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Mars Ascendant #1
The Ares Weapon
Armageddon is up for Auction...
Dr. Melanie Destin’s life is a mess. In a desperate attempt to start over, she accepts an interplanetary salvage job that will pay her enough to rebuild a new life on Mars. When she learns the real purpose of the mission is to recover an apocalyptic virus, everything begins to unravel...
Planetary governments compete to control the pathogen which the expedition leader plans to steal. Meanwhile the corporation that hired her wants to eliminate anyone involved…
With her life in danger and not knowing who to trust, Mel must find a way to keep the virus out of the wrong hands. If she fails, billions will die…
The Ares Weapon, the first book in the Mars Ascendant Series, is a sci fi thriller about the consequences of humanity's Mars colonization and effort to terraform the planet. If you like science fiction with a strong female lead character, ruthless villains and a page turning plot, you'll love The Ares Weapon.
Dr. Melanie Destin’s life is a mess. In a desperate attempt to start over, she accepts an interplanetary salvage job that will pay her enough to rebuild a new life on Mars. When she learns the real purpose of the mission is to recover an apocalyptic virus, everything begins to unravel...
Planetary governments compete to control the pathogen which the expedition leader plans to steal. Meanwhile the corporation that hired her wants to eliminate anyone involved…
With her life in danger and not knowing who to trust, Mel must find a way to keep the virus out of the wrong hands. If she fails, billions will die…
The Ares Weapon, the first book in the Mars Ascendant Series, is a sci fi thriller about the consequences of humanity's Mars colonization and effort to terraform the planet. If you like science fiction with a strong female lead character, ruthless villains and a page turning plot, you'll love The Ares Weapon.
268 pages, Paperback
Published September 14, 2016
159 people are currently reading
500 people want to read
About the author
D.M. Pruden
30 books59 followersD.M.(Doug) Pruden is a professional geophysicist who worked for 35 years in the petroleum industry. For most of his life he has been plagued with stories banging around inside his head that demanded to be let out into the world. He currently spends his time as an empty nester in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his long suffering wife of 34 years, Colleen. When he isn’t writing science fiction stories, he likes to spend his time playing with his granddaughters and working on improving his golf handicap. He will also do geophysical work when requested.
Go to www.prudenauthor.com and sign up to the email list. You will receive a free, never before published ebook collection of short stories. List members will receive early publication notice of upcoming books, blog posts and other goodies from time to time.
Go to www.prudenauthor.com and sign up to the email list. You will receive a free, never before published ebook collection of short stories. List members will receive early publication notice of upcoming books, blog posts and other goodies from time to time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 13, 2019
My rating 4.3
The Book of "The Ares Weapon: A Space Colonization Sci-Fi Thriller (Mars Ascendant # 1)" by D.M. Pruden is a solid science fiction novel with a touch of thriller. The author introduces us to the world of fraud, manipulation, and intrigue, in which the main character Melanie becomes involuntarily major player. Dr. Melanie Destin is not exactly a true example of a perfect doctor she survived in the colony on the moon and hangs out with the worst scum on the bottom of society. She often got involved in shady business and collect money to have left out of that place. But her world will soon be scattered like a soap bubble and she will have to accept the immoral offer of her friend. But soon she will discover that because of this decision her life is found in immediate danger. The story is solid and to the very end, you do not know who will survive and what will happen next. I would recommend the book to lovers of science fiction.
The Book of "The Ares Weapon: A Space Colonization Sci-Fi Thriller (Mars Ascendant # 1)" by D.M. Pruden is a solid science fiction novel with a touch of thriller. The author introduces us to the world of fraud, manipulation, and intrigue, in which the main character Melanie becomes involuntarily major player. Dr. Melanie Destin is not exactly a true example of a perfect doctor she survived in the colony on the moon and hangs out with the worst scum on the bottom of society. She often got involved in shady business and collect money to have left out of that place. But her world will soon be scattered like a soap bubble and she will have to accept the immoral offer of her friend. But soon she will discover that because of this decision her life is found in immediate danger. The story is solid and to the very end, you do not know who will survive and what will happen next. I would recommend the book to lovers of science fiction.
September 10, 2018
excellent kickass herionne,plenty of twists and turns!waiting to read next in series.
June 20, 2024
Dr. Melanie Destin isn’t proud of her past, so when she’s offered a job as ship’s doctor, she accepts. The motley crew all seem to be hiding secrets. Their mission is to recover a deadly virus, which the Mars and Terran governments both want along with a private factor. Melanie’s job is to contain the virus when her shipmates acquire it. But she hides a secret, too. Can it protect her if the deadly contagion escapes its confines? This fast-paced sci-fi tale is easy to read with a likeable heroine.
January 10, 2020
I read many indie self-published authors; usually I am less than enthusiatic about their novels. Therefore, The Ares Weapon was an unexpected bright spot for me! D.M. Pruden is a good story teller, whetting the reader’s appetite for what comes next, but holding back enough that when the plot takes a turn -> it is unanticipated, but seemlessly presented.
December 30, 2016
The Ares Weapon by D.M. Pruden is a novella sized, Indie Sci-Fi/thriller. Dr Melanie Destin has a dream to start a new life on Mars. She is unwittingly coaxed into taking on a new job and soon finds out that not all is what it’s meant to be.
The Bad Stuff: Let me start by saying that I was conflicted with this book, so please don’t stop reading at the bad stuff, there are good things to say too. This book had a lot of issues for me. The content could do with a copy edit/proof read as there are several missing conjunctive words, double conjunctive words (ie. the the) and at least one spelling mistake throughout the book. There are also quite a few Latin words used in the story, and while I understand what the author was trying to achieve, I found this distracting. A bigger issue in my opinion, is that chapters jump from third person to first person narrative and back. I am not a fan of first person and in one particular paragraph it seemed like every sentence started with ‘I’. There was also some head hopping, thoughts shown in italics in some places, yet plain text in others, and a mirror scene used to describe the protagonist. I found some issues with the logic in the story too – The whole squatter thing didn’t make sense to me. Squatters rarely look after a squat house and it is even rarer that they leave of their own accord. Besides, it would make more sense to rent your apartment out if you knew you would be away for an extended period, especially if you are saving for your dream. As a reader I would also have been more sympathetic to the protagonist if she had not so easily (and so willingly) reverted to her old life, but rather had been set up to make it look like she had done so.
The Good Stuff: Okay, I’ve had a little rant above about the bad stuff, now let’s look at the positives of this book. Putting aside all the issues above, I actually enjoyed the story and found it easy to read. I think the author has a good concept of sentence and paragraph length. There are well constructed sentences (outside of those that have lost a word or have repeated the same word twice) and the prose runs smoothly. There is a good balance of description, narrative and dialogue and there’s also some good lines in the story, like ‘The smell of unwashed bodies hung in the poor airflow of the hundred-year-old tram car.’ There were little touches in this story that brought it to life for me, things like water rations running out in the shower and having to pay a premium for five more minutes. There has also been a lot of work put into the plot, and while I questioned some of the turns, I accepted them freely enough because I was enjoying the story and wanted to see how things worked out. The characters are well formed and there is both a strong protagonist and a ruthless antagonist, who both play key parts in the story and help to develop the plot. Another thing to note is that while I’m not a fan of first person, apart from the one paragraph that annoyed me, it was done very well.
I don’t normally read Sci-Fi or Thrillers, but on the whole this is a good, enjoyable read. I feel that if the author spends a little time fixing up some of the issues and releasing a version 2, it could end up as a great book. I’m giving this one 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks.
The Bad Stuff: Let me start by saying that I was conflicted with this book, so please don’t stop reading at the bad stuff, there are good things to say too. This book had a lot of issues for me. The content could do with a copy edit/proof read as there are several missing conjunctive words, double conjunctive words (ie. the the) and at least one spelling mistake throughout the book. There are also quite a few Latin words used in the story, and while I understand what the author was trying to achieve, I found this distracting. A bigger issue in my opinion, is that chapters jump from third person to first person narrative and back. I am not a fan of first person and in one particular paragraph it seemed like every sentence started with ‘I’. There was also some head hopping, thoughts shown in italics in some places, yet plain text in others, and a mirror scene used to describe the protagonist. I found some issues with the logic in the story too – The whole squatter thing didn’t make sense to me. Squatters rarely look after a squat house and it is even rarer that they leave of their own accord. Besides, it would make more sense to rent your apartment out if you knew you would be away for an extended period, especially if you are saving for your dream. As a reader I would also have been more sympathetic to the protagonist if she had not so easily (and so willingly) reverted to her old life, but rather had been set up to make it look like she had done so.
The Good Stuff: Okay, I’ve had a little rant above about the bad stuff, now let’s look at the positives of this book. Putting aside all the issues above, I actually enjoyed the story and found it easy to read. I think the author has a good concept of sentence and paragraph length. There are well constructed sentences (outside of those that have lost a word or have repeated the same word twice) and the prose runs smoothly. There is a good balance of description, narrative and dialogue and there’s also some good lines in the story, like ‘The smell of unwashed bodies hung in the poor airflow of the hundred-year-old tram car.’ There were little touches in this story that brought it to life for me, things like water rations running out in the shower and having to pay a premium for five more minutes. There has also been a lot of work put into the plot, and while I questioned some of the turns, I accepted them freely enough because I was enjoying the story and wanted to see how things worked out. The characters are well formed and there is both a strong protagonist and a ruthless antagonist, who both play key parts in the story and help to develop the plot. Another thing to note is that while I’m not a fan of first person, apart from the one paragraph that annoyed me, it was done very well.
I don’t normally read Sci-Fi or Thrillers, but on the whole this is a good, enjoyable read. I feel that if the author spends a little time fixing up some of the issues and releasing a version 2, it could end up as a great book. I’m giving this one 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks.
March 11, 2018
It took me a while to figure out why I disliked the book even though it seems fairly well written. Overall it's a good story, but it reads to me as if a non-SF reader tried to write SciFi without really understanding the genre. This is more like an "action novel" with a somewhat futuristic background.
For readers who like that sort of thing it seems a decent read. Just not quite my bag.
The writing is in first person for the main character's scenes and switches to third person for scenes that she would not know about (which is about half the book). This struck me as a good, innovative technique to familiarize the reader with the MC while avoiding most of the limitations of first person writing. Other reviewers may disparage this but I thought it was a good thing.
In the spectrum from "space opera" to "hard sci-fi" this is closer to hard sci-fi than not. But there's no actual science explanations so small errors creep in. I'd still put in the hard-SciFi camp, especially on account of the realistic space combats.
The story itself is action packed with multiple plot twists and much betrayal going on. It resolves well enough despite leaving a few plot hooks for the continuing series. There were parts, however, where I got confused over which characters were who. Mostly near the beginning of the book. I think the writer could have handled that better.
My only real issue it's with the worldbuilding, what little there is. I think the author tried to capitalize on existing future history from other authors, but didn't do well in that. There is no decent description of the society at all. The only innovation is a reference to "the morality police", but there's no indication of whether that is actually different from regular police or if it's just a derogatory term used by the MC. The character's motivations don't always make sense because there are inconsistencies to the societal background of the story. For example, when she decides to go back to prostitution to earn some extra cash, there's very little motivation that would indicate she was desperate, so the implication would be that societal norms may have changed on the Lunar colony to make that less reviled than current times. But then when she gets caught the legal ramifications are so harsh that it implies just the opposite. So the end result is more confusing than interesting. Also there's no indication whatsoever of what the Mars colony is like even though it is used as a major motivating factor for the MC. It's as if the author tried to write as if it were written by someone from that time, so the societal background was completely assumed and just not written at all. And there aren't clues enough to make it discernable, mostly.
Overall, I can't recommend the book but I'm also not recommending against it. Possibly it could be a very good read for someone who prefers modern fiction but wanted to branch into other settings.
Overall: 3.5 stars out of five.
I already bought book two before reading this one, so I will continue the series. But otherwise I probably wouldn't.
For readers who like that sort of thing it seems a decent read. Just not quite my bag.
The writing is in first person for the main character's scenes and switches to third person for scenes that she would not know about (which is about half the book). This struck me as a good, innovative technique to familiarize the reader with the MC while avoiding most of the limitations of first person writing. Other reviewers may disparage this but I thought it was a good thing.
In the spectrum from "space opera" to "hard sci-fi" this is closer to hard sci-fi than not. But there's no actual science explanations so small errors creep in. I'd still put in the hard-SciFi camp, especially on account of the realistic space combats.
The story itself is action packed with multiple plot twists and much betrayal going on. It resolves well enough despite leaving a few plot hooks for the continuing series. There were parts, however, where I got confused over which characters were who. Mostly near the beginning of the book. I think the writer could have handled that better.
My only real issue it's with the worldbuilding, what little there is. I think the author tried to capitalize on existing future history from other authors, but didn't do well in that. There is no decent description of the society at all. The only innovation is a reference to "the morality police", but there's no indication of whether that is actually different from regular police or if it's just a derogatory term used by the MC. The character's motivations don't always make sense because there are inconsistencies to the societal background of the story. For example, when she decides to go back to prostitution to earn some extra cash, there's very little motivation that would indicate she was desperate, so the implication would be that societal norms may have changed on the Lunar colony to make that less reviled than current times. But then when she gets caught the legal ramifications are so harsh that it implies just the opposite. So the end result is more confusing than interesting. Also there's no indication whatsoever of what the Mars colony is like even though it is used as a major motivating factor for the MC. It's as if the author tried to write as if it were written by someone from that time, so the societal background was completely assumed and just not written at all. And there aren't clues enough to make it discernable, mostly.
Overall, I can't recommend the book but I'm also not recommending against it. Possibly it could be a very good read for someone who prefers modern fiction but wanted to branch into other settings.
Overall: 3.5 stars out of five.
I already bought book two before reading this one, so I will continue the series. But otherwise I probably wouldn't.
November 4, 2016
This tale follows Melanie Destin, a Dr down on her luck.. who lands a job just when she needs it! Is this job too good to be true? And why all the bad luck??
A couple of the major plus points for this book are firstly, the twists. You’re never quite sure who is a good guy and who is bad. You only get the full picture when the author decides its time to reveal all. This had me guessing characters motivations so kept me really interested in the tale. Secondly the plot itself, the idea of a weaponised pathogen out there was great, I liked the idea there were multiple parties interested in retrieving the weapon and each had their reasons for doing so. I also loved the Nano tech employed in the tale.
This was a rather interesting read that improved the further on I got with it. I can’t put my finger on why but I never fully warmed to the main character Melanie.
I must admit I loved some of the other characters Agent 324 for a start.. devious, never quite knowing what he has planned.
Another idea the author explored was the mortality police which I found fascinating. In my opinion too many people lack morals in this world so the idea of a place where these people can be punished hooked me in.
The book has a decent word-count with a good amount of descriptiveness which in turn leads to a faster paced tale once the action gets going. This is non hard core science fiction.. the author has tackled the areas he wanted to and hasn’t got bogged down explaining every minute detail.
Overall it was a good read with just the right amount of descriptiveness vs plot to keep your brain engaged. I’d certainly like to see where this one goes that’s for sure. The author has left plenty strands of the tale available for the next book so it should be a good one!
This book would be good for anyone who hasn’t really tried Science Fiction before.. it’s not too in-depth which means it’s a nice easy and fun read
Have a look!
A couple of the major plus points for this book are firstly, the twists. You’re never quite sure who is a good guy and who is bad. You only get the full picture when the author decides its time to reveal all. This had me guessing characters motivations so kept me really interested in the tale. Secondly the plot itself, the idea of a weaponised pathogen out there was great, I liked the idea there were multiple parties interested in retrieving the weapon and each had their reasons for doing so. I also loved the Nano tech employed in the tale.
This was a rather interesting read that improved the further on I got with it. I can’t put my finger on why but I never fully warmed to the main character Melanie.
I must admit I loved some of the other characters Agent 324 for a start.. devious, never quite knowing what he has planned.
Another idea the author explored was the mortality police which I found fascinating. In my opinion too many people lack morals in this world so the idea of a place where these people can be punished hooked me in.
The book has a decent word-count with a good amount of descriptiveness which in turn leads to a faster paced tale once the action gets going. This is non hard core science fiction.. the author has tackled the areas he wanted to and hasn’t got bogged down explaining every minute detail.
Overall it was a good read with just the right amount of descriptiveness vs plot to keep your brain engaged. I’d certainly like to see where this one goes that’s for sure. The author has left plenty strands of the tale available for the next book so it should be a good one!
This book would be good for anyone who hasn’t really tried Science Fiction before.. it’s not too in-depth which means it’s a nice easy and fun read
Have a look!
August 15, 2017
Talk about bad luck left and right in this book. A strong female character, a sexy male supportive star are exactly what you are going to get in this book. I enjoyed reading this tale of Dr. Melanie and her new job that she got just in time. This is a great sci-fi thriller for all those who love the female heroine and the kick ass attitude they all have. A must read for any and all book lovers everywhere.
April 10, 2018
The Ares Weapon is the first book in the Mars Ascendant series. It can be read as a standalone but it does have a soft cliffhanger ending for future books. There is violence and sex. The storyline has a lot of twists and turns, but is just average. I expected more and was mildly disappointed. I'm not sure if I will read the next book or Not.
September 24, 2020
Only two stars for this... Science Fiction??? There was fiction but no discernable science, just a story in space. At that the story line was predictable and cliched. I won't be reading anything more from this author.
August 30, 2017
Melanie Destin is a doctor aboard a company starship, a merchant freighter. However, the job doesn’t pay much and recently the captain was changed and Mel doesn’t like the new captain. Her only friend among the crew has gotten a better job, too. Mel is on leave at home, at Luna, until the ship leaves again. She’s saving up so that she can move to Mars and live in luxury there. One of the best ways for her to earn money is to sell medicines under the table which the new captain prevents. Also, when she returns to Luna she realizes that she’s done more harm than good to one of her former clients and so feeling enormously guilty she gives most of her saved money to the client’s family. But then reason returns and she realizes that she doesn’t have any other choice but to get back to what she was doing before medical school: prostitution. Unfortunately, she’s caught by Luna’s Morality Police and promptly fired. Fortunately, one of her old friends from med school can offer her a new job. However, that new job turns out to be something quite different than what she was told beforehand.
From the start, Mel is a shady character. But she knows it and sometimes tries to make up for what she’s done in the past. She’s also distrustful of others and looking out for herself, because nobody else will. But’s she’s extremely loyal and always trying to work herself up and out of her situation.
As you might expect, bad guys are really bad. They don’t hesitate to murder, blackmail, and manipulate. The main baddie, known as Regis Mundi, has a thing for Ancient Roman customs. Although it seems that the others have the same because the Terran military space ship which we see is called Athena and a couple of other space ships are called Helios and Requiem.
The plot has more mystery and intrigue elements than action. Many of the characters manipulate each other and the reader is left guessing which character is going to betray who next. Mel’s chapters are written in first person but the others are from third person POV. There are several other POV characters, most of them the bad guys, plotting to get what they want.
The world-building was good. We only visit one city on Luna, Armstrong, which seems to be pretty run-down place. There’s also a sharp contrast between the old freighter Mel is on first and the new spaceships. We don’t really see Mars yet just what people think about it. Pretty much everyone has cortical implants and nano-tech plays a big part.
Unfortunately, the book has lots of typos. Also, I ended up wondering why Mel didn’t rent her apartment when she was away. After all, she clearly needed the money and she knew when she was going to come back. But she did live in the seedy side of town so maybe it would have been too much of a hassle to try to get a reputable renter. However, leaving the apartment for squatters seems to me a lot riskier option. Also, sometimes the choices of some of the characters didn’t make much sense.
Otherwise, this was an enjoyable read. Mel was definitely an entertaining main character and the plot moved at a good pace.
From the start, Mel is a shady character. But she knows it and sometimes tries to make up for what she’s done in the past. She’s also distrustful of others and looking out for herself, because nobody else will. But’s she’s extremely loyal and always trying to work herself up and out of her situation.
As you might expect, bad guys are really bad. They don’t hesitate to murder, blackmail, and manipulate. The main baddie, known as Regis Mundi, has a thing for Ancient Roman customs. Although it seems that the others have the same because the Terran military space ship which we see is called Athena and a couple of other space ships are called Helios and Requiem.
The plot has more mystery and intrigue elements than action. Many of the characters manipulate each other and the reader is left guessing which character is going to betray who next. Mel’s chapters are written in first person but the others are from third person POV. There are several other POV characters, most of them the bad guys, plotting to get what they want.
The world-building was good. We only visit one city on Luna, Armstrong, which seems to be pretty run-down place. There’s also a sharp contrast between the old freighter Mel is on first and the new spaceships. We don’t really see Mars yet just what people think about it. Pretty much everyone has cortical implants and nano-tech plays a big part.
Unfortunately, the book has lots of typos. Also, I ended up wondering why Mel didn’t rent her apartment when she was away. After all, she clearly needed the money and she knew when she was going to come back. But she did live in the seedy side of town so maybe it would have been too much of a hassle to try to get a reputable renter. However, leaving the apartment for squatters seems to me a lot riskier option. Also, sometimes the choices of some of the characters didn’t make much sense.
Otherwise, this was an enjoyable read. Mel was definitely an entertaining main character and the plot moved at a good pace.
July 10, 2017
"Life didn't give without taking."
Melanie Corrine Destin is a highly qualified medical doctor who has a dream - to leave her squalid home surroundings for the new Eden of Mars and all of her money is secretly saved for this. But she has a past so her only legitimate work is as a poorly paid ship's medic. Then she loses even that. Desperate, she accepts the offer of a very lucrative, but secret, job offer made to her by an old college friend working for the powerful Sato Corporation. But she quickly discovers that, not only had she been MANOEUVRE into her acceptance of it but also that there is far more to the enterprise than she likes. With very good reason ...
This fast paced, well written and very intriguing story is a pleasure to read. The characterisations are good, the concepts bold and loyalties very suspect. Just who is double-crossing who? To have a chance of staying alive, Mel will have to decide who to trust - and even then, the odds are against her.
Highly recommended to science fiction fans who also enjoy intrigue and a spot of detective work.
Melanie Corrine Destin is a highly qualified medical doctor who has a dream - to leave her squalid home surroundings for the new Eden of Mars and all of her money is secretly saved for this. But she has a past so her only legitimate work is as a poorly paid ship's medic. Then she loses even that. Desperate, she accepts the offer of a very lucrative, but secret, job offer made to her by an old college friend working for the powerful Sato Corporation. But she quickly discovers that, not only had she been MANOEUVRE into her acceptance of it but also that there is far more to the enterprise than she likes. With very good reason ...
This fast paced, well written and very intriguing story is a pleasure to read. The characterisations are good, the concepts bold and loyalties very suspect. Just who is double-crossing who? To have a chance of staying alive, Mel will have to decide who to trust - and even then, the odds are against her.
Highly recommended to science fiction fans who also enjoy intrigue and a spot of detective work.
December 18, 2018
This was a free ebook. An incentive to try out an author and an introduction to a series.
This book is a stand alone introduction to a series. There is no cliff hanger ending, but just a trailer scene to tease you to read the next book.
I liked the plot and the writing style. Not a lot of heavy technical science, but few places to get the science wrong. Our lead character is female and I do enjoy a good and well written heroine. My issue with this character is how stereotypical she has been depicted. She is not a super warrior, not fearless, nor exceptionally wise. This book is more of the Man Who Knew Too Much approach of someone who is in over their head, struggling to survive, and not always looking out for anyone but herself. Pretty much an ordinary person, full of her own faults. This book it reads okay, but not engaging enough to support an ongoing series. At least not for me.
Have a GoodReads.
This book is a stand alone introduction to a series. There is no cliff hanger ending, but just a trailer scene to tease you to read the next book.
I liked the plot and the writing style. Not a lot of heavy technical science, but few places to get the science wrong. Our lead character is female and I do enjoy a good and well written heroine. My issue with this character is how stereotypical she has been depicted. She is not a super warrior, not fearless, nor exceptionally wise. This book is more of the Man Who Knew Too Much approach of someone who is in over their head, struggling to survive, and not always looking out for anyone but herself. Pretty much an ordinary person, full of her own faults. This book it reads okay, but not engaging enough to support an ongoing series. At least not for me.
Have a GoodReads.
August 5, 2017
This is a fast-paced inner solar system adventure. Melanie Destin is manoeuvred into signing on a space ship as chief medical officer. Only the company “boss” knows where they are headed. The objective, though, is a nano-weapon, stored on an abandoned ship near Mercury, and Melanie’s ship is not the only one headed there. Melanie is a loner, whose few friends are people she can trust. But almost all of the crew are not who they pretend to be, and the nano-weapon is key to the survival of Earth, of Luna, of Mars, of a huge corporation…as well as individuals who see the potential for wealth and power if they can get their hands on it.
This book stands on its own, but there is a follow-up book called Mother of Mars and I have already purchased it.
This book stands on its own, but there is a follow-up book called Mother of Mars and I have already purchased it.
December 30, 2017
Great Story with Interesting Characters
Author D. M. Pruden has created an engrossing story with well-developed characters even if they are only with us for a short while. The scenes are often described with the same attention to painting a vivid picture. The first-person narratives help with getting us to know the main characters
The story follows Melanie Destin as she endeavors to achieve her goal of becoming a Mars citizen. The path is not a straight line and includes fast-paced action, intriguing plot twists, brains over brawn, and even a bit of romance. This is a great start to the series.
This was a very enjoyable read and kept me rooting for Melanie.
Author D. M. Pruden has created an engrossing story with well-developed characters even if they are only with us for a short while. The scenes are often described with the same attention to painting a vivid picture. The first-person narratives help with getting us to know the main characters
The story follows Melanie Destin as she endeavors to achieve her goal of becoming a Mars citizen. The path is not a straight line and includes fast-paced action, intriguing plot twists, brains over brawn, and even a bit of romance. This is a great start to the series.
This was a very enjoyable read and kept me rooting for Melanie.
May 3, 2022
It took me a while to finish this one but I was interested in it enough to want to finish the story. The Ares Weapon was a bit difficult to read at first due to the multiple plot twists, switching from first and third person, and different characters. The story was still interesting especially when the ship got underway. I will say this was a light sci-fi book given there wasn’t much science but more just a story that took place in space.
Full disclosure: this was a free book and for the price was enjoyable and worth the read. I would recommend the book and look forward to the others in the series once they become free as well.
Full disclosure: this was a free book and for the price was enjoyable and worth the read. I would recommend the book and look forward to the others in the series once they become free as well.
October 13, 2017
A well written and often thrilling read.
I consumed this title in the space of a couple of days recently. It kept me turning pages and wanting to come back for more. The story focuses on the life of Dr Melanie Destin. After a series of financial misfortunes and left without a job, Mel is forced to accept an employment offer from an old friend. The job seems like an offer that’s too good to be true, and as it turns out, it is. Mel’s financial woes soon pale in comparison to the physical threats that ensue.
I consumed this title in the space of a couple of days recently. It kept me turning pages and wanting to come back for more. The story focuses on the life of Dr Melanie Destin. After a series of financial misfortunes and left without a job, Mel is forced to accept an employment offer from an old friend. The job seems like an offer that’s too good to be true, and as it turns out, it is. Mel’s financial woes soon pale in comparison to the physical threats that ensue.
October 27, 2017
Nice Political Sci Fi Thriller
In a world where nothing is usally what it seems then our heroine a talented doctor who grew up in poverty is subjected to the whins of the mighty as she becomes a pawn is what could be the biggest threat to the solar system and its colonies it has ever faced. With danger and uncertainty at each and ever turn this books has a nice solid plot and a fairly consistent intrigue mystery where you're kept guessing all the time.
Would recommend to anyone who enjoys a sci fi intrigue thriller
In a world where nothing is usally what it seems then our heroine a talented doctor who grew up in poverty is subjected to the whins of the mighty as she becomes a pawn is what could be the biggest threat to the solar system and its colonies it has ever faced. With danger and uncertainty at each and ever turn this books has a nice solid plot and a fairly consistent intrigue mystery where you're kept guessing all the time.
Would recommend to anyone who enjoys a sci fi intrigue thriller
February 5, 2019
This is a good sci-fi story set in a future where Earth has colonized Mars and the Moon. This is not your feel good "perfect future" story.
There is serious political conflict between the planets, and the people, all humans, are not united. Corporations are powerful, and literally have control over those who work for them. The protagonist, though flawed, is likeable, and you want her to win. Some parts were a bit technical for me, but overall, this was a fast paced, entertaining read. I recommend it.
There is serious political conflict between the planets, and the people, all humans, are not united. Corporations are powerful, and literally have control over those who work for them. The protagonist, though flawed, is likeable, and you want her to win. Some parts were a bit technical for me, but overall, this was a fast paced, entertaining read. I recommend it.
November 13, 2022
Melanie Destin has a history that is...complex, but nothing has prepared her for the danger she falls into when her job disappears and a long-lost friend offers her a gig which seems a little too good to be true -- and won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. This is an intricate, well-plotted and fast-paced story loaded with intrigue and adventure. It grabbed and kept my attention from the beginning, and I enjoyed it all the way through.
June 13, 2020
Definitely a space thriller. What happens in the solar system when dishonorable people, corporations and governments are turned loose to try to become the dominant one.
There is action and intrigue. The author leaves us wondering what really will be the next thing to happen. A very carefully woven tale that will pull you along.
There is action and intrigue. The author leaves us wondering what really will be the next thing to happen. A very carefully woven tale that will pull you along.
April 20, 2022
Not a bad read but I had a hard time liking any of the characters. I couldn’t figure out why a doctor couldn’t find any other way to make a little extra money on the side other than prostitution. Aside from that, I am somewhat intrigued as to why the life of the main character was being followed by others. I may continue reading to find out!
April 13, 2018
Good storyline
I really enjoyed ready this book. Good characters. I'll be interested to see where this story goes. The only negative for me is the over usage of expletives. It really distracted from reading. Hopeful the next books are tamer.
I really enjoyed ready this book. Good characters. I'll be interested to see where this story goes. The only negative for me is the over usage of expletives. It really distracted from reading. Hopeful the next books are tamer.
November 22, 2018
Great book
When Mel has an opportunity for a better job with a better life, it sounds too good. She finally decides to accept the offers and finds out that nothing is what she was told. Not sure who to trust, Mel we must make her way the best she can.
When Mel has an opportunity for a better job with a better life, it sounds too good. She finally decides to accept the offers and finds out that nothing is what she was told. Not sure who to trust, Mel we must make her way the best she can.
December 5, 2018
I enjoyed this book. In many ways it is an introduction story, the debut of the main characters and some of the back stories. It moves along nicely and has lots of action, with a touch of bigger issues going on in the background. four out of five stars on Goodreads.
June 21, 2019
I really like this book. Dr. Melanie Destin is opportunist, very friendly, courage, has flexible morals like many people when it is a survival situation, but can be very generous if needs. I read it very fast. I definitely will read the other book. I received this as a free book.
November 8, 2019
Trust
It is the foundation of society. Even criminals need someone to trust.
This was an involuntary Jane Bond trying to survive when she didn’t have a lot of options. Not truly amoral but a survivor.
I will buy the next book. Best recommendation I can make.
It is the foundation of society. Even criminals need someone to trust.
This was an involuntary Jane Bond trying to survive when she didn’t have a lot of options. Not truly amoral but a survivor.
I will buy the next book. Best recommendation I can make.
December 15, 2017
Mars and an apocalyptic virus. Can't wait to read more.
January 29, 2018
Good book has a great storyline and characters filled with action and adventure plus some plot twists.
January 29, 2018
Brill book
Loved it once started I could not put it down looking forward to reading the next in the series keep them coming
Loved it once started I could not put it down looking forward to reading the next in the series keep them coming
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