Mercury Rising

It’s been a long time since I read a book involving alternative timelines and aliens invading earth that I really felt was original and told the story in such a way as not finish with “to be continued” leaving the reader frustrated and at the time wanting more but by the time sequel arrives not so much actually, this book was a delight, it engaged me from the start and held my attention completely, I loved it 😊 and to go back to my earlier comment, would I want another, absolutely but I would also just bask in the pleasure of this book as a stand alone

In an alternate history, earth’s space technology is much more advanced with the Oppenheimer Atomic Engine. Aliens from Venus destroyed cities in the USA and the USSR but Eagle seven and their Russian equivalent manage to stop them from invading Earth. Eighteen years later in 1975, Brooklyn ends up serving in Earth Orbital Forces (EOF) to avoid going to prison and despite his best efforts ends up in spaceships and space battles with a whole load of strange people.
Review
Can I just say how much I loved the opening chapter? The first chapter could be a short story in itself -from the initial tense standoff between the aliens and Earth to the epic space battles to Jet’s (an astronaut) final sacrifice to save Earth.
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
This is a book of many, distinct parts that all fit together at the end to form a complete story. Some parts may seem a little out of place (and I must admit I wasn’t sure why these chapters were there) but these small details made sense by the end of the book.
The main point of view character is Brooklyn who is one of the most realistic characters I have come across in science-fiction. A young man who at the start of the book isn’t driving his own story- a reluctant hero who has to be dragged into doing the right and who is rightly scared in the situations he finds himself in. But we see his character develop through the book, so when he steps up in a desperate attempt to save Earth, it’s no surprise- we have seen his journey to become a hero.
The plot slowly ramps up in the latter half of the book, featuring space battles and fights, conspiracy theories and aliens.
The author creates an interesting world both on Earth where Nixon has been re-elected following an alien attack on Cleveland and in space where there are space colonies with hotels and spaceships manned by a gay crew.
All plot threads are resolved by the end of the book.
Content warning
Medical Experimentation
Perfect for fans of
Anyone who enjoys reading about astronauts, space and aliens.
I enjoyed this book and I hope there are more books set in this world.