Lines of Departure

Lines of Departure continues the military science fiction story of Andrew Grayson, picking up where Terms of Enlistment left off. Earth's colonies face an existential threat from an alien force known as the Lankies, while humanity struggles with overcrowding and resource depletion on their home planet. The North American Commonwealth military must defend both Earth and its colonial holdings against multiple threats. Grayson and his fellow soldiers confront the realities of interplanetary warfare while dealing with political complications and strategic challenges that affect their missions. The story tracks the personal growth and ethical decisions of Grayson as he serves in increasingly complex combat situations. His relationship with combat controller Diana Halley develops against the backdrop of humanity's fight for survival. This military science fiction narrative explores themes of duty versus conscience, and asks questions about the price of survival for both individuals and civilizations. The book examines how humans respond when faced with overwhelming odds and impossible choices.

Readers found Lines of Departure a stronger continuation of the series with faster pacing and higher stakes than the first book. Many reviews note the realistic portrayal of military life and combat, with one reader describing it as "how real soldiers would actually behave in a sci-fi setting." Liked: - Character development, especially protagonist Andrew Grayson - Military tactics and combat scenes - World-building and alien threat escalation - Tight, focused writing style Disliked: - Political elements felt heavy-handed to some readers - Middle section pacing slowed - Some found the ending abrupt - Several mentioned wanting more alien interaction Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (16,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (3,900+ ratings) Audible: 4.6/5 (9,100+ ratings) Multiple reviewers compared it favorably to Starship Troopers and Old Man's War, though noting it's more grounded in military realism than either.

Old Man's War by John Scalzi A military recruit receives a new enhanced body to fight aliens across the galaxy in humanity's colonial defense force.

Armor by John Steakley A soldier fights for survival against alien insectoids while wearing powered armor that records his experiences.

Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos A young recruit joins Earth's military forces to escape poverty and finds himself in an interstellar war.

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman A soldier experiences time dilation as he fights an alien species across centuries of interstellar warfare.

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein A mobile infantry soldier fights alien bugs in powered armor while exploring the nature of military service and citizenship.

🚀 "Lines of Departure" is the second book in Marko Kloos' military sci-fi series "Frontlines," which he initially self-published before it was picked up by 47North. 🎖️ Author Marko Kloos served in the West German military as an infantry soldier, lending authentic military experience to his writing of military science fiction. 📚 The book was nominated for the 2015 Hugo Award for Best Novel but was withdrawn by the author amid the "Sad Puppies" controversy in science fiction publishing. 🌍 The novel's protagonist, Andrew Grayson, comes from the welfare tenements of future Boston - a setting inspired by Kloos' observations of social inequality in modern urban environments. 💫 The alien antagonists in the book, known as "Lankies," were conceived as a deliberate departure from humanoid alien tropes, standing over 70 feet tall with completely foreign biology and technology.