It’s a whirlwind – and educational – adventure, and I enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t your stereotypical alien invasion. But in brief, another alien race has come to Earth on the back of the teenagers’ trip across space in book one, and they don’t have good intentions. Just when Danny clocks that Adi is not a teenage girl who likes the same computer games as him, she kidnaps him, “prints” herself a body and reveals she’s part of “the Swarm” – an alien race that gave up their physical form millions of years ago, and now travels through space as a single hive mind of intelligence. His Principia mission also focused on educational outreach, engaging more than 2 million schoolchildren across Europe in over 30 projects during his time in space.

With the action and science both in the hands of experts, this is really good reading, but I like too the way that it reminds us throughout that the future of the planet and our species is in the hands of young readers, who the authors clearly see as smart, committed and ingenious as their protagonists. Having determined that humans are destroying the planet, the Swarm has decided that the only way to save Earth and all other life on it is to upload humanity to the hive mind (which for Star Trek fans, may make the Swarm seem like distant cousins to the Borg Collective). You are incapable of working together to make change,” retorts a member of the Swarm when Danny tries to argue that we can fix it. These include the fight to be an individual in a society that expects you to be a certain way, the importance of empathy and understanding, and the realistic mental-health impacts of being thrown into a world of aliens.Not only do these people kidnap Jamila, but they use Swarm-based powers to remove all trace of her from existence – except it doesn’t work on Danny’s memory. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged.

Full of exclusive new stories, and astonishing detail only an astronaut would know, the book conveys what space exploration is really like: the wondrous view of Earth, the surreal weightlessness, the extraordinary danger, the surprising humdrum, the unexpected humour, the newfound perspective, the years of training, the psychological pressures, the gruelling physical toll, the thrill of launch and the trepidation of re-entry.The books might not become classics, but I would definitely recommend them for any child who’s interested in – or yet to discover – space, science or aliens. The story is full of twists and turns, cleverly orchestrated by Cole, and the action culminates in a trip to the International Space Station, where Peake is obviously very much at home. Sign into your Physics World account to get access to all available digital issues of the monthly magazine.

Swarm Enemy Perfect for fans of Alex Rider, Young Bond and Cherub, this fast-paced action-adventure is the second thrilling story from astronaut Tim Peake and bestselling author Steve Cole. So perhaps that’s why the covers for Swarm Rising and Swarm Enemy have “From astronaut Tim Peake” emblazoned across them. The Swarm has sent Adi to scout out Earth after intercepting the Arecibo radio message, which was transmitted in 1974 carrying basic information about Earth and the human race (that bit’s fact, not fiction).By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. There are other, more subtle messages skilfully woven into the stories that are more delicately handled.