Dead Six Books in Order

The Dead Six trilogy is Larry Correia’s foray into near-future military thriller territory, co-written with Mike Kupari. It swaps magic for modern weapons, but keeps his signature emphasis on intense action, complicated characters, and hard choices under fire.

The first book, Dead Six, takes place in the desert nation of Zubara, where a corrupt regime, insurgents, and foreign interests are all fighting for control. Michael Valentine is a former private military contractor recruited by a secretive government task force to lead a deniable strike team called Dead Six. At the same time, professional thief and assassin Lorenzo is being blackmailed by a crime lord into robbing the same targets to pull off a seemingly impossible heist.

The novel is told in alternating first-person chapters, one from Valentine’s point of view and one from Lorenzo’s. That structure lets readers see each operation from both sides as the men stalk one another through collapsing cities, double-crosses, and a civil war that keeps getting worse. Both are dangerous, both believe they are the hero of the story, and neither is completely wrong.

Swords of Exodus and Alliance of Shadows widen the scope. The conflict moves from Zubara to former Soviet territories, secret prisons, and a Europe sliding toward chaos. Valentine and Lorenzo find themselves occasionally allied, occasionally opposed, and always in the crosshairs of shadowy organizations with agendas that go far beyond money. Slavery rings, international terrorism, and supernatural-tinged rumors all show up at the edges, but the books stay grounded in small-unit tactics and the consequences of pulling a trigger.

Correia and Kupari draw heavily on their own firearms and military backgrounds, but they also make time for quiet beats. Family members, old friends, and the costs of previous decisions haunt the protagonists. When violence erupts, it feels earned rather than gratuitous, even though the body count is high.

If you like the kinetic pacing of Monster Hunter but want something closer to a Tom Clancy or Vince Flynn–style adventure, Dead Six is the bridge. It is all about professionals in bad situations, doing ugly things for reasons that may or may not survive contact with the truth.