Lost Horizons — Justin S. Leslie

An A-list Space Ranger force with a reputation for trouble lands in the middle of a multifaceted war in the second book of this military space opera series.Capt. Ben Dailey knows his team will always get the job done—no matter what it takes . . . or what rules they have to break. Whenever the Federation is threatened, they’re one of the first units to the front lines to save their comrades’ skin, salvage important assets, and kick some invader ass. But when Dailey’s ship, the USF Murphy, is sent to the edge of the Void to help a planet under attack, what should be a simple rescue-and-recon mission turns out to be a political quagmire with potentially apocalyptic consequences.It seems the Federation and their otherworldly archnemeses, the Alurians, aren’t the only ones fighting for territory. Several shadowy syndicates running mining and shipping operations out in the uncharted regions of the Void are meddling in the perilous interspecies conflict. Now, Dailey and his crew, with the help of a quippy AI from an ancient civilization and a mercenary Alurian just trying to get home, must travel to the other side of the galactic core to uncover the attackers and determine their motivation—before these small-planet skirmishes break into all-out interstellar war.Blending heart-pounding action, firsthand military know-how, and irresistibly charming characters, Lost Horizons is a brilliant addition to a unique sci-fi series that’s guaranteed to thrill fans of Stargate and the Collapsing Empire and Expeditionary Force series.