brady’s life has been in the hands of the Faceless leader Kai-Ren, and if there’s one thing Brady hates it’s being reminded exactly how powerless he is... -
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The Killing of Worlds by Scott Westerfeld
14 ratingsScott Westerfeld, the acclaimed author of Fine Prey, Polymorph, and Evolution's Darling, reached new heights of excitement in The Risen Empire, and left readers begging for more. Now he comes through with the dazzling payoff in book two of Succession, The Killing of Worlds.Captain Laurent Zai of the Imperial frigate Lynx is a walking dead man... -
Sanctuary by Ken Lozito
14 ratingsThe colony is still recovering from its war with the Vemus, but now they face a new threat. Something is causing a major upheaval among the creatures of New Earth, and the Colonial Defense Force is in trouble.A new discovery sheds light on what happened to the alien race that inhabited New Earth, and their fate may affect whether the colony survives... -
Warchild by Karin Lowachee
14 ratingsThe merchant ship Mukudori encompasses the whole of eight-year-old Jos's world, until a notorious pirate destroys the ship, slaughters the adults, and enslaves the children. Thus begins a desperate odyssey of terror and escape that takes Jos beyond known space to the homeworld of the strits, Earth's alien enemies. To survive, the boy must become a living weapon and a master spy... -
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan by Vonda N. McIntyre
16 ratingsThe Federation starship Reliant is on its surveying mission to find a lifeless planet to serve for the test site for Genesis Project. While surveying Ceti Alpha V they accidentally discover the camp of Khan Noonien Singh, who with his followers, quickly captures the ship. Khan then seizes space station Regula I where the Genesis Project is being developed...Categorized as:
aliens invasion action-adventure book female-author fiction genetic-engineering military -
Nemesis by Ken Lozito
16 ratingsThey had seven years to prepare. Earth is lost. Seven years ago the New Earth colony received one final message from Earth…a warning. First, a global pandemic, then the emergence of a new species. A war for survival ravaged the Sol system. Now they are coming for the colony. Many colonists don’t believe it, but Connor does. They must prepare. They must fight... -
Killbox by Ann Aguirre
18 ratingsTalk is cheap when lives are in jeopardySirantha Jax is a “Jumper,” a woman who possesses the unique genetic makeup needed to navigate faster than light ships through grimspace. With no tolerance for political diplomacy, she quits her ambassador post so she can get back to saving the universe the way she does best—by mouthing off and kicking butt.And her tactics are needed more than ever...
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