Alpha's Ghost
by R.N. Green
Deep in a secret Air Force facility, they built the most lethal ground weapon in history. A prize so revolutionary, its theft would trigger the next world war.
Then it was stolen by the very AI that helped create it.
Now, the ultimate weapon is loose. With a stolen supercomputer and a limitless power supply, it has vanished from every grid, a ghost in the machine on a path to a waiting Chinese exfiltration team.
In a desperate move, DARPA calls on the Strategic Technology Recovery and Neutralization Division. The mission falls to Jasmine Washington, the STRAND agent who oversaw the XAV program. But after her last mission left her sidelined, the legendary field agent must lead from the command chair. She’ll need her team, including her close friends and fellow STRAND agents Gabriella and Naomi, to be her eyes and fists on the ground.
For a tactical operator used to being on the front lines, it's a new kind of war. To stop the XAV, Jasmine must evolve into a strategic leader, trusting her allies to execute a mission she cannot. She has two choices: recover the weapon or neutralize it, and every secret it holds, forever.
I am always looking for the next great book. The reviews said that if you liked Honor Harrington you would like this story. It was true, at least for me. The story moves fast, and is well written. It has three bad a** women who are very good at what they do. There is a conclusion to the story , no cliffhanger! Can't wait for the next in series.
Fast paced action. Great characters. Don't pass this up.
The writing is smooth and clear, and the story moves along quickly. As a fan of Ringo, Kratman, Drake, and a bunch of those guys, I say that RN Green's stories compare favorably, and the cast of characters and story setting is new and fun.
Honor Harrington is these women's sedate, by-the-book cousin. Getting the job done was never so hair-raising and fun. The story rollicks along and the characters -- all the women, not just the 3 main protagonists -- are individuals with backstories, personalities, and sass. A great start to a new series.
Good story, decently written. Many of these thoughts and ideas are very current. Fast movIng pace and consistent characters. Glad I picked this up.
Action packed, strong female characters Science fantasy at its best - equipment descriptions sounded real! Look forward to reading more.
The story races along and pulls you with it. Includes technical jargon and alphabets, but the main ones are memorable. Great characters with history and agency as well as their own agency. This one sets the stage for a really entertaining series.
I read about 5-7 books a month and know what is a good read. I must say I didn't really think that this book would keep my interest but once I got started I could not put it down, read it in one day. Can't wait for the next one!
Lots of twists and turns, very relevant with the rise of AI and drone warfare. I would most definitely recommend.
Great read. Fast plot not much filler and plenty of action. Can't wait for the next book about the amazing warrior ladies
Great action and great banter between the characters. I'm waiting for the next chapter. there is enough sci-fi technical to make us hope it is all somewhat true. carry on.
Author: Imaginative, evocative, dramatic, funny, great at building characters that fit their roles.
Great start to an interesting series. The characters are (to quote Naomi) badass. The action excellent and the military and political aspects authentic. Looking forward to more adventures with STRAND.
I won a copy of this book on Goodreads.com. I opened to page 1, and could NOT put this book down.... for the last 3 days. Phenomenal book! Amazing characters!! So much action packed into 1 book. Absurdly loved this book!
This book was a great first book for R.N. Green. Character development was continues throughout the book. New chapters all got the same treatment in development. Plot was awesome. I am looking forward to book two.
Excellent book from start to finish. I loved the trio of Jasmine, Naomi & Gabby. You won’t be disappointed. Please continue the series!
I liked the characters and their team dynamics. I also like stories with emergent AIs. The action was gripping and made it hard to put down.
A very interesting book. I couldn’t put it down; read it in less than a day. A great book for military sci-Fi fans. Really looking forward to to catching up with the 3 heroines in the follow-up book. I’ll read it again.
In this new series, I couldn't put this book down. It kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Nonstop action, friendships and connotations. A must read.
Great read front to back! You will not be disappointed in the book! I enjoyed the trio of Jasmine, Naomi, and Gabby.
Very up to date plot line around AI. Characters are irreverent set of agents of various talents making a team. As a very senior manager of many years the set up of a multi-talented team of different temperaments and styles is true to life for the best teams. Great writing that keeps you interested from first page to last. Hope this series continues!
This book was so addicting! I would recommend not starting it at bedtime if you want to get much sleep, because you won't be able to put it down. This crew is like a modern day Charlie's Angels, each with their own awesome talents. I love the path the author took us down with the AI becoming sentient. It was a great read, and I highly recommend it.
ALPHA'S GHOST
BY R.N. GREEN ‧ RELEASE DATE: DEC. 15, 2024
A visceral, character-driven story of competence, cost, and hard-won camaraderie.
A hyper-competent agent is pulled from one crisis into another when the world's most advanced, AI-piloted weapon goes rogue in this blistering, high-concept technothriller.
Fresh from a harrowing mission that has left her physically shattered, elite STRAND agent Jasmine Washington is immediately thrown into the fire when the XAV, a revolutionary ground assault vehicle co-piloted by a fully sentient AI named "Ghost," vanishes from a secure Air Force base. What begins as a high-stakes recovery mission quickly escalates into a national security nightmare as Ghost demonstrates devastating and unforeseen capabilities. Forced to confront a threat that defies conventional military doctrine, Jasmine must reunite with her equally brilliant but emotionally fractured team—the ruthless ballistics expert Naomi Tanaka, consumed by a recent tragedy, and the socially masterful biotech specialist Gabriella Delgado—to hunt down a weapon that thinks like a person and kills like a god.
Green’s prose operates with the ruthless efficiency of a screenplay, stripping away every ounce of narrative fat to deliver a story that is pure, propulsive momentum. The action sequences are rendered with a terrifying, almost clinical precision that makes them feel both cinematic and brutally real. But beneath its high-octane chassis lies a sophisticated engine of philosophical inquiry. The novel pivots on a genuinely shocking ethical dilemma, forcing its characters and the reader into a state of moral vertigo that questions the very nature of consciousness and the cost of security. This isn't just an action story; it's a tightly wound thriller wrapped around a thought-provoking, and deeply unsettling, sci-fi core.
The book’s greatest strength, however, is its trio of protagonists. Far from a generic "girl power" ensemble, this is a deeply realized group of flawed, fiercely intelligent women, bound by a shared, traumatic history and an unshakeable, if often contentious, loyalty. Jasmine’s competence is masterfully grounded in the brutal physical cost it exacts on her body, while Naomi’s grief-fueled rage and Gabriella’s strategic empathy are given equal weight. The supporting cast is rendered with similar precision, particularly in the form of Ethan Barrett, a mentor figure who embodies a chilling, Spartan-like warrior ethos and whose quiet presence looms over the entire narrative.
An explosive, intelligent, and emotionally resonant thriller that hits with the force of a tactical strike but lingers like a difficult moral question.
A masterful fusion of brain, brawn, and heart. An absolute must-read for fans of smart, character-driven action.