cover image Larry Bond's Red Dragon Rising: Edge of War

Larry Bond's Red Dragon Rising: Edge of War

Larry Bond and Jim DeFelice, Forge, $25.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-7653-2138-1

Set in 2014, Bond and DeFelice's second thriller about a looming conflict with China more than fulfills the promise of the first in the series, Shadows of War. China, desperate for food, has invaded Vietnam, where environmental scientist Josh MacArthur witnessed the Chinese attack and a subsequent massacre. CIA officer Mara Duncan and a team of SEALs are smuggling Josh out of Vietnam so he can return to America and tell his story to President George Greene, who's trying to persuade Congress to stand up to the Chinese. Meanwhile in Hanoi, Maj. Zeus Murphy, at Greene's behest, is doing what he can to prevent the Chinese from rolling through and defeating Vietnam. Wire-taut suspense, credible characters, and an original premise make this one of the better recent entries in the military action subgenre. While the book works as a stand-alone, readers should begin with Shadows of War. (Nov.)