#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!