Review: Red Sky At Morning by Steve Wilson

Red Sky at Morning Book Description:

Red Sky at Morning, book one in the Michael Neill Adventure series, is a novel of military/espionage, with ties to Christian fiction. It explores the dynamics of faith in uniform, which are often absent from books of the same kind. There’s action, military hardware, strong core values, and even a little romance. Neill’s adventures will hold the interest of young and old, and will encourage readers to value patriotism and embrace honor and integrity.

Michael Neill was born and raised in Ukraine, the son of American missionaries. As a Marine Corps officer, Neill works counter-intelligence. He is fluent in Russian and Ukrainian, and brings his linguistic skills to bear on national security issues facing the U.S. The fact that he grew up in that part of the world also gives him an edge.

Neill’s faith guides his actions. He’s an individual who’s suffered his share of personal loss, and the different layers of his background are slowly revealed as the series progresses.

About the Author:

Steve Wilson is a multimedia designer for a large metropolitan newspaper, and has worked in advertising for over 25 years. He is a prior service Marine, now serving as a Master Sergeant in the Air Force Reserve. He is the father of two grown sons, and lives in Florida with his wife.

Over the course of his military career, he has received the Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. In 2010 he was named the Air Transportation NCO of the Year. His ties to the armed forces—as well as short-term mission trips—have taken him to Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Europe and the Pacific, as well as the former Soviet Union. These experiences have helped to shape his story lines.

You can connect with Steve on Facebook and his blog.

Book Details:

ISBN: 978-1-61808-035-6
List Price: $15.95 print
$3.99 Kindle
$19.95 Audible Audio Edition
Format: Paperback, Kindle and Audio
Page Count: 288

My Thoughts:

Michael Neill is a young Marine lieutenant whose faith in God guides him through whatever trials may come his way. He can see God’s hand on his life, his career especially when a new assignment shows how the Lord can use all aspects of his life for His purposes. His parents were missionaries in the Ukraine which makes him the perfect candidate for this special mission. His knowledge of the Russian language and his friends in the Ukraine military could play a key role in his success or failure.

While the faith of several characters certainly dictates their actions, the faith and scripture passages in this book are natural. Their faith isn’t thrown in the face of others. Instead, it’s just part of who they are as individuals and the body of Christ. They also handle themselves in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord which means this book is a clean book to read.

The story of military espionage and intrigue with a hint of romance thrown in is fast-paced and well written. I appreciated that the military aspects of this story were correct as all too often I’ll read (or watch) military related stories that have glaring issues with military protocol, verbiage, or dress. The story drew me in, and I couldn’t stop reading until I finished. I look forward to the next book in the series.