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Alien Crystals don't recognize human boundaries. The Navy of Humankind has to hold them back. Small fighters in the vastness of space. Joint Task Force Iron Shield stands ready. Too small to defend everywhere, they need intel so they can go on the attack. Maximize their firepower. Maximize their impact. The Crystals do not know fear. They are coming for what they want. Wasp pilots are flying because they have to. Only they stand between the Crystals and humanity. Only the Iron Shield can stop the invasion. Be ready. They are coming. Join Floribeth “Fire Ant” Dalisay and the rest of the crack Wasp pilots in their desperation to find and destroy an overwhelming enemy. Read Ace today.

178 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2019

163 people are currently reading
43 people want to read

About the author

Jonathan P. Brazee

150 books190 followers
I 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.

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5 stars
249 (57%)
4 stars
140 (32%)
3 stars
42 (9%)
2 stars
1 (<1%)
1 star
4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
1,013 reviews4 followers
July 31, 2025
Total war begins

Beth and Mercy continue to build skills against the chlorine breathing crystal life forms while humanity continues working to improve the technology to a level where they hope will put them closer to the ability to overcome their mysterious adversaries.

They manage to create a few good memories to help sustain themselves after the extremely high losses. Whether they can adapt, improvise and overcome against their foes is still deeply uncertain. But they realize that’s the role of warriors; to fight against their opponents in order for their society to survive and thrive.
Profile Image for Travis.
2,891 reviews49 followers
August 3, 2023
Help me read more books

Now things are starting to heat up in this third book of the series. The aliens are learning from their previous battles, Humans are trying (and mostly failing) new tactics as well, but the base story is intact, and while I can see several directions the story can go, I'm ready to read more now, to see where it does actually go. This is looking to be interesting.
If you're a first contact fan, a military scifi fan, or just just a fan of a darn good story, then you're the kind of reader this story is written for. Go grab a copy, and have at it.
Me, now I'm off to read the next one in the series.
Profile Image for The Mysterious Reader.
3,588 reviews66 followers
December 27, 2020
More addictively great story-telling fir fans of military sci-fi. Each of these stories showing a bit of a different role for pilots, combat flying, scouts, survival post crash, etc., all fit into great storytelling with superb character building. Also a perfect happily ever after ending for our heroine lead (though there is room for more tales - hint, hint, Janes P Brazee - if the author ever desires to do so. All in all fantastic stuff and I highly recommend each book in the series as well as the series overall.
859 reviews5 followers
May 14, 2023
Another fun space shooter

This series so far has been filled with fun space shooter books. Lots of action, fun main characters and so far unknown aspects to the aliens. I keep wondering if the initial pins for contact in the first book will come up as a mistaken attack which started it all. But that will be for a future book to confirm or deny. For now, I recommend this book and series.
Profile Image for Shane.
631 reviews19 followers
March 15, 2019
Three and a half stars. Good story well paced and well told. My primary complaint is that it was so short. It is really a novella more than "Book 3" it could easily have been tacked onto either the last book or the next or split between and afterword and a forward. Not a lot of meat on these bones.
937 reviews8 followers
July 12, 2019
A great addition to the series

Boredom and maddness. I'm other words, hurry up and wait. Then it's all out adrenaline mayhem. That's the life of Stinger pilot.
Great characters with realistic situations and lots of action and adventure.
I look forward to more from this series 😁
49 reviews
January 8, 2021
GREAT books

I have read three of the books so far. All have been fantastic, great story line with all characters being part of whole story. Hard to put the books down. Extremely well written appealing to a spectrum of emotions.
Profile Image for DAVID.
583 reviews5 followers
February 11, 2021
Cracking Storyline

Well another great storyline with plenty of blood and guts lol. Well what now since you wiped out the Team basically can Beth get promoted to rebuild the group lol time will tell
Profile Image for Leif Dolan.
138 reviews1 follower
December 1, 2021
The key to the war?

Book 3 was exciting and sad. In wars sacrifice must be made.

The author makes you feel it in this book. Our heroes must hang on tight in all the boring times and the dangerous times!

What will the next book be like?
Profile Image for Vern Moen.
5 reviews
March 23, 2019
Fantastic story

Great end to the Trilogy. Hope there are more books coming. I like the realistic physics and weapons. 2 words.
157 reviews2 followers
May 29, 2019
Waiting for the next one

Brazee has another hit series. These stories captured the life and death of carrier pilots to a
T. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Kevin Beck.
966 reviews9 followers
July 2, 2019
The story is pretty good. The "sista" stuff and the constant immaturity displayed by Beth and Mercy really make the story less enjoyable.
375 reviews3 followers
June 20, 2021
One, two, three - book four is next

Three down, at least one more to go, it's Sunday, don't need to work, don't really need to eat, but really do need to read book four.
16 reviews
September 1, 2021
More

Good fast read. Plenty of action. You want to know what's going to happen next. Kept me turning the page almost before I finished the last.
45 reviews1 follower
December 26, 2021
Steady good fun read

Kees me entertained without getting my blood pressure up.science is good not far fetched. Good action well thought out like it
Profile Image for Nita.
541 reviews2 followers
November 24, 2022
Well that was Emotional!!!

Way to keep me crying there Colonel!!! You just had to get rid of Capgun didn't you? And Gollum, and the Commander!!!
353 reviews
January 24, 2023
Excellent

An outstanding story with some unexpected surprises, even more than the first two books. Please enjoy this book as much as I did.
Profile Image for Queen Talk Talk.
1,273 reviews3 followers
April 19, 2023
Wow!

That felt real. The characters are amazing and the events enthralling. The war is not over but this battle is won!
Profile Image for Dan.
364 reviews1 follower
January 26, 2025
Beth becomes an ace

Ace by Jonathan P. Brazee

Good. Beth becomes an ace, and saves her home planet to boot. Great action scenes.
5 reviews
March 21, 2025
great read

Believable characters, the enemy Alain’s
Are completely different and I look forward to the next book. I’m getting it now
301 reviews2 followers
January 10, 2022
I struggled with the first few chapters of book one as there is so much jargon and acronims it was almost like reading a foreign language. Once I plowed though that, I found a gripping very enjoyable tale, the MC was easy to get invested in and the story is very entertaining and draws you along nicely. The language is the reason for being marked down to 4 stars. I have now read the five book set and will give a full review in book five.
Profile Image for Howard Brazee.
784 reviews11 followers
Read
March 1, 2019
Third novella in a series. The first one has been nominated for this year's Nebula.

The protagonist who started off in the first book as a civilian when the crystal aliens attacked human space becomes an ace (5 kills with her fighter type spacecraft) in this book... But being an ace isn't important, winning the war is.

Might as well buy all three at once.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

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