Blood Moon: The Rising #2    by Heather Graham & Jon Land Order:  USA  Can Tor, 2022 (2022) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Blood Moon follows The Rising as the second in a fast-paced, action packed science fiction series by Heather Graham and Jon Land. It's set on our Earth, where aliens (good guys and bad) have been able to enter through a wormhole that opens under very specific conditions. The leads are high school students Alex Chin (a jock) and Samantha Dixon, the NASA intern nerd who tutored him. After a ball game injury, hospital tests made Alex's existence known and the duo ended up on the run, pursued by Trackers. Fortunately, Guardian Raiff was there to protect Alex. The first episode showed Alex's development of certain powers, aided by an organic chip in his brain, which will eventually kill him. This episode opens to reveal Alex and Sam's separation. Readers then learn of Raiff's back story; a Resistance movement on another world; Alex's birth mother Elaina; and Raiff's crossing a spacebridge to Earth with baby Alex. In the present time, Alex learns that Sam is in danger and races to her side. A badly burned woman is taken to hospital in Texas, followed soon afterwards by masked commandos. Sam and Alex are attacked, first by self driving cars and later by golems. They rush to find keys - in Brittany and Guatemala - before the blood moon rises. As the episode ends, Alex accepts an offer from the Ash Man that will save the world but separates him from Sam once more. I look forward to finding out where the authors take this highly imaginative series next - on or off our planet. 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