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Athena #1
The Athena Project
The world’s most elite counterterrorism unit has just taken its game to an entirely new level. And not a moment too soon . . .
From behind the rows of razor wire, a new breed of counterterrorism operator has emerged.
Just as skilled, just as fearsome, and just as deadly as their colleagues, Delta Force’s newest members have only one thing setting them apart—their gender. Part of a top-secret, all-female program codenamed The Athena Project, four of Delta’s best and brightest women are about to undertake one of the nation’s deadliest assignments.
When a terrorist attack in Rome kills more than twenty Americans, Athena Team members Gretchen Casey, Julie Ericsson, Megan Rhodes, and Alex Cooper are tasked with hunting down the Venetian arms dealer responsible for providing the explosives. But there is more to the story than anyone knows.
In the jungles of South America, a young U.S. intelligence officer has made a grisly discovery. Surrounded by monoliths covered with Runic symbols, one of America’s greatest fears appears to have come true. Simultaneously in Colorado, a foreign spy is close to penetrating the mysterious secret the U.S. government has hidden beneath Denver International Airport.
As Casey, Ericsson, Rhodes, and Cooper close in on their target, they will soon learn that another attack—one of unimaginable proportions—has already been set in motion, and the greatest threat they face may be the secrets kept by their own government.
From behind the rows of razor wire, a new breed of counterterrorism operator has emerged.
Just as skilled, just as fearsome, and just as deadly as their colleagues, Delta Force’s newest members have only one thing setting them apart—their gender. Part of a top-secret, all-female program codenamed The Athena Project, four of Delta’s best and brightest women are about to undertake one of the nation’s deadliest assignments.
When a terrorist attack in Rome kills more than twenty Americans, Athena Team members Gretchen Casey, Julie Ericsson, Megan Rhodes, and Alex Cooper are tasked with hunting down the Venetian arms dealer responsible for providing the explosives. But there is more to the story than anyone knows.
In the jungles of South America, a young U.S. intelligence officer has made a grisly discovery. Surrounded by monoliths covered with Runic symbols, one of America’s greatest fears appears to have come true. Simultaneously in Colorado, a foreign spy is close to penetrating the mysterious secret the U.S. government has hidden beneath Denver International Airport.
As Casey, Ericsson, Rhodes, and Cooper close in on their target, they will soon learn that another attack—one of unimaginable proportions—has already been set in motion, and the greatest threat they face may be the secrets kept by their own government.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 23, 2010
1167 people are currently reading
4816 people want to read
About the author
Brad Thor
45 books7,306 followersBRAD THOR is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-five thrillers, including EDGE OF HONOR, SHADOW OF DOUBT, BLACK ICE (ThrillerFix Best Thriller of the Year), NEAR DARK (one of Suspense Magazine’s Best Books of the Year), BACKLASH (nominated for the Barry Award for Best Thriller of the Year), SPYMASTER (“One of the all-time best thriller novels” —The Washington Times), THE LAST PATRIOT (nominated Best Thriller of the Year by the International Thriller Writers Association), and BLOWBACK (one of the “Top 100 Killer Thrillers of All Time” —NPR).
EDGE OF HONOR is on sale now. For more information, visit BradThor.com.
EDGE OF HONOR is on sale now. For more information, visit BradThor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 842 reviews
March 1, 2017
I enjoyed this book a whole lot more than the last two Scot Harvath I read. While they are mainly focused on gratuitous violence and anti-Islamic extremist rants, this book was a little more about plot and interesting action sequences. I was reminded a lot of early Thor novels.
The novel is by no means perfect. Some of the plot is confusing and seems extremely contrived. There were a few sequences where I was left wondering what the point was only to have it loosely tied back in through an explanation later in the book.
The weird Nazis science stuff was fascinating - I am wondering how close to any sort of real science it is based? A quick intro from the author says it is based on real science - it would be interesting to learn more.
In the end I love a good, mindless action novel with witty one liners, edge of your seat thrills, and gun battles!
The novel is by no means perfect. Some of the plot is confusing and seems extremely contrived. There were a few sequences where I was left wondering what the point was only to have it loosely tied back in through an explanation later in the book.
The weird Nazis science stuff was fascinating - I am wondering how close to any sort of real science it is based? A quick intro from the author says it is based on real science - it would be interesting to learn more.
In the end I love a good, mindless action novel with witty one liners, edge of your seat thrills, and gun battles!
June 23, 2012
Half way and I just had to quit. Couple days later I tried again and regret it. What a trite piece of junk this clunker is. The story is just barely cobbled together without much thinking. The Delta stars are 4 beautiful and sexy females and this author can't write women very well. Their dialogue is just like mens locker room banter dialogue. Women don't joke around like men. Women are women--not men. Then the secert Nazi WonderWeapons are just a hoot and nearly comical. Geezzz, make it just a little plausible? A little touch of realism. Too much fantasy here for me.
The first real letdown is right in the beginning where the 4 starlets are going to kidnap a dangerous weapons dealer at a party at his home which is covered thick with security. An international weapons dealer is going to have plenty of security and multi-layered, but for some reason the 2 girls are able to swim into the nearby boathouse undetected. All they have to do is bend the bars to fit through. No money in the security budget for a couple cams? C'mon. That is just lazy thinking and writing. Of course the arms dealer is going to have cameras and motion sensing and maybe even thermal detectors in the boathouse next to his house. And of course he doesn't and the 2 girls just swim right in and breeze into the house and get the guy despite all the security in the house. In reality these 4 girls would not last very long going up against experienced operators.
The four females are randomly referred to by their first and or last names, sometimes within the same paragraph. Good luck keeping them straight. Frankly it doesn't matter because there isn't a dime's worth of difference between or among any of them.
They singlehandedly take on some of the worst bad guys the world has to offer. Not a scratch on a one of them. Also no strategy, tactics...just like early Batman comics, missing only the balloons "Bang" "Argh" etc.
Scot Harvath comes across as Indiana Jones.
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 a weird read. Also, keep in mind that Mr. Thor says that all of the science in this book is based on reality. Is it really?
The first real letdown is right in the beginning where the 4 starlets are going to kidnap a dangerous weapons dealer at a party at his home which is covered thick with security. An international weapons dealer is going to have plenty of security and multi-layered, but for some reason the 2 girls are able to swim into the nearby boathouse undetected. All they have to do is bend the bars to fit through. No money in the security budget for a couple cams? C'mon. That is just lazy thinking and writing. Of course the arms dealer is going to have cameras and motion sensing and maybe even thermal detectors in the boathouse next to his house. And of course he doesn't and the 2 girls just swim right in and breeze into the house and get the guy despite all the security in the house. In reality these 4 girls would not last very long going up against experienced operators.
The four females are randomly referred to by their first and or last names, sometimes within the same paragraph. Good luck keeping them straight. Frankly it doesn't matter because there isn't a dime's worth of difference between or among any of them.
They singlehandedly take on some of the worst bad guys the world has to offer. Not a scratch on a one of them. Also no strategy, tactics...just like early Batman comics, missing only the balloons "Bang" "Argh" etc.
Scot Harvath comes across as Indiana Jones.
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 a weird read. Also, keep in mind that Mr. Thor says that all of the science in this book is based on reality. Is it really?
November 23, 2017
Brad Thor tries to expand his brand with this spin off from the Scott Harvath series.
Three women, Delta Force operators, have to stop the usual terrorist attack.
I found the protagonists cliched and rather annoying.
Three women, Delta Force operators, have to stop the usual terrorist attack.
I found the protagonists cliched and rather annoying.
February 22, 2017
Really pathetic to label this book, Scot Harvath #9.5. A couple of token appearances and no significant involvement in the story. The plot was pretty decent: EMP devices being delivered through a Nazi-created portal by a Croat. Send in the clowns ... oops, I mean Charlie's Angels ... oops I mean the Athena Project: highly skilled, military-trained women to use their charm and skills to foil the evil plot. I was dissatisfied with the unidimensional female operatives, mostly because Thor failed to develop them properly as individuals. There was a lot of James Bond type action too: underwater propulsion, sky-diving onto rooftops, etc.
January 17, 2011
I waivered between 3 and 4 stars for this one. The story was good, the characters were good, the writing was good, but...
I struggled with keeping people and locations straight until right near the very end of the book when everything started to come together. I didn't feel like we were given enough time with the women of the Athena Project to get to know them and care a great deal about them. We got bits and pieces of information about each; where they were from, what their specialties were as far as the team. We didn't get to see a lot of emotion from them or get any major insights into them, which keeps the reader from feeling connected. I loved their interactions with one another; the way they could tease and play one minute and then be serious and deadly! These women are fantastic and have a lot of potential to develop as characters. It also got confusing for me that they constantly went back and forth between first names, last names and nicknames. I lost track of who was who a couple times.
All and all, good book. The end obviously left it very open for more stories with these women; and I will read them if they are written.
I struggled with keeping people and locations straight until right near the very end of the book when everything started to come together. I didn't feel like we were given enough time with the women of the Athena Project to get to know them and care a great deal about them. We got bits and pieces of information about each; where they were from, what their specialties were as far as the team. We didn't get to see a lot of emotion from them or get any major insights into them, which keeps the reader from feeling connected. I loved their interactions with one another; the way they could tease and play one minute and then be serious and deadly! These women are fantastic and have a lot of potential to develop as characters. It also got confusing for me that they constantly went back and forth between first names, last names and nicknames. I lost track of who was who a couple times.
All and all, good book. The end obviously left it very open for more stories with these women; and I will read them if they are written.
March 25, 2011
Don't ask? I needed something for my MP3 player and I chose this one. This book was like the Charlie's Angels of the Delta Force. Of course they had lots more sex than Charlie's girls ever did all in the name of country. Why is it that whenever we need someone to save the world, they are thin, good looking, brilliant people? Why can't a spy be a bit homely, over weight, and maybe not so bright?
Well, I did give it two stars which means it did fill up some time in which I half heartedly listened to the story. Luckily, I was able to iron, make dinner, clean out the dishwasher etc. without missing a detail. I can't believe my idol James Rollins" thought I would love this!!!
Well, I did give it two stars which means it did fill up some time in which I half heartedly listened to the story. Luckily, I was able to iron, make dinner, clean out the dishwasher etc. without missing a detail. I can't believe my idol James Rollins" thought I would love this!!!
September 14, 2022
Einmal anschnallen für meine Rezension. Ich hab das Buch SOOOO gehasst!
- Einen Stern gibt’s für den halbwegs spannenden Sci-Fi-Anteil der Geschichte. In Teilen bedient sie sich nämlich paranormaler Ideen. Ganz witzig, aber nie auch nur annähernd zu Ende gedacht.
- Stichwort: Willkürliches Rumreisen. Das Athena-Team reist von A nach B und findet dort natürlich immer auf Anhieb eine weiterführende Spur. Sackgassen? Nein, nein. Ergeben die Hinweise Sinn und ich verstehe, warum das Team dann nach C weiterreist? Wieder nein. Sie hätten auch per Dartpfeil auf einer Landkarte das nächste Ziel wählen können.
- Wie alt ist Brad Thor eigentlich? Ich vermute ja, dass er ein pubertierender Teenager ist. Das würde jedenfalls seine Frauenfiguren erklären. Neben ihrer Sexiness haben sie praktisch keine andere Kompetenz, außer vielleicht noch Schießen. Sie verhalten sich unglaubwürdig und die einzelnen Teammitglieder sind praktisch nicht auseinanderzuhalten.
- Und Charakterentwicklung? Nirgends in Sicht. Zweifelt mal eine der Agentinnen an ihrem Lebensstil? Hat eine von ihnen vielleicht daheim ein Leben, dass durch ihren Job erschwert wird? Gibt es Konflikte untereinander? Wächst eine von ihnen langsam in die Teamleader-Rolle? Wär ja auch zu schön gewesen.
- Alles in allem ein Paradebeispiel für alle Vorurteile, die ich gegenüber dem männerdominierten Subgenre Actionthriller habe. Boah, hat mich das Buch genervt!
- Einen Stern gibt’s für den halbwegs spannenden Sci-Fi-Anteil der Geschichte. In Teilen bedient sie sich nämlich paranormaler Ideen. Ganz witzig, aber nie auch nur annähernd zu Ende gedacht.
- Stichwort: Willkürliches Rumreisen. Das Athena-Team reist von A nach B und findet dort natürlich immer auf Anhieb eine weiterführende Spur. Sackgassen? Nein, nein. Ergeben die Hinweise Sinn und ich verstehe, warum das Team dann nach C weiterreist? Wieder nein. Sie hätten auch per Dartpfeil auf einer Landkarte das nächste Ziel wählen können.
- Wie alt ist Brad Thor eigentlich? Ich vermute ja, dass er ein pubertierender Teenager ist. Das würde jedenfalls seine Frauenfiguren erklären. Neben ihrer Sexiness haben sie praktisch keine andere Kompetenz, außer vielleicht noch Schießen. Sie verhalten sich unglaubwürdig und die einzelnen Teammitglieder sind praktisch nicht auseinanderzuhalten.
- Und Charakterentwicklung? Nirgends in Sicht. Zweifelt mal eine der Agentinnen an ihrem Lebensstil? Hat eine von ihnen vielleicht daheim ein Leben, dass durch ihren Job erschwert wird? Gibt es Konflikte untereinander? Wächst eine von ihnen langsam in die Teamleader-Rolle? Wär ja auch zu schön gewesen.
- Alles in allem ein Paradebeispiel für alle Vorurteile, die ich gegenüber dem männerdominierten Subgenre Actionthriller habe. Boah, hat mich das Buch genervt!
November 21, 2011
Charlie's Angels meets Delta Force and blah, blah, blah. You know the drill in a a book like this: Men are REAL men, women are REAL women and drug overlords from the Balkans with excessive body hair, personal hygiene issues and sexist attitudes are REAL drug overlords from the Balkans with excessive body hair, personal hygiene issues and sexist attitudes.
But thank god Team Barbie Doll (Diversity Edition™) is on watch to protect us all from the above, as well as some confused mess about "rediscovered" Nazi technology a mere 60+ years after the fact. Boy, those Nazis sure were busy, busy, busy inventing stuff, which we should all be thankful for, since it gives hack authors a way to pull stuff out of their rectum that might otherwise seriously plug them up.
PS: I wonder if the author of this masterpiece even knows the first thing about the Athena of mythology? Like the perpetual virginity thing, getting popped out of Zeus's head a fully grown adult fully clad in her armor and that where she gets a mention in anything I've read she comes across as rather sterile and flat. Oh. Maybe he does know at least that last bit.
PPS: Gotta with two stars. I finished the damn thing, and due to the obvious degeneration of my intellectual capacity and utter lack of taste kept reading even as I kept groaning.
But thank god Team Barbie Doll (Diversity Edition™) is on watch to protect us all from the above, as well as some confused mess about "rediscovered" Nazi technology a mere 60+ years after the fact. Boy, those Nazis sure were busy, busy, busy inventing stuff, which we should all be thankful for, since it gives hack authors a way to pull stuff out of their rectum that might otherwise seriously plug them up.
PS: I wonder if the author of this masterpiece even knows the first thing about the Athena of mythology? Like the perpetual virginity thing, getting popped out of Zeus's head a fully grown adult fully clad in her armor and that where she gets a mention in anything I've read she comes across as rather sterile and flat. Oh. Maybe he does know at least that last bit.
PPS: Gotta with two stars. I finished the damn thing, and due to the obvious degeneration of my intellectual capacity and utter lack of taste kept reading even as I kept groaning.
July 5, 2020
I have really enjoyed Brad Thor's Scott Harvath series. This novel is a departure in that Harvath only has a cameo appearance. The book is essentially about the Athena Team, a Delta Force team of woman operatives. While that is a terrific premise (women doing what men usually do), this book doesn't quite hit the mark as well as Thor's other books. First of all, the women do not just use their operator skills, which are just as good as the men, but also rely on their sex appeal (appealing to the bad guys by wearing sexy clothes or lingerie), which seemed to me to be unnecessary and even a bit sexist. Second, the plot of the book is very convoluted and at times confusing and does not have a satisfying ending. Hopefully #11 will be more of the Scott Harvath we have come to know and love and the Athena women will act like real Delta operatives rather than tough contestants on the Bachelorette.
June 8, 2019
A compelling story
Although the story line was quite good, I was disappointed that this really wasn’t a Scott Harvath adventure. As a matter of fact, he was only in about 3 pages of the entire novel. The idea of a small group of attractive female operatives is interesting though. I don’t consider it as good as the other Brad Thor novels I’ve read.
Although the story line was quite good, I was disappointed that this really wasn’t a Scott Harvath adventure. As a matter of fact, he was only in about 3 pages of the entire novel. The idea of a small group of attractive female operatives is interesting though. I don’t consider it as good as the other Brad Thor novels I’ve read.
January 6, 2011
So, here is some "star" explanations.
If I were rating this book on the story alone, I would give it 4 stars. This book is a real page turner, full of action. I loved how the pieces to the puzzle came together from so many different places with so many different people working at it. I always come away from stories like this very grateful for the men and women who put themselves out there everyday to protect our country. So many people giving so much that we don't have any idea about, really. And it can be an ugly job. I liked the total girl power characters. It was fun to have girl heroes instead of the usual male tough guy leads. I was often times confused about which girl was which though. If I would have taken notes, I probably would have had an easier time. I guess I just think that if I'm reading a book for enjoyment, I shouldn't have to take notes! First names were used, then last names, and it was just confusing. I didn't really feel any emotional connection to the main characters. They were strong, brave, gorgeous and smart but I just didn't FEEL connected to them.
Since I'm not rating for just the story line, I really give the book 1 star for me. There was so much foul language. Foul. And the sex, sexual references, sexual interrogations, and so forth were just WAY over the top for me. It was yucky. Violence of course, was high. And in some places, very graphic. But, mostly it was the language and sex that did it for me.
My thanks to the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.
Brad Thor is obviously a gifted writer and story teller.
If I were rating this book on the story alone, I would give it 4 stars. This book is a real page turner, full of action. I loved how the pieces to the puzzle came together from so many different places with so many different people working at it. I always come away from stories like this very grateful for the men and women who put themselves out there everyday to protect our country. So many people giving so much that we don't have any idea about, really. And it can be an ugly job. I liked the total girl power characters. It was fun to have girl heroes instead of the usual male tough guy leads. I was often times confused about which girl was which though. If I would have taken notes, I probably would have had an easier time. I guess I just think that if I'm reading a book for enjoyment, I shouldn't have to take notes! First names were used, then last names, and it was just confusing. I didn't really feel any emotional connection to the main characters. They were strong, brave, gorgeous and smart but I just didn't FEEL connected to them.
Since I'm not rating for just the story line, I really give the book 1 star for me. There was so much foul language. Foul. And the sex, sexual references, sexual interrogations, and so forth were just WAY over the top for me. It was yucky. Violence of course, was high. And in some places, very graphic. But, mostly it was the language and sex that did it for me.
My thanks to the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.
Brad Thor is obviously a gifted writer and story teller.
November 5, 2019
I thought I borrowed a Scot Harvath book so I was surprised to hear a female narrator. Double check and it was listed as book 10. Deceiving? Yes!!
I'm giving this a 2,5 stars. The action was there but to be honest I'm lost what the plot was. I don't remember the any of the four names. All I could remember was how hot the Delta ladies were and they had nice racks.
I'm giving this a 2,5 stars. The action was there but to be honest I'm lost what the plot was. I don't remember the any of the four names. All I could remember was how hot the Delta ladies were and they had nice racks.
April 25, 2012
This...Was...Horrible.
The Athena Project is code for an all female special/black ops group that is tasked with hunting down bad guys ala mission impossible. They are sent to track down top secret Nazi transporter technology that was abandoned at the end of WW II and has now been revived and fallen into the wrong hands.
The book reads like a Charlie's Angels movie script. Which wouldnt be that bad except...all the characters are cardboard cliches. The plot is highly predictable, and I didn't care. I didn't care about any of the characters, or about anyting that was happening in the plot.
Brad Thor is touted on the jacket as the heir to Clancy and Ludlum. If this book is representative of his work, he is not. Even the people who ghostwrite for Clancy, or have continued Ludlum's Bourne stuff are leagues ahead of this guy.
In the interest of fairness, I will point out that this is not Thor's main protagonist and is kind of a companion series to his main one, so maybe his other stuff is better.
The Athena Project is code for an all female special/black ops group that is tasked with hunting down bad guys ala mission impossible. They are sent to track down top secret Nazi transporter technology that was abandoned at the end of WW II and has now been revived and fallen into the wrong hands.
The book reads like a Charlie's Angels movie script. Which wouldnt be that bad except...all the characters are cardboard cliches. The plot is highly predictable, and I didn't care. I didn't care about any of the characters, or about anyting that was happening in the plot.
Brad Thor is touted on the jacket as the heir to Clancy and Ludlum. If this book is representative of his work, he is not. Even the people who ghostwrite for Clancy, or have continued Ludlum's Bourne stuff are leagues ahead of this guy.
In the interest of fairness, I will point out that this is not Thor's main protagonist and is kind of a companion series to his main one, so maybe his other stuff is better.
January 8, 2013
Fun Fun Fun! This was fast-paced fantastic entertainment! As a teenager I always told my mother I wanted to be a CIA agent because no one would ever suspect me...well, this book proves my point :-) Just a couple nit-picky things kept me from giving this 5 stars (I still put this on my favorites list) - by the last fifth of the book I was annoyed by some of the juvenile banter (mainly because it was just the same stuff I'd heard through most of the book already) and the ending came really fast. If you want a great escapist read, this is your book!
December 29, 2010
Take the campy fun of Charlie's Angels and cut it out, burn it and bury it and what you have left is The Athena Project. Completely flat characters, by the numbers plot, laughable dialogue and mind-numbing prose.
I typically stop reading a book this bad, but felt I had to finish it so I could justify this review.
I typically stop reading a book this bad, but felt I had to finish it so I could justify this review.
September 15, 2011
Boring writing style, too many characters and too much sexually charged dialog throughout. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
January 31, 2015
Great book good reading.
May 20, 2019
Adorei!!!
Não sendo propriamente o meu gênero de eleição, foi contudo uma excelente aposta.
Uma história plena de acção de forma a cativar a atenção do leitor.
Histórias entrecruzadas que aparentemente não tem sentido mas que no fim se ligam de uma forma excepcional.
Quem gosta do tema é sem dúvida uma boa escolha.
Não sendo propriamente o meu gênero de eleição, foi contudo uma excelente aposta.
Uma história plena de acção de forma a cativar a atenção do leitor.
Histórias entrecruzadas que aparentemente não tem sentido mas que no fim se ligam de uma forma excepcional.
Quem gosta do tema é sem dúvida uma boa escolha.
December 20, 2010
A thriller that focuses on a Delta Force team - female undercover, government-sanctioned counter-terrorists who are not above doing some really violent things in their quest to eliminate the bad guys - how can you go wrong? The story is a quick read, filled with action, and never boring. Equipment from some truly horrible Nazi experiments has been rediscovered and apparently is being used again. Throw in the whole DIA (Denver International Airport) conspiracy theories, and you have a wild ride.
The prologue is quite violent, and a mystery until farther into the book. The violence doesn't end there, of course. Do the ends justify the means? There are bad guys galore, and some questions about who is good and who is bad. The women are tough and smart, none of this whimpering, "I need to be taken care of" attitude. The author states "all of the science in this novel is based on reality," and I found the science and history fascinating.
There are a few things that caused me to give the book a lower rating than I would have otherwise. Too many gunfights at the OK Corral, and how is it that with all the automatic weapons fire aimed at them, the important characters seem to manage to never get hit? It didn't seem very realistic, but that is a common peeve of mine in thrillers. The women, and for that matter, some of the male characters, would be called by their first names, their last names, their nicknames, and it was tough keeping them all straight. After reading a comment by a friend who had already read the book, I jotted down some of the names and characteristics of the key players. That helped.
I don't think that would have been necessary if the characters had more depth. Some of the female seemed almost interchangeable. Their conversations were sometimes stilted and too cute. Maybe this one was taller than that one, or blonder, but I never got to really know them. But perhaps I am expecting something of a thriller that does not work in one. Perhaps knowing the characters better would have bogged down the story. All in all, this is a fast-paced and exciting read.
Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of the book for my review.
The prologue is quite violent, and a mystery until farther into the book. The violence doesn't end there, of course. Do the ends justify the means? There are bad guys galore, and some questions about who is good and who is bad. The women are tough and smart, none of this whimpering, "I need to be taken care of" attitude. The author states "all of the science in this novel is based on reality," and I found the science and history fascinating.
There are a few things that caused me to give the book a lower rating than I would have otherwise. Too many gunfights at the OK Corral, and how is it that with all the automatic weapons fire aimed at them, the important characters seem to manage to never get hit? It didn't seem very realistic, but that is a common peeve of mine in thrillers. The women, and for that matter, some of the male characters, would be called by their first names, their last names, their nicknames, and it was tough keeping them all straight. After reading a comment by a friend who had already read the book, I jotted down some of the names and characteristics of the key players. That helped.
I don't think that would have been necessary if the characters had more depth. Some of the female seemed almost interchangeable. Their conversations were sometimes stilted and too cute. Maybe this one was taller than that one, or blonder, but I never got to really know them. But perhaps I am expecting something of a thriller that does not work in one. Perhaps knowing the characters better would have bogged down the story. All in all, this is a fast-paced and exciting read.
Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of the book for my review.
May 25, 2020
Full review: https://girlswithguns.org/athena-proj...
The main problem are the female characters: Gretchen Casey, Julie Ericsson, Megan Rhodes, and Alex Cooper. I had to look those names up, because as heroines, they are completely forgettable and indistinguishable from each other. Maybe Thor would have been better off concentrating on a single character, as it seems he does in his other works [his main hero there, Scot Harvath, pops up briefly in this novel]. On the other hand, maybe that wouldn’t have helped, given literary gems such as “Considering what these women did for a living, they certainly wouldn’t have described themselves as being dressed to kill, but everyone else would have.” Or “I don’t know about Mr. Right, but he definitely looks like he could be Mr. Right Now.” Is there a world where women talk like that? Maybe, with the right actresses, lines like that might work on the screen; on the printed page, however, they come over as cheesier than a block of aged Cheddar.
The main problem are the female characters: Gretchen Casey, Julie Ericsson, Megan Rhodes, and Alex Cooper. I had to look those names up, because as heroines, they are completely forgettable and indistinguishable from each other. Maybe Thor would have been better off concentrating on a single character, as it seems he does in his other works [his main hero there, Scot Harvath, pops up briefly in this novel]. On the other hand, maybe that wouldn’t have helped, given literary gems such as “Considering what these women did for a living, they certainly wouldn’t have described themselves as being dressed to kill, but everyone else would have.” Or “I don’t know about Mr. Right, but he definitely looks like he could be Mr. Right Now.” Is there a world where women talk like that? Maybe, with the right actresses, lines like that might work on the screen; on the printed page, however, they come over as cheesier than a block of aged Cheddar.
January 31, 2023
Book Review - They are just as skilled, just as fearsome, and just as deadly as their colleagues. They are Delta Force’s newest members to 'The Unit' and they have only one thing setting them apart from the other Unit members—their gender. As part of a top-secret, all-female program codenamed “The Athena Project,” four of Delta Force's best and brightest women undertake one of the nation’s deadliest assignments in this unusual Brad Thor thriller. No this is not a Scot Harvath novel but he does make a small cameo appearance in this super exciting book. You won't miss him because these women are true warriors and just as "badass" as their male Delta counterparts. Never judge a book by its cover nor a drink or a woman by their appearance. I sure wish Brad Thor would write a sequel to this novel, because it's really that good!
August 31, 2019
This novel celebrates feminine and masculine abilities and their differences. The book is not about feminism but rather some skilled women using all the benefits of being a woman. A refreshing spy novel about some kick a** women.
December 6, 2010
Right on the heels of Foreign Influence comes a new project from Brad Thor, The Athena Project. Was I pumped, excited, impatient to get it, ready to read it, looking forward to it? To put it mildly, yes, that and much more, I ran out ways to say how much I wanted to get this novel and read it. I am a big Brad Thor fan and was happy to see him branch out and do something a little different. Let’s get to what the action is all about:
“The world’s most elite counterterrorism unit has just taken its game to an entirely new level. And not a moment too soon . . .
From behind the rows of razor wire, a new breed of counterterrorism operator has emerged.
Just as skilled, just as fearsome, and just as deadly as their colleagues, Delta Force’s newest members have only one thing setting them apart—their gender. Part of a top-secret, all-female program codenamed The Athena Project, four of Delta’s best and brightest women are about to undertake one of the nation’s deadliest assignments.
When a terrorist attack in Rome kills more than twenty Americans, Athena Team members Gretchen Casey, Julie Ericsson, Megan Rhodes, and Alex Cooper are tasked with hunting down the Venetian arms dealer responsible for providing the explosives. But there is more to the story than anyone knows.
In the jungles of South America, a young U.S. intelligence officer has made a grisly discovery. Surrounded by monoliths covered with Runic symbols, one of America’s greatest fears appears to have come true. Simultaneously in Colorado, a foreign spy is close to penetrating the mysterious secret the U.S. government has hidden beneath Denver International Airport.
As Casey, Ericsson, Rhodes, and Cooper close in on their target, they will soon learn that another attack—one of unimaginable proportions—has already been set in motion, and the greatest threat they face may be the secrets kept by their own government.”
Have you read my biography? If you have, and maybe if you have now, you will see that my wife and I have eight children. The reason I bring that up is that seven of them are girls. I enjoy a good novel that has some really good heroines in them, especially the kind that are contained in this novel: intelligent, strong willed, successful just to name a few. Basically the attributes one would hope for in any child. Thor has been able to walk the fine line between cartoonish behavior of the opposite sex and nailing this on the head, and he has nailed this on the head. The dialogue was excellent, the character development was nice for a debut, and he tied everything up in a nice bow for us at the end.
The inclusion of his other characters from his previous novels was a nice bonus and added a nice touch to the plotline. I was grateful Brad Thor added them; it gave the novel a familiar feel and helped settle me in a bit more. Even if you aren’t a father of a girl or girls, this is a fun novel for all the right reasons. If it helps me get the chance to read a Brad Thor novel more than once a year, bring it on. If you are a fan of any size of Brad Thor’s, check out his website it is really nice: http://bradthor.com/#/home/
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Wattpad and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
“The world’s most elite counterterrorism unit has just taken its game to an entirely new level. And not a moment too soon . . .
From behind the rows of razor wire, a new breed of counterterrorism operator has emerged.
Just as skilled, just as fearsome, and just as deadly as their colleagues, Delta Force’s newest members have only one thing setting them apart—their gender. Part of a top-secret, all-female program codenamed The Athena Project, four of Delta’s best and brightest women are about to undertake one of the nation’s deadliest assignments.
When a terrorist attack in Rome kills more than twenty Americans, Athena Team members Gretchen Casey, Julie Ericsson, Megan Rhodes, and Alex Cooper are tasked with hunting down the Venetian arms dealer responsible for providing the explosives. But there is more to the story than anyone knows.
In the jungles of South America, a young U.S. intelligence officer has made a grisly discovery. Surrounded by monoliths covered with Runic symbols, one of America’s greatest fears appears to have come true. Simultaneously in Colorado, a foreign spy is close to penetrating the mysterious secret the U.S. government has hidden beneath Denver International Airport.
As Casey, Ericsson, Rhodes, and Cooper close in on their target, they will soon learn that another attack—one of unimaginable proportions—has already been set in motion, and the greatest threat they face may be the secrets kept by their own government.”
Have you read my biography? If you have, and maybe if you have now, you will see that my wife and I have eight children. The reason I bring that up is that seven of them are girls. I enjoy a good novel that has some really good heroines in them, especially the kind that are contained in this novel: intelligent, strong willed, successful just to name a few. Basically the attributes one would hope for in any child. Thor has been able to walk the fine line between cartoonish behavior of the opposite sex and nailing this on the head, and he has nailed this on the head. The dialogue was excellent, the character development was nice for a debut, and he tied everything up in a nice bow for us at the end.
The inclusion of his other characters from his previous novels was a nice bonus and added a nice touch to the plotline. I was grateful Brad Thor added them; it gave the novel a familiar feel and helped settle me in a bit more. Even if you aren’t a father of a girl or girls, this is a fun novel for all the right reasons. If it helps me get the chance to read a Brad Thor novel more than once a year, bring it on. If you are a fan of any size of Brad Thor’s, check out his website it is really nice: http://bradthor.com/#/home/
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Wattpad and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
July 27, 2015
2.75 stars
A typical action-pack espionage story Brad Thor's style. Only, this time the women of Delta team took the lead with Scot Harvath being the guess star. Probably a start of new series with female super heroines, to go side by side with Scot Harvath series.
It's been a while since I last read book with this genre. The story led us from Venice, to Prague, Serbia and a compound in remote Russia.The multiple perspectives from the ladies operatives, the bad guys, and other law enforcement personnel both livened and cramped the book. At least to me.
I could follow the story and how all mysteries connected fine. What I was slightly fed up was the manner of heroines here. As usual, Thor's leading characters were all perfect specimen: good-looking, smart, possessed super skills to do good for the country. I was down with that. That said, these women often acted like a bunch of college girls. Even during mission. Perhaps this what's made this espionage book different from others - a bit of dramedy (drama comedy). But it just didn't sit well with me.
To sum up: I was okay with the plot but didn't care so much with the characters.
A typical action-pack espionage story Brad Thor's style. Only, this time the women of Delta team took the lead with Scot Harvath being the guess star. Probably a start of new series with female super heroines, to go side by side with Scot Harvath series.
It's been a while since I last read book with this genre. The story led us from Venice, to Prague, Serbia and a compound in remote Russia.The multiple perspectives from the ladies operatives, the bad guys, and other law enforcement personnel both livened and cramped the book. At least to me.
I could follow the story and how all mysteries connected fine. What I was slightly fed up was the manner of heroines here. As usual, Thor's leading characters were all perfect specimen: good-looking, smart, possessed super skills to do good for the country. I was down with that. That said, these women often acted like a bunch of college girls. Even during mission. Perhaps this what's made this espionage book different from others - a bit of dramedy (drama comedy). But it just didn't sit well with me.
To sum up: I was okay with the plot but didn't care so much with the characters.
August 23, 2012
Although this novel is a quick, entertaining read it is essentially populated by cartoon characters. The Athena Project is comprised of four superwomen from the Delta Force. While in other series we are asked to believe in supermen, such as the author's Scot Horvath, it is only one such individual. Multiply this by four, reverse gender each time, and you really strain this limits of 'suspension of credibility'.
This was probably a trial balloon for a series that thankfully has not appeared.
Thriller - The Athena Project, four of Delta’s best women about to undertake a deadly assignment. When a terrorist attack in Rome kills more than twenty Americans, Athena Team members Gretchen Casey, Julie Ericsson, Megan Rhodes, and Alex Cooper are tasked with hunting down the Venetian arms dealer responsible for providing the explosives. In the jungles of South America, an intelligence officer has made a grisly discovery; one of America’s greatest fears appears to have come true. In Colorado, a spy is close to penetrating the secret hidden beneath Denver's airport.
This was probably a trial balloon for a series that thankfully has not appeared.
Thriller - The Athena Project, four of Delta’s best women about to undertake a deadly assignment. When a terrorist attack in Rome kills more than twenty Americans, Athena Team members Gretchen Casey, Julie Ericsson, Megan Rhodes, and Alex Cooper are tasked with hunting down the Venetian arms dealer responsible for providing the explosives. In the jungles of South America, an intelligence officer has made a grisly discovery; one of America’s greatest fears appears to have come true. In Colorado, a spy is close to penetrating the secret hidden beneath Denver's airport.
January 2, 2011
This was my first Brad Thor read and it was okay. The story of Kammler's device was interesting. I had a hard time telling the women apart, though. They weren't fleshed out very well, and they were referred to by so many different versions of their names that it was hard keeping them all straight. They were just very cardboard characters and I hope that if Thor writes more with them, he will flesh them out more and make them real characters instead of just interchangeable sexy badasses. The dialogue wasn't too strong, either.
An okay book, and I'll probably read more of Thor. This just didn't blow my socks off.
An okay book, and I'll probably read more of Thor. This just didn't blow my socks off.
August 27, 2020
Another book from a friend.
An all female team saves the U.S. from devastation by all means necessary. An unscrupulous group has resurrected Nazi-era technology that can destroy, irrevocably, the power structure of major cities. The author, in 2010, saw this as soon to be real technology. Who knew politicians would dispense with technology.
An all female team saves the U.S. from devastation by all means necessary. An unscrupulous group has resurrected Nazi-era technology that can destroy, irrevocably, the power structure of major cities. The author, in 2010, saw this as soon to be real technology. Who knew politicians would dispense with technology.
February 2, 2024
Got halfway and wanted to quit. I should have. If you’re reading this hoping for a bad ass all women delta group story, skip it. It was clearly written by a man, where
well trained delta operatives are easily distracted by makeup, boys, and wine glasses. So stupid.
well trained delta operatives are easily distracted by makeup, boys, and wine glasses. So stupid.
March 3, 2013
Most excellent ...
October 8, 2016
A very good spin off of the Harvath series.
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