DeVoon competently combines the pull of a space story with suspenseful
twists and turns of a thriller. He reaches out to the thinking reader,
providing a savory touch of art. An example: "History is predictable
while the pressure builds, then it explodes in a crescendo that no one
expected or understands except in awe of its might, just as rocks melt
beneath an atomic bomb." In Book Two, the story takes on a much more
intimate tone; and although DeVoon's touch is sometimes heavy, his
obvious familiarity with the concepts he explores makes that easy to
overlook. He also appears to be another of the select group of men with
the uncanny ability to portray exclusively female experiences
accurately. Almost up to the book's very end, the reader's pulled along
and kept guessing as to what's going to happen. Mars Shall Thunder is a
satisfying tapestry of space thriller, love story, and thought-provoking
observations on the human condition and its systems.