Paul Thompson’s third combat rotation is a real ballbuster. Hundreds of light-years from Earth, he’s with an advisor team attached to an infantry battalion fighting a vicious dissident movement among Pashtun settlers. Between the untrustworthy allies, the nihilistic terrorists, and the constant chaos, this counterinsurgency operation has him near the breaking point. A masterwork of military science fiction, In the Valley takes an unvarnished look at military life through the eyes of a soldier reflecting back on how he ended up among the carnage in Pashto Khel, a village in the Baradna Valley on far-distant Juneau 3. Twenty-fourth-century military technology has come a long way. The Halo headband, which permits instant communications and Internet connection directly to the brain, is indispensible, while the armored combat suit, a powered exoskeleton that fits soldiers with gear, weapons, and communications equipment, has its advantages—and disadvantages. Meanwhile, the AK-47 has endured the test of time. And so have the stark human realities of combat. On and off the battlefields of In the Valley, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

There's nothing glorious about war—despite what movies and books often show. Military veteran and author Jason Lambright shares its ugly side in the sci-fi novel The Captain's Cauldron. Captain Paul Thompson can't just shake off the rigors of war after his combat on Juneau 3, and his injuries are severe enough that his military career may be over. But the trauma runs even deeper—impacting not only him, but also those he loves. Paul finds his way back thanks to his family and treatment at a veterans hospital. He marries his high school sweetheart, and life is good. But the happiness is short-lived when Paul and other humans hear that telepathic aliens nicknamed the Harpies have invaded the distant world of Brasilia 4. Soon Paul is recalled to service to lead a company in Operation Cyclone and take back the planet. Casualties mount as the battalion faces new dangers. It will take all Paul has to make it through. Both the grit and the sorrow of war come alive in Lambright's gripping novel about what it's really like to fight on the front lines—and how the struggle isn't over once a soldier returns home.

Jason Lambright’s trilogy of military thrillers shows the mental scars inflicted by the true horrors of war. The last book in the trilogy, Immolation, is no exception. Lambright tells the very human tale of one soldier’s exhaustion and cynicism after countless battles against a race of cruel and hostile aliens nicknamed the “Harpies.” The battle on Brasilia has nearly broken Lieutenant Colonel Paul Thompson. Over two thousand soldiers in his regiment lost their lives in the campaign, and every medal and accolade Paul is given for his service feels empty in the face of his friends’ true sacrifice. But Earth’s military leadership values his insight and orders him to head a new regiment on a campaign on the planet H-476. As his mission unfolds, Paul realizes some startling truths about his superiors and just how far they will go to win the war. Paul isn’t the only one preparing for battle. In deep space, a bored artificial intelligence begins decoding Harpy signals and discovers a way to communicate with their ships. A Harpy looks forward to the fight ahead while her leader turns her thoughts toward revenge. These characters and others head toward one final battle and the explosive conclusion to Paul’s saga.