The Rising    by Heather Graham & Jon Land Order:  USA  Can Tor, 2017 (2017) Hardcover, CD, e-Book     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Aliens (both good guys and bad) are among us in The Rising by Heather Graham and Jon Land. But they're not invaders from nearby space - they look human and seem to come through a wormhole that only opens under very specific conditions. But that's getting ahead of the story which starts by introducing two high school students. Alex Chin looks like a WASP but was adopted by his Chinese parents as a baby. As a rising football star, his future looks rosy, though his parents press him to take academics more seriously. They have even hired him a tutor to help - nerdy fellow student Samantha Dixon, who is absorbed in her NASA internship. Both their lives change radically after a ball game injury takes Alex to hospital where tests alert others to his existence. His doctor and parents are butchered. Sam finds the latter and goes on the run with Alex, pursued by men in black, Trackers. And they're not the only ones seeking the duo. Uber wealthy Langston Marsh has hired a private army of black ops specialists to track down and kill all aliens, whom he blames for his father's death. Fortunately, there are good aliens too and Guardian Raiff's role is to keep Alex (code name The Dancer) safe. Alex finds some answers about his past in a statue that his mother treasured. He seeks more in his point of origin on Earth, and learns that somehow he possesses the power to stop the aliens from taking over the world - but how can he unleash this ability or knowledge? Alcatraz might reveal clues. This first episode ends on a cliffhanger, with Sam's life in danger. Guess we'll just have to wait for the next one to find out how Alex saves her ... and our world. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more SF books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews