Lunar Shadow
A New Cold War on the Moon
by Shay Sabbah
political thriller
The race for the Moon is a cover for war—and the clock is ticking.
About this book
Secretary of State Evelyn Hartley thought she had left her mistakes in the past. But when a secret lunar race between the US and China spirals toward open conflict, her old choices come back with a vengeance. As SpaceX's Jasper Okafor cuts corners to meet impossible deadlines, and China's Wei Zhang hides his own betrayals, a single spark could ignite a war that would devastate Earth. With a mole in her intelligence services and a back-channel to her Chinese counterpart, Evelyn must navigate a web of lies, corporate greed, and personal vendettas to forge a treaty before the first shot is fired. But when a sabotage on the Moon kills astronauts, diplomacy fails—and Evelyn finds herself on the brink of the very war she swore to prevent. In the cold silence of space, the future of humanity hangs in the balance, and Evelyn must decide who to trust: her own government, her enemies, or the ghosts of her past.
Reader Reviews
Andrew Wright
★★★★★A tense, smartly paced political thriller that really nails the claustrophobia of high-stakes diplomacy. I loved the opening with the burner phone and the midnight call—it sets the tone perfectly. My only gripe is that the middle sags a bit with too much technical detail about trajectories and fuel reserves; I found myself skimming some of that. But the character work, especially Evelyn's internal conflict, keeps you hooked. Definitely worth a read if you like your sci-fi grounded in real-world geopolitics.
Eric Lopez
★★★★★This book is an absolute rocket ride. From the very first page, I was sucked into Evelyn's world—the insomnia, the ticking clock, the gut-punch of that launch news. The way the author weaves together corporate greed, personal betrayal, and the cold silence of space is masterful. I couldn't put it down. The back-channel diplomacy and the mole subplot had me guessing until the end. If you're a fan of 'The Expanse' meets 'House of Cards', this is your next obsession. Five stars, no question.
Steven Wilson
★★★★★It's a decent thriller, but I had some issues. The opening is strong—Evelyn's insomnia and the cryptic phone call are great hooks. However, the pacing gets uneven: too much time on technical jargon and not enough on character development for the supporting cast. Wei Zhang and Jasper Okafor feel underutilized, especially given their roles on the cover. Also, the mole reveal felt a bit predictable. That said, the final act is gripping, and the lunar sabotage scene is genuinely tense. Good if you're a fan of the genre, but not a standout.
Elizabeth Martinez
★★★★★I really enjoyed this one—it's a smart, adult political thriller with a sci-fi twist. Evelyn is a compelling protagonist, and I appreciated that her past mistakes actually have consequences. The back-channel to her Chinese counterpart adds a nice layer of nuance, and the tension never really lets up. My only complaint: the ending felt a little rushed, and I wanted more resolution for some of the side characters. Still, it's a page-turner that made me think about the real-world implications of a lunar race. Highly recommend for fans of Tom Clancy or Andy Weir.