RETALIATION (THE SOL SAGA BOOK 2)

Martians in the mid-23rd century wage war against an oppressive government in this SF sequel.

Following a political assassination on Mars, the United Nations Interplanetary Council curbed the red planet’s independence. Now Ed McAaron leads a rebellion against UNIC’s oppression. Civil unrest has since run rampant, with riots and alleged terrorist strikes. Mishaps occur: Ed must procure weapons from pirates, and two rebels set off bombs on their own and wind up killing more citizens than UNIC Protectorate soldiers. The rebellion, however, earns allies, like Gen. Keith Brennan. Meanwhile, combatants hold Mars governor Helena Chu captive. When she manages to contact the outside, she has a choice: Get help escaping or stay and covertly gather intel from her captors (aka the rebellion’s enemies). The Protectorate Fleet plans to set up a blockade of the planet, a move Ed believes would devastate the rebels. Defending themselves merely requires storming facilities throughout Mars’ cities and stealing Air Defense Artillery batteries to blast UNIC ships out of orbit. Fox drops readers into the story, with characters reeling from the events that took place during the preceding book, Revolution (2021), like Helena’s suffering a betrayal. This second installment of a proposed trilogy boasts more action than the first. As Gen. Brennan and others dodge bullets and flash-bangs, frantic battles unfold in the air. The story, set almost entirely on Mars, lingers on the environment, depicting the planet’s various hues and an odd “vanilla white” haze that coats the surface. Though reading the earlier novel is recommended, Fox eases readers into the sequel with a sharply defined cast and interlocking subplots. There’s resolution as well, even as the ending teases a third book.

Exhilarating action propels this brisk red-planet saga.