Humanity is reaching out to the stars. Something out there is reaching back… Vinland is a colony of corpses. The Mars outpost was our first tentative step out of the cradle. More than a half century after man first walked on the moon we were finally exploring our own solar system. And we found monsters. An alien species, determined to seize Earth and its resources, is also on Mars and they don’t like to share. We’re outclassed, outgunned and almost out of time. We have one saving grace. The enemy suffer from the universal bane of all sentient life – politics. They were allowed only a minimal invasion force (some assembly required) and they’re building up on the red planet. We get one shot at stopping them. We have no choice but to send the enemy home defeated. Or lose our own home forever… From the training grounds of Earth to the battlefields of Mars, Black Ships is the first book in A.G. Claymore’s Black Ships, a military, sci-fi, 1st contact space opera. If you like Herbert and Heinlein, you’ll love Black Ships! Immerse yourself in this epic series today!

In the decade following Earth's narrow victory over the Dactari invasion attempt, Humans have reverse engineered much of their enemy's technology. From captured data, they learn that the Dactari Republic is merely the successor to a much larger empire; one that died out long before Humans mastered the secrets of iron. Many worlds of the old empire have been left untouched by the republic, and a race begins as the factions of Earth struggle for trade dominance with the independent planets. The crew members of the Völund have each left Earth for their own reasons. They quickly find themselves embroiled in intrigue, conflict and outright war as their path, paved with good intentions, leads them straight to a hell of their own making. They must follow their path to the very end to learn the ultimate fate of mankind. (Approx. 90,000 words)