Review of Hoplite Ridge

[Troy Patrick Reardon]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hoplite Ridge" by Sean Patrick Sayers.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Hoplite Ridge by Sean Patrick Sayers is a post-apocalyptic science fiction thriller. The book weaves Greek mythology and future technology to create an origin story for Earth. The story follows a number of different characters, including Mars, Neptune, Ares, and others, as they navigate an electromagnetic and climate catastrophe that ends life as they know it across their entire planet. But the gods are at work, and they are selecting their heroes. These heroes must lead those who remain from this once-impressive civilization into a new life. But only the Fates know if they truly stand a chance.
The book is very well-written. The most impressive part of the book is the characters. The author does an excellent job of creating detailed and sympathetic characters. There were two minor characters in the book, an old man and his wife, who were particularly memorable to me. Reading about them navigating the immediate aftermath of the electromagnetic event was surprisingly gripping. I recognize that it is because the author did such an excellent job of bringing those two characters to life. The author did a good job of that with all of his characters. It takes time to develop realistic people in a story, so I respect the author for taking the time to do it well. Considering that the story contains around 20 different characters, it is truly an achievement. The plot is pretty good as well. I think the author did about as good a job as you can to keep the suspense up while still telling a story where gods are meddling with human affairs. But for me, some of the urgency leaks out of the story when powerful beings step in and interfere.
I give the book a 4 out of 5. This rating is only because the book as a whole didn’t grip me the way a full 5-star rating does. However, there were many excellent moments in the book. The author is a skilled storyteller. So I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys science fiction or post-apocalyptic thrillers.

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Hoplite Ridge
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[Kibet Hillary]

Combining future technology and Greek mythology to come up with a theory on the origin of the Earth sounds really interesting. I am wondering about the end result and how believable it is. Thanks for the review, @Troy Patrick Reardon.

[Etimbuk Eshiet]

Greek mythology and post-apocalyptic sci-fi? That’s a fascinating combo! I’m curious—did the author explain how the gods influenced the catastrophe, or was it more symbolic?