Published: May 31, 2010
Words: 161,687 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9780984492725

Short description

Young Midshipman Ichiro Sato joined the Terran Navy to escape a tyrannical father and find freedom among the stars. He had no idea when he boarded the survey starship Aurora for his first assignment that he and his crew would make humanity’s first contact with a sentient alien species. Little did he know that this fateful encounter would trigger a catastrophic galactic war...

Extended description

Young Midshipman Ichiro Sato joined the Terran Navy to escape a tyrannical father and find freedom among the stars. He had no idea when he boarded the survey starship Aurora for his first assignment that he and his crew would make humanity’s first contact with a sentient alien species. In an uncharted star system where Aurora’s crew discovers two planets inhabited by a non-human civilization, Aurora is disabled by gigantic alien starships before she can escape. Boarded by nightmarish blue-skinned warriors with claws and fangs, the aliens learn all there is to know about the ship, including all its stored information about humanity, before the crew is slaughtered in a series of ritual combats. Ichiro, the sole survivor, is returned to Earth as a messenger to warn of the aliens’ coming invasion of human space.

For that is the Way of the Kreelan Empire, an ancient and dying race that has waged war across the galaxy for a hundred thousand years, slaughtering every sentient species.. (Read more) Young Midshipman Ichiro Sato joined the Terran Navy to escape a tyrannical father and find freedom among the stars. He had no idea when he boarded the survey starship Aurora for his first assignment that he and his crew would make humanity’s first contact with a sentient alien species. In an uncharted star system where Aurora’s crew discovers two planets inhabited by a non-human civilization, Aurora is disabled by gigantic alien starships before she can escape. Boarded by nightmarish blue-skinned warriors with claws and fangs, the aliens learn all there is to know about the ship, including all its stored information about humanity, before the crew is slaughtered in a series of ritual combats. Ichiro, the sole survivor, is returned to Earth as a messenger to warn of the aliens’ coming invasion of human space.

For that is the Way of the Kreelan Empire, an ancient and dying race that has waged war across the galaxy for a hundred thousand years, slaughtering every sentient species it has encountered in a desperate search for the One, a savior foretold in an ages-old prophecy who can rescue them from looming extinction. For the Kreelans, who will die out in a handful of generations, the conflict with humanity will be The Last War.

With Earth leading a fragile coalition of military forces to mount a defense against what many believe is nothing more than a hoax, Ichiro again finds himself at the sharp end of the spear aboard a Terran destroyer. Together with journalist Stephanie Guillaume, Legionnaire Roland Mills, and the irrepressible General James Sparks, Ichiro and the other men and women of the coalition put their lives on the line against an enemy none of them could ever have imagined.

The IN HER NAME Series:

THE LAST WAR Trilogy
- First Contact (Book 1)
- Legend Of The Sword (Book 2)
- Dead Soul (Book 3)

REDEMPTION Trilogy
- Empire (Book 1)
- Confederation (Book 2)
- Final Battle (Book 3)

THE FIRST EMPRESS Trilogy
- From Chaos Born (Book 1)
- Forged In Flame (2013)
- Mistress Of The Ages (2013)

Techno-Thrillers:

HARVEST Trilogy
- Season Of The Harvest (Book 1)
- Bitter Harvest (Book 2, June 2012)
- Reaping The Harvest (2013)
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Tags

fantasy, space opera, military sf, science fiction, alien invasion, military science fiction

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Reviews

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Review by: catghost on May 12, 2013 :
I would have given this book five stars, except for the way the viewpoint keep switching around. Something that I am personally not keen on, especially when it includes the antagonists. However this book managed to do this well enough not to spoil my enjoyment.

As this is the first book I have read in the "In Her Name" series, I had no pre-conceived ideas about the universe and was able to enjoy the book for itself. I particularly like aliens who had their won motivation and are not just humans in costumes.
(review of free book)

Review by: Jim Angel on Feb. 02, 2013 : (no rating)
Absolutely brilliant. The characters are well defined, rich in background and the heroes are likeable and the villains are despicable. Having read the entire series, I would suggest starting with First Contact and work your way through the series...you won't regret it. My only disappointment was that it ended.
(review of free book)

Review by: Emanuel Cutura on Dec. 20, 2012 :
To be honest i haven't read anything besides some short stories since Hyperion. So i figured i might want to read some sci-fi book. It's been a while. Decided to download kindle from Google Play. Browsed free sci-fi books. And there it was... almost 5 stars. "Well it had to be good" i thought to myself. And here i am, 2 days later..just as i finished First Contact. I know it's not much of a review, but to be honest i don't think i can put it into words. Well, it is suffice to say that i already bought the sequel before finishing the first book. Thanks for such a great book :)
(review of free book)

Review by: Dennis Foxon on Aug. 26, 2012 :
Classic military sci-fi. Yes it does have the usual US centric language but it is much less jarring in this book than in many of the genre I have read. And for once, the aliens are really quite alien and interesting.
(review of free book)

Review by: urbane707 on Aug. 09, 2012 :
If you start reading this book be prepared to also buy the rest of the series, because it's that awesome. It's a tearjerker with action and a hell of a read!
(review of free book)

Review by: K.B. Mason on June 20, 2012 :
Thia was the first of Michael Hicks' books that I have read. I have not yet purchased any books here on Smashwords because what is available for free has kept me more than occupied. That is all about to change. I will certainly be buying some, and quite likely all, of the books in this series. Beyond the 'U.S.-centric' theme that humanity is presented in, the unending plight of man to seperate themselves by race, religion and nationality has finally brought about their downfall as they get their xenophobic wish and find seperate worlds to live on. The threat of extinction as a species comes from the age-old enemy of alien civilization however one cannot call them evil nor find absolute fault with their absolute solution. How is man any different or better than this enemy? This question is neither asked nor answered in this story, but what is clear is that honor is a universal constant ... at least in the universe created here.
Well written and impossible to put down!
(review of free book)

Review by: Richard Adin on June 22, 2011 :
Although written as if the United States' political system morphed into the dominant political system of the future, the characterizations of the politicians seems universal. An excellent prequel to the Empire-Confederation-Last Battle trilogy. Well-written and definitely one of the best fantasy series I have read in a long time. Well-worth the price.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Martin Krischik on March 15, 2011 :
I had been sceptical about a prequel if it could actually work. But I have to say it worked out well. The Story is well done and thrilling. A very enjoyable read — if you are from the US.

If you are an international reader — like me — you will be in for a lot for US centric chauvinism. All the presented Terran armies are descendent of US corps and the president of all Terra (and later all humanity) is from the US as well.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

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