Ring Force

by Brian Brown

Imagine Percy Jackson and the Olympians, except with a fresher cast of characters and an entirely sport-infused narrative, and you’ve got Ring Force. Just in time for the Olympics in London, Ring Force is poised to be the illustrated chapter book of the summer and an instant favorite for kids between 8 and 12 years old.In the book, which is complete with more than 50 full-color, eye-catching illustrations, we meet Booker—a young boy from Brooklyn with an incredible talent for running. As the chapters unfold, Booker crosses paths with other super-athletic (almost super-human) kids, and they ultimately join together asa team. But not just any team. These kids have been recruited by the gods of Olympus to fight an evil, rogue god and to keep the Olympic flame (and all that it stands for) burning in the hearts of men.For any kid who has ever dreamed of making it as an athlete (or for any kid who simply likes a good adventure story),

96 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 2012

Reviews

[Ryne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book just for the illustrations alone. There are many beautiful illustrations, including several full-page spreads. But, to quote the Goodreads summary: a "fresher cast of characters" than Percy Jackson? HA! There's very little depth to the characters in this short book, which is probably most appropriately aimed at students ages 12 and up. The protagonist's (Booker's) biggest struggle seems to be deciding that he will try out for the school track team (he already loves running). There's little time given to developing the supporting characters. And why on earth does Nyx want to...make darkness...or something? It's unclear. As far as engaging reluctant readers, though, this book is great. I'm not enthusiastic about a sequel, but I would probably look at it if it still has the same gorgeous illustrations.