The Prison in Antares (Dead Enders Book Two) by Mike Resnick

Science Fiction/Space Opera

From Goodreads:

The Traanskei Coalition’s greatest weapon is the Q bomb, and after years of failure, the Democracy has come up with a defense against it. The problem is that they killed most of the team that created it. The sole survivor, Edgar Nmumba, was kidnapped by the Coalition. Only Nmumba can duplicate the work fast enough to prevent the loss of another dozen populated planets.

Nathan Pretorius and his team of Dead Enders will require all their skills and cunning to rescue him, sane and in one piece, from the Coalition’s best-hidden and best-guarded prison, somewhere in the Antares sector. But in a game of cross and double-cross, can they find him before it's too late?

The Prison in Antares is another fun Space Opera from Resnick.  The Dead Enders are back and expected to do the almost impossible.  There is one new character added to the group.  Most expect Nathan Pretorius to succeed while bring everyone back alive.  Small spoiler.  Not all survive this time.

The mission is not the expected success on the first try.  It does take two times to get into the prison and rescue Nmumba. 

The Prison in Antares has all of the trademark Resnick elements.  There is snappy dialog along with a fast moving plot.  As always there are interesting characters add to the enjoyment.  Finally like many of Resnick’s books The Prison in Antares is set in the Birthright Universe.  If this is your first trip to that Universe you can find out more about it in a short essay at the end of the book.

Don’t worry if you have not read the first book in the series.  The Prison in Antaries works well as a stand-alone. You will want to read The Fortress in Orion book on in the series after finishing this book.

Pry published The Prison in Antares by Mike Resnick in 2015.