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Omega War #4
Stand or Fall
Peacemakers. The Galactic Union’s most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union’s citizenry.
While the occupation of Earth continues, MinSha mercenaries under the command of Major General Drehnayl have assaulted Human-held colonies in the outer rim, wiping them out completely. With the famed Four Horsemen nowhere to be found, the Mercenary Guild’s attempt to instill fear and subvert humanity is perilously close to reality. Tasked with finding the MinSha is Jessica Francis, Earth’s first Peacemaker, but the odds aren’t in her favor. Racing against time, Jessica realizes that finding Drehnayl's forces isn’t enough—she must do something to stop their atrocities and end their reign of terror.
Upon locating the MinSha fleet, Jessica faces down Drehnayl’s armada with a band of heroes both hopelessly outmanned and under-equipped on the binary planet Victoria Bravo. Her decision made, and with MinSha Lieutenant Colonel Tirr and the near-AI Lucille at her side, Jessica charges into battle intent on stopping Drehnayl once and for all…or to die trying. A Peacemaker must set the terms, honor the threat, and know when to stand or fall. For Jessica and her friends, that time is now.
While the occupation of Earth continues, MinSha mercenaries under the command of Major General Drehnayl have assaulted Human-held colonies in the outer rim, wiping them out completely. With the famed Four Horsemen nowhere to be found, the Mercenary Guild’s attempt to instill fear and subvert humanity is perilously close to reality. Tasked with finding the MinSha is Jessica Francis, Earth’s first Peacemaker, but the odds aren’t in her favor. Racing against time, Jessica realizes that finding Drehnayl's forces isn’t enough—she must do something to stop their atrocities and end their reign of terror.
Upon locating the MinSha fleet, Jessica faces down Drehnayl’s armada with a band of heroes both hopelessly outmanned and under-equipped on the binary planet Victoria Bravo. Her decision made, and with MinSha Lieutenant Colonel Tirr and the near-AI Lucille at her side, Jessica charges into battle intent on stopping Drehnayl once and for all…or to die trying. A Peacemaker must set the terms, honor the threat, and know when to stand or fall. For Jessica and her friends, that time is now.
474 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2018
240 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Ikenberry
117 books108 followersKevin’s head has been in the clouds since he was old enough to read. Ask him and he’ll tell you that he still wants to be an astronaut. Kevin has a diverse background in space and space science education. As an adult, he's managed the world-renowned U.S. Space Camp program and operated two Challenger Learning Centers. A retired Army officer, Kevin continues to work with space every day.
Kevin is the author of the science fiction novel SLEEPER PROTOCOL (2016) which Publisher's Weekly called "an emotionally powerful debut." His military science fiction novel RUNS IN THE FAMILY (2016) has gained a growing legion of fans. He continues to work on sequels for both novels as well as short fiction and an alternate history novel.
Kevin is the author of the science fiction novel SLEEPER PROTOCOL (2016) which Publisher's Weekly called "an emotionally powerful debut." His military science fiction novel RUNS IN THE FAMILY (2016) has gained a growing legion of fans. He continues to work on sequels for both novels as well as short fiction and an alternate history novel.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 27, 2019
I obtained this book through the Kindle Unlimited program.
Open war exists between the Humans and the Galactic Union. More precisely, that conflict is instigated and carried out by certain elements of the Mercenary Guild, lead by General Peepo; and targeting Human mercenaries, with special emphasis on the Four Horsemen.
In this installment, the agents primarily used by General Peepo are the MinSha. Operational command is held by Major General Drehnayl, while Lieutenant General Chinayl is the behind-the-scenes decision maker.
(NOTE: In the American military, these ranks would signify that Chinayl, with three stars, outranks Drehnayl, with two stars. A lieutenant general outranks a major general, as a function of relationships to two obsolete rankings; the Lieutenant General was second in command to the Captain General, while the Major General is derived from the Sergeant Major General. However, it is not possible that the actual rank structure of the MinSha and the American military are a one-to-one rank equivalent. Their actual ranks are likely something like GerbSn893^%jk and VrZum*)@gf, and taste purple and footwear, respectively. )
The mission: wipe out Human colonies. Kill them all.
MinSha carry out their orders cheerfully and to the very best of their abilities, but General Drehnayl also has a personal animus toward the Humans: she was related to some of the MinSha killed by rogue Humans during First Contact. And, as the rogue attacks came from representatives of a polity from which Asbaran Solutions eventually derived, her hatred toward that group is particularly intense. Golly; I wonder if this will cloud her judgment?
A Very Strange Thing has happened to the first target of Gen. Drehnayl, the planet of New Persia: all of the settlements, save one, have been destroyed by nuclear weapons. The only location where Humans remain is devoid of fighters, with only women and children present. Certain of Drehnayl's staff believe this should result in a change of targets. Nah, says Drehnayl. We're here already. Let's kill the civilians.
Actually, she's not QUITE that calm toward those so bold as to make the suggestion. And thus, a bit of discord finds root.
But, the facts behind the Very Strange Thing are ignored. Wonder what's up with that?
The First Human Peacemaker, Lieutenant Jessica Francis, back home after her work on Weqq, is given the task of determining why there has been no communication with New Persia; intelligence, in this instance, has provided the correct lead that Gen. Drehnayl is responsible. She is given a memorable send-off by her supervisor; one might even say it's the farewell of a lifetime. She will not rest until she brings resolution to the assignment she has been given, because that is the way she s wired, and because that is the choice she has made for her life.
While she is doing that, the Peacemaker Council has to face the fact that with the active hostility of the Peepo-lead Mercenary Guild, their role as Galactic Cops is in imminent danger of ending catastrophically. That's the deal with cops; there are ALWAYS a lot more of Them than there is of Us.
Meanwhile, the THIRD Human Peacemaker, Jackson Rains, is being an ass. It's a role he has developed to a high degree, and he rather stays in that role for the entirety of the book. I don't know why he gets such devotion from his comrades. He seems to use every opportunity to whine, and when no opportunity is available, he makes one. Maybe he'll eat something poisonous soon.
With respect to other major plot threads and characters: I leave those as an exercise for the reader. You will NOT be disappointed!
Open war exists between the Humans and the Galactic Union. More precisely, that conflict is instigated and carried out by certain elements of the Mercenary Guild, lead by General Peepo; and targeting Human mercenaries, with special emphasis on the Four Horsemen.
In this installment, the agents primarily used by General Peepo are the MinSha. Operational command is held by Major General Drehnayl, while Lieutenant General Chinayl is the behind-the-scenes decision maker.
(NOTE: In the American military, these ranks would signify that Chinayl, with three stars, outranks Drehnayl, with two stars. A lieutenant general outranks a major general, as a function of relationships to two obsolete rankings; the Lieutenant General was second in command to the Captain General, while the Major General is derived from the Sergeant Major General. However, it is not possible that the actual rank structure of the MinSha and the American military are a one-to-one rank equivalent. Their actual ranks are likely something like GerbSn893^%jk and VrZum*)@gf, and taste purple and footwear, respectively. )
The mission: wipe out Human colonies. Kill them all.
MinSha carry out their orders cheerfully and to the very best of their abilities, but General Drehnayl also has a personal animus toward the Humans: she was related to some of the MinSha killed by rogue Humans during First Contact. And, as the rogue attacks came from representatives of a polity from which Asbaran Solutions eventually derived, her hatred toward that group is particularly intense. Golly; I wonder if this will cloud her judgment?
A Very Strange Thing has happened to the first target of Gen. Drehnayl, the planet of New Persia: all of the settlements, save one, have been destroyed by nuclear weapons. The only location where Humans remain is devoid of fighters, with only women and children present. Certain of Drehnayl's staff believe this should result in a change of targets. Nah, says Drehnayl. We're here already. Let's kill the civilians.
Actually, she's not QUITE that calm toward those so bold as to make the suggestion. And thus, a bit of discord finds root.
But, the facts behind the Very Strange Thing are ignored. Wonder what's up with that?
The First Human Peacemaker, Lieutenant Jessica Francis, back home after her work on Weqq, is given the task of determining why there has been no communication with New Persia; intelligence, in this instance, has provided the correct lead that Gen. Drehnayl is responsible. She is given a memorable send-off by her supervisor; one might even say it's the farewell of a lifetime. She will not rest until she brings resolution to the assignment she has been given, because that is the way she s wired, and because that is the choice she has made for her life.
While she is doing that, the Peacemaker Council has to face the fact that with the active hostility of the Peepo-lead Mercenary Guild, their role as Galactic Cops is in imminent danger of ending catastrophically. That's the deal with cops; there are ALWAYS a lot more of Them than there is of Us.
Meanwhile, the THIRD Human Peacemaker, Jackson Rains, is being an ass. It's a role he has developed to a high degree, and he rather stays in that role for the entirety of the book. I don't know why he gets such devotion from his comrades. He seems to use every opportunity to whine, and when no opportunity is available, he makes one. Maybe he'll eat something poisonous soon.
With respect to other major plot threads and characters: I leave those as an exercise for the reader. You will NOT be disappointed!
April 15, 2019
Yet another awesome book set in the 4HU universe. This book occurs concurrently with A Pale Dawn and Dark Moon Arisen, and plays a small part in advancing the overall plot.
Jessica, newly promoted to Lieutenant Peacemaker, is sent on a mission to prevent a Minsha fleet from exterminating humans from the outer rim planets. At the same time, another human Peacemaker, Jackson Rains, and his Veetanho partner, Vannix, are tasked with finding Tara Mason (who appeared in the first two books), and Jessica's father.
Jessica chases the Minsha fleet, and thanks to 2nd phase Hyperspace, she gets ahead of them at Victoria Bravo, where she leads the Merc companies there in a defensive action that defeats the Minsha. Unfortunately, she loses "Lucille", her AI (that's not an AI, or is it?) in the victory, so the only viable copy is now the one Tara Mason is using.
This sets up the plot for the forthcoming book "Searching for Snowman"
Jessica, newly promoted to Lieutenant Peacemaker, is sent on a mission to prevent a Minsha fleet from exterminating humans from the outer rim planets. At the same time, another human Peacemaker, Jackson Rains, and his Veetanho partner, Vannix, are tasked with finding Tara Mason (who appeared in the first two books), and Jessica's father.
Jessica chases the Minsha fleet, and thanks to 2nd phase Hyperspace, she gets ahead of them at Victoria Bravo, where she leads the Merc companies there in a defensive action that defeats the Minsha. Unfortunately, she loses "Lucille", her AI (that's not an AI, or is it?) in the victory, so the only viable copy is now the one Tara Mason is using.
This sets up the plot for the forthcoming book "Searching for Snowman"
September 1, 2018
Bring it!
Wow! This series just keeps getting better and better. I love this series because the aliens are really easy to envisage because they are based on our creatures . The humans in their Caspers arn't too ott and makes it a fairly level playing field.
The charachter development is good and you get a good feel for the motivations and just enough sentimentality to get you to emphasize with them.
Eagerly awaiting the next chapter! Bring it😎
Wow! This series just keeps getting better and better. I love this series because the aliens are really easy to envisage because they are based on our creatures . The humans in their Caspers arn't too ott and makes it a fairly level playing field.
The charachter development is good and you get a good feel for the motivations and just enough sentimentality to get you to emphasize with them.
Eagerly awaiting the next chapter! Bring it😎
May 10, 2019
An excellent continuation of the Omega War series
I have read most of the books in the 4 Horsemen universe, and Mr. Ikenberry's work is excellent. I like where the series has gone, and look forward to more in the Omega War line. His heroine, the first human in the Peacemakers Guild is a great character, and you can really appreciate how she is an example of the best of humanity. I highly recommend this book, and all the others in the 4 Horsemen universe.
I have read most of the books in the 4 Horsemen universe, and Mr. Ikenberry's work is excellent. I like where the series has gone, and look forward to more in the Omega War line. His heroine, the first human in the Peacemakers Guild is a great character, and you can really appreciate how she is an example of the best of humanity. I highly recommend this book, and all the others in the 4 Horsemen universe.
August 17, 2018
Peacekeepers can be cool
Besides the Depik, Peacekeeper Jessica is one of my favorite characters in the 4HU. And now it appears that Jessica will be teaming up with some of the Depik in her next story. And I’m all for that. As for Stand or Fall, another interesting chapter in the war between humans and the Mercenary Guild. Very entertaining and looking forward to more
Besides the Depik, Peacekeeper Jessica is one of my favorite characters in the 4HU. And now it appears that Jessica will be teaming up with some of the Depik in her next story. And I’m all for that. As for Stand or Fall, another interesting chapter in the war between humans and the Mercenary Guild. Very entertaining and looking forward to more
August 23, 2018
Fantastic read!
Kevin Ikenberry does it again! Great characters, and excellent combat descriptions. He uses words to paint a picture easy to see. Thanks Sandrat for keeping me entertained!
Kevin Ikenberry does it again! Great characters, and excellent combat descriptions. He uses words to paint a picture easy to see. Thanks Sandrat for keeping me entertained!
August 29, 2018
Thank you Kevin!
Every time I read a new story in the 4HU, I prepare for disappointment and so far I have been well pleased. Every different author leads me to expand my horizons and I can't wait for the next episode!
Every time I read a new story in the 4HU, I prepare for disappointment and so far I have been well pleased. Every different author leads me to expand my horizons and I can't wait for the next episode!
December 19, 2018
Another fine addition to the Universe
I really like Kevin's take on the 4HU. A human Peacekeeper, plenty of action and a gordian delima all make for fantastic reading! Another 5 stars to add to the growing, glowing cluster!
I really like Kevin's take on the 4HU. A human Peacekeeper, plenty of action and a gordian delima all make for fantastic reading! Another 5 stars to add to the growing, glowing cluster!
December 4, 2019
One of my favorite in the series
I don't have anything specific to say, but need to add words here to meet Amazon's requirements for a review.
I don't have anything specific to say, but need to add words here to meet Amazon's requirements for a review.
March 26, 2025
The depth of the series just keeps getting better and better. I am glad I read all the books before this one.
February 20, 2019
Wow that was a wickrd ride
This book was wonderfull and masterly written and was like being on a rollercoaster in the dark as you never knew where the next bend or dip in the story was going to be
I loved the growing character development of Jessica and look forward to many more adventures with Jessica as her life and assignments are never dull lol and she has a gift at making friends out of the most unlikely people lol
Thank you Kevin for sharing Jessica's stories with us
This book was wonderfull and masterly written and was like being on a rollercoaster in the dark as you never knew where the next bend or dip in the story was going to be
I loved the growing character development of Jessica and look forward to many more adventures with Jessica as her life and assignments are never dull lol and she has a gift at making friends out of the most unlikely people lol
Thank you Kevin for sharing Jessica's stories with us
March 8, 2019
The Omega War thread gets better and better. Peacemaker Jessica Francis continues to be my favorite human character. Looking forward to her next appearance.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews