• Author: Caleb B. Wheeler
• Softcover: 175 pages
• Publisher: Spiral Productions LLC
• Language: English

Synopsis: Our planet is locked in a state of chaos in the midst of World War II when an orphaned but powerful alien people, the Naladarians, arrive and join forces with America and her allies. The tide turns dramatically when their superior technology and astonishing telepathic abilities enter the fray, bringing this global conflic to a swift and decisive end.

Behind the facade of the unprecedented peace that follows, however, something sinister and immeasurably powerful is being hidden from all but those closest to the ones in power. A force is being recreated which had catastrophic consequences on the Naladarian’s mother world and now threatens not only to shatter our world’s tranquility, but to ultimately decimate the planet earth.

Liam looked forward and saw two men at the front being to turn the levers which would release the heavy ramp ont othe sand. He noticed one of the Naladarians close to him was smiling. The bastard was smiling while the human men around him struggled to regain their bearings, shaking their heads and blinking their eyes in pain and confusion.

The Naladarian’s eyes met Liam’s for a moment and in that moment Liam somehow knew that the battle was already won. Whatever monstrous thing waited for them on the beach…it was on their side.

Project Manhattan by Caleb B. Wheeler is a prequel to Branson Anderson’s adaptation to Project London. At the opening of Project Manhattan, The Nalardians have just escaped the destruction of their mother world, and have come to Earth for sanctuary in 1943: right in the middle of World War II. In return for refuge, they offer their military and technological expertise to the Allied forces.  The novel flip flops between the common Naladarians and human forces at war and the Naladarian leader, Lord Reev, and his interactions with various world leaders and his own inner circle. While Lord Reev is wheeling and dealing with humanity, he obviously has his own agenda; his pride makes him reckless and dangerous. One of the things I liked best about this novel is that it introduces an original concept when dealing with human/alien relationships, where as both sides are really in the dark as to what is going on. Only Lord Reev and those closest to him know his plans. As humans and Naladarians begin to realize that there are secrets being kept, it allows them to come together and form a bond that will blossom into the resistance movement in Project London.

Dropping a displaced alien race on a world rife with conflict is a volatile recipe, and Wheeler does a really good job of conveying that.  While the two factions are working together, the tension between the two races doesn’t really allow for perfect unity. There are a couple scenes where the two camps of soldiers are talking about each other amongst their own, and you can really kinda see where both sides are coming from. The humans don’t trust the Naladarians because they are intimidated by their psychic abilities. The Naladarians, don’t really care much for humans because they’re fighting and dying in a war they didn’t start.

There are a few relationships that seem to cross the divide to find common ground and even friendship, but sadly we only know of these in an abstract sense. That is my only complaint of this book. There are parts that Wheeler executes expertly. Certain scenes are written with such vivid detail and character insight, that his ability as a writer is apparent. On the other hand, he neglects deeper character development in some cases for the sake of moving the story along. There are characters who don’t really get time to shine, and it’s unfortunate, because they’re GOOD characters. I didn’t feel a connection with them like I wish I could. Particularly there is the relationship between Liam and Eyo that is forged during the war could have been handled with more depth, and been more emotionally satisfying later on in the book.

Also, I would have liked to see more events that set up Lord Reev to really usurp control from the other world governments. He makes his goal to unify Earth clear in his interactions with world leaders, but we never get to see how he convinces everyone that HE should be the sole ruler of the whole shebang.

Aside from these few criticisms, however, Wheeler succeeds in giving us a good idea about the events that lead to Project London. He told an adequate story very well. Though there was a lack of emotional connection in certain situations, the writing alone of particular scenes is nearly enough to hammer a square peg through a round hole, and the result is that I found myself responding to poignant scenes with at least a pale shade of the emotional response that is intended.  I only wish he would have expanded a little.

I give Project Manhattan by Caleb B. Wheeler Four Out of Five Stars.