Cavalier's Gambit Books in Order

Cavalier’s Gambit is Arand’s love letter to giant mechs and scrappy pilots. Wayne grows up dreaming of becoming a Walker pilot, one of the people who drive thirty foot tall war machines bristling with cannons and missiles. When the military turns him down, he does the only thing he can think of: he builds his own Walker by hand from scrap and salvaged parts.

By the time his slapped together machine finally stands on its own feet, the universe around him is tipping into chaos. The Confederation he lives in is heading toward a massive conflict, and Wayne’s personal ambitions collide with political realities he barely understands. His homemade success launches him into a much bigger game than local mercenary work, pulling him toward the front lines of an interstellar war.

The series follows his rise from no name tinkerer to founder of House Hesh, a fledgling mercenary outfit with its own colors and code. Battles are fast, loud, and tactical, but there is just as much focus on logistics, recruitment, and what it means to lead when you are still figuring things out yourself. If you enjoy cockpit level action mixed with long term campaign planning, this is the corner of Arand’s universe built for you.