Galactic Liberation (BV Larson) (David VanDyke) Books in Order

Galactic Liberation is a military space opera about fighting a war, discovering what the war is really for, and deciding what to build after the shooting starts. B. V. Larson and David VanDyke set the story among the Hundred Worlds, human systems that have been hardened by a long conflict against the Hok.

Derek Straker is the main field commander.

He begins as an assault captain, trained to use a mech suit and lead people through the worst part of a battle. Carla Engels is a key partner in that work. Once they are captured and learn that the official story of the war is not the whole story, their loyalty shifts. Instead of simply defending the existing order, they start working to liberate human worlds caught under it.

That premise gives the series two tracks at once. On one level, the books deliver direct action: ground assaults, desperate rescues, fleet engagements, and improvised plans that have to work before the enemy closes in. On another, they follow the growth of Straker's breakaway movement. A liberated world needs food, trade, protection, laws, and allies. It also needs a way to avoid becoming another oppressive power.

The problem gets bigger with every book.

Starship Liberator introduces the war and the leads. Battleship Indomitable and Flagship Victory raise the pressure as Straker's forces become more visible. Later books, including Hive War, Straker's Breakers, and Hell's Reach, keep testing whether a small republic can survive against hostile empires and the divisions inside its own ranks.

The Hundred Worlds are important because they make every choice feel costly. These are not safe, settled planets waiting to be rescued. They are places with their own military habits, local interests, fears, and old grudges. A victory may win a system's support, but it can also create a fresh political problem for the next book.

Expect a fast, straightforward style and a big canvas. The series is interested in the people who have to make decisions in combat, but it also enjoys the machinery of war: ships, weapons, battlesuits, and hard-won tactical advantages. Start with Starship Liberator, then continue in publication order for the full arc.