Today's read shoots us up into space as mystery and adventure visit a space station, international relations, and a trip to the moon. It's the 2nd in a trilogy, and nope, I did not read the first book. I'm expecting quite a bit of excitement and some true information, too. So, let's just take off and see where this one goes.
FORTIS MISSION
May's Moon #2
by S.Y. Palmer
Our Street Books
Young Adult Science Fiction
216 pages
ages 8 to 12
Fifteen-year-old Michael May makes history as the first child in space and part of a crew to the far side of the moon. However, from the moment he docks at the International Space Station, things change... Theft, sabotage, and a shocking discovery threaten Michael May's mission to the moon and force him to act. If he can't find the answers, the mission will fail. May's Moon: Fortis Mission is the second instalment in the May's Moon trilogy.
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43275184-fortis-mission
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Fortis-Mission-Book-Mays-Moon-ebook/dp/B07WDYP6TG
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fortis-mission-s-y-palmer/1130040694
MY TIDBITS
With a balanced mix of fact and fiction, this read offers tons of space excitement while weaving in mystery and tension, too.
Michael's training has come to an end, and the day of the launch has arrived. He's nervous and excited but thrown for a loop, when they reach the space station and 'orders' change. Three Chinese astronauts are on-board, and the US government doesn't want them to know about an experimental drug, which could change the world. But strange things start happening, and it becomes clear that there's more than simple politics on the line. Not only that, but Michael's own long-hoped-for experiment may not be able to be completed, either.
This is the second book in the trilogy, and while I didn't read the first one, it was no problem to dive right in and follow the adventure. So, this can be read as a stand-alone. That said, it also is advertised as a young adult read, which it isn't. While Michael is fifteen, the story flows like a very solid middle grade read and holds that maturity level on the character's end, but, perhaps, on the upper side thanks to some terms, theories, and technical aspects.
Expect quite a bit of excitement, tension, and a trip through fact based situations when diving into this read. The author has done research and does bring across all sorts of technical details, while steering Michael through quite the adventure. Space fans will enjoy the jargon as well as detailed moments such as launch, docking, and more. It builds a solid background for the fictive plot and offers a bit of learning possibilities, too. Only a couple things didn't hit reality quite right, but it's fiction after all. I enjoyed the mix and found it well done.
The mystery end is well-laid and played. It adds quite a bit of drama and tension, and is hard to guess what is truly going on. The stakes are high, which keeps those pages turning until the very end. There are also some deeper themes and food for thought, which act as entrance doors for political, ethical, and other discussions. This makes this great for classrooms and homeschoolers, who are willing to take a more original twist into areas such as international relations, money vs. global benefit (ethics), and such.
It's a quick read with a lot of goodness inside.
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