Tracer

Tracer #1

by David E Graham

Andre Duroz, a former Frontier Alliance officer haunted by his past as a Sovereign Tracer, seeks solace in the quiet life of a salvager. Alongside his trusted crew – the skilled pilot Kat, the tech-savvy Bex, and the eager young engineer Caleb – he scours the edges of the galaxy aboard their ship, The Venture, seeking valuable salvage to keep them afloat.

Their latest job, a derelict luxury liner called the Kalendis, promises a much-needed payday. But when they arrive at the wreck, they find themselves caught in a carefully orchestrated trap set by Sovereign, the ruling power in the Settled Systems. Andre is confronted by Cormac Flynn, a former colleague turned Procurator, who reveals that Andre's contract as a Tracer is far from over.

Sovereign tasks Andre with hunting down General Symon Alistair, the infamous leader of the Frontier Alliance, believed to be dead but now rumored to be rebuilding his forces under a new guise. Andre is forced to accept, his crew's freedom hanging in the balance. He reluctantly returns to the shadows, embracing the skills and secrets of his former life.

The hunt for Alistair takes Andre and his crew across the galaxy, from the neon-drenched streets of Neo-Tokyo to the remote corners of the Settled Systems. Along the way, they face danger and betrayal, as they uncover a web of conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of Sovereign, and calls into question the truth of the events that ended the war.

"A high-stakes game of cat and mouse across the galaxy!" Tracer by David E. Graham delivers pulse-pounding action, betrayal, and intrigue. Fans of The Expanse and Mass Effect will love this thrilling sci-fi adventure filled with deep conspiracies and unforgettable characters. Don't miss it! - Kevin Henkes - Award Winning Author

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 4, 2025

About the author

David E Graham is a writer of science fiction and fantasy, drawn to the boundless potential of speculative worlds. He grew up in rural Virginia, a lifelong consumer of entertainment who marveled at the way master storytellers could paint vivid landscapes of the future or conjure forgotten ages of fantasy, all while holding a mirror to our present reality. It is this passion that drives his own work, where he explores the deep, complex themes that resonate in our world today.

In his novels, David delves into the profound costs of war and the immense weight of leadership and command. His stories are a reflection of his belief that even in the most fantastical settings, real-world issues of corruption and greed can shape not only our everyday lives but also the political landscapes we inhabit. Now residing in Tennessee with his wife, Lisa, David weaves tales that are both escapist and thought-provoking, inviting readers to consider the timeless struggles of humanity through a fresh lens.

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness. So much going on. Things to take into consideration. Things still need to be done. Getting information out to the masses, the truth. How to make sure that they believe it is the truth too. What is Bishop going to do when he wakes up from his wounds. An awesome story. And it is still the beginning. I received a complimentary review copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Gordon Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a standard Sci-Fi epic action adventure, concerned with galactic politics and the sweep of history. It also explores serious themes of the responsibilities of leadership.

From the first paragraph, there is warning of problems to come. The awkward structure “…amazed at just how good of a pilot she really was…” is immediately followed by a run-on sentence.

And as we read on, our fears are realized. The writing style is marred by a general disregard for the rules of sentence structure and the use of commas, and as usual, “lie” and “lay” are mixed up.

Another habit that all writers should avoid is editorializing about what the character just said.
“You should be considering political alliances and attending formal functions, they’d said, chastising her disinterest in her duties.”
The dialogue does the job all by itself. The author’s ‘tell’ is redundant.

There are also many minor usage errors, such as mixing up “there’s” and ‘theirs.’ Electronic editing has made progress in the past few years, but it does not pick up this sort of error.

On the positive side, there are good setting descriptions of many Sci-Fi scenes: crowded futuristic cities, spaceship cockpits, asteroid belts. It’s all in there, and it’s all creative.

This is a well-thought-out, intricate plotline that blends perfectly with the conflict at a thematic level. In the fog of war, who is right and who is wrong can switch in a moment. This puts a serious responsibility on any leaders who earn the loyalty of their soldiers.

But in the end, even the veracity of the plotline is weakened by one rather gratuitous leap of logic that takes a lowly major and elevates her to commanding a fleet of ships.

This is a good idea for a story, with a lot of creative thought put into it. But many errors and idiosyncrasies inhibit smooth reading and irritate the reader. Please have it edited properly before you publish it.
This review was originally published on Reedsy Discovery.

[Y.N. Bar-Lev · Rating 5 out of 5]

War Wounds, Big Secrets, and a Ragtag Crew

From page one, this story slams you right into a future where half the galaxy’s got a war hangover. Our main guy, Andre, captains a rickety salvage ship and used to be a big-deal “Tracer” for the all-powerful Sovereign—basically the last guy ex-comrades want showing up at their door. Now he’s got a ragtag crew in tow (including a street-hacker with literal plugs in their head and a pilot who’d rather bite nails than trust him again), and they’re all caught between shady corporate bounty hunters, underground rebels, and Sovereign’s creepy grin.

The best part? It’s not just about shooting stuff in space (though there’s that, too). It’s about loyalty, regrets, and whether you can ever really quit your old life. All the tech is gritty and lived-in—think acid rain, neon city slums, and starliners with bullet holes. You get to see everything through a few different eyes, which keeps it fast but sometimes makes you go, “Wait, whose fight is this again?”

Minor quibble aside, “Tracer: Launch” is a solid sci-fi ride—plenty of action, a complicated hero, and a universe ready to explode. If you like your space adventures with messy moral dilemmas and tough-as-nails outcasts, give it a go. You’ll probably be clawing for the sequel by the end.

[Christian Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grounded, gritty space romp with serious momentum

Tracer doesn’t waste time. It throws you straight into the cold edges of the galaxy and trusts you to keep up—which, for a reader like me, is half the fun. David Graham’s world is sharp, lived-in, and full of just enough moral grayness to make you lean forward. This isn’t a shiny future—it’s one patched together with rust, regret, and resolve.

At the heart of it is Andre Duroz, a reluctant hero with just the right balance of history and skill. He’s not trying to save the galaxy—he’s just trying to survive it. And that makes him more compelling than most. His crew is scrappy, the dialogue keeps the tension humming, and the slow reveal of past and present conflicts gives the story its weight.

But what surprised me most was how tight the whole thing feels. The plot moves fast, but never feels rushed. The stakes keep rising, but never feel cheap. You get the sense that Graham has a lot more up his sleeve—and that he’s only just started to play his hand.

This book is clearly the start of something bigger, and I’m so excited to see where the story goes from here. If you like your sci-fi with grit, banter, danger, and a sense that not everything is as it seems—Tracer delivers.

Well done, David! Can’t wait for Book 2.

[Brittany Britton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracer by David E. Graham is a wonderful military adventure technology thriller. Abe Goldfarb did an incredible job with the narration. The story is entertaining, thrilling, engaging, interesting, fast paced, leaves you on the edge of your seat, pages turner, and more. Tracer is the first book in The Tracer series. Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting and fun military sci-fi. Think Dark Matter (2008), Firefly, and the Deathstalker series. A fun rag tag group of reluctant heroes coming together to make things right.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ray Desilets · Rating 1 out of 5]

"They" usage very confusing

"They" and "their" referring to a "gay"(?) person very distracting and really slows down reading when you need to figure out if the author is referring to just one individual in a group or the entire group. I quit reading on page