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The United Federation Marine Corps' Lysander Twins #4
Special Duty: Esther's Story
Captain Esther Lysander, UFMC, is a combat Marine. Her new orders, however, are APOC, or “At the Pleasure of the Chairman,” and while she knows this type of assignment could be career-threatening, she feels duty-bound to accept them. There is no SOP for being APOC, except that it isn't combat-as-usual. Part spy, part soldier, part political window dressing, Esther has to adapt to everything from clandestine meetings with rebel forces, hostage rescues, and off-the-record sniper missions to being a courier between the chairman and other heads of state. There are many ways to serve the Federation, and being a combat Marine may not be the most dangerous one.
238 pages, Paperback
Published June 23, 2017
265 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan P. Brazee
150 books190 followersI am a retired Marine colonel and now a full-time writer living in Colorado Springs with my wife, Kiwi, and infant twin daughters, Danika Dawn and Darika Marie.
I published my first work back in 1978, a so-so short story titled "Secession." Since then, I have been published in newspapers, magazines, and in book format in fiction, political science, business, military, sports, race relations, and personal relations fields. I returned to writing fiction in 2009, and I currently have over 85 titles published, 52 being novels. My novelette, "Weaponized Math," was a finalist for the 2017 Nebula Award, and my novella, "Fire Ant," was a 2018 Nebula finalist. My novel "Integration" was a 2018 Dragon Award finalist, and my novel "Sentenced to War" was a 2021 finalist. I am a USA Today Bestelling writer.
My undergraduate degree was earned at the U. S. Naval Academy (Class of 1979), and I have attended graduate school at U. S. International University and the University of California, San Diego, earning a masters and doctorate. I am a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the US. Naval Academy Alumni Association, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
I have rather eclectic tastes. I have won awards in photography, cooking, wrting, and several sports, earning national championships in rugby and equestrian events. When I'm not writing, I'm reading, cooking, going to the gym, or traveling. I attend quite a few cons over the course of a year, and love meeting other people who love books.
I write because I love it. I only hope that others might read my work and get a bit of enjoyment or useful information out of my efforts.
As an author, I don't think it is fair for me to rate any other author's books here on Goodreads if that rating is less than five stars. I have certainly read many books that do not deserve five (or four, three, or even two). However, I will not rate any of those here while I am a Goodreads author. Consequently, I will only be listing books that I really like and feel deserve five stars.
If you would like to join my email list and find out about new books or promotions, please sign up at http://eepurl.com/bnFSHH. My website is http://jonathanbrazee.com.
I published my first work back in 1978, a so-so short story titled "Secession." Since then, I have been published in newspapers, magazines, and in book format in fiction, political science, business, military, sports, race relations, and personal relations fields. I returned to writing fiction in 2009, and I currently have over 85 titles published, 52 being novels. My novelette, "Weaponized Math," was a finalist for the 2017 Nebula Award, and my novella, "Fire Ant," was a 2018 Nebula finalist. My novel "Integration" was a 2018 Dragon Award finalist, and my novel "Sentenced to War" was a 2021 finalist. I am a USA Today Bestelling writer.
My undergraduate degree was earned at the U. S. Naval Academy (Class of 1979), and I have attended graduate school at U. S. International University and the University of California, San Diego, earning a masters and doctorate. I am a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the US. Naval Academy Alumni Association, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
I have rather eclectic tastes. I have won awards in photography, cooking, wrting, and several sports, earning national championships in rugby and equestrian events. When I'm not writing, I'm reading, cooking, going to the gym, or traveling. I attend quite a few cons over the course of a year, and love meeting other people who love books.
I write because I love it. I only hope that others might read my work and get a bit of enjoyment or useful information out of my efforts.
As an author, I don't think it is fair for me to rate any other author's books here on Goodreads if that rating is less than five stars. I have certainly read many books that do not deserve five (or four, three, or even two). However, I will not rate any of those here while I am a Goodreads author. Consequently, I will only be listing books that I really like and feel deserve five stars.
If you would like to join my email list and find out about new books or promotions, please sign up at http://eepurl.com/bnFSHH. My website is http://jonathanbrazee.com.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 29, 2017
We’re following the careers of two young people who happened to have the most famous Father in the Federation. Well, he was famous to some, and a traitor to others. Still, he won and reformed a Federation that was about to collapse on itself by treating it’s people very badly. As a Marine Colonel, Ryk Lysander stood up to his superiors and started a revolution against the current Federation administration and Chairman, ultimately removing them all from office. If you want to read his story in detail, I highly recommend that series.
Now, we’re following Captain Esther Lysander as she tries to establish herself as a Marine that can do whatever required and not rely on her Father’s reputation to get noticed. She’s done very well up to this point. She’s accepted her APOC (At the pleasure of the Chairman or Commandant) orders which means she’s on Special Duty. She is in fact, a quasi-spy or hidden asset for whatever mission may come up requiring her skills. She will operate outside of her military chain-of-command and usually in civilian clothes. Then again, she does have some PR stuff that she will have to do in uniform when directed by the Chairman. Most of her missions are extremely boring except for a few which you’ll read about in the book.
Esther Lysander is a woman on a mission. She believes that she has to excel at everything because that’s what her Father did. She’s even got a reputation that says she’s all out to advance her career regardless who gets in the way. That’s not necessarily true, she does have ambition, but by taking these APOC orders, she moved herself out of the normal career progression and she’s now worried it may have some serious damaging effects on her future. Still, she has to survive and preform well for the next three years. You’ll find out just how well she does. She is her Father’s daughter and strongly likes being a Marine.
The book is well written although Esther does amazingly manage to duck, dodge and hide through some significant fighting. Most would say she leads a charmed life and that would have to be true. As a Captain in the Marines, she’s looking for an opportunity to command a company, but her current assignment isn’t looking like that’s going to happen anytime soon. She’ll be up for Major about a year after she completes this tour, but that means she won’t have the normal three years as a company commander on her records. So she has a problem, one that she can’t solve. It is interesting to find out how this does get solved and I don’t know if we’ll follow her in the next book or not. It should be about time for Noah Lysander to be moving up the Enlisted ladder.
The author does mention at the end of this book that their will be one final book in this series. While I’m looking forward to that book, I don’t particularly relish the idea of any series written by Colonel Brazee to end (well, except for his Werewolf Marine stuff. Pretty stupid if you ask me! And no, I haven’t read them and don’t intend to).
Now, we’re following Captain Esther Lysander as she tries to establish herself as a Marine that can do whatever required and not rely on her Father’s reputation to get noticed. She’s done very well up to this point. She’s accepted her APOC (At the pleasure of the Chairman or Commandant) orders which means she’s on Special Duty. She is in fact, a quasi-spy or hidden asset for whatever mission may come up requiring her skills. She will operate outside of her military chain-of-command and usually in civilian clothes. Then again, she does have some PR stuff that she will have to do in uniform when directed by the Chairman. Most of her missions are extremely boring except for a few which you’ll read about in the book.
Esther Lysander is a woman on a mission. She believes that she has to excel at everything because that’s what her Father did. She’s even got a reputation that says she’s all out to advance her career regardless who gets in the way. That’s not necessarily true, she does have ambition, but by taking these APOC orders, she moved herself out of the normal career progression and she’s now worried it may have some serious damaging effects on her future. Still, she has to survive and preform well for the next three years. You’ll find out just how well she does. She is her Father’s daughter and strongly likes being a Marine.
The book is well written although Esther does amazingly manage to duck, dodge and hide through some significant fighting. Most would say she leads a charmed life and that would have to be true. As a Captain in the Marines, she’s looking for an opportunity to command a company, but her current assignment isn’t looking like that’s going to happen anytime soon. She’ll be up for Major about a year after she completes this tour, but that means she won’t have the normal three years as a company commander on her records. So she has a problem, one that she can’t solve. It is interesting to find out how this does get solved and I don’t know if we’ll follow her in the next book or not. It should be about time for Noah Lysander to be moving up the Enlisted ladder.
The author does mention at the end of this book that their will be one final book in this series. While I’m looking forward to that book, I don’t particularly relish the idea of any series written by Colonel Brazee to end (well, except for his Werewolf Marine stuff. Pretty stupid if you ask me! And no, I haven’t read them and don’t intend to).
August 13, 2025
Difficult duty done well
Esther is being given an extremely varied procession of jobs by the still partly unfathomable agency that has been assigning her tasks that she feels completely unqualified to perform.
While she isn’t seeing the pattern yet it’s actually classic military tasking. The only reward for a difficult job done well is to be assigned an even harder one!
She’s still rather self involved regarding her relationship to her twin but at least she’s beginning to feel a need to try to patch things up with Noah for the right reasons. We’ll have to wait to find out how well she does in the future…
Esther is being given an extremely varied procession of jobs by the still partly unfathomable agency that has been assigning her tasks that she feels completely unqualified to perform.
While she isn’t seeing the pattern yet it’s actually classic military tasking. The only reward for a difficult job done well is to be assigned an even harder one!
She’s still rather self involved regarding her relationship to her twin but at least she’s beginning to feel a need to try to patch things up with Noah for the right reasons. We’ll have to wait to find out how well she does in the future…
March 23, 2018
Slow at points, but well worth the reading time
Enjoyed the overall tone of the book, especially the ending where Brazee reminded all that there are other ways to serve the greater good and/or the state.
I look forward to the completion of this story arc, enough so that book will be my next read.
Enjoyed the overall tone of the book, especially the ending where Brazee reminded all that there are other ways to serve the greater good and/or the state.
I look forward to the completion of this story arc, enough so that book will be my next read.
July 12, 2017
Esther is moving up the ranks
Esther is doing many new things. At one part of the book I felt like I read it already but then realized it was also told in another book written in Medicine Crow's story.
Esther is doing many new things. At one part of the book I felt like I read it already but then realized it was also told in another book written in Medicine Crow's story.
July 13, 2017
This story covers the same time period as Sniper and picks up where Esther's last story ended. You'll learn more about Esther and see how she has grown.
October 4, 2018
Further character development and growth for Esther set in a series of entertaining adventures.
January 15, 2020
Brazee never lets you down
Read
March 19, 2022Superb
This book has so many imaginative moments on other planets and Esther is emerging as a worthy individual and Marine leader.
This book has so many imaginative moments on other planets and Esther is emerging as a worthy individual and Marine leader.
January 10, 2024
One small mission was military adjacent. Esther is still an unsatisfactory read.
November 18, 2025
An interesting continued story
The end seemed rushed but as a whole a good book. I like the characters bring built up a good way to keep intrest.
The end seemed rushed but as a whole a good book. I like the characters bring built up a good way to keep intrest.
January 25, 2025
Interesting progress
Makes for a good read. Lots of mini adventures, some taking a couple of chapters, others a lot more. Some are what I would term Fillers whereas others are obviously about Ess developing as a marine and a person. All are worth the time
It's obvious that the Powers the Be have plans for Ess, she just doesn't realise it herself. However the ending leaves her with progress in both her professional and personal life
Next book, going by the series so far, will be about the brother, but looking forward to seeing what's next for Ess.
Makes for a good read. Lots of mini adventures, some taking a couple of chapters, others a lot more. Some are what I would term Fillers whereas others are obviously about Ess developing as a marine and a person. All are worth the time
It's obvious that the Powers the Be have plans for Ess, she just doesn't realise it herself. However the ending leaves her with progress in both her professional and personal life
Next book, going by the series so far, will be about the brother, but looking forward to seeing what's next for Ess.
Read
July 31, 2017This is the latest in the author's second generation series of a family in an interstellar Marine Corps. The author is a retired Marine Colonel and his knowledge of how Marines are now shows through - including how being in the Corps affects family life.
In this case the Lysander twin who is on the fast officer track is assigned to duties which she doesn't think will help her career - they are pretty much secret, working for civilian and diplomatic missions.
In this case the Lysander twin who is on the fast officer track is assigned to duties which she doesn't think will help her career - they are pretty much secret, working for civilian and diplomatic missions.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews