This is a review of the second book in the ‘Battle for the Solar System’ series by Stephen Sweeney. The Third Side (Battle for the Solar System, #2) is part space opera, part military action on a planet all nicely squeezed together into one book.
Picking up my Kindle to read this book, I didn’t realise how much I needed to! I needed something old school, with a sci-fi space battle and plenty of action that flowed. I had read the first book in the series back in November 2011, but the familiarity with the characters and the universe that the author had created came quickly flooding back.
In the second instalment you see the core characters, Simon Dodds and his wingmates fighting for survival on a planet infested with the enemy. Whilst up above in the surrounding space, allies take on the might of the enemy’s armada.
Whilst at times the heroes are just striving to stay alive, battling an almost unstoppable enemy, human yet something more. This book doesn’t hold back. People are hurt and many die. This is a battle for survival, with the enemy relentless in their ambition. Who truly are the enemy and can they be stopped?
I like a good space battle and action, but what this book truly brings is the stories of the characters, their fears, their passion, their willpower, all neatly twisted, shaken and played out during their fight for survival.
Some of the space action itself reminds me of the Warstrider series, which is indeed good company for this book to keep, as I thoroughly enjoyed that series. Wisely like the first book, all the action in ‘The Third Side’ isn’t space crafts shooting at each other, but instead that is just one aspect of the action.
I won’t lie or hold back, there was an explanation for a situation that I found confusing, quite a major aspect of the whole series, but I quickly moved on, and took this book for what it was, which for me was a welcomed read during a lunch hour, a spare moment out and about or whilst relaxing in the evening. Looking back I should of reread the page and perhaps it caught me at a very tired moment! I should revisit to read that part of the story again.
I don’t recommend you dive into book two if you’ve not read the first book in the series. Instead take the time to get to know the characters, follow them from the very beginning and you should find the second book all the much better.
I enjoyed reading book two, which has good pace. The nuggets of space opera gold that unfolded in the later parts of the story, are a great incentive to read the next instalment.
This book was just what I needed and if you are a space opera geek like myself, then you should check out the series.
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