The Athena Project: A Thriller

Brad Thor has done it again in a rip roaring thriller! The ladies of the Athena Project are some tough chicks, that's for sure! One of my only thoughts, is how they can dodge so many bullets. The action is just about non stop, and the book is fun to read. Then we are introduced to Mr. Kammler and his fax machine. This is not like any fax machine we've heard of before! The machine, know as the Engeltor, is capable of faxing people and objects to designated places, for the most part, anyway. Well, our government can't allow stuff like this to go on, so the drama begins in earnest. The fearsome foursome, that is, the ladies of the Athena Project, begin their search for exactly who is behind the Kammler device.. Thier travels take them through Eastern Europe and then finally to the Istrian Peninsula of Croatia. Are they successful in their quest to seek out and destroy the super fax machine? Do they get their on time? This is what makes the book an interesting read. Also, keep in mind that Mr. Thor says that all of the science in this book is based on reality!

Since reading his first Scot Harvath novel I have become an ardent Brad Thor fan. In his early works, Ex Navy Seal, Scot Harvath was a one man terrorist demolition team & we were kept enthralled by his chasing & destroying the world's terrorists. Along the way he has had to make personal sacrifices & let's face it, he can't keep performing at this level forever so when the Athena Team were first introduced you just knew this was going to be the new string.I do have to agree that this is not Brad's best work & as I was reading I kept waiting for Scot to make a valuable contribution to the plot but unfortunately this doesn't happen & that was disappointing however, I don't agree the girls were a wasted space & I found their actions were mostly feasible. I'd rather them on my side than against me!To new readers of Brad Thor I would strongly suggest you start at the beginning of the series to get a good feel for the characters, it will be worth the effort.I eagerly await the next book & welcoming back Scot & The Athena Team, this time working equally together.

A thriller — beautiful girls with guns. What could be more fun! For that reason alone, I’m starting my rating at two stars instead of one. We have a best-in-class super-weapon, expert detail on ordnance (“Glock Slimline 36 with single-stack magazine” as opposed to “a gun”), and the settings —Venetian palazzo, castle, an abandoned Nazi cave-base — are worthy of Fleming. All told, a fine vehicle — up it to three stars.Now we want Mr Thor to fill this vehicle with characters and have them do something. That’s where problems start. Picasso said learn the rules to break the rules, but Mr Thor disregards Storytelling 101 in ways opposite of provocative.The genius of an ensemble shines from its complementarity: eclectic characters with distinct abilities and world views together advance the plot by their combination. (Think of Star Trek or Mission Impossible.) Our four heroines, however — special ops commandos — are all the same: beautiful, sports-minded, and bland. They have different heights and hair color, but so what. We’re told early that one is mixed-race, but that factlet never surfaces again and is totally irrelevant to the plot. They could have come off the same volleyball team. Their external and internal dialogues are so vapid you wish they would just shut up and do TM. (I am SO sick of hearing “professional” as an accolade. It’s like being at a convention of mortgage brokers. REAL professionals, the kind who sacrifice their 20s getting letters after their name that mean something, like M.D., don’t go around calling each other “professional”.)The villains are cookie-cutter, too: powerful, rich, ruthless; dwelling secretively in a fortress behind massive security; Eastern, from the arc that includes the old Austrian and Ottoman empires; disciplined, but with a weakness for beautiful women. One mad scientist from Australia is an exception among the baddies, but we barely see him. A shame.Then there’s the action problem. Our girls get into firefight after firefight. They always win. None is ever wounded or taken prisoner. Every infiltration is successful, as is every exit. So is every ruse, every seduction. They always get their man. Isn’t a thriller supposed to have some thrills? Even when one kills a guy hand to hand, it’s perfunctory, as though the author is embarassed to say it; beginning, middle, and end of fight sequence: “She delivered a series of punches, culminating with a jab that dropped the man right where he stood.”So I can’t go above three stars. Mr Thor has it in him to write female action characters — the up-close-and-personal fight in the prologue between a WWII heroine and a plane full of Nazis is terrific, and a near-rape-turned-consensual with a minor character starts to sizzle — but he’s kept this talent to himself for the Athena Project.

This is my first Brad Thor novel, and judging by some of the reviews, it's not a good representative of his work. I can't say I'm surprised by some of the low ratings - to each their own. I am neither a book snob or a movie snob. I like to be entertained, and I like to escape. I found this book extremely entertaining. I read it in under a week (it was the first book on my new Kindle). I found myself excited each night to pick up where I left off. Is it realistic? No. Is it deep? No. Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it going to win any awards? No. But neither are any of the James Bond movies. The book is exciting, action-packed, the heroines are sexy, and it's just plain entertaining. I don't mind that the protagonists are portrayed the way they are. I'm a man, and I like beautiful, strong, & sexy women. I wasn't expecting a future classic and I'm not rating the book as a critic. I'm rating the book for its entertainment value. It's a rapid page turner, and I loved it.

Very happy, as described.

Brad Thor always writes an in depth, informative and great moving story. His insight to some of the military vernacular is always spot on and Scott Harvath is one of my favorite characters. Love the introduction of the 4 female characters because I remember reading about them in a later book but this was the first book that introduced them. I miss Vince Flynn his books where so intriguing and hard to put down enjoy your new surroundings brother see you when He calls. This is a good read and am trying to read Brad's books in order to keep the situations fluid. Thanks Brad Thor your on top of your game, my brother.

I'm a big fan of all the Brad Thor books. Started reading them after I finished all the Vince Flynn books. Scot's different from Mitch Rapp, but similar sort of thing. Highly recommended!

If you are expecting a Scot Harvath story think again. It's a good enough story but I felt a little cheated that it didn't seem to fit in with the previous books.

It’s ok - jumps around a bit and slightly confusing but a good cast of characters

Great - I like lee child , baldacci, Flynn and wasn't disappointed !

A great kick-ass novel where hot chicks do the kicking!