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Drone Rising #3
Drone Marauder: A Hard Sci-fi LitRPG
When the all-powerful System tries to destroy you, you can accept your fate - or bring it down!Benning Kidd has been hunted since the day the System tried and failed to destroy her, turning her from a Drone into a Citizen in the process. Bounty hunters, vengeful enemies, and near-omnipotent Nobles have hounded her through the Collective. She's avoided them when she could and tried to convince them to leave her be when she couldn't. With the Fleet seeking her, intending to steal her hard-earned levels and rob her of her accomplishments, though, that's no longer an option.
Benning is tired of running. The Stellar Corsair is done following the Collective's laws and rules. She'll make her hunters fear her name, one way or the other, no matter what it takes or who has to suffer in the process.
Faced with enemies both without and within, with even the all-powerful System standing against her, Benning will need every skill and talent she has, every ounce of her astonishing will just to survive. Can she make even the System itself fear the Drone Marauder?
Drone Rising is a hard Sci-fi LitRPG series set in a far distant future.
Benning is tired of running. The Stellar Corsair is done following the Collective's laws and rules. She'll make her hunters fear her name, one way or the other, no matter what it takes or who has to suffer in the process.
Faced with enemies both without and within, with even the all-powerful System standing against her, Benning will need every skill and talent she has, every ounce of her astonishing will just to survive. Can she make even the System itself fear the Drone Marauder?
Drone Rising is a hard Sci-fi LitRPG series set in a far distant future.
- GenresScience Fiction
542 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 28, 2022
64 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Kyle Johnson
30 books53 followersKyle Johnson is a kids gymnastics and martial arts instructor who teaches outside of Chicago. He's worked on cruise ships, traveled the world, climbed glaciers, ziplined between mountains, and even danced in the end of a rainbow.
Currently, his main hobbies include helping his wife raise their two kids, because after that, who's got time for hobbies?
Currently, his main hobbies include helping his wife raise their two kids, because after that, who's got time for hobbies?
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 4, 2025
This is third in an ongoing series. Read in order.
This is more along the line of the first two, but enemies are piling up. Benning's choice to go full bad-guy makes sense from her perspective. It's rational, I mean. Two things lead to this being a dnf.
First, the embedded power structure turning it's full focus on her is as contrived as it ever was. The problem I have in this story is that they are making some unearned wins and I hate that a lot. It isn't helping that the author gives us some opponent PoV that tells us there's a mole in her close counsel and I hate how stupid that makes everything. The most likely suspects are people I like and I found it hard to continue in anticipation of the eventual betrayal.
Second, we learn in this one that . And that meant I couldn't trust one of the bedrock principles of the setup. Meaning that literally anything could happen to cripple Benning and her plans and you wouldn't see it coming.
That put enough pressure on continuing that I found myself struggling to pick the story back up after putting it down. Eventually I chose to call it a wrap and just abandon the story where I was. It's not helping that the blurb from the next book guarantees more unearned story shenanigans along those same lines.
So no. Dnf. And one star for my disappointment in a story that stacked the odds against our protagonist with such weak rationale and no redress.
This is more along the line of the first two, but enemies are piling up. Benning's choice to go full bad-guy makes sense from her perspective. It's rational, I mean. Two things lead to this being a dnf.
First, the embedded power structure turning it's full focus on her is as contrived as it ever was. The problem I have in this story is that they are making some unearned wins and I hate that a lot. It isn't helping that the author gives us some opponent PoV that tells us there's a mole in her close counsel and I hate how stupid that makes everything. The most likely suspects are people I like and I found it hard to continue in anticipation of the eventual betrayal.
Second, we learn in this one that . And that meant I couldn't trust one of the bedrock principles of the setup. Meaning that literally anything could happen to cripple Benning and her plans and you wouldn't see it coming.
That put enough pressure on continuing that I found myself struggling to pick the story back up after putting it down. Eventually I chose to call it a wrap and just abandon the story where I was. It's not helping that the blurb from the next book guarantees more unearned story shenanigans along those same lines.
So no. Dnf. And one star for my disappointment in a story that stacked the odds against our protagonist with such weak rationale and no redress.
December 11, 2022
Book three
Mistakes: I found a few and will list them on Goodreads. If you other readers find any more feel free to list them so that the author can fix them.
Plot: The drone is back and a whole lot of people are about to have a really bad day.
Characters: I see the MC as being chaotic good, willing to do the right thing no matter how many she has to kill to get it done. Sure her idea of right probably doesn't match yours, but it matches mine. I enjoy watching her completely wreck those that attack her and look forward to the next book.
8/10
Mistakes: I found a few and will list them on Goodreads. If you other readers find any more feel free to list them so that the author can fix them.
Plot: The drone is back and a whole lot of people are about to have a really bad day.
Characters: I see the MC as being chaotic good, willing to do the right thing no matter how many she has to kill to get it done. Sure her idea of right probably doesn't match yours, but it matches mine. I enjoy watching her completely wreck those that attack her and look forward to the next book.
8/10
January 23, 2023
Ignoring all the faults that are prevalent in all these books, the main problem that I had with this book was ‘Benning’, because of her background I want to like her even though the author made her a sociopath.
However for most of the book she was well beyond just a sociopath and was truly evil, it is very difficult to have any empathy for her. Towards the end this improved, but it did spoil my enjoyment of a big part of the book.
This is still an interesting story and I am looking forward to the next instalment.
However for most of the book she was well beyond just a sociopath and was truly evil, it is very difficult to have any empathy for her. Towards the end this improved, but it did spoil my enjoyment of a big part of the book.
This is still an interesting story and I am looking forward to the next instalment.
January 17, 2023
Soo good
This is by far the best Science fiction I've read in a very long time. I even bought this one where I normally get my books from the prime library service. I couldn't begin to explain it to my better half. There is so many things going on with the main character. It's soo good. Sci-fi fans must read this. I hope it doesn't get made into a movie unless it's the same quality as the hobbit movies and the potter movies.
This is by far the best Science fiction I've read in a very long time. I even bought this one where I normally get my books from the prime library service. I couldn't begin to explain it to my better half. There is so many things going on with the main character. It's soo good. Sci-fi fans must read this. I hope it doesn't get made into a movie unless it's the same quality as the hobbit movies and the potter movies.
July 16, 2023
Awesome With Some Science in Fiction
This story of a clone who is woke from her drudgery and fights back was fantastic. The System has no choice but to make her a player and some Nobles take exception and sends bounty hunters after her. She makes lemonade out of them. Excellent Series
This story of a clone who is woke from her drudgery and fights back was fantastic. The System has no choice but to make her a player and some Nobles take exception and sends bounty hunters after her. She makes lemonade out of them. Excellent Series
December 1, 2022
solid
A LitRPG that is entirely sci-fi-based instead of fantasy is unusual. This is an excellent example of how to do it.
Having an MC who is fundamentally broken is a nice touch.
I will continue to follow the series.
A LitRPG that is entirely sci-fi-based instead of fantasy is unusual. This is an excellent example of how to do it.
Having an MC who is fundamentally broken is a nice touch.
I will continue to follow the series.
December 15, 2022
Quality story
Enjoyed the progression and the developing storyline. Fleet action was a bit brief this time but still in line with the story and a good quality read that I devoured in two days.
Enjoyed the progression and the developing storyline. Fleet action was a bit brief this time but still in line with the story and a good quality read that I devoured in two days.
November 30, 2022
Fantastic!
Truly amazing title and wonderful series. Love the character growth, story, and skills. Can't wait for the next book to see Benning Kidds adventures
Truly amazing title and wonderful series. Love the character growth, story, and skills. Can't wait for the next book to see Benning Kidds adventures
December 3, 2022
okay
A decent continuation of the series. Interesting story, and meets my expectations of the author. If food, it’d be chain restaurant level.
A decent continuation of the series. Interesting story, and meets my expectations of the author. If food, it’d be chain restaurant level.
December 10, 2022
love this series!
Can’t wait for the next one. Is she really broken or more like a like a Bob Ross painting without happy trees yet? Love this series!
Can’t wait for the next one. Is she really broken or more like a like a Bob Ross painting without happy trees yet? Love this series!
December 13, 2022
Great book
Stellar work once again from Kyle Johnson! Lots of action and adventure, leveling and space combat. Looking forward to the next one!
Stellar work once again from Kyle Johnson! Lots of action and adventure, leveling and space combat. Looking forward to the next one!
January 9, 2023
I finally get a book with a MC that is truly not a hero.
The amoral main character with a story centered on the illusion of choice and imbalance of power, I love this story!
The amoral main character with a story centered on the illusion of choice and imbalance of power, I love this story!
July 21, 2025
Great book loved the story and the book narration can’t wait for the next one I highly recommend it 😀👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 22, 2026
Benning Kidd is my favorite literary sociopath! 👍🏽👍🏽
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews