by David Weber
First published 2010
The carnivorous Shongairi arrive at Earth with orders from the Galactic Hegemony to eliminate humanity before humans can threaten galactic stability. Within minutes, alien weapons turn cities into radioactive wastelands and kill more than half the human population. Master Sergeant Stephen Buchevsky expects rotation home from Afghanistan but instead finds himself dodging alien patrols in the Balkans. He works to organize scattered survivors while staying alive in occupied territory. Meanwhile, former Marine Dave Dvorak operates as a firearms instructor in the southeastern United States. He builds a growing resistance network that puts his extended family in mortal danger. Both men face seemingly impossible odds against technologically superior invaders. The Shongairi believe they have conquered a primitive world, but the alien forces and their Hegemony masters may have seriously miscalculated the resilience and fighting spirit of Earth's inhabitants.
Genres: fiction, science-fiction, military-fiction, adventure, action, aliens, alternate-history, apocalyptic
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, underdog
Setting: Afghanistan, Balkans, Earth, United States
Period: 21st-century
381 pages · Hardcover · Tor Books
Content warnings: graphic-violence, war