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Narrated by:
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Ryan Kennard Burke
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By:
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Michael Simon
About this listen
An alien attack leaves them adrift in space.
Survive, rebuild, and rejoin the war.
Fresh out of the Academy, Ensign Cole Jackson’s first posting to Freedom couldn’t have come at a worse time. All over the Alliance, planets and colonies are suddenly under attack by the vicious Coven Empire.
Freedom and her sister ship, Hood, are ambushed by alien warships, leaving Hood drifting dead in the void.
Cole is ordered to salvage parts from the powerless Hood, but when he arrives on the unpowered hulk, Freedom is called away, marooning him and a group of malcontent techs in deep space.
With the timer on survival ticking down, Cole must find the confidence to take control, whip his tiny crew into shape, bring Hood back to life–repairing communications, propulsion and even weapons.
He's got one chance to transform the derelict ship into a combat-ready vessel. One he can take into battle and alter the course of the war.
Don't miss the start of this science fiction thrill ride about a crew of young soldiers mustering the courage to fight back against both a vicious alien enemy, and the terrifying void of being stranded in space. It's perfect for fans of Daniel Gibbs, J.N. Chaney, and Vaughn Heppner!
©2025 Aethon Books (P)2025 Aethon AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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- By: Fred Hughes
- Narrated by: Michael Joss
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Emperor Hazard is Dead! When the Teddy Bears ambush the ship carrying Emperor Hazard to a peace conference in the Zenkarr system, Britannia once again finds itself at war. The Teddy Bears have a plan, but Gathii Kong, now in command of the Imperial Force, doesn’t take the bait. He follows Hazard’s last order to fight smart and foils the Zenkarr Intelligence Minister’s plan to destroy Britannia’s fleet by not charging deeper into the system. But now Kong has the lion by the tail—he can’t follow the enemy fleet into the gravity well, nor can he let them out to terrorize the nearby systems.
By: Fred Hughes
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Exiled to Glory
- Morningstar, Book 1
- By: Christopher G. Nuttall
- Narrated by: Stewart Crank
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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After a cataclysmic interstellar war that came very close to exterminating humanity, the Daybreak Republic has risen from the ashes and embarked upon a mission to unite hundreds of human colony worlds under its banner, in hopes of preventing a second and final conflict that will complete the destruction of the human race. But not everyone agrees that the empire's ends justify the means.
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Great first entry for a sci-fi series.
- By Melissa Lawson on 03-18-25
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Beta-Testing the Apocalypse
- A LitRPG Adventure
- By: JG Spaulding
- Narrated by: Ryan H. Reid
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Dex is just your average, everyday I.T. Professional. Eyes tired from working late, the strange glowing gem floating in the middle of his apartment didn’t exactly grab his attention. Until it opens into a portal and starts counting down to his death. In a life-or-death situation, an autistic quality assurance engineer probably isn’t your first choice for a hero. But he has a certain set of skills that catches the attention of the Daemon System as it implements a secret beta-test on Earth.
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Unnecessary pronoun crap.
- By Silenced Siren on 04-14-25
By: JG Spaulding
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Starship Lost: Books 1-6
- By: Craig Martelle
- Narrated by: Ryan Kennard Burke
- Length: 48 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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The ship survived, but over time the original crew died out. Their children were left to continue the fight for their home against their sworn enemy, the vicious alien Malibor. They’ve lived their whole lives in space. Their idea of heaven is open air, blue skies, and the quiet of peace. But they'll never have that if they don't take it by force.
By: Craig Martelle
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The Weapon, Books 1-3
- A Military Sci-Fi Series
- By: Richard Fox
- Narrated by: Garrett Michael Brown
- Length: 25 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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The Revenant Program collects badly wounded soldiers broken by war and converts them into unthinking, unfeeling cyborg weapons. Their bodies are immune to pain, their minds impervious to fear and doubt. All controlled by a neural implant called the Imperative. They are the ideal force for any mission too deadly or too difficult for normal men. A force that answers to the darkest corners of the military. But when one of the Revenants awakens, he can only remember two things: that he must fight, and a code name…Dead Man.
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Interesting premise
- By Danny Moody on 02-28-25
By: Richard Fox
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Android Wars
- By: J.N. Chaney, Jonathan P. Brazee, Thomas Webb
- Narrated by: Tyler Darby
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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After the majority of his body is destroyed during a high-risk operation, Aiden Thorn is subjected to an experimental, potentially lifesaving procedure… one he never tacitly agreed to undergo. With no choice but to see the unorthodox new process through, he accepts his fate and works to adapt to his new life. But when an intergalactic corporation steps in and essentially claims ownership of Aiden and everyone like him, he is forced to do the two things he does best… survive, and fight.
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Poor primary character
- By HJ Hodge on 04-29-25
By: J.N. Chaney, and others
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Deathwind
- War of the Harbingers
- By: Brad Pawlowski
- Narrated by: Jake Bordeaux, Bridget Bordeaux
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Freed from his captors by the Meraki Dominya, Nathan learns his sister was also taken and strikes a deal to rescue her. Joining their ranks, he meets Arista, a lethal alien commando trained to kill first and not ask questions later. Working together, he discovers that beneath her tough exterior, there is also a kindred spirit. But as the risks around them escalate, he must determine whether she is truly friend or foe.
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It's enjoyable but not really riveting
- By Joseph Knott on 04-22-25
By: Brad Pawlowski
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Tall Order
- Shadow Host, Book 1
- By: K. Gorman
- Narrated by: Erin Bateman
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Reuben Shirano is the worst kind of criminal: smart, ruthless, and with no lines he won't cross. He runs a tight, sophisticated operation backed by the powerful Tsai-Shirano conglomerate, proving time and time again to be untouchable by the system’s governing bodies. In other words, he’s precisely the type of person Captain Soo-jin Dokgo tries to avoid. But sometimes, you only get one little chance to bring an asshole to justice. She and the crew of Huli Jing are determined to bring him down and kick him where it hurts.
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A rollicking great ride of a science fiction story
- By Susan Ratner on 05-13-25
By: K. Gorman
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First Command Box Set: Spacers, Books 1-6
- By: Scott Bartlett
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 43 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Out of the blue, a young Space Fleet officer's dream becomes reality: He's made captain of a starship. Just in time for the return of humanity's most terrible enemy, after 50 years of peace. To survive against this enemy, Captain Tad Thatcher will have to do more than learn how to become an effective commander, or how to wrangle his wayward crew. He will need to reinvent space combat. From scratch.
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One of my favorite series!
- By Julia Monzon on 08-10-22
By: Scott Bartlett
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Bloodhead
- By: Joseph McRae Palmer
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 17 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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A reluctant soldier. A forbidden power. A galaxy on the brink. Evander Thornwick lost everything when alien nightmares consumed his world. Drafted into a ruthless military machine, he's enhanced by forbidden biotech, unlocking terrifying power. Now shadowy leaders plan to crown him emperor—whether he wants it or not. Evander faces a deadly choice: save humanity or risk losing himself. Fans say, 'Fantastic read... could not put it down.' Start reading Bloodhead today.
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Good story line. Bad ai reading
- By Heavy Reader on 05-12-25
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Wraith
- The Convergence War, Book 1
- By: M.R. Forbes
- Narrated by: Daniel Wisniewski
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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When the research starship Galileo vanishes without a trace, the powers-that-be are quick to bury the incident, eager to prevent escalating tensions that could lead to war. As a former POW, Soren refuses to give the ship up for lost. His daughter is one of the missing. Taking matters into his own hands, Soren starts pulling strings and calling in favors, determined to launch a clandestine mission to bring Galileo home. When an old friend offers him a ship for the operation, he expects a rusty relic headed for the scrapyard.
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Good enough plot to look past some elements
- By Tim on 03-28-25
By: M.R. Forbes
very well done characters
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If you like Honor Harrington series read this
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Listener received this title free
All in all you’re getting what you hope for with a blend of character building and space fighting tactics. I had a lot of fun picturing it and enjoyed the lifelike dialogue.
Thanks for the read! I’m looking forward to book 2!
Admirable First Comand
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Nicely Executed Story
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Listener received this title free
Michael Simon’s military sci-fi debut gives us Ensign Cole Jackson—an inexperienced but well-meaning Academy grad who gets tossed into the deep end when his small savage crew gets stranded on a drifting, disabled ship. With only a skeleton crew, Cole has to lead a desperate effort to restore the derelict vessel and rejoin the fight against the aggressive Coven Empire. As a setup, it’s solid. As a plot, it’s fast-paced, cliche-heavy, and just improbable enough to give you whiplash if you think too hard about the logistics—it works. Mostly.
There’s plenty of action, tight pacing, and a well-balanced rotation of POVs that keep the story dynamic. Sure, you’ll have to suspend disbelief for things like starship bridges with exploding control panels (seriously, who’s still designing these death traps?), and a miraculous repair montage that takes a shattered hulk of a ship and turns it combat-ready in just a few days. And yes, enemies keep magically showing up in the same sector over and over, but if you can look past that, there’s something compelling about this underdog story.
It has heart. I got to like the original salvage crew and not to go into too many spoilers, but I felt bad when bad things happened to them (even when it felt a bit too conveniently plotted). Cole’s character arc is satisfying; he’s inexperienced enough to think outside the box and human enough to feel the weight of every choice. He’s the protagonist you want to see succeed, if only because he hasn’t been ground down by military bureaucracy.
Unexpectedly, Simon also does a nice job fleshing out the alien enemies, giving them depth and culture rather than leaving them as faceless villains. It’s not groundbreaking, but it adds a welcome layer of complexity to the conflict.
As for the audiobook, Ryan Kennard Burke delivers a clean, professional performance. His character voices are distinct, his pacing is on point, and his tone matches the narrative. It’s not a performance that will stick with you long after it’s over, but it does the job without distraction. Think of it as steady hands on the helm—not flashy, but precisely what the mission needs.
In short, First Command is a fun, fast listen with some emotional punches and a decent payoff. It’s not perfect, and if you are a stickler for logic and hard sci-fi, you may not like it. But if you like military sci-fi with underdog heroes, some tactical action, and just enough character depth to pull at your heartstrings, this might be worth queuing up next.
Special thanks to Aethon Books for providing this book at my request.
Military Sci-Fi, Exploding Consoles, and a Rookie
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Listener received this title free
interesting start
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really enjoyable read with good charedters
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Great premise!
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Listener received this title free
This is a wonderful listen (or read if you prefer ebooks to audiobooks)! I can’t recommend it highly enough.
This fantastic audiobook follows the story of Ensign Cole Jackson and his friend and fellow Ensign Sergei, beginning with Cole’s first day of his posting to the starship Freedom. Cole dreams of a future in starship command, while Sergei’s heart lies in the complexities of engineering. However, Cole’s and Sergei’s expectations for the starship’s cruise are thrown asunder when Freedom is attacked and severely damaged by the Coven, a species who seek to invade and crush all “lesser species”. Only Cole’s unorthodox and unsanctioned efforts, with Sergei’s assistance, prevent the complete destruction of Freedom. However, Freedom’s sister ship, Hood, suffers even worse damage and the loss of all hands in the Coven attack. Cole is put in charge of a salvage operation to the hulk of Hood in search of components needed for repairs to Freedom, accompanied by Sergei and a small band of relatively unskilled individuals. What follows is a truly thrilling and immersive story of Cole and his team going above and beyond in pursuit of not only their own survival but the survival of humanity. I won’t give any more details away because I don’t want to deprive listeners of the fantastic experience of hearing it for themselves.
The characters of Cole, Sergei, and their fellows are engaging, sympathetic, and very relatable. The storyline flows beautifully, is highly compelling and creative, and grabbed my attention from the very beginning through the end of the tale.
The narrator is excellent and really speaks the characters into life.
I was not familiar with Michael Simon as an author before listening to this audiobook but I am now eagerly awaiting listening to the next audiobook in the series (“Second Chances”) which is now available and which I have already purchased! I am also looking forward to future works by Mr. Simon.
Get this audiobook (or book) - you definitely will enjoy the experience!
Review by Sue Ratner
This is a fantastic, engrossing audiobook - I loved it and can’t wait for the next audiobook in the series!
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Started slow but…
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