The Woman in Purple Armor by Brian DeMinico is a nonstop thrill ride from start to finish. We are in 2153 where we follow Mike who will be the first man to set foot on Mars. Or is he? He finds himself captured by the Rightilious forces and doomed to slavery. His captor is another human, Adira, the woman in purple armor who seems to be on the aliens' side. How did she get there and how can he convince her to leave with him? He tries to escape but to no avail. He has to use his skills in combat and his sheer force of will to try to join the rebellion forces. You will not want to miss a moment as you are led through the very detailed world created for you.

I loved The Woman in Purple Armor by Brian DeMinico. It is almost as if the author has been to the red planet himself and came back to tell the story. You will enjoy a rollercoaster of emotion and angst and the scenery is so vivid and real. I loved the details, especially the fact that it is written in the first person, so we are in Mike’s shoes. We feel what he feels and we suffer and delight with him. The author has an amazing ability to world-build, and for that alone, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in science fiction. This book makes me want to read DeMinico's first novel. You are transported and that is hard to achieve in writing. The emotions were raw but the main character retained the same sense of humor even in his darkest moments, which lifted the story. Very well written.

Bryan DeMinico’s hero in The Woman in Purple Armor is Captain Mike Casey of the Land Warfare Exploration Corps. He signs up to explore Mars on a reconnaissance mission, scout its terrain, and report back his findings for the purpose of future colonization. What he finds is the least of what he expects, as he is taken captive by a highly intelligent but oppressive reptilian race. A fellow human oversees the management of the slaves. Adira, also known as 'the woman in purple armor,' is praised by the reptilian overlords and despised by the diverse race of prisoners who fear her whip. In order to fight back, Casey needs to play it right, as Adira is the first major obstacle in his path to freedom. When all hope seems remote, he will soon discover that he is not the only one dreaming of freedom, as a reptilian prince will reveal to him that everything that’s going on has something to do with resources.

The Mars depicted here is not the same red planet that NASA’s rovers are exploring. It is the type of Mars that gritty science fiction is made of—paved with thrills and danger. Bryan DeMinico has made it both a curse and a blessing for Captain Casey to explore this type of Mars. As the main character, Casey has the ideal rèsumè for space exploration and forced labor. DeMinico gives it a well-structured plot and Casey’s scenes during captivity are well-executed, giving you a detailed look at his existential conditions in a strange and unforgiving place. You read along, hoping that he survives his ordeal because what he goes through would make a great life story and an idea on how to colonize Mars. The Woman in Purple Armor accomplishes its job as sci-fi adventure fare and is definitely worth your reading time.