The Nova Incident

Starred review from April 18, 2022
Moren’s third Galactic Cold War space opera (after The Aleph Extraction) looks to the internal politics of the Commonwealth for a breathtakingly twisty story. This outing leans to the investigative and procedural side, but still provides plenty of adrenaline-filled maneuvers by a team that trusts one another’s competence if not always one another’s motives. Maj. Simon Kovalic must deal with the loose end he left nine months earlier when he let Lt. Aaron Page disappear after his betrayal of Kovalic’s team. The office building housing the Commonwealth government’s communication hub on Terra Nova is bombed, and Page appears in terrorist group Nova Front’s video claiming responsibility. Kovalic’s team is directed to work the case by tracking Page, an approach which has them butting heads with the Commonwealth Intelligence Directorate and uncovering some of the Commonwealth’s most unsavory secrets. Though most of the action is planet-based, daredevil car chases and fiery explosions provide plenty of excitement. Moren’s meaty storytelling capitalizes on Kovalic and his crew’s complex relationships and improvisational teamwork and buzzes with well-earned surprises. Moren proves there’s plenty more life in this series with an entry that satisfies in its own right and sets things up nicely for the next installment. Agent: Joshua Bilmes, JABberwocky.

May 20, 2022
Moren returns to the heart of the Commonwealth, where Eli Brody and Simon Kovalic are hoping for their next deployment, which has been delayed because of the bounties on their heads from their last adventure off world. Kovalic does some shopping nearby when a bomb explodes in the heart of downtown Salaam. While their intelligence organization isn't technically allowed to operate on member worlds, their boss makes use of a loophole to engage the Special Projects Team to investigate. The video taking credit for the attack features one of their own members, Aaron Page, presumed dead after a prior mission. Surprisingly, multiple intelligence agencies appear to be pursuing this investigation, though it seems only Brody and Kovalic are trying to bring Page in alive. As in his previous novels in the series (like The Caledonian Gambit, 2017), Moren spins an intricate spy story hinging on technology and character depth to draw the reader along. The Nova Incident will keep readers on edge as the team works through relatable trust and relationship issues.

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