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Shadow Empire #1

Mercenary Warden

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Note: This ASIN has been assigned to a different title. Please see Mercenary Warden by Miles Rozak and Ethan Bristol.

356 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 11, 2021

181 people are currently reading
35 people want to read

About the author

Miles Rozak

18 books28 followers
Miles Rozak's got a blaster cannon tucked under his bed that he built with plans from a ship that cratered in his backyard.

As you can tell, his imagination's been cooking since an early age. At 18 months old, Mom says he'd draw pictures until falling asleep.

Age 6, he teared up watching Darth Vader's sacrifice in ROTJ.

A love for sci-fi blossomed soon after.

Like in junior high, when he wrote a screenplay involving a robot that upon filming, earned a call to police from the neighbors. (For the record, that gun was a prop.)

Decades later, not much has changed.

Except he's now focused on books (to avoid run-ins with the authorities).

Looking back, Miles credits his Mom for keeping him stocked with crayons, Dad for reading the greats aloud, Wife for input, Readers for motivation, and God for the creative spark.

See you in the pages of my next story!

Click "Follow" here for new releases.

Follow me on Bookbub.

And check out my author website to get a new ebook FREE.

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5 stars
92 (54%)
4 stars
49 (28%)
3 stars
22 (12%)
2 stars
5 (2%)
1 star
2 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Maria Fledgling Author  Park.
982 reviews52 followers
March 31, 2021
My head is spinning from changing direction so many times! What an exciting, battle filled, good vs evil story. Miles Rozak has outdone himself with Mercenary Warden.

Chandler Vail and his ship Maverick accept a seemingly innocuous bounty job retrieving a runaway teenager. Before he knows what happens, the entire planet of Proteus is after him and something is not right about this job.

In his quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious events that follow Chandler across the Galaxy, much is revealed about the future of his life, the Government of the Galaxy and Humankind's survival.

I highly recommend this book! An ARC copy was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Meenaz Lodhi.
1,024 reviews87 followers
April 11, 2021
“We called ourselves Trash Collectors—procurers of insurgent leaders and opportunistic warlords.”

“You can run, but you’ll only die tired.”

Oh wow! Now that was a completely unsuspecting plot! I was breathless throughout the book! A plot as old as time of greed and power hungry but written in a fresh and intriguing new way.
A cybernetically enhanced killing machine on one of his routine covert ops comes up with surprising events that make for quick decision changes: several events succeed to make him add them up and the result is ominous, dark and mysterious. Conclusion: someone was lying to him. The company he worked for acted edgy and in a mysterious way, hiding or omitting the truth. Betrayal, deception, intrigue, unsuspecting, unexpected turn of events of 360°..I was so excited I didn’t realise I was sitting upright while I was lying reading before, such nervous tension, I was enthralled and engrossed! Lol. A truly edge of seat story. I can't believe how invested I became in the characters, who were clearly defined. Fast moving, well written, couldn't put the book down after the 1st chapter. Great storyline! And its fast paced, non stop events keep turning up. A brilliant, complex and exciting read with some stunning twists and turns to keep you on your toes! A fantastic way to capture the reader and keep them hooked from beginning to end. The action, trepidation, suspense and mystery makes Mercenary Warden a gripping read, exciting even. It ended too quickly, I already want Galactic Marines #2! An unputdownable action-packed SciFi adventure! A great book! I highly recommend this newly revised, edited and extended chapters instalment.
Profile Image for Willie.
1 review
April 14, 2020
Continues to improve with each novel

As we all know as fans of this genre it's usually a good first book to hook us to often massive series, sub series, spin offs and novellas and I am hoping I am not calling this too soon with only a couple of examples thus far but by a 3rd of the way through the first book it showed some promise, 2\3rds of the way through book one and somehow it became a pretty great book with some parts of the tale started and answers provided with the crumbs laid for different possible plot lines it could follow all sewing the seeds of interest and by the end of book one I was searching for mention of release dates for the next adventure (s)!

It could have gone horribly wrong at this point as my searches came up almost empty for the next part of this story in fact when I finally found this book i was not sure if the character names were a coincidence or if I had skipped a series between book one and this one with such a big change in time and circumstances had between end of book 1 and beginning of this story! They are most definitely the same main characters and having wasted so much time on the above ramble I will wrap up by saying well worth the time to sit down and read I have just finished it but can't explain how they have managed to tie the two books together so well, delivered fast paced action throughout laying the ground work for other potential tales along with a book well and truly set for the original storyline series (I think it's the original anyway) but I know I want to ask that huge question every great book, movie or story should leave on your lips...... 'then what happened???' Haha hurry up and get the next instalment published thanks guys great work so far
80 reviews
April 5, 2021
Wow, what a ride. I haven’t read the first edition but I really liked this story. The writers asked me to read the story and give my honest review seen from the eyes of a Dane with nothing in common with our main character.

The story is a classic detective story just moved to a future where cars fly in multiple levels in the sky, the weapons futuristic as well and the richest still in powerful positions.

Our main character Vail and Teague gets a job finding a rich lady’s son, who is vanished, and bring him home. Suddenly they find them self in the middle of something much bigger and has to go undercover to reveal the truth.

I feels like the writers is playing/making a movie in my head while reading. The language is up front and easy understandable even though they name the right model and use for every weapon our character

I can’t recommend this book enough if you like crime, scary scenarios and lots of action. I can’t wait to read the next one.
1,204 reviews17 followers
April 15, 2020
Excellent beginning for A-Series. Fast-paced, plenty of action, and great sci-fi.

This book was a full throttle fast paced ride from The beginning to the end. It is a definite page turner at least for me I finished it in one sitting. The main protagonist are engaging funny and well-developed. This book as a first in the series did not have that usual slow world building issue that a lot of books seem to be developing these days. The different scenarios that the main protagonist found himself in what varied from bringing back a bounty to ship dogfighting in outer space this book has it all from artificial intelligence to nano bots. I really suggest that people read it and give it a try it is worth the read and worth another book in the series hopefully the authors will write one very very soon.
Profile Image for Manfred.
556 reviews
March 24, 2020
11 years after Blackout Chandler Vail became an enhanced killing machine, a mercenary. After completing a mission, he's looking for some relaxation time with his wife Vera when he gets called away to look for a missing kid. Strap in for an action packed fight against a seemingly invincible enemy. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Profile Image for DAVID.
583 reviews5 followers
March 11, 2021
Just read this again as the new version has been extended wow what a great ending did not expect that lol

Looking forward to the next book
148 reviews1 follower
March 25, 2020
What a wonderful time I have just had.

Not often am I so delightfully surprised as I have been recently. This book was so great that I read the entire thing in one setting could not put it down, the story/plot was so good, unusual that I had to see just where the story was going. Job well done for to get the next in the series Dan
Profile Image for Victor Muron.
39 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2020
Exciting reading

I've read great series books but this has been by far the best and I can't wait to get the next. A previous reader rated the first in this series as being to military but wars are fought by the military and as such how else would be written. Great book and series says it all as far as I'm concerned.
19 reviews2 followers
April 2, 2020
Nonstop Action

This book is a lot better than I expected, and I can't wait for the next one. The humour and snarky AI are a bonus.
157 reviews2 followers
April 3, 2020
Action Packed

If you enjoy action packed story's wrapped around well written adventure, you'll love this book. It's a "can't put it down rock 'em sock'em story
.
598 reviews5 followers
April 12, 2020
VERY GOOD

I loved the way the story just flowed with each sentenced. The ending was a surprised that left you wanting to read the next boom in the series!
Profile Image for David B. Gates.
12 reviews
April 21, 2020
Great story line

Great reading this book kept me wanting to keep reading and not out the book down.the characters are interesting and make you laugh at times.
7 reviews
June 9, 2020
Wonky and lazy

Some errors in spelling and grammar mistakes but I don't think they are deal breakers. Not much world building or character development.
71 reviews
April 14, 2021
Whether or not you have read Miles Rozak's Blackout Invasion, which has Chandler Vail and Teague's back story and origins, you will get very absorbed by this book very quickly. In fact, Blackout Invasion was my introduction to Miles Rozak, and I have never looked back. He is an outstanding writer who characterizes well the mind of a special forces operative of the future with many extraordinary circumstances surrounding him.

But Chandler was not always "The Finisher" that he is today. He had humble origins on the planet called Heim. With a father that never accepted or forgave him, with an older brother he could never live up to, and with a body that just wasn't meant to be a space marine, or a space anything... the cards were stacked against Chandler Veil from the very beginning. If you want to know more about him and Teague, you should really read Blackout Invasion in addition to the other books of the Mercenary Galaxy series. It will open up the Rozak-Verse a lot for you and is well worth it. Certainly not required reading to really enjoy Mercenary Galaxy, but recommended.

In Mercenary Warden - now reincarnated as book one in the Mercenary Galaxy series - there is a lot going on. If you have read the previous version of the book, I still highly recommend reading this new version. It is a whole new story, and at least a third of it is new content, new writing, and a COMPLETELY new plot and storyline as far as who Chandler Veil really is. And let me tell you, I never saw it coming.

Our heroes start off on the way to a 2-week vacation. But literally steps from his home and his wife, Chandler is pulled away into a new mission that he can't say no to. It is supposed to be a quick retrieval of an errant teenager for a powerful politician... but the kid gets iced, the planet wants him dead, the politician doesn't exist, and suddenly Chandler finds himself on a domed 23-kilometer long luxury space liner like a Cancun in space... only this one has dinosaurs... and their hungry. And then the dinosaurs are set free from their habitat and start devouring passengers and crew, in the most gruesome ways. That's about when the lights go out. Then the action just gets more edge of your seat, more gripping, and the more the book goes on, the less ANYTHING and ANYONE is what it seems to be. Just before the evil space armada arrives, that is.

Like I said, non-stop action. For anyone who has been in the military, this book is incredibly realistic in certain ways. If you have not been in the military, but love political intrigue, space opera, elite special forces agents, and all the action that all this entails - not to mention ancient mysteries that get solved, and more mysteries that get created - this is a great book for you.

I find that once I start a Miles Rozak book, it is extremely hard to put down - and I don't want to.

I highly recommend this book for any space opera or military space stories. Anyone who loves a good sci-fi yarn, in fact, will probably like it. Just remember, you will be sleep-deprived for a while!
Profile Image for Meenaz Lodhi.
1,024 reviews87 followers
April 11, 2021
“We called ourselves Trash Collectors—procurers of insurgent leaders and opportunistic warlords.”

“You can run, but you’ll only die tired.”

Oh wow! Now that was a completely unsuspecting plot! I was breathless throughout the book! A plot as old as time of greed and power hungry but written in a fresh and intriguing new way.
A cybernetically enhanced killing machine on one of his routine covert ops comes up with surprising events that make for quick decision changes: several events succeed to make him add them up and the result is ominous, dark and mysterious. Conclusion: someone was lying to him. The company he worked for acted edgy and in a mysterious way, hiding or omitting the truth. Betrayal, deception, intrigue, unsuspecting, unexpected turn of events of 360°..I was so excited I didn’t realise I was sitting upright while I was lying reading before, such nervous tension, I was enthralled and engrossed! Lol. A truly edge of seat story. I can't believe how invested I became in the characters, who were clearly defined. Fast moving, well written, couldn't put the book down after the 1st chapter. Great storyline! And its fast paced, non stop events keep turning up. A brilliant, complex and exciting read with some stunning twists and turns to keep you on your toes! A fantastic way to capture the reader and keep them hooked from beginning to end. The action, trepidation, suspense and mystery makes Mercenary Warden a gripping read, exciting even. It ended too quickly, I already want Galactic Marines #2! An unputdownable action-packed SciFi adventure! A great book! I highly recommend this newly revised, edited and extended chapters instalment.
Profile Image for Meenaz Lodhi.
1,024 reviews87 followers
April 11, 2021
“We called ourselves Trash Collectors—procurers of insurgent leaders and opportunistic warlords.”

“You can run, but you’ll only die tired.”

Oh wow! Now that was a completely unsuspecting plot! I was breathless throughout the book! A plot as old as time of greed and power hungry but written in a fresh and intriguing new way.
A cybernetically enhanced killing machine on one of his routine covert ops comes up with surprising events that make for quick decision changes: several events succeed to make him add them up and the result is ominous, dark and mysterious. Conclusion: someone was lying to him. The company he worked for acted edgy and in a mysterious way, hiding or omitting the truth. Betrayal, deception, intrigue, unsuspecting, unexpected turn of events of 360°..I was so excited I didn’t realise I was sitting upright while I was lying reading before, such nervous tension, I was enthralled and engrossed! Lol. A truly edge of seat story. I can't believe how invested I became in the characters, who were clearly defined. Fast moving, well written, couldn't put the book down after the 1st chapter. Great storyline! And its fast paced, non stop events keep turning up. A brilliant, complex and exciting read with some stunning twists and turns to keep you on your toes! A fantastic way to capture the reader and keep them hooked from beginning to end. The action, trepidation, suspense and mystery makes Mercenary Warden a gripping read, exciting even. It ended too quickly, I already want Galactic Marines #2! An unputdownable action-packed SciFi adventure! A great book! I highly recommend this newly revised, edited and extended chapters instalment.
175 reviews5 followers
April 15, 2021
This is the story of a man finally finding his true purpose. There is plenty of action to keep the reader entertained while the characters’ personalities are painted with bold brush strokes. The world building is first rate, I could really feel the various environments as the characters moved through them. The plot seems deceptively simple in the early stages of the story but it becomes more and complex without being confusing as the story progresses. The author’s writing style is deceptively simple but it is instead easily read and digested. I really enjoyed this book and recommend to hard/military/hi-tech sci-fi readers. In fact there is something for everyone here. This is the first in a series and I look forward to reading the rest of the books.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
4,517 reviews21 followers
April 23, 2021
Meet Chandler Vail, who just thinks he is on a simple job that goes sideways. The story was non-stop action, danger, fighting, and made me laugh a few times at what he must face. It had the feel of both a nonstop action adventure space story mixed with a mystery suspense as Chandler Vail must figure out what is going on. That is if the non-stop danger and fighting for his life would just stop to let him breath. It was an addicting read and so so hard to put down once I started reading. Had to figure out what was going on and how bad it really was. And how Chandler Vail would stop it. So so good.
Profile Image for Mike Mackey.
332 reviews6 followers
October 1, 2020
The first book of this series is very capitivating. Miles Rozak has created characters that are very real and the plot for this first book makes you want to keep reading. And at the end of this book you go "WHAT". I recommend this series very much! A very Good Read. Santa Mike
32 reviews
April 19, 2021
Great read

This is a first for me. Leaving a review before I finish the book. Just loving it from the start. Excellent story with good characters. Truly pulling me in and wanting more. Highly recommend already
226 reviews2 followers
April 22, 2021
Make sure you're comfortably settled
before you start this book. You won't
want to be disturbed while you're
reading it and the last chapter is a
totally unexpected jaw - dropper !!
Enjoy !!

Phyllis S.
75 reviews2 followers
April 28, 2021
Fun read for the most part.

A highly enhanced bounty hunter/recovery agent stumbles into a macabre plot to take over the universe. That is where the story takes bizarre twist. Still fun with lots of action. Not for those who are expecting hard sci-fi.
205 reviews
May 1, 2021
Interesting story with cliffhanger

I liked the story, but cliffhangers turn me off. Stories can end without dragging the reader to a open end. Just needs the author’s capability to devise the proper ending, so that the reader looks forward to reading the next novel.
Profile Image for DAVID.
583 reviews5 followers
June 10, 2020
Fantastic

Well that was fantastic reading really looking forward to the third book in this series hopefully won't be too long before it is out
Profile Image for Matt Starr.
Author 1 book17 followers
June 26, 2021
This was simply a fun experience, like a classic pulp novel. No part of it was unenjoyable even if the narrative felt like convenient coincidences at times.
3 reviews
May 1, 2021
An epic story on a Galactic Scale

A must read for any sci fi fan. Not one to be slept on. Do not pass on this book!!!!
Profile Image for Mike Mackey.
332 reviews6 followers
May 9, 2021
I Scanned this book. It sounds like a very interesting read. I like space Operas and Space military's and this seems to have that feel. A Good Read, Santa Mike
Profile Image for Mike Mackey.
332 reviews6 followers
May 9, 2021
.mI Scanned this book. It sounds like a very interesting read. I like space military or Space Opera and this seems to have that feel. A Good Read, Santa Mike
3 reviews
May 19, 2021
Jurassic Park Repeat

This is just a space-based version of Jurassic Park. If you like to read endless repeats of killing and being killed by “dinosaurs” then this book is for you
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews

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