#Fantasy Worth Reading - Review for Nemesis (Sparta Online #1) #LitRPG #Gamelit

 

Blurb:  The might, myth and magic of ancient Greece returned to life... via a deadly combat training game.

Locked in a never-ending war, the city of Technoburbia strives to emulate the military genius of ancient Sparta. To do so, recruits like 15-year-old Troy will enter Sparta Online, learning the skills and mindset of the Spartan hoplite soldiers of old.

Now, Troy finds himself forced into a battle for survival. Facing hunger and having to fight with his fellow soldiers for the most basic of equipment, he is sure that death in the simulation would have dire consequences.

But why are the young recruits being sent on increasingly deadly quests, ill-equipped and with no guidance from their captains? And where are all of the previous trainees?

As his questions mount up, Troy begins to realize that his only way out is to play the game... and win.

Christine's review: When Troy comes of age and is recruited into Technoburbia's military, his misery turns into curiosity when he discovers he's been chosen for a special program to train in a video game called Sparta Online. Inside the realistic world, Troy is thrust into a harsh training routine that seems more likely to kill him than make him a great soldier. Will he manage to survive and figure out what's wrong with the game or will he become another Spartan fatality?

This YA historical fantasy LitRPG was a fun and enthralling read. The kids recruited by the military for Sparta Online have a lot of pluck, and Troy's empathy and determination makes him stand out. He's clever and quick, but he's still a 15-year-old kid stuck in a bad situation. I liked seeing how things unraveled from a cruel training program to something much more. Something that has major consequences for the players in the game and possibly out of it. What I especially loved was the peek into history to the life of a Spartan warrior's world when they start to train. How difficult and dangerous it is, how the people of different castes interact, and the everyday life. Plus, on top of that, all the magic and mythological creatures are real!

The Stars: What's Out there? E

Credit: NASA / Artist concept of the James Webb Space Telescope

At last, at last! There's a new space telescope out there to get better looks at the origins of the universe, distant planets, and galaxies, plus our own solar system. The James Webb Space Telescope is an orbiting infrared observatory. It will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope with longer wavelength coverage and massively improved sensitivity.

Herbig-Haro / Credit ESA/Hubble & NASA, B. Nisini

The James Webb is bigger and more powerful, and I'm sure we'll learn things we have yet to imagine. The telescope will orbit Earth 1.5 kilometers away. It is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.

Webb has a primary mirror made of 18 segments comprised of ultra-lightweight beryllium. Its biggest feature is a tennis court-sized five-layer sunshield that attenuates heat from the Sun more than a million times. The telescope’s four instruments - cameras and spectrometers - have detectors that can record extremely faint signals. One instrument has programmable microshutters, which enable observation up to 100 objects simultaneously. How Cool!

Exciting news! James Webb has now reached its orbit and successfully deployed the mirrors. Its first target is star HD 84406 in the Big Dipper. Can you hear me squealing? 

Although we don't have flying cars yet or live on the Moon, amazing discoveries about our solar system, galaxy, and universe have been made in recent years. There's water on the moon and Mars. There are possible signs of life on Venus. So, I'm excited to see what James Webb will discover. What do you think we might find?

Speaking of stars and space, I have a new book out! Endpoint, Backworlds Book 8 is now available!

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What are you willing to lose in order to win?

Craze can no longer keep the evil Quassers contained, and winning the war gets harder. The Quassers unite forces with another enemy and become more threatening, more destructive, and more murderous.

Planet after planet falls, and Craze is desperate. The only chance he has is a glimpse at little hopes that might grow into a viable strategy. But only if the other planets work with him. So far, everybody is still looking out for themselves and hates him for the gut-wrenching decisions—the deaths of innocents in exchange for all of humanity’s survival.