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Michael G. Thomas
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Legions of Orion (Star Crusades Nexus Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Michael G. Thomas (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 693 ratings
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Legions of Orion is the first book in the epic new series set in the Star Crusades universe that chronicles humanity’s first steps away from Alpha Centauri and beyond.

A chance discovery on the jungle world of Hyperion leads Alliance scientists on a path to creating a permanent spacebridge to the distant Orion Nebula. In a matter of days, great fleets of military and civilian ships depart for the single greatest expedition since the colonisation of Alpha Centauri. Into this great adventure travel two heroes of the war, retired Marines Spartan and Teresa Morato, and their son Jack. Now senior members of an elite private military corporation, they are at the heart of the Alliance bold new plan. Their discovery of buried machines, as well as derelict spacecraft in the first system encountered triggers events that will see the Alliance embroiled in a military conflict like no other. Discoveries of a dead people who have been wiped out by an unknown enemy sends a shudder through the many worlds of the Alliance.

The Alliance must make a decision. Either they will have to abandon the riches they have found or they will have to fight for it. In the past the citizens of Centauri have fought themselves for money, fame, power and religion. Now they must unify their many disparate factions including the Zealots and biomechanical warriors known as the Jötnar, if they are to survive in this new world.

Star Crusades Nexus is a classic work of realistic military science fiction set against the background of the Centauri Alliance’s expansion into the Orion Nebula. Also available is the prequel series, ‘Star Crusades Uprising’ that is set two decades earlier and covers the events of the Great Uprising, that brought humanity to the brink of destruction.

Check out all the novels by Michael G. Thomas

STAR CRUSADES NEXUS
Legions of Orion (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 1)
Machine Gods (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 2)
Heroes of Helios (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 3)
The Great Betrayal (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 4)
Prophecy of Fire (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 5)
Call to Arms (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 6)
Battle for Helios (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 7)
Wrath of the Gods (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 8)
The Black Rift (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 9)

STAR CRUSADES: MERCENARIES
Lords of War (Star Crusades Mercenaries, Book 1)
Ghost Soldiers (Star Crusades Mercenaries, Book 2)
Flames of War (Star Crusades Mercenaries, Book 3)
Battle for Karnak (Star Crusades Mercenaries, Book 4)
Warzone (Star Crusades Mercenaries, Book 5)

STAR CRUSADES UPRISING
Siege of Titan (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 1)
Tears of Kerberos (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 2)
Fires of Prometheus (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 3)
Battle for Proxima (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 4)
Fall of Terra Nova (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 5)
Slaves of Hyperion (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 6)

STAR CRUSADER YOUNG ADULT SERIES
Hero of the Alliance (Star Crusader Book 1)
Knighthawk Squadron (Star Crusader Book 2)
Operation Hellfire (Star Crusader Book 3)
Battleship Furiosa (Star Crusader Book 4)
Battle Fleet Victorious (Star Crusader Book 5)

All these books are available on Amazon.com and Audible
Please visit my website for more information: starcrusader.com
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  1. Book 1 of 9
    Star Crusades Nexus
  2. Print length
    378 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    June 21, 2012
  6. File size
    1276 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Thomas has done a great job of introducing a bevy of new characters in the book. He even manages to pass the torch to a new generation while moving the story arc forward. I will be looking for the next installment, Mr Thomas." - Lee E Jahnke

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008DM1M90
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Swordworks; 4th edition (June 21, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 21, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1276 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 378 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 693 ratings

About the author

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Michael G. Thomas

Michael G. Thomas

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Michael is a science fiction, military and historical fiction novelist from Monmouthshire, situated on the border between England and Wales. He has a background in both advanced computing and ancient history, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence, machine learning and Greek military history. Michael started writing back in 2010 and since then has published more than seventy novels, with more being released every few months.

His best-selling space opera Star Crusades series has sold in excess of a million copies, and has expanded into multiple new spin-off series including Star Crusader, Black Widows, Mercenaries and many more. This growing saga continues to draw in new fans every month as the Star Crusades universe itself expands. Star Legions is a pseudo historical tale but with a strong science-fiction twist and combines Michael’s expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning with his life-ling interest in ancient history. As well as a writing science fiction, Michael also writes horror and action fiction, including the popular Zombie Dawn trilogy, co-written with his brother, Nick S. Thomas.

Michael’s academic background is as varied as his writing and he has a first degree in Computing and advanced degrees in Classical Studies and Machine Learning & Adaptive Computing. He has studied in Newport, Bristol and Bath and is also a qualified secondary school teacher in the field of Information Technology. In recent years he has undertaken substantial research in the fields of artificial intelligence as well as Greek and Byzantine military history.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
693 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars What's UP Jack
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2012
Verified Purchase
Mama must a raised him right. That plus uncle like GUN and KHAN Hey jack out bio mechs the bio's at times. Still Spartan and MAMA do help get the job done. then after all is said and done and the last dog is hung out to die. Over the hill comes the calvary. Now if this sort of reminds you of Tied a Yellow Ribbon and the old John wayne Tree flics of yore then you have it just almost right. The Calvary at Calgary plus a new race of almost humans or two. plus what is this 8 legged dog being in charge. where did this coming from or in or what ever.

love it

dray
3 people found this helpful
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R. Adkins
4.0 out of 5 stars Legions of Orion (Star Crusades Nexus Book 1) is imaginative but seems a little lacking in plot and character development.
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2017
Verified Purchase
Legions of Orion (Star Crusades Nexus Book 1) by Michael G. Thomas shows considerable imagination but seems "incomplete" in several ways. It seems as if its beginning is a sequel to a prior book in that it has a setting and principal characters (Spartan, Teresa & son, Jack) that beg further explanation and background. It seems that mankind has found "alien technology" that enables them to open a "one-ended" star gate to the Orion cluster where they send a ship to build the other end of the gate. Naval ships and colony ships pour thru the gate only to discover similar alien technology on some moons in the Orion nebulae. Further exploration discovers alien technology similar to the original and 1000 light years apart. Not only do they discover tech but also the alien race that built it plus a second group of aliens who are trying to destroy the remnants of the first group. There is a battle and the humans prevail but the book ends pretty abruptly without the reader being supplied with further info about the nature of the two alien species, why they were at war, etc. Maybe that's why there is a sequel?
One person found this helpful
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Stephanie Tate Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping!!!
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2014
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Legions of Orion is a gripping tale that sucks you in from the very beginning. It's military Sci-Fi at it's finest. I've read quite a few books in this genre and can honestly say this is one of the best ones I've ever come across. Michael Thomas's writing style is excellent and there are no parts of the book that lag and not a lot of filler. Legions of Orion is fast paced and keeps you locked in until the very last page. I highly recommend for all lovers of the genre and I can't wait to read more by this author. Enjoy; I know I did!
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M. Collier
3.0 out of 5 stars Good story, bad writing
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2013
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This book is the first in a series that follows on from Spartan's earlier adventures. The storyline is good and character development continues to be quite good with Spartan, Teresa, Gun and Khan all returning. There are a few new characters that complement the existing ones.

However, reading this book is proving difficult with the number of spelling and grammatical errors increasing to the point where it's hard to concentrate on the story. Growing from around one to two errors per "page" to around 5 to 6 errors per page, it's obvious that the author is simply rushing these books into publication without so much as a cursory review. If you can stand reading something written by a 10 year old child, this may not bother you too much - but it bothers me.

If this author has any friends who read this - please (please!) tell him to get an editor.
5 people found this helpful
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Brett Burns
4.0 out of 5 stars The Series Continues
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2012
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I just finished the first 6 books of the star crusades series and jumped right into this one. This is a good continuation of the series for a few reasons.

- This book is wrapping up some of the leftover items from the last series.
- New main characters! Don't worry Spartan is still involved in the action.
- This book has some good action including a few interesting twists (be aware Michael spends some time developing the new story line and characters so the action takes a bit longer to develop than his previous books)

Some of the reviewers are coming down hard on this book due to editing issues, and yes there are several issues that you will notice.

I don't have a problem with the editing issues because:

- I am reading this series for pure entertainment and Michael spins a good tale and I personally enjoy the direction he is taking this series.
- The price is much lower than the norm.
- The speed he is writing this series is awesome. Star Crusades book one was published in March 2011 this means he has completed seven books out of a nine book series in less than a year and a half. I have read several other multi book series that have normal wait times of over a year between books.

So while some won't be able to get past the editing issues the story, price and publishing speed balance it out for me.
2 people found this helpful
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Momto4BookLover
5.0 out of 5 stars I Enjoyed It
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2013
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This is the first of the series I have read. I didn't realize it wasn't the *very* first book.
That being said, it read totally fine as the beginning to a new series. I'm sure I missed some references, but of course I didn't realize it.
Overall I really enjoyed it. A solid Sci-fi Opera novel.
Maybe I enjoyed it so much because it reminded me a little of Star Wars.

Now I just have to decide if I will read the next installment or start the first two series first.
Either way, I will be reading them all!
2 people found this helpful
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Walt
5.0 out of 5 stars Cheap and cheerful sci-fi action
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2012
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This book is like playing two levels of Mass Effect. We get armour, spaceships and lots of action. The author seems more comfortable with the close-quarter stuff than the dialogue and that is its only real weakness. I'd actually give the book 4.5 stars but that option isn't given. If the author can up the ante on the dialogue it will be a definite 5* book. Oh, and what about the English? The sample was British English but the book is US English? Not complaining, just a little confused, that's all.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Russell James
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in Canada on July 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
Good read...it kept me 9n the edge of my seat.
Definitely will be reading more of this author.
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S. Pentney
5.0 out of 5 stars The legions of Rome - the Woof Factor
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2013
Verified Purchase
I was looking for a new book to read and came across this. It caught my attention and I decided to give it a go. I won't go into the story or tell you the characters involved but it has a Woof factor. By that I mean that you get caught up in the story and WOOF you reach the end wanting to continue with the story. I think it fair to say that there are a good number of books out there which are terrific stories and worth reading even if from many different genres. I cannot fault this one. The reason humanity is in space is simple and believable. The reason it was allowed to live I thought was worth a laugh at its honesty. The story line is unique and cleverly told. I have just found the sequel and bought it just prior to writing this review. If you enjoy a good read, give this a go. Enjoy the WOOF factor!!!
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al'Miral
4.0 out of 5 stars Legions of Orion (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 1) [Kindle Edition]
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 12, 2012
Verified Purchase
A good plot; interesting technology that for me makes a sci-fi novel. The military background rings true and has excellent action without being too gung-ho. It is a pleasant change to get an author who uses wormhole technology to travel vast distances. This is Book 1 and I shall certainly be following the series and the author.

NB. I am a quite new Kindle user and find it a very great pity that the Kindle books have so many typos in them. I am well aware that these occur in printed books; however, in virtually all of the books I have purchased so far for Kindle the level of errors is unacceptable. Mis-spellings abound and parts of sentences are missing. This does not help the authors. Legions of Orion (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 1)
5 people found this helpful
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Bobkat
5.0 out of 5 stars Spartan Returns - Better Than Ever!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2012
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Spartan returns with many of the characters from the terrific first Star Crusades series in a new adventure. It is many years later and the story follows Spartan, the main character and the Alliance as they enter an experimental spacebridge to the Orion Nebula which is over a thousand light years away. We learn more about the uprising that occurred in the previous novels and start to get a better idea about the plans of the 'enemy'.

However, I won't give much more away as this is definitely one you should read yourself. The science is believable and the fight sequences are fast paced. Michael Thomas continues to develop as a talented sci fi writer and I am already looking forward to where the sequel will take Spartan and co. This is a writer I will be watching.
2 people found this helpful
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CaptPag
3.0 out of 5 stars plenty of action but short on depth in the storyline
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2014
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Not a bad read and the concept of the story is pretty good. Unfortunately the depth in the storyline is pretty shallow with a rather abrupt ending. More like a magazine article than a good novel
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