As a disclaimer for my review, I'll mention that I'm trying to read all of the Grand Tour (17ish) books in their chronological order - which is not the order they were written in. Mars is (arguably) the fourth book in the timeline.
As chronology goes, Mars is the first book in the huge Grand Tour series to venture outside the Earth-Moon orbit. Mars takes us to, well, Mars along with a cast of about sixteen scientists and astronauts (although only about half of them play any sort of role other than being mentioned at some point). The cast of characters is, unfortunately, the weak link in the book. Like a lot of Ben Bova novels, the characters are bland and very stereotypical (with the possible exception of main Point of View character Jamie Waterman). The stodgy Russian ground team leader who insists on rigid discipline. The hip-hip cheerio British doctor who secretly hides his daddy issues and fear of rejection. The foxy reporter who sleeps with men to advance her career. Coniving politicians. Weak women, strong men. Even primary protagonist, Jamie Waterman - a half-Navaho American Indian, is portrayed to maximixe his "Indian-ness," although he is somewhat better developed than the rest of the cast. In terms of characters, I was once again left feeling let down and wondering if Mr. Bova is capable of writing a character who exists outside a stereotypical 80's American sitcom TV show.
That aside, the exploration of Mars is a well done, and our red neighbor essentially fills the role of primary antagonist. Mr. Bova developed an exploration of Mars that was both realistic and beautiful. I could easily picture myself as part of the team and felt a real sense of "being there." Mars doesn't fall back on hackney hooks like little green men or killer space bacteria to add danger, letting the naturally harsh and inhospitable environment do the lion share of the work (along with a medical emergency that did feel a little bit forced but not overly distracting). There are even touches of greatness here, like when the Russian mission leader and Waterman pause to enjoy an aurora effect. Bova is able to again place me in the scene, marveling along with the characters at the truly epic nature of the moment. Descriptions of Martian rifts that make the Grand Canyon look like a pot hole and the soaring heights of Olympus Mons are also well done and contribute to the book's atmosphere.
Some of the negative reviews claim that "nothing happens" in this book but I think the opposite is true. Things are constantly happening, they're just sometimes mundane things one would expect from exploring a mostly barren planet. In fact, I thought this was really well done. From the initial landing and first exploration days where EVERYTHING is a big deal to the crew settling in and becoming a little bored by the mundane first few weeks of exploration.
I thought the occasional break-away from the exploration to explore a character's back-story were somewhat distracting and mostly just made the cardboard characters more cardboard. For example, we learn the Englishman, Dr. Reed, had trouble with acceptance from his father and failure issues...but they never really play out in the novel as a whole. So now I know his story, but it doesn't seem to affect the way he acts, or the novel as a whole, so why tell it? These seem to be a common element in Bova books though, so I just wade through them, anxious to get back to the real story.
I felt like Mars was also the first Grand Tour novel where Mr. Bova has begun to try and tie some of Grand Tour universe together. It's not always perfectly done but if one doesn't dwell too much on the timelines and happening in other novels, they can start to feel things coming together. It's a nice effect because while it doesn't shoe horn the reader into a place and time, it does start to give a sense of feeling to the universe as a whole (and with 13 books to go in the series, I can appreciate that).
Of the four Grand Tour books I've read so far, Mars is easily the most "sci-fi" and unlike it's chronological predecessors, doesn't have as much of a thriller element. For those looking for a realistic off-world adventure, I think you'll find it in Mars. If, on the other hand you're looking for more military, grand scale sci-fi, you may want to steer clear.
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