PROMISE OF THE VISITOR

Two humans join aliens in protecting Earth from hostile extraterrestrials in this third installment of an SF series.

Daytona Beach, Florida, mystery writer Jacob Casell has already saved the world twice. He previously befriended Arcon, an alien artificial intelligence, whose “swirl of energy” form usually resides in spheres of varying colors. They’ve thwarted menacing alien species that have threatened Earth. But Earth’s newest visitor from the stars, humanoid Silenna, hails from the same planet as Arcon. She comes in peace but brings bad news: Not only is an activated doomsday device heading to Earth, but a ship of unknown origin and intentions, which followed Silenna, has landed on the moon as well. In the course of his ongoing adventures, Jacob has locked eyes with Amy Goodwin, an aerospace engineer and part-time astronomer. This flourishing romantic couple team up with Arcon and Silenna to try to stop interplanetary baddies from executing whatever catastrophe they’re plotting. The heroes’ precarious mission puts them inside a spaceship—which one human eventually pilots—that drops them into action on the moon. Gittlin’s consistently fast-paced novella hits the ground running. The story, for example, wraps up one threat (from the second installment) and quickly introduces another. Tension rises along the way, including when Arcon, on a lunar reconnaissance mission, loses contact with his pals back on Earth. Unfortunately, the team knocks out one menace with such ease and proficiency that the subplot ends on an anticlimactic note. But the narrative is otherwise exciting, especially with its grim countdown as Silenna estimates the number of days until Earth’s potential doom. The author gleefully describes a mysterious spaceship, pointing out a “support beam shaped like a massive Martini glass” and such eccentricities as the infirmary’s “fuzzy” walls and ceiling. The tale—which features stock photographs—delivers an ending that, perhaps unsurprisingly, suggests another installment is in the wings.

A delightful romp with spaceships, suspense, and assorted aliens.