The Aleph Extraction is the second novel in the thrilling spy-fi series The Galactic Cold War, written by Dan Moren and published by Angry Robot Books. Be ready for the return of the team lead by Kovalic, more banter and the addition of a new recruit for a mission that will take them into the heart of a galactic cruise for perpetrate a heist in front of the noses of a powerful galactic gangster and their old rivals of the Illyrican Empire.

A fun sequel that starts with Kovalic adding a new member to our band of ragtags: specialist Addie Sayers, wanting to help her and save her by incorporating her to the special team. Soon, it proves that Sayers can be a valuable resource, but whose impulsivity can be problematic; there's no time to lose, and we can see how they all end aboard a spatial cruise, undercover and planning a heist in the style of Ocean's Eleven, retrieving the Aleph Tablet from under the nose of a galactic gangster. 

We are back with the Special Team, still under the command of Kovalic and Lt. Taylor, but we can appreciate the scars from the Bayern operation; Kovalic would have sacrificed anybody for the mission, but now we see a more human side, that will doubt if the life of a mate is under danger. Appart from the two POVs we had in the first novel, Addie's one becomes a prevalent one, developing and fleshing this specialist, trying to make the most possible out of this last opportunity; she's smart but impulsive, and learning to work with a team is difficult for somebody that always was a lone wolf. And as an antagonist, we have a fascinating villain, an ambitious woman of many resources.

Personally, I enjoyed this instalment a bit more than the previous one, as I tend to love heists in fiction, and Moren has written a marvelous one. We have a more technological focus, transmitting a more sci-fi sensation, including more spatial operations and risky movements. The pacing is a bit faster, as most of the foundations are already set in the story.

The Aleph Extraction is an extremely satisfying second novel in this spy-fi series, full of the elements we already loved in the first one, but adding a new excellent piece into the portrait. A great novel that Moren that definitely compels me to continue with The Galactic Cold War.