G.I. Joe Meets Die Hard
This is a nice little thriller,
adventure novel that would make a perfect vehicle for somebody like
Jean Claude Van Damme or Sylvester Stallone. Actually, it’s much
better than the usual stuff that those two drudge up for film
material. The plot follows Sergeant Joe Braddock as he guides his
military platoon into an ambush and through the clutches of a
mysterious enemy organization. Through it all, Roberts uses
no-nonsense, direct prose that is effective and fast moving. This
would be a great book for an airplane ride since it keeps you
entertained, but it isn’t so deep that ambient noise breaks the
spell (it’s a bit like “The DaVinci Code” in that respect).
Based on the cover, I thought this was
going to be another reality based, Tom Clancy type novel on modern
warfare. For the first couple chapters we get to know Joe Braddock
and his men as they go on a routine patrol through Afghanistan. I
thought Roberts’s descriptions of modern military were convincing
(although I’m far from an expert on such things having never served
myself).
After an ambush, Braddock’s platoon
is captured by a mysterious force that is something like G.I. Joe’s
Cobra. This is where the book started taking off for me since I was
expecting it to maintain a certain realism and the elevated action
scenes were a pleasant surprise. Braddock is held in a cell, and he
quickly becomes focused on escaping and saving his men. The prison
escape scenes are effective and entertaining, and Braddock even
manages to recruit some interesting help from the other prisoners.
From there, the action continues to
elevate as one of Braddock’s men comes into possession of a
prototype body-armor that transforms him into a cross between
Snake-Eyes and Iron Man. This book never loses its humanity,
however, and honestly the screen writers for the G.I.-Joe films would
have been better served to follow this story than the boring “whole
world at stake” cliché films they eventually released. Perhaps
the best way to explain Olympus Rises is to say that it’s G.I. Joe
mixed with Die Hard.
Overall I found this to be a smart,
effectively written action thriller that keeps you entertained and
watching more. It’s a great summer read and I’m looking forward
to some more writing from this author.
Get your copy of "Olympus Rises" here.
Get your copy of "Olympus Rises" here.
Reviewer Bio:
Walter Rhein is the author of "The Reader of Acheron," "Beyond Birkie Fever," and "The Bone Sword." He is also the editor of "Nine Heroes."
Yep, great book. I love it.
ReplyDeleteBTW nice blog!