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The First Swarm War #2
Avenger: First Swarm War part 2
Earth defeated the aliens once. Now they're back.After the devastating attack on Earth, the Swarm fell back to regroup. Now, sooner than expected, they've returned to finish what they started: enslaving the human race.Samantha Avery, newly promoted captain of AVENGER, has her hands full-a paid assassin seeking her death, a renegade officer working for the Swarm, and an enemy fleet bent on the destruction of the vital Wellington Shipyards. As the Swarm launches a devastating attack against Britannia Sector, Avery finds she must seek victory on multiple fronts.But Avery is a patriot for humanity. She's a dam standing tall against the alien flood. She's an AVENGER.Avenger is the second book in the Legends of Legacy Fleet series, an expanded universe of Nick Webb's Legacy Fleet series written by other authors. Avenger, by Chris Pourteau, concludes a two part sequence begun by David Bruns's Invincible.The original Legacy Fleet series, by Nick Webb, comprises the following books: ConstitutionWarriorVictoryIndependenceDefianceLiberty(more to come
- GenresScience Fiction
260 pages, Paperback
Published March 7, 2019
62 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Chris Pourteau
47 books63 followersChris Pourteau is the bestselling author of the sci-fi thriller novels of the SynCorp Saga (co-authored with David Bruns), the post-apocalyptic Serenity Strain novels, and the military sci-fi collection Tales of B-Company. His first novel, Shadows Burned In, earned the 2015 eLit Book Awards Gold Medal for Literary Fiction. The Lazarus Protocol, the first novel in the SynCorp Saga, placed in the Top Ten in Read Freely's 2018 50 Best Indie Book of the Year contest; it was the highest-rated Sci-Fi novel in the contest.
He’s also edited and curated bestselling short story collections including the two animal-centric collections Tails of the Apocalypse and Tails of Dystopia (with Samuel Peralta), as well as Bridge Across the Stars, a collection of Sci-Fi stories from indie and traditionally published authors published by Sci-Fi Bridge, which Chris co-founded.
His dayjob is editor-in-chief for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which researches cutting-edge technologies across the transportation spectrum. Chris Pourteau is the bestselling author of the sci-fi thriller novels of the SynCorp Saga (co-authored with David Bruns), the post-apocalyptic Serenity Strain novels, and the military sci-fi collection Tales of B-Company. His first novel, Shadows Burned In, earned the 2015 eLit Book Awards Gold Medal for Literary Fiction. The Lazarus Protocol, the first novel in the SynCorp Saga, placed in the Top Ten in Read Freely's 2018 50 Best Indie Book of the Year contest; it was the highest-rated Sci-Fi novel in the contest.
He’s also edited and curated bestselling short story collections including the two animal-centric collections Tails of the Apocalypse and Tails of Dystopia (with Samuel Peralta), as well as Bridge Across the Stars, a collection of Sci-Fi stories from indie and traditionally published authors published by Sci-Fi Bridge, which Chris co-founded. His dayjob is editor-in-chief for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which researches cutting-edge technologies across the transportation spectrum.
When he’s not writing, editing, or working the dayjob, Chris loves exercising regularly, watching shows like Star Trek and Stranger Things, and reading his favorite authors. Those include Bernard Cornwell, Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, Edgar Allan Poe, and Max Collins. He lives in Texas with his wife, son, and two dogs. (He’s a HUGE dog person, by the way.)
Find out more about Chris and his writing through his newsletter. Sign up and get free stuff at https://chrispourteau.com/newsletter.
He’s also edited and curated bestselling short story collections including the two animal-centric collections Tails of the Apocalypse and Tails of Dystopia (with Samuel Peralta), as well as Bridge Across the Stars, a collection of Sci-Fi stories from indie and traditionally published authors published by Sci-Fi Bridge, which Chris co-founded.
His dayjob is editor-in-chief for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which researches cutting-edge technologies across the transportation spectrum. Chris Pourteau is the bestselling author of the sci-fi thriller novels of the SynCorp Saga (co-authored with David Bruns), the post-apocalyptic Serenity Strain novels, and the military sci-fi collection Tales of B-Company. His first novel, Shadows Burned In, earned the 2015 eLit Book Awards Gold Medal for Literary Fiction. The Lazarus Protocol, the first novel in the SynCorp Saga, placed in the Top Ten in Read Freely's 2018 50 Best Indie Book of the Year contest; it was the highest-rated Sci-Fi novel in the contest.
He’s also edited and curated bestselling short story collections including the two animal-centric collections Tails of the Apocalypse and Tails of Dystopia (with Samuel Peralta), as well as Bridge Across the Stars, a collection of Sci-Fi stories from indie and traditionally published authors published by Sci-Fi Bridge, which Chris co-founded. His dayjob is editor-in-chief for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which researches cutting-edge technologies across the transportation spectrum.
When he’s not writing, editing, or working the dayjob, Chris loves exercising regularly, watching shows like Star Trek and Stranger Things, and reading his favorite authors. Those include Bernard Cornwell, Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, Edgar Allan Poe, and Max Collins. He lives in Texas with his wife, son, and two dogs. (He’s a HUGE dog person, by the way.)
Find out more about Chris and his writing through his newsletter. Sign up and get free stuff at https://chrispourteau.com/newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 16, 2016
An explosive addition to the 'Legacy Fleet' universe. Pourteau's characters leap off the page and the action hums along at breakneck pace.
December 4, 2016
The battle continues.
Commanders Avery and Hadley have been promoted to Captain. Each now command their own warships. The swarm have returned with a new attack on the main ship yard. The ODD forces defeat the first wave, the Russian President promised that he will send a fleet to help. But when the second and much larger force of swarm attacks, the Russian ships have disappeared.
Commanders Avery and Hadley have been promoted to Captain. Each now command their own warships. The swarm have returned with a new attack on the main ship yard. The ODD forces defeat the first wave, the Russian President promised that he will send a fleet to help. But when the second and much larger force of swarm attacks, the Russian ships have disappeared.
December 31, 2016
I loved the first book in the Swarm War, by David Bruns. Chris Pourteau brings it home. The action is in your face, the characters get in your heart, and the story just keeps building! I feel these 2 could give us more, and I hope they do. Chris is one of my favorite authors and I recommend you read whatever he writes.
What happens next!?!
What happens next!?!
August 7, 2017
Pourteau's entry into the Legacy Fleet universe continues the emphasis on Addison Halsey, but gives another strong woman, IDF Captain Samantha Avery, her own place as co-protagonist.
For "Sam" Avery, command of the IDF Avenger comes with downsides, one known (her CAG or Carrier Attack Group commander is one Laz Scollard, ex-pirate), and one unknown, a secretive assassin hidden aboard, determined to kill her. For Halsey, the promotion to captain of IDF Invincible means she must operate under the direction of a decidedly un-strategic station commander.
These issues turn out to be minor when considered against the vastly-expanded Swarm fleet they will be fighting.
As in Book 1, we also see Swarm-infected human traitors, and political maneuvers that may, or may not, be generated by such treachery. The "Integrated Defense Force" of IDF is still in name only, since the ships in the force were all once UEF resources. Perhaps the Russians will eventually step up to help. Maybe the Chinese will throw off their Swarm-generated abstention and send aid.
Meanwhile, Addie and Sam, along with Captain Noah Preble of IDF Independence, and the rehabilitated Laz Scollard, will have their hands full fighting the stolid idiocy of their local commander and the secret treachery of a hidden enemy, as well as the ships of the Swarm. The nail-biting action never lets up, especially when it becomes obvious that the Swarm has learned from their previous battles with Halsey, et. al.
And these bugs are not stupid.
Liner Notes:
There is a major undropped shoe in the story. A crisis delayed near the start of the novel is left still resolved at the end of Avenger. But don't let that stop you from reading the book: it will probably be an opening issue in Book 3. Or maybe Book 4.
The next available book in the series is a prequel named Tarantula, and guessing from a scene in Avenger (plus the afterword from Chris Pourteau, who wrote both books), it concerns Addie and Sam twenty years back, when they were midshipmen cadets. I'm diving into it as soon as I finish writing this!
At the time of this review, the novel was available only in ebook format.
For "Sam" Avery, command of the IDF Avenger comes with downsides, one known (her CAG or Carrier Attack Group commander is one Laz Scollard, ex-pirate), and one unknown, a secretive assassin hidden aboard, determined to kill her. For Halsey, the promotion to captain of IDF Invincible means she must operate under the direction of a decidedly un-strategic station commander.
These issues turn out to be minor when considered against the vastly-expanded Swarm fleet they will be fighting.
As in Book 1, we also see Swarm-infected human traitors, and political maneuvers that may, or may not, be generated by such treachery. The "Integrated Defense Force" of IDF is still in name only, since the ships in the force were all once UEF resources. Perhaps the Russians will eventually step up to help. Maybe the Chinese will throw off their Swarm-generated abstention and send aid.
Meanwhile, Addie and Sam, along with Captain Noah Preble of IDF Independence, and the rehabilitated Laz Scollard, will have their hands full fighting the stolid idiocy of their local commander and the secret treachery of a hidden enemy, as well as the ships of the Swarm. The nail-biting action never lets up, especially when it becomes obvious that the Swarm has learned from their previous battles with Halsey, et. al.
And these bugs are not stupid.
Liner Notes:
There is a major undropped shoe in the story. A crisis delayed near the start of the novel is left still resolved at the end of Avenger. But don't let that stop you from reading the book: it will probably be an opening issue in Book 3. Or maybe Book 4.
The next available book in the series is a prequel named Tarantula, and guessing from a scene in Avenger (plus the afterword from Chris Pourteau, who wrote both books), it concerns Addie and Sam twenty years back, when they were midshipmen cadets. I'm diving into it as soon as I finish writing this!
At the time of this review, the novel was available only in ebook format.
November 16, 2016
A great follow up to Invincible.
Very intense and exciting, it flows well and is written with attention to detail making it easy to picture the scenes as they are played out. The action is heart pounding and I couldn't put the book down until I had finished.
I liked that characters from the other books were involved as well as many new.
I still find myself forgetting that many of the books in the Legacy Fleet are by different authors, which is a testament to their writing. Brilliant.
Very intense and exciting, it flows well and is written with attention to detail making it easy to picture the scenes as they are played out. The action is heart pounding and I couldn't put the book down until I had finished.
I liked that characters from the other books were involved as well as many new.
I still find myself forgetting that many of the books in the Legacy Fleet are by different authors, which is a testament to their writing. Brilliant.
December 29, 2016
I really enjoyed this book.The author is talented at world building and creating well developed characters.The book continues the story of the Swarm Wars from David Bruns Invincible.I never considered myself a fan of space opera,but this series is amazing and I can't wait to find out more about the Swarm.I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
November 17, 2016
Chris did a great job blending with the existing Kindle world as well as smoothly following Legacy Fleet: Invincible. Plenty of action and intrigue. Did not put it down until I finished and I can't wait for more from Chris.
I received a free advance copy of Avenger and this is my honest review.
I received a free advance copy of Avenger and this is my honest review.
November 28, 2016
Samantha Avery is an Avenger and finds after making caption she has her hands full . This is a wonderful mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat from someone being paid to kill her and a renegade working for the swarm. Her job is never boring
September 25, 2017
Without ever revealing the enemy, the enemy becomes clear.
It is within the nature of man that we find enemies. I'm looking to the future installments to bring a pi ture of the swarm.
It is within the nature of man that we find enemies. I'm looking to the future installments to bring a pi ture of the swarm.
April 6, 2020
Pretty good actually. A very decent series. If you like space opera/military sci-fi, it's hard to go wrong with this. Recommended.
March 19, 2019
Incomprehensible
I finally gave up at the 60% point. There is no plot to speak of and the characters have lost depth they didn't have to spare, since the first book. The combat action is poorly described and it comprises the entire storytelling. The worst aspect of the writing is that I couldn't identify whether battles were taking place in the same system or across several systems. This is in a story that races from one supposedly desperate battle to the next.
The book opens with a reference to the enemy having retreated from attacking earth, when in fact the attackers were destroyed. It makes a big difference. There seemed to be no analysis of the enemy wreckage, crew or weapons. There wasn't any investigation into the biologic that allows an enemy plant to subvert the entire bridge crew of a major warship. No test or protocol was designed to attempt to determine possible enemy plants. The american UEF, now has a British fleet as a component. The Chinese are not doing anything to defend themselves or anyone else, while human systems are being attacked.
It was a boring example of really bad writing and lacked the glimmer of hope that there might possibly be mediocre character development. The president of the US has no file on the new head of China and wonders if he has a Fu Manchu beard or will be wearing a dragon patterned silk robe in a video call. He's surprised that the Chinese leader wears a business suit, speaks English and even has pictures of his family in his office. "They do that over there, too", is the quote, I think.
This went from the comical carrier that thinks it's a battleship to an insight into the writer's racist 1940's expectations of the only Asians he can identify. The series makes less sense with each new page. The plot has yet to emerge. The dialogue has gotten more bizarre and the military jargon and small craft fighting occupies captains rather than the major warships that they actually command.
The tactical ability of all human commanders in the book seems non-existent. The descriptions clumsily try to recreate poorly understood three dimensional naval combat in planetary air battle terms, surface naval terms and land combat terms. It lost the fast read charm as the story became incomprehensible, whether it was distances, travel times, communication lags, or anything else.
I'm going to bypass the rest of this series and possibly the writers too.
I finally gave up at the 60% point. There is no plot to speak of and the characters have lost depth they didn't have to spare, since the first book. The combat action is poorly described and it comprises the entire storytelling. The worst aspect of the writing is that I couldn't identify whether battles were taking place in the same system or across several systems. This is in a story that races from one supposedly desperate battle to the next.
The book opens with a reference to the enemy having retreated from attacking earth, when in fact the attackers were destroyed. It makes a big difference. There seemed to be no analysis of the enemy wreckage, crew or weapons. There wasn't any investigation into the biologic that allows an enemy plant to subvert the entire bridge crew of a major warship. No test or protocol was designed to attempt to determine possible enemy plants. The american UEF, now has a British fleet as a component. The Chinese are not doing anything to defend themselves or anyone else, while human systems are being attacked.
It was a boring example of really bad writing and lacked the glimmer of hope that there might possibly be mediocre character development. The president of the US has no file on the new head of China and wonders if he has a Fu Manchu beard or will be wearing a dragon patterned silk robe in a video call. He's surprised that the Chinese leader wears a business suit, speaks English and even has pictures of his family in his office. "They do that over there, too", is the quote, I think.
This went from the comical carrier that thinks it's a battleship to an insight into the writer's racist 1940's expectations of the only Asians he can identify. The series makes less sense with each new page. The plot has yet to emerge. The dialogue has gotten more bizarre and the military jargon and small craft fighting occupies captains rather than the major warships that they actually command.
The tactical ability of all human commanders in the book seems non-existent. The descriptions clumsily try to recreate poorly understood three dimensional naval combat in planetary air battle terms, surface naval terms and land combat terms. It lost the fast read charm as the story became incomprehensible, whether it was distances, travel times, communication lags, or anything else.
I'm going to bypass the rest of this series and possibly the writers too.
December 2, 2016
Thoroughly entertaining book which puts more meat on the characters of the Legacy Fleet series whilst the base storyline rattles along at a good pace tying up some loose ends in the First Swarm War. The more I read of the works of the different authors that have been pulled together the better the series becomes can't wait for the next one
November 22, 2016
Decent story line
Entertaining, but needs more tech and a less fuzzy picture of tactics. Using Lazarus was an excellent idea.
Ship design dealt with too lightly.
Entertaining, but needs more tech and a less fuzzy picture of tactics. Using Lazarus was an excellent idea.
Ship design dealt with too lightly.
April 6, 2017
Breath ends but memories of comrades cannot
A dance upon the cosmos in human space is interrupted when a unknown group of aliens unresponsive to pleasant hails tap one of Earths space force upon their figurative shoulder.
To holds ones breath anticipating the reply is no longer an option when green beams of lifetaking force lance among your comrades as a reply. Can a coalition of former enemies standfast?
Irregardless, the path to balance the scales has already been paved with fearless comrades. Waste not their sacrifices. Remember the toast of victory to them all. SHIP, COMRADES, SELF last.
A dance upon the cosmos in human space is interrupted when a unknown group of aliens unresponsive to pleasant hails tap one of Earths space force upon their figurative shoulder.
To holds ones breath anticipating the reply is no longer an option when green beams of lifetaking force lance among your comrades as a reply. Can a coalition of former enemies standfast?
Irregardless, the path to balance the scales has already been paved with fearless comrades. Waste not their sacrifices. Remember the toast of victory to them all. SHIP, COMRADES, SELF last.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews