How to Start Reading Omega Force
If you are looking to dive into Joshua Dalzelle’s action-packed military science fiction universe, the best starting point is undisputed: you should begin with the very first novel, Omega Rising. This book introduces Jason Burke, a retired soldier living a quiet, isolated life in the American Rocky Mountains. His life is forever changed when he investigates what he believes is an aviation mishap, only to find a crashed alien spacecraft. Thrust into deep space, he soon becomes the captain of a ragtag mercenary crew aboard the gunship Phoenix.
While the early Omega Force books feature self-contained mission arcs, they build a continuous character progression and an evolving galactic landscape. Trying to jump in mid-series will leave you confused about the deep-seated friendships, character growth, and massive political conflicts that develop over time. Therefore, we highly recommend reading the main series in its original publication order to get the full experience of the crew's journey from struggling mercenaries to key players in galactic affairs.
Omega Force Publication Order
The core series follows the missions of Jason Burke and his diverse crew as they navigate the ConFed, handle high-risk contracts, and defend vulnerable worlds. Here is the publication order of the primary Omega Force novels:
- Omega Rising (2013) - Jason Burke is abducted and joins a crew of alien mercenaries, taking command of the Phoenix.
- Soldiers of Fortune (2013) - The crew takes on mercenary contracts, finding themselves in the middle of a major conflict.
- Savage Homecoming (2013) - Personal stakes rise as Jason is forced to return to Earth, bringing the galactic danger home.
- The Enemy Within (2014) - The crew uncovers deep conspiracies threatening the stability of the ConFed.
- Return of the Archon (2014) - A mysterious and ancient power emerges, escalating the scale of the threats they face.
- Secret of the Phoenix (2014) - The history and origins of their trusty gunship are revealed as they face new enemies.
- Redemption (2015) - Jason and his crew deal with the fallout of their past choices in a high-stakes mission.
- The Human Factor (2016) - Earth and humanity become increasingly involved in the broader galactic stage.
- Revolution (2017) - The crew takes a stand against corrupt galactic powers in an all-out rebellion.
- Legends Never Die (2018) - A major turning point in the series that reshapes the crew and sets up the parallel spin-off series.
- Rebellion (2019) - The battle against synthetic and machine empires intensifies as galactic war looms.
- The Pandora Paradox (2020) - An ancient mystery forces the crew to race against time to prevent a catastrophic event.
- To Hell and Back (2021) - A rescue operation that takes the crew into the most dangerous corners of the galaxy.
- Unleashed (2022) - High-octane space battles and tactical operations reach a boiling point.
- Dead Reckoning (2023) - The crew must calculate their final moves against an overwhelming adversary.
- Starfall (2024) - A massive climax that ties together several long-running story arcs.
- Hunted (2025) - The crew finds themselves on the run in a hostile galaxy.
- Killshot (2026) - The stakes reach an all-time high in this action-packed installment.
The Terran Scout Fleet Spin-off
In 2018, Joshua Dalzelle expanded his universe with the Terran Scout Fleet series. This spin-off focuses on a different corner of the galaxy, following Jacob Brown and the elite special operations unit known as Scout Team Obsidian. Rather than the mercenary lifestyle of Omega Force, this series offers a more structured, military special-ops view of Earth's integration into the galactic community. It shows how humanity learns to defend itself and establish a military presence among established alien empires.
The Terran Scout Fleet series runs parallel to the later books of the main Omega Force series. Here is the order of the spin-off books:
- Marine (2018)
- Boneshaker (2020)
- Vapor Trails (2021)
- Heavy Metal (2022)
- Aftershock (2023)
- Blackheart (2024)
- Ghosts (2025)
- The Last Dance (2025)
Chronological and Crossover Reading Order
While you can read all of Omega Force and then read all of Terran Scout Fleet, doing so might spoil or confuse certain shared events. As both series progress, their timelines begin to overlap. Characters cross over, and events in one series directly impact the political situation in the other. Crossover elements become especially prominent in later volumes like Aftershock and Blackheart.
To experience the narrative timeline as the author intended, the safest and most satisfying path is to read them in the order they were published, allowing you to alternate between the two perspectives. The chronological sequence matches this publication flow:
- Omega Rising (Omega Force Book 1)
- Soldiers of Fortune (Omega Force Book 2)
- Savage Homecoming (Omega Force Book 3)
- The Enemy Within (Omega Force Book 4)
- Return of the Archon (Omega Force Book 5)
- Secret of the Phoenix (Omega Force Book 6)
- Redemption (Omega Force Book 7)
- The Human Factor (Omega Force Book 8)
- Revolution (Omega Force Book 9)
- Legends Never Die (Omega Force Book 10)
- Marine (Terran Scout Fleet Book 1)
- Rebellion (Omega Force Book 11)
- Boneshaker (Terran Scout Fleet Book 2)
- The Pandora Paradox (Omega Force Book 12)
- Vapor Trails (Terran Scout Fleet Book 3)
- To Hell and Back (Omega Force Book 13)
- Heavy Metal (Terran Scout Fleet Book 4)
- Unleashed (Omega Force Book 14)
- Aftershock (Terran Scout Fleet Book 5)
- Dead Reckoning (Omega Force Book 15)
- Blackheart (Terran Scout Fleet Book 6)
- Starfall (Omega Force Book 16)
- Ghosts (Terran Scout Fleet Book 7)
- The Last Dance (Terran Scout Fleet Book 8)
- Hunted (Omega Force Book 17)
- Killshot (Omega Force Book 18)
What to Know Before You Start
Joshua Dalzelle is a prominent self-published indie author who is well-known for his detailed space environments and tactical military operations. Readers should note that Dalzelle writes all of his books as solo projects, and there are no co-authored books or external collaborative novels in this universe. Although his Black Fleet Saga is another extremely popular space opera series, it exists in a separate universe entirely and does not connect to the Omega Force timeline.
The tone of Omega Force is characterized by a strong sense of camaraderie and "found family" among the crew. If you enjoy quick-witted banter, ship upgrades, and fast-paced space battles that do not get bogged down in overly dense prose, this series is custom-built for you. The books can occasionally be read as standalones, but the rich character growth makes sticking to the publication or chronological order highly rewarding.