[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Angry Robot in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Taylor is off-planet on personal business while Kovalic and the rest of the team are enjoying a little down time after their last mission [The Aleph Extraction] when a bomb goes off on Terra Nova – almost in front of Simon. And he sees someone in the crowd who should not be there.
But as the Special Projects Team tries to investigate, they run into roadblocks – both from the terrorists who set the bomb and the authorities. But Kovalic can’t shake what – who – he saw and what it might mean for his team – and their mission.
Review
Gah!! This is the best of this series so far! I loved all of this! There are some great surprises and an epic cliffhanger that left me stunned. I need the next book NOW! A few threads left open after Aleph go unmentioned here, leaving me to wonder how those pieces will tie into what happens going forward. Ack! This was excellent!
I can’t believe I have never reviewed one of these books on my blog – I looked! It’s a great sci-fi/spy series that’s a must buy/must read for me. I did a full re-read to prep for this, including the short stories, and it was the best idea I have had in awhile. It was great to get the full impact of the series at once. The stories, in order, are:
- The Caledonian Gambit (considered a prequel or book 0 in the series) – ♥♥♥♥
- “Pilot Error” (short story/deleted scenes) – ♥♥♥♥½
- The Bayern Agenda – ♥♥♥♥
- “Showdown” (short story/deleted scenes) – ♥♥♥♥½
- The Aleph Extraction – ♥♥♥♥
- “Homecoming” (short story) – ♥♥♥♥½
- and now The Nova Incident
Not only did my re-read refresh my memory of the characters and their earlier adventures, but it was also a great way to appreciate how terrific this series is.
Readers should definitely read these in order. Caledonian was published by another publisher which is why it is considered a prequel, but I think it fills in some important details and shouldn’t be skipped. (I actually did skip it initially since Bayern was listed as “Book 1.” But all the way through I felt like I was missing context and backstory, which I don’t enjoy. )
This series is perfect for readers who love action/adventure and spy stories – as well as those who love science fiction. The spy thriller is primary – the setting is space and a galactic cold war with great futuristic tech. It’s a great fit for me. And this book, The Nova Incident, is the best of the series in my opinion. Highly recommend! (Language)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*
♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.