PANTHEON

K.R. Paul's debut novel, Pantheon, has a unique premise and is quite the page turner, especially for a first-time outing. It starts with a bang, with Air Force Captain Valerie Hall discovering through a traumatic event that she has the ability to teleport. This immediately draws attention from the chain of command, and Hall is shanghai'd to the Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities, Special Operations Activity, which is the US military's secretive unit of dedicated teleporters (known in the lore as "Jumpers"). The novel rapidly picks up steam as we see Hall learn what it takes to manage her newfound abilities and an ugly threat rears its ugly head.Let me start with the improves, since there are far more sustains than improves. I only really have two gripes about this novel. The first is, I'd have liked some sort of exploration of how the Jumpers' capabilities work (though I can understand why Paul opted to keep it vague; I imagine the sci-fi needed to explain teleportation would be complex and a pain to capture in prose, to say the least).The second is that the ending struck me as far too rushed. Going from 100 miles per hour to 0 so suddenly produces the kind of whiplash of which I am not a fan.With those improves out of the way, the sustains are plentiful. Paul is very good with characterization and dialogue, knowing how to build rapport between characters as well as between the character on the page and the reader. You definitely come to identify with Valerie, Mandy, and Powell, and you find yourself wanting to learn more about the other members of the TENCAP-SOA.Paul also does suspense and thrills very well and compels the reader to turn the page. I remember going into this novel telling myself to have an open mind and instead instantly getting hooked. I had to know more and see the story to its conclusion.All in all, I found Pantheon to be a wonderfully fun novel to read, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment. Paul establishes her writing chops and she's only going to grow even more skilled with the written word than she already is. I'd definitely recommend Pantheon!

I first noticed this book when I saw it was on the recommended summer reading list for the Georgetown University Center for Security Studies masters program. It sounded interesting, and I had just finished another book, so I decided to give it a try. I had a very good time reading Pantheon and highly recommend it. I'm a fan of sci fi and also a fan of present day military thrillers. Think Jason Anspach and The Galaxy's Edge and James Rosone and the Red Storm series. This gave me some of both. Teleportation. Special ops. Think of the possibilities. It was a very good thriller with lots of surprises. The characters are well developed, especially the protagonist Val. I cared about the characters. The female protagonist written from a woman's perspective was also interesting. It is a fast-paced novel without any dead space. I thought it was an excellent offering as a first novel, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel and to watching the author develop.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I am not into Sci-Fi but this was such a wonderful combination of Military intrigue, sci-fi, and drama, with a little bit of romance sprinkled in, I loved it. I didn't want it to end. I was hooked from the first paragraph.A Captain in the Air force goes on a date for the first time in a while and finds herself in a dangerous date rape situation. She handles it but finds out she can teleport in the process. Her life is totally changed from that moment on.The characters are believable and likable, with a strong woman main character.She rapidly earns the respect of her co-workers and proves to be a tough captain. I liked her.The book was refreshing and different. It had fast-moving scenarios.This is the author's first book, for a debut novel she was spot on. She has promised a sequel and I cannot wait! I highly recommend this book, but don't start it before bed, you will not get any sleep...

Grab this book now! This story starts fast and never lets up. it a spy novel with a fantastic feature that is given enough restrains that you don't speand all of your energy suspending disbelief. The main character is feminists, but not gi jane. Shes not a push over or maudlin, but she reveals the kind of relatable imperfections and insecurities that anyone would have. She's tough, but is definitely has a feminine perspective that is as comfortable describing mission breifs as she is admitting that it would be difficult to have a man be in charge of buyng here bras and tampons. This combine with the fantasy feature makes look forward to the inevitable sequels (from the grapevine 4 more) and to following her arc. This book was fun and satisfing but like a lays potato chip: "You can't just read one" Check out this book!

From the gut wrenching start to the action packed finish, Pantheon by KR Paul is a seriously good read. The mix of sci-fi, military, and espionage makes for a story that will keep you wanting more. KR Paul has created a world and a cast of characters that I am looking forward to following for many more engaging adventures.

I don’t write reviews because my thoughts usually don’t come across the way I want. However, am going to try. If you are a fan of military and Sc-Fi, you need to read this book. If you like to see a military woman become stronger in both actions and words, you need to read this book. The book starts off with a bang and keeps that initial “WHAT” going until the last page. Valerie Hall is a real life type of hero, she has her faults, she gets angry, she doesn’t take stuff from the men on her team, she not only gets stronger throughout the book physically but also mentally. It was a pleasure to “watch” her grow. This is the first in a series and I cannot wait for the next, and the next.

Pantheon is Fun, fast paced and absorbing. The plotting is tight and the story is excellent. KR Paul gets a place on the shelf with Martha Wells, Marko Kloos and John Scalzi. Really. It’s that good.

So, disclaimed upfront, I had pre-ordered this due to the author's twitter feed, and I binged read it on Sept 30 when it first came out. I gave it 5 stars, but I didn't write a review until mid-October. Part of that was life getting in the way, but also I went to go find a specific part to reference in the review, and ended up re-reading the entire book a second time. The book is good, and well worth picking up.Now onto some specifics:- This is placed in the Military Thrillers and Thrillers categories, but you could almost put it into Urban Fantasy or Super hero genres. If you like Mission Impossible or the Bourne books, with a dash of comic book influence to differentiate Pantheon from its peers, this is the book for you. I mention Urban Fantasy, because while scifi/comics seems like a more relevant influence, I could see it going more of an Urban Fantasy way depending on how the second novel chooses to go.- The characters are well developed over the course of the novel, and there is a resolution with a setup for future novels that leaves me wanting more. (I understand a sequel is already in the works)- Its a page turner that kept me up way past when I should have been sleeping, with a good mix of action and drama to keep you hooked.- Speaking of action scenes, the fight scenes are pretty visceral and brutal, in a John Wick sort of way.- There are plenty of easter eggs and "hidden" references to geeky material that enhanced my enjoyment when I caught them (cue the Leo Dicaprio pointing gif, but Amazon won't let me embed it), and I think a lot of comic fans would appreciate them as well.TLDR; This is well worth your time and money to read if you are a fan of thrillers, comic books, urban fantasy or just good books with a strong female protagonist.

I absolutely loved this book. I was hooked from the opening line. While it is a bit shorter than the typical fiction that I read, the story was engaging and the setting is developed well by the author. The character arcs are excellent and I loved the dialogue. I was on an emotional rollercoaster ride right along with the main character. The novel flows very well from lighter humorous moments into serious emotional moments and really does take you on a journey.Unlike some other mainstream military fiction, it is obvious the author has experience in that world, and the authenticity is appreciated.I can't wait to start the next one!

The book started out ok, but very quickly jumped into the protagonist having mystical powers. No one seemed freaked out by this not even her father while she somehow teleported to him with her mind. I lost interest right away.

This is a great book, a thriller which takes you on twists and turns on every page. Studiously researched, KR Paul places you right in the heart of the action!

It's military SF, but character-driven rather than technology-driven. The writing is raw and honest, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something that wasn't predictable or formulaic.