This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Francis Mont for Readers' Favorite
Guardians of the Solar Shield: Earth's Climate Mirrors Under Attack 2029-2037 by Sam Bleicher is a very enjoyable novel dealing with our world in the 2030s trying to cope with climate change and its effect on the planet. This is not a doom-and-gloom story but rather intelligent problem-solving with the background of human stupidity, greed, intrigue, and political opportunism. The United Nations’ Solar Shield Project launches 480 reflecting mirrors into Earth's orbit to reduce the solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface. So far, so good, but then regional interests and rivalries come into play, and a struggle over the mirrors’ alignment ensues to move the mirrors’ shadows away from some areas that don’t like to be in the shade. The plot spans the whole globe, including the US, China, and Russia. Some of the characters don’t shy away from murder and arson, while the good guys use every trick in their counterintelligence toolkit to save the project. The blossoming romance between reluctant lovers is the icing on the cake in this fast-moving and enjoyable novel.
I found Guardians of the Solar Shield very refreshing, quite different from the usual depressing post-apocalyptic stories that dwell on suffering and dying. There is hope because the adversaries are evenly matched in their technical skills, and the reader gets to learn a lot about computer programming and hacking. We also have a glimpse into how huge international projects are organized, implemented, and controlled. I liked the main characters, especially Kelly, the Irish redhead, with her passion, honesty, integrity, and courage. The pacing of the novel steadily increases throughout, never tedious for a second. The many italicized introspective musings of the characters give authenticity to these life-like people, and the plot stays believable all through the novel, never stretching the reader’s credulity too far. I highly recommend Sam Bleicher’s Guardians of the Solar Shield to readers who are tired of doom-and-gloom and want to see some hope, despite the stupidity all around us.
