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Nothing in the Corps is guaranteed!

Staff Sergeant Eli Vanhorn isn’t the man he used to be. Once a proud member of the Fleet Marine Corps’ elite Terrestrial Advance Combat teams, the battle on colony planet Luyten C left him broken and scarred. But after a year of surgeries and physical therapy, he’s ready to complete his enlistment as Master of Arms on the exploration vessel Rihla. It should be a simple, stress free assignment - but things rarely work out as they should.

For decades humanity’s efforts to spread across the galaxy have been hampered by the violent Orrkasi, an intelligent, space faring race of which little is known. But Staff Sergeant Vanhorn is no stranger to the Orrkasi. He’s a veteran with eight combat engagements, a harden warrior, a man who knows how to improvise, adapt, and overcome. But he’s facing challenges he never expected before. His body is crippled and scarred, the TAC Team brotherhood he once thrived in see him as a pariah, and he’s haunted by the horrors of combat. Just getting through his first cruise after returning to active duty won’t be easy.

When the explorer ship Rihla reaches the Leonis system after almost a month in hyperspace, they find a habitable planet with a rich atmosphere, liquid water, and the ideal climate. It’s a perfect world for human colonization, but they aren’t the first to arrive and the Orrkasi have a surprise waiting for them.

Survivors is an exciting military science fiction novel by master storyteller Toby Neighbors for fans of Starship Troopers, First Blood, Battle Los Angeles, and Heartbreak Ridge. With a cinematic feel, and characters you’ll love, Survivors is a smashing first book in a series that you’re sure to want more of.

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2021

246 people are currently reading
274 people want to read

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Toby Neighbors

157 books267 followers

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5 stars
610 (54%)
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362 (32%)
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121 (10%)
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27 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for Jon Svenson.
Author 8 books113 followers
April 4, 2021
Survivors starts out on the starship Rihla, where Vanhorn (the MC) makes the rounds as he learns his new role in the armory after a horrific battle on Luyten C while also meeting others on board. Luyten C comes up a lot, almost like it was a separate series that I just haven't read yet.

The ship is to map out a potential goldilocks planet, but as soon as they arrive they are hit by a planet based weapon that destroys the ship. Vanhorn hits the armory's emergency escape, and they float down to the planet.

I will mention one small problem I had here: Vanhorn acts very quickly here, which is surprising for someone who was a TAC operator and only spent time on ships to get from one place to another. There was no "abandon ship" from the captain, yet he decides to act anyway. I thought it was presumptuous, even if it worked out in the end.

From there they are trying to survive while the Orkassi, the orcs that shot the Rihsa down, are hunting them. The conflicts range from skirmishes to outright battles, and while the humans lose a few team members, they acquit themselves very well.

The ending is very abrupt, just as they receive orders for a new mission. This is at the 90% mark of the book, and the last 10% is made up of a preview for another book.

I've noticed that more mil sci-fi is using fantasy creatures as the antagonists, from Jason Anspach and Nick Cole's latest books to a series this author wrote a while ago. I'm not complaining as it's easier to imagine orc's with blue blood spilling from them instead of an alien, but it's also kind of odd.

Overall, if you like mil sci-fi and especially guerilla tactics while a group tries to survive, this will be right up your alley. I enjoyed it. 5/5*
Profile Image for Kim Hoag.
300 reviews2 followers
January 24, 2022
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Pure science fiction, it centers on a “hero” space marine who had saved most of his people under him at a battle but was nearly killed. Broken after countless surgeries and in daily pain, he tries to coast out the rest of his enlistment as a Master of Arms aboard an exploration vessel. However, the enemy, the Orrkasi, has come up with a new weapon, easily shooting and destroying the ship so that parts of it crash into a desert planet. Staff Sergeant Eli Vanhorn survives with a few others as he painfully leads them to both persevere and fight back. The characters seem real enough, if lacking in a bit of discipline, and the battle scenes are gripping and logical. What was not logical was the derisive treatment the Staff Sargent received from other Marines simply because he was now handicapped. Also, Vanhorn mentions many times that he was lucky, and they all seem to rely upon that serendipity to save them a bit too much. Despite these flaws, the story is a pleasant diversion between more reflective books. Since this ended in a cliffhanger, I may pick up book 2 someday.
164 reviews2 followers
May 31, 2021
Underwhelming

The beginning of this book was very promising but it eventually devolved into an angst ridden tale of a guy who despite his debilitating injuries,manages to almost single handedly defeat an occupying force of enemies, he had previously told us were almost kill proof. I won't even mention how dysfunctional the military seems to be ,with so many slackers in the ranks.
5 reviews
June 17, 2022
surprised I liked this story so much.

I just picked this up as a time passer. I was hooked on the story within the first few pages.
By the end I cannot wait for the next book.
The character development and technical detail brings you right in. Like you are a member of the group of survivors.
29 reviews
June 4, 2023
Thoughtful action...riveting

This is a very engaging story. An intelligent, thoughtful, all-too-human main character, with strong ethics and brilliant military tactics, surviving on a strange earth-like planet overrun with monstrous enemies...what more could a reader want?
Profile Image for Jim.
1,244 reviews53 followers
August 30, 2021
Another new author and this one seems to be very good. I've got to look at some more of his books because I like what I'm reading in this one. This is a series with their being four books so far. I can't tell if that's the end at four, but I'm going to read them all. They are very, very good military science fiction.

Staff Sergeant Van Horn is, of course, our main character. Unlike your usual beefy, tough as nails Space Marine, SSG Van Horn is a recovering combat veteran. He's just been released from the hospital after undergoing about a year's worth of surgeries and physical therapy. SSG Van Horn was a survivor of planet Luyten C and a very deadly encounter with the Orrkasi. The Orrkasi, a.k.a., Orcs, are a deadly alien species that humanity had recently encountered in the far reaches of space. The Orrkasi are highly intelligent and very advanced, but they are like very large animals in appearance and action. They don't talk to humans and humanity hasn't been able to figure out how they communicate or if they even want to. They appear to just want to fight every time they are encountered.

Unfortunately, SSG Van Horn, a Terrestrial Advance Combat (TAC) grunt did encounter the Orcs on Luyten C and he barely survived. While he can't actually remember much of the battle that got him injured, he knows that he lost a lot of friends and was very worried about his future. While his injuries were extensive, the military of the future doesn't just throw out their walking wounded. No, SSG Van Horn (Van, for short) can stand on his own and walk almost as well as he used to, but he's got a lot of scar tissue and several joints have been replaced so it's no where near what he used to be. He's even lost one eye, but he can still function, but not as a primary TAC. He's been worried about his follow-on assignment. While he doesn't see himself going into direct combat, he believes he can operate in a support role very well.

Released from the hospital, he's assigned to the S. F. Rihla, an exploratory vessel. He was assigned to TAC Team 13 which meant a non-combat team stationed aboard the ship. After getting to the ship, he finds he's been placed in charge of the armory which suits him just fine. He now feels that he has some purpose in life and can at least support the combat-ready TAC teams that might need to go into battle.

Still, the current mission of the S.F. Rihla is to explore a new planetary system, first making sure it's not controlled by the Orcs and second to see if it has any planet fit for human occupation. It should be a fairly short trip other than the month it will take to get there and back to the Solar System, plus the three months or so surveying the new system, but that's OK with Van. He needs this time to get back into his new situation with his body. Although released from hospital, he's certainly not pain free. While he has a prescription for some strong pain meds, he's refused to take them so far.

Aboard the starship, things finally set into a routine. He's had a little problem with one of the macho TAC team members, but that is only because the kid is young and unexperienced. Van doesn't need this kind of problem, but it gets resolved pretty quickly, except a whole bunch of other problems comes up when the ship is attacked just as they begin orbiting Leonis B. That attack changes everything for SSG Van Horn. If he though he had things calmed down from his previous assignment, he was badly mistaken. He was soon going to find himself on a strange planet with only a bare chance of existing. And the Orcs were there waiting for him!

I find the writing very good in telling what's going on in this very wounded warrior. I like that the military he's part of doesn't just push him aside, but assigns him to a shipboard duty that he is very capable of handling. Then, when things start going badly, we get very vivid descriptions of the actions taking place. I didn't get confused as to what was happening in any of the engagements. I like that SSG Van Horn also tries to explain to those around him why he has to do some of the things he does. The book also explores what is good and bad leadership in very difficult situations.

This story isn't over in just this first book. As I mentioned, there are at least three more books in this series available on Amazon. I've already got the second book, "Infiltrators". I've also already got books three and four. Lots of reading to do!
Profile Image for Michael  Keller.
943 reviews11 followers
February 19, 2024
Staff Sergeant Eli Vanhorn was a TAC Marine. Elite. One of the best. Maybe THE best. Until Luyten C when he was the lone survivor of an Arrkasi attack. His damaged limbs and joints were replaced or healed but he'd never be the same as before. He'd never be a part of a TAC team again!
After more than a year of healing and rehabilitation, he was barely functional, but he was ready to go back to work and his first assignment was running the armory of the S.F Rihla, an exploratory ship heading to their first stop. A lowly job that he would do well. But his replacement joints and stiff muscles be damned! When the time came, he was a TAC Marine, even a bit stiff and sore he was still the most highly trained and knowledgeable combat marine! Ooh-Ra!
So we've the basis for a great crew here, with SSG Vanhorn to provide planning and execution and the rest of his crew will learn to trust him. They will depend on him and his experience real soon! Great characters, great storyline, great writing and editing and a really great story! Great read!
30 reviews1 follower
May 25, 2025
Robinson Crusoe Meets Chris Cross.

Chris Cross (an alias) was a young man who in 1977 enlisted in the army on a contract that put him through basic, AIT, Airborne, straight into the special forces Q Course. He made PFC during Robin Sage and was, at 18 and high change, quite possibly the youngest soldier to serve on an active ODA. He made PFC during Robin Sage.
His last deployment was to a firebase halfway between Kandahar and Peshawar in 2002. He was 41. I know this because he is my oldest brother. I was there in ‘77 when he got on the bus to Leonard Wood. Worse day of my life. One of the best was the day he was feet dry back from the suck in ‘03.
This book does a great job at showing it’s all about compartmentalizing “The Suck.”
54 reviews
May 27, 2023
Military Scfi

Good read! A little off the map of "my" reality, but isn't that what Scfi is? I appreciate the writing and enjoy the style. I don't/won't sit and write a recap that gives away the story before you read it, but I will tell you it's worth the couple dollars for a few days of reading. No, I'm not, stupid and yes I could read it a lot faster! But why? For one, this is enjoyment, not employment, well that's 1-10 for me Lol! so don't try to shame me you're not up to it trust me! For the rest of you grab a copy, sit down after a long hard day and truly relax and enjoy a good story from a Master Story Teller! ENJOY!!
28 reviews
March 25, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. The doubts and fears of the title character were shown and overcome because of SSG Vanhorn's dedication and strength of character. He appears super heroic, but still has flaws and desires that make him question his purpose. The story line may not be realistic as to the outcome but it occurs in a way that satisfies the reader's sense of the good guy finishing first. I will definitely read the next book when available.
10 reviews
July 11, 2021
Never give up never surrender

A broken Marine is shipped out on a survey ship as armorer after being best of the best and hero of the last battle that left him broken. But when the survey ship gets shot down, the shell of a Marine is one of the few survivors not only willing to survive but to carry the battle to the enemy despite the odds. He keeps going for those under his care no matter the odds. Space opera at its best, enjoy.
840 reviews3 followers
April 1, 2021
Book 1

Book 1 had errors throughout and was a fun read. I enjoyed the characters and plot. The characters are developed well and have a sense of purpose and had some faults that became repetitive information, but overall was well done. The plot is a bit predictable and the outcome and ending was a cliffhanger.
4 reviews
October 21, 2021
Great story!!

I have been going through quite a few books recently. Many I lost interest in right away. Not this book. Read the entire book in one sitting. Just could not put it down. Great story, great characters, and a steady pace that keeps you interested through the entire book. Thank you for an excellent adventure!
Profile Image for Jacob Lanan.
2 reviews
December 5, 2025
This was a rough read. The MC vacillates between nigh invincible and unable to stand up, supremely competent and somehow madly in love with a woman he’s known for three weeks. The story is marginally interesting but the characters let the story down and the dialogue is generally eye roll inducing. Probably won’t continue the series.
Profile Image for Larry Loughlin.
14 reviews
April 6, 2021
Not even close to Starship Troopers

The story is well written but the characters behave more like a pack of high schoolers. It's kind of hard for someone with a military background to read something where the characters are seriously lacking any semblance og discipline.
718 reviews6 followers
May 4, 2021
Excellent action!

The characters are the story and these are very good characters. The actions are believable and I love the broken down Marine. It's just a story, but it is true what some men and women can do.
937 reviews9 followers
May 13, 2021
A gripping action packed adventure

Behind enemy lines, hinted and outnumbered.
Great characters with realistic situations and lots of action and adventure.
This book kept me turning page after page.
I look forward to the next one 😀
13 reviews
May 15, 2021
Fun read

I liked the main character. The story is good,and well-written. It keeps you involved. I looked forward to getting back to the story every time I put the book down. Want to read the next one.
98 reviews
June 6, 2021
An engaging read.

I have read a lot of Toby Neighbors books, with various options of how good they are. With that said, this is one of the most intriguing stories for me. I like the main character, and the story moves well without rushing the plot.
1,028 reviews4 followers
September 9, 2021
Good military Sci-fi

I'm new to the author but liked this book well enough that I plan to read the rest. We have a flawed hero who succeeds despite wounds that should keep him from even being in the field at all.
6 reviews
December 5, 2021
Awesome

Make a movie based on this would be cool, I'm reading all the other books in this series because it's addictive to read a story so well written. To writer and author. You sir are a wonderful creative person keep on making such wonderful creations.
4 reviews
January 17, 2026
Good story

Good character development and interaction. You really care about these people and hope they make it through. A little weak on the details and tech but overall a good book.
107 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2021
Excellent

I loved this story. It was thrilling and kept me gripped until the end. I don't know when the next one will be available but I will read it.
424 reviews3 followers
April 21, 2021
An interesting book

This book has interesting characters as well as an intriguing storyline. How can a broken marine make a difference. Read this book to find out
Profile Image for Carole Eshenbaugh.
256 reviews
April 28, 2021
So good

Cannot express how well I liked this book. Tense. Battle perfect. Hero’s that you root for during the entire story. Yes survivors. We are at our best.
12 reviews1 follower
Read
April 29, 2021
Action Packed

A real page turner. Just when you think there is going to be a pause here we go again. Can't wait to get next book
13 reviews
May 19, 2021
complitely different!

Going from one book to another , i stumbeled onto this one. it was a surprise and it will keeep you entertaned until the end.
260 reviews3 followers
June 5, 2021
Good action read

I enjoyed this book. Nonstop action with developed characters and a decent story line. Well written and readable. Will continue the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews

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