Operation Aegis

The Obsidian Sector, Book 3

They're out of time, out of options—and headed straight into the unknown.

Captain Shaw and the crew of the Resolute are running out of time. The mercenaries known as Phoenix have taken their crew and hundreds of civilians hostage, and if Shaw doesn't act fast, they'll be sold to the Pendragon Empire as slaves. But to strike back, they need weapons and spare parts. There's only one place that has what they need: a long-lost depot hidden deep in the neutral zone, a place no one is allowed to go.

With no other options, Shaw leads his crew into forbidden territory, risking everything to find the supplies they need.

But when they arrive, they find something waiting inside the long-abandoned depot that may be worse than anything they could have imagined.

Operation Aegis is a fast-paced military sci-fi novel for fans of Galactica and Voyager. It's the third book in the Obsidian Sector series.

©2025 Reece Landon (P)2026 Podium Audio

Great story and narration!

Excellent series. I listened to the previous two books and I can’t wait for Book 4!!!!

Lack of effort in the story

Couple instances in the book where everybody discussed how they knew some action was a trap, but they went ahead and sprung the trap with fatal consequences. There was even one section in the book where a soldier was told not to tell a hacker many details about what they needed her to do then the next line he tells her everything. And there was no discussion after that, it just happened.

A lot of frustrating portions of the book because of the above.

Zombies and romantic novel, yes that bad

From the second book which falls apart because the plot relies on characters acting without any logical motivation. In the second book there is no sensible reason for Ens. Jordan to leave the ship during a refueling stop, and that single contrived decision triggers an entire chain of events that makes even less sense. Without that forced moment, the Phoenix Group wouldn’t have discovered them, they wouldn’t have been followed, and the capture subplot wouldn’t exist. Instead, we’re dragged into the Octavia storyline, which feels disconnected from the main narrative and adds nothing of value.

The book then veers into an unnecessary romance arc that consumes the final chapter for no payoff. I’m not sure why so many sci‑fi authors feel compelled to shoehorn in a romance plot, especially when it derails the pacing and tone. The addition of zombies already pushed the story into genre confusion, and the romance only made it worse.

The world‑building also collapses under basic scrutiny. Space is unimaginably vast, yet a lone merchant ship conveniently stumbles onto a secret space station. Meanwhile, the Empire supposedly has technology advanced enough to track a tiny engine signature across cosmic noise—but somehow they’re locked in a stalemate with the Confederation? And if the Empire is meant to be aloof and isolationist, why would their ships be pre‑programmed with multiple languages?

Overall, the book feels like a collection of plot shortcuts and genre detours rather than a coherent story. When the foundation of the narrative depends on characters acting irrationally and the universe bending to convenience, it’s hard to stay invested.