My review was just published on line in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, March/April issue.
It is available here:

https://www.analogsf.com/current-issue/the-reference-library/

Alan Smale (https://www.alansmale.com) is the author of eight novels. Radiant Sky was published last November and is the second book in his Apollo Rising series. It is the 2nd book I completed reading in 2025.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

This novel is set in an alternate history where the Russians are the first to reach the Moon. The US has withdrawn from Vietnam earlier than in our timeline, investing heavily in the space program and the race with Russia. A year three years earlier, there had been an armed clash between US and Russian forces (Read Hot Moon). Now, the astronauts and cosmonauts are cooperating, but not necessarily trusting one another.

US Navy Captain Vivian Carter is a NASA astronaut currently on the Moon. She leads a crew of 6, including two Russians, on a geological survey mission. Their plan is to make a surface trek in a MOLAB (Moon truck) to the North, then the South Pole of the Moon. They leave joint base Zvezda-Copernicus and successfully travel to the North Pole and back without any problems. By the time they return, tensions between the Russians and Americans has escalated. Both sides claim equipment and supplies have been stolen. Both are pointing fingers at the other side.

Carter and her team leave Zvezda-Copernicus heading to the South Pole. They are about to head home when they are attacked. Carter and her crew fight off the attackers, but two crew members are injured. Now tensions are even higher as both sides blame the other for the attack. Because the attackers are of unknown origin, they are tagged Cryptonauts.

The injured are taken to Zvezda-Copernicus for medical treatment. A pair of armed Russians and a pair of armed US Space Force are delivered to protect the explorers over the last two weeks of their mission. They completed the geological survey and returned to Zvezda-Copernicus without further problems. By this time, almost all cooperation between the two nations has ceased.

Since the exploration mission began, the head of the Russian side of Zvezda-Copernicus has been replaced with Svetlana Belyakova. She had assisted Carter years earlier during the military conflict. The two talk, but neither really trusts the other. Unlike the others on the US side, Carter leans towards believing Belyakova that the Russians were not involved in the attack.

Just days before Carter is to leave the Moon to return to Earth, she and another astronaut are attacked while out on the surface. Carter is nearly killed while her companion is kidnapped. Carter finally leaves the Moon but soon finds herself reassigned to the USAF Night Corps. A large contingent has been sent to the Moon to track down the Cryptonauts behind the attacks. This reunites Carter with her former love interest, Peter Sandoval, the commander of the Night Corps unit.

Carter believes her career in space is nearing its end. She is not looking forward to returning to Earth and having a normal life. Carter finds herself conflicted after she is offered command of an important new NASA mission. She must keep the new mission secret from everyone. She just needs to survive the pending confrontation with the Cryptonauts.

Now, the detailed search begins for the hidden base where the Cryptonauts are hiding. Once found, the Night Corps will confront them. Who is behind the unknown force? Does the Night Corps have the personnel and weapons to neutralize the Cryptonauts successfully? Is there a spy within the US Zvezda-Copernicus crew?

I enjoyed the 14.5 hours reading this 546-page alternate history and science fiction novel. I have had the opportunity to read a few books by Mr. Smale and have enjoyed them all. Those books are: Clash of Eagles, Eagle in Exile, and Hot Moon. This book reads well, but it would be best to read Hot Moon first. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

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Radiant Sky is the second in the Apollo Rising near alternate history series set in the near past and begun with Hot Moon.
In this history the Soviet's beat us to the moon by a few months and kept the space race going.
Hot Moon was set around 1980. Radiant Sky is set in 1983 and our heroin, Vivian Carter, from Hot Moon returns along with other characters from Hot Moon.

I struggled a bit near the beginning of Radiant Sky. Mostly with a passage I thought was too repetitive and talky. That may have just been my own mood. Certainly by 50 pages further in I was happy to keep reading and by the last 40% did not want to put it down. And didn't.

In the author's afterword notes (well worth reading themselves) he indicates there will be more in Apollo Rising. I really hope we won't have to wait two years for his next! Though if we do have to it will still be worth it.