At a time when space exploration and the discoveries of other planets is exciting more people than ever, Gestapo Mars takes that idea and plays with it to, for space fans most certainly, every chance it gets.

So here’s the basic story. Carter Sloan has been in cryogenic stasis for 258 years (and I thought I was bad staying in bed until 2pm!) As a highly trained operative, his long-slumber means he has missed a great deal of advancements regarding the world and life he once knew, including the government, the Nazi Reich, changes. Now, new dangers are arising and must be stopped, and Sloan must lead the charge to do so. Able to infiltrate the enemy spaces far easier than many others, he must find and kill the daughter of a foe known only as the Brass Dragon (try not to think of the brass ornaments on your grandparents’ mantle like I did).

As for Sloan himself, in terms of a character, I struggled at times to identify with him. Yes he’s the story’s hero but it’s extremely hard to ignore the fact that he is also a representative of the cruellest, most vile regimes in history (literary and real). As a result, as much as I want to cheer for him as he overcomes various difficulties, there was always a part of me that was hoping he’d meet a gruesome end sooner or later – and I’m pretty sure I won’t be the only one to feel that way.

The few twists that pop up throughout the pages are, at times, so sharp you don’t see them coming, and the inclusion of plenty of sex will no doubt please those readers hoping for a space-futuristic story that sharply veers from the norm while a handful of Star Wars references might get others excited for the new, upcoming movie.

Ultimately, however, Gestapo Mars is a work of fiction – a creepy, easy to feel real one, but a work of fiction none the less. Is it a strong piece of work? That could quite easily be debated, and there are certainly books out there that hold a readers’ attention better than this held mine, but for something to read while on a train journey, or for a story to semi-lose yourself in, you can do much worse than this.