What do you think?
Rate this book
A young lieutenant. A fleet of alien invaders. Will first contact be humanity's last stand?
In his short military career, Lieutenant Warden has already battled insurgent groups, criminal gangs, and intergalactic pirates. When a distant colony sends out a distress signal, he and his fellow space commandos can't wait to transfer their consciousness and launch their clone bodies into action. But no amount of enthusiasm could've prepared Warden for humanity's first alien encounter and the ensuing bloodbath.
After his captain falls to the attack, Warden feels both pride and fear as he assumes command. Outmanned and outgunned, the confident commando must find a way to eliminate the aliens before they slaughter an entire human colony. Will Warden's troops prove they are made of tougher stuff, or have they finally met their fatal match?
Commando is the first book in the Royal Marines Space Commando military sci-fi series. If you like fast-paced action, interstellar battles, and characters with nerves of steel, then you'll love Jon and James Evans's thrilling saga.
Buy Commando to brace yourself for an exhilarating page-turner today!
In his short military career, Lieutenant Warden has already battled insurgent groups, criminal gangs, and intergalactic pirates. When a distant colony sends out a distress signal, he and his fellow space commandos can't wait to transfer their consciousness and launch their clone bodies into action. But no amount of enthusiasm could've prepared Warden for humanity's first alien encounter and the ensuing bloodbath.
After his captain falls to the attack, Warden feels both pride and fear as he assumes command. Outmanned and outgunned, the confident commando must find a way to eliminate the aliens before they slaughter an entire human colony. Will Warden's troops prove they are made of tougher stuff, or have they finally met their fatal match?
Commando is the first book in the Royal Marines Space Commando military sci-fi series. If you like fast-paced action, interstellar battles, and characters with nerves of steel, then you'll love Jon and James Evans's thrilling saga.
Buy Commando to brace yourself for an exhilarating page-turner today!
- GenresScience Fiction
124 pages, Paperback
Published March 22, 2019
About the author
James Evans
14 books10 followersUK writer James Evans is the author of the new fantasy epic, A Gathering of Fools and co-author with his brother Jon of the Royal Marine Space Commando series.
James lives in south London with his wife Susie and an ever-growing collection of fruit-themed consumer electronics.
Books:
Royal Marine Space Commandos:
- Commando
- Guerilla
- Ascendant
- Gunboat
- Dreadnought
- Fleet
Disposable Heroes (RMSC):
- Shadow Hammer
- Rogue Company (coming soon)
- The Hanson Protocol (in progress)
Vensille Saga:
- A Gathering of Fools
- A Gathering of Princes
- A Gathering of Arms (coming 2019)
James lives in south London with his wife Susie and an ever-growing collection of fruit-themed consumer electronics.
Books:
Royal Marine Space Commandos:
- Commando
- Guerilla
- Ascendant
- Gunboat
- Dreadnought
- Fleet
Disposable Heroes (RMSC):
- Shadow Hammer
- Rogue Company (coming soon)
- The Hanson Protocol (in progress)
Vensille Saga:
- A Gathering of Fools
- A Gathering of Princes
- A Gathering of Arms (coming 2019)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 9, 2019
Yes, it’s marines in space. Royal Marines. Royal Marines of the Second British Empire. Either that will make you put down the review and dial up the Amazon page immediately or the book’s not for you. If you’re already dialling up the Amazon page, then you’ll soon find out that the Marines in question are downloaded into waiting clone bodies when there’s a bit of a barney brewing, and that they’re proper British Marines – which means understatement in the face of overwhelming odds while still getting the job done with astonishing efficiency and bravery – rather than their gung ho, overgunned namesakes across the Atlantic. The aliens they’re fighting might not, it turns out, be all that alien but you’ll need to read the next volume in the series to find out more, as well as more about the galactic extent of the Second British Empire. For lovers of military science fiction written with true Brit.
April 5, 2018
Refreshing
Once in a while it's nice to read a book that is simple and straight forward. One where the good guys are very competent and the bad guys are morons. I loved Ten, a little more back story on him would be nice.
Once in a while it's nice to read a book that is simple and straight forward. One where the good guys are very competent and the bad guys are morons. I loved Ten, a little more back story on him would be nice.
June 5, 2018
Send in the Marines
A new and weird way to get your troops to the fighting. But the story holds your attention. Make a clone, then copy a person into it. The Marines here have a lot of history to fall back on with this story. I think that the mystery of who the for is a good book to keep a person reading.
A new and weird way to get your troops to the fighting. But the story holds your attention. Make a clone, then copy a person into it. The Marines here have a lot of history to fall back on with this story. I think that the mystery of who the for is a good book to keep a person reading.
March 18, 2020
This was a fairly straightforward shoot-em-up that was easy to read, but it had quite a few irritations.
I hate books that start by getting you interested in a character as they battle to survive and then the author just blows them to bits.
Once the Commandos arrive I was a bit annoyed to find out they are just clones and the author couldn't be bothered to explain what this actually means. If a clone dies is its personality also dead or can it inhabit a new clone? If the characters I'm investing time in die, are they really dead? I found this really affected my enjoyment of the story. Why wait until the end of the book to explain this?
There is a lot of action, most of which was ridiculously over-the-top. Why didn't anybody call in more help, why was it left to a badly depleted squad to take on a whole invading force and their space ship.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
I hate books that start by getting you interested in a character as they battle to survive and then the author just blows them to bits.
Once the Commandos arrive I was a bit annoyed to find out they are just clones and the author couldn't be bothered to explain what this actually means. If a clone dies is its personality also dead or can it inhabit a new clone? If the characters I'm investing time in die, are they really dead? I found this really affected my enjoyment of the story. Why wait until the end of the book to explain this?
There is a lot of action, most of which was ridiculously over-the-top. Why didn't anybody call in more help, why was it left to a badly depleted squad to take on a whole invading force and their space ship.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
April 2, 2018
Brits in space
Not a bad story. Not too much background on the how and why yet. Expect that in book 2. Bit more on history may be nice.
Not a bad story. Not too much background on the how and why yet. Expect that in book 2. Bit more on history may be nice.
January 5, 2019
Good read
Reading this storey was easy on The mind I liked it very much so I will be getting the next one
Reading this storey was easy on The mind I liked it very much so I will be getting the next one
January 23, 2020
Absolutely fabulous series. Good sense of British humour which is very close to my heart and good to see the Royal Marines getting out there and kicking arse!
January 9, 2019
Taly ho chaps. An excellent start to a new series
A superb start to a new series. Full to the brim with action and adventure.
Who are the enemy and why are they attacking.
I Loved this book from start to finish and I look forward to the next one.😁
A superb start to a new series. Full to the brim with action and adventure.
Who are the enemy and why are they attacking.
I Loved this book from start to finish and I look forward to the next one.😁
January 8, 2019
I started this book thinking it's not my normal type of fantasy reading but this captivated me entirely, couldn't put it down and pretty much finished it in 2 days. Can't wait too start the next book in the series.
September 24, 2018
Lots of great action! Nice to see the Brits in space. I cannot always understand the slang. Must be authentic.
July 4, 2018
Great book!
This book is written by British authors and was really enjoyable. It was fast paced and brought out the idea of cloning soldiers and “decanting” the soul or whatever into a “blank” body that was grown in a tank. At this time in the future it seems this is a popular way to get extra help on colony planets also. If more
workers or gardeners or whatever or needed they are grown in a cloning bay.
The story starts out with the combat marines just waking up after a distress call from a planet under attack from an unknown source. The leader, Captain Atticus, sends half his group to search for B platoon since they haven’t reported in. Lieutenant Warden is put in charge of this group ultimately take over and destroy the enemy ship circling the planet and capture some of their drop ships and “blank” clones. My favorite character in this effort was Marine X. After one particularly bloody battle on board the ship all he wants is to sit down, relax and enjoy a cup a tea. He was known for following orders his own way and getting the job done his way and had a great sense of humor.
Their takeover of the enemy ship and answers to some of their questions leave them with more questions and a greater battle on the horizon. There were a few typos but I enjoyed the action and the British play on words and plan to read the trilogy.
This book is written by British authors and was really enjoyable. It was fast paced and brought out the idea of cloning soldiers and “decanting” the soul or whatever into a “blank” body that was grown in a tank. At this time in the future it seems this is a popular way to get extra help on colony planets also. If more
workers or gardeners or whatever or needed they are grown in a cloning bay.
The story starts out with the combat marines just waking up after a distress call from a planet under attack from an unknown source. The leader, Captain Atticus, sends half his group to search for B platoon since they haven’t reported in. Lieutenant Warden is put in charge of this group ultimately take over and destroy the enemy ship circling the planet and capture some of their drop ships and “blank” clones. My favorite character in this effort was Marine X. After one particularly bloody battle on board the ship all he wants is to sit down, relax and enjoy a cup a tea. He was known for following orders his own way and getting the job done his way and had a great sense of humor.
Their takeover of the enemy ship and answers to some of their questions leave them with more questions and a greater battle on the horizon. There were a few typos but I enjoyed the action and the British play on words and plan to read the trilogy.
September 11, 2018
Good Story
Well good story glad to see the RMC still going strong lol. Some background on the cloning system and on the teams😂 Looking forward to the next book
Well good story glad to see the RMC still going strong lol. Some background on the cloning system and on the teams😂 Looking forward to the next book
July 9, 2018
A really interesting book with a novel way of introducing the 'clone' soldiers and also as a way of perpetuating the individual characters. I enjoyed it so much I have just downloaded the next book in the series
April 4, 2018
Cant wait for the next one
An interesting and in places funny read. As a UK veteran myself the humour was very understandable and I heard it's like before, worse I think I know some of the characters it is based on..lol. it is a book most people could read and get a laugh from. Love the last line... It could be worse, it could be raining. Ah memories
An interesting and in places funny read. As a UK veteran myself the humour was very understandable and I heard it's like before, worse I think I know some of the characters it is based on..lol. it is a book most people could read and get a laugh from. Love the last line... It could be worse, it could be raining. Ah memories
April 30, 2018
Very military
If you get my drift. The ending was the beginning of the next setup. I enjoyed this,section but an end should be that
If you get my drift. The ending was the beginning of the next setup. I enjoyed this,section but an end should be that
January 2, 2020
Nice to find space marines who aren't yanks and don't think like them! This is military sci-fi with a refreshingly British flavour. It's pretty low tech except for the idea about clones. These were quite interesting, but I don't think the authors have thought enough about the mind-body question which they simply seem to ignore. I also didn't like the building up of "marine X" who struck me as one of the duller of the authors' creation. They obviously disagree. Some of the cliches of our times such as female front line troops are there, but overall this rings pretty true and that's particularly so of the battle scenes. It's obviously designed to hook the reader into a series as there are a lot of loose ends, not least the curious weapon compatibility of the other side. I found it a good read and the series may well pick up (on the other hand it could also go in a X direction which I would find very dull, albeit others may love it).
March 21, 2020
Interesting ideas, but a few bits of tech feel like ways of having cake and eating it- nobody ever really dies. Which makes some heroic sacrifices rather less than sacrificial.
Worth noting that this is barely beyond novella length, so if you try it and the storyline isn't for you, you haven't invested a lot of time in it.
I liked the book. Engaging characters, taughtly written plotting and a leavening of humour. Not sure how non-UK readers will relate to it - the RM terminology and nomenclature might be a bit baffling. A hot wet, anyone?
Worth noting that this is barely beyond novella length, so if you try it and the storyline isn't for you, you haven't invested a lot of time in it.
I liked the book. Engaging characters, taughtly written plotting and a leavening of humour. Not sure how non-UK readers will relate to it - the RM terminology and nomenclature might be a bit baffling. A hot wet, anyone?
December 18, 2022
I very rarely start a book and never finish it. Sometime back I forced myself to get through the bobverse, which I found to be terrible in so many ways. The idea of an endless supply of von Neumann probes is so cheap and distilling to science fiction, and it's no different than the idea of clones, which ruined Star Wars. Not only is that a premise of this book, for humanity, but it is also one for the aliens encountered in the future. To make matters even worse, it's Britain's Royal Marines that we have to take this journey with. I just can't. Maybe you can though. Good luck!
May 7, 2020
I don't usually read harder military sci-fi but this was a fun, quick read with lots of pew-pew.
My romantic-reader/writer self REALLY wanted there to be an aliens faction that turned out to be good-guys that results int a surprise romance.
Sadly...no. Just several fights and lots of head shots.
As this is what I signed up for when I picked up the book, I think it properly fulfilled the contract given the violent opening of the book.
On to book 2.
My romantic-reader/writer self REALLY wanted there to be an aliens faction that turned out to be good-guys that results int a surprise romance.
Sadly...no. Just several fights and lots of head shots.
As this is what I signed up for when I picked up the book, I think it properly fulfilled the contract given the violent opening of the book.
On to book 2.
February 18, 2019
Some competent action scenes and a few interesting underlying ideas, acted in by a troop of plastic soldiers. Character development in military fiction is difficult and requires a deft use of the spaces between action scenes as well as a thoughtful use of the POV character(s) to build a relational way in. This book is not so much lacking deftness as not even trying. Not my cup of tea.
January 18, 2020
A great start to a new series
The book was a fun and quick read to start a new series. I read the series after this before I knew about this series, and it is fun to now learn more about some of the characters I already knew.
The book was a fun and quick read to start a new series. I read the series after this before I knew about this series, and it is fun to now learn more about some of the characters I already knew.
June 8, 2021
Great Sci-fi Adventure
An excellent space adventure that is full of non-stop action and intrigue. I like the author's storyline and the characters were awesome. I really liked this book and I highly recommend it.
An excellent space adventure that is full of non-stop action and intrigue. I like the author's storyline and the characters were awesome. I really liked this book and I highly recommend it.
October 28, 2019
Loved it! It rocks! the story line, the characters, and the settings are top shelf.
July 16, 2021
Very good. Non-stop action. Just to short, I have to get the next one.
September 1, 2021
Was refreshing to read about British Marines in space for a change; normally it's US centric.
Enjoyed the banter and the fast-paced action. Looking forward to book 2.
Loved it - 4 stars
Enjoyed the banter and the fast-paced action. Looking forward to book 2.
Loved it - 4 stars
March 3, 2024
Enjoyable action novel, different approach to deployment but on the whole believable as the good guys aren't invincible and the bad guys can shoot straight. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
May 26, 2026
Reads like the narration of a first person shooter game, with a few ‘good chap’ and ‘I’ll like a cuppa’ sprinkled on to give it a feel of Britishness. Zero distinct personalities, not a good book
June 1, 2019
RECOMMENDED
Commando, 1st book in The Royal Marine Space Commandos is an
interesting take on military space opera. I look forward to book 2,
to see what happens next.
Commando, 1st book in The Royal Marine Space Commandos is an
interesting take on military space opera. I look forward to book 2,
to see what happens next.
May 26, 2019
A JE./JE. SYFY. Novel (TRMSCB. - 1) Welcoming the Aliens
JE./JE. have. penned. A SYFY. Novel About the Royal Marine Commandos and their assignments in outerspace. The Marines assigned to this particular planet, which is being Terra Formed, are Marine that remain in stasis until needed. An alleged Alien race attack a human colony killing almost all of the civilians. The Royal Marines fight back and gain the upper hand. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
JE./JE. have. penned. A SYFY. Novel About the Royal Marine Commandos and their assignments in outerspace. The Marines assigned to this particular planet, which is being Terra Formed, are Marine that remain in stasis until needed. An alleged Alien race attack a human colony killing almost all of the civilians. The Royal Marines fight back and gain the upper hand. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
May 24, 2019
Commandos yes!
Fast paced, entirely exciting enjoyable and extremely entertaining ! A wonderful story to pass a lazy afternoon. If you want a read that doesn’t bog down, and has some surprises, this is it!
Fast paced, entirely exciting enjoyable and extremely entertaining ! A wonderful story to pass a lazy afternoon. If you want a read that doesn’t bog down, and has some surprises, this is it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews