Review by Mantha1 -- Shield Down by William de Berg

[Akinsemoyin Adeola]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Shield Down" by William de Berg.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Imagine what the world would be like if there were to be a mass extinction of humans from the earth.
Shield Down by William de Berg explores the possibility of humans living underground after the predictions of a renowned scientist about a soft gamma repeater came true. Professor James Templeton, a great scientist in his own right, had warned the science community that the SGR 0245+05 will be returning after several years and will cause destructive eruption to earth and its inhabitants if they do not look for an alternative abode.

After a final warning from Carletta Jackson, one of the professor’s old students, that the SGR 0245+05 has been sighted, Professor Templeton alerted his other student, John Bazany, of the imminent danger. Bazany wasted no time in carving out an underground city while also recruiting people who would eventually be part of his underground community centuries after. But was Bazany the only proactive one?

Unbeknownst to Templeton, his ex-lover, Jackie DeFazio, who became a strong critic of his work over the years, and caused him to take a backseat as a great scientist, had taken his predictions seriously and had been putting pressure on NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the government to build an underground nation.
Can humans thrive underground as much as they do above ground? Find out more in this intriguing science fiction.

This book has a smooth chapter progression and character development that kept me engrossed till I finished reading it. Also, I liked how the author made the characters unpredictable, which added to the suspense of the story. The author also added footnotes of some scientific terms that might sound and look strange to a layman, which would help a great deal in carrying readers along. Although the author didn't really delve into the love life of Templeton and DeFazio, I liked the inclusion of their love story. I also loved how the character of Templeton was well developed which added a great deal to my smooth reading experience.

However, I was not too pleased with how the author handled the character known as Carletta Jackson who was mentioned at the beginning of this book. I expected to know more about whatever became of this character who played an active role at the beginning of this book. Other than that, I had a great time reading it.

Shield Down seems professionally edited with minimal errors noticed which did not in any way thwart my reading experience. I would be rating this book four out of four stars because of how engaging, enjoyable and informative I found this book to be. This book is suitable for adult readers who can handle advanced science fiction like this one and anyone who has an interest in topics that have to do with astrophysics and astronomy.

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Shield Down
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