STARFIRE

The development of an orbiting solar-power plant leads to conflict between American and Russian military forces.

The newest military thriller from Brown (Tiger’s Claw, 2013, etc.) continues the saga of the late, legendary fighter pilot Patrick McLanahan and his rapidly maturing son, Bradley. In the not-too-distant future of 2016, Kenneth Phoenix is the first American president to fly in space, and he implements a plan to expand the U.S. space program. This decision infuriates the Russian president, who's still recovering from emotional wounds inflicted during the battle between American and Russian forces a decade prior. To complicate matters further, college freshman Bradley McLanahan is leading a team of gifted scientists and engineers working on an orbiting solar plant, which would be a boon to America’s interstellar presence. With his father dead, however, Bradley is left vulnerable to Russian agents under orders to settle an old score with his family. To protect himself—and the future of his cutting-edge project—Bradley hooks up with his father’s old allies while developing the skills necessary for his own emergence as a first-rate fighting man. In a world where old vendettas merge with global tensions, Bradley learns that every step could be his last and political intrigue can quickly turn into an outright war. With no room for extraneous character development or expansive narrative details, this story rests on the author’s deep knowledge of flying and the space program. 

A page-turner filled with an insider’s knowledge of military aircraft.