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Donovan's Gambit: Book One of The Donovan Ascendancy: A First Contact Thriller
Earth is falling, and the only man who can lead the defense has been out of the fight for years. > Colonel Donovan thought he had earned his peace, but when a relentless hive-mind entity begins its systematic erasure of the human race, his retirement ends in fire. They are not just a hive; they are an apex predatory force that turns entire worlds into graveyards. To survive, Donovan must look beyond human limits.
As Earth’s fractured governments collapse under the weight of their own bureaucracy, Donovan realizes that conventional warfare is a death sentence. To beat an enemy this advanced, he needs more than just soldiers. He needs the greatest tactical minds in human history.
With the help of Zara, an advanced AI and the sole remnant of a long-dead alien race, Donovan begins a race against time to execute a forbidden plan. Her knowledge is the key to humanity's survival, but she carries the secrets of a fallen empire. Together, they must reach across the veil of time to bring back the only man capable of out-maneuvering a god-like hive.
The cost of failure is the extinction of the species. The cost of success might be Donovan's soul.
Donovan’s Gambit is a high-stakes military science fiction adventure perfect for fans of The Lost Fleet and The Bobiverse.
Step into the cockpit. Initiate the protocol. Buy Donovan’s Gambit today and join the fight for Earth’s future.
As Earth’s fractured governments collapse under the weight of their own bureaucracy, Donovan realizes that conventional warfare is a death sentence. To beat an enemy this advanced, he needs more than just soldiers. He needs the greatest tactical minds in human history.
With the help of Zara, an advanced AI and the sole remnant of a long-dead alien race, Donovan begins a race against time to execute a forbidden plan. Her knowledge is the key to humanity's survival, but she carries the secrets of a fallen empire. Together, they must reach across the veil of time to bring back the only man capable of out-maneuvering a god-like hive.
The cost of failure is the extinction of the species. The cost of success might be Donovan's soul.
Donovan’s Gambit is a high-stakes military science fiction adventure perfect for fans of The Lost Fleet and The Bobiverse.
Step into the cockpit. Initiate the protocol. Buy Donovan’s Gambit today and join the fight for Earth’s future.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 19, 2026
I enjoyed the characters and the scenario, but I had some issues with the execution. Some page breaks or something to indicate between the future and the past would have been helpful, every transition felt abrupt and took a bit to figure out what was happening. Along with this, when you spend so much time setting up a narrator, why are you still telling the story from a first person perspective and not a third person, it is a bit jarring and would have helped with the time jumps?
March 4, 2026
High stakes
I liked how it blends military strategy with bigger, almost philosophical questions about survival and sacrifice. Donovan feels like a worn but capable leader, and the AI partnership adds an interesting layer. The pacing kept me engaged and the scale of the threat made every decision feel weighty.
I liked how it blends military strategy with bigger, almost philosophical questions about survival and sacrifice. Donovan feels like a worn but capable leader, and the AI partnership adds an interesting layer. The pacing kept me engaged and the scale of the threat made every decision feel weighty.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews