Heaven’s Shadow reads like a movie and there is a good reason for that. The authors are screenwriters. David S. Goyer (Batman Begins and FlashForward) and Michael Cassutt (many TV shows including Dead Zone and Stargate SG-1) combined to write this book which felt (at times) more like a movie pitch than a novel. It’s a combination of Contact and Armegeddon that was well told, but not interestingly at times. So, let’s go see what Heaven’s Shadow is.

There is a huge NEO (Near Earth Object) that’s orbit will take it right path Earth. The US wasn’t going to do anything about it until the coalition (a Russian, Indian and Brazilian group) announces that they are going to land on it. NASA ramps up it’s planned moon trip and changes it to be able to land on the NEO (named Keanu after the Matrix in a naming that I still don’t understand) first on the spaceship Destiny.

Leading the mission is  Zach Stewart, an non-military man who made it up to an astronaut through his intelligence, hard work and charisma. He was scheduled to lead the mission to the moon, but stepped aside when his wife was killed in an auto accident. Also involved is Tea, a big sister type who started a relationship with Zach after his wife died. Yvonne is not as talented, but her steady hand is needed many a time and, since her father is a NASA bigwig, she’s entrusted with a secret. From the coalition team (on the Brahma spacecraft) is Lucas (also known as the World’s Greatest Astronaut since he can do almost anything) and a few other astronauts. The other astronauts are pretty much ignored and not used for a lot.

The two teams land on Keanu and then they realize that it’s not just another comet. Yvonne gets hurt and then things start getting weird. The ending is pretty simplistic and the Contact storyline seems kind of silly. Overall, the book is very plot heavy with the Houston team (including Zach’s daughter) getting into some hijinks on the ground while the astronauts are exploring on Keanu. Everyone meets up in an ending that sets up the sequel next year. The characterization is kept to a minimum and this feels more like a mid-summer blockbuster movie than a book. And, since it’s been optioned for a movie, it will probably turn up there pretty soon. The book was a quick read and had a decent plot (but was silly in a few places). It wasn’t bad enough for me to ignore the sequels, but I don’t have high hopes for them. Mildly recommended.