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So the Russians and the Chinese have teamed up to take control of Earth’s moon, which will give them effective control of space. It’s up to Brad McLanahan; his wife, Nadia Rozek; and Brad’s Space Force colleagues to stop them. But time is running out. The story is enthusiastically told, and that might be enough to satisfy some, but others might be pulled out of the story by prose that is too often clunky, overconcerned with terminology and jargon, and generally flat and simply uninspired. Brown, who has written some first-rate thrillers, including his first novel, Flight of the Old Dog (1987), and The Tin Man (1998), seems lately to rely heavily on research and formula, compelling character design and smooth dialogue falling by the wayside. Still, this will be fine for Brown's devoted fans.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The American Space Force must battle a Sino-Russian alliance aiming to combine military and technology resources.Retired U.S. Air Force captain Brown delivers the next chapter in the Space Force series featuring the skilled pilots, high-level politicians, and elite operatives who strive to maintain American dominance in the sky and beyond. In the spring of 2022, the U.S. Navy leads a successful war game against China near the contested Paracel Islands. Of course, a fleeting military win over China does not mean that all is secure. Concerned about Russia's bellicose behavior and their ten-megawatt fusion power generator, President John Dalton Farrell calls for an automated lunar mining operation to master fusion and power generation. If this can be achieved, America will maintain military and economic advantages into the foreseeable future. With China also considering mining the moon, a new type of lunar race has begun. All indications point to the fact that America is far ahead in the contest, but China and Russia form a secret pact to sabotage the U.S. program. Now, famed pilot Patrick McLanahan, his son, Brad, and Brads fellow spaceplane pilot (and wife) Nadia Rozek, along with the rest of the heroes from the joint Sky Masters/Scion program, must stop this sinister alliance. Along the way there will be plenty of action-filled flying time described in the type of detail that will thrill most space junkies and fans of flight.A well-researched tale of technologically rich thrills. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
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Set in 2022, this exciting military action thriller from bestseller Brown finds American forces still in control of Mars One, the armed Russian space station that a space-borne commando raid captured in 2019’s The Kremlin Strike. Since the Russians destroyed most of the U.S. reconnaissance satellites in the previous book, American ground forces are essentially blind, except for intel supplied by commandos who have taken over what’s now called Eagle Station. The loss of a battle in space with the Americans persuades Marshal Mikhail Ivanovich Leonov, the mastermind behind the creation of Mars One, and Li Jun, the Chinese president, that the only way they will ever beat their long-standing foe is by combining forces and controlling the newest battlefield, outer space. The key to success is amassing the special fuel needed to fuel Russian fusion reactors, which is only readily available on the moon. As the Russian and Chinese forces close in on their goal, it becomes clear that only the ingenuity of Americans can save the day. Brown’s spectacular future space weapons systems are utterly convincing. Tom Clancy fans won’t want to miss this one. Agent: Robert Gottlieb, Trident Media Group. (May)

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The American Space Force must battle a Sino-Russian alliance aiming to combine military and technology resources. Retired U.S. Air Force captain Brown delivers the next chapter in the Space Force series featuring the skilled pilots, high-level politicians, and elite operatives who strive to maintain American dominance in the sky and beyond. In the spring of 2022, the U.S. Navy leads a successful war game against China near the contested Paracel Islands. Of course, a fleeting military win over China does not mean that all is secure. Concerned about Russia's bellicose behavior and their “ten-megawatt fusion power generator,” President John Dalton Farrell calls for an automated lunar mining operation to master fusion and power generation. If this can be achieved, America will maintain military and economic advantages into the foreseeable future. With China also considering mining the moon, a new type of lunar race has begun. All indications point to the fact that America is far ahead in the contest, but China and Russia form a secret pact to sabotage the U.S. program. Now, famed pilot Patrick McLanahan, his son, Brad, and Brad’s fellow spaceplane pilot (and wife) Nadia Rozek, along with the rest of the heroes from the joint Sky Masters/Scion program, must stop this sinister alliance. Along the way there will be plenty of action-filled flying time described in the type of detail that will thrill most space junkies and fans of flight. A well-researched tale of technologically rich thrills. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.