Moon Rising is a work of fiction in the science fiction genre and is the latest installment in the Upsilon Series. It is aimed at the adult reading audience and was penned by Daniel Weisbeck. The book follows a young woman named Silon who escapes a stranger’s basement, unable to tell who she really is from who she was forced to pretend to be. With the help of a former teacher and an android companion, Silon starts to put together the picture of who she really is and whether she is defined by others or in control of her own fate.

A clever and innovative story lies within the pages of this book, one which takes body horror to a new level as Silon finds herself with doubt after doubt about who she is and why she’s being hunted. Daniel Weisbeck finds twist after twist to keep the audience as disoriented as Silon herself in trying to get to grips with the world, keeping the story at a fantastic high pace that never allows readers or characters to settle and catch their breath before being plunged into the next story beat. Moon Rising is a seminal start to what I hope will be a long and exciting series of novels by the author. Silon, Charlie, and Nutt have an engaging dynamic that makes me want to see more of them in the future. The pace and quality of the prose leave me keen to dive into the next in the Upsilon series.

Moon Rising by Daniel Weisbeck tells the story of Silon, a twelve-year-old girl who wakes up in the basement of a house owned by a man named Finster, whom she calls Sad-Man. The room is stark with only an old bed, lamp, storybook, and a dresser filled with clothes that once belonged to his daughter, Jenna. Every evening Sad-Man takes out a clean outfit for Silon to wear the next day and leaves it on top of the dresser. She quickly learns that all he wants is for her to put the clothes on and read the book before he turns the light off and goes back upstairs. Silon comes up with an idea to try to escape. With the help of “Teacher,” Doctor Bobby Houndstooth, and her friend Doctor Julie Saville, Silon manages to escape from Finster but is pursued relentlessly by Stearn Blakely’s men due to a security breach at an organization called Nomad. Stearn is CEO of Nomad Robotics. Silon and Teacher enlist the help of a very rebellious Charlie who previously worked for Nomad to assist them. Silon finds a new friend in Nutt, one of “Charlie’s Angels.” Discovering the truth has endangered the lives of Silon and Teacher when they are hunted down by Kiko, a secret Chinese government agent. They must escape, and Leroy Brown is their only hope.

A thoroughly enjoyable novel from beginning to end with action, thrills, spills, suspense, and many twists and turns along the way. The plot is well thought out, and I especially enjoyed the descriptive way that Silon’s thoughts are captured. It gives the reader a clear mental picture of the girl and her surroundings. The characters are interesting and have varied personalities, from the serious Teacher to mad Charlie and his lovable Nutt. I particularly enjoyed how the scenes are written from each character’s perspective, telling the story from all angles. The story is fast-paced and smooth flowing as Silon and Teacher travel around the country. I’m glad to see that the author included an index. There are no negative elements to Moon Rising. This is an awesome book.