In William Manchee’s second installment in the Tarizon trilogy, Leek Lanzia, the Earth teenager many Tarizonians believe is the Liberator, finds himself leading the ragtag remnants of the Loyalist army. Still reeling from his mate’s kidnapping by the TGA, the army of the corrupt world government, Leek manages to enlist the aid of all of the downtrodden peoples on Tarizon. His army consists not only of Tarizon and humans, it includes mutants, seafolken, and the minute nanomites. As these forces bring their skills and unique gifts to the battle, Leek and the Loyalists begin to realize that he is indeed the fulfillment of prophecy.

Once again, William Manchee has crafted a grand science-fiction adventure in the tradition of Robert Heinlein and many of the early sci-fi masters. There is romance, plenty of air battles, and lots of intrigue. And, most interesting to me, Manchee crafts many new alien species with unique abilities.

Tarizon: Civil War is an exciting page turner and one that will surely please any science-fiction buff. I can’t wait for the next installment.