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Rika's Marauders #1
Rika Outcast
Rika is mech-meat...A cyborg killing machine, created by the Genevian military and cast aside when the war was lost.Now she slings cargo on Dekar Station, falling deeper in debt as she struggles to make enough money to keep her cybernetic body functioning. The local gangs would love to have her join their ranks, and the takings would pay her bills, but the only thing Rika hates more than what she's become, is killing for others.But morals don't buy repairs and she's at the point of utter desperation when her loan holder cashes in her debt and sells her to the highest bidder.When Rika wakes, she's in a warehouse on a planet she's never heard of, and a trio of mercenaries are reassembling her body. Their mission is to kill the world's president, and her mods and abilities are just what they need to get the job done.Whether she likes it or not, Rika is in the business of killing once more as she joins the ranks of the Marauders.An Aeon 14 seriesThe events of the Rika's Marauders series occur during the New Canaan time span in The Orion War series. This series may be read at any time after reading Destiny Lost, New Canaan, or Orion RisingAbout M. D. Cooper & Aeon 14M. D. Cooper is a New York Times bestselling author who has envisioned a rich future for humanity,one where planet-sized megastructures house trillions of humans, but traveling between the stars still takes decades, or even centuries.Fans of Alastair Reynolds, Honor Harrington, The Expanse, or Elizabeth Moon's Vatta's Warwill feel right at home in this, the first book of the Rika's Marauders series.What is Aeon 14?The universe of Aeon 14 is based on the premise that advanced, intelligent, starfaring life takes 14 billion years to evolve. In astronomy an aeon is a billion years. In Aeon 14, humanity is at the leading edge of this evolution in the Milky Way Galaxy.Humanity and the AIs they have created spread out amongst the stars and find that they are alone, though it may not always be that way...
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2017
494 people are currently reading
537 people want to read
About the author
M.D. Cooper
187 books521 followersMalorie Cooper likes to think of herself as a dreamer and a wanderer, yet her feet are firmly grounded in reality.
A ‘maker’ from an early age, Malorie loves to craft things, from furniture, to cosplay costumes, to a well-spun tale, she can’t help but to create new things every day.
A rare extrovert writer, she loves to hang out with readers and people in general. If you meet her at a convention, she just might be rocking a catsuit, cosplaying one of her own characters, or maybe her latest favorite from Overwatch!
She shares her home with a brilliant young girl, her wonderful wife (who also writes), a cat that chirps at birds, a never-ending list of things she would like to build, and ideas…
A ‘maker’ from an early age, Malorie loves to craft things, from furniture, to cosplay costumes, to a well-spun tale, she can’t help but to create new things every day.
A rare extrovert writer, she loves to hang out with readers and people in general. If you meet her at a convention, she just might be rocking a catsuit, cosplaying one of her own characters, or maybe her latest favorite from Overwatch!
She shares her home with a brilliant young girl, her wonderful wife (who also writes), a cat that chirps at birds, a never-ending list of things she would like to build, and ideas…
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
December 13, 2022
It felt surprisingly short and annoyingly long at the same time.
It was a pretty good Space Opera, but at the same time, it was nothing special.
This author has a decent writing style, it kept me engaged and curious, at least enough to go to book 2.
It's a good start of a series, although I felt a bit annoyed at times. The characters have potential and so does the plot.
I'll give the next book a try as well.
It was a pretty good Space Opera, but at the same time, it was nothing special.
This author has a decent writing style, it kept me engaged and curious, at least enough to go to book 2.
It's a good start of a series, although I felt a bit annoyed at times. The characters have potential and so does the plot.
I'll give the next book a try as well.
August 12, 2017
Great read
Rika first gets screwed by the justice system, then is turned into a part human machine by the military. Once the war is over she is set adrift to make her own way. Kinda hard for someone with no real face to get a job. Ends up working on the docks loading cargo. Starts saving money to fix her face. Borrows money from the wrong person and ends up being auctioned off to the highest bidder. There are two bright sides to this story, first Chase, a coworker, loves her and she finally goes to the bars to meet him and they kiss for the first time. Once Rika disappears Chase vows to find her. The second bright side was who won her at the auction, a member of the Marauders, a mercenary group that have been trying to get her to join them for a while. Ok you are going to have to read the story to find out what happens!!
Rika first gets screwed by the justice system, then is turned into a part human machine by the military. Once the war is over she is set adrift to make her own way. Kinda hard for someone with no real face to get a job. Ends up working on the docks loading cargo. Starts saving money to fix her face. Borrows money from the wrong person and ends up being auctioned off to the highest bidder. There are two bright sides to this story, first Chase, a coworker, loves her and she finally goes to the bars to meet him and they kiss for the first time. Once Rika disappears Chase vows to find her. The second bright side was who won her at the auction, a member of the Marauders, a mercenary group that have been trying to get her to join them for a while. Ok you are going to have to read the story to find out what happens!!
April 22, 2024
Rika has suffered so much but is making the most of a bad situation, the one thing she’s trying not to lose is her humanity. This has been an action filled book one in the series and a great start to Rika’s adventures
October 20, 2019
Romance in an intergalactic war
Engaging story set around a half Android female soldier. Rika turns out to be more human than her non-mod contemporaries. Interesting story about humanity and some people’s lack of it. Her superhuman ability almost makes her a superhero, but a good balance is struck keeping the story from being cartoonish with regards to her survival. Some very intense fight scenes. Great read.
Engaging story set around a half Android female soldier. Rika turns out to be more human than her non-mod contemporaries. Interesting story about humanity and some people’s lack of it. Her superhuman ability almost makes her a superhero, but a good balance is struck keeping the story from being cartoonish with regards to her survival. Some very intense fight scenes. Great read.
October 15, 2019
Re-read History
I just finished rereading a start of the great journey through which the main characters were individually established and emerging to the future stories.
I just finished rereading a start of the great journey through which the main characters were individually established and emerging to the future stories.
May 25, 2018
Author M.D. Cooper brings us back to his Aeon 14 universe with Rika Outcast. In the first few chapters we see what happened to make her the mech that she is and then the book jumps to after the war. There we find Rika on a station at the back end of the area of space where she had once battled in but she doesn't get the chance to rest since she had to work off some medical treatments. She goes out with a friend from work who has fallen for her only to be captured my the local mob boss and sold to the Marauders. Once she is awoken on the planet where she was shipped to Rika makes friends with her new team while this is going on the Old Man who authorized buying her forgot to send a packet to her CO saying that she only has to work off half her debt. Also while this is going on the man who asked her our joins the Marauders in order to find her. This is a great military science fiction book and one that I highly recommend.
November 15, 2018
I've never been so mad and so happy at a book. This girl Rika had a shit hand dealt to her and she ended up coming up roses. Well, not totally roses, I mean she's come up roses for someone set up to go to jail and forced to join the military, have her arms and legs cut off and her lady bits sealed and then forced to fight for 4.5 years with a slave collar on and finally released worked a crappy job and finally find love only to be re-enslaved and sold off like a piece of scrap metal and then forced to go back to war again and become the killing machine that she didn't want to be. There's WAY more to the book than that, I'm just giving you the first 25%. Anyway, the end of this book has me wanting to read the rest of the series. I was LIVID after reading the book before this and the beginning of this book. Rika could fall in a vat of water and come up covered in mud. This girl had the WORST luck. I'm just glad that she found something in the end. Looking forward to the net book!
April 4, 2018
Its War and the Genevians were going to win it with their MECHS a bag of meat subjected to mind control called Discipline to win it.
They lost and the remains of the war machine were scrapped or disarmed and left to ROT.
For Mechs such as Rika then they were thrown out , reviled for their part of being sub human and a part of the war machine that failed there people so drastically, for RIKA its a chance to try and keep herself Human in a world where no one wants her.
Such is this story, a nice change of pace if a bit darker than those who read the Aeon 14 universe usual novels but all the better for it as you need Dark and Light to balance a real universe.
This is think is the idea of the author M.D. Cooper a enthusiast when it comes to realism in this increasingly large collection of stories in his Aeon 14 universe.
I found this to be an excellent read and I look forward to more.
They lost and the remains of the war machine were scrapped or disarmed and left to ROT.
For Mechs such as Rika then they were thrown out , reviled for their part of being sub human and a part of the war machine that failed there people so drastically, for RIKA its a chance to try and keep herself Human in a world where no one wants her.
Such is this story, a nice change of pace if a bit darker than those who read the Aeon 14 universe usual novels but all the better for it as you need Dark and Light to balance a real universe.
This is think is the idea of the author M.D. Cooper a enthusiast when it comes to realism in this increasingly large collection of stories in his Aeon 14 universe.
I found this to be an excellent read and I look forward to more.
March 25, 2019
Ah, such a great story. M. D. Cooper does such an excellent job with his Aeon 14 universe books. I've had my eye on this series for awhile and really enjoyed finally being able to dive into it. It's not necessarily the most joyous story, but the MC is one I found myself quickly connecting and sympathizing with. She is the most well-rounded character in the story, though the other characters do come across decently well also. As always, the action in Cooper's writing is fast-paced and draws the reader right in.
That said, it's not a gentle or "nice" story. Very harsh and violent things occur, and Cooper doesn't flinch away from them. I also appreciate that he doesn't settle for "and they all lived happily ever after" stories. There are repercussions for actions and mistakes, and there are tragedies as well.
All in all a great and fun story. Looking forward to the next one!
That said, it's not a gentle or "nice" story. Very harsh and violent things occur, and Cooper doesn't flinch away from them. I also appreciate that he doesn't settle for "and they all lived happily ever after" stories. There are repercussions for actions and mistakes, and there are tragedies as well.
All in all a great and fun story. Looking forward to the next one!
December 25, 2018
Was really surprised that I got into this story. I thought it would be a little too hard core for me but I am on book 3 and waiting for book 5 to come out. Rika is ultimate story of taking the hits life deals out and turning them into your advantages. Maybe that's why I her so much. M. D. Cooper does not pull his punches in her stories either; there is no glossing over the details of how she became a mech or the difficulties of being one. The first story, Rika Mechanized, was rough for me to get through but the pay off at the end of book 1 made me glad I had started at Rika's very beginning. Knowing how it all started gave Rika's success so much more meaning than it would have if the writer had made it a glossy cool pew, pew kind of story. Well done!
August 22, 2017
To wish upon a lucky star
Boy oh boy! Ever feel a question upon your digital taste buds on why a certain tale has such wonder that your enjoyment app registered approval? Weeeell, just go with the flow herein. The spiritual stars of Chase & Rita which finally embraced 1 night have once again touched. After a 4yrs separation. Chase searched. Rita's inadvertant sale into mech servitude got her challenges. She now nolonger dwells on her humanity. Or lack thereof. Her decision to spare the Thebian president has brought Chase & her together in Balisk company. Mission complete, for now.
Boy oh boy! Ever feel a question upon your digital taste buds on why a certain tale has such wonder that your enjoyment app registered approval? Weeeell, just go with the flow herein. The spiritual stars of Chase & Rita which finally embraced 1 night have once again touched. After a 4yrs separation. Chase searched. Rita's inadvertant sale into mech servitude got her challenges. She now nolonger dwells on her humanity. Or lack thereof. Her decision to spare the Thebian president has brought Chase & her together in Balisk company. Mission complete, for now.
May 2, 2018
I actually read "Rika Remade" which consisted of the prequel and this first book in the series. Cyborg stories aren't really my cup of tea but there is a lot of action and I did enjoy the characters, particularly when Rika becomes part of the Marauders. I'm glad I read the two books in combination as the prequel sets the story in a really dark and depressing state of affairs for those that are forced to become mechs. Things get quite a bit better for the main character as the story progresses. The most intriguing part for me is the character of "the old man" and the entire marauder association. I like the idea of a large military organization that isn't entirely corrupt.
February 5, 2018
Outstanding
I have no direct personal experience of combat and the mental states it can induce - nor the long-term effects on different personalities. Can an author realistically translate these states to a story that an inexperienced person can enjoy at a step removed - definitely!
The action is intense, the government ineptitude and callousness towards people almost textbook - yes! But even through it all the author has humanity showing it's best side (peeks, yes - but showing nonetheless).
Great read!!!!!!!!
I have no direct personal experience of combat and the mental states it can induce - nor the long-term effects on different personalities. Can an author realistically translate these states to a story that an inexperienced person can enjoy at a step removed - definitely!
The action is intense, the government ineptitude and callousness towards people almost textbook - yes! But even through it all the author has humanity showing it's best side (peeks, yes - but showing nonetheless).
Great read!!!!!!!!
September 9, 2017
Fun, action oriented, fast-paced, great.
If you like mechs action adventure and a great storyline you will enjoy this book. Rika is A great new character. You will laugh with her cry with her and cheer with her. I suggest that anybody who likes military space opera, strong female characters and teambuilding will enjoy this book.
If you like mechs action adventure and a great storyline you will enjoy this book. Rika is A great new character. You will laugh with her cry with her and cheer with her. I suggest that anybody who likes military space opera, strong female characters and teambuilding will enjoy this book.
June 25, 2018
Great Read
Cooper writes excellent space opera. I’ve read only a few so far, but certainly will add more to my library. These are the type of science fiction books I’ve enjoyed since the early 1960s. I’m glad to find another author who still knows how to write them well. I look forward to reading more books by Mr. Cooper.
Cooper writes excellent space opera. I’ve read only a few so far, but certainly will add more to my library. These are the type of science fiction books I’ve enjoyed since the early 1960s. I’m glad to find another author who still knows how to write them well. I look forward to reading more books by Mr. Cooper.
November 5, 2019
Kobo version - no sbn.
I've had this hanging around for a while but have been daunted by the large number of associated books/series. However I enjoyed this a lot - it's very readable and while the plot may be preposterous it worked, certainly as an introduction to the lead character. There are at least 4 sequels and a prequel, too (and that's just keeping to this character).
I've had this hanging around for a while but have been daunted by the large number of associated books/series. However I enjoyed this a lot - it's very readable and while the plot may be preposterous it worked, certainly as an introduction to the lead character. There are at least 4 sequels and a prequel, too (and that's just keeping to this character).
September 29, 2018
You’re in for a treat with this series, if you enjoy tales of cyborgs and mechanised infantry then you will get that in spades with this book. Not only is there solid entertaining action but a look at the seldom explored aspect of what it would be like to be an augmented human. I would recommend this series to anyone.
February 3, 2019
Rika Outcast was the first book I picked up by MD Cooper and it remains one of my favourites.
Life shits on Rika from on high, yet despite the odds she holds her head high and kicks major ass.
She even gets to win her freedom and save her man.
People say there aren't enough female role models. Well I say they aren't reading the right books.
Life shits on Rika from on high, yet despite the odds she holds her head high and kicks major ass.
She even gets to win her freedom and save her man.
People say there aren't enough female role models. Well I say they aren't reading the right books.
May 22, 2019
Good lead off
This is a good read that follows immediately after Rika's origins book. I rated it a solid 4. A typical space opera, 'Rika Outcast' has many very predictable scenes and conclusions. The inter play between Rika and the other characters is very well written and shows a maturing growth out of one escaping slavery and war's trauma .
This is a good read that follows immediately after Rika's origins book. I rated it a solid 4. A typical space opera, 'Rika Outcast' has many very predictable scenes and conclusions. The inter play between Rika and the other characters is very well written and shows a maturing growth out of one escaping slavery and war's trauma .
August 12, 2017
Fascinating
I definitely enjoyed this story about Rika. The poor girl really does get put through the ringers more than once. She proves how strong she is by keeping true to herself. I look forward to reading Redeemed.
I definitely enjoyed this story about Rika. The poor girl really does get put through the ringers more than once. She proves how strong she is by keeping true to herself. I look forward to reading Redeemed.
August 14, 2017
Fantastic fun
New worlds, new characters, new heroine but same old Aeon 14 adventure! This is an enjoyable tale about being different and finding where you belong in the universe, M D Cooper style!
New worlds, new characters, new heroine but same old Aeon 14 adventure! This is an enjoyable tale about being different and finding where you belong in the universe, M D Cooper style!
August 25, 2017
Great book! Rika is a young woman who has been modified into a killing machine but she's still a young woman with a heart. Are war and heavy lifting really all she's good for? Lots of action, lots of surprises, realistic characters and even a touch of romance!
December 5, 2017
Connected
I have read most of the other Aeon books and this one fits in nicely. If you like the Sera/Tania storyline this is a great additional read ableist not available on Kindle Unlimited worth the price!
I have read most of the other Aeon books and this one fits in nicely. If you like the Sera/Tania storyline this is a great additional read ableist not available on Kindle Unlimited worth the price!
January 24, 2018
Just keeps getting better
All the action, twists and turns you got to love it if your into military action scifi. Rika takes all the universe throws at her and just comes back stronger. I highly recommend it.
All the action, twists and turns you got to love it if your into military action scifi. Rika takes all the universe throws at her and just comes back stronger. I highly recommend it.
March 12, 2018
Fun!
As with all the books in this series, this one pulls you in to a vivid sci-fi universe, with well-rounded, believable characters. There is a good deal of action, and storyline that leaves you wanting to read more!
As with all the books in this series, this one pulls you in to a vivid sci-fi universe, with well-rounded, believable characters. There is a good deal of action, and storyline that leaves you wanting to read more!
May 4, 2018
Good read
Story followed familiar paths but not predictable. It was a fast paced adventure that I enjoyed. The authors take on cyborgs or mechs was novel and brought a unique twist to the genre.
Story followed familiar paths but not predictable. It was a fast paced adventure that I enjoyed. The authors take on cyborgs or mechs was novel and brought a unique twist to the genre.
August 23, 2019
Great military sci-fi novel, can't wait to read the next book I the series.
I enjoyed the story line of the mech/cyborg trying to keep her humanity while kicking a lot of butt. A quick and enjoyable read.
I enjoyed the story line of the mech/cyborg trying to keep her humanity while kicking a lot of butt. A quick and enjoyable read.
October 25, 2019
If you like ladies that are strong-willed, sassy and can kick some ass then Rika is your girl. The horrible things M.D. Cooper puts her characters through shows how strong they really are and the fact that this series has so many books makes me giddy with anticipation. Goodbye social life.
August 15, 2017
Rika kicks butt!
Tough as nails with a heart of gold. Works without being too schmaltzy. Nice to have a happy ending. Looking forward to her next adventure!
Tough as nails with a heart of gold. Works without being too schmaltzy. Nice to have a happy ending. Looking forward to her next adventure!
August 19, 2017
Excellent! This is my favorite strand in the Aeon14 universe. I always wished William Dietz had written something similar to this in his Legion of the Damned series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews