Pale Blue: A Thriller

For a first time writer he did a great job with this trilogy. It was nice reading a book without a bunch of curse words too. There was enough history through the book it seemed some of it could have actually happened.

A perfect conclusion to a perfect story. Mike Jenne knows how to present all the hardware and technical details (but not to the point of "dragging on" to non-spaceflight enthusiasts) while weaving it so well into an excellent story. I know I'll re-read the _Blue Gemini_ trilogy many times over.

Having read the Blue Gemini trilogy over the past 12 months, I have to admit that I was hooked early in the first book, Blue Gemini. Mike Jenne’s style of writing ranks up there with some of the best authors I have read over the years. His character development makes the reader feel like they actually know the character, so much so that like in real life you can almost predict some of the future reactions of those characters, but to a point. Even minor characters have been developed enough to where you feel you know them even if their role is limited. It’s that attention to detail that gives the serious reader everything they need to understand how the character, no matter how minor a role, will affect the flow and outcome of the story. I get annoyed reading books where minor characters are just thrown in and then out again without understanding anything about them. It’s almost like an afterthought with some authors to keep the storyline moving. Some may say that there’s too much detail with character development, but I appreciated it in the Blue Gemini series. I found even the most minor character interesting regarding their life and what motivated them. It was just that “little bit of extra” that some of us crave. The books are highly detailed from a technical point, but not to the point where the reader doesn’t comprehend the technical aspect that the author is trying to convey. I thoroughly enjoyed the technical details of the books. There was nothing that I didn’t understand which is a tribute to the author’s writing ability. This series filled a lot of gaps in my understanding of how spacecraft systems worked and the perils of space flight without all the “engineer speak”, and it was entertaining too. As I mentioned during a review of the first book, Blue Gemini, these books are not for the lazy reader. Going into the series knowing Blue Gemini was the first of three books, I appreciated the time the author took to develop characters who roles wouldn’t be brought to the forefront until the second novel Blue-Darker Than Black or the third novel Pale Blue. A few critics complained about the “loose ends” and the character development where the character didn’t have a major role or seemingly disconnected role, I a thought the early development was great considering it keep the two later books flowing right along since the characters were already developed in the first book. It may not be everyone’s preference but I found it worked very well for my taste. People I liked in Blue Gemini I started to feel a detachment to in Blue – Darker than Black to darn right disdain in Pale Blue. . Congratulations to Mike Jenne for a very well written, well thought out, book and series. I'm looking forward to more novels from this author.

Master author Mike Jenne’s “Pale Blue” is the third novel in the fabulous “Blue Gemini” series of exciting historical fiction chronicalling the exploits of Air Force astronauts as they seek out potentially threatening Soviet satellites in orbit in the late sixties and early seventies. The author clearly conducted extensive technical and historical research and sought the insight of astronauts, aerospace engineers, launch personnel, and space flight directors to craft a highly believable and realistic novel. Adding to the drama and the realism, space flight support activities and personnel are cleaverly woven into the storyline. These supporting roles include search and rescue personnel, remote communications personnel, space flight command center staff, senior military officers, and a noteworthy politician. These elements of intrigue are woven together in a fashion reminiscent of that used by James Michener in the best selling novel “The Bridges at Toko Ri”. While there is certainly a lot of technology embedded in the story it is a human story at its core. The hopes and dreams of the astronauts are explored along with the stress and strain the intrigue adds to the astronaut’s personnel lives and the impact it has on their families and loved ones. Further adding to the plot, the author weaves in exciting intrigue and mystery in accurately portraying the Soviet cosmonauts, the communist bureaucracy, military leaders, and aerospace engineers engaged in the Soviet’s clandestine space program. Like an exciting James Bond novel, the “Blue Gemini” series logically takes the reader to numerous exotic locations around the world as the storyline unfolds. The author’s personnel knowledge from traveling to and working in these exotic locales only adds to the realism. The author also accurately conveys the texture of the early seventies as the backdrop. I highly recommend “Pale Blue” to anyone interested in reading thrilling, realistic science fiction. “Pale Blue” offers an exciting alternative to many of today’s unrealistic, fantasy based and super hero based science fiction novels. In reading “Pale Blue”, you will be impressed by the authenticity of the story and the characters. I am definitely looking forward to Mike Jenne’s next novel, whatever that might be...